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    XenServer 7.0: clone USB (without removing)

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    xenserver 7.0usb cloningvirtualizationxenserver
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    • JaredBuschJ
      JaredBusch
      last edited by

      What I want to know is WTF are you all trying to do this for in the first place.

      No one cares about cloning VMWare or Hyper-V boot partitions. You just reinstall and attach manually in the even of a complete failure.

      FATeknollogeeF BRRABillB 2 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 0
      • FATeknollogeeF
        FATeknollogee @JaredBusch
        last edited by

        @JaredBusch said in XenServer 7.0: clone USB (without removing):

        What I want to know is WTF are you all trying to do this for in the first place.

        No one cares about cloning VMWare or Hyper-V boot partitions. You just reinstall and attach manually in the even of a complete failure.

        Isn't all the VM metadata (aka config) on the USB stick?

        JaredBuschJ 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
        • JaredBuschJ
          JaredBusch @FATeknollogee
          last edited by

          @FATeknollogee said in XenServer 7.0: clone USB (without removing):

          @JaredBusch said in XenServer 7.0: clone USB (without removing):

          What I want to know is WTF are you all trying to do this for in the first place.

          No one cares about cloning VMWare or Hyper-V boot partitions. You just reinstall and attach manually in the even of a complete failure.

          Isn't all the VM metadata (aka config) on the USB stick?

          Then there should be a backup process for that so you can just reattach.

          FATeknollogeeF 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
          • FATeknollogeeF
            FATeknollogee @JaredBusch
            last edited by FATeknollogee

            @JaredBusch said in XenServer 7.0: clone USB (without removing):

            @FATeknollogee said in XenServer 7.0: clone USB (without removing):

            @JaredBusch said in XenServer 7.0: clone USB (without removing):

            What I want to know is WTF are you all trying to do this for in the first place.

            No one cares about cloning VMWare or Hyper-V boot partitions. You just reinstall and attach manually in the even of a complete failure.

            Isn't all the VM metadata (aka config) on the USB stick?

            Then there should be a backup process for that so you can just reattach.

            I thinks that's what this whole process is attempting to accomplish.
            I do agree with you, this should all have been "baked in" from the get go..

            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
            • BRRABillB
              BRRABill @JaredBusch
              last edited by

              @JaredBusch said in XenServer 7.0: clone USB (without removing):

              What I want to know is WTF are you all trying to do this for in the first place.

              No one cares about cloning VMWare or Hyper-V boot partitions. You just reinstall and attach manually in the even of a complete failure.

              I don't know. Just following out the original thread/thought to its conclusion.

              Is this on 30 post thread cluttering up the resources on ML? If so, I apologize.

              In all seriousness, it's more for speed. You have a failure, you're back up and running in the time it takes the server to reboot.

              Otherwise you need to reinstall, then reattach the SRs, then hope you have your metadata backed up.

              FATeknollogeeF 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
              • FATeknollogeeF
                FATeknollogee @BRRABill
                last edited by

                @BRRABill said in XenServer 7.0: clone USB (without removing):

                @JaredBusch said in XenServer 7.0: clone USB (without removing):

                What I want to know is WTF are you all trying to do this for in the first place.

                No one cares about cloning VMWare or Hyper-V boot partitions. You just reinstall and attach manually in the even of a complete failure.

                I don't know. Just following out the original thread/thought to its conclusion.

                Is this on 30 post thread cluttering up the resources on ML? If so, I apologize.

                In all seriousness, it's more for speed. You have a failure, you're back up and running in the time it takes the server to reboot.

                Otherwise you need to reinstall, then reattach the SRs, then hope you have your metadata backed up.

                Is there a separate process for backing up metadata?

                BRRABillB 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                • BRRABillB
                  BRRABill @FATeknollogee
                  last edited by

                  @FATeknollogee said

                  Is there a separate process for backing up metadata?

                  Yes. You can do that through the XS console.

                  It's not mandatory, but if you have a boot failure, when you reinstall XS and reattach the SR, you'll just have a bunch of virtual disks.

                  FATeknollogeeF 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                  • FATeknollogeeF
                    FATeknollogee @BRRABill
                    last edited by

                    @BRRABill said in XenServer 7.0: clone USB (without removing):

                    @FATeknollogee said

                    Is there a separate process for backing up metadata?

                    Yes. You can do that through the XS console.

