How does vSphere handle virtual machine data protection?

VMware vSphere handles virtual machine data protection primarily through the implementation of snapshots and backups. Snapshots are a powerful feature that allows you to capture the current state of a virtual machine, including its disk, memory, and device state, at a specific point in time. This makes it easier to revert to that point if necessary, whether due to software failures, data corruption, or other issues.

Backups, on the other hand, typically involve creating a copy of the virtual machine's data, which can be stored on different media, such as external drives or cloud storage. These backups ensure that in the event of a disaster, you can restore your virtual machines to a previous operational state, thus safeguarding against data loss.

By combining snapshots and regular backups, vSphere provides a robust mechanism for data protection that helps maintain the integrity and availability of virtual machine data over time. This integrated approach is essential for disaster recovery strategies and business continuity planning in virtualized environments.