Best Practice for Backing Up Linux VMs

[tinto1970]

Hi all, since it's my first topic let me introduce me: I'm Alessandro and i'm writing from Italy. I'm a newbie with Veeam, and a couple of years of experience with VMware.
I'm happy to join this Community

At the moment I'm running my first jobs both on Windows and Linux guests. With Windows, where I'm mostly running VSS aware applications, i feel more comfortable.

On Linux it's a bit more complicated because VSS is not available. I've studied the documentations and an interesting, popular post which is http://www.virten.net/2012/05/filesyste ... th-vmware/

I think i have understood the various level of consistency in backups (crash, file level, application) but i still have difficulties to decide how to proceed with Linux VMs. Creating the jobs with "all defaults" the VMware tools quiescence is not enabled, so backups taken are crash-consistent. Is it better to enable quiescence on any Linux VM, or it's better to enable only when running particular applications (i.e. MySQL)?

Another question is about that blog's post: it refers about enabling VMware FileSystem Sync Driver (vmsync) in VMware Tools configuration. I'm running on lastest buld of vSphere 5.1u1 (1312873) and i have performed the installation of VMware Tools on a VM today, searching for that "experimental" option to enable. I did not see it: the sync driver is out of experimental so enabled by default or become unavailable?

Thanks in advance

[Vitaliy S.]

Hi Alessandro,

Welcome to the community forums!

Is it better to enable quiescence on any Linux VM, or it's better to enable only when running particular applications (i.e. MySQL)?

We do recommend using VMware Tools quiescence with pre-freeze/post-thaw scripts when backing up Linux/Unix VMs with mission critical applications. Please search these forums for some script usage examples.

Another question is about that blog's post: it refers about enabling VMware FileSystem Sync Driver (vmsync) in VMware Tools configuration. I'm running on lastest buld of vSphere 5.1u1 (1312873) and i have performed the installation of VMware Tools on a VM today, searching for that "experimental" option to enable. I did not see it: the sync driver is out of experimental so enabled by default or become unavailable?

That's almost a two years old post. According to VMware KB articles they have replaced SYNC driver with VSS option for Windows. Cannot find what is used for Linux, but, anyway, it's better to have this option (VMware Tools quiescence ) enabled for the backed up VM to quiesce Linux file systems.

Hope this helps!

[tinto1970]

thank you Vitaly,
in fact we have already tested in a couple of Linux VMs running MySQL the use of pre-freeze/post-thaw scripts to set the daemon in a status similar to the "backup mode" of Oracle (unfortunately MySQL doesn't have this feauture).

My doubt about using the VMware Tools quiescence derives from the fact that one (of many) linux VM (Centos 6.x) which was backed up with quiescence enabled this night has "crashed" (system not responsive, needing a power cycle to restart it). I need to do a deeper analysis about this fact, which worries me a bit.

thanks again

[veremin]

Hi, Alessandro,

in fact we have already tested in a couple of Linux VMs running MySQL the use of pre-freeze/post-thaw scripts t

I don't know whether you've seen it already, but there is a white paper that describes how Linux VM running MySQL application should be backed up; might be useful for you.

My doubt about using the VMware Tools quiescence derives from the fact that one (of many) linux VM (Centos 6.x) which was backed up with quiescence enabled this night has "crashed" (system not responsive, needing a power cycle to restart it). I need to do a deeper analysis about this fact, which worries me a bit.

You might want to open a ticket with our support team, and they will be able to confirm whether everything is set up correctly.

Thanks.

[erth111]

Hi,
I'm configuring backup for a linux VM without any database inside. By default the "VMware tools quiescence" setting is disabled. Is this setting making the backup any worse compared to a backup with "VMware tools quiescence" enabled? Can you provide a link, or explanaition of what exactly happens inside the vm with and without this setting?

[foggy]

If the VM has VMware Tools installed, then the best practice is to enable VMware Tools Quiescence. However, most of the Linux applications can handle backups without pre-freeze preparation.

[erth111]

Why isn't it enabled by default then?

[Vitaliy S.]

Hi Tomasz,

This option is not enabled by default because you might have Windows VMs added to the job and best practice for these VMs is to use "application-aware image processing" instead and not VMware Tools Quiescence. Based VMs type you add to the job, you should enable either of the options.

Thanks!

[Gostev]

Historically, VMware Tools quiescence caused too many support issues, even corrupting production application in the early days due to the way it did quiescence, so at some point we simply disabled it by default.

[nufael]

Hi,

I've run through some of articles on how to do backup for VM database but it seem not really helpful in my situation. Appreciate if someone could assist me on how to do VM database backup (windows SQL and MYSQL linux) and restore it without affecting any single data. **I'm using Vsphere 5.5 as my virtual platform

One of the article suggested to use sureBackup feature and make us of U-AIR to restore Microsoft SQL database.

My question:
1) How about Linux database?
2) For windows database, do I need to do local VM backup (using SQL server management studio) before I do backup on the VM database server using VBR? Or I shouldn't do that?
3) If I use standard tool backup by Veeam (run backup job) on my database server, can it be use as my recovery plan and restored if needed?

Thanks and Regards

[veremin]

Your post has been merged into existing discussion. Please, see answers provided above and ask for additional clarification, if needed.

[nielsengelen]

MySQL can be done with the scripts as mentioned above. There are also a lot of people who just use the VMware snapshot and use the virtual labs or instant VM recovery (with a different IP) to get data from a MySQL database. This works fine and MySQL is a very easy database in that point of view.

