Free VMware Backup Options to Protect Your Virtual Machines

On VMware platforms, are you trying to find a means to back up your virtual machines? In order to assist you in efficiently performing free VMware backups, we’ll examine built-in capabilities and a potent ESXi backup software solution in this post.

What Constitutes a Successful VMware Backup Option?

Information is essential to any organization. Administrators frequently utilize several virtual machine backup solutions, adhering to the 3-2-1 backup rule, to safeguard your virtual machine data from calamities.

A good VMware backup strategy should:

• Keep several copies of your virtual machine’s data.
• Keep backups in various places.
• Give full copies of all the paperwork and your systems.
• Function without reliance on any specific component of your internal network.
• Applications like CRMs and databases that are backed inside virtual machines.

For these reasons, it’s best to create image-level backups of entire VMs. However, virtual machine backups, particularly in enterprise environments, can be technically challenging and costly. Is there an affordable or even free VMware backup solution? Let’s look at some methods for free VMware VM backups on ESXi.

Free VM Backup Solutions for VMware

It’s crucial to understand that backups and virtual machine snapshots have different functions before delving into the techniques. Over time, snapshots can deteriorate virtual machine performance as they are not independent. Take into consideration these backup options for long-term data protection:

• Manually Copy VM Disk Files: The hypervisor can open VM disk files directly.
• Export VM to OVF/OVA: By enabling the interchange of virtual appliances between platforms, OVF files facilitate quicker download times. VMs must be exported separately, though.
• Agent-Based Virtual Machine Backup: Make use of programs like Windows Server Backup or Windows Guest OS Backup and Restore. This solution can be labor-intensive for several virtual machines (VMs) and does not backup host and guest configurations.
• Agentless Free Backup Software: The most dependable method for virtual machine backups

Free VMware Backup Software – AOMEI Cyber Backup

While built-in features allow for manual backups of multiple VMs one by one, this might be sufficient for a few VMs on VMware Workstation but not for enterprises using VMware ESXi. For these cases, VMware backup software like AOMEI Cyber Backup is highly effective.

AOMEI Cyber Backup allows you to create backup tasks for multiple VMs, restore entire VMs, automate VM protection, and receive email notifications for errors. It focuses on easy server backup, ensuring business continuity. And it supports both paid and free ESXi, making it versatile for all users.

Features of AOMEI Cyber Backup

• Agentless VM Backup: Create complete, independent image-level backups for VMware ESXi and Hyper-V VMs from a central console.
• Support for Free ESXi: Works with both paid and free versions of VMware ESXi.
• Multiple Storage Destinations: Backup to local drives, NAS, or network shares.
• Automated Execution: Set up schedules to automate backups daily, weekly, or monthly.
• Restore Entire VM: Quickly restore VMs from any selected restore points.
• Role Assignment: Allow an administrator to create sub-accounts with limited privileges.

• Email Notification: Receive email notifications upon task completion or errors.
• Perpetual Free: AOMEI Cyber Backup Free Edition has no time limit.

3 Easy Steps to Perform Free VM Backup

AOMEI Cyber Backup allows you to manage VMs on both VMware ESXi and Hyper-V hosts centrally.

Bind Devices: Access the AOMEI Cyber Backup web client, navigate to Source Device > VMware > + Add VMware Device to add vCenter or standalone ESXi host. Then click … > Bind Device.

Create Backup Task: Go to Backup Task > + Create New Task, and set up Task Name, Backup Type, Device, Target, and Schedule.

• Device: Include multiple VMs on the host within one backup task.
• Target: Choose to back up to a local path or a network path.
• Schedule: Select full, differential, or incremental backup, and automate execution as specified.

Run Backup: Click Start Backup and choose to add the schedule and start backup now, or add the schedule only.

Created backup tasks will be listed and monitored separately for restoring, progress checking, and schedule changes.

• Upgrade to Premium Edition

While the Free Edition covers most VM backup needs, upgrading to the Premium Edition offers additional benefits:

• Batch VM Backup: Backup large numbers of VMs managed by vCenter Server or standalone ESXi hosts in batches.
• Backup Cleanup: Configure a retention policy to auto-delete old backup files and save storage space.
• Restore to New Location: Create a new VM in the same or another datastore/host directly from the backup, saving reconfiguration time.

Conclusion

In conclusion, AOMEI Cyber Backup is an excellent choice for a free, reliable VMware backup solution that simplifies the backup and recovery process for ESXi VMs.