Efficient backup management in heterogeneous virtualized environments is one of the top priorities for modern IT teams. With the frequent coexistence of VMware ESXi and Proxmox VE in data centers and SMBs, a common question arises:
Can Proxmox Backup Server (PBS) be used to protect virtual machines running on VMware ESXi?
This article answers that question in depth, provides technical context, and offers strategies to get the most out of mixed environments.
Proxmox VE and Proxmox Backup Server: Native Integration
Proxmox VE is an open-source virtualization platform that allows you to manage KVM virtual machines, LXC containers, storage, networking, and high availability—all from a centralized web interface.
Proxmox Backup Server (PBS) is the official backup solution in the Proxmox ecosystem. It stands out for its deduplication, compression, encryption, true incremental backups, and granular restoration of VMs and containers from Proxmox VE. The integration is seamless: backups can be scheduled, monitored, and restored from the same console.
Key benefits of PBS with Proxmox VE:
- Hot and consistent backups.
- Block-level incremental backups with deduplication.
- End-to-end encryption.
- Granular file-level restore.
- Instant VM recovery (Instant Restore).
- Management of remote, offsite, and multi-location backups.
Limitations of Proxmox Backup Server with VMware ESXi
Proxmox Backup Server does NOT have native support for VMware ESXi.
That means you cannot connect PBS to an ESXi hypervisor to perform automated VM backups or manage them directly from the Proxmox VE/PBS console.
Technical reason
PBS uses specific APIs and mechanisms from the Proxmox VE environment (qm, vzdump, etc.), which are not present in VMware ESXi. Furthermore, the disk formats (QCOW2, RAW, ZFS, LVM) differ from those used by VMware (VMDK, VMFS).
Alternatives and Hybrid Scenarios
While direct integration is not possible, there are several approaches and best practices for protecting VMware VMs using PBS as a storage target, or migrating to Proxmox to centralize backup management.
1. Export Virtual Machines from VMware ESXi
You can export ESXi VMs in OVF format or as VMDK disks. Then:
- Store the files in storage accessible to PBS (NFS, SMB, or mounted as a local directory).
- Back up these files as regular data with PBS (you’ll benefit from deduplication and compression, but not native integration).
Limitation:
You won’t be able to perform automated restores to ESXi or hot VM recovery. Restoring is manual and you’ll need to re-import the VM.
2. Migrate VMs from ESXi to Proxmox VE
If your goal is to manage the full VM and backup lifecycle under the Proxmox/PBS stack, migrating your VMs is the recommended route:
- Export the VM as OVF + VMDK from vSphere.
- Import it into Proxmox using
qm importovforqm importdisk. - Adjust drivers (VirtIO, etc.) and networking.
- Perform backups from Proxmox VE to PBS with all features enabled.
Advantage:
You gain full-featured backups: incremental, instant restore, granular file browsing, deduplication, and flexible recovery.
3. Use PBS as a Backup Repository for Other Solutions
Backup tools such as Veeam, Nakivo, Commvault, or Acronis can save VMware ESXi backups to SMB, NFS, or even S3 storage. You can mount that resource on a Linux server and use PBS to create a secondary backup, taking advantage of deduplication and efficient storage, although not of direct restoration.
4. Automate Exports with Scripts and Scheduled Backups
Some administrators automate ESXi VM snapshot exports, convert disks to compatible formats, and then store these backups in PBS. This solution is viable for small environments or labs but requires advanced scripting and manual supervision.
Comparison: Proxmox Backup Server vs. Native VMware Solutions
| Feature | Proxmox VE + PBS | VMware ESXi + Veeam/Alternatives | PBS on exported ESXi backups |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hot backup | Yes | Yes | No (requires shutdown/export) |
| True block-level incremental backup | Yes | Yes | Only if source solution allows |
| Instant restore | Yes | Yes | No |
| Granular file-level restore | Yes | Yes | No |
| End-to-end encryption | Yes | Yes | Depends on method |
| Unified management | Yes | Yes | No |
| Native integration | Yes | Yes | No |
| ESXi compatibility | No | Yes | Indirect/manual |
Professional Recommendations
- For 100% VMware environments:
Use backup solutions certified for ESXi (Veeam, Nakivo, etc.) which provide centralized management, easy recovery, and full support for snapshots and application consistency. - For mixed environments or migrations:
Consider migrating workloads to Proxmox VE if you want to reduce licensing costs, gain flexibility, and take advantage of the open-source stack, including PBS as an advanced backup system. - For labs, testing, or secondary storage:
PBS can be used to store exported backups, although you won’t have automatic restores or direct VMware management.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are there third-party plugins to connect PBS directly to ESXi?
Currently, there are no official or community plugins that enable consistent, automated ESXi VM backups directly with PBS.
Can I restore a Proxmox VE backup to VMware ESXi?
Not directly, but you can extract the disks from the backup (RAW/QCOW2), convert them to VMDK, and create a new VM in ESXi.
Is it safe to combine both systems in production?
Yes, but each hypervisor should have its own certified backup strategy. PBS can be used as secondary cold storage, but active management must be performed with each platform’s native tools.
Conclusion
Proxmox Backup Server is an outstanding backup solution, but it is designed for Proxmox VE. It does not natively support or directly manage VMware ESXi backups. In mixed scenarios, best practice is to combine hypervisor-specific solutions, or consider migrating to Proxmox to centralize and simplify infrastructure management and backup.
