Time Machine doesn't back up Fusion VMs

[akadmon]

So I got my Win 2K virtual machine (Fusion) broken down the other day and, to my utmost horror, when I tried to go back to an earlier state of it, I discovered that TM did not create a backup of it, even though it sits squarely in my Documents folder. I called Apple Care about it and got all the way to tier 2 support, but no one could not tell me why this happened. The tech went through the KB and found only a cryptic note that "some files are incompatible with TM". Does anyone know if VM files (Fusion, Parallels) are considered incompatible with TM?

 

[nemex]

So I got my Win 2K virtual machine (Fusion) broken down the other day and, to my utmost horror, when I tried to go back to an earlier state of it, I discovered that TM did not create a backup of it, even though it sits squarely in my Documents folder. I called Apple Care about it and got all the way to tier 2 support, but no one could not tell me why this happened. The tech went through the KB and found only a cryptic note that "some files are incompatible with TM". Does anyone know if VM files (Fusion, Parallels) are considered incompatible with TM?

In the case of Fusion, it is incompatible with TM, the latest Rel 1.1 tags Fusion files to be excluded from TM backups, read here go down to the second comment by etung.

 

[iPhelim]

-

 

[bwhitmanga]

Supported now in OS 10.5.2 and Fusion 1.1.2

From VMware:
"A bug in the Mac OS X 10.5-10.5.1 operating systems caused the system to fail if Time Machine attempted to back up live virtual machines. To avoid this, VMware Fusion 1.1 excluded all virtual machines from Time Machine backups. Apple resolved the Time Machine bug in Mac OS X 10.5.2, so VMware Fusion 1.1.2 now allows Time Machine backups of virtual machines if the Mac is running Mac OS X 10.5.2 or higher. This may result in larger Time Machine backups. If the backups are now too large, you can manually exclude your virtual machines from Time Machine backup and copy them separately to your backup disk."

Now here's my question, does Time Machine back up the whole file if it sees it's changed or just the changes? Example, let's say you have a 40 GB VM. While you're using it, that 40 GB file (if you chose to allocate all space at creation, which gives best performance) is changing it's date/time stamp. So does that mean if you use your VM all day and Time Machine is backing up all day, that you'll have multiple 40 GB ADDITIONAL files added to your backup? This will fill up a backup disk pretty fast. Not sure if this is the case or not, I have to test it. Wondering if anyone has though...

 

[diamond.g]

From VMware:
"A bug in the Mac OS X 10.5-10.5.1 operating systems caused the system to fail if Time Machine attempted to back up live virtual machines. To avoid this, VMware Fusion 1.1 excluded all virtual machines from Time Machine backups. Apple resolved the Time Machine bug in Mac OS X 10.5.2, so VMware Fusion 1.1.2 now allows Time Machine backups of virtual machines if the Mac is running Mac OS X 10.5.2 or higher. This may result in larger Time Machine backups. If the backups are now too large, you can manually exclude your virtual machines from Time Machine backup and copy them separately to your backup disk."

Now here's my question, does Time Machine back up the whole file if it sees it's changed or just the changes? Example, let's say you have a 40 GB VM. While you're using it, that 40 GB file (if you chose to allocate all space at creation, which gives best performance) is changing it's date/time stamp. So does that mean if you use your VM all day and Time Machine is backing up all day, that you'll have multiple 40 GB ADDITIONAL files added to your backup? This will fill up a backup disk pretty fast. Not sure if this is the case or not, I have to test it. Wondering if anyone has though...

Whole file. TM doesn't do a true differential backup.

 

[bchertov]

Backup up VM w/o Fusion

Whole file. TM doesn't do a true differential backup.

So what do you guys do to backup your VM?

I'm new to the mac, but seems like the thing to do is to have a separate external drive that is connected to the VM and then run windows software on the VM to back it up.

I'd love to hear what the rest of you do to backup your VM!

Thanks!
Barry

 

[thederby]

So what do you guys do to backup your VM?

I'm new to the mac, but seems like the thing to do is to have a separate external drive that is connected to the VM and then run windows software on the VM to back it up.

I'd love to hear what the rest of you do to backup your VM!

Thanks!
Barry

i only really only use fusion to run quicken, so i don't back up the VM, just the data i'd need to restore it.

i use shared folders mapped to a drive in windows to copy the important data to a location that time machine can "see".

 

[bchertov]

i only really only use fusion to run quicken, so i don't back up the VM, just the data i'd need to restore it.

i use shared folders mapped to a drive in windows to copy the important data to a location that time machine can "see".

Thanks for your reply.

I'm a total mac/fusion newbie (I'm a "switcher"). Can explain that further. What are shared folders and where do I manage them?

Also, do you know my brother who lives in Hermosa Beach - Richard Chertow?