ESX 3.0.2 Raw Device Mapping (Questions)

[enigma26]

What and how can I turn off Raw Device Mapping on a VM?

Apparently our backups on VMs that has RDM included will fail when restoring to a different host.

[AndreTheGiant]

In which way do you make the backup?

Andre

[enigma26]

It's a disk to disk backup from a company called evault. It does a backup of the whole vm via an agent installed on the host.

hope that answers your question.?:|

[AndreTheGiant]

Vary strange...

If you copy the RDM file you will copy the content of the RDM as a normal vmdk disk.

So I do not understand why the restore is failing.

Andre

[enigma26]

Looking at their user guide, it states the following:

If a VM includes RDM, the backup log will include an error for the RDM, and the VM will be marked "incomplete".

An incomplete backup cannot be used in a restore to a VM, but can be used in a restore to an alternate location (i.e. partial restore) to enable the recovery of individual files.

So what I am trying to find out is... is there a way for me to disable RDM, if it is true that RDM is messing up my backups?

[AndreTheGiant]

You cannot disable a disk (vmdk or rdm).

You can remove from the VM (the VM must be powered-off), make the backup, re-add the RDM and power-on again.

Or (if RDM is in virtual mode) use VCB to make the backup.

Andre