VMware Communities: Message List - Backup virtual machine on esx 3.5. Is it possibible?

Re: Backup virtual machine on esx 3.5. Is it possibible?

Texiwill — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 12:27:33 GMT

Hello,

There are a number of options available for backing up from ESX.

Use a VCB Proxy , vRanger, or Veeam backup server
Use esxPress, VISBU, vmbk.pl, vcbMounter direct from the service console of ESX

There are many options available to you for this.

Best regards,
Edward L. Haletky
VMware Communities User Moderator, VMware vExpert 2009
====
Author of the book 'VMWare ESX Server in the Enterprise: Planning and Securing Virtualization Servers', Copyright 2008 Pearson Education.
Blue Gears and SearchVMware Pro Blogs -- Top Virtualization Security Links -- Virtualization Security Round Table Podcast

Re: Backup virtual machine on esx 3.5. Is it possibible?

lamw — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 16:06:00 GMT

You can also use the following: http://communities.vmware.com/docs/DOC-8760

=========================================================================
William Lam
VMware vExpert 2009
VMware ESX/ESXi scripts and resources at: http://engineering.ucsb.edu/~duonglt/vmware/
http://twitter.com/lamw

Re: Backup virtual machine on esx 3.5. Is it possibible?

dconvery — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 12:55:48 GMT

Take a look at my VCB "Proven Practice" Guide on VI:OPS -> http://viops.vmware.com/home/docs/DOC-1392

Dave Convery
VMware vExpert 2009
http://www.dailyhypervisor.com

Careful. We don't want to learn from this.
Bill Watterson, "Calvin and Hobbes"

Re: Backup virtual machine on esx 3.5. Is it possibible?

Anton V Zhbankov — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 08:51:49 GMT

simo79, New-snapshot should be a separate command.

---
VMware vExpert '2009
http://blog.vadmin.ru

Re: Backup virtual machine on esx 3.5. Is it possibible?

petedr — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 20:35:48 GMT

If you want take a look at our product, esXpress, it doesn't require VCB. It is though a backup to disk solution, not to tape.

Pete@esXpress

www.phdvirtual.com, makers of esXpress

Re: Backup virtual machine on esx 3.5. Is it possibible?

simo79 — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 16:26:32 GMT

If I try

PS C:\Program Files\VMware\Infrastructure\VIToolkitForWindows> connect-viserver -server 192.168.0.96 -user root -password 123 New-Snapshot -Name simonesnap -vm 2003

I received this error:

Connect-VIServer : Impossibile trovare un parametro corrispondente al nome 'New-Snapshot'.
In riga:1 car:17 connect-viserver <<<< -server 192.168.0.96 -user root -password 123 New-Snapshot -Name simonesnap -vm 2003

Re: Backup virtual machine on esx 3.5. Is it possibible?

simo79 — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 15:38:32 GMT

I don't find the command vmware-cmd

It's the same if I use esxi?

Re: Backup virtual machine on esx 3.5. Is it possibible?

vmmeup — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 14:08:45 GMT

Depends on what language you want to use. You could do it from the Service Console using bash or perl, you can do it remotely from the remote CLI or a windows machine using the VI Toolkit for windows.

VI Toolkit for Windows powershell script to snapshot VM:

connect-viserver -server <server> -user <user> -password <pwd> New-Snapshot -Name <snapshot_name> -VM <vm_name>

connect-viserver -server <server> -user <user> -password <pwd> remove-Snapshot -snapshot <snapshot_name>

Perl Script:

Here is a thread where someone wrote a perl script to do backups http://communities

Service Console using vimsh

create

vmware-cmd <vmx> createsnapshot <snapshotName>

revert

vmware-cmd <vmx> revertsnapshot

Sid Smith

VCP, VTSP, CCNA, CCA(Xen Server), MCTS Hyper-V & SCVMM08
http://www.dailyhypervisor.com

Don't forget to award points for correct and helpful answers.

Re: Backup virtual machine on esx 3.5. Is it possibible?

Anton V Zhbankov — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 13:53:06 GMT

Take a look at VI Toolkit (Powershell)

---
VMware vExpert '2009
http://blog.vadmin.ru

Re: Backup virtual machine on esx 3.5. Is it possibible?

simo79 — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 13:49:12 GMT

<<.. write a script that snapshots a vm...

where can I find a script that take snapshot of my virtual machine?

Re: Backup virtual machine on esx 3.5. Is it possibible?

Anton V Zhbankov — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 13:42:11 GMT

Yes, VCB must be installed on Windows Server. But physical server is required in one case only: if you want LAN free fibre channel backup. In this case VCB will work directly with SAN.
All other cases, including network mode for FC can be implemented on virtual machine.

---
VMware vExpert '2009
http://blog.vadmin.ru

Re: Backup virtual machine on esx 3.5. Is it possibible?

vmmeup — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 13:31:13 GMT

It is also possible to acheive this by way of scripting. One way would be to mount an NFS share to your esx hosts from a NAS or other device and write a script that snapshots a vm, then copies the vmdks and other relevant files to a folder on the NFS share and then commits the snapshot. Depending on your NAS you could also have the same NFS share mounted to a linux server or present to a windows server as CIFS and backup to tape or disk using your backup agent.

Sid Smith-----
VCP, VTSP, CCNA, CCA(Xen Server), MCTS Hyper-V & SCVMM08
http://www.dailyhypervisor.com

Don't forget to award points for correct and helpful answers.;-)

Re: Backup virtual machine on esx 3.5. Is it possibible?

simo79 — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 13:29:44 GMT

If I don't mistake VCB need to be install in a separate windows server, but If I have only one esx server with a tape driver

which solution can I follow?

Re: Backup virtual machine on esx 3.5. Is it possibible?

Anton V Zhbankov — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 13:24:29 GMT

Yes, it is possible and there is "VMware Consolidated Backup" solution aka VCB. Also there are lot of tools intended for virtual machines backup. For ex. Veeam Backup, Vizioncore vRanger.

---
VMware vExpert '2009
http://blog.vadmin.ru

Backup virtual machine on esx 3.5. Is it possibible?

simo79 — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 13:22:29 GMT

I have a "new" question...

Is it possibile so save the whole content of the virtual machines installed on a esx server, on a tape or in a disk?

Thanks