Privileges for VM backup and recovery

Once Agent for ESX/ESXi is deployed to a vCenter’s host or cluster, any user of the vCenter Server can connect a management console to the agent. The scope of available operations depends on the privileges a user has on the vCenter Server. Only those actions are available that the user has permission to perform. The below tables contain the privileges required for backup and recovery of ESX virtual machines and, additionally, for virtual appliance deployment.

If the agent was deployed directly to an ESX/ESXi host or manually imported to the host, and you want the vCenter users to be able to connect to the agent and the below privileges to take effect, connect the agent to the vCenter Server rather than to the ESX/ESXi host. To change the connection, access the virtual appliance GUI using the vSphere Client and specify access credentials for the vCenter Server in the ESX(i)/vCenter setting.

  Privileges on vCenter Server or ESX/ESXi host  

Outlined in the below table are the privileges a vCenter Server user must have to perform operations on all the vCenter hosts and clusters.

To enable a user to operate on a specific ESX host only, assign the user the same privileges on the host. In addition, the Global > Licenses privilege is required to be able to back up virtual machines of a specific ESX host.

 

Operation

Object

Privilege

Back up a VM

Back up a VM’s disk

Recover to a new VM

Recover to an existing VM

VA deployment

Datastore

Allocate space

 

 

+

+

+

 

Browse datastore

 

 

 

 

+

 

Low level file operations

 

 

 

 

+

Global

Licenses

+

(required on ESX host only)

+

(required on ESX host only)

+

+

 

Network

Assign network

 

 

+

+

+

Resource

Assign VM to resource pool

 

 

+

+

+

Virtual machine > Configuration

Add existing disk

+

+

+

 

 

 

Add new disk

 

 

+

+

+

 

Add or remove device

 

 

+

 

+

 

Change CPU count

 

 

+

 

 

 

Memory

 

 

+

 

 

 

Remove disk

+

+

+

+

 

 

Rename

 

 

+

 

 

 

Settings

 

 

 

+

 

Virtual machine > Interaction

Configure CD media

 

 

+

 

 

 

Console interaction

 

 

 

 

+

 

Power off

 

 

 

+

+

 

Power on

 

 

+

+

+

Virtual machine > Inventory

Create from existing

 

 

+

+

 

 

Create new

 

 

+

+

+

 

Remove

 

 

+

+

+

Virtual machine > Provisioning

Allow disk access

 

 

+

+

 

Virtual machine > State

Create snapshot

+

+

 

+

+

 

Remove snapshot

+

+

 

+

+

  Privileges for a folder   

To enable a user to operate within a specific vCenter folder, assign the user the following privileges on the folder.

 

Operation

Object

Privilege

Back up a VM

Back up a VM’s disk

Recover to an existing VM

Datastore

Allocate space

 

 

+

Global

Licenses

+

+

+

Network

Assign network

 

 

+

Resource

Assign VM to resource pool

 

 

+

Virtual machine > Configuration

Add existing disk

+

+

 

 

Add new disk

 

 

+

 

Remove disk

+

+

+

 

Settings

 

 

+

Virtual machine > Interaction

Power off

 

 

+

 

Power on

 

 

+

Virtual machine > Inventory

Create from existing

 

 

+

 

Create new

 

 

+

 

Remove

 

 

+

Virtual machine > Provisioning

Allow disk access

 

 

+

Virtual machine > State

Create snapshot

+

+

+

 

Remove snapshot

+

+

+

Privileges for VM backup and recovery