Backup with "BackupChain" while running?

[jmar83_the2nd]

Does somebody have experiences with that tool?
-> http://backupchain.com/en/virtualbox/

So they write, it can backup VMs while running, did somebody tried it?

Best regards,
Jan

[jmar83_the2nd]

Does nobody know that software, or how it works internally? (save state??)

[scottgus1]

I've never heard of it, but researching the company's faq, it seems the trial is fully functional for twenty days, so you could let us know how it works.

[scottgus1]

I will point out that there is a "method" as such to back up a live guest using just Virtualbox-native vboxmanage commands. However it leaves the guest backup in a crash-consistent state, just as if you were turning the guest back on after pulling the power plug. Data and databases might be corrupted and need rebuilding, so not so hot of a backup/restore in my opinion.

The process appears to be to "take" a live snapshot while the guest is running, copy the base disk and everything else before that snapshot, then "delete" the snapshot, which merges the snapshot contents back into the running guest and removes the snapshot from the list.

Code: Select all

{copy the guest .vbox file before taking the snapshot}
vboxmanage snapshot "<vmname>" take <snapshotname> --live 
{copy the preexisting disks in the guest folder}
vboxmanage snapshot "<vmname>" delete <snapshotname>

Above caveats about data integrity and corruption apply.

I believe the best backup while a guest is running is in-the-guest 3rd-party backup software that is compatible with all the programs and databases running in the guest. Save the backup outside the guest to a host or network shared folder on a different physical disk or three.

The most solid backup requires the guest to be shut down. See Moving a VM and re-interpret as "Backing Up a VM".

[jmar83_the2nd]

Thank you very much for your informations!! :-)