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1 2 3 Previous Next 34 Replies Last post: Mar 17, 2008 1:39 PM by RDellimmagine  

Enabling back time machine for vmware fusion images posted: Feb 18, 2008 4:03 AM

Click to view vojko's profile Novice
vojko
12 posts since
Feb 18, 2008
I installed vmware 1.1.1 (was using 1.1.0) and it disabled backups for vmware images. Is it possible to enable them back, i have some important stuff in there and it would be nice to have it backuped once in a while.

Re: Enabling back time machine for vmware fusion images

1. Feb 18, 2008 8:03 AM in response to: vojko
Click to view etung's profile Guru
etung
11,085 posts since
Oct 15, 2006
Fusion intentionally disabled Time Machine for two reasons: space (your backup would quickly fill up) and correctness (Time Machine can cause freezes in some circumstances). If you want to back up a virtual machine, the easiest way is to do it manually.

If you must stick with Time Machine, however, you can - shut down Fusion and remove the exclusion flag from the virtual machine (I think xattr will do this, but I'm not at a Leopard box right now to check). Note that Fusion will add the flag back the next time you run that virtual machine, so let the backup finish first.

Re: Enabling back time machine for vmware fusion images

2. Feb 18, 2008 8:35 AM in response to: vojko
Click to view rcardona2k's profile Champion
rcardona2k
5,185 posts since
Oct 20, 2005
Eric is correct, xattr can remove the Time Machine exclusion flag so your VM files can be part of the backup (so long as the VM is not running). This message has the exact command line: Re: Time Machine Backup Strategies for Fusion?

Re: Enabling back time machine for vmware fusion images

3. Feb 18, 2008 10:42 AM in response to: rcardona2k
Click to view vojko's profile Novice
vojko
12 posts since
Feb 18, 2008
So basically i'll have to run xattr -d com.apple.metadata:com_apple_backup_excludeItem * everytime i quit vmware image i was running to enable it for backup?

Re: Enabling back time machine for vmware fusion images

4. Feb 18, 2008 11:36 AM in response to: vojko
Click to view rcardona2k's profile Champion
rcardona2k
5,185 posts since
Oct 20, 2005
Yes that command works in the VM bundle directory, the one ending with a name like WinXP.vmwarevm. The more generic form for all virtual machines is:

find ~/Documents/Virtual\ Machines -type f -name "*.vm[des][kms]" -print -exec xattr -d com.apple.metadata:com_apple_backup_excludeItem {} \;

Re: Enabling back time machine for vmware fusion images

5. Feb 18, 2008 5:20 PM in response to: rcardona2k
Click to view etung's profile Guru
etung
11,085 posts since
Oct 15, 2006
vojko, you could put Richard's command into a script, and possibly also trigger a backup off of it.

Re: Enabling back time machine for vmware fusion images

6. Feb 19, 2008 12:09 AM in response to: vojko
Click to view vojko's profile Novice
vojko
12 posts since
Feb 18, 2008
I've tried the script. I've tried running xattr -d ... * by hand on the bundle and inside of the bundle and it still won't backup. Well it backups up a bit but the file is only big about 800kb so i'm guessing it backups everything but the vmdk which is about 10Gb.

Re: Enabling back time machine for vmware fusion images

7. Feb 19, 2008 6:02 AM in response to: vojko
Click to view etung's profile Guru
etung
11,085 posts since
Oct 15, 2006
The script won't work unless you can figure out why the command didn't work. Without having tried it and just from inspection, Richard's command should affect the .vmdk disk files. Are you referring to the .vmwarevm bundle being only 800 kB? When did you check, does Time Machine give some indication when it's done?

Re: Enabling back time machine for vmware fusion images

8. Feb 19, 2008 6:31 AM in response to: vojko
Click to view vojko's profile Novice
vojko
12 posts since
Feb 18, 2008
(double post)

Re: Enabling back time machine for vmware fusion images

9. Feb 19, 2008 6:30 AM in response to: vojko
Click to view vojko's profile Novice
vojko
12 posts since
Feb 18, 2008
Yes the bundle vmwarewm was only 800 kb after i restored it. And i've checked the content and everything was there besides vmdk file.

Here is what i do.

I run vmware fusion power on the virtal machine and shut it off.

