Filtering a List of VMs

You can create a text file that contains a list of virtual machines to be excluded from backups.

Before You Begin

In the Client Computer Properties dialog box for each VM, identify the VM GUID by checking the Uuid value on the Virtual Machine Properties tab. The UUID shown for the VM client should match the GUID of the VM in the hypervisor. If a VM GUID has changed, you can refresh the GUID by performing a new backup of the VM or by using the Discover VMs option from the Virtual Server instance of the hypervisor. (When the VM GUID has changed, backing up VMs updates the UUID for the existing VM clients. Discovering VMs creates new VM client computer entries with the new UUIDs.)

Procedure

1. Create a text file named VMFilters.cvf.

2. Enter a list of VMs to be filtered from backups, with each VM on a separate line in the following format:

    
   vm_guid,vm_name**vm_guid,vm_name**vm_guid,vm_name

   The vm_name is optional.

3. On the VSA proxy, copy the file containing the list of VMs to be filtered in the \iDataAgent\JobResults\ folder under your Commvault software installation path.

When you run a backup, the backup automatically checks for the VMFilters.cvf file in the JobResults folder, and filters the listed VMs from the backup.