VMware backup take long time backing up Vmware.log files (4032615)

VMware backups take long time backing up Vmware.log files compared to the transfer rate of other data backed up.  Extract from binary log below show log files taking over an hour to backup.

Job Message    2012/11/20 18:53:28    109    Data Plugin    SANFORD    Backing up log files to media

Job Message    2012/11/20 20:02:20    109    Data Plugin    SANFORD   Determining VM disk areas to backup

Bug 21912

This will be fixed in bug 21912 but until then we can workaround the problem as shown below.

Shutdown the VM, delete or move the old logs to a different directory.

To reduce the time taken to backup the log files, use VMware solution below that explains how to manage the maximum size of log files and maximum number of log files.  This KB applies to esx and Vcenter versions 3.*, 4.* and 5.*

 http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=8182749