Back up a VMware ESX Server 3.x Virtual Machine's Files using Consolidated Backup and the Windows File System iDataAgent

Create the PreScan and PostBackup Batch Files

Windows File System iDataAgent Backup of a Virtual Machine - File Backup

Overview

The illustration below shows an example of how the ESX Server, Virtual Machine(s), and VCB Proxy Server are configured when using the Windows File System iDataAgent to back up the files for a VMware Virtual Machine running Windows 2003 Server:

Before You Begin

You must already be familiar with the information in Back up a VMware ESX Server 3.x Virtual Machine before beginning the procedures below.

You must already be familiar with VMware ESX Server software.
These procedures are based on a stand-alone VMware ESX Server version 3.x or later.
When entering data in the CommCell Console screens (e.g., when configuring a subclient) all paths which contain a space must be in quotes, as shown in the examples.
The following conventions are used in all of the examples; for each example, substitute the correct names for your environment instead of using these:
- ESX server = esxserver.mydomain.com
- VCB Proxy Server = proxy.mydomain.com
- Virtual Machine = vmsys1.mydomain.com

Configure the Environment

ESX Server

For backups performed from the VCB Proxy Server, the ESX Server installation must support a SAN and the Consolidated Backup software features. Contact VMware for proper installation and licensing requirements. No other software or modifications are necessary on the Service Console in order to run Consolidated Backup.

Virtual Machines

All Virtual Machines to be backed up from a VCB Proxy Server must reside in a SAN. The SAN disks must be accessible by any VCB Proxy Servers to be used.

VCB Proxy Server

Windows 2003 Server with Service Pack 1 must be installed.
Must have access to the SAN disks where the Virtual Machines reside.
Consolidated Backup software must be obtained from VMware and installed on each VCB Proxy Server to be used.
Once the Consolidated Backup software is installed, the following changes/additions must be made on each VCB Proxy Server:
- Create the directory C:\mnt if it does not already exist.
- The default installation directory for Consolidated Backup is:
  C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware Consolidated Backup Framework
  
  which has two subdirectories:
  - ..\config
  - ..\generic
- In the ..\config subdirectory, modify the config.js file as follows:
  - Set the HOST variable to the FQDN of the ESX Server where the virtual machines reside; if you have a VirtualCenter, use the FQDN of the VirtualCenter instead. Examples:
    HOST="esxserver.mydomain.com";
    
    HOST="virtualcenter.mydomain.com";
  - Set the USERNAME/PASSWORD variables for the ESX Server where the virtual machines reside. Example:
    USERNAME="root";
    
    PASSWORD="password";
- In the ..\generic subdirectory, one or more batch files will need to be created. Do not modify any existing files in this directory. These batch files will be used by the Window File System iDataAgent.

Create the PreScan and PostBackup Batch Files

The PreScan and PostBackup batch files are executed during the backup, to trigger the VMware utilities to create a snapshot of the Virtual Machine's VMFS disk image, and do the following:

Analyze, discover, and mount the VMFS disk image to the VCB Proxy Server as a volume ready for backup (file backup.)

For a file backup of a Virtual Machine from the VCB Proxy Server, two batch files are required; the PreScan batch file and PostBackup batch file.

PreScan Batch File – File Backup

For file backups of Virtual Machines with Windows 2003 Server as the guest operating system, create the file prescan.bat in the ..\generic subdirectory referenced above. This batch file will need the following contents:

cd <location of Consolidated Backup installation>\generic

cscript pre-command.wsf <location of Consolidated Backup installation <FQDN of VM to backup> [<backup type>]

where <backup type> is either fullvm or file. Default is file.

Example for file backup:

cd "C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware Consolidated Backup Framework\generic"

cscript pre-command.wsf "C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware Consolidated Backup Framework" "vmsys1.mydomain.com" file

The cscript pre-command.wsf accesses part of the installed Consolidated Backup package and performs the following when prescan.bat is executed:

The mount point on the VCB Proxy Server is determined. In this case it will be C:\mnt which was created previously. (This value can be changed by editing the config.js file, also discussed previously.)
The entire Virtual Machine File System, in this example vmsys1.mydomain.com, will now be mounted under C:\mnt using the following convention:
C:\mnt\<VM name>\letters\C
C:\mnt\<VM name>\letters\D
.
.
.

and so on. Assuming vmsys1.mydomain.com has a single C: drive, it would mount to the VCB Proxy Server as follows:

C:\mnt\vmsys1.mydomain.com\letters\C

Post Backup Batch File – File Backup

For file backups of Virtual Machines with Windows 2003 Server as the guest operating system, once the backup is completed, the files will need to be unmounted from the VCB Proxy Server. Create the file postbackup.bat in the ..\generic subdirectory referenced above. This batch file will need the following contents:

cd <location of Consolidated Backup installation>\generic

cscript post-command.wsf <location of Consolidated Backup installation> <FQDN of mounted Virtual Machine>

Example:

cd "C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware Consolidated Backup Framework\generic"

cscript post-command.wsf "C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware Consolidated Backup Framework" "vmsys1.mydomain.com"

The cscript post-command.wsf accesses part of the installed Consolidated Backup package and performs the following when postbackup.bat is executed:

The mount is removed from the VCB Proxy Server, leaving only the C:\mnt directory.

Windows File System iDataAgent Backup of a Virtual Machine - File Backup

To perform a file backup of a Virtual Machine with Windows 2003 Server as the guest operating system, perform these steps:

Install the Windows File System iDataAgent on the designated VCB Proxy Server running the Consolidated Backup software. For instructions, see Deployment - Windows File System iDataAgent. It is not necessary to install software on the Virtual Machine.
Create the PreScan and PostBackup batch files if you have not already done so. See Create the PreScan and PostBackup Batch Files.
Create a subclient for the Windows File System iDataAgent on the VCB Proxy Server. See Create a New Subclient for instructions and use the following information:
General Tab:
- Enter a subclient name
Content Tab:
- Content: C:\mnt\vmsys1.mydomain.com\letters\C
Pre/Post Process Tab:
- PreScan: "C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware Consolidated Backup Framework\generic\prescan.bat"
- PostBackup: "C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware Consolidated Backup Framework\generic\postbackup.bat"
- Select Run Post Backup process for all attempts.
Storage Device Tab:
- Select the appropriate Storage Policy.

The following occurs when a backup is performed using the Windows File System subclient you created.

The PreScan batch file, prescan.bat, will execute on the VCB Proxy Server, proxy.mydomain.com, invoking the VMware vcbMounter utility, which creates a snapshot of the Virtual Machine, then mounts the root file system (C:\) of vmsys1.mydomain.com to C:\mnt\vmsys1.mydomain.com\letters\C on proxy.mydomain.com. The Virtual Machine continues to function normally.
The backup runs on the VCB Proxy Server, proxy.mydomian.com.
After the backup completes, postbackup.bat executes on the VCB Proxy Server, removing the mount C:\mnt\vmsys1.mydomain.com\letters\C on proxy.mydomain.com, and deleting the snapshot.

NOTES

Full, Incremental, Differential, and Synthetic Full Backups are supported.
When performing file system restores, unlike the ProxyHost iDataAgent, the Windows File System iDataAgent will not provide mapping of the mount c:\mnt\vmsys1.mydomain.com to c:\.