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VMDK Recovery Tool (ESX 3.5 Update 3) (1007243)

Details

Purpose

Use the VMDK Recovery Tool to:

Create a “block list” of your VMDK files. The block list file is a plain text file that keeps a record of all VMDKs of the virtual machines.
Recover VMDK files if they become deleted, or if the VMFS datastore gets deleted or corrupted.

Limitations

The VMDK Recovery Tool is a utility VMware provides in ESX 3.5 Update 3 as experimental software.

Experimental means that the tool is not supported and might not work as expected in all customer environments.
The tool is not available for VMware ESXi products.
You cannot restore from multiple block list files.
This tool is not available beyond in VMware ESX 4.0 and above. For additional information, see the Storage subsection under Known Issues, in the ESX 4.0 Release Notes.

Solution

For this tool to work, you must keep a current block list of your virtual machines. You cannot recover VMDK files for which you do not have a block list.

To use the tool:

Log in to the service console and enter the vmfs-undelete command. Select option [b]. This lists all the virtual machines registered on your host.
Either select [99] to back up a vmdk blocklist of all the virtual machines, or select a number from the virtual machine list to back up a specific virtual machine.

While backing up, the tool prompts you to specify the filename to backup the data. You can either give an absolute path (the file is newly created by the tool) or it will be saved in the current working directory.

Sample session:

[root@esx11]# vmfs-undelete

########################################################
# VMFS Data Recovery and Backup #
# #
# This tool is NOT a replacement for regular backups #
# Please backup your data on a regular basis #
# There is absolutely no guarantee #
# Use at your own risk #
# #
# VMs with Raw Disks (virtual or physical) are #
# Not supported!!!! #
########################################################

--------------------------------------------------
Select [b]ackup, [r]estore [q] to quit: b
------------------------------------------

0 ) /vmfs/volumes/48b033a5-b8c3c297-424d-0019bbd51b56/Win2k3DC-64/Win2k3DC-64.vmx
1 ) /vmfs/volumes/48b033a5-b8c3c297-424d-0019bbd51b56/mandel-rhel3-32/mandel-rhel3-32.vmx
2 ) /vmfs/volumes/48da37be-22e0d1a4-b076-0019bbd51b56/spanis/spanis.vmx
3 ) /vmfs/volumes/48da37be-22e0d1a4-b076-0019bbd51b56/rhel4/rhel4.vmx
4 ) /vmfs/volumes/48da37be-22e0d1a4-b076-0019bbd51b56/spanfc/spanfc.vmx
5 ) /vmfs/volumes/48932bc1-a4b8a07e-ac22-0019bbd51b58/Win2k3DC-32/Win2k3DC-32.vmx
------------------------------------------

found 6 vms
Choose a VM to backup, [99] for all registered VMs or [q] to quit: 1
number of vms to backup 1
Ready to write to data to disk
Enter path and filename of where to save the recover log to:/back/test
________________________________________
working on VM: /vmfs/volumes/48b033a5-b8c3c297-424d-0019bbd51b56/mandel-rhel3-32/mandel-rhel3-32.vmx
Checking for VM Snapshots...
Creating Snapshot...
read block list for /vmfs/volumes/48b033a5-b8c3c297-424d-0019bbd51b56/restore/mandel-32.vmdk
removing snapshot....
Done......

--------------------------------------------------
Select [b]ackup, [r]estore [q] to quit: q

In the previous example, the user:

Is logged into the service console as root and enters the vmfs-undelete command.

[root@esx11]# vmfs-undelete
Presses the b key (for [b]ackup ), and then presses the Return key.

Select [b]ackup, [r]estore [q] to quit: b

Six virtual machines are listed from 0-5.
Enters 1 to back up the second virtual machine.

Choose a VM to backup, [99] for all registered VMs or [q] to quit: 1

(Instead, you can enter 99 to select all virtual machines in the list.)
Specifies /back/test as the location for the backup file.

Enter path and filename of where to save the recover log to:/back/test

The blocklist backup is completed without any errors and the /back/test file is created.
Enters q to quit the tool.

Select [b]ackup, [r]estore [q] to quit: q

To restore a VMDK file:

Run the tool and select [r] to restore the missing file.

Sample session:

[root@esx11 /]# vmfs-undelete

--------------------------------------------------
Select [b]ackup, [r]estore [q] to quit: r
enter file name to restore from: /back/test

----------------------------------------
1) /vmfs/volumes/48b033a5-b8c3c297-424d-0019bbd51b56/mandel-rhel3-32/mandel-rhel3-32.vmx

Found 1 VMs available to restore

select VM to restore [1 - 1] or 'q' to quit:1
Available VMDKs to restore:

----------------------------------------
1) /vmfs/volumes/48b033a5-b8c3c297-424d-0019bbd51b56/restore/mandel-32.vmdk

select VMDK to restore [1 - 1 ]: 1
1) /vmfs/volumes/spannedISCSI ------> [VMFS UUID: 48ad7ec0-e325a051-b085-0019bbd51b56]

2) /vmfs/volumes/esx11:storage1 ------> [VMFS UUID: 48ad95b7-a4fbcfd2-3ae5-0019bbd51b58]

3) /vmfs/volumes/datastore4 ------> [VMFS UUID: 48da37be-22e0d1a4-b076-0019bbd51b56]

4) /vmfs/volumes/100gb ------> [VMFS UUID: 48932bc1-a4b8a07e-ac22-0019bbd51b58]

5) /vmfs/volumes/spannedFC ------> [VMFS UUID: 48ada29d-e6f0dd4b-c312-0019bbd51b58]

6) /vmfs/volumes/templib ------> [VMFS UUID: 000a8416-362eaee8-b274-00145e5a474f]

select VMFS DataStore to restore to [1 - 6] : 4
Enter the directory to restore to: restore
/vmfs/volumes/100gb/restore already exists
Are you sure you want to restore to /vmfs/volumes/100gb/restore [y/n]: y
Enter the file name to restore to: [ex: recovered.vmdk]: test.vmdk
restoring VM: /vmfs/volumes/48b033a5-b8c3c297-424d-0019bbd51b56/mandel-rhel3-32/mandel-rhel3-32.vmx
Disk: /vmfs/volumes/48b033a5-b8c3c297-424d-0019bbd51b56/restore/mandel-32.vmdk
to : /vmfs/volumes/100gb/restore/test.vmdk

restoring data....

[==> 4%

In the previous example, the user:

Enters option r.

Select [b]ackup, [r]estore [q] to quit: r
Specifies the /back/test file to restore.

enter file name to restore from: /back/test

The virtual machine is listed from the backup file.

1) /vmfs/volumes/48b033a5-b8c3c297-424d-0019bbd51b56/mandel-rhel3-32/mandel-rhel3-32.vmx
Found 1 VMs available to restore

(If the 99 option were used to create the backup file, all virutal machines would be listed.)
Enters 1 to select the specific virtual machine.

select VM to restore [1 - 1] or 'q' to quit:1

All available datastores are listed.
Chooses 4 to save the restored vmdk.

select VMFS DataStore to restore to [1 - 6] : 4
Specifies the directory to restore to as "restore."

Enter the directory to restore to: restore
Enters y to confirm this choice. The directory is created automatically.

Are you sure you want to restore to /vmfs/volumes/100gb/restore [y/n]: y
Specifies test.vmdk as the restore filename for the vmdk.

Enter the file name to restore to: [ex: recovered.vmdk]: test.vmdk

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