ghettoUI is an interactive frontend for the ghettoVCB.sh and ghettoVCB-restore.sh scripts by William Lam.
It is really easy to use. Just put ghettoUI, ghettoVCB.sh and ghettoVCB-restore.sh into a directory accessible to your ESXi host and you're done. This can be a directory on the ESXi host or on an NFS server.
ghettoUI extracts the information of the available virtual machines from the current host and offers an interactive menu for performing a backup.
To perform a restore ghettoUI checks the available datastores for valid backups and offers an interactive menu for a restore.
To install ghettoUI just copy the files ghettoUI, ghettoVCB.sh and ghettoVCB-restore.sh into a directory accessible to your ESXi host and you're done. You can then run ghettoUI like this
# python ghettoUI
ghettoUI is a python script which uses just the available python interpreter and the vim-cmd to extract information about virtual machines and datastores from the current host. No other tools or libraries are necessary.
To perform a backup ghettoUI lists the available virtual machines and datastores using vim-cmd, parses the output and displays the information as an interactive menu to the user. Once the user has chosen a machine to backup ghettoUI creates the necessary configuration files on the fly and runs the ghettoVCB.sh script to perform the actual backup.
ghettoUI first checks if a configuration file conf/${vm.name}.conf exists, then it looks for conf/default.conf. If neither of them can be found then the builtin configuration is used.
To perform a restore ghettoUI looks for BACKUPS directories in all available datastores. This name is configurable in the backupDir variable at the top of the script. It assumes the directory structure /path/to/datastore/BACKUPS/vm/backup and presents the user with an interactive menu. After the user has made a choice ghettoUI again creates the necessary configuration files and runs the ghettoVCB-restore.sh script.
0.7.3 - 29 Jul 2019
Updated the ghettoUI to work with ESXi 6.7 (Python3)
- The ghettoVCB scripts no longer require the executable bit set
- Updated the documentation on how to run ghettoVCB
- Fixed the string formatting bug in reviewConfiguration()
- Added support for external configuration files
- Added support for reviewing the configuration prior to backup
- Added menu defaults
- Fixed handling of VMs with spaces in their names
- Fixed handling of inaccessible NFS datastores
- First useful version
Below is a screenshot of a backup procedure
/vmfs/volumes/23ed4bf3-6292d161 # ls -1 BACKUPS LOGS conf conf/server-2.conf ghettoUI ghettoVCB-restore.sh ghettoVCB.sh /vmfs/volumes/23ed4bf3-6292d161 # python ghettoUI ghettoUI Menu 0.7.2 ------------------- What do you want to do? * 1. Backup a virtual machine 2. Restore a virtual machine Q. Quit (ENTER: 1) > ghettoUI Menu 0.7.2 ------------------- Select a virtual machine 1. Ubuntu Server 2. Windows XP 3. Windows Vista 4. Windows 2000 5. Windows 7 6. server-1 7. server-template 8. server-2 9. server-3 10. server-4 11. server-5 12. server-6 13. server-7 14. firewall Q. Return > 8 ghettoUI Menu 0.7.2 ------------------- Select a datastore 1. datastore1 (VMFS) 2. nfs1 (NFS) Q. Return > 2 ghettoUI Menu 0.7.2 ------------------- Do you want to backup 'server-2' onto 'nfs1'? 