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Immortal
Immortal

Announcement: New (free) backup utility realease.

Hello all,

I've written a backup utility, it's currently still in 'beta' but I think I've worked out most of the bugs and it's been working very well for me, so I thought I'd share my work with the community. Smiley Happy

I'll be trying to update it fairly regularly, hot-clone of a VM or specific VMDK attached to a VM planned for next version.

Please see the readme file here for some initial instructions: http://users.ox.ac.uk/~alexm/README

You can download the utility here:

http://xtravirt.com/index.php?option=com_remository&Itemid=75&func=select&id=5

Once you've extracted the archive, please read the README file in the directory created for instructions on using the utility.

Any problems post them to this thread and I'll try and resolve them, I'll set up a proper website when I have the time.

Alex

p.s. Big thanks to acr for help with testing!

Added link to the latest release - 21st May 2007[/b]

Message was edited by:

MR-T: Updated with link to Xtravirt site

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367 Replies
spex
Expert
Expert

Guten Tag,

ich bin am 14.04.2008 wieder im Haus.

Bei wichtigen Problemen wenden Sie sich bitte an Herrn Dr. Matthias Weger.

Ihre E-Mail wurde nicht weitergeleitet

Danke

Stefan Holzwarth

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Nick_Howson
Contributor
Contributor

Any chance this will work with an ESXi server?

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Gagravarr
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Any chance this will work with an ESXi server?

ESXi doesn't come with perl, which the utility is written in, so it won't work unless you go about installing a 3rd party copy of perl on the server

(You'll need to do the unsupported trick to be able to ssh in in the first place too)

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Nick_Howson
Contributor
Contributor

You know what my next question is going to be don't you? :smileygrin:

Even after a google search I can't find much information on perl for ESXi. Any hints as to what I should be looking for to get it running?

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Gagravarr
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Even after a google search I can't find much information on perl for ESXi. Any hints as to what I should be looking for to get it running?

ESXi runs a fairly simple embeded linux. It uses vmware's own linux kernel, busybox for the basic tools, and a faily old libc (GLIBC_2.3.3).

If you want to put perl on it, you'll want a version that's build for an old libc, eg http://www.cpan.org/authors/id/G/GR/GRAHAMC/

However, even with perl installed on esxi, the backup script won't work. It tries to call a few ESX tools that aren't on ESXi (/usr/sbin/esxcfg-firewall and /usr/sbin/vcbVmName), so it won't run Smiley Sad

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Rafael_P_Olivei
Contributor
Contributor

I've been having the same problem. Did you get some idea or fix to solve this problem? Send me an e-mail about it, please!

Best Regards,

Rafael de Paula Oliveira

rafael.oliveira@groupnet.com.br

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grrltech
Contributor
Contributor

We have been using VISBU for awhile now and it works quite well. The one hang up we have is being able to compress the files and store them on a FAT32 formatted drive for offsite backup. I understand that we can use compression if we don't choose 2 gb sparse, but the file could still exceed 2gb and then couldn't be stored on a FAT32 volume.

We've created a process for gziping the files once they hit our backup server. The problem is, we have to run the compression task manually to be sure it doesn't try to compress files that are still being written.

I'd like to suggest a new option for VISBU where a working directory could be set. The backup would be exported to the working directory and when the export is complete they would be moved to the directory defined as the export directory. If the two directories were on the same volume, the move would only take a second to complete. Then those who compress the files could create a watcher script that would compress the files as they arrive in the export directory and wouldn't inadvertantly compress incomplete files.

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Abraxus
Contributor
Contributor

I am trying to use this script to integrate with TSM. Looks great and installs easily. I have it installed and working manually and TSM seems to be ok too. What I am having trouble with is the line in the instructions

" The backups are scheduled via the TSM scheduler which execute the following command /usr/local/vi-backup/vi-backup.pl -c /usr/local/vi-backup/vi-backup.cfg."

Could I get just a little more description here. My TSM admin says that when I launch that command there is no TSM activity although the backup runs completely . I'm probably missing something with the scheduler but just can't put my finger on it. How do I get the two pieces which are working to work togeather? I am pretty new to the TSM scheduler and my admin says that running from command line should be the same thing but I'm skeptical.

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tellotim
Contributor
Contributor

Hello,

I am running VISBU on ESX 1 and am trying to back up a VM on ESX 2. The storage is not share between these two host(2 separate SANs). I have setup the vi-backup.cfg file to log onto the VC server with domain accont. Everytime I complete a dry run it cannot find the VM. Please have a look at my config file and errors. From what I have already read I should be able to backup a VM in this scenario. Am I missing something?

