On 7/15/2024 at 7:36 AM, djgrazzy said:

I have a new unraid 7.0.0-beta.2 test server.
VM Backup plugin installs ok but doesn't seem to save any settings when you click apply and then come back into VM backup plugin settings? Anyone else playing with UR7 yet and experience this?

Hi. Yes I've experienced the same. I expect the plugin will need some updates to work with the newer version of PHP in Unraid 7.

 

The plugin developer says they have a lot on at the moment, so I'm not sure when they might have time to do this, but in the meantime it's been working for me to edit:

 

/config/plugins/vmbackup/user.cfg

 

on the Flash Drive for any settings changes, then use the included commands.sh script to write these settings out to the user-script.sh script (in the same folder), so they apply to your backups. This assumes you're just using the default config and not any custom ones. E.g.:

 

cd /usr/local/emhttp/plugins/vmbackup/scripts
./commands.sh update_user_script

 

Since yours is a new server you'll probably also need to create the schedule (cronjob) and this can be done using the update_cron_job parameter on the commands.sh script once you've set the cron variables in user.cfg:

 

cd /usr/local/emhttp/plugins/vmbackup/scripts
./commands.sh update_cron_job

 

Commands.sh can also be used to start a manual backup (as I find that button is not working in the UI at the moment), by using the backup_now parameter:

 

cd /usr/local/emhttp/plugins/vmbackup/scripts
./commands.sh backup_now

 

I don't completely understand the setup and flow between the different components, but this is what I've been able to deduce just to get things running in the meantime, so I hope it helps.

 

Thanks to @JTok for this plugin and the helpful comments in the code. Hopefully the bodging around above won't make them wince too much  

I'm using the plugin on 6.12.8, and everything is working with no issues except for the file and folder naming. I saw an old post (Page 5 of this thread) about the file/folder structure changing but I made an initial manual backup and it was the original file/folder structure:

 

Original (which is what my manual backup looks like)

/backup_dir/vm_name/20200204_1555_vm_name.xml

vs

Updated

/backup_dir/vm_name/20200204_1555/vm_name.xml).

 

Is that structure change only applicable to automated backups?

 

I also read that there should have been a selection made when opening the plugin but I never saw anything like that?

doesn't list remote shares in dropdown to select destination folder--STUCK

3 hours ago, sonisame said:

doesn't list remote shares in dropdown to select destination folder--STUCK

I believe you have to fill that in manually (at least I think I read that earlier in this thread).

18 hours ago, jcouch93 said:

I believe you have to fill that in manually (at least I think I read that earlier in this thread).

 

Yes that's correct - the drop-down only shows local shares when I look at mine here.

 

The path for remote shares is /mnt/remotes/<name_of_mount_point>/

 

So, in the Main -> Unassigned Devices section of Unraid, if your SMB/NFS/ISO Mount Point was called Backups, the path to type in to the "Set backup location" box would be /mnt/remotes/Backups/

 

Hope that helps.

 

(Caveat that I only have SMB remote shares so I've not seen if there is any different format for NFS).

@JTok I know you might be busy but may i ask you two questions please:

 

1) Any plans or tipps regarding how to fix the "error: failed to connect to the hypervisor"- topic? (Your plugin isn't considering the fact that when it reinstalls itself the VMs aren't yet enabled)

2) Any plans on bringing out a v7 compat version soon?

 

 

May thanks in advance

Edited August 25, 20241 yr by UnraidTobias

in prerelease on unriad v7

with the introduction of snapshots.

libvirt will have 2 folders that will also need to be backed up.
as shown here:

not sure how vdisk.img and the snapshot file should be handled in a backup like this.

Especial with the qcow creations

1 hour ago, bmartino1 said:

in prerelease on unriad v7

with the introduction of snapshots.

libvirt will have 2 folders that will also need to be backed up.
as shown here:

not sure how vdisk.img and the snapshot file should be handled in a backup like this.

Especial with the qcow creations

only snapshotdb would need to be backed if you want to keep restore snap shot history. Backup would also need to backup the whole chain and otherfiles in the main directory.

On 6/3/2024 at 11:50 PM, dereitz said:

 

I'm receiving the same error related to an empty cdrom file path.  Did you ever figure out a workaround/fix?

I have been having this issue as well. Any sign of a fix? I believe the backups are still fine, but every week I just get an error notification:

 

Quote

unRAID VM Backup script

empty vdisk_path on Windows 10 Pro

 

I'm on V7 beta 3 Unraid and this app appears to have stopped working in my case anyway.
I reset everything to default, chose all VM's, backup location correct and when I hit backup NOW nothing happens. Tried adding a schedule and wait, Still nothing.
Anyone having issues recently?
Thanks.

I'll try uninstalling and reinstalling the plugin later

Still no luck.

Everytime I click enable and specify my path for the destination, the click apply. Nothing saves.
I go back in and it's all reset to defaults.

Edited October 9, 20241 yr by only-university6482

On 2/18/2024 at 12:20 PM, JonathanM said:

I use urbackup, it allows you to get good versioned backups of the guest OS without shutting down the VM. There are many options to choose from if you treat your VM's as normal bare metal machines when dealing with backups.

