what to backup esx configuration

[renski]

Hi,

I want to backup the actual ESX configuration for my server, ie the vSwitch configuration for all the vm's.

Do I just backup /etc/vmware? And if so, which file contains that information?

thanks in advance

[Gabrie1]

Hi

First question you should ask is: "Is there a need to backup my ESX host?". In our company we have a ESX park of 20 hosts and they are all installed automatically. Should a host fail or be misconfigured, we just remove it from Virtual Center, run the autoinstall and are up and running again in about 15minutes.

If you still would like to backup your configuration, you should make a backup of /etc and all subs and a backup of /opt/LGTOxxxx and all subs. (Not sure about the exact name). I've done it in the past on ESX2.5 and just created a cron job that would tar those dirs (/opt/LGTO didn't exist in ESX2.5) and then upload to a central ftp-server.

Gabrie

[JDLangdon]

The easiest way I've found to back up the esx configuration is to run the vm-support script from the COS or do a File -> Export -> Export Diagnostics Data from the VI3 client.

Jason

[petedr]

I agree you should backup and save the entire /etc directory

[Jae_Ellers]

http://www.vmware.com/community/thread.jspa?messageID=659282&#659282

[darren_boyd]

I am in agreement with JDLangdon. By generating support logs you will have collected all of the important and relevant configuration information for the host.

My only concern is running this from VC.

Not sure if this is still the case, but generating these bundles from VC used to leave the tarballs in /var/lib/vmware/hostd/docroot/downloads. These tgz files were not removed over time and so could fill your filesystem.

[JDLangdon]

Not sure if this is still the case, but generating

these bundles from VC used to leave the tarballs in

/var/lib/vmware/hostd/docroot/downloads. These tgz

files were not removed over time and so could fill

your filesystem.

You should be able to us crontab script the creation of these bundles using vm-support command and they ftp the script up to a centeralized server to be archived onto tape.

Jason