PowerProtect Data Manager's virtual machine protection is built upon a foundation of snapshot-based technology using the VMware vStorage APIs for Data Protection (VADP).

Snapshot Reliance: To perform an image-level backup, PPDM (via the VM Direct Engine) requests that VMware vCenter create a snapshot of the target VM. This freezes the virtual disks, allowing PPDM to read the data while the VM remains operational.

VADP Integration: If a VM's snapshot capability is compromised---for instance, due to existing broken snapshot chains, independent disks, or RDM (Raw Device Mapping) disks in physical mode---the backup will fail.

CBT (Changed Block Tracking): Effective backups also rely on VMware's CBT to identify only the blocks that have changed since the last backup. This is facilitated through the snapshot mechanism. Without the ability to successfully create and manage snapshots, PPDM cannot perform a consistent image-level protection of the virtual asset.