4 4 3:Citrix XenServer Backup

Overview

SEP sesam provides efficient data protection for virtual machines (VMs) running on a Citrix XenServer. Virtual machine-consistent backup requests a snapshot of the VM. After creation, the snapshot is exported to a SEP sesam backup medium. VSS writers on Windows VMs are notified before snapshot creation, so all VSS aware applications like MS SQL are brought into a consistent state.

Backing up the VMs and Xen templates

Create a new backup task for the Citrix Xen client containing the virtual machines. When backing up a Citrix XenServer, you can perform a hot (online) or cold (offline) backup of one VM per task.

1. From Main Selection -> Tasks -> By clients, select Citrix client and click New backup task. The New backup task window opens.
2. As backup Source specify the display name of the virtual machine. The VM can be selected with the client file system browser under Citrix XenServer. By selecting the source, the backup type and task name are set automatically.

You can also get the name from Xen center or on the XenServer by executing command: xe vm-list

	Note
	You can only configure one VM per backup task.

3. The following additional options pre/post backup and restore commands, set encryption or compress data are not functional for the backup type Citrix XEN. You can consolidate individual tasks under a specific task group, assign a task to the schedule), click the corresponding tabs in the New backup task window.


4. Click OK to create the task.
5. If you want to start the newly created task immediately, right-click the name of the task and click Immediate start. If you want to schedule the task, click New schedule under Main Selection -> Scheduling -> Schedules.



	Tip
	You can also add your backup task to an existing schedule by double-clicking the backup task, selecting the tab Schedules and adding it to one or more schedules.

6. Once you have configured a schedule, you must create a new backup event for it. Go to Main Selection -> Scheduling -> New Backup Event, click the Parameter tab and select COPY backup from the Backup Type drop-down list.

	Note
	COPY is the only supported backup level type for SEP sesam Citirix Xen clients.

The backup is done online. If XenServer tools are installed on VM, VSS-Writers are executed before making the snapshot.

For details about backup configuration, see Standard Backup Procedure.

Metadata backup

Backup includes the XenServer pool database and the needed metadata of the pool.

Create a new backup task for the Xen master.

1. From Main Selection -> Tasks -> By clients, select Citrix client and click New backup task. The New backup task window opens.
2. As backup Source type in meta-data. By selecting the source, the backup type and task name are set automatically.
3. If you want to add a comment, enter it in the Comment field.
   Click OK to create the task.

	Note
	Citrix recommends to run the metadata backup via the Citrix native backup options as often as necessary.

Host data backup

This is a file backup of the Xen hypervisor without the VMs. This is required in special cases for the Citrix support. You cannot recover this host backup directly via SEP sesam back to the hypervisor.

Create a new backup task for each Xen host.

1. From Main Selection -> Tasks -> By clients, select Citrix client and click New backup task. The New backup task window opens.
2. As backup Source type in host-backup. By selecting the source, the backup type and task name are set automatically.
3. If you want to add a comment, enter it in the Comment field.
   Click OK to create the task.