Back up the virtual machine, in accordance with the backup policy set for the virtual machine.
The backup can be automatically executed by setting the schedule in the policy settings. It is also possible to execute backup manually from Web Console.
In virtual machine backup, Snapshot of the virtual machine (called "Snapshot backup") and Clone backup are created via VMware. The created Snapshot backup and Clone backup are managed as history.
Whether to create Snapshot backup and Clone backup can be set in the backup policy. Refer to the following table for their settings.
Backup Type | Property Settings |
|---|---|
Snapshot backup | Set Number of Snapshot Generations to "1" or more. |
Clone backup | Set Clone Backup to "Enable". |
Point
When creating a Snapshot from the vSphere Web Client, a Clone backup is not created. Further, Snapshot backup history is not created on the ETERNUS SF system.
Virtual Volumes for Snapshot backup are created within the same VVOL datastore as the target Virtual Volume for Snapshot backup. Volumes for Clone backup are created within the Clone backup VVOL datastore.
The execution status of physical copy of Clone backup can be checked on Web Console.
Clicking the copy group name field in the Clone Backup History tab on the VVOL Backup History screen displays a list of copy group names used for the Clone backup in a dialog box. Clicking the link of the target copy group name in the dialog box moves to the Copy Group Detail screen, and the execution status of physical copy can be checked.
When executing virtual machine backup, set the backup policy so that either of Snapshot backup or Clone backup or both of them are created. If it is set so that neither is created, Operation Mode of the backup policy is automatically set to "Disable".
Note
Both Snapshot backups and Clone backups are created by using the Snapshot function of VMware. Therefore, the backup target virtual machine must have an environment that can perform the Snapshot function of VMware.
Refer to the VMware manuals for the required conditions of VMware's Snapshot function.
Figure 2.3 Virtual Machine Backup Processing
Save Generations and Backup History
The Snapshot backup is generation-managed, in accordance with the number of save generations set in the backup policy. The overflow generation history and Snapshot backup are automatically deleted after backup processing is completed.
Clone backup is normally one generation (latest generation) operation. For this reason, the backup is overwritten and updated, and if an error occurs during processing, backup history is not retained.
The Snapshot backup and Clone backup operations are as follows.
Figure 2.4 Backup History Management Mechanism
Clone backup
Delete the history and overwrite and update the existing Clone backup
Register the history
Snapshot backup
Create the most recent generation Snapshot backup (Virtual Volumes are automatically generated)
Register the most-recent generation history
Delete the oldest (overflow) generation Snapshot backup
Point
When Clone backup is created by specifying "0" for Number of Snapshot Generations, Snapshot backup is not created. If the Allocation setting of the backup source Virtual Volume is "Thick", the VVOL datastore temporarily requires free space greater than or equal to the backup source Virtual Volume.
Note
If the Clone backup is not created normally due to errors occurring during processing, the Clone backup history does not exist, or the history backup date is blank and cannot be restored. In order to restore, we recommend removing the cause of the error immediately and re-executing the backup to create a Clone backup.
If either the Snapshot backup or Clone backup fails, both the Snapshot backup and Clone backup fail.
Virtual disks that are not targeted for backup are not backed up. Refer to "Virtual Machine (Connecting Disk Configuration)" in "2.1.2.1 Virtual Machine Backup" for details. If any virtual disk that is not targeted for backup is connected to the virtual machine, the following message is output in the processing result. As required, check disks that are connected to the virtual machine.
Warning : Unsupported backup volume was not backuped.
Snapshot Name
The following names are automatically assigned to Snapshot backups created from the ETERNUS SF system. Both automatic execution and manual execution result in the same names.
ESF_YYYYMMDD_hhmm
"YYYYMMDD_hhmm" is the backup start date and time. YYYY : year, MM : month, DD : date, hh : hours, mm : minutes.
Example
If the Snapshot is started on January 18th, 2015 at 4:30, the Snapshot name is as follows:
ESF_20150118_0430
Operations from VMware vCenter Server on Snapshot Backup Created on ETERNUS SF System
Snapshot backups created on the ETERNUS SF system (automatic execution on the ETERNUS SF system or manual execution from Web Console) can be operated from the VMware vCenter Server (vSphere Web Client). Refer to "3.5 Snapshot" for details.
The "Name" of the Snapshot displayed on the VMware vCenter Server is set to the name automatically created by the ETERNUS SF system.
The "Explanation" of the Snapshot displayed on the VMware vCenter Server is automatically set to the character string "Created_by_ESF". Both automatic execution and manual execution set the same character string for "Explanation".
Note
Do not delete the Snapshot created in the ETERNUS SF system from the VMware vCenter Server.
When the Snapshot backup is deleted from vSphere Web Client, the Snapshot backup history managed by the ETERNUS SF System is not deleted, so delete the Snapshot using "Deletion of Snapshot Backup" from the ETERNUS SF system.
When changing the Snapshot name from the vSphere Web Client, the displayed name is not reflected on the ETERNUS SF system. The name on the ETERNUS SF system is the same as that when automatically generated.
