Hey Alex,

Cracking Script mate, though I haven't DOH'd through the config file yet .. I'm just having a real hard time getting the export path right. My error output is :-

[root@esxhost vi-backup]# vi-backup.pl -c /usr/local/vi-backup.cfg
readline() on closed filehandle CONFIG at /usr/local/sbin/vi-backup.pl line 1162.
Use of uninitialized value in concatenation (.) or string at /usr/local/sbin/vi-backup.pl line 1081.
Use of uninitialized value in substitution (s///) at /usr/local/sbin/vi-backup.pl line 1082.
Use of uninitialized value in substitution (s///) at /usr/local/sbin/vi-backup.pl line 1082.
Use of uninitialized value in pattern match (m//) at /usr/local/sbin/vi-backup.pl line 1083.
FATAL ERROR: You cannot use / as a destination for backups! Exiting script.

The .cfg file looks like this :-

hostname=esxhost.domain.com
username=root
password=password
searchspec=name:VMGuest
exportpath=/vmfs/volumes/virtual_machines_backup/
safemode=0
mailreport=1
mailserver=192.168.0.1
mailfrom=esxhostbackup@domain.com
mailto=esxalerts@domain.com
smb=0

Can anyone see where I've been slightly dim?

Again, it's a cracking script Alex and it makes me want to learn Perl so I feel I could contribute! Any references to starting scripting in Perl appreciated! Really cool stuff.

Paul.

Hi there,

Safemode means that the old backup will not be deleted until the current backup has finished successfully.

Some basic search params are powerstate:on, powerstate:off, name, uuid, ipaddr, etc.

Please take a look at the README file that is bundled with the script, it's got more detailed explanations for all of the options.

While I'm here there's also a new version out, 0.8.5, please use this rather than 0.8.4.

http://users.ox.ac.uk/~alexm/visbu-0.8.5.tar.gz

Cheers,

Alex

Great Script thanks Alex - works like a charm!

Any idea when you might implement the zip backup file option? (hint hint

We're using your script to create VM backups, which we want to then zip up and arhive off to tape with our backup exec server via RALUS on the esx box. We could do the zipping outside your script, but it'd be much neater if it was included as part of the backup process.

Also, another idea for you - any chance of allowing a separate email reporting address to be used if errors are encountered during backups? It'd really help to put backup errors in the face of people that need to know about them without them having to manually scour plain old log messages.

Keep up the great work.

Cheers,

Mike Cretan

Hi all,

if i want to backup VM1 nothing else,

what is the command to run ?

and should i change the config file like this :
## Config file created by vi-backup.pl 0.9 ##
hostname=ESX3-01.XXX.COM
username=root
password=password
searchspec=name:VM1
exportpath=/mnt/backup/
2gbsparse=1
safemode=1
mailreport=1
mailserver=192.168.X.X
mailfrom=XXX@XXX.COM
mailto=XXX@XXX.COM
smb=0

I am running on an ESX 3.0.0 system with two virtual machines provided to me to test your script (for which I thank you profusely.) I have a couple of issues that are eluding me.

The VMs:
[root@blade20 volumes]# vmware-cmd -l
/vmfs/volumes/455dbba7-fdf002e9-db01-0011254a3fe4/2k3test2/2k3test2.vmx
/vmfs/volumes/455dbba7-fdf002e9-db01-0011254a3fe4/esx3/esx3.vmx

The .cfg file:
[root@blade20 volumes]# cat /usr/local/vi-backup/vi-backup.cfg
## Config file created by vi-backup.pl 0.9 ##
hostname=blade20.xxx.xxx.xxx
username=root
password=xxx
searchspec=powerstate:on
exportpath=/vmfs/volumes/44f70cf4-1cf7a617-71dc-0011254a3fe4/visbutest
2gbsparse=0
safemode=1
mailreport=1
mailserver=xxx.xxx.xxx
mailfrom=dwight.mccann@isc.ucsb.edu
mailto=xxx.xxx.xxx
smb=0

