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DubBoy
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Back and recovery

Hi Guys

This may have been mentioned a millon and one times and hopefully the solution will be easy and straight forward.

I am a relative newbie with VMware, I can build host and guests and thats really it.

I have to rebuild the host machine due to hardware problems.

I need to backup my guests, how do I go about doing it?

I have a NAS mounted and a copy of the primary datastore is stored there too.

Is this enough if I rebuild the host and simply point to the NAS datastore, will all my guests and  their configurations come straight back?

Do I need to do something else?

Im running ESXi 4.1

Cheers

Noel

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vmroyale
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So if I backup ESXi config with vicfg-cfgbackup,  then rebuild the host and import the config back in, it will be simply  just linking back up the NAS and either running the VM's from the NAS or  adding back into the local datastore, and adding them to the inventory.

Yes - this should be it. Just make sure that you have those backups in a good state and preferably tested.

Brian Atkinson | vExpert | VMTN Moderator | Author of "VCP5-DCV VMware Certified Professional-Data Center Virtualization on vSphere 5.5 Study Guide: VCP-550" | @vmroyale | http://vmroyale.com

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vmroyale
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Hello and welcome to the communities.

So all of your VMs are on the NAS device? And you also have a copy of the datastore on this same NAS device? If so, just make sure you have your ESXi config documented or backed up with vicfg-cfgbackup. Then reconnect to the NAS device after your install is complete. You will then need to browse to the datastore on the NAS device and add the virtual machines to the inventory. You can do this with the vSphere Client's datastore browser by right-clicking the .vmx file for each VM and choosing the Add To Inventory option from the context menu that appears. That should be it.

Good Luck!

Brian Atkinson | vExpert | VMTN Moderator | Author of "VCP5-DCV VMware Certified Professional-Data Center Virtualization on vSphere 5.5 Study Guide: VCP-550" | @vmroyale | http://vmroyale.com
ranjitcool
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If you want to backup vms to a third site other than the NAS, i think veeam gives off free backup software, try it out. I am not sure of its limitations.

If all vms are on your NAS, you can basically throw away the vmware server - what i mean is getting a new server, presenting the NAS and then adding the vms back will bring you back to where you were.

Please award points if you find my answers helpful Thanks RJ Visit www.rjapproves.com
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DubBoy
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Hi

I have them on both the local and NAS, the NAS being I was going to wipe the box.

So if I backup ESXi config with vicfg-cfgbackup, then rebuild the host and import the config back in, it will be simply just linking back up the NAS and either running the VM's from the NAS or adding back into the local datastore, and adding them to the inventory.

Cheers

Thanks

Noel

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ranjitcool
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Hey,

OKay so if you WIPE your esx box, you may loose those vms living on the local disk - say that assuming you will blow away the entire disks associated to that machine.

SO move all your vms to NAS, do a config backup(for lab stuff i dont care for prod i wud), get the esx box online and move vms around where you need them to be.

What are you trying to do anyway?

R

Please award points if you find my answers helpful Thanks RJ Visit www.rjapproves.com
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vmroyale
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So if I backup ESXi config with vicfg-cfgbackup,  then rebuild the host and import the config back in, it will be simply  just linking back up the NAS and either running the VM's from the NAS or  adding back into the local datastore, and adding them to the inventory.

Yes - this should be it. Just make sure that you have those backups in a good state and preferably tested.

Brian Atkinson | vExpert | VMTN Moderator | Author of "VCP5-DCV VMware Certified Professional-Data Center Virtualization on vSphere 5.5 Study Guide: VCP-550" | @vmroyale | http://vmroyale.com
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DubBoy
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Hi

I've a hardware issue on the box, and I need to rebuild. But the VM's are important, so when I rebuild I want to simply import the VMs and everything will be back to where it was, hopefully without issues.

Thanks

Noel

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ranjitcool
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Yes, make sure vms are on the nas and you should be fine.

After host comes back, mount the nas drive and in each vm folder, right click on their .vmx file and add to inventory.

You will be back to where you are.

R

Please award points if you find my answers helpful Thanks RJ Visit www.rjapproves.com
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DubBoy
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Any one know how to run vicfg-cfgbackup its says not found. I did a bit of googling and found you need to create tmp/scratch/downloads which I have done but still fails.

Im actually ssh'd on to the host.

thanks

Noel


					
				
			
			
				
			
			
			
			
			
			
			
		
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vmroyale
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You will need to run it from one of the CLI environments, as there is no ESXi Shell equivalent. I tend to prefer the VMware Management Appliance.

Brian Atkinson | vExpert | VMTN Moderator | Author of "VCP5-DCV VMware Certified Professional-Data Center Virtualization on vSphere 5.5 Study Guide: VCP-550" | @vmroyale | http://vmroyale.com
upg3
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Brian Atkinson wrote:

Hello and welcome to the communities.

So all of your VMs are on the NAS device? And you also have a copy of the datastore on this same NAS device? If so, just make sure you have your ESXi config documented or backed up with vicfg-cfgbackup. Then reconnect to the NAS device after your install is complete. You will then need to browse to the datastore on the NAS device and add the virtual machines to the inventory. You can do this with the vSphere Client's datastore browser by right-clicking the .vmx file for each VM and choosing the Add To Inventory option from the context menu that appears. That should be it.

Good Luck!

Hi Brian,

will it be same in case the Server is ESX4 not ESXi4.1...

I mean the configuration backup you referred here "vicfg-cfgbackup"..pls. suggest how to take it

thanks

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