Working with the REDO file in the Service Console

It is possible to commit the REDO file from the Service Console using command-line tools. This is useful if you have a virtual disk mode of append and you do not wish to convert the disk from Append to Undoable. Just make the dialog box options above appear. You can use either the vmware-cmd or vmkfstools commands.
 
The vmkfstools method can only be used if the Virtual Machine is powered off. The vmware-cmd method can be used with switches to do online commitment of the REDO file.

With advanced methods you can create a REDO of the REDO – this allows online backups of both the Virtual Disk and the REDO file. Remember though, that VMware recommends persistent mode for production VM’s.

The vmkfstools Method – Offline

  1. Shutdown the Virtual Machine
  2. Logon to the Service Console with a VM Administrator account

  3. Type:

    vmkfstools -m /vmfs/local/csg1.vmdk.REDO

  4. Choose Yes

    Note:
    The system will print ****** characters to show you the progress of the procedure  

The vmware-cmd Method – Online

  1. Logon to the Service Console with a VM Administrator account

  2. Type:

    vmware-cmd /home/lavericm/csg1/csg1.vmx commit scsi0:0 0 0 1

    Note:
    scsi0:0 is the first disk

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  1. on the first SCSI controller – i.e. my boot disk. The vmware-cmd command supports three options

    The three parameters relate to:

    Control Level: 
    which REDO files you wish to commit

    Freeze:
    Temporarily halt the virtual machine while committing REDO

    Wait: 
    If a process runs, redo process waits for that to complete before applying REDO

    0 0 1 – which allows committing of the REDO file while the server is powered up. This is slower 

    0 1 0 – which allows committing of the REDO file while the server is powered down, which is much faster

 

This was first published in July 2005

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