[libvirt-users] XML file format for snapshot-create

[Eric Blake]

On 10/12/2011 11:30 AM, Trey Dockendorf wrote:
> I've created a very basic snapshot XML file, to allow for a description of
> the snapshot.  However when running the virsh command, it doesn't like the
> formatting.
>
> # virsh snapshot-create proxy_0 /vmstore/proxy_0/proxy_0_ss.xml
> error: XML description for failed to parse snapshot xml document is not well
> formed or invalid

That's because:

>
>
> This are the XML file contents...
>
> # cat proxy_0_ss.xml
> <domainsnapshot>
>    <name></name>

If <name> is present, it must not be empty.

>    <description>Before updating to CR repo</desciption>
> </domainsnapshot>

If you want libvirt to generate the name for you, then omit <name>; 
otherwise, provide a non-empty name alongside your description.

>
> I'm running libvirt-0.8.7 on CentOS 6 x86_64.  I can take snapshots just
> fine without defining the XML file, but I'd like to be able to add a
> description.

Newer libvirt also has:

virsh snapshot-create-as --description 'Before updating to CR repo' proxy_0

which creates the XML for you, and thus is a bit easier to use.  Alas, 
that would mean you'd have to upgrade.

-- 
Eric Blake   eblake at redhat.com    +1-801-349-2682
Libvirt virtualization library http://libvirt.org