ESX file/folder safe to exclude from backups?

[Sdurand]

Hi guys.

I am running TSM 5.5 on my esx servers. Is there a typical list of "Safe to exclude" files or folders out there? Can someone post some tips about what can be excluded from backups?

I am getting a bunch of warnings in my backups, that this file cannot be backed up since it is open or it has changed during processing...

Examples:

ANE4037E File '/var/log/vmware/aam/aam_config_util_listnodes.log' changed during

processing. File skipped

ANE4037E File '/var/log/vmware/hostd-6.log' changed during processing. File

skipped

ANE4037E File '/etc/opt/vmware/aam/vmware_astrodb/dbm_records51.tlog'

changed during processing. File skipped

ANE4037E File '/etc/opt/vmware/aam/vmware_rikiedb/ft_db51.d09' changed

during processing. File skipped

ANE4037E File '/var/lib/vmware/hostd/stats/hostAgentStats-20.stats' changed

during processing. File skipped

ANE4037E File '/var/log/vmware/aam/aam_config_util_listnodes.log' changed during

processing. File skipped

thanks.

[madda]

With regards to ESX config backup, I just backup the whole of /etc and /home, which is more than required but makes it alot easier than specifying individual files and having to revist and check you are backing up all the right files on every ESX update.

[Sdurand]

Hi Madda.

So you only backup /home and /etc of your ESX servers? that's it? Nothing else is needed? Why back up at all then? I pretty much consider this a Linux box, so "standard" Linux exclusion are in place but the layer of ESX on top is the one causing me issues...

Thanks for the input.

Steph

[madda · Accepted solution]

Those are where the main configuration of ESX lives.

Another way of doing it is instead of backing up those config files you could always create an install script for ESX, so that if your host died you would just run the install script and it would configure your host without having to do any restoring. Although this does mean maintaining that script whenever you make a config change in ESX. So there are pros/cons to both solutions

We use VCB to backup the actual VMs, I assume you use something for that as well?

[kjb007]

This is why I don't backup my ESX servers. Other than to have logs to go back and look into, it is easier/quicker to rebuild an ESX host than to try and restore it. Work on an auto-build kickstart image, and it's even faster. I find I can have an ESX server rebuilt, up and running, and configured in less than an hour. From what I remember about TSM, and trying bare metal restores, it would take a "little bit longer" to do the restore. : )

-KjB

[vvghost]

I also don't backup much on my ESX servers for the same reason as others have stated. It's faster to rebuild on that it would be to restore. I used the following article to determine what to backup on the host itself...

http://vmetc.com/2008/10/11/how-to-backup-vmware-esx-servers/

Joe

[Sdurand]

Thanks folks. My vmware admin seems happy with the response we got and the tips you provided us with.

Appreciate it.

Stephan