Any free vmware backup solutions?

[mrbios]

As per the title really, i need some way of backing up VMware virtual machines without having to shut down the VMs

Ideally free, but if not as cheap as possible!

We currently have backup exec 2010 and the vmware backup license but it's a pile of ****, never works and we've even had some backup exec expert look at it and he still couldn't get it working (waste of money at £80 an hour!) so naturally we're after alternatives now

 

[mrbios]

What platform? ESX? ESXi? What version? What Licenses do you have within ESX/i?

You can automate backups of snapshots to iSCSI targets using scripting

We just use few a cheap off the shelf NAS enclosures that support iSCSI, backup to those and take them (in rotation) offsite.

ESXi hosts and all connected to virtual center standard

Some of them are currently connected by iSCSI connections though i've no experience with scripting things for a vmware environment, any helpful links for that?

 

[mrbios]

Cheers guys

Paradigm that looks perfect, will give that a go