[nufael]

To be very clear:

For MySQL database:

Due to VSS unavailable in LINUX platform, I need to use VMware Tools quiescence with pre-freeze/post-thaw scripts when backing up Linux/Unix VMs. To do this, Vm tools must be install in my virtual machines and I need to create the pre-freeze/post-thaw scripts. By referring to the white paper written by Ricky El-Qasem, there are 2 options:

a) Suspended MySQL service
- VMware tools installed
- create 2 scripts for pre-freeze/post-thaw scripts
- For pre-freeze file, insert the service mysql stop
- Post-thaw, insert service mysql stop

b) Use online backup dump
- create 2 scripts for pre-freeze/post-thaw scripts
- For pre-freeze file, insert the service mysql stop and sudo mysqldump –uroot –pveeam –h localhost test >
test.sql

**It doesn't mention what to insert in post thaw scripts. Can someone help me on this?

For MS SQL database:

1. Enabling Application-Aware Image Processing option
2. Enabling log truncation

My questions:

1) Can I use U-AIR wizard to restore both databases (MS SQL and MySQL)?
2) By using the U-AIR wizard, it will recover a specific object. Does it sounds I need to run the database backup using Microsoft management studio for MS SQL and mysql dump for MySQL database before I backup the database server?

Thanks and Regards

[Vitaliy S.]

Hello,

1. You should be using Linux commands you use to stop and start services.

BTW, there is a couple of blog post with more examples on this:
http://www.hiperlogic.com/blog/?p=803
http://www.virtuallifestyle.nl/2013/03/ ... -database/

2. If you want to restore database files, then you can just use FLR restore wizard to pull database files out of the backup files.

3. If you want to do point-in-time restores then you can use these tools. If you just want to backup the entire VM with all the databases, then Veeam backup job should be enough.

Thank you!

[Rohail2004]

hello,

we're moving our main production database to Linux OS. Is there anyone out there who's been backing up Linux via Veeam? Anything I need to be aware of? I'll be pausing the database through a script, and then Veeam take the backup. Any advice on successful implementation would be greatly appreciated. thank you,

[foggy]

The best practice is to use VMware Tools Quiescence with pre-freeze/post-thaw scripts, please review the thread above. If you have any additional questions, don't hesitate to ask.

[verre]

Hi everybody, one of my clients has asked me a question about application consistency on linux servers. I told him how veeam is strong thanks to his patented aaip technology on microsoft vss application...and he asked me: and what about linux servers? Therefore I told him that it is necessary to freeze the application with a pre-backup script (I told him also the news about v8) but there are 2 questions that puzzled me:
- what is the role of vmware tools inside linux servers? Are they necessary to execute a pre-backup script?
- is it correct to claim that a transactional application (for example oracle) works better on windows machine due to the presence of vss and aaip during backup, whereas the linux version need to freeze before a backup?

thank you

[FTBZ]

I reopen this old thread because I've an additional question related to the information here. What does exactly the function "Enable application-aware processing" when used on a Linux VM?

I noticed that the SSH connection comes AFTER that the virtual machine snapshot has been done:

• So why connecting to SSH if the snapshot was already made?
• The only quiescence was made by the VMware Tools and scripts if configured?
• SSH connexion does nothing to do a better consistence, correct ?

Thanks!

[PTide]

So why connecting to SSH if the snapshot was already made?

That's only one connection of two that are established. The first one is not displayed in session and is used to perform AAIP (pre-freeze/post-thaw scripts, Oracle)

The only quiescence was made by the VMware Tools and scripts if configured?

If network is not available then VBR can failover to VIX mode. If network connection is available then quiscence is performed via the first ssh connection (not displayed in session).

SSH connexion does nothing to do a better consistence, correct ?

The connection that you can see in session is done to perform indexing and/or collecting data about filesystems' mount points (used for FLR).

Thanks

[FTBZ]

That's only one connection of two that are established. The first one is not displayed in session and is used to perform AAIP (pre-freeze/post-thaw scripts, Oracle)

Okay, when the log says "Running pre-freeze script..." it's through the first SSH connection and the VMware Tools are not used?

There is a tech note somewhere that give the detailed steps done by SSH on the first connection?

Thanks for the information again.

[PTide]

Okay, when the log says "Running pre-freeze script..." it's through the first SSH connection and the VMware Tools are not used?

Correct, scripts are performed via ssh connection, however VMware Tools are used to obtain guest's IP address to connect to.

There is a tech note somewhere that give the detailed steps done by SSH on the first connection?

There is no such note, sorry.

[FTBZ]

Thanks you very much.

[albertwt]

Why isn't it enabled by default then?

Yes, that's the question I have a swell that I still don't understand.

Perhaps anyone here can comments about this reasoning behind the option is not checked ?

[PTide]

Hi,

Perhaps anyone here can comments about this reasoning behind the option is not checked ?

Vitaly already did.

Thanks

[JoshuaPostSAMC]

I did a manual install of VMware Tools 10.1 on a Redhat Linux VM today. Most of our VMs are Windows, so this was a newer experience for me, and in the past when I have done it I just took all defaults.
I noticed a prompt asking if I wanted to enable vmsync which was set to No by default. What is the impact of Veeam by not having this? These VMs were previously being backed up by Veeam but had no tools installed, and I got approval from the vendor to install it, but want to make sure I'm getting proper backups.

"The VMware FileSystem Sync Driver (vmsync) allows external third-party backup software that is integrated with vSphere to create backups of the virtual machine. Do you wish to enable this feature? [no]"

Sure sounds like something I would want enabled, but wanted to check here first.

[DGrinev]

Hi Joshua,

The best practice to use VMWare Tools Quiescence with pre-freeze/post-thaw scripts.
Review this thread above for additional information.

Thanks!