Protecting virtual machines is not an easy task. Existing agent-based and proxy server-based approaches to backup and recovery for VMware vSphere environments can be disruptive or limit recovery point service levels. These solutions are hampered by slow performance, complex implementation schemes, and even require that separate agents be installed on each virtual machine. They often require downtime to perform backups and fail to provide the granularity to restore individual files or virtual machines - a completely unacceptable condition in today’s 24x7 virtual datacenters.