rsync for ESXi?

[sysjno]

I Googled this, and found a few weird sites that talk about hacking up ESXi to work with some specific application. I'd like to try to avoid downloading things from untrusted sites. Is there a recommended way to add rsync to ESXi? I'd really, really, really prefer to do that than to have to scp everything.

[lamw]

The only way to get rsync on ESXi's Tech Support Mode is using the various hacks, one of which is here which I trust - http://www.vm-help.com/esx/esx3i/ESXi_enable_FTP.php

rsync is not something that is included in the Busybox console, so there is no official support for this.

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[sysjno]

I know there's no official support.

What I meant to ask was, is there a way to add rsync that is used and known and doesn't involve downloading some package from Bulgaria? I have to imagine that many people here have added it one way or another. It's just too damn useful!

Even at 100Mb/s it's taking an hour to scp each VM

[lamw]

I've not used rsync personally, so I can't say where the source is coming from and I don't know where Dave links on his site.

If you want a trusted site, I suggest you check out Busybox distro and compile your own rsync package based on the current version of Busybox used for ESXi, which I believe is like 1.91 or something. I think you should be able to just drop the binary into the system, but again you'll need to test. If you want it done for you, then you'll need to scour the net and there is always a risk associated with downloading packages from unknown sites.

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

William Lam

VMware vExpert 2009,2010

VMware scripts and resources at:

Twitter: @lamw

Getting Started with the vMA (tips/tricks)

Getting Started with the vSphere SDK for Perl

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

VMware Developer Community

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

[Dave_Mishchenko]

I'm pretty sure I'm not hosting in Bulgaria although I have traveled pretty close to there.

Your speed will be impacted

- by the fact that the SC does cap I/O

- the performance of the storage controller (what kind do you have)?




Dave

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Do you have a system or PCI card working with VMDirectPath? Submit your specs to the Unofficial VMDirectPath HCL.

[sysjno]

Does this mean you have an rsync package? That would be good enough for me... I'm pretty sure you aren't trying anything nefarious

If so, where would I find it? I don't know what your site is.

[Dave_Mishchenko]

The link above from William is to my site.




Dave

VMware Communities User Moderator

Now available - vSphere Quick Start Guide

Do you have a system or PCI card working with VMDirectPath? Submit your specs to the Unofficial VMDirectPath HCL.

[IvarHome]

Im interested also about this kind of stuff, but I dont trust hacks, I want commercial software for this. Rsync itself is half-fabricated hack, its not software. Commercial software just use rsync as internal component. Example GoodSync software. Unfortunately Goodsync is not designed for ESXi-s. But in market there can be exist also full on the box commercial software for ESXi using rsync. The difference is big. Hacks use some untrusted modifications, very dangerous. But commercial software use VMware compatible VIB-s installed into ESXi, example like Zerto or RecoverPoint (altough they cant backup datastore files like rsync can through SSH).

[IvarHome]

Also, just plain rsync dont help much. Because with rsync you get from VMFS only provisioned size, not thin. Therefore without deduplication in backup software there is no big point to backup. Or compression helps also.