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virt-back: a python libvirt backup utility for kvm xen virtualbox

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Over the weekend I wrote virt-back, a backup utility for QEMU, KVM, XEN, or Virtualbox guests.

virt-back is a python application that uses the libvirt API to safely shutdown, gzip, and restart guests.

The backup process logs to syslog for auditing and virt-back works great with cron for scheduling outages. Virt-back is in active development so feel free to give suggestions or branch the source.

virt-back has been placed in the public domain and the latest version may be downloaded here:

Installation

The fastest way to install virt-back is to use pip or setuptools.

Try sudo pip install virt-back or sudo easy_install virt-back

Otherwise you may manually install virt-back

sudo wget https://bitbucket.org/russellballestrini/virt-back/raw/tip/virt-back \
-O  /usr/local/bin/virt-back
sudo chmod 755 /usr/local/bin/virt-back

Test installation

virt-back --help

Example cronjob

15  2  *  *  1  /usr/local/bin/virt-back --quiet --backup sagat
15  23 *  *  5  /usr/local/bin/virt-back --quiet --backup mbison

Manual

russell@host:~$ virt-back --help
Usage: virt-back [options]
Options:
  -h, --help            show this help message and exit
  -q, --quiet           prevent output to stdout
  -d, --date            append date to tar filename [default: no date]
  -g, --no-gzip         do not gzip or tar the resulting files
  -a amount, --retention=amount
                        backups to retain [default: 3]
  -p 'PATH', --path='PATH'
                        backup path [default: '/KVMBACK']
  -u 'URI', --uri='URI'
                        optional hypervisor uri

  Actions for info testing:
    These options display info or test a list of guests.

    -i, --info          info/test a list of guests (space delimited dom names)
    --info-all          attempt to show info on ALL guests

  Actions for a list of dom names:
    WARNING:  These options WILL bring down guests!

    -b, --backup        backup a list of guests (space delimited dom names)
    -r, --reboot        reboot a list of guests (space delimited dom names)
    -s, --shutdown      shutdown a list of guests (space delimited dom names)
    -c, --create        start a list of guests (space delimited dom names)

  Actions for all doms:
    WARNING:  These options WILL bring down ALL guests!

    --backup-all        attempt to shutdown, backup, and start ALL guests
    --reboot-all        attempt to shutdown and then start ALL guests
    --shutdown-all      attempt to shutdown ALL guests
    --create-all        attempt to start ALL guests



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© Russell Ballestrini.