A computer-implemented method comprising: creating a replica of a virtual machine , wherein the virtual machine is at a primary site , the replica is created at a secondary site as part of a replication operation, and the replica comprises replicated data, wherein the replicated data comprises a replica of data associated with the virtual machine, and replicated metadata, wherein the replicated metadata comprises a replica of metadata , the metadata comprising one or more data locations of one or more blocks of the data, and the one or more data locations are configured to be used to restore one or more applications executing on the virtual machine; and performing a backup operation at the secondary site, wherein the performing the backup operation comprises generating a backup image from the replicated data, and storing the backup image and the replicated metadata at the secondary site, the backup operation is performed at the secondary site by a backup proxy , and the backup proxy is instantiated at the secondary site by a backup server at the primary site. creating a replica of a virtual machine , wherein the virtual machine is at a primary site , the replica is created at a secondary site as part of a replication operation, and the replica comprises replicated data, wherein the replicated data comprises a replica of data associated with the virtual machine, and replicated metadata, wherein the replicated metadata comprises a replica of metadata , the metadata comprising one or more data locations of one or more blocks of the data, and the one or more data locations are configured to be used to restore one or more applications executing on the virtual machine; and the virtual machine is at a primary site , the replica is created at a secondary site as part of a replication operation, and the replica comprises replicated data, wherein the replicated data comprises a replica of data associated with the virtual machine, and replicated metadata, wherein the replicated metadata comprises a replica of metadata , the metadata comprising one or more data locations of one or more blocks of the data, and the one or more data locations are configured to be used to restore one or more applications executing on the virtual machine; and replicated data, wherein the replicated data comprises a replica of data associated with the virtual machine, and replicated metadata, wherein the replicated metadata comprises a replica of metadata , the metadata comprising one or more data locations of one or more blocks of the data, and the one or more data locations are configured to be used to restore one or more applications executing on the virtual machine; and a replica of metadata , the metadata comprising one or more data locations of one or more blocks of the data, and the one or more data locations are configured to be used to restore one or more applications executing on the virtual machine; and performing a backup operation at the secondary site, wherein the performing the backup operation comprises generating a backup image from the replicated data, and storing the backup image and the replicated metadata at the secondary site, the backup operation is performed at the secondary site by a backup proxy , and the backup proxy is instantiated at the secondary site by a backup server at the primary site. the performing the backup operation comprises generating a backup image from the replicated data, and storing the backup image and the replicated metadata at the secondary site, the backup operation is performed at the secondary site by a backup proxy , and generating a backup image from the replicated data, and storing the backup image and the replicated metadata at the secondary site, the backup operation is performed at the secondary site by a backup proxy , and the backup proxy is instantiated at the secondary site by a backup server at the primary site. <EOS>