[libvirt-users] KVM incremental backup using CBT

[Kashyap Chamarthy]

On Fri, Oct 10, 2014 at 07:32:06PM -0600, Eric Blake wrote:
> On 10/10/2014 11:37 AM, Jd wrote:
> > Hi
> >     Looking in to implementing (CBT like) delta backup for KVM.
> 
> Not quite sure what you mean by CBT.
> 
> > 
> >     The following looks promising..(last paragraph)
> >      http://wiki.qemu.org/Features/Snapshots2
> > 
> 
> Libvirt hasn't yet been patched to take advantage of all the latest qemu
> features.  Patches are welcome.  But libvirt already knows how to create
> external snapshots and do blockpull (backing files pulled into the
> active image so the backing isn't needed any more) and commit (active
> files pushed into the backing files), and even though it is not as
> full-featured as where we'd like to get, it can already do quite a bit.

To expand an example of what Eric wrote here about external snapshots,
some commands to try:

1. Check the current acitve disk image in use:

    $ virsh domblklist vm1


2. Create an external live snapshot:

    $ virsh snapshot-create-as --domain vm1 sn1 \
        --diskspec vda,file=/export/images/sn1.qcow2 \
        --disk-only --atomic --no-metadata

    Note (thanks Eric Blake): Above, if you have QEMU guest agent
    installed in your virtual machine, try --quiesce option with
    'snapshot-create-as' to ensure you have a consistent disk state.

    Now, you have a disk image chain:
    
        base <-sn1 (live QEMU)


3. Take a backup of the original disk in backround:

    $ rsync -avh --progress /export/images/base.img \
        /export/images/copy.img


4. Commit the sn1 contents back into base:

    $ virsh blockcommit vm1 vda --active --verbose --pivot

    Now, the chain is: 
    
        base (live QEMU) 

    with contents from sn1 live committed into base.


5.  Check the current acitve disk image in use again:

    $ virsh domblklist vm1


-- 
/kashyap