How do you do this for a proxmox VM? I am wary of running the suggested command in the proxmox shell. It's just used as a qdevice for quorum in a cluster

51 minutes ago, only-university6482 said:

How do you do this for a proxmox VM? I am wary of running the suggested command in the proxmox shell. It's just used as a qdevice for quorum in a cluster

Not sure what you mean by suggested command, and I'm not saying to run anything in proxmox.

 

Whatever OS you are running as a guest, use the urbackup client inside it, just like you would any other computer. There is a urbackup host container that I run on Unraid to receive those backups.

30 minutes ago, JonathanM said:

Not sure what you mean by suggested command, and I'm not saying to run anything in proxmox.

 

Whatever OS you are running as a guest, use the urbackup client inside it, just like you would any other computer. There is a urbackup host container that I run on Unraid to receive those backups.

well if it's linux you need to create an agent, the command is listed when you set up a client on the gui. Windows is easy as you just run the executable for the agent. I'll try it out on a test vm first.
Still can't solve the issue with VM Back up app though. Maybe it's the beta 3.0

I do have an “empty vdisk_path” problem. I get the following mails and rsync is running like crazy. I think there is a connection, but I'm not even sure ...

 

Event: Unraid Status
Subject: unRAID VM Backup script
Description: empty vdisk_path on Windows 11
Importance: warning

2024-10-14 02:38:41 warning: There's an empty vdisk_path on Windows 11. This is mainly caused by an empty cdrom file path. skipping vdisk.

 

and the second mail that comes hours later

Event: Unraid Status
Subject: unRAID VM Backup script
Description: empty vdisk_path on Windows 11
Importance: warning

2024-10-14 08:14:25 warning: There's an empty vdisk_path on Windows 11. This is mainly caused by an empty cdrom file path. skipping vdisk.

 

 

i have checked all settings and i can not find any empty path.

 

I just wanted to say:
apart from that, the plugin seems to work for me. Backups are created. However, I have not checked whether these can also be restored.

12 minutes ago, odiby said:

I do have an “empty vdisk_path” problem.

Does that VM use a passthrough disk and the main vdisk is set to None? If so then just set this VM to skip since there is nothing to back up. 

8 minutes ago, Kilrah said:

Does that VM use a passthrough disk and the main vdisk is set to None? If so then just set this VM to skip since there is nothing to back up. 

Thanks. The VM is configured like so

 

so yes there is a passthrough disk. But the vm itself is on a vdisk i would like to backup of course.

Either pass it through by hardware (not by using a fake vdisk and by-id, but the checkbox at the bottom to pass the whole PCIe device) or exclude that "fake vdisk".

20 hours ago, Kilrah said:

Either pass it through by hardware (not by using a fake vdisk and by-id, but the checkbox at the bottom to pass the whole PCIe device) or exclude that "fake vdisk".

 

thank you for your reply, I appreciate it. What are the prerequisites for displaying the hard disk at the bottom? Nothing is displayed here. 

 

 

exclude that "fake vdisk" does not work either, because it is not displayed in the settings

 

15 minutes ago, odiby said:

What are the prerequisites for displaying the hard disk at the bottom? Nothing is displayed here. 

You might need to bind it to vfio in "system devices" so that Unraid doesn't see it. 

Thank a lot for your script at
https://github.com/Emilien-Lambert/Unraid-VM-Backup-Plugin-Restoration-Script

 

I messed up my Windows VM and used your script to recover it successfully. After restoring completed, stop and start array.

Here are the screenshots of the process
Note: My VM backup is in a folder

/mnt/user/VMBackup/Windows 11 LTSC

Edited November 1, 20241 yr by bthoven
make some corrections

Plugin settings don't save in 6.12.11 either

 

Edit:

• Seems there is an unlisted maximum value for "Number of days to keep backups" (somewhere near 200). This is what prevented saving for me. 
• Also doesn't support step values in cron `0 3 1 */4 *`

 

It's disappointing that Unraid doesn't have built in backup mechanisms and instead leaves it to the community to build them. 

 

Edited November 2, 20241 yr by johyphenel
New info on issue.

I must be incredibly dense but I cannot figure out how to get the backup plugin to restart the vm when done.  I have it set to run once a week at 3am and I wake up every time to a paused VM.  I don't see a place to restart the vm in the config, perhaps it is supposed to do it automatically?  Also, I don't see a way to specify a post backup script although it does have an option for keeping pre/post backup scripts backed up?  I searched through this thread and across the boards.  Thanks for any help.

Hey there,

 

is there a known bug or issue with excluding vdisks when backing up with VM Backup? I did not find any, but I am having trouble excluding my vdisk, although I checked my settings...

 

    Backup all VMs? Yes

    List vdisks to skip: Gaming vdisk 2 is checked

 

So I want to backup all my VMs, but want to exclude the vdisk where all the games are stored...

It refuses to skip the vdisk and backups all my vdisks anyway.

 

Any solution?

Hi,

 

How do I only keep one backup? If I try an choose one it won't allow it. I have to select two or more.
 

I have to restore a VM backup made with this plugin, but i only find two files per backup in the backup folder:

- 20250208_0500_VMname.xml

- 20250208_0500_disk1.qcow2

 

so no files with an .img extension. How can i restore my VM based on these two files?