                    It's not mandatory, but if you have a boot failure, when you reinstall XS and reattach the SR, you'll just have a bunch of virtual disks.

                    Console only, it's not available via XC GUI?

                    BRRABillB 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                    • BRRABillB
                      BRRABill @FATeknollogee
                      last edited by

                      @FATeknollogee said

                      Console only, it's not available via XC GUI?

                      No.

                      I believe it is also available through the CLI as well, though I have not used it that way.

                      FATeknollogeeF 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                      • FATeknollogeeF
                        FATeknollogee @BRRABill
                        last edited by

                        @BRRABill
                        You backup the metadata to the same USB stick or do you need a 2nd stick?

                        How do you restore the metadata?

                        BRRABillB 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                        • BRRABillB
                          BRRABill @FATeknollogee
                          last edited by

                          @FATeknollogee said in XenServer 7.0: clone USB (without removing):

                          @BRRABill
                          You backup the metadata to the same USB stick or do you need a 2nd stick?

                          How do you restore the metadata?

                          Not to the stick. It backs up to the SR. You also restore from the XS console.

                          FATeknollogeeF 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                          • FATeknollogeeF
                            FATeknollogee @BRRABill
                            last edited by

                            @BRRABill
                            In XC menu, there is Server, Back Up... and Server, Restore from Back Up...?

                            BRRABillB 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                            • BRRABillB
                              BRRABill @FATeknollogee
                              last edited by BRRABill

                              @FATeknollogee said in XenServer 7.0: clone USB (without removing):

                              @BRRABill
                              In XC menu, there is Server, Back Up... and Server, Restore from Back Up...?

                              That is ONLY for backing up the host. And if you read through this thread (https://www.mangolassi.it/topic/9960/converting-to-a-virtual-environment/52) and the XS documentation, they recommend reinstalling the host as opposed to backing it up.

                              Kind of what @JaredBusch was saying above.

                              1. Crash
                              2. Reinstall XS
                              3. Reattach SR
                              4. Restore VM metadata if you have it (from XS console) or otherwise reconstruct your VMs by hand.
                              1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                              • BRRABillB
                                BRRABill
                                last edited by

                                @Dashrender and I were talking about this topic a little bit offline. HE was saying the metadata is stored with the VM is ESXi.

                                I wonder why XS does not store the metadata with the VM itself? What would be the reasoning there?

                                Does Hyper-V?

                                1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                • BRRABillB
                                  BRRABill
                                  last edited by

                                  Also, this is interesting...

                                  http://discussions.citrix.com/topic/303350-backup-metadata-1st-time/

                                  Offers some additional metadata options, including a way to backup from XC, via Windows command prompt!

                                  1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                  • DanpD
                                    Danp
                                    last edited by

                                    FWIW, I think XO backs up the metadata when backup up the VM. I know this metadata issue has been discussed previously on ML. There's also an ER for XO to allow for the backup and restoration of the metadata.

                                    1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                    • FATeknollogeeF
                                      FATeknollogee
                                      last edited by

                                      Got this response, via email, from @olivier
                                      "our backup allow to import your saved VMs on any new clear XenServer, anytime, anywhere. So it seems there is no need to save more. Eg you lost all your servers in a fire. Just get another new machine, SR type (local, NFS) doesn't matter, even if it's different from the previous servers. And import your backup, you are back on track."

                                      DanpD 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                      • DanpD
                                        Danp @FATeknollogee
                                        last edited by

                                        @FATeknollogee @olivier Unfortunately, that doesn't address the current situation where we are just looking to replace the boot device. If your SR is intact, it will always be faster to reinstall XS and restore the metadata than to restore all VMs from backup using XO.

                                        FATeknollogeeF 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                        • FATeknollogeeF
                                          FATeknollogee @Danp
                                          last edited by

                                          @Danp said in XenServer 7.0: clone USB (without removing):

                                          @FATeknollogee @olivier Unfortunately, that doesn't address the current situation where we are just looking to replace the boot device. If your SR is intact, it will always be faster to reinstall XS and restore the metadata than to restore all VMs from backup using XO.

                                          I thought replacing the boot device can be done in XC menu, with "Server, Back Up..." and "Server, Restore from Back Up..."?

                                          DanpD 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                          • DanpD
                                            Danp @FATeknollogee
                                            last edited by

                                            @FATeknollogee It can, but not recommend according to this earlier post.

                                            DashrenderD 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
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