After locating the virtual machines to back up, the backup product can execute the backup job using the appropriate information. The APIs used are the vCloud API, vSphere API, and the VMware Virtual Disk Development Kit (VDDK). VDDK is a subset of the VMware vSphere Storage APIs – Data Protection (VADP).

Most customers no longer use agent-based backups, opting for more efficient and tightly integrated products that leverage VADP. Agent-based backups can be used in a vCloud environment to overcome some of the challenges posed by vApp networks.