1. info - Standard output 2. debug - Debug output * 3. dryrun - Test only. No backup is performed Q. Return (ENTER: 3) > 2 ghettoUI Menu 0.7.2 ------------------- Start backup 1. Review configuration 'server-2' (conf/server-2.conf) * 2. Start backup Q. Return (ENTER: 2) > 1 --- conf/server-2.conf --- VM_BACKUP_VOLUME=/vmfs/volumes/nfs1/BACKUPS DISK_BACKUP_FORMAT=zeroedthick VM_BACKUP_ROTATION_COUNT=3 POWER_VM_DOWN_BEFORE_BACKUP=1 ENABLE_HARD_POWER_OFF=0 ITER_TO_WAIT_SHUTDOWN=3 POWER_DOWN_TIMEOUT=5 ENABLE_COMPRESSION=0 ADAPTER_FORMAT=lsilogic VM_SNAPSHOT_MEMORY=0 VM_SNAPSHOT_QUIESCE=0 ENABLE_NON_PERSISTENT_NFS=0 UNMOUNT_NFS=0 NFS_SERVER= NFS_MOUNT= NFS_LOCAL_NAME= NFS_VM_BACKUP_DIR= SNAPSHOT_TIMEOUT=15 EMAIL_LOG=0 EMAIL_DEBUG=0 EMAIL_SERVER= EMAIL_SERVER_PORT= EMAIL_TO= EMAIL_FROM= --- conf/server-2.conf --- Press ENTER to continue ghettoUI Menu 0.7.2 ------------------- Start backup 1. Review configuration 'server-2' (conf/server-2.conf) * 2. Start backup Q. Return (ENTER: 2) > 2011-07-29 10:50:23 -- info: === ghettoVCB LOG START === 2011-07-29 10:50:23 -- debug: Succesfully acquired lock directory - /tmp/ghettoVCB.lock 2011-07-29 10:50:23 -- debug: HOST VERSION: VMware ESXi 4.1.0 build-260247 2011-07-29 10:50:23 -- debug: HOST LEVEL: VMware ESXi 4.1.0 GA 2011-07-29 10:50:23 -- debug: HOSTNAME: kleinebox.dragage.yde 2011-07-29 10:50:23 -- info: CONFIG - USING GLOBAL GHETTOVCB CONFIGURATION FILE = conf/server-2.conf 2011-07-29 10:50:23 -- info: CONFIG - VERSION = 2011_05_22_1 2011-07-29 10:50:23 -- info: CONFIG - GHETTOVCB_PID = 34340 2011-07-29 10:50:23 -- info: CONFIG - VM_BACKUP_VOLUME = /vmfs/volumes/nfs1/BACKUPS 2011-07-29 10:50:23 -- info: CONFIG - VM_BACKUP_ROTATION_COUNT = 3 2011-07-29 10:50:23 -- info: CONFIG - VM_BACKUP_DIR_NAMING_CONVENTION = 2011-07-29_10-50-23 2011-07-29 10:50:23 -- info: CONFIG - DISK_BACKUP_FORMAT = zeroedthick 2011-07-29 10:50:23 -- info: CONFIG - ADAPTER_FORMAT = lsilogic 2011-07-29 10:50:23 -- info: CONFIG - POWER_VM_DOWN_BEFORE_BACKUP = 1 2011-07-29 10:50:23 -- info: CONFIG - ENABLE_HARD_POWER_OFF = 0 2011-07-29 10:50:23 -- info: CONFIG - ITER_TO_WAIT_SHUTDOWN = 3 2011-07-29 10:50:23 -- info: CONFIG - POWER_DOWN_TIMEOUT = 5 2011-07-29 10:50:23 -- info: CONFIG - SNAPSHOT_TIMEOUT = 15 2011-07-29 10:50:23 -- info: CONFIG - LOG_LEVEL = debug 2011-07-29 10:50:23 -- info: CONFIG - BACKUP_LOG_OUTPUT = /vmfs/volumes/23ed4bf3-6292d161/LOGS/server-2-backup-2011-07-29_10-50-23.log 2011-07-29 10:50:23 -- info: CONFIG - VM_SNAPSHOT_MEMORY = 0 2011-07-29 10:50:23 -- info: CONFIG - VM_SNAPSHOT_QUIESCE = 0 2011-07-29 10:50:23 -- info: CONFIG - VMDK_FILES_TO_BACKUP = all 2011-07-29 10:50:23 -- info: CONFIG - EMAIL_LOG = 0 2011-07-29 10:50:23 -- info: 2011-07-29 10:50:24 -- debug: Storage Information before backup: 2011-07-29 10:50:24 -- debug: SRC_DATASTORE: datastore1 2011-07-29 10:50:24 -- debug: SRC_DATASTORE_CAPACITY: 227.8 GB 2011-07-29 10:50:24 -- debug: SRC_DATASTORE_FREE: 128.1 GB 2011-07-29 10:50:24 -- debug: SRC_DATASTORE_BLOCKSIZE: 1 2011-07-29 10:50:24 -- debug: SRC_DATASTORE_MAX_FILE_SIZE: 256 GB 2011-07-29 10:50:24 -- debug: 2011-07-29 10:50:24 -- debug: DST_DATASTORE: nfs1 2011-07-29 10:50:24 -- debug: