1. At a computer system including at least one processor, a computer-implemented method for backing up a virtual machine cluster, the method comprising: determining which virtual machines nodes are part of the virtual machine cluster; determining which shared storage resources are part of the virtual machine cluster; determining which one or more virtual machine nodes own the shared storage resources; indicating to the one or more virtual machine node owners that at least one specified application is to be quiesced over the nodes of the virtual machine cluster, such that a consistent, cluster-wide checkpoint can be created; and creating a cluster-wide checkpoint which includes a checkpoint for each virtual machine in the virtual machine cluster.