Esschu

Q: Time Machine and Parallels Desktop: Best Practices

Hello!

 

I'm fairly new to Mac OS and I would like to know from other more seasoned Mac users the best practices for backing-up your data via time machine when you also run a virtual machine.

 

Here's my scenario: I run a windows virtual machine (parallels) so I can use the Autodesk suite of software for school/work. After working in the VM, my Time Machine back-up size is MASSIVE (approx. 250-500GB). Regardless of what I do in the VM, the result has consistently been a very large back-up which can take some time when backing up over wifi. For now, I've set Parallels to NOT back-up via Time Machine and the regular back-ups are much faster (rarely a couple of GBs). So here are the questions I've been asking myself that I haven't been able to find great answers for:

 

Are the files that I work with/create in the VM being backed-up even though I've excluded Parallels from the Time Machine back-ups?

 

Is there an optimal setting/configuration within either MacOS or Parallels that would eliminate the issue of massive back-up size?

 

What is the best practice for data back-up when you run a virtual mahine?

 

Everyone's advice is greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance.

MacBook Pro with Retina display

Posted on Mar 1, 2014 8:36 AM

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Q: Time Machine and Parallels Desktop: Best Practices

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  • by leroydouglas,

    leroydouglas leroydouglas Mar 1, 2014 8:58 AM in response to Esschu
    Level 7 (22,887 points)
    Notebooks
    Mar 1, 2014 8:58 AM in response to Esschu

    Esschu wrote:

     

    For now, I've set Parallels to NOT back-up via Time Machine and the regular back-ups are much faster (rarely a couple of GBs). So here are the questions I've been asking myself that I haven't been able to find great answers for:

     

    Are the files that I work with/create in the VM being backed-up even though I've excluded Parallels from the Time Machine back-ups?

    No.

     

    I can tell you from experience that you will be better off  backing up Parrallels in Time Machine.

     

    It is quiet a shock if you ever have to restore you system from TM and you go to open Parralles and there is nothing there.

     

     

    I would suspect some of the files could be present depending on where they have been saved to however.

  • by tbirdvet,

    tbirdvet tbirdvet Mar 1, 2014 10:38 AM in response to Esschu
    Level 4 (3,003 points)
    Mar 1, 2014 10:38 AM in response to Esschu

    Usually the documents you create through Paralles are kept in Paralles in what ever OS you are using.  If you exclude Paralles from TM then you also exclude the douments you created in the VM.  What I do is to exclude Parallels but once a month I remove the exclusion and let TM do a a backup.  That way you will not fill up your TM as fast.  I'm using WIN7 with Parallels so not sure about your specific software

  • by Esschu ,

    Esschu Esschu Mar 1, 2014 10:48 AM in response to tbirdvet
    Level 1 (1 points)
    Mar 1, 2014 10:48 AM in response to tbirdvet

    Thanks for all the input thus far. I'm using Parallels 9 and running Windows 7 Ultimate. Basically, I've configured Parallels such that all folders are shared - i.e., the "Documents" folder in OSX is the same folder as "My Documents" in the VM. In this case, would it be safe to assume that because all documents/files are shared between OSX and the VM that these files are in fact being backed-up via TM?

     

    Thanks again.

  • by LowLuster,

    LowLuster LowLuster Mar 1, 2014 10:57 AM in response to Esschu
    Level 6 (12,074 points)
    Mar 1, 2014 10:57 AM in response to Esschu

    1) No they aren't. They are IN The Virtual Machine files, along with all the OS and program files.

     

    2) Time Machine backs up your Mac. That included all files on the Mac including the files used for the vritual Machine. The Virtual Machine is just a set of files, or in odd cases only one file if you set it up that way, on the Mac hard drive.

     

    3) Best Practice is to use Time Machine to back up your whole Mac. Don't exclude anything. You can only restore your system if ALL FILES are present in the TM backup.

    Also have at least one more external drive and do a clone of your drive to that external on a regular basis.

     

    Then have a 3rd external for backup copies of your personal files.

  • by LowLuster,

    LowLuster LowLuster Mar 1, 2014 11:02 AM in response to Esschu
    Level 6 (12,074 points)
    Mar 1, 2014 11:02 AM in response to Esschu

    No and I suggest you don't try to use the Windows My Documents folder for OS X. That can and will confuse OS  X and the apps in OS X. Also there are some OS X apps that the files they create Must Be Stored on  Mac OS Extended fomatted drive. Trying to store them on a Windows NTFS formatted drive can corrupt them.

     

    Sharing done between OS X and Windows in a Virtual Machine is Networking and is the same as if that Windows computer, because that is what a Virtual Machine is, another computer that is using Virtual Hardware, was in some other part of your house/office.

    Esschu wrote:

     

    Thanks for all the input thus far. I'm using Parallels 9 and running Windows 7 Ultimate. Basically, I've configured Parallels such that all folders are shared - i.e., the "Documents" folder in OSX is the same folder as "My Documents" in the VM. In this case, would it be safe to assume that because all documents/files are shared between OSX and the VM that these files are in fact being backed-up via TM?

     

    Thanks again.

  • by jemmather,

    jemmather jemmather Aug 27, 2016 11:09 AM in response to LowLuster
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Mac OS X
    Aug 27, 2016 11:09 AM in response to LowLuster

    Can anyone tell me what the file is that is the backup of the VM?

  • by jemmather,

    jemmather jemmather Aug 27, 2016 11:42 AM in response to jemmather
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Mac OS X
    Aug 27, 2016 11:42 AM in response to jemmather

    I think I found the backup file on the Time Machine.

     

    On this support page, it says that the backup file ends with .pvm and is located in the Users/Shared/Parallels/Backups

    http://kb.parallels.com/en/117333

     

    When I type .pvm in the search box for the Time Machine hard drive, it doesn't find anything.

     

    I was able to find the backup file on the Time Machine by first finding the location on my MBP which is Users/myname/Documents/Parallels, not where the previous support page said it was.

     

    Then I looked in this directory on my Time Machine and found the backup file.   Glad it was there.

     

    In contrast to some comments, for Parallels 11 and some earlier version, Parallels says that they are only copying changed individual files in the Time Machine Backup, not all of the .pvm file.