AWS Backup Gateway
A gateway service for centrally managing on-premises VMware virtual machines with AWS Backup, unifying backup operations across hybrid environments
Overview
AWS Backup Gateway is a service that incorporates virtual machines running in on-premises VMware vSphere environments into AWS Backup's management scope. By deploying an OVA-format gateway appliance on-premises and integrating with vCenter Server, virtual machine backups can be centrally managed through AWS Backup policies. Backup data is stored in an AWS Backup vault, with cross-region copy and lifecycle management available as standard AWS Backup features. It also supports virtual machines on VMware Cloud on AWS, enabling data protection across the entire hybrid cloud from a single console.
Gateway Deployment and vCenter Integration Design
Backup Gateway deployment involves downloading an OVA template from the AWS console and importing it into the vSphere environment. The vCPU, memory, and local disk requirements for the gateway VM should be confirmed in the official AWS documentation. The gateway communicates with AWS endpoints over HTTPS (port 443), making it relatively easy to deploy in proxy environments. Connection to vCenter Server uses service account credentials. A gateway is associated with the vCenter Server it connects to, and in large-scale environments, deploying multiple gateways in parallel to distribute bandwidth is an effective design. Gateway health checks can be monitored via CloudWatch metrics, with recommended operations including alerting on connection loss or disk capacity shortages.
Backup Policy and Restore Strategy Design
VMware VM backups taken through Backup Gateway are integrated into AWS Backup's backup plans. One approach is to combine daily, weekly, and monthly schedules with GFS (Grandfather-Father-Son) retention periods. Incremental backup support significantly reduces data transfer volume after the initial full backup. Restore options include recovering as a new EC2 instance on AWS or writing back to the on-premises VMware environment. For DR (disaster recovery) scenarios, a design that launches VMs on AWS when on-premises is unavailable is effective, keeping RTO within a few hours. Enabling cross-region copy ensures restore capability from another region during regional outages. For cost optimization, AWS Backup lifecycle settings can transition backup data to cold storage after a defined period, reducing long-term storage costs (see the official AWS documentation for supported resources).
Backup Integration in Hybrid Environments and Operational Considerations
One advantage of Backup Gateway is managing backups of both AWS-native resources (EC2, RDS, EFS, etc.) and on-premises VMware VMs from a single dashboard. Integration with AWS Organizations enables applying backup policies across the entire organization in multi-account environments. Operationally, network bandwidth between the gateway and on-premises infrastructure is critical. Backups of large VMs (hundreds of GB or more) may take several hours for initial transfer, requiring scheduling outside business hours. Attention to conflicts with vCenter snapshot management is also necessary; if Backup Gateway and existing backup software simultaneously create snapshots, VM performance may degrade. Gateway software updates are performed automatically, but configuring maintenance windows to minimize business impact is recommended.
References (Official AWS Resources)
The primary sources for this page are the official AWS website and documentation. Check the official pages below for the latest specifications and pricing.
- AWS Backup official page
- Amazon S3 official page
- AWS Storage Gateway official page
- AWS Documentation (official)
If this page and the official documentation disagree, treat the official documentation as authoritative.