Restoring from ESX Server 4.0

[bolasutra]

Hi,

My setup:
Master Server: Solaris 10.0, NBU Server 6.5.3
Client: ESX Server 4.0, NBU Client 6.5.3 (Linux 2.6)

My objective is to restore a vmx file that is stored in the /vmfs folder in my client (ESX Server 4.0).

My issue is when I tried to restore, I just cannot browse the /vmfs folder. /vmfs will only show a empty folder. Other folders is fine.

Any resolution?

[faridux]

Hi,

Please could you provide the configuration details of your backup policy with the command: bpplinfo policy_name -L
my first hypothesis is the cross mount point box may not be checked

[bolasutra]

Hi, I still unable to browse the contents in /vmfs with Cross Mount Point enabled and disabled.

I think that Netbackup cannot backup the contents in /vmfs due to different file system. I have also explicitly list down the files that I want to back up (eg. vmdk and vmx files). Still cannot view the files in /vmfs.

Below is my backup policy. 

Policy Type:		Standard (0)
Active:			yes
Effective:		12/15/2009 09:49:42
Follow NFS Mounts:	no
Cross Mount Points:	yes
Client Compress:	no
Collect TIR info:	no
Policy Priority:	0
Ext Security Info:	no
File Restore Raw:	no
Client Encrypt:		no
Max Jobs/Policy:	Unlimited
Mult. Data Stream:	no
Block Level Incremental:	no
Perform Snapshot Backup:	no
Snapshot Method:		(none)
Snapshot Method Arguments:	(none)
Perform Offhost Backup:		no
Backup Copy:			0
Use Data Mover:			no
Data Mover Type:		2
Use Alternate Client:		no
Alternate Client Name:		(none)
Use Virtual Machine:		no
Enable Instant Recovery:	no
Disaster Recovery:	0
Collect BMR Info:	no
Max Frag Size:		0 MB
Checkpoint Restart:	no
Residence:		ELD-DB2-LTO4  
Volume Pool:		Cape-Daily  
Server Group:		*ANY*
Data Classification:		-
Residence is storage lifecycle policy:	no
Granular Restore:	no
Generation:	22

[faridux]

For my part the policy looks good,
please could you get the jobid of the backup in the activity monitor and post the output of the below command:

bperror -jobid jobid_of_the_job -U 

[faridux]

any update?

thank you

[rj_nbu]

vmfs filesystem is managed by the vmkernel and not by the service console. If you have planned to take backups of virtual machines this way, shut down the vms , and then take a backup

YOU have to set /vmfs/volumes/............  as a backup selection in the policy. ALL_LOCAL_DRIVES will not do nor will selecting cross mount points


Right now what you are backing up is the service console, and not a single VM


You'll not even list the vmfs volmes by running   df -h   or mount  command, thus even if you specify cross mount points in the policy, they won't be backed up.


To see all the volumes on the esx, run vdf -h