How You Can Recover VMs Using vSphere

The method the agent uses to recover VMs is dependent upon the approach that you used to back up the VMs.

Note: For more information about backup approaches, see Specify a Backup Approach.

For VCB Framework backups, review the following considerations:

VMware Converter (stand-alone) or VDDK can be used to recover VCB backup data.
If VDDK and VMware Converter (stand-alone) are installed on the backup proxy system, VMware Converter is used to recover the VM, if backup was executed using VCB Framework.
If VDDK is installed on the backup proxy system and VMware Converter is not installed on the backup proxy system, VDDK is used to recover the VM.
You can recover VM backup data using VDDK with ESX Server 3.0.x and ESX Server 3.5 if the backup was executed using CA ARCserve Backup r12 SP1 and CA ARCserve Backup r12.5.

For VDDK backups, review the following considerations:

VDDK backup data must be recovered using VDDK. VMware Converter cannot be used to recover VDDK backups.
ESX Server 3.5 and ESX Server 4.0 can be used to recover VM data that was backed up using ESX Server 3.5.
ESX Server 3.5 cannot be used to recover VM data that was backed up using ESX Server 4.0.
When recovering VDDK backup data using VDDK, the recovery process does not require free disk space on the backup proxy system.
When recovering VCB backup data using VDDK, the recovery process restores the data to the backup proxy system, VDDK reads the backup data, and then VDDK restores the data to the ESX Server system.