Instruct VC to set VM's in Hot-backup mode

[mkaaden]

Hi,

I'm currently testing both backup method's provided by HP to backup a VI environment.

But I ran in some "things".

First I tried the method with a Client on the ESX hosts and make image backup's of the VM's through the Service Console network.

This is actually not bad, however DP only allow's me to have a pre- and post exec executed at the moment it start's with that particular host, and that makes thing tricky when making a backup from 1 host or even from multiple hosts, because I don't where all the machines are running.

So I'm searching for a method to put all VM's on all ESX-hosts in Hot-backup mode before my job starts and, of course, put them back in a normal state after all hosts and eventually my backup job have finished.

The second method I tried was the VCB method.

This worked actually fine for Image backups, a bit slow at start because of the copy out during the snap-stage.

But when I tried the File method I got this error:

vcbMounter' 8088 error Error: Error while opening disk blklst:///vmfs/volumes/468a2316-db053981-c357[/i].... etc

I already saw some topics with the same error, which suggested an incompatibility with the Multi Path solutions to the SAN.

But the release notes for the latest VCB state that this has been resolved. Well they only mention the EMC's and my solution is running on an HP EVA, so it only differs with Multi Path software.

But what wonders me is: why does the VCB Image backup actually work and the File methode not, they both use the same LUN's on the VCB proxy ???

[msmenne17]

I had some problems with this initally as well. The command strcutre is very particular about the order of things. I don't remember the exact sequence and I don't have access to the environment anymore due to not being employed there anymore.

The multi-pathing is built into ESX and is the same whether or not you are using EMC or HP or any other supported SAN.

Post your command structure here and I or someone should be able to figure out if its the correct structure. I remember it having to be absolutely EXACT or it would fail. You are seeing the same message I was seeing. Post the entire error as well.

[mkaaden]

Ok. Here are the messages from my backup session.

I've prepped he VCB proxy according to the VCB documentation, so the VCB proxy uses the same LUN numbers as the ESX servers.

Besides that, I followed the documentation from HP which came with their Vmware integration package.

\[Normal] From: BSM@ms01.woongoed.local "Test VCB Filesystem" Time: 7/11/2007 12:57:53 PM

Starting to execute "vmwarepreexec.cmd -a FS01 -r e:\vcbmnt -t file"[/b]...

Microsoft (R) Windows Script Host Version 5.6

Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation 1996-2001. All rights reserved.

Selected VM: FS01

Starting: "D:\VMware\VMware Consolidated Backup Framework
vcbvmname.exe" -h vm01.woongoed.local -u root -p ******** -s any

Starting: "D:\VMware\VMware Consolidated Backup Framework
vcbvmname.exe" -h vm02.woongoed.local -u root -p ******** -s any

Starting: "D:\VMware\VMware Consolidated Backup Framework
vcbvmname.exe" -h vm03.woongoed.local -u root -p ******** -s any

Discovered VM: 'DB01' on server vm03.woongoed.local

Discovered VM: 'FW01' on server vm03.woongoed.local

Discovered VM: 'FS01' on server vm03.woongoed.local

Discovered VM: 'PS01' on server vm03.woongoed.local

Discovered VM: 'DC01' on server vm03.woongoed.local

Discovered VM: 'TS01' on server vm03.woongoed.local

Discovered VM: 'CS01' on server vm03.woongoed.local

Starting: "D:\VMware\VMware Consolidated Backup Framework
vcbmounter.exe" -h vm03.woongoed.local -u root -p ******** -m san

\[2007-07-11 12:57:58.609 'App' 2880 info] Current working directory: C:\WINDOWS\system32

\[2007-07-11 12:57:59.109 'BaseLibs' 6156 warning] \[Vmdb_Unset] Unsetting unknown path: /vmomi/

\[2007-07-11 12:58:01.281 'vcbMounter' 2880 error] Error: Error while opening disk blklst:///vmfs/volumes/468a2316-db053981-c357-001b783557da/FS01/FS01.vmx-snapshot-3\[san-systems] FS01/FS01.vmdk@vm03.woongoed.local?xxxx/xxxx: A virtual disk could not be opened. -- Cannot open disk file: Error : Disk library failed (RPC communication failure). Unable to open 'blklst:///vmfs/volumes/468a2316-db053981-c357-001b783557da/FS01/FS01.vmx-snapshot-3\[san-systems] FS01/FS01.vmdk@vm03.woongoed.local'. Failed to configure disk scsi0:0.[/b]

\[2007-07-11 12:58:01.281 'vcbMounter' 2880 error] An error occured, cleaning up...

Error VM :'FS01' snapshot failed

\[Critical] From: BSM@ms01.woongoed.local "Test VCB Filesystem" Time: 7/11/2007 12:58:02 PM

\[61:2012] Session pre-exec script vmwarepreexec.cmd -a FS01 -r e:\vcbmnt -t file failed. Exit code = 1

The session will not start.

\[Critical] From: BSM@ms01.woongoed.local "Test VCB Filesystem" Time: 7/11/2007 12:58:39 PM

None of the Disk Agents completed successfully.

Session has failed.

\[Normal] From: BSM@ms01.woongoed.local "Test VCB Filesystem" Time: 7/11/2007 12:58:39 PM

Backup Statistics:

Session Queuing Time (hours) 0.00

\----

---

Completed Disk Agents ........ 0

Failed Disk Agents ........... 1

Aborted Disk Agents .......... 0

\----

---

Disk Agents Total ........... 1

========================================

Completed Media Agents ....... 0

Failed Media Agents .......... 0

Aborted Media Agents ......... 0

\----

---

Media Agents Total .......... 0

========================================

Mbytes Total ................. 0 MB

Used Media Total ............. 0

Disk Agent Errors Total ...... 0

\[Normal] From: BSM@ms01.woongoed.local "Test VCB Filesystem" Time: 7/11/2007 12:58:39 PM

Starting to execute "vmwarepostexec.cmd"...

Microsoft (R) Windows Script Host Version 5.6

Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation 1996-2001. All rights reserved.

Starting: "D:\VMware\VMware Consolidated Backup Framework
vcbmounter.exe" -h vm03.woongoed.local -u root -p ******** -U e:\vcbmnt\FS01

\[2007-07-11 12:58:39.421 'App' 6772 info] Current working directory: C:\WINDOWS\system32

\[2007-07-11 12:58:39.890 'BaseLibs' 6364 warning] \[Vmdb_Unset] Unsetting unknown path: /vmomi/

\[2007-07-11 12:58:40.031 'vcbMounter' 6772 error] Error: Could not read unmount information

\[Major] From: BSM@ms01.woongoed.local "Test VCB Filesystem" Time: 7/11/2007 12:58:40 PM

Session post-exec script vmwarepostexec.cmd failed. Exit code = 1.

\[Normal] From: BSM@ms01.woongoed.local "Test VCB Filesystem" Time: 7/11/2007 12:58:40 PM

The exec script "vmwarepostexec.cmd" has completed.

My other question is:

Is it possible to put a VM in snap-mode with CLI, run from the VC server, like the vmware-cmd on the ESX host ?

thanks