vCenter backups are essential for protecting your VMware environment. Thanks to some smart people, native vCenter backup is built into the VCSA via the vCenter Server Management Interface (VAMI). This allows you to easily create a backup schedule and monitor backup activity, and verify a backup in the event a restore is needed. Plus there’s flexible options with multiple protocols to select from. Let’s explore how to configure and schedule a backup in my lab environment.

Also, the official VMware documentation can be found here: Configure and Schedule Backups

Step 1 would be to determine the backup location/repository is going to be and what protocol (FTPS, HTTP, HTTPS, SFTP, FTP, NFS or SMB) to use. In my lab I leverage FileZilla FTP server using FTP, and I have it setup a server on a local VM. There are many other ways to accomplish this task, so be sure to pick the best option that works for you.

The setup of the backup server is out of scope for what this blog will cover, but if you want to know more how to set something like that up, please comment below to let me know, and I can cover the setup at a later date. You can also reference this article, which covers the setup and configuration of an FTP server similar to how mine is setup.

Once the backup server is setup then we can move to step 2 and configure the backup in vCenter VAMI. Navigate to the VAMI by going to https://vCenter_IP_address_or_hostname:5480 in a web browser, then find the Backup menu item on the left.

Click the Configure link on the far right hand side of the Backup Schedule section.

Selecting this will open a new window to enter in details to configure a backup schedule for vCenter.

• First we’ll want to pick a backup location, and be sure to include the protocol, per the example/hint just below the line. In my example below I entered in the protocol and the IP for the FTP server. I’m simply dumping the files to the root folder, so I have no other subfolders in my path.
• Enter User name, password.
• Pick a scheduled backup time – I selected Daily, at 3:10am.
• I chose not to encrypt my backup since this is a lab, however, if there’s a want to do so then set the password and be sure to record it, because that will be needed if a restore is ever required.
• By default Retain all backups radio button will be selected – I chose to retain the last 3 backups.
• Then select the type of data to backup – Stats, Events, and Tasks are selected by default (but can be deselected if wanted) and of course all the Inventory and configuration will be backed up.

Click Create to save the backup configuration, and the setup is complete.

From this point forward, my backup will run daily at 3am, and I can go back in to the VAMI to verify.

As a bonus…now that the back up is setup, at any point I can now also run an ad-hoc backup.

Go back into the VAMI, navigate to the Backup panel, and find the “Backup Now” option on the far right of the Activity panel.

Also, as an example in this screenshot, all backup activity can be viewed here, including Type, Status, Data Transferred, Duration and End Time. This is a really good holistic view for the backup activity to verify all backups for your VCSA.

The Backup Now window will open, and it will be blank.

Selecting the checkbox Use backup location and user name from backup scheudle will then fill in all the pertinent information needed for an ad-hoc VCSA backup.

Best practice would be to fill in the description with the activity, and if you add initials, then others will know of the event as well!

Click Start, and the manual backup will run.

And that’s all for this blog! If this helped you out, please make a comment below. Thank you!