VCB File Backup of RDM

-Jason_Pope- · ‎10-13-2008

I would like to do a file level backup of an RDM.

The RDM is attached as a virtual RDM.

How do I get VCB to back that RDM up ?

Thanks

demz · ‎10-13-2008

VCB supports RDM backups in virtual mode.

Feel free to read this doc : http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vi3_35/esx_3/r35/vi3_35_25_vm_backup.pdf

-Jason_Pope- · ‎10-13-2008

I did exactly what is in that documentation.

The RDM is zoned into the VCB proxy server and can be seen. I have stopped the vmount2 service as suggested by vcbMounter and still that does not work.

It gives the following error :

Unable to open 'blklst://snapshot-195[c-main] SERVER1/SERVER1_1.vmdk@vcserver'. Failed to configure disk scsi1:0.

2008-10-13 12:49:21.712 'vcbMounter' 652 error An error occurred, cleaning up.

dconvery · ‎10-13-2008

Jason -

Welcome to the forums! You can back up an RDM(in virtual mode) using VCB. Just make sure there is enough room for a snapshot on your VMFS/NFS filesystem that hosts the .VMX file. Funny thing... if you restore the RDM from a FullVM backup, it becomes a VMDK.

Dave

************************

"There is an island of opportunity in the middle of every difficulty. Miss that, though, and you're pretty much doomed."

despair.com

Dave Convery, VCDX-DCV #20 ** http://www.tech-tap.com ** http://twitter.com/dconvery ** "Careful. We don't want to learn from this." -Bill Watterson, "Calvin and Hobbes"

dconvery · ‎10-13-2008

I guess we were both poting at the same time... Make sure the RDM can be "seen" by the VCB proxy. BEFORE YOU DO ANYTHING MAKE SURE AUTOMOUNT IS DISABLED!!!!

Dave

************************

"There is an island of opportunity in the middle of every difficulty. Miss that, though, and you're pretty much doomed."

despair.com

Dave Convery, VCDX-DCV #20 ** http://www.tech-tap.com ** http://twitter.com/dconvery ** "Careful. We don't want to learn from this." -Bill Watterson, "Calvin and Hobbes"

-Jason_Pope- · ‎10-13-2008

I have done all that.

I don't want to back up the RDM as a flat file structure, I just want to backup the files in the RDM. Do I still have to have a volume large enough for that ?

-Jason_Pope- · ‎10-13-2008

Just did a test now with a volume that is large enough and it STILL does not work.

I see it creating the snapshot, and not long afterwards it deletes it and errors out

dconvery · ‎10-13-2008

Yes. VCB uses a snapshot to quiesce I/O before the backup. During the time that VM is mounted, all writes are sent to the snapshot file. You will need to do timing tests to see how long a full backup takes and then estimate how many writes will take place during this process. You will also need to be vigilant in watching for failed backups and failed snapshot deletes so your VMFS doesn't fill up. You may want to investigate using a SAN-based snapshot if you do not have enough VMFS space.

Dave

************************

"There is an island of opportunity in the middle of every difficulty. Miss that, though, and you're pretty much doomed."

despair.com

Dave Convery, VCDX-DCV #20 ** http://www.tech-tap.com ** http://twitter.com/dconvery ** "Careful. We don't want to learn from this." -Bill Watterson, "Calvin and Hobbes"

dconvery · ‎10-13-2008

Add the following to your command line: -L 6

Thiswill create a verbose log. The log is located in %TEMP% - which is usually c:\windows\temp. There are two logs there, attach them to this forum. Can you see the RDM disk in windows disk management on the VCB Proxy?

Dave

************************

"There is an island of opportunity in the middle of every difficulty. Miss that, though, and you're pretty much doomed."

despair.com

Dave Convery, VCDX-DCV #20 ** http://www.tech-tap.com ** http://twitter.com/dconvery ** "Careful. We don't want to learn from this." -Bill Watterson, "Calvin and Hobbes"

-Jason_Pope- · ‎10-13-2008

Dave, this is what I have :

File server with a 800GB RDM attached.