DST_DATASTORE_CAPACITY: 297.8 GB 2011-07-29 10:50:24 -- debug: DST_DATASTORE_FREE: 113.6 GB 2011-07-29 10:50:24 -- debug: DST_DATASTORE_BLOCKSIZE: NA 2011-07-29 10:50:24 -- debug: DST_DATASTORE_MAX_FILE_SIZE: NA 2011-07-29 10:50:24 -- debug: 2011-07-29 10:50:25 -- debug: getVMDKs() - server-2.vmdk###5: 2011-07-29 10:50:25 -- info: Powering off initiated for server-2, backup will not begin until VM is off... 2011-07-29 10:50:25 -- info: VM is still on - Iteration: 0 - sleeping for 60secs (Duration: 0 seconds) 2011-07-29 10:51:26 -- info: VM is powerdOff 2011-07-29 10:51:26 -- info: Initiate backup for server-2 2011-07-29 10:51:26 -- debug: findVMDK() - Searching for VMDK: "server-2.vmdk" to backup 2011-07-29 10:51:26 -- debug: /sbin/vmkfstools -i "/vmfs/volumes/datastore1/server-2/server-2.vmdk" -a "lsilogic" -d "zeroedthick" "/vmfs/volumes/nfs1/BACKUPS/server-2/server-2-2011-07-29_10-50-23/server-2.vmdk" Destination disk format: VMFS zeroedthick Cloning disk '/vmfs/volumes/datastore1/server-2/server-2.vmdk'... Clone: 95% done. 2011-07-29 10:53:33 -- info: Powering back on server-2 2011-07-29 10:53:35 -- info: Backup Duration: 2.15 Minutes 2011-07-29 10:53:35 -- info: Successfully completed backup for server-2! 2011-07-29 10:53:36 -- debug: Storage Information after backup: 2011-07-29 10:53:36 -- debug: SRC_DATASTORE: datastore1 2011-07-29 10:53:36 -- debug: SRC_DATASTORE_CAPACITY: 227.8 GB 2011-07-29 10:53:36 -- debug: SRC_DATASTORE_FREE: 128.1 GB 2011-07-29 10:53:36 -- debug: SRC_DATASTORE_BLOCKSIZE: 1 2011-07-29 10:53:37 -- debug: SRC_DATASTORE_MAX_FILE_SIZE: 256 GB 2011-07-29 10:53:37 -- debug: 2011-07-29 10:53:37 -- debug: DST_DATASTORE: nfs1 2011-07-29 10:53:37 -- debug: DST_DATASTORE_CAPACITY: 297.8 GB 2011-07-29 10:53:37 -- debug: DST_DATASTORE_FREE: 113.6 GB 2011-07-29 10:53:37 -- debug: DST_DATASTORE_BLOCKSIZE: NA 2011-07-29 10:53:37 -- debug: DST_DATASTORE_MAX_FILE_SIZE: NA 2011-07-29 10:53:37 -- debug: 2011-07-29 10:53:37 -- info: ###### Final status: All VMs backed up OK! ###### 2011-07-29 10:53:37 -- debug: Succesfully removed lock directory - /tmp/ghettoVCB.lock 2011-07-29 10:53:37 -- info: === ghettoVCB LOG END === ghettoUI Menu 0.7.2 ------------------- What do you want to do? * 1. Backup a virtual machine 2. Restore a virtual machine Q. Quit (ENTER: 1) > q /vmfs/volumes/23ed4bf3-6292d161 #
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ghettoUI currently has a hardcoded configuration for the restore for all virtual machines. See the
GhettoVCB.restore()methods for details -
ghettoUI does not check if a restore is possible, i.e. if there is not already a virtual machine with the same name on the same datastore
ghettoUI is MIT licensed. I'm happy if it is useful to you.
Please use ghettoUI at your own risk. It works in my environment but hasn't been battle tested and for sure isn't yet a0.7s configurable as it needs to be for the different configurations out there.
ghettoVCB and ghettoVCB-restore were written by William Lam. You can find more information at http://www.virtualghetto.com/.
The ghettoVCB documentation can be found here: http://communities.vmware.com/docs/DOC-8760
The ghettoVCB VMTN group can be found here: http://communities.vmware.com/groups/ghettovcb