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You're right, losing incrementals and file level restore can be a=20
disadvantage. I guess it depends what you're using VMWare for.
I've only seen it used for consolidation of low utilisation development and=
=20
test servers. For these systems, nightly "whole system snapshots" are=20
usually sufficient. Maybe you could even give developers access in VMWare t=
o=20
take snapshots of their virtual server, and restore it, and a bit of disk=
=20
space, so they can manage their own day-to-day testing related backups and=
=20
restores.=20
On 5/25/05, Charles Ballowe <cballowe AT gmail DOT com> wrote:
>=20
> Seems to me that just backing up the image file to each virtual
> machine gives you nothing in the way of incremental backups. This may
> be fine if you're only using vmware as a consolidation platform for
> small servers, but strikes me as wasteful if you do anything large on
> it. Also, you'd lose the ability to recover individual files from
> inside the instance without recovering the whole thing, starting an
> instance using it, and then extracting the files. (or ... i forget ...
> does vmware ship with a utility to loopback mount the image files and
> manipulate the files in them?)
>=20
> -Charlie
>=20
> On 5/25/05, Svein Ingve Wik <SWik AT oslo.westerngeco.slb DOT com> wrote:
> > Hi,
> >
> > We've started to look at VMware, it seems like a nice platform.
> >
> > Isn't enough just to backup the image file of each virtual machine?
> >
> >
> > Rgds,
> >
> > Svein Ingve
> >
> >
> > At 07:28 25.05.2005, you wrote:
> >
> > Hi,
> >
> > We also backup VMWare, but we just use one agent per host. All VMs are
> > suspended by script before being backed up. This is done using the
> > bpstart_notify and bpend_notify scripts. These call a subscript which
> > actually suspends the VMs. This method works fine and recoverability is
> > good.
> >
> > We are investigating the option of installing a SAN Media server=20
> instance
> > on each VMWare host. This would facilitate the host to backup directly=
=20
> to
> > tape, using its own HBA instead of streaming the data to a Media Manage=
r
> > first.
> >
> > Kind regards,
> > Kaspar Bosma
> > System Enigeer
> >
> > ________________________________
> >
> > Van: veritas-bu-admin AT mailman.eng.auburn DOT edu
> > [mailto:veritas-bu-admin AT mailman.eng.auburn DOT edu] Namens
> > Conner, Mike
> > Verzonden: dinsdag 24 mei 2005 20:27
> > Aan: veritas-bu AT mailman.eng.auburn DOT edu
> > Onderwerp: [Veritas-bu] Backing up VMWare - best practices
> >
> > Just curious if anyone is backing up any instances of VMWare clients. W=
e
> > have been told by Veritas that we can purchase one agent to backup all
> > instances. VMWare is saying that we will need a client for each virtual
> > machine. Anyone with any experience here have any info?
> > Thanks
> > Mike
>=20
> _______________________________________________
> Veritas-bu maillist - Veritas-bu AT mailman.eng.auburn DOT edu
> http://mailman.eng.auburn.edu/mailman/listinfo/veritas-bu
>
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You're right, losing incrementals and file level restore can be a disadvant=
age. I guess it depends what you're using VMWare for.<br>
<br>
I've only seen it used for consolidation of low utilisation development
and test servers. For these systems, nightly "whole system snapshots&q=
uot;
are usually sufficient. Maybe you could even give developers access in
VMWare to take snapshots of their virtual server, and restore it, and a
bit of disk space, so they can manage their own day-to-day testing
related backups and restores. <br>
<br><div><span class=3D"gmail_quote">On 5/25/05, <b class=3D"gmail_senderna=
me">Charles Ballowe</b> <<a href=3D"mailto:cballowe AT gmail DOT
com">cballowe@=
gmail.com</a>> wrote:</span><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"b=
order-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; paddin=
g-left: 1ex;">
Seems to me that just backing up the image file to each virtual<br>machine =
gives you nothing in the way of incremental backups. This may<br>be fine if=
you're only using vmware as a consolidation platform for<br>small servers,=
but strikes me as wasteful if you do anything large on
<br>it. Also, you'd lose the ability to recover individual files from<br>in=
side the instance without recovering the whole thing, starting an<br>instan=
ce using it, and then extracting the files. (or ... i forget ...<br>does vm=
ware ship with a utility to loopback mount the image files and
<br>manipulate the files in them?)<br><br>-Charlie<br><br>On 5/25/05, Svein=
Ingve Wik <<a href=3D"mailto:SWik AT oslo.westerngeco.slb DOT
com">[email protected]=
esterngeco.slb.com</a>> wrote:<br>> Hi,<br>><br>>&nb=
sp; We've started to look at VMware, it seems like a nice platform.
<br>><br>> Isn't enough just to backup the image file of e=
ach virtual machine?<br>><br>><br>> Rgds,<br>><br>&g=
t; Svein Ingve<br>><br>><br>> At 07:28 25.05=
.2005, you wrote:<br>><br>> Hi,
<br>><br>> We also backup VMWare, but we just use one agen=
t per host. All VMs are<br>> suspended by script before being backed up.=
This is done using the<br>> bpstart_notify and bpend_notify scripts. Th=
ese call a subscript which
<br>> actually suspends the VMs. This method works fine and recoverabili=
ty is<br>> good.<br>><br>> We are investigating the opt=
ion of installing a SAN Media server instance<br>> on each VMWare host. =
This would facilitate the host to backup directly to
<br>> tape, using its own HBA instead of streaming the data to a Media M=
anager<br>> first.<br>><br>> Kind regards,<br>> =
; Kaspar Bosma<br>> System Enigeer<br>><br>> =
________________________________
<br>><br>> Van: <a href=3D"mailto:veritas-bu-admin@mailman=
.eng.auburn.edu">veritas-bu-admin AT mailman.eng.auburn DOT edu</a><br>>
[mailt=
o:<a href=3D"mailto:veritas-bu-admin AT mailman.eng.auburn DOT
edu">veritas-bu-adm=
in AT mailman.eng.auburn DOT edu
</a>] Namens<br>> Conner, Mike<br>> Verzonden: dinsdag 24 =
mei 2005 20:27<br>> Aan: <a href=3D"mailto:veritas-bu@mailman=
.eng.auburn.edu">veritas-bu AT mailman.eng.auburn DOT
edu</a><br>> O=
nderwerp: [Veritas-bu] Backing up VMWare - best practices
<br>><br>> Just curious if anyone is backing up any instan=
ces of VMWare clients. We<br>> have been told by Veritas that=
we can purchase one agent to backup all<br>> instances. VMWa=
re is saying that we will need a client for each virtual
<br>> machine. Anyone with any experience here have any info?=
<br>> Thanks<br>> Mike<br><br>_________________=
______________________________<br>Veritas-bu maillist - &nb=
sp;<a href=3D"mailto:Veritas-bu AT mailman.eng.auburn DOT edu">
Veritas-bu AT mailman.eng.auburn DOT edu</a><br><a
href=3D"http://mailman.eng.aubu=
rn.edu/mailman/listinfo/veritas-bu">http://mailman.eng.auburn.edu/mailman/l=
istinfo/veritas-bu</a><br></blockquote></div><br>
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