For more information, see Changed Block Tracking. To keep track of changed data blocks, Veeam Backup & Replication uses different approaches. Subsequent backup job sessions are incremental - Veeam Backup & Replication copies only those data blocks that have changed since the last backup job session. Michael Cade discussed how Veeams flexible architecture meets organizations. The first backup job session always produces a full backup of the VM image. Michael Otey described backup best practices that help ensure business continuity. You can instruct Veeam Backup & Replication to run jobs automatically by schedule or start them manually. One backup job can be used to process one or several VMs. The backup job defines when, what, how and where to back up. A backup job is a configuration unit of the backup activity. To perform backup, you need to configure backup jobs. In Veeam Backup & Replication, backup is a job-driven process. Veeam Backup & Replication copies VM data from the source datastore at a block level. It retrieves VM data, compresses and deduplicates it, and stores in backup files in the backup repository in Veeam proprietary format.

Veeam Backup & Replication uses this point-in-time copy as a source of data for backup. The VM snapshot can be thought of as a point-in-time copy of a VM that includes virtual disks, system state, configuration and so on. When you back up a VM, Veeam Backup & Replication requests VMware vSphere to create a VM snapshot. If the target and source hosts are located in different sites, use the off-site. If the target host is located in the same site as the source host, use the on-site replication scenario. To back up VMs, it leverages VMware vSphere snapshot capabilities. Veeam Backup & Replication supports a number of replication scenarios that depend on the location of the target host: On-site replication. Veeam Backup & Replication does not install agent software inside the VM guest OS to retrieve VM data.

It operates at the virtualization layer and uses an image-based approach for VM backup. Veeam Backup & Replication is built for virtual environments.

Vmware veeam backup best practices