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matteonasi
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vSphere - ESX4 command line "vcbMounter/vcbRestore"

hi all,

I've heard, but I cannot find anything official, that "vcbMounter/vcbRestore" commands within ESX server will be available in ESX version 4 ( vSphere) too,

is it true ?

thanks,

regards Matteo

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lamw
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Yes, I can confirm they still exists. I don't use these tools, so not sure if anything has changed but it probably hasn't from 3.5.

[root@himalaya ~]# vmware -v
VMware ESX 4.0.0 build-164009

[root@himalaya ~]# vcb <tab>
vcbExport    vcbMounter   vcbResAll    vcbRestore   vcbSnapAll   vcbSnapshot  vcbUtil      vcbVmName

[root@himalaya ~]# vcbMounter
[2009-06-02 13:38:03.310 F4EF3B60 info 'App'] Current working directory: /root
[2009-06-02 13:38:03.376 F4EF3B60 error 'vcbMounter'] Error: Missing command line option
VMware Consolidated Backup -- Virtual Machine Mount Utility
Version 4.0.0 (build-164009)
Copyright (C) 1998-2009 VMware, Inc.  All rights reserved.
Usage:
vcbMounter -h <url> -u <username> [-p <password>] <operation> [<verbosity>] [<mode>]
            <url> := <hostname>
      <operation> := <mount_op> | <file_umount_op> | <auto_umount_op>
      <verbosity> := -L (0-6)
           <mode> := -m "cos"|"nbd"|"nbdssl"
       <mount_op> := -a <VM> <mountPoint> [<flavor>][<datastores>]
 <file_umount_op> := -d <VM> <SnapId> <mountPoint>
 <auto_umount_op> := -U <mountpoint_dir>

             <VM> := <moref>|<uuid>|<ipaddr>|<...> [-c <cacheFile>]
                     (See VM Backup guide for complete list of search
                     criteria.)
     <mountPoint> := -r <dir>
         <flavor> := -t "fullvm" [<export-flags>]
     <datastores> := -C <datastore_catalog_file>
         <SnapId> := -n <ssid:"Sdk-MoRef">|<ssname:"SnapshotName">
   <export-flags> := -M (0|1) -F (0|1)

If no password is specified on the command line, you will be prompted for one.

Export Flags:
 -M: If set, the disk is exported into a single (monolithic) file.
     When turned off (default), the disk is split into multiple 2GB files.
 -F: If set, the disk is exported as "flat" disk, with no optimizations.
     When turned off (default), the exported disk files will be more compact as
     unused space in the disk image is not included in the  exported file.

Examples:
+) Do a full VM style backup of vm "foo.bar.com" across the SAN,
   talk to ESX/VC host "wisdom.bar.com" as user "vc" with
   password "foobar". - Export will go to "d:\backups":

   vcbMounter -h wisdom.bar.com -u vc -p foobar -a ipaddr:foo.bar.com \
              -r d:\backups\foo-fullVM -t fullvm

   Full VM backups export an entire virtual machine into a set of
   files within a directory. Backing up this file set allows for the
   entire virtual machine to be restored later on.

+) Do an automatic unmount of the export just created:

   vcbMounter -h wisdom.bar.com -u vc -p foobar \
              -U d:\backups\foo-fullVM

   An automatic unmount will work for both file-level and full VM mounts.
   (A full VM unmount operation just has to delete the exported files.)

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

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".

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lamw
Community Manager
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Yes, I can confirm they still exists. I don't use these tools, so not sure if anything has changed but it probably hasn't from 3.5.

[root@himalaya ~]# vmware -v
VMware ESX 4.0.0 build-164009

[root@himalaya ~]# vcb <tab>
vcbExport    vcbMounter   vcbResAll    vcbRestore   vcbSnapAll   vcbSnapshot  vcbUtil      vcbVmName

[root@himalaya ~]# vcbMounter
[2009-06-02 13:38:03.310 F4EF3B60 info 'App'] Current working directory: /root
[2009-06-02 13:38:03.376 F4EF3B60 error 'vcbMounter'] Error: Missing command line option
VMware Consolidated Backup -- Virtual Machine Mount Utility
Version 4.0.0 (build-164009)
Copyright (C) 1998-2009 VMware, Inc.  All rights reserved.
Usage:
vcbMounter -h <url> -u <username> [-p <password>] <operation> [<verbosity>] [<mode>]
            <url> := <hostname>
      <operation> := <mount_op> | <file_umount_op> | <auto_umount_op>
      <verbosity> := -L (0-6)
           <mode> := -m "cos"|"nbd"|"nbdssl"
       <mount_op> := -a <VM> <mountPoint> [<flavor>][<datastores>]
 <file_umount_op> := -d <VM> <SnapId> <mountPoint>
 <auto_umount_op> := -U <mountpoint_dir>

             <VM> := <moref>|<uuid>|<ipaddr>|<...> [-c <cacheFile>]
                     (See VM Backup guide for complete list of search
                     criteria.)
     <mountPoint> := -r <dir>
         <flavor> := -t "fullvm" [<export-flags>]
     <datastores> := -C <datastore_catalog_file>
         <SnapId> := -n <ssid:"Sdk-MoRef">|<ssname:"SnapshotName">
   <export-flags> := -M (0|1) -F (0|1)

If no password is specified on the command line, you will be prompted for one.

Export Flags:
 -M: If set, the disk is exported into a single (monolithic) file.
     When turned off (default), the disk is split into multiple 2GB files.
 -F: If set, the disk is exported as "flat" disk, with no optimizations.
     When turned off (default), the exported disk files will be more compact as
     unused space in the disk image is not included in the  exported file.

Examples:
+) Do a full VM style backup of vm "foo.bar.com" across the SAN,
   talk to ESX/VC host "wisdom.bar.com" as user "vc" with
   password "foobar". - Export will go to "d:\backups":

   vcbMounter -h wisdom.bar.com -u vc -p foobar -a ipaddr:foo.bar.com \
              -r d:\backups\foo-fullVM -t fullvm

   Full VM backups export an entire virtual machine into a set of
   files within a directory. Backing up this file set allows for the
   entire virtual machine to be restored later on.

+) Do an automatic unmount of the export just created:

   vcbMounter -h wisdom.bar.com -u vc -p foobar \
              -U d:\backups\foo-fullVM

   An automatic unmount will work for both file-level and full VM mounts.
   (A full VM unmount operation just has to delete the exported files.)

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

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".

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matteonasi
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thanks so much,

ciao Matteo

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