Re: [Devil-Linux-discuss] VMware questions

[Kari M. <kar...@tr...>]

Bruce Smith wrote:
>>> Is it possible to take a snapshot of a running guest OS and copy/export
>>> the disk image to another server for backup?
>> Yes. There are several ways to do it. On being your own scripted snapshot
>> method. Some companies use this method as their primary backup method.
>> They do not backup the files within the VM at all.
> 
> Before I can write a script, I need to understand the file structure.
> For example, following is a directory of a CentOS-5.1 guest OS that I
> took a couple of snapshots while it was running.
> 
> What file(s) would be required to backup the latest snapshot?

You can figure out the snapshot behaviour, and thus files to backup, 
quite easily by doing 'ls -ltr' before and after lets say three 
successive snapshots. File timestamps rule here..

vswp file equals memory size of the VM. You shouldn't need to back it 
up. The 18:11 files below seem to make nice incremental backup set.

Personally I try to make things as easy as possible. How?

First time backup everything when the VM's power is off. Have a separate 
file of backed up files; "ls -l > somefile".

Next backups will also be full backups, but excluding those very huge 
flat vmds files. As you see below, everything else is reasonable size, 
and backed up easily. Include "ls -l > somefile" in all backups.

That way, too, you have a kind of time machine in your backups.

All you need is the first backup and the last, or any other desired 
later backup.

> lw3-000001-delta.vmdk   29-Feb-2008 18:11       16803840
> lw3-000001.vmdk         29-Feb-2008 18:09       215
> lw3-000003-delta.vmdk   29-Feb-2008 19:11       671115264
> lw3-000003.vmdk         29-Feb-2008 18:26       248
> lw3-499cb83e.vswp       29-Feb-2008 18:12       805306368
> lw3-Snapshot1.vmsn      29-Feb-2008 18:07       18482
> lw3-Snapshot2.vmsn      29-Feb-2008 18:11       806409071
> lw3-flat.vmdk           29-Feb-2008 16:54       12884901888
> lw3.nvram               29-Feb-2008 18:12       8684
> lw3.vmdk                29-Feb-2008 15:37       393
> lw3.vmsd                29-Feb-2008 18:11       815
> lw3.vmx                 29-Feb-2008 18:23       1633
> lw3.vmxf                29-Feb-2008 15:27       258
> vmware-1.log            29-Feb-2008 16:54       121364
> vmware-2.log            29-Feb-2008 18:12       29777
> vmware.log              29-Feb-2008 19:06       56517
> 
> 
>> VMware offers Consolidated Backup addon, which is supposed to aid
>> commercial backup software vendor products in doing (essentially) the
>> same.
> 
> IIRC, Consolidated Backup is not an option for 3i.
> 
>> It is your choice to deside how you do it.
> 
> Unless I choose 3i.  :-)

True again..

>  - BS
> 
> 
> 
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------
> This SF.net email is sponsored by: Microsoft
> Defy all challenges. Microsoft(R) Visual Studio 2008.
> http://clk.atdmt.com/MRT/go/vse0120000070mrt/direct/01/
> _______________________________________________
> Devil-linux-discuss mailing list
> Dev...@li...
> https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/devil-linux-discuss
> 


-- 




--
Kari Mattsson | Trivore Corp. | +358-50-69000 | http://trivore.com/