Can I Backup my VM using Time Machine with Smart Guard OFF?

[DavidA4]

Hi,

I'm working with Apple support to reinstall my operating system (macOS). I have Parallels Desktop 12 for Mac Pro Edition. I regularly use Time Machine to back up my MacBook Pro (Parallels is installed on my MacBook Pro). I have never used Smart Guard (a Parallels feature) and I have never specifically configured Parallels for any type of backup whatsoever. I just have a default installation of Parallels and use that all the time for my Windows 7 VM.

My question is this: Are my Parallels Virtual Machines backed up without specifically adjusting settings within Parallels? To be clear - I DO NOT have Smart Guard on (or any other setting pertaining to backing up with Time Machine).

I think the answer to my question is yes - simply because the entire VM is a sort of like a file or files on my Mac. But, I would not want to make a tragic mistake here and delete my VMs without realizing it until it's just too late.

Does anyone know?

Thanks,
David

 

[PaulChristopher@Parallels]

Hi @DavidA4, yes! if you select "Optimize for Time Machine", a snapshot will be taken every 48 hours. Time Machine, when backing up your Mac, will not back up the entire virtual machine, but only its latest snapshot. This allows you to reduce the amount of data that Time Machine backs up, to reduce the time Time Machine spends backing up the virtual hard disk(s), and to minimize the risk of data loss or corruption when restoring the virtual machine hard disk(s) from the Time Machine backup.
Manually set the snapshots frequency and maximum number of snapshots to keep. If you want to know when it is time to make the next snapshot and to be able to reject the snapshot creation, select Notify me before snapshot creation.
To set how often snapshots are made:
Use the "Take a Snapshot Every" field. You can set from one to 48 hours.
If the time interval is less than 24 hours, SmartGuard will allow you to restore the latest hourly, daily and weekly snapshot. If the time interval is more than 24 hours, you will be able to restore the latest daily, weekly and monthly snapshot.

 

[JohanT]

Hi,

I think that I am in a similar situation as @DavidA4 : I have never enabled "SmartGuard" for my VM's in Parallels (I am on MacOS too).
Can you explain a bit what SmartGuard does and why it is more efficient than not using SmartGuard?
What is the procedure if I need to restore my virtual machine from a TimeMachine backup? Will I get back the complete VM when I have to reinstall my complete Mac from a TimeMachine backup?
I once lost a complete VM (own mistake) but I really never want to be in that situation again...
Any help is greatly appreciated!
Regards,


Johan.

 

[AJ@Parallels]

Hi,

I think that I am in a similar situation as @DavidA4 : I have never enabled "SmartGuard" for my VM's in Parallels (I am on MacOS too).
Can you explain a bit what SmartGuard does and why it is more efficient than not using SmartGuard?
What is the procedure if I need to restore my virtual machine from a TimeMachine backup? Will I get back the complete VM when I have to reinstall my complete Mac from a TimeMachine backup?
I once lost a complete VM (own mistake) but I really never want to be in that situation again...
Any help is greatly appreciated!
Regards,


Johan.

Hello JohanT, Kindly follow the instructions from this link to know more about SmartGuard. Please shutdown the Windows when the time machine backup is running so that the whole virtual machine will be backed up in time machine without any problem and you can restore it anytime in future.

 

[dvonroeder]

Hi @DavidA4, yes! if you select "Optimize for Time Machine", a snapshot will be taken every 48 hours. Time Machine, when backing up your Mac, will not back up the entire virtual machine, but only its latest snapshot. This allows you to reduce the amount of data that Time Machine backs up, to reduce the time Time Machine spends backing up the virtual hard disk(s), and to minimize the risk of data loss or corruption when restoring the virtual machine hard disk(s) from the Time Machine backup.
Manually set the snapshots frequency and maximum number of snapshots to keep. If you want to know when it is time to make the next snapshot and to be able to reject the snapshot creation, select Notify me before snapshot creation.
To set how often snapshots are made:
Use the "Take a Snapshot Every" field. You can set from one to 48 hours.
If the time interval is less than 24 hours, SmartGuard will allow you to restore the latest hourly, daily and weekly snapshot. If the time interval is more than 24 hours, you will be able to restore the latest daily, weekly and monthly snapshot.

This is what I'm trying to set up but, when Time Machine runs, Time Machine indicates that it is backing up all 180 GB of my PVM's (2 VM's at 20 GB and 1 at 140). Is that just Time Machine's "estimate"? How do I verify that only the Snapshots are being backed up?