Abstract: Stored in an application database is information about a set of applications. The information includes a name, version, and backup policy for the application. The backup policy specifies a backup frequency. A storage array is accessed in which a virtual volume of a virtual machine has been provisioned. There is an attempt to gather from the storage array details about an application on the virtual volume. Upon gathering the details, the application database is consulted to select a backup policy corresponding to the gathered name and version of the application. The virtual volume is backed up according to a particular backup frequency as specified in the selected backup policy.

Abstract: Rules are stored for dynamically managing virtual machine backups in a computing environment. Each rule includes a triggering condition and an action to be performed when the triggering condition is satisfied. A selection of at least one rule to apply to the environment is received. The environment is polled to detect changes. The selected at least one rule is evaluated against a detected change. Based on the evaluation, a determination is made that a triggering condition has been satisfied. An action specified in the at least one rule is performed where the action includes one of commissioning a new virtual backup proxy or decommissioning an existing virtual backup proxy.

Abstract: Backup policies specifying backup frequencies are stored. An identification of a logical unit number (LUN) to which a virtual volume of a virtual machine has been mapped and an input/output (IO) rate of the LUN are gathered from a storage array. A backup policy having a range of IO rates that correspond to the IO rate of the LUN gathered from the storage array is selected. The virtual volume is backed up according to a particular backup frequency as specified in the selected backup policy.