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1 2 3 Previous Next 42 Replies Last post: May 20, 2009 12:59 PM by PCS_Dan Go to original post

Re: VISBU - Free easy-to-use VI3 backup utility

30. Dec 3, 2008 7:19 AM

in response to: PCS_Dan

mcorry

5 posts since
Dec 11, 2007

It does not work on my ESX 3.5 Update 3 environment. It was working when I was running ESX 3.02 but, now it says it can't find any vm with a powerstate:on.

Re: VISBU - Free easy-to-use VI3 backup utility

31. Dec 3, 2008 7:35 AM

in response to: benwjones

lamw

2,801 posts since
Nov 27, 2007

This supports both ESX 3.5 w/SC and ESXi:

http://communities.vmware.com/docs/DOC-8760

Re: VISBU - Free easy-to-use VI3 backup utility

32. Dec 6, 2008 4:14 PM

in response to: benwjones

filcap

23 posts since
Jan 4, 2007

Try with "./"

I mean: go under the install dir and type:

./install.pl

Re: VISBU - Free easy-to-use VI3 backup utility

33. Dec 15, 2008 2:20 AM

in response to: mittell

c0de1

49 posts since
May 11, 2007

Hello,

I'm using VISBU 1.0.1 and i want to backup only the powered on VM's.
Can i use the exclude option with the option powerstate:on in the backup.vml file?

I now have in the backup.vml file the following things :

Include=powerstate:on
Exclude=TSTCLU001A, TSTCLU001B, TSTCLU001C, TSTCLU004A, TSTCLU004B, TSTCTXF001, TSTCTXF002, TSTCTXF003, TSTCTXF004, TSTCTXS001, ACCCTXF001, ACCCTXS001, TSTPKI001, TSTPKI002, TSTPKI003, TSTAPP999, TSTCTXM001, TSTWEB010

The servers in the exclude are vm's powered on but they must be exclude from backup
When i run a test (dry run) some servers are still backuped while they are excluded to backup
Is there a limit of servers to exclude?

Re: VISBU - Free easy-to-use VI3 backup utility

34. Jan 2, 2009 1:33 PM

in response to: c0de1

PCS_Dan

9 posts since
Aug 8, 2008

This is an excellent script. I am having an issue with it on a couple of my ESX boxes though. I get the following error:

/usr/sbin/vcbVmName: line 1: localhost: command not found
/usr/sbin/vcbVmName: line 1: 13685 Broken pipe
LD_LIBRARY_PATH=:/usr/lib/vmware/hostd VCB_PASSWORD="$PASSWORD"
/usr/lib/vmware/vcb/vcbVmName -h "$VCHOST" -u "$USERNAME" -c
"$VMNAMECACHE" -s "Any" --
FATAL ERROR: No VMs found from specified search specification 'Any'!
Name searches are case sensitive, please check your VMs name.

here is my config file

Config file created by vi-backup.pl 1.0.1 ##

hostname=pcs-esx1.pcs.loc
username=root
password=****
searchspec=/usr/backup/vm-backup-list/vmbackup.vml
exportpath=/usr/backup/PCS-ESX1
2gbsparse=1
safemode=1
mailreport=1
mailserver=***
mailfrom=****
mailto=****

the export path is a folder with a SMB share mounted to it. Any ideas? It works fine on all my servers except 2 so far.

Thanks,

Dan

Re: VISBU - Free easy-to-use VI3 backup utility

35. Jan 2, 2009 2:03 PM

in response to: PCS_Dan

PCS_Dan

9 posts since
Aug 8, 2008

My password had special characters in it. I manually edited the config file and added single quotes to my password and it seems to work now. It is still spitting out the error "/usr/sbin/vcbSnapshot: line 1: localhost: command not found" randomly but it seems to be backing it up still though

Also - make sure your /etc/hosts has the correct IP for your hostname. I had the issue where I changed the host IP but the hosts file still pointed to a previous IP. After that change you need to restart the network service

Re: VISBU - Free easy-to-use VI3 backup utility

36. Jan 5, 2009 11:55 AM

in response to: PCS_Dan

mcorry

5 posts since
Dec 11, 2007

Thanks a lot Dan.

That was the problem. I had changed the name of my ESX when I upgraded it version 3.5 update 3.

-mark

Re: VISBU - Free easy-to-use VI3 backup utility

37. Mar 5, 2009 9:07 AM

in response to: mittell

Rchab

9 posts since
Apr 10, 2008

Thanks

I am trying and it seems to work and It's want I am looking for : simple, easy to use, and don't ask to be linux and vmware expert !

thanks again

Re: VISBU - Free easy-to-use VI3 backup utility

38. Mar 16, 2009 10:13 AM

in response to: mittell

wrench1103

1 posts since
Mar 16, 2009

Mittel, thanks so much for creating this script. It's really going to save my bacon.

Anyhow, I am having a problem accessing a NFS storage device.

Do you have support for NFS file systems or is it strictly for VMFS?

hostname=ouresx2.hostname.com

username=USER

password=**********

searchspec=/usr/local/vi-backup/ouresx2vm.vml

exportpath=/vmfs/volumes/OurBkUp(1)/visbu (NFS Volume)

2gbsparse=1

safemode=1

mailreport=1

mailserver=smtp.stupid.com

~~mailfrom=loser@stupid.com~~

~~mailto=loser@stupid.com~~

smb=0

zip=1

Re: VISBU - Free easy-to-use VI3 backup utility

39. Apr 23, 2009 8:59 AM

in response to: wrench1103

rgv75

50 posts since
Nov 30, 2007

I use a NFS volume as the export path and it works just fine.

Re: VISBU - Free easy-to-use VI3 backup utility

40. Apr 29, 2009 7:09 AM

in response to: mittell

f.van.haaren

1 posts since
Jun 13, 2006

Hi everyone,

I took over a few servers configured with ESX. Now I learned that the backup is made with VI3.

I cannot tell exactly how it is configured. Is there anyone who can tell me where I have to look for configuration, sheduling and so on??

I have a /usr/local/vi-backup directory where i find a vi-backup.cfg.

Please any information is welcome.

Re: VISBU - Free easy-to-use VI3 backup utility

41. Apr 29, 2009 7:27 AM

in response to: f.van.haaren

rgv75

50 posts since
Nov 30, 2007

Do you also have vi-backup.pl in the same directory? If so, this is the executable that uses the .cfg file for its configuration. The .cfg file defines the "Searchspec" to tell the executable which VMs need to be backed up and tells you where the backup will be stored. Basically, vi-backup.pl is executed via cron, so look in your cron jobs using "crontab -l" or search the /etc/cron.d for a .cron file. Not sure how the executable was scheduled to run on your server, so you'll have to search for cron jobs.

If you have vi-backup.pl, execute it, select 5 to Test, 2 to test your configuration, then call the .cfg file when prompted. This will test and show you exactly what it does.

Re: VISBU - Free easy-to-use VI3 backup utility

42. May 20, 2009 12:59 PM

in response to: rgv75

PCS_Dan

9 posts since
Aug 8, 2008

Does this script compress the whitespace/unused space in the vmdk files or does it basiclly just copy them?

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Re: VISBU - Free easy-to-use VI3 backup utility

Re: VISBU - Free easy-to-use VI3 backup utility

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