5 1 0:VMware Single File Restore and Instant Recovery Support Matrix

Overview

SEP sesam allows you to perform different types of restore and recovery from almost any type of VMware backup, including VM single file and instant recovery. Enabling or disabling the Backup as image option and in v. ≥ 5.0.0 Jaglion also the option When run with backup level 'COPY', write all data into single saveset, affects the size of your backed up data and determines whether or not changed block tracking (CBT) is used.

For example, if you perform a FULL backup using SEP sesam and the GUI option Backup as image is selected, CBT is not used. The same applies if you run a COPY backup with the GUI option When run with backup level 'COPY', write all data into single saveset. Both will result in an increased size of the backed up data (see matrix below).

Note that with Jaglion, the behavior of VMware COPY backups has changed, so make sure to follow the relevant version-specific instructions. If you use previous SEP sesam versions, see VMware SF and IR Support Matrix v. ≤ 4.4.3 Beefalo V2.

VMware SFR and IR matrix

The following chart shows different combinations of used options and how they affect the CBT usage, the disk size usage and the support for single file (SF) restore and VMware instant recovery (IR).

Backup level	GUI option selected or not selected	CBT usage	Total disk size of VM (GB)	Occupied disk size (GB)	Backed up disk size (GB)	Support for SF & IR
FULL	Selected: Backup as image	N CBT is not used for FULL backup. A raw backup of VMDK is performed. However, CBT is used for subsequent INCR & DIFF in the same backup chain.	100	60	100	Y (also with INCR/DIFF)
FULL	Not selected: Backup as image	Y CBT is fully utilized.	100	60	60	Y (also with INCR/DIFF)
COPY	Selected: Backup as image	N CBT is not used.	100	60	100	Y
COPY	Not selected: Backup as image	Y CBT is fully utilized.	100	60	60	Y
COPY	Selected: When run with backup level 'COPY', write all data into single saveset (no mount possible)	N CBT is not used.	100	60	100	N
COPY	Not selected: When run with backup level 'COPY', write all data into single saveset (no mount possible)	Y CBT is fully utilized.	100	60	60	Y

	Note
	The two options Backup as image and When run with backup level 'COPY', write all data into single saveset (no mount possible) are mutually exclusive. Only one or the other can be selected at the same time.

See also

VMware Single File Restore – VMware Instant Recovery – VMware Restore – VMware Backup – Changed Block Tracking (CBT) – SEP sesam Release Versions

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