[NTLUG:Discuss] Backing up live VMWare VM's (on the cheap)

[./aal]

On Sat, Aug 9, 2008 at 11:33 PM, Dave Augustus
<davea at ingraftedsoftware.com> wrote:
>
> On Sat, 2008-08-09 at 22:52 -0500, David Stanaway wrote:
>
> > Since you are using a linux host, you could try doing an LVM snapshot
> > and backing up that. If you wanted a definite consisten backup, there
> > should be a way to pause the VM and sync it to disk before you do the
> > LVM snapshot then unpause (Thus making your pause window as short as
> > possible).
> >
> >
> >
> > David Simmons wrote:
> > > Guys,
> > >
> > > Was hoping to poll the group and see if anyone has a good
> > > solution for VMWare Virtual Machine Backups on live servers....without
> > > using Vmware's Consolidated Backup program (i.e. - doing it on the
> > > cheap).
> > >
> > > Setup - running the free VMWare Server (not ESXi) on
> > > CentOS and have a duplicate machine waiting to receive the backup files
> > > (and be a new host if original host goes down).
> > >
> > > I think I can
> > > do something like this:
> > >
> > > 1)  Run  'vmrun snapshot
> > > /path/to/vmx'
> > > 2)  Copy all files (original and snapshot) from
> > > first server to storage area on second)
> > > 3)  Issue 'vmrun
> > > revertToSnapshot /path/to/vmx'   or 'vmrun deleteSnapshot
> > > /path/to/vmx'
> > > 4)  Sleep safely knowing things are backed-up
> > >
> > > I'm pulling this mindset from:
> > >
> > > http://searchvmware.techtarget.com/tip/0,289483,sid179_gci1276253,00.html
> > >
> > > but I have the following questions:
> > >
> > > A)  which
> > > option do I use with vmrun in step 3)
> > > B)  is this a good way
> > > (without using something like VCB) to do this?
> > > C)  Are there
> > > better methods (without having to suspend the running servers)?
> > >
> > > Thanks in advance,
> > >
> > >  - dave
> > >
> > >
> > >
>
>
> This might do it: http://www.vmts.net/vmbk.htm
>
> (sorry if this is a double post)
> --
> Here to serve,
>
> Dave Augustus
> Ingrafted Software Inc.
> c(817) 371-0585
> o(817) 741-1288
> PO Box 1040
> Newark TX 76071
> _______________________________________________
> http://www.ntlug.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss



Interesting thread, thanks for asking this Dave!
./aal
--

Douglas William Jerrold  - "The only athletic sport I ever mastered
was backgammon."