Virtual Center 2.5.0

ESX 3.0.1, 32039

    1. Config file created by vi-backup.pl 1.0.1 ##

hostname=li-vmcenterp01.abc.com

username=domain\user-admin

password=****

searchspec=Name:US-HDDQ01

exportpath=/vmfs/volumes/storage1/Backup

2gbsparse=1

safemode=1

mailreport=1

mailserver=10.10..

mailfrom=esxp02@hilti.com

mailto=timo.tello@hilti.com

smb=0

We're running VMware ESX Server 3.0.1 build-32039

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NOTE: We're doing a dry run, no VMs will be snapshotted or backed up!

Searching for target VMs....

FATAL ERROR: No VMs found from specified search specification '"Name:US-HDDQ01"'!

Name searches are case sensitive, please check your VMs name.

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FMorales
Contributor
Contributor

Hello Mittell:

I am trying to backup more than one VM with only one .cfg VISBU file but Icant do it.

I am trying with:

searchspec=VM1,VM2,VM3

a was looking the parametre "exclude" here but I think that it is deprecated ... (for backup searchspec=Any and exclude the others)

and I am trying with the searchspec=list_of_vm_file but it does not works to.

Please, would you be so king as to show me the correct way for backup two VM using one .cfg file?

Thanks a lot and greetings from spain, great jobs.

-


Francisco Morales López de Gamarra

Vmware VCP

Francisco Morales López de Gamarra Vmware VCP | LPI - CCNA
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roodi
Contributor
Contributor

does anyone have step by step how to do all of this? sorry i am new to vmware.

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admin
Immortal
Immortal

The readme file that comes with the program explains everything you need to get started.

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beerorkid
Contributor
Contributor

Seems the download link is no longer active. Might you have another location to download it from? I can gladly host it for you if needed.

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c0de1
Contributor
Contributor

Hello,

I'm using VISBU 1.0.1 and i want to backup only the powered on VM's.

Can i use the exclude option with the option powerstate:on in the backup.vml file?

I now have in the backup.vml file the following things :

Include=powerstate:on

Exclude=TSTCLU001A, TSTCLU001B, TSTCLU001C, TSTCLU004A, TSTCLU004B, TSTCTXF001, TSTCTXF002, TSTCTXF003, TSTCTXF004, TSTCTXS001, ACCCTXF001, ACCCTXS001, TSTPKI001, TSTPKI002, TSTPKI003, TSTAPP999, TSTCTXM001, TSTWEB010

The servers in the exclude are vm's powered on but they must be exclude from backup

When i run a test (dry run) some servers are still backuped while they are excluded to backup

Is there a limit of servers to exclude?

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roodi
Contributor
Contributor

how do i get the program and the read me file? where is the link?

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roodi
Contributor
Contributor

Mittell, I have the readme file but the utility link does not work.

Thakn you

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FMorales
Contributor
Contributor

Hello, try here:

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Francisco Morales López de Gamarra

Vmware VCP | LPI - CCNA

Francisco Morales López de Gamarra Vmware VCP | LPI - CCNA
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roodi
Contributor
Contributor

Thanks Francisco Smiley Happy

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roodi
Contributor
Contributor

Hi Francisco

can you help me with this error below....why am i recieving this message? i have enough space on my LUN. And where is the vm config and log file being exported to? Thank you

Exporting disks for EPO01....

WARNING: There were one or more errors during the disk export. Please look at the VM log file.

Removing Snapshot for CORPEPO01....

Snapshot removed successfully from CORPEPO01.

Exporting VM config and log file...

Config and log file exported successfully.

      • Script completed successfully. ***

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PCS_Dan
Contributor
Contributor

This is an excellent script. I am having an issue with it on a couple of my ESX boxes though. I get the following error:

/usr/sbin/vcbVmName: line 1: localhost: command not found

/usr/sbin/vcbVmName: line 1: 13685 Broken pipe LD_LIBRARY_PATH=:/usr/lib/vmware/hostd VCB_PASSWORD="$PASSWORD" /usr/lib/vmware/vcb/vcbVmName -h "$VCHOST" -u "$USERNAME" -c "$VMNAMECACHE" -s "Any" --

FATAL ERROR: No VMs found from specified search specification 'Any'!

Name searches are case sensitive, please check your VMs name.

here is my config file

    1. Config file created by vi-backup.pl 1.0.1 ##

hostname=pcs-esx1.pcs.loc

username=root

password=****

searchspec=/usr/backup/vm-backup-list/vmbackup.vml

exportpath=/usr/backup/PCS-ESX1

2gbsparse=1

safemode=1

mailreport=1

mailserver=***

mailfrom=****

mailto=****

the export path is a folder with a SMB share mounted to it. Any ideas? It works fine on all my servers except 2 so far.

Thanks,

Dan

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