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What is the "Officially supported" method of backing up virtual servers?

Updated: 21 May 2010 | 3 comments
RCurtis's picture
RCurtis
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I'm running Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 R2 with SP1.  The host OS is 2003 Server x64 R2 SP2. Guests are 2003 Server standard R2 SP2.   I have the remote agent installed for each virtual server, but when the host server is backed up and it gets to those virtual server definition files, the guest servers are Reset.  I understand you can exclude those files/folders, but somewhere in a message here I got the impression that since VSS is involved (or can be involved) that BE 11d *should* be able to handle the guest OS files as well and back them up "live".
 
What is officially supported and (if different) what do you *really* have to do for backup of everything? 
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harmstrong's picture
20
Jul
2007
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harmstrong
Symantec Employee
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Hi Rcurtis ,
 
You will need to try to used the Advance Open file Option to backup the open files.  Do you have the Advance Open file option license install on the you Backup Exec server.
 
Here is a document on backup Vmware servers similar process for virtual server.
 
 
Regards,
HArmstrong
Symantec
 
 
MitchR's picture
23
Jul
2007
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MitchR

The only method I know of is to stop the VM, then copy the VHD to another location, or run a tape backup. Then Restart the VM.
 
From my limited testing, there is no way to backup a live & running Virtual Machine.
 

Mark this post as the solution, and have good luck for 7 years.
Forget to mark this as the solution, and tomorrow your server will crash.

RCurtis's picture
23
Jul
2007
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RCurtis

I'm a little concerned about your choice of wording... "try to use AOFO".  I'm looking for the officially supported method by Symantec.  Perhaps that is actually what you are saying....but it can also be interpreted as "give this a try and see what happens".
 
Also, the response by another user indicates that it can't be done....
 
What are we really saying here?

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