# Creating a backup plan

## General information

One of the key features of **Xopero ONE** software is **VMware** backup. The system enables you to back up all or selected virtual machines hosted on your **ESXi** or **vCenter** server. This article focuses on creating a **VMware** backup plan.

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## Creating a backup plan

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Log in to [**XMS**](#user-content-fn-1)[^1], go to the **Backup** tab (**Plans** > **Backup**) and click the **+ Add plan** button in the top toolbar.

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Select **VMware** from the platforms list.

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Define the name of the backup plan.
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Select one of the available **ESXi** or **vCenter** servers (from those already connected to **Xopero ONE**) and choose which virtual machines you want to protect. You can select **Protect all** to include all VMs from the chosen server, or **Select VMs** to manually add only specific virtual machines.

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Click the **Edit** button next to the **VMware backup options** section to configure the following settings:

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1. **Application aware** — a **VSS**-based feature that ensures a consistent backup of the virtual machine and its applications (for example, **Windows Server** systems running **Microsoft SQL Server**, **Microsoft Exchange**, or **Microsoft Active Directory**). In **Xopero ONE**, you can enable **application-aware backup** on supported guest operating systems (recommended). You can also choose to continue the backup in case of application errors—if this option is enabled, the backup process will proceed even if the **application-aware** feature encounters an error.

<figure><img src="https://319733277-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F0CBTl43C3OO6ySL1DJ6k%2Fuploads%2FveNU6hjQj7hY7dW2B6lS%2Fimage.png?alt=media&#x26;token=46f87581-b019-485e-82d1-71b0028832ee" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

2. **Changes processing (CBT)** — a feature that lets you configure how differential and incremental backups are performed. You can choose between the following options:
   1. **VMware CBT** (recommended) — a **VMkernel** feature that tracks changes to the storage blocks of virtual machines over time. For **VMware CBT**, there are two additional settings: **Enable CBT in VMware** for all VMs included in the backup, and **Reset CBT for every full copy** to prevent any issues related to **CBT**.
   2. **Xopero ONE classic method** — a less efficient but useful option when **VMware CBT** fails. This method compares data block by block to identify changes between the previous and current backup.&#x20;

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3. **Virtual machine state** — an optional feature that lets you specify the VM states in which the backup should be performed. If a virtual machine is in a different state than the one selected, it will not be included in the backup process.
4. **Transport method** — defines how virtual machines are transferred between **VMware** and the **backup worker**. There are four options available:
   1. **Automatic (recommended)** — **Xopero ONE** will automatically determine the best available transport method for each worker and apply it accordingly.
   2. **HotAdd** — available only for **virtual appliance workers** (see [this article](https://helpcenter.xopero.com/xopero-one-en/backup-and-recovery/virtual-machines/vmware/integration/virtual-appliance) for more details). This method creates a snapshot and a linked clone of the target virtual machine. The disk is then attached to the **worker**, which reads the linked clone’s virtual disks for backup.
   3. **SAN** — this mode requires the backup server to have access to the **SAN** storage containing the virtual disks. A **SAN backup worker** must be a physical machine. In this mode, data is read directly from the **VMware LUN** storage where the virtual disks are located.
   4. **LAN** — also called **NBD**/**NBDSSL**. In this mode, the **ESXi** host reads data from the storage and sends it over the network to the worker. This method is typically used when no other transport option is available.

<figure><img src="https://319733277-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F0CBTl43C3OO6ySL1DJ6k%2Fuploads%2Fhb92ou9arMtCfeAfY5TG%2Fimage.png?alt=media&#x26;token=b394ce91-f2a6-481f-b69d-45b9721e238c" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

5. **Skip SWAP and empty blocks** — **Xopero ONE** allows you to reduce backup size using two additional options:
   1. **Skip SWAP files, and partitions** — when this option is enabled, **Xopero ONE** will skip swap partitions and files. These function as virtual memory, storing temporary data that is not currently used by RAM.
   2. **Skip empty blocks** — when this option is enabled, **Xopero ONE** will skip empty blocks that do not need to be backed up, reducing the overall backup size.

<figure><img src="https://319733277-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F0CBTl43C3OO6ySL1DJ6k%2Fuploads%2F7Cim6grc9TexmuyQ25Oh%2Fimage.png?alt=media&#x26;token=d9875de9-4b73-463a-9052-2758ee417c2e" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

6. **Disk consolidation:** when this option is enabled, **Xopero ONE** forces consolidation of the source machine's disks on the **VMware** side before taking a snapshot.&#x20;

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7. **Default worker** — device directly responsible for backing up your virtual machines. You can have multiple workers and assign different workers to each backup plan. A worker can be either a physical or virtual machine.

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Note that using transport methods like **HotAdd** requires a **virtual appliance**.
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Devices running on **macOS** cannot be used as **worker** devices in VMware backup plans in Xopero ONE.
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Specify the backup location by choosing from the available storage options within your service.
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Configure the [**Scheduler & data retention** settings](https://helpcenter.xopero.com/xopero-one-en/management/scheduler-and-retention) by defining when backups should run and which types of backup copies to use.

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Set the retention policy to determine how long backups are stored — any copies exceeding this period <mark style="color:$danger;">**will be automatically deleted**</mark>.
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Go to the **Advanced settings** section to customize additional options, including encryption, compression levels, and deduplication. These settings provide greater flexibility and help optimize the backup process.
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After completing the configuration, click the **Save** button. The protection plan will then automatically begin protecting your **VMware** virtual machines according to the schedule you defined.
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## Useful links and items

{% content-ref url="../integration/adding-vmware-server-to-xopero-one" %}
[adding-vmware-server-to-xopero-one](https://helpcenter.xopero.com/xopero-one-en/backup-and-recovery/virtual-machines/vmware/integration/adding-vmware-server-to-xopero-one)
{% endcontent-ref %}

[^1]: Xopero ONE Management Service