Backup VM + Snapshots

[pisquik]

Bonjour tout le monde, j'ai encore besoin de votre aide.

J'utilise actuellement la version de NetBackup 7.0.1 avec vCenter Server v4.0.0 et vSphere client v4.0.0.

Actuellement, lorsque je procede à un backup de VM, je ne sauvegarde que le snapshot utilisé lors du backup. Une fois le restore terminée je ne vois qu'un seul snapshot, tous les autres snapshots crées sur cette VM ont étés supprimés.

J'aimerais savoir si il est possible lors d'un backup de VM, de sauvegardé tous les snapshots crées sur cette VM ?
Faudrait-il que j'upgrade ma version de Vcenter ou NetBackup ?

Merci pour votre aide !

[Anonymous]

From your translation courtesy of Google:

Hello everyone, I still need your help.

I am currently using version 7.0.1 of NetBackup with vSphere vCenter Server v4.0.0 and v4.0.0 Client.

Currently, when I proceed to backup a VM, I used the snapshot backup in the backup. Once the restore is complete I see only one snapshot, all the other snapshots created on this VM have removed summers.

I wonder if it is possible during a backup of VMs, all saved snapshots created on the VM?

Should I upgrade my version of vCenter or NetBackup?

Thank you for your help!

Are you meaning that in vsphere client the snapshot manager for a specific VM shows a number of snapshots - already.

But when you take a backup and then restore this VM you expect to see these also.?

[pisquik]

Yes, i have 2 or 3 snapshots in the "snapshot manager" when i backup the VM.

But when i need to restore it, into the "snapshot manager" i loose all my snapshots.

May be i need to configure something into vCenter or maybe the version of NetBackup doesn't have this feature ?

Thx,

[Anonymous]

First of all, running a VM with 2 or 3 snapshots will degrade the performance of the VM (unless you have this VM setup for some training/lab environment?)

There is a section in the NetBackup Admin Guide for Vmware

taken from 7.1.0 pdf guide.

Existing snapshot handling

Note: This option applies only to backups that use VMware vStorage. It does not

apply to backups that use VMware VCB.

After it creates a snapshot, NetBackup usually deletes the snapshot when the

backup has succeeded. If snapshots are not automatically deleted (whether created

by NetBackup or not), the performance of the virtual machine may eventually be

affected.

Note also that the existence of undeleted snapshots can cause restore failures due

to lack of disk space. If the virtual machine was configured on multiple datastores

and a leftover snapshot existed on the virtual machine when it was backed up,

NetBackup tries to restore all .vmdk files to the snapshot datastore. As a result,

the datastore may not have enough space for the .vmdk files, and the restore fails.

(For a successful restore, you can restore the virtual machine to an alternate

location. Use the Storage Destination dialog in the Virtual Machine Recovery

dialogs to select a datastore for the .vmdk files.)

The Existing snapshot handling parameter specifies what action NetBackup takes

when a snapshot is discovered before it creates a new snapshot for the backup.

Ignore

NetBackup ignores any existing virtual machine snapshots

(including snapshots previously created by NetBackup) and

proceeds with snapshot creation and the backup.

Abort

If any snapshot exists on the virtual machine, NetBackup aborts

the job for that virtual machine only.

Remove NBU

If a virtual machine snapshot exists that a NetBackup backup

previously created: NetBackup removes the old snapshot, creates

an updated snapshot, and proceeds with the virtual machine

backup. (This option is the default.)

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I understand what you want to see but based on how the backup software talks to the vstorage api it just says give me a backup of the current state. Now this might the state of the VM at Snapshot #2 and not give you the state of the VM at Snapshot #1 - as well - in that backup job.!

A snapshot preserves the state and data of a virtual machine at a specific point in time.

• The state includes the virtual machine’s power state (for example, powered-on, powered-off, suspended).
• The data includes all of the files that make up the virtual machine. This includes disks, memory, and other devices, such as virtual network interface cards.

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My initial thoughts are consolidate the snapshots. Then backup. But you must have a reason for running on them.! (care to explain?)

Performing regular backups (when there are no multiple snapshots existing already will give you these states to restore from anyway - in a way)

---

Maybe you can get what you want, but not in NetBackup?

Power off the VM and Export it. This should take lock stock everything about this VM including all snapshot deltas etc.

[pisquik]

Yes i have a training\lab environment for testing applications so i have a lot of snapshot for different VM..

I tryed to found a solution to backup my VM with all the snapshots created on it.

The only way i found it's to backup the VM one by one with all the differents snapshots...

The snapshot taken it's saved on what type of file? Can i backed up these files like a data and restore them on ESX after restore of the VM ?

[Anonymous]

The snapshot taken it's saved on what type of file? Can i backed up these files like a data and restore them on ESX after restore of the VM ? No, would not advise.

Please read another good document from VMware

Best practices for virtual machine snapshots in the VMware environment

---

I am trying to think there is a better way for you to perform what your doing but this would be from a VMware perspective first and then NetBackup.

If you want to have a training VM, that you test installing applications on why not use non-persistent disk option.

If you power-off or restore from snapshot any changes to the disk are discarded.

---

There is some discussion over on the Veeam forums that you would possibly have to bypass the vstorage api

[Anonymous]

The snapshot taken it's saved on what type of file? Can i backed up these files like a data and restore them on ESX after restore of the VM ?

Another thought. If this is a training/lab VM (with a snapshot chain). Power it off.

Take a file based backup of the VM files.

Can't think how you do this with Netbackup

But if you downloaded the files to your PC and then uploaded to datastore you would have to readd into the vmware inventory.

Found this discussion which although does reference another product it explains the tech as to why you cant do what you want.

Over and out.

http://forums.veeam.com/viewtopic.php?p=11204