If you do not see resource pools, vApps, virtual machines, or navigation groups in the Navigation pane, click the Gear icon at the bottom of the Navigation pane, check Show Virtual Machines in Navigation Tree, and click Confirm
Note: Use this procedure only for virtual machines. To backup templates, see Protecting VMware templates.
1 Review the considerations and prerequisites in About VMware backups.
2 Select the vCenter, stand-alone ESX server, resource pool, vApp, navigation group, or virtual machine in the Navigation pane.
3 Click Backup from the main menu, then select the Schedule Backup tab. Click the reload arrows at the bottom to refresh the list of virtual machines.
4 Use the check boxes to select the virtual machines to backup.
5 If necessary, assign credentials. See Setting VM credentials for application-aware protection for details.
6 Choose the type of backup by selecting Full, Differential, or Incremental.
7 By default, backups are stored on the default device. To backup to a different device, select the device in the Available Devices area.
8 Click Backup at the bottom of the screen to initiate the backup process.
A separate backup is created for each virtual machine selected.
9 To view the status of the active backup operations, select Settings > System Monitoring > Jobs. To see the status of completed backup jobs, select Reports > Backups.