I found the answer to my issue. The name of the server and the name of the .vmx file on you ESXi server must be identical, case sensitive. I must have renamed the server at some point. All I did was rename it back and presto it worked. The script that I use is posted below.
#
#
ESXi 3.5 Backup Script
#
Autor: Christian Gruetzner
#
#
#############################################################################
#
#2008-08-22 V 1.0 Basic Script
Functions: - create snapshots of all local VM's
- get files from ESX-Datastore to local Store
- exclude unneccessary files from backup
- remove all created snapshots
- actual time in log
#
#############################################################################
my $url = "https://ESXSERVER:443/sdk/vimService"; #URL to your ESX Host, default: <[https://IP-Address:Port/sdk/vimService]>
my $username = ""; #Username
my $password = ""; #User password
my $snapshotname = "BackupSnap"; #Name of your Snapshot
my $DSPath = "[datastore1]"; #Datastore name on ESX Host, example
my @VMNames;
#$VMNames[0] = ""; #Uncomment the next lines if you like to backup more vm's
#$VMNames[1] = "";
#$VMNames[2] = "";
#$VMNames[3] = "";
#$VMNames[4] = "";
#$VMNames[5] = "";
#$VMNames[6] = "";
#$VMNames[7] = "";
#$VMNames[8] = "";
#$VMNames[9] = "";
my $RCLIPath = "C:/Progra~1/VMware/VMware"; #VI Remote CLI Path (Windows: Use ONLY Short Folder Names!!!!)
#my $DestPath = "c:/vmimages/"; #Destination Path you like to copy to (Windows: Use ONLY Short Folder Names!!!!)
#IMPORTANT!!! -- Under DestPath must exist the VMNames Folder
#(For Example if your VMNames[0] = "ServerA" and your DestPath = "D:/": D:/ServerA/)
#----
For the short folder name use "dir /X"
#call the sub function (at the bottom)
&actualtime();
print " ***** Script Start *************************\n\n";
&actualtime();
print "
-
Create Snapshots of running VM's -
";
print "\n\n";
system("perl $RCLIPath/Perl/apps/vm/snapshotmanager.pl --url $url --username $username --password $password --operation create --powerstatus poweredOn --snapshotname $snapshotname");
print "\n\n";
&actualtime();
print "
-
Copy VM files to local storage -
";
print "\n\n";
my $i = 0;
#special loop for arrays. run as long the array has data
foreach (@VMNames)
{
#read all available files and save filenames in the cache-array
my @cache = `perl $RCLIPath/bin/vifs.pl --url $url --username $username --password $password --dir \"$DSPath $VMNames[$i]\"`;
#run as long the cache array has data and save the value everytime in $filename
foreach my $filename (@cache)
{
#exclude uninterresting files from backup to save backup space
if($filename !~ /.log/ && $filename !~ /.vswp/ && $filename !~ /.vmsn/ && $filename !~ /-delta/)
{
#remove the "\n" at the end of $filename to prevent a error massage in log
chomp($filename)
&actualtime();
print "-----
Copy File: ";
print $filename;
#get files from VM Datastore to a local Storage
system("perl $RCLIPath/bin/vifs.pl --url $url --username $username --password $password --get \"$DSPath $VMNames[$i]/$filename\" \"$DestPath$VMNames[$i]/$filename\"");
print "\n";
}
}
$i++;
}
print "\n\n";
&actualtime();
print "
-
Remove Snapshots of running VM's -
";
print "\n\n";
system("perl $RCLIPath/Perl/apps/vm/snapshotmanager.pl --url $url --username $username --password $password --operation remove --powerstatus poweredOn --snapshotname $snapshotname --children 1");
print "\n\n";
&actualtime();
print " ***** Script End ***************************";
#sub function to print the actual time in the log
sub actualtime
{
my ($Sekunden, $Minuten, $Stunden, $Monatstag, $Monat,
$Jahr, $Wochentag, $Jahrestag, $Sommerzeit) = localtime(time);
my $CTIME_String = localtime(time);
$Monat+=1;
$Jahrestag+=1;
$Monat = $Monat < 10 ? $Monat = "0".$Monat : $Monat;
$Monatstag = $Monatstag < 10 ? $Monatstag = "0".$Monatstag : $Monatstag;
$Stunden = $Stunden < 10 ? $Stunden = "0".$Stunden : $Stunden;
$Minuten = $Minuten < 10 ? $Minuten = "0".$Minuten : $Minuten;
$Sekunden = $Sekunden < 10 ? $Sekunden = "0".$Sekunden : $Sekunden;
$Jahr+=1900;
print "$Jahr-$Monat-$Monatstag $Stunden:$Minuten:$Sekunden";
}
