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ESXi Configuration Backup Tool – Freeware

By 4 Comments | July 17, 2012 | 3271 Views

Free Tool to backup multiple configurations of ESXi 4/5.  The backup of ESXi can be done several ways. I have detailed the steps of backup configuration of ESXi host in my article here. I have used vMA appliance in those steps. Recently I found a small freeware application from Slym Software, which does that via the GUI.

Not only you can backup multiple ESXi 4/5 configurations but also the local vcenter server database. There is a default retention policy set up for 2 weeks. You can then have the possibility to create a windows scheduled tasks or do the backup manually.

Requirements:

You’ll need to download vCLI for vSphere. The latest vCLI can be downladed from the VMware vCLI page. Log out/log in after the installation.

The local SQL database, which is usually installed for smaller cluster environments, and which can be used for clusters which has up to 5 hosts, can be backed up with this tool as well. The flat backup file of the DB has extention *.BAK.

ESXi Configuration backup – the features

  • Automatically backup multiple ESXi v4 & v5 configurations
  • Backup of any local SQL Databases
  • Manages basic retentions and deletes expired backup (ESXi backup only)
  • Creates a single archive per backup containing one file per ESXi
  • Add a file containing exact build numbers of each ESXi in backup archive
  • Compress backups to save space (ESXi backup only)
  • Portable software
  • Encrypt passwords
  • Easy to configure with the “Configuration Manager.exe

How to use ESXi Configuration backup?

  • Run “Configuration manager.exe” to configure all the settings
  • Add your ESXi servers (will not work if a vCenter is provided instead !)
  • Select SQL databases to backup
  • Set the backup folder and retention then close the manager
  • Create a scheduled task in Windows to run “ESXi Configuration Backup.exe” or run it manually
The ESXi Configuration Backup tool creates backups in c:\vSphere-backups folder which gets created automatically.  There you can see the backup of the vCenter database too.

ESXi Configruation Backup - Free Tool for VMware ESXi

Another screenshot showing the possiblity to include the local SQL database.

ESXi Configuration Backup - A Freeware Tool

The ESXi Configuration backup (called vSphere configuration backup) in action…..

ESXi Configuration Backup - Freeware

You can download the ESXi Configuration Backup tool from Slym software here.

Source: Slym Software

 

Filed Under: Free Stuff Tagged With: , ,
About Vladan SEGET

This article was published on ESX Virtualization by Vladan SEGET. ESX Virtualization started as a bookmarking site, but very fast found itself many readers and supporters. Vladan works as an Independent consultant. vExpert 2009 - 2012, VCP 4/5 and owner of this website. Feel free to network via Twitter @vladan or subscribe via RSS. My page at Google + . Build your vSphere lab on a PC or Laptop - Free E-Book

Comments

  1. selvakumaran says:
    July 26, 2012 at 7:46 am

    eset antivirus shows slym software vmware configuration backup.zip is virus. please check

  2. Peter says:
    February 20, 2013 at 12:52 am

    Hi Vladan

    Thanks for the tool tip. However I ran an issue with this backup tool. Hope you can help me. I am running Windows 7 and vcli 5.1. Thanks.

    *************************

    perl.exe – ordinal not found

    the ordinal 3873 could not be located in the dynamic link library libeay32.dll

    **********************

    Logging information

    2013-02-19 11:51:44 : Starting vSphere Configuration Backup version 1.5
    +++ ESXi to backup :
    +++ SQL Databases to backup : None
    +++ Backup folder : C:\vSphere-Backups\
    +++ Backups size : 0 B
    +++ Retention : 2-Weeks
    2013-02-19 11:51:44 : Retention is set to 2-Weeks (backups older than 2013/02/05 will be deleted)
    2013-02-19 11:51:44 : No backup found in folder C:\vSphere-Backups\
    2013-02-19 11:51:44 : Executing command cmd /c tools\get-esx-fullversion.pl “”
    2013-02-19 11:57:46 : ==> Result (exit code 255): Can’t load ‘C:/Program Files/VMware/VMware vSphere CLI/Perl/site/lib/auto/XML/LibXML/Common/Common.dll’ for module XML::LibXML::Common: load_file:The specified module could not be found at C:/Program Files/VMware/VMware vSphere CLI/Perl/lib/DynaLoader.pm line 230.
    at C:/Program Files/VMware/VMware vSphere CLI/Perl/site/lib/XML/LibXML.pm line 12
    Compilation failed in require at C:/Program Files/VMware/VMware vSphere CLI/Perl/site/lib/XML/LibXML.pm line 12.
    BEGIN failed–compilation aborted at C:/Program Files/VMware/VMware vSphere CLI/Perl/site/lib/XML/LibXML.pm line 12.
    Compilation failed in require at C:/Program Files/VMware/VMware vSphere CLI/Perl/lib/VMware/VICommon.pm line 11.
    BEGIN failed–compilation aborted at C:/Program Files/VMware/VMware vSphere CLI/Perl/lib/VMware/VICommon.pm line 11.
    Compilation failed in require at C:/Program Files/VMware/VMware vSphere CLI/Perl/lib/VMware/VIRuntime.pm line 15.
    Compilation failed in require at F:\vSphere Configuration Backup 1.5\vSphere Configuration Backup\tools\get-esx-fullversion.pl line 9.
    BEGIN failed–compilation aborted at F:\vSphere Configuration Backup 1.5\vSphere Configuration Backup\tools\get-esx-fullversion.pl line 9.
    2013-02-19 11:57:46 : ERROR : Could not connect to ‘vmware host ip’
    2013-02-19 11:57:46 : No SQL database to backup.
    2013-02-19 11:57:46 :
    —————————————–
    BACKUP FAILED : ESXi backups (0 success, 1 error(s))