About 12GB used on that RDM.

Amount of change is minimal. definitely not something that will fill up anything in a 5 minute time it takes to back up that amount.

dconvery · ‎10-13-2008

Well, assuming you have more than a few GB of space free on the VMFS, you should be OK until that 800GB fills up. Now on to the troubleshooting....

Dave

************************

"There is an island of opportunity in the middle of every difficulty. Miss that, though, and you're pretty much doomed."

despair.com

Dave Convery, VCDX-DCV #20 ** http://www.tech-tap.com ** http://twitter.com/dconvery ** "Careful. We don't want to learn from this." -Bill Watterson, "Calvin and Hobbes"

-Jason_Pope- · ‎10-13-2008

Dave,

Got plenty of space on the VMFS partition.

Thats why I don't understand why it does not work.

dconvery · ‎10-13-2008

Add the following to your command line: -L 6

Thiswill create a verbose log. The log is located in %TEMP% - which is usually c:\windows\temp. There are two logs there, attach them to this forum. Can you see the RDM disk in windows disk management on the VCB Proxy?

Dave

************************

"There is an island of opportunity in the middle of every difficulty. Miss that, though, and you're pretty much doomed."

despair.com

Dave Convery, VCDX-DCV #20 ** http://www.tech-tap.com ** http://twitter.com/dconvery ** "Careful. We don't want to learn from this." -Bill Watterson, "Calvin and Hobbes"

-Jason_Pope- · ‎10-13-2008

Dave,

The LUN is shown on the VCB Proxy server in Disk Management

Logs are attached

dconvery · ‎10-13-2008

Can you back up a VM that does NOT have an RDM? Does the VM with the RDM have the VMware Tools sync driver installed an running? On the VM in question go to add/remove programs and check to make sure the sync driver is installed.

Dave

************************

"There is an island of opportunity in the middle of every difficulty. Miss that, though, and you're pretty much doomed."

despair.com

Dave Convery, VCDX-DCV #20 ** http://www.tech-tap.com ** http://twitter.com/dconvery ** "Careful. We don't want to learn from this." -Bill Watterson, "Calvin and Hobbes"

-Jason_Pope- · ‎10-13-2008

Dave,

I can back up other VM's without a problem (that do not have RDM's attached).

The file server does have VMWare tools installed, but under Add/Remove programs I don't see a Sync Driver, only VMWare tools

-Jason_Pope- · ‎10-13-2008

Dave,

I did a VMWare Tools install again, and went to the modify option, and there is no Sync driver option there.

Would Volume Shadow Copy need to be enabled for the disk ?

dconvery · ‎10-13-2008

If you uninstall VMware Tools and the install them, make sure you select "Complete" instead of "Typical". The VSS driver is new and will give you application consistent snapshots. I believe both should be installed when you do a complete install.

Also, just double check and make sure the RDM is actually in Virtual mode. If it is not, you should at least be getting a mount of the C: drive. I never checked this one - make sure you are running VCB 1.5.

Dave

************************

"There is an island of opportunity in the middle of every difficulty. Miss that, though, and you're pretty much doomed."

despair.com

Dave Convery, VCDX-DCV #20 ** http://www.tech-tap.com ** http://twitter.com/dconvery ** "Careful. We don't want to learn from this." -Bill Watterson, "Calvin and Hobbes"

-Jason_Pope- · ‎10-13-2008

Dave,

I will do that tonight, and tell you how it goes tomorrow.

I am running VCB 1.5 and the RDM is in virtual mode

dconvery · ‎10-13-2008

No problem. FYI - I am in EDT time zone. I am not sure how much time diff there is...Just post your update whan you can. If I do not answer, someone else may.

Dave

************************

"There is an island of opportunity in the middle of every difficulty. Miss that, though, and you're pretty much doomed."

despair.com

Dave Convery, VCDX-DCV #20 ** http://www.tech-tap.com ** http://twitter.com/dconvery ** "Careful. We don't want to learn from this." -Bill Watterson, "Calvin and Hobbes"

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VCB File Backup of RDM