How to backup ESX server with winscp

[paulplatypus]

I would like to backup my esx servers (etc dir) using winscp.

How can I do this or is this the completely wrong way to do it?

[madda]

To backup VMs like this you will need to power down the VMs and then copy the files off of ESX

The recommended way to backup ESX VMs is using VMware Consolidated Backup

[paulplatypus]

I think you miss understand. I already bakup my VMs using Vranger / VCB.

I want to backup the ESX servers configuration with winscp or something similar.

[madda]

For config backup, I use something similar to http://www.jasemccarty.com/blog/2006/03/vmware-backing-up-your-esx.html

[jose_maria_gonz]

Hi there,

WinSCP should do the job.

I personally use Veem FastSCP as it appears to be way faster than WinSCP to copy and move files back and forth

rgds,

Jose Maria Gonzalez

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[Texiwill]

Hello,

Good documentation will go further than backing up your 'configuration' of the ESX server. Mainly because you can not restore it very well. Check out http://itknowledgeexchange.techtarget.com/virtualization-pro/why-you-shouldnt-restore-vmware-esx-fro... for more information on this.

Best regards,

Edward L. Haletky

VMware Communities User Moderator

====

Author of the book 'VMWare ESX Server in the Enterprise: Planning and Securing Virtualization Servers', Copyright 2008 Pearson Education.

Blue Gears and SearchVMware Pro Blogs: http://www.astroarch.com/wiki/index.php/Blog_Roll

Top Virtualization Security Links: http://www.astroarch.com/wiki/index.php/Top_Virtualization_Security_Links

[juchestyle]

Hey man, if you think about the work and energy it takes to backup and properly restore an ESX host, you will see it is better to actually rebuild using config scripts instead. Think about it this way, would you rebuild a cisco router if it went down; or would you put another in its place and restore the configuration files?

Matthew

Kaizen!

[paulplatypus]

I agree, that is the exact concept i am coming from. I would much prefer to build a software version and then blat a config on to a server then try and remember every single chage I have made to a system.

[Texiwill]

Hello,

I agree, that is the exact concept i am coming from. I would much prefer to build a software version and then blat a config on to a server then try and remember every single chage I have made to a system.

Unfortunately that 'just blat a config file' on will not work. It is better to have the appropriate documentation in place to get to the configuration you desire, or a script that does this for you. When Host Profiles are available, then it will not be so big an issue.

Best regards,

Edward L. Haletky

VMware Communities User Moderator

====

Author of the book 'VMWare ESX Server in the Enterprise: Planning and Securing Virtualization Servers', Copyright 2008 Pearson Education.

Blue Gears and SearchVMware Pro Blogs: http://www.astroarch.com/wiki/index.php/Blog_Roll

Top Virtualization Security Links: http://www.astroarch.com/wiki/index.php/Top_Virtualization_Security_Links