---
title: "Managed Backup for VMware - Protecting your virtual machines"
description: "Learn how to add, change or remove the vSphere tag that decides whether a virtual machine is backed up by Managed Backup for VMware, and with which Backup plan"
url: https://docs.ovhcloud.com/en/guides/storage-and-backup/managed-backup-for-vmware/tag-vm
lang: en
lastUpdated: 2026-11-03
---
> For AI agents: the complete documentation index is available at https://docs.ovhcloud.com/en/llms.txt, the full documentation bundle is available at https://docs.ovhcloud.com/en/llms-full.txt.

# Managed Backup for VMware - Protecting your virtual machines

## Objective

With Managed Backup for VMware, a vSphere tag decides whether a virtual machine is backed up, and with which Backup plan.

**This guide explains how to add, change or remove this tag, for one machine or for a whole group of machines.**

## Requirements

- Have an active Managed Backup for VMware service on your infrastructure (see [Getting started with Managed Backup for VMware](https://docs.ovhcloud.com/en/guides/storage-and-backup/managed-backup-for-vmware/getting-started.md)).
- Be signed in to the vSphere Client of your infrastructure, with a user allowed to assign tags to virtual machines.

## Instructions

**Note:** **When are tags added, and which one counts?**

- **At the start of the delivery,** OVHcloud creates the `OvhManagedBackup` category and its three tags (`standard`, `advanced` and `premium`) in your vCenter. It then adds the tag of their Backup plan to the machines chosen at order time, even before deploying the VBR. This is why you can tag your machines about 30 minutes after you order.
- **OVHcloud then deploys the VBR** and creates the three backup jobs. Any machine you tagged in the meantime is backed up from the first run.
- **After that, the tag in vSphere is what counts.** You add, change or remove a tag in vSphere: the OVHcloud Console no longer adds any tag after the order.
- **A tag is taken into account within the hour,** and the OVHcloud Console refreshes every hour. The machine is backed up at the next run of the jobs (every evening at 10 pm), or right away if you start an on-demand backup from your VBR.

### Tag rules

| Item                          | Value                                                                 |
| ----------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| vSphere category              | `OvhManagedBackup`                                                    |
| Available tags                | `standard`, `advanced`, `premium` (lowercase)                         |
| Number of tags per machine    | One only: the category does not accept more                           |
| When it is taken into account | Within the hour, then the machine is backed up at the next backup run |

The `OvhManagedBackup` category and its three tags are created by OVHcloud in your vCenter, at the start of the service delivery. You have nothing to create.

You can find them in the vSphere Client, under the `Tags & Custom Attributes
` menu. The `CATEGORIES
` view lists the `OvhManagedBackup`
 category. The **Multiple Cardinality**
 column shows `false`
 there: a machine carries only one tag of this category.
The `TAGS
` view shows the three tags `advanced`
, `standard`
 and `premium`
.
- **A machine with a valid tag** joins the backup job of its Backup plan, and it is backed up every evening, when the jobs start at 10 pm.
- **A machine without a tag** is neither backed up nor billed. It appears as unprotected in the OVHcloud Console.
- **A tag that is misspelled, in uppercase or added in another category** is treated as no tag: the machine is not protected.

You then manage the tags added by OVHcloud at the start of the delivery exactly like the ones you add yourself.

### Adding a tag to a virtual machine

The vSphere Client interface is in English here. The labels cited are the ones shown on screen.

1. In the vSphere Client, select the virtual machine in the inventory, then open its "Summary" tab.

2. Find the **Tags** card. As long as no tag is added, it shows **No tags assigned**. Click "ASSIGN" at the bottom of the card.

3. In the **Assign Tag** dialog, the list shows the three tags of the `OvhManagedBackup` category. Tick the tag of the Backup plan you want: `standard`, `advanced` or `premium`.

