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Re: Virtual Machines: Newbie / novice questions

From RavenLX <ravenlx@sitesplace.net>
Newsgroups linux.debian.user
Subject Re: Virtual Machines: Newbie / novice questions
Date 2017-05-21 14:50 +0200
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On 05/18/2017 09:35 AM, Mark Fletcher wrote:
> This is the most unbelievable overkill. Windows VMs work just fine in
> VirtualBox. When it comes to backup, I have my backup scripts check the
> machines are down and if they are, include the virtual disks in the main
> system backup, and if not, skip them for that night. There is no
> Windows-level backup, it's all done at the host level.

My backups are done in the host too. Thing is, I want to back up the 
settings (ie. shared directory settings, machine settings, etc.) as 
well. I can't remember all the settings to the VMs I use. Exporting will 
back up everything in one neat package.

> For this to work it has to be OK to down the Windows machines in order
> to back them up,otherwise you risk Windows deciding to do a pointless
> disk write in the middle of your backup and invalidate it. That isn't a
> problem for me; if it were, I would either schedule a maintenance window
> and back them up then, or look into Windows-level backup solutions
> (which _still_ have no need for the nuclear-warhead-to-slice-a-banana
> approach described above).

I shut down virtual machines so they aren't running during the export 
process.

> Restore is smooth, and no license issues -- the Windows machine never
> knows anything happened.

However, the virtual hard disk is a pretty large size. My method 
compresses it further so that the size of the backup is much smaller.

This has been the easiest and most effective way I have found so far. 
However, I might take a closer look at backing up only the virtual 
machine's hard drive along with a text file describing the machine's 
settings, then try to re-create the machine and see if it will lose the 
licensing or not.

Right now I have a lot on my plate so what I'm doing is still going to 
have to be the process until I find time to dig deeper into this.

Thank you for your reply and info.

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Thread

Virtual Machines: Newbie / novice questions rhkramer@gmail.com - 2017-05-14 14:00 +0200
  Re: Virtual Machines: Newbie / novice questions "Thomas Schmitt" <scdbackup@gmx.net> - 2017-05-14 16:30 +0200
    Re: Virtual Machines: Newbie / novice questions Ben Caradoc-Davies <ben@transient.nz> - 2017-05-14 23:30 +0200
  Re: Virtual Machines: Newbie / novice questions Patrick Bartek <nemommxiv@gmail.com> - 2017-05-14 17:20 +0200
  Re: Virtual Machines: Newbie / novice questions Ben Caradoc-Davies <ben@transient.nz> - 2017-05-14 23:50 +0200
  Re: Virtual Machines: Newbie / novice questions Kent West <westk@acu.edu> - 2017-05-15 07:20 +0200
  Re: Virtual Machines: Newbie / novice questions RavenLX <ravenlx@sitesplace.net> - 2017-05-17 15:10 +0200
    Re: Virtual Machines: Newbie / novice questions rhkramer@gmail.com - 2017-05-17 16:30 +0200
    Re: Virtual Machines: Newbie / novice questions craigswin <craigswin2016@gmail.com> - 2017-05-17 18:50 +0200
      Re: Virtual Machines: Newbie / novice questions RavenLX <ravenlx@sitesplace.net> - 2017-05-17 19:10 +0200
        Re: Virtual Machines: Newbie / novice questions Mark Fletcher <mark27q1@gmail.com> - 2017-05-18 15:40 +0200
          Re: Virtual Machines: Newbie / novice questions rhkramer@gmail.com - 2017-05-18 18:50 +0200
          Re: Virtual Machines: Newbie / novice questions deloptes <deloptes@gmail.com> - 2017-05-18 23:20 +0200
            Re: Virtual Machines: Newbie / novice questions Mark Fletcher <mark27q1@gmail.com> - 2017-05-20 07:20 +0200
              Re: Virtual Machines: Newbie / novice questions deloptes <deloptes@gmail.com> - 2017-05-20 13:00 +0200
                Re: Virtual Machines: Newbie / novice questions Stefan Monnier <monnier@iro.umontreal.ca> - 2017-05-20 15:20 +0200
              Re: Virtual Machines: Newbie / novice questions Stefan Monnier <monnier@iro.umontreal.ca> - 2017-05-20 15:20 +0200
          Re: Virtual Machines: Newbie / novice questions RavenLX <ravenlx@sitesplace.net> - 2017-05-21 14:50 +0200
            Re: Virtual Machines: Newbie / novice questions Sven Hartge <sven@svenhartge.de> - 2017-05-21 18:20 +0200
              Re: Virtual Machines: Newbie / novice questions Stefan Monnier <monnier@iro.umontreal.ca> - 2017-05-21 19:10 +0200
                Re: Virtual Machines: Newbie / novice questions Sven Hartge <sven@svenhartge.de> - 2017-05-21 22:30 +0200
                Re: Virtual Machines: Newbie / novice questions Stefan Monnier <monnier@iro.umontreal.ca> - 2017-05-21 23:20 +0200
      Re: Virtual Machines: Newbie / novice questions deloptes <deloptes@gmail.com> - 2017-05-18 23:10 +0200
        Re: Virtual Machines: Newbie / novice questions Mark Fletcher <mark27q1@gmail.com> - 2017-05-20 07:20 +0200
          Re: Virtual Machines: Newbie / novice questions deloptes <deloptes@gmail.com> - 2017-05-20 13:10 +0200

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