Windows host hibernation with Linux guest running

[TheOtherPhilC]

The Windows 7 host is a headless machine that runs 24/7/365 unattended. It is powered via UPS. On low UPS battery, the host hibernates. The software on the host that triggers the hibernation is PowerAlert Local.

A Linux guest (CentOS 5) also runs 24/7. On an hourly basis a script uses rdiff-backup and SSH to backup some files from a remote Linux Web server via Internet. Once every 24 hours, another script uses rdiff-backup to do a more complete backup of the remote server. These tasks are the only critical tasks on the guest.

The hourly script takes less than 10 seconds wall clock time on average. The daily backup takes less than 5 minutes elapsed time. Therefore, all backups combined take less than 10 minutes per day. Assuming a randomly timed power failure, the probability it will occur during a backup is less than is less than 0.7%. (In any event, I assume rdiff-backup can tolerate interruptions.)

The question in my mind is how/whether a host hibernation will impact the guest Linux VBOX. When the host is resumed, will the Linux guest simply resume as well?

Basically looking for advice on whether anything else is needed here.

[Sasquatch]

The VM should resume like normal, and if the GA are installed, the clock would be corrected as well. I have a Linux Host and I put my laptop in hibernate a few times without thinking, I forgot to shut down the Guest. But when the system resumed, the VM was still fine. However, I've heard some other users with Windows as Host that it messed up the Guest when it went to hibernate. The Guest had status "aborted" when they resumed. So I suggest you get a Windows Host, run a VM on it (live CD for example) and put it in hibernate. That way, you know what will happen. Then you can act accordingly. For example, let the software that monitors the UPS first put the VM in save state and then hibernate the Host. Then when it resumes operations, restore the VM and you're done.