VM Backup and Recovery: Agents vs. Snapshots

Are you sticking with "old school" backup agents or have you embraced virtual machine snapshots? Find out how both strategies work for and against you.

How do you backup your virtual machines (VMs)? Most virtualization administrators either use a snapshot-based backup solution or a traditional agent-based solution carried over from physical systems.

Agent-based solutions are still very prevalent because neither virtualization software developers nor third-party vendors have rushed in to provide a better option. There are alternative backup solutions, but those rely on built-in technology (snapshots) and don't, as yet, offer a viable replacement for traditional backup.

Though each method has its own set of advantages and disadvantages, the system administrator has more options and fewer restrictions when selecting backup solutions and strategies. But, backup solutions don't stand alone. Most require additional software and hardware, which is expensive and time-consuming to deploy. There is also the question of restoration. Does the backup solution lend itself to easy file-level restoration or is the solution an "all or nothing" VM replacement? Additionally, can an administrator select individual files for backup, while preserving permissions?