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I've used Shadow Protect backup software to backup an old pc that runs an even older program that is no longer supported.<br />
That Shadow Protect backup has been virtual booted to VirtualBox and has currently running production, and saved the day :&gt;)<br />
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It may take several months for programers to convert the old program, and in the meantime they are totally dependent on that VM... but I don't know the best way to back it up.<br />
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Currently the host box is being backed up to shadow protect as well, but I'd hate to have to restore the whole host if something happens to the guest. How do I backup (make a static copy somewhere) of the VM image and test it?<br />
The environment may be different from a normal VB setup as it's booted from a backup image. I think it is still using that original image, and must be creating some additional files somewhere, because the backup file size has not changed.
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I've used Shadow Protect backup software to backup an old pc that runs an even older program that is no longer supported.
That Shadow Protect backup has been virtual booted to VirtualBox and has currently running production, and saved the day :>)

It may take several months for programers to convert the old program, and in the meantime they are totally dependent on that VM... but I don't know the best way to back it up.

Currently the host box is being backed up to shadow protect as well, but I'd hate to have to restore the whole host if something happens to the guest. How do I backup (make a static copy somewhere) of the VM image and test it?
The environment may be different from a normal VB setup as it's booted from a backup image. I think it is still using that original image, and must be creating some additional files somewhere, because the backup file size has not changed.

VirtualBox Backup

The term "Backup" means the methods and processes involved to copy computer data (system data as well as application data) to media other than the ones where the data originally live (disk, tape, optical, cloud). "Restore" in turn means the methods and processes involved in data recovery, i. e., bringing back copied computer data to their original location. Backup/Restore primarily serves as a means of protection against data loss, be it due to disaster, corruption or sabotage. It can also be used for recovering data from an earlier point in time and even for cloning machines or applications. There is a wide variety of backup/restore software available, from expensive commercial products to free or open source tools.