Any new backup VM Solutions - ESX 3.5

[Stevester]

Good Evening Everyone,

Would anyone happen to know of any new backup solutions? I have searched the internet and have yet to find one. I have some production VM's which need backing up and i have yet to find a reliable solution. I would prefer a free one but if i have to spend then i will spend.

The ones i am aware of are

1) Veeam- commercial

2) ESXpress - commercial

3) ghettoVCB.sh- havent had much success when running from a CRON job - all VM's dont backup. A manual run works properly

4) VMWare Data Recovery - not working properly as many have attested to

5) VMWare VCB - would like to try from a Windows environment

Thanks

Any suggestions would be appreciated!!!!!!!!!

[js-hacki]

3) ghettoVCB

If you have another server you could initiate the ghettoVCB script from there where cron is working.

ssh ESXiIP /vmfs/volumes/datastore1/ghettoVCB.sh /vmfs/volumes/datastore1/vmlist

you just have to transfer the ssh key from your unix machine or use plink with windows.

Furthermore here is a thread which could solve your ghettoVCB cron problem with absolute paths.

hacki

[Stevester]

Problem is that ghettoVCB doesn't work with CRON jobs. I may have to look for another means of backups until VDR gets polished

[dtracey]

Vizioncore vRanger?

http://www.vizioncore.com/products/vRangerPro/

I looked at it for my environment but went down the VEEAM route instead as it takes care of replication as well, wheras this is an extra license from Vizioncore.

Hope that helps.

Dan

[Stevester]

Yes. vRanger is a good suggestion. The thing is that we are entitled to Vmware VDR, but VDR is a poor product as everyone has attested. I may have to use plink on ghettoVCB from a Windows box. The ghettoVCB works if you execute a normal command - ./ghettoVCB.sh but not via a CRON job.

The creator of ghettoVCB, William Lan, has told me that he has not tested the script against a CRON job and plans not to test it against CRON job. Figure that huh!!!!

Stevester

[js-hacki]

Have you tried the thing in my post above??

[Stevester]

Not yet. The script works if you simply call it like this: ./ghettoVCB.sh vmlist. The problem is if its called via CRON. This is a known issue.

What I would do is use plink via a scheduled task on a Windows machine and call ./ghettoVCB.sh vmlist assuming I could do this?

Steve

[js-hacki]

Furthermore here is a thread which could solve your ghettoVCB cron problem with absolute paths.

this thread is especially for your cron problem.

[lamw]

Steve,

Before I went to sleep, I quickly setup a cron job to run every 5minutes on a small development environment and the ONLY thing that I had to modify was the absolute path to vmkfstools as I've discussed with you over various threads that you've created on the VMTN forums. There is nothing stopping you from creating a cron job and I woke up this morning and found that backups consistently executed on both ESX 3.5u4 and ESX 4.0 system.

I've seen seen you quoted this a few times:

Did this already, using absolute paths. What happens is that the script fails. For example, I have 3 VMs. 2 of the VMs get backup, but then the script stops on the 2nd VM and the snapshot doesn't get removed so the script can proceed to the 3rd and final VM. Not good.

This already proves there is nothing wrong with executing the script through a cron job, there is potentially more to look at and possibly environmental issues with the infrastructure or VMs. I've already communicate to you that I would be more than welcome to help walk you through the troubleshooting method, so there is no need to spam multiple threads across the forums.

Also:

Its more approriate to use a more enterprise level backup solution. Backing up information via scripts is a poor man's way of performing backups.

I've never suggested nor convinced anyone this script is an enterprise backup solution, as you've noted there are various backup/DR solutions in the market and if you want 24x7 support, I suggest you take a look at another solution.

I may have to use plink on ghettoVCB from a Windows box.

If you're interested in setting this up, there is a pretty good link from Raj on how to configure this from Windows perspective: http://blog.theworldrunsontechnology.com/2009/04/how-to-schedule-ghettovcb-backup-job-or.html

=========================================================================

William Lam

VMware vExpert 2009

VMware ESX/ESXi scripts and resources at:

VMware Code Central - Scripts/Sample code for Developers and Administrators

If you find this information useful, please award points for "correct" or "helpful".

[Stevester]

Don't know what the issue is then. I have done multiple cron jobs with absolute paths and its not working. I have some critical patches, 14, which need to be installed on my ESX Server. I am going to install them today and see what happens.

Stevester

[lamw]

Here is the modified version of the script and all it really contains is a new variable to capture the absolute path and this is what I used to test for 8+hrs.

Let me know if you find anything else and we can continue troubleshooting this offline. Thanks

=========================================================================

William Lam

VMware vExpert 2009

VMware ESX/ESXi scripts and resources at:

VMware Code Central - Scripts/Sample code for Developers and Administrators

If you find this information useful, please award points for "correct" or "helpful".

[Stevester]

As a side note the statement about the enterprise backup wasn't an attack on you. I was just expressing my view point which I firmly believe in.

I will be at work shortly. I am starting to think either the host needs patching or maybe I missed substituting a vmkfstools with an absolute path.

Stevester

[Stevester]

I assume the script is on your site or is there suppose to an attachment

[lamw]

The modified version is attached in the previous reply as I've not had the time to update the primary document and I would like to further test this before posting a new update.

=========================================================================

William Lam

VMware vExpert 2009

VMware ESX/ESXi scripts and resources at:

VMware Code Central - Scripts/Sample code for Developers and Administrators

If you find this information useful, please award points for "correct" or "helpful".

[Stevester]

I will just wait for your update. For some reason, I am not getting the attached verison

[lamw]

It's listed in this reply at the bottom:

=========================================================================

William Lam

VMware vExpert 2009

VMware ESX/ESXi scripts and resources at:

VMware Code Central - Scripts/Sample code for Developers and Administrators

If you find this information useful, please award points for "correct" or "helpful".

[Stevester]

Can you send that script via my other email: stevie4473@yahoo.com. It will make things much easier.

[Stevester]

This is actually my own solution. Guess what, it doesn't work LOL. The cron job starts the backup but the final VM doesn't get backup at all. The backup process hangs. Also, the snapshot on the previous to last backed up VM doesn't get removed. It may be my host needs patching as my ESX 3.5 host needs 14 critical patches.

Stevester

[azn2kew]

William,

Any plans to integrate the restore process with your GhettoVCB script it's pretty good backup script for my home lab or new GhettoVCBRestore script sometimes!

If you found this information useful, please consider awarding points for "Correct" or "Helpful". Thanks!!!

Regards,

Stefan Nguyen

VMware vExpert 2009

iGeek Systems Inc.

VMware, Citrix, Microsoft Consultant

[Jim_Nickel]

I found this not too long ago: http://www.trilead.com/

Tried it out and it seems decent. The commercial version is not that expensive.

The free version just doesn't do scheduled backups.

Jim