Data Integrity
It is recommended that backup is performed while the virtual machine is stopped in order to perform a backup with maximum data integrity. If the virtual machine to be backed up cannot be stopped before the backup starts, stop the business applications running on the virtual machine to stop all I/Os. Enabling the Quiesce guest file system option in the policy is also recommended.
Backup is automatically executed in accordance with the Backup policy set on the virtual machine.
In the backup policy settings, when Operation Mode is specified as "Auto", the scheduler task is registered in the scheduler for this product and automatically executed according to the specified cycle.
Point
Automatically executed scheduler tasks are registered according to the following settings:
Item | Configuration Value |
|---|---|
Task Name | VM_Backup_YYYYMMDDhhmmssSSS (*1) |
Type | VM Backup |
*1: "YYYYMMDDhhmmssSSS" is the date and time at which the scheduler task was registered. YYYY : year, MM : month, DD : date, hh : hours, mm : minutes, ss : seconds, SSS : milliseconds.
The operations that can be performed for automatically executed scheduler tasks are described in the following sections in the Web Console Guide:
Execute Scheduler Task Immediately
Enable/Disable Scheduler Task
You can temporarily stop automatic execution without changing the schedule settings. This is used when you want to temporarily stop automatic backup operation, such as when performing virtual machine or host maintenance.
Refer to "Automatic Execution Setting of Virtual Machine Backup" in the Web Console Guide for the operation method with Web Console.
Execute the backup manually from Web Console. This function is used when tests before operation or urgent backups are required.
You cannot use this function for a virtual machine on which the Operation Mode in the Backup policy is set to "Disable".
See
Refer to "Manual Execution of Virtual Machine Backup" in the Web Console Guide for the operation method with Web Console.
This product offers a sample script for virtual machine backups.
Using an external scheduler in an existing operation environment can back up virtual machines. Centralized management of virtual machine backups using the external scheduler makes it easy to stop applications and cooperate with other jobs such as secondary backups.
A sample script is executed on the Management Server in a Windows environment.
Install and configure the sample script according to the instruction listed in this manual.
Note
When executing a virtual machine backup from an external scheduler, set Operation Mode in the backup policy to "Manual" to avoid conflicts with the Auto Execution of backups by the ETERNUS SF system. Refer to "3.3.1.1 Virtual Machine Backup" for details about Operation Mode.
When, for example, manually executing a backup, restoring, or deleting the backup history, stop the backup schedule of the external scheduler in advance.
Prior Settings
Setting the PowerShell script execution policy
In accordance with the method listed at the following URL, set the execution policy of the script to "RemoteSigned" or "Unrestricted" on the Management Server.
https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us//library/ee176961.aspx
Setting the environment variable PATH
Add the path of the program directory where ETERNUS SF Manager was installed to the environment variable PATH on the Management Server.
Right-click on Computer on the Start menu, and select the Properties from the pop-up menu.
Click Advanced system settings on the left side of System dialog box.
Click Advanced tab in the System Properties dialog box, and then click Environment Variables.
Add the following value to the environment variable PATH.
$INS_DIR\Common\bin
($INS_DIR means "Program Directory" specified at the ETERNUS SF Manager installation.)
Point
When listing multiple path names, separate them with semicolons (;).
Processing Details about Sample Script
The sample script executes a backup and waits for the physical copy of Clone backup to finish.
Figure 2.5 Automation Procedure of Virtual Machine Backup Sample Script
(1) The virtual machine is backed up by executing the "esfadm vvolvm backup" command. If another operation is being performed for the backup target virtual machine, the backup is performed after waiting for the other process to finish.
(2) Waits for the physical copy of Clone backup to finish by executing the physical copy wait script (wait_qopc_completion.ps1).
Information
In step (2), the sample script waits for the physical copy to finish only when "Enable" is set to Clone Backup in the backup policy.
If processing step (2) is not required, comment out the call of wait_qopc_completion.ps1 in the script.
The script must be executed by users with OS administrator privileges.
Sample Script Stored Directory
The sample script is stored in the following directory.
$INS_DIR\Common\sample\vvolvm
($INS_DIR means "Program Directory" specified at the ETERNUS SF Manager installation.)
Copy the sample script from the above directory to a different directory and use the copied script. In addition, after customizing the copied file according to the actual backup operation, use that file.
Interface for Sample Script
vvolvm_backup.bat
vvolvm_backup.bat vmid
Virtual machine VMID of the backup target
Information
Virtual machine VMID can be confirmed with the "esfadm vvolvm info" command.
=0: Completed successfully
>0: Terminated abnormally
Exit Status | Description |
|---|---|
1 | Parameter error |
2 | Virtual machine backup error |
3 | Error in waiting for physical copy to finish |
When this script is executed and terminated normally
> vvolvm_backup.bat xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx
vvolvm_backup start.
vvolvm_backup end. rc=0
>When this script is executed and an error occurs in virtual machine backup
> vvolvm_backup.bat xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx vvolvm_backup start. vvolvm_backup is failed. vmlinkxxxxx (error message). vvolvm_backup end. rc=2 >