Abstract: An agent for managing backup generation for virtual machines includes a persistent storage stores backup policies and a backup manager that obtains request for generating a backup for a first virtual machine of the virtual machines and, in response to obtaining the request, generates a backup load prediction for generating the backup; performs a resource availability analysis of a host computing device hosting the first virtual machine to determine computing resources availability for generating the backup; makes a first determination, using the backup load prediction and the computing resource availability, that the host computing device has insufficient resources for generating the backup; and, in response to the first determination, performs a backup type analysis on existing backups associated with the first virtual machine to obtain at least one updated backup policy; and generates a reduced-resource cost backup for the virtual machine using at least one of the updated backup policies.