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Virtual Machines going out of network during snapshot backup

manussnair
Level 3

Has anyone experienced the Virtual machines going out of network during the backup using "VMware" policy. Apparently , the Windows VMs losing connectivity for a little while and coming back online and the Linux VMs becoming unresponsive. 

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Anonymous
Not applicable

As most folks have outlined its more infrastructure issue than NetBackup.

In addition I'd say your VM's are real busy at time of backup and are getting stunned.

You could run ping tests during a vsphere snapshot event at the VM in question IP address.

You could also turn debugging on for vmware tools for the tools processes to see where it might be getting stuck at.

Look to see if you have any freeze and thaw scripts on the VM's that the tools are interacting with pre and post snapshot.

We experienced a VM that had large amounts of I/O data written constantly drop out as it got stunned.

This issue occurs if the virtual machine generates data faster than the consolidate rate.

Google vmware+snapshot+stun

Might help track down your issue.

From a  VMware KB: A snapshot removal can stop a virtual machine for long time

Note: Beginning in ESXi 5.0, the snapshot stun times are logged. Each virtual machine's log file (vmware.log) will contain messages similar to:

2013-03-23T17:40:02.544Z| vcpu-0| Checkpoint_Unstun: vm stopped for 403475568 us

In this example, the virtual machine was stunned for 403475568 microseconds (1 second = 1 million microseconds).

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Nicolai
Moderator
Moderator
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Do you have VMware tools instelled in in the Window guests and SYMCquiescee tool installed in the Linux VM's `?

http://www.symantec.com/docs/HOWTO70978

RamNagalla
Moderator
Moderator
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some thing more detail about your VMware enviornment please

Vcenter version?

ESXI version?

vm hardware version?

Vmware tools up to date?

size of the VM?

 

manussnair
Level 3

We have the VMware tool installed. However, now , we are in the process of installing the SYMCquiesce on Linux VMs. Not sure what to do with the Windows ones though

manussnair
Level 3

vCenter 5.1 Update 1, ESXi - 5.1 Update 1, VM HW - 7, 8

VMware tools uptodate

VMs are of different size, from 35 GB - 200 GB

Nicolai
Moderator
Moderator
Partner    VIP   

Can't say I have experienced drop-out, I guessed it could be VSS/snapshot related. But since you have VMware tools installed (and running??) I am out of idea right now.

Anonymous
Not applicable

As most folks have outlined its more infrastructure issue than NetBackup.

In addition I'd say your VM's are real busy at time of backup and are getting stunned.

You could run ping tests during a vsphere snapshot event at the VM in question IP address.

You could also turn debugging on for vmware tools for the tools processes to see where it might be getting stuck at.

Look to see if you have any freeze and thaw scripts on the VM's that the tools are interacting with pre and post snapshot.

We experienced a VM that had large amounts of I/O data written constantly drop out as it got stunned.

This issue occurs if the virtual machine generates data faster than the consolidate rate.

Google vmware+snapshot+stun

Might help track down your issue.

From a  VMware KB: A snapshot removal can stop a virtual machine for long time

Note: Beginning in ESXi 5.0, the snapshot stun times are logged. Each virtual machine's log file (vmware.log) will contain messages similar to:

2013-03-23T17:40:02.544Z| vcpu-0| Checkpoint_Unstun: vm stopped for 403475568 us

In this example, the virtual machine was stunned for 403475568 microseconds (1 second = 1 million microseconds).

manussnair
Level 3

@Stuart Thanks. vmware+snapshot+stun has give me few good articles which seem to be relevant.