The NetBackup Accelerator creates the backup stream and backup image for each virtual machine as follows:

• If the virtual machine has no previous backup, NetBackup performs a full backup and uses VMware Changed Block Tracking to track the data in use for each vmdk.

• At the next backup, NetBackup identifies data that has changed since the previous backup. Only changed blocks and the header information are included in the backup, to create a full virtual disk backup.

• The backup host sends to the media server a tar backup stream that consists of the following: The virtual machine's changed blocks, and the previous backup ID and data extents (block offset and size) of the unchanged blocks.

• The media server reads the virtual machine's changed blocks, the backup ID, and information about the data extents of the unchanged blocks. From the backup ID and data extents, the media server locates the rest of the virtual machine's data in existing backups.

• The media server directs the storage server to create a new full image that consists of the following: The newly changed blocks, and the existing unchanged blocks that reside on the storage server. The storage server may not write the existing blocks but rather link them to the image.