The invention discloses a
virtual machine startup and shutdown method and device, an apparatus and a medium. The method comprises the steps of obtaining a
file descriptor of an external
bitmap carrierfile when a
virtual machine is
shut down, and writing the
bitmap information into the external
bitmap carrier file through the
file descriptor, wherein the bitmap information is a bitmap for recording
dirty data of a virtual disk; when the
virtual machine is started, obtaining the
file descriptor, and acquiring the bitmap information from the external bitmap carrier file through the file descriptor, generating a corresponding bitmap according to the bitmap information, continuously recording the virtual disk
dirty data generated in the startup period by using the bitmap, and performing
incremental backup on the virtual disk data by using the current bitmap information, so that the problem of bitmap loss caused by virtual
machine shutdown is avoided, a virtual
machine disk in any format issupported, and the
incremental backup can be continuously carried out on the data by utilizing the imported bitmap information, and accordingly the data
backup efficiency of the virtual
machine is improved.