My snapshots are restored in a crashed state. Basically as if the power was
cut on the server. There is no client state remembered after the machine
boots back up. With this set-up I can restore a production machine in a
matter of minutes without any downtime for the back-up and without any of
the issues you mentioned. I only back-up snapshots once a month (just to
prevent rebuilding from scratch) and then do a file level restore from the
back-ups.

Robert


On 8/12/08 1:19 AM, "KKGA Marcin Rybak" <Marcin.Rybak AT kubas DOT pl> wrote:

> I have some experience with backing up virtual machines snapshot, and I find
> them completely useless. Why? Let me show an example.
> 
> You make a snapshot of working environment - whatever it is - it has some
> clients connected, some sessions active, and some files opened, then make a
> backup. After a few days you have to recover this environment, because main
> machine is down and unable to recover in any different way.
> 
> You put your snapshot up and look what is happening:
> Active sessions ask: hey where are my clients?
> Opened files ask: hmmm, am I opened or I should be closed? Where is person
> who opened me?
> 
> It make whole environment completely inconsistent, so I prefer shut down the
> virtual machine, make a snapshot and backup - power it up. Or use a backup
> directly from operating system. I think backing up such a large files, which
> changes not often without incremental way is wasting of storage, time and in
> some cases may be useless.
> 
> Best regards,
> Marcin
> 
> 
> Marcin Rybak | Kubas, Kos, Gaertner - Adwokaci sp.p. | tel. +48 (12) 619
> 40 60 | fax +48 (12) 619 40 52 | www.kubas.pl
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: bacula-users-bounces AT lists.sourceforge DOT net
> [mailto:bacula-users-bounces AT lists.sourceforge DOT net] On Behalf Of Lukasz
> Szybalski
> Sent: Tuesday, August 12, 2008 12:01 AM
> To: bacula-users AT lists.sourceforge DOT net
> Subject: [Bacula-users] bacula to backup vmware images
> 
> Hello,
> I was wondering if anybody is using bacula to backup vmware images
> that need to run 24/7?
> 
> Is that possible, any issues with it? Are you able to do a backup
> while vmware is running?
> 
> How does bacula handle this one big 40gb+ file?
> 
> 
> Thanks,
> Lucas
> 
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-- 
Robert LeBlanc
Life Sciences Computer Support
Brigham Young University
leblanc AT byu DOT edu
(801)422-1882


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