The .vmx for the machine with the issue:
#!/usr/bin/vmware
config.version = "6"
virtualHW.version = "3"
floppy0.present = "true"
powerType.powerOff = "default"
powerType.powerOn = "default"
powerType.suspend = "default"
powerType.reset = "default"

displayName = "2k3test2"
extendedConfigFile = "2k3test2.vmxf"

scsi0.present = "true"
scsi0.sharedBus = "none"
scsi0.virtualDev = "vmxlsilogic"
memsize = "1024"
scsi0:0.present = "true"
scsi0:0.name = "2k3test2.vmdk"
scsi0:0.deviceType = "scsi-hardDisk"
ide0:0.present = "true"
ide0:0.fileName = "/dev/cdrom"
ide0:0.deviceType = "atapi-cdrom"
floppy0.startConnected = "false"
floppy0.fileName = "/dev/fd0"
ethernet0.present = "true"
ethernet0.startConnected = "TRUE"
ethernet0.allowGuestConnectionControl = "false"
ethernet0.networkName = "123SubNet"
ethernet0.addressType = "vpx"
ethernet0.generatedAddress = "00:50:56:b7:3d:bd"
guestOS = "winnetstandard"
uuid.bios = "50 37 02 81 d9 92 8b d8-87 e6 c9 7b 4c b4 46 5e"
log.fileName = "vmware.log"
sched.cpu.min = "0"
sched.cpu.units = "mhz"
sched.cpu.shares = "normal"
sched.mem.minsize = "512"
sched.mem.max = "1024"
sched.mem.shares = "normal"
cpuid.1.eax = "----xxxxxxxx--------xxxx--------"
cpuid.1.ecx = "----------------R-0------R------"
cpuid.1.ecx.amd = "--------------------------------"
cpuid.80000001.ecx = "xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx0"
cpuid.80000001.edx = "xx0xxxxxxxx0xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx"

checkpoint.cptConfigName = "2k3test2"
priority.grabbed = "normal"
priority.ungrabbed = "normal"
scsi0:0.redo = "/vmfs/volumes/455dbba7-fdf002e9-db01-0011254a3fe4/2k3test2/2k3test2.vmdk.REDO"
tools.syncTime = "FALSE"

uuid.location = "56 4d d6 54 91 4b a0 d5-a0 b7 b8 58 c5 bc d2 26"
sched.swap.derivedName = "/vmfs/volumes/455dbba7-fdf002e9-db01-0011254a3fe4/2k3test2/2k3test2.vswp"

The issue is that VISBU says there are no disks to export for the 2k3test2 VM:
11/06/2007 23:55:06: [esx3] Backup completed without errors.

11/06/2007 23:59:57: [2k3test2] No disks to export!
Backup completed without errors.

*** Script completed successfully. ***

The log file:
12/06/2007 04:07:23: Log file opened.
12/06/2007 04:07:24: [2007-06-12 04:07:24.150 'App' 3076448384 info] Current working directory: /
[2007-06-12 04:07:24.182 'BaseLibs' 13863856 warning] [Vmdb_Unset] Unsetting unknown path: /vmomi/

[2007-06-12 04:07:24.316 'CreateSnapshot' 3076448384 info] Creating snapshot
[2007-06-12 04:07:24.377 'vcbSnapshot' 3076448384 error] Error: This operation is not supported.
12/06/2007 04:07:24: [2007-06-12 04:07:24.703 'App' 3076452480 info] Current working directory: /
[2007-06-12 04:07:24.735 'BaseLibs' 7977904 warning] [Vmdb_Unset] Unsetting unknown path: /vmomi/

[2007-06-12 04:07:24.866 'App' 3076452480 error]

Exception: Assert failed!
[2007-06-12 04:07:24.867 'App' 3076452480 error] Backtrace:
[00] eip 0xa06d1e
[01] eip 0x95dd29
[02] eip 0x918295
[03] eip 0x91893e
[04] eip 0x9189f9
[05] eip 0x918ac5
[06] eip 0x8062bed
[07] eip 0x806067f
[08] eip 0x805e650
[09] eip 0x8072e95
[10] eip 0x805e82e
[11] eip 0x39279a
[12] eip 0x805dbc1

[2007-06-12 04:07:24.870 'App' 3076452480 error] Backtrace:
[00] eip 0xa06d1e
[01] eip 0x95dd29
[02] eip 0xa06965
[03] eip 0x91894b
[04] eip 0x9189f9
[05] eip 0x918ac5
[06] eip 0x8062bed
[07] eip 0x806067f
[08] eip 0x805e650
[09] eip 0x8072e95
[10] eip 0x805e82e
[11] eip 0x39279a
[12] eip 0x805dbc1

Any clues as to what is going wrong? Unfortunately I am not the VMware person but the Backup person and I didn't create the server or the VMs.

Dwight

Yes, it was imported from ESX 2 as it turns out ... your response looks very helpful for resolving some other issues for us. Thanks. I'll try to get back here with an update.

I had an issue with a corrupt esx.conf file presumably from running out of disk space during a backup.