xenserver backup scenario + how to (help)

[amfony]

hi Gang,

I have 2 wonderful dl380's to use for virtualisation project for a new campus and have decided to install Citrix Xen Server on both (5.6 sp2).

one of the servers (virtual hosts) will be sitting static to provide a poor mans DR (not fault tolerance) via a backup process of nightly or weekly backing up the VM's from VM Host A to VM Host B. Where upon issue with VM on live host A i would start up VM on host B and take down VM on host A.

What i am after is how do i actually do this? i know that xen has poor 3rd party backup options and i know scripting seems to be the glue to everything in xen. I was wondering if anyone had experience with this or could suggest anything here?

thanks in advance

[andrew-virtusolve]

If you have a method of replicating your storage (which I guess you probably don't) then you could use Pool Replication described in this document

For a third party option, PHD is really the only one out there of any note
Citrix XenServer Backup Software - Backup XenServer - XenServer Backup Solutions

This is the problem with Xen Server, its a fantastic product, will install on almost any tin and has loads of free enterprise features, but there just isn't the footprint or support out there with the third party vendors :-(

Alternatively, shift to VMware (look for the essentials packages), then you can use Quest vRanger or Veeam or alternatively shift to Hyper-V and wait for Veeam v6

[amfony]

andrew thank you very much mate. im suprised to hear that xen has such little third party support. Im not sure the market share percentage but id gather there is enough to warrant such backup solutions.

also suprised to see there is not native functions to address this, not even with platinum support if i read correctly.

[morganw]

You could use the free version of Alike to backup one XenServer to another Windows server. You can pay them for a licence to back up multiple XenServers to the same Windows Server or you can just run two Windows servers for backups installing the free version of Alike on each one.