Hello Nick,

well, if you use the TDP for VE, or "backup vm", then the
pre-freeze/post-thaw is what you want.
These scripts are invoked by the vmware-tools, which must be installed
in the vm.
http://support.unitrends.com/ikm/questions.php?questionid=1241

-- 
Mit freundlichen Grüßen / kind regards

Michael Prix

On 02/28/2014 07:08 PM, Nick Laflamme wrote:
> What B/A client? :-)
>
> If I take my backups at the ESX level, I'm trying to do just an image
> backup, driven by ESX, not using some client in the virtual machine.
>
> So, I need Linux to catch the signal from ESX of an impending snapshot, and
> I need a way for Linux to trigger those pre- and post- command scripts.
> That is my goal.
>
> On Friday, February 28, 2014, Michael Prix <mp AT rs6000.darktech DOT org> 
> wrote:
>
>> Nick,
>>
>> if you don't have a TDP for the app, you can still use the
>> PRESCHEDCOMMAND and POSTSCHEDCOMMAND options of the B/A-client.
>>
>> if you have a VM, the VMware-API gives you a similar hook:
>> **/usr/sbin/pre-freeze-script
>> /usr/sbin/post-thaw-script
>>
>> --
>> Mit freundlichen Grüßen / Kind regards
>>
>> Michael Prix
>>
>> On 02/28/2014 03:14 PM, Nick Laflamme wrote:
>>> I apologize for introducing a tangent, but I need some help defining a
>>> problem.
>>>
>>> Those of us who have studied (or used!) TSM for VE know that the TDP for
>>> SQL Server can receive a signal from Windows Server that something is
>> about
>>> to take a backup. The same signal should trigger any pending writes
>> before
>>> something takes a snapshot and then backs up a restorable disk image.
>>>
>>> Are there similar signals (which might not be the right word) in Linux or
>>> various UNIX systems? Assuming a lack of support from an application
>>> vendor, I'd want at least to fire off a script upon receiving that signal
>>> to use existing commands to "freeze" the app,
>>>
>>> Are there better idioms I should use with my Linux/UNIX gurus, or is this
>>> simply not an option yet?
>>>
>>> Thanks,
>>> Nick