Which action is included in the lifecycle management of virtual machines?

Updating VMware Tools is a critical action included in the lifecycle management of virtual machines. VMware Tools is a suite of utilities that enhances the performance of the virtual machine’s guest operating system and improves management of the virtual machine. Keeping VMware Tools updated is essential for ensuring that the virtual machine operates efficiently, as updates can include important performance improvements, compatibility fixes, and feature enhancements. Regularly managing updates to VMware Tools also helps to streamline maintenance and improves the overall stability of the virtual infrastructure.

The other options, while important in their respective contexts, do not fall under the direct scope of virtual machine lifecycle management. For instance, creating VM backups is part of a data protection strategy, monitoring network traffic pertains to network management, and managing physical hardware involves a different layer of infrastructure management. These tasks may influence or support the operation of virtual machines but do not directly pertain to their lifecycle management, which is focused on aspects specific to the virtual machines themselves.