So now i have:
vojko-drevs-imac:Virtual Machines.localized vojko$ xattr -l Windows\ XP\ Professional.vmwarevm/
com.apple.metadata:com_apple_backup_excludeItem:
0000 62 70 6C 69 73 74 30 30 5F 10 11 63 6F 6D 2E 61 bplist00_..com.a
0010 70 70 6C 65 2E 62 61 63 6B 75 70 64 08 00 00 00 pple.backupd....
0020 00 00 00 01 01 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 01 00 00 00 ................
0030 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 1C .............

and

vojko-drevs-imac:Windows XP Professional.vmwarevm vojko$ xattr -l *
Windows XP Professional.vmdk: com.apple.metadata:com_apple_backup_excludeItem:
0000 62 70 6C 69 73 74 30 30 5F 10 11 63 6F 6D 2E 61 bplist00_..com.a
0010 70 70 6C 65 2E 62 61 63 6B 75 70 64 08 00 00 00 pple.backupd....
0020 00 00 00 01 01 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 01 00 00 00 ................
0030 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 1C .............

i guess at this point i have that attribute on vmwarewm and vmdk files so i run

vojko-drevs-imac:Windows XP Professional.vmwarevm vojko$ xattr -d com.apple.metadata:com_apple_backup_excludeItem Windows\ XP\ Professional.vmdk
vojko-drevs-imac:Windows XP Professional.vmwarevm vojko$ xattr -d com.apple.metadata:com_apple_backup_excludeItem Windows\ XP\ Professional.vmdk
No such xattr: com.apple.metadata:com_apple_backup_excludeItem

and

vojko-drevs-imac:Virtual Machines.localized vojko$ xattr -d com.apple.metadata:com_apple_backup_excludeItem Windows\ XP\ Professional.vmwarevm/
vojko-drevs-imac:Virtual Machines.localized vojko$ xattr -d com.apple.metadata:com_apple_backup_excludeItem Windows\ XP\ Professional.vmwarevm/
No such xattr: com.apple.metadata:com_apple_backup_excludeItem

i run start backup now on time machine and only vmwarevn bundle gets backed up without vmdk file. Which is about 800kb as i said before, and other 9 gigs are missing.

PS: also tried with sudo ... no cake

Re: Enabling back time machine for vmware fusion images

10. Feb 19, 2008 6:37 AM in response to: vojko
Click to view vojko's profile Novice
vojko
12 posts since
Feb 18, 2008
Ok i also tried moving vmdk file around and renaming it and it didn't work.

Is it possible that xattr didn't remove all "don't backup" attributes in that file. Is it possible that one attribute might be somewhere else in the file like at position of 2G byte?

Re: Enabling back time machine for vmware fusion images

11. Feb 19, 2008 6:53 AM in response to: vojko
Click to view rcardona2k's profile Champion
rcardona2k
5,185 posts since
Oct 20, 2005
I removed the attributes before I started Time Machine and the first backup includes all of my VMDKs. Normally I run with Time Machine off, about once a month I shutdown my VMs, remove the attributes and start Time Machine and it refreshes my VMDK backups. I don't know how to get Time Machine to pick up files that were originally attributed not to be backed up. I'm sure changing the filename or moving it would not be enough because the internal file ID does not change.

Re: Enabling back time machine for vmware fusion images

12. Feb 19, 2008 8:33 AM in response to: rcardona2k
Click to view vojko's profile Novice
vojko
12 posts since
Feb 18, 2008
I'll reinstall vmware 1.1.0 and try making another virtual machine and see how it goes with backups. I had that before and it worked i even restored one image because of the virus with no problem. I think there is a bug in xattr that is keeping me from removing that exclude item attribute. Hopefully this reinstall will work.

Re: Enabling back time machine for vmware fusion images

13. Feb 19, 2008 12:45 PM in response to: vojko
Click to view vojko's profile Novice
vojko
12 posts since
Feb 18, 2008
No luck and still no backups. I have no idea why it would backup the bundle file but not the vmdk file in the bundle after i removed that exclude attribute on both.

Re: Enabling back time machine for vmware fusion images

14. Feb 19, 2008 4:00 PM in response to: vojko
Click to view rcardona2k's profile Champion
rcardona2k
5,185 posts since
Oct 20, 2005
i'll try some tests on another machine that has Fusion and Time Machine but has not backup up any VMDKs and let you know what i find.
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