Several methods for hot backup of VMware virtual machines

1 Use converter, or third party tools, such as Platespin,vizioncore products.

2) Hot standby via VCB on VCB proxy Server

3) or on the ESX service console through the Vcbmounter or Vmware-cmd tools to complete. Here mainly said that the 3rd kind, is also the ESX management most commonly used

1.vcbMounter is the VM Backup tool shipped with ESX3. It can be a hot backup of the running VM, the backup content includes disk data, memory data and VM configuration data. Vcbmounter Backup generated image can be used to do VM backups and post-disaster recovery. A typical Vcbmounter example:

>vcbmounter-h esxhost-u backupuser-p password-a ipaddr:192.168.10.1-r/vmfs/volumes/san1/vm-backups/vm1

-H: Specifies the ESX host or virtual CENTER that executes the command.

-U: The account to execute the command, if-H specified is ESX, to use the ESX on the account, if it is VC, VC on the account.

-P: The password of the account.

-A: Specifies the backup VM, can be used, IP,FQDN,VM name, and so on.

-r: Specifies the directory where the backup iamge is stored. Can be on a local or shared storage.

When a VM fallback is generated using the above command, all disk files of the VM are cut into a small set of 2GB files and compressed. For example, the VM has a two half full 10GB disk (20GB in SIZE,10GB in USED), the backup result is the production of 10 small disk files, 10 small file total SIZE is equal to 10GB, is the used capacity in your VM.

Since the above vcbmounter is not simply a test of the original VM's disk files (but is split and compressed), the recovery also requires the use of tools (ESX3): Vcbrestore. If you just want to keep the VM's disk files hot, you need to modify the above command:

>vcbmounter-h esxhost-u backupuser-p password-a ipaddr:192.168.10.1-r/vmfs/volumes/san1/vm-backups/vm1-m 1-f 1

-M 1: not split.

-F 1: Not compressed.

This will not be cut and compressed in hot spare time.

2. Use Vmware-cmd or vcbsnapshot to create a snapshot of the running VM snapshot, and then test the VMDK disk file.

ESX3.0 use Vmware-cmd hot-standby Example:

A) Establishment of snapshot

>vmware-cmd-h esx01-u root-p rootpass/vmfs/volumes/6001....4728/vm1/vm1.vmx createsnapshot snapshot1 First-snapshot 1 0

-H: Specifies the ESX HOST or VIRTUAL CENTER that executes the command.

-U: The account that executes the command.

-P: The password of the account.

vmfs/volumes/6001 ... 4728/vm1/vm1. VMX: The path to the copied VM configuration file.

CreateSnapshot: Establish snapshot.

Snapshot1:snapshot Name