4. Click "ASSIGN".

   _The **Assign Tag** dialog: the `premium` tag is ticked, you still need to click "ASSIGN"._

5. Check the result: the **Tags** card of the machine now shows the tag you added, with its `OvhManagedBackup` category.

   _The tagged machine: the **Tags** card shows `premium`._

You can also right-click the virtual machine in the inventory, then choose `Tags & Custom Attributes
` > `Assign Tag
`. The same dialog opens. The exact labels depend on the language and version of your vSphere Client.

### Tagging several machines at once

1. In the vSphere Client, select a folder, a cluster or a resource pool, then open the "VM" tab.
2. Select several machines with <kbd>Shift</kbd> or <kbd>Ctrl</kbd>.
3. Right-click the selection, then select "Tags & Custom Attributes" > "Assign Tag", and choose the tag.

### Changing the Backup plan of a machine

1. Remove the current tag: right-click the machine, then select "Tags & Custom Attributes" > "Remove Tag".
2. Assign the new tag (see [Adding a tag to a virtual machine](#adding-a-tag-to-a-virtual-machine)).

- **New backups** follow the new plan from the next run of the job.
- **Backups already made** keep their original plan, with its retention and immutability, until they expire. Nothing is moved retroactively.
- **On your invoice,** the current billing period is billed at the highest plan reached (see [Understanding your billing](https://docs.ovhcloud.com/en/guides/storage-and-backup/managed-backup-for-vmware/billing.md)).

### Stopping the protection of a machine

Remove its tag. The machine leaves its job at the next run and is no longer backed up. No backup is deleted: the existing restore points stay restorable until the end of their retention.

The machine is still billed for the current billing period, then no longer billed from the next one.

### After a restore

**Warning:** **Check the tag of a restored machine**

After a restore, check the tag of the restored machine in vSphere and add it again if needed. The original machine stays protected as usual.

### Virtual machines of 8 TB or more

Virtual machines of 8 TB or more are **not supported**: they stay visible in the order list, but they cannot receive a Backup plan. If you tag one in vSphere, it is backed up anyway, but in degraded mode, without full support, and it can delay the backups of your other machines.

- **Do not add a tag to them** in vSphere.
- **If one of them has a tag, remove it.** OVHcloud never removes it automatically: as long as at least one machine of this type is tagged, you receive an email reminder every week.

### Checking the result

In the OVHcloud Console, the **VM list** on the dashboard shows for each machine whether it is protected, its Backup plan and the date of its last backup. This information is refreshed every hour (see [Monitoring your protection in the OVHcloud Console](https://docs.ovhcloud.com/en/guides/storage-and-backup/managed-backup-for-vmware/monitor-protection.md)).

A protected machine that does not show a backup date yet will be backed up at the next run of the jobs, every evening at 10 pm. To back it up right away, start an on-demand backup from your VBR (see [Backing up and restoring from the VBR console](https://docs.ovhcloud.com/en/guides/storage-and-backup/managed-backup-for-vmware/backup-restore.md)).

## Go further

[Backing up and restoring from the VBR console](https://docs.ovhcloud.com/en/guides/storage-and-backup/managed-backup-for-vmware/backup-restore.md): on-demand backup, full or file-level restore.

[Monitoring your protection in the OVHcloud Console](https://docs.ovhcloud.com/en/guides/storage-and-backup/managed-backup-for-vmware/monitor-protection.md): dashboard and machine list.

[FAQ and troubleshooting](https://docs.ovhcloud.com/en/guides/storage-and-backup/managed-backup-for-vmware/faq.md): a machine is not protected? The most frequent cases.

VMware documentation: [assign or remove a tag in vSphere](https://techdocs.broadcom.com/us/en/vmware-cis/vsphere/vsphere/8-0/vcenter-and-host-management/vsphere-tags-and-attributes-host-management/vsphere-tags-host-management/assign-or-remove-a-tag-host-management.html).

Join our [community of users](https://community.ovhcloud.com/).