We use HyperV a lot at work, and for small scale Windows Server platform deployments I actually quite like it as our chosen virtualisation tech. However, backing up any virtual machine, regardless of platform, can be "fun" sometimes. We actually use a script that I put together using diskshadow (VSS) and a set of batch scripts, which works really well. However I hadn't actually really put much thought into what was happening and although I've done test restores for Windows machine I'm yet to do one for a *ix box.
How exactly does the virtual machine get to a state where it *knows* that it's being backed up? After all the last thing you want is a restore and the VM to believe it's the time when the backup occured (which would leave it in an inconsistant/messy state).
I went looking and came across a video from TechNet which, about half way through, has a high level technical explanation of what happens when you use VSS to backup VMs, and what happens when the guest OS isn't VSS aware. Certainly interesting and potentially worrying stuff.
Hi Guys,I am faicng issues with Platespin myself and seeing as you have completed it successfully was looking for advice.My setup:2 x WinXP Pro SP2 laptops1 is running platespin inside a virtual windows 2003 machine.So, I can successfully discover both physical machines as well as the virtual platespin serverMy goal is to p2v the other laptop to the running vmware server (hosting the virtual platespin server)The problem is once both machines have been discovered it does not allow me choose one as a target. at first i thought this because i am vmware server. i am using platespin v6 and vmware server 1 fully updated.i wanted to check in here first before trying the manual method of creating a blank virtual machine and then booting into WinPE and running a manual discover and then selecting it as a target.I have seen platespin work with esx and it creates the virtual for you all automatically… i was under the impression it does this for VMware Server as well… any ideas would be great…..