PVE-zsync
Introduction
The Proxmox VE ZFS replication manager (pve-zsync) synchronize your virtual machine (virtual disks and VM configuration) or directory stored on ZFS between two servers. By doing this, you have a full copy of your virtual machine on the second host and you can start your virtual machines on the second server (in the case of the loss of the data on the first server).
By default, the tool is syncing every 15 minutes, but this is fully configurable via the integrated cron job setup. The configuration of pve-zsync can be done either on the source server but also on the target server.
This is also useful for advanced backup strategies.
Note: pve-zsync is introduced for Proxmox VE 3.4 as technology preview. The package can also installed on plain Debian Wheezy or Jessie servers, as long as ZFS is configured.
Main features
- Speed limiter
- Syncing interval can be set by cron
- Syncing VM (disks and config) but also ZFS Datasets
- Can keep multiple backups
- Can be use in both directions
- Can send on local host
- Traffic is encrypted
Limitations
- not possible to sync recursive
- only ssh for transfer
- email notification is done by cron
System requirements
- Both target- and source- server must support ZFS (best practice: use Proxmox VE hosts).
- SSH must be installed and configured
- to get email-notifications, a working mail server is required (e.g. postfix).
- cstream
- perl
- scp
Configuration and use
Install the package with apt, on your Proxmox VE host:
apt-get install pve-zsync
This tool need basically no configuration. On the the first usage, when you create a job with a unknown host, the tool will ask you about the password for the remote server.
Sync a VM or ZFS dataset one time
This is also possible if a recurring job exists, here you must have in mind that the naming must be the same.
root@zfs1:~# pve-zsync sync --source 100 --dest 192.168.1.2:tank/backup --verbose --maxsnap 2 --name test1 --limit 512
This command sync VM 100 witch is located on the server where the tool is called and sent it to the server 192.168.1.2 on the zpool tank which has an subset backup. the maxsnap tells, that it should be kept 2 backups, if there are more then 2 backups, the 3 one will be erased (sorted by creation time). Name is only reasonable, if there already a sync job. limit sets the speed limit what is used for syncing, here it would be 512 KBytes/s.
Create a recurring sync job
root@zfs1:~# pve-zsync create --source 192.168.1.2:100 --dest tank/backup --verbose --maxsnap 2 --name test1 --limit 512 --skip
The skip parameter disable the initial sync, what normally will be done immediately, but can take a wile, dependent on the size of the backup. The initial sync will be done at the first sync time.
Delete a recurring sync job
if you delete a job, the former backup data will not be erased only the config will be erased.
root@zfs1:~# pve-zsync destroy --source 192.168.1.2:100 --name test1
Name is not necessary if it is default.
Pause a sync job
If you want to pause a job, say maintenance the source server!
root@zfs1:~# pve-zsync disable --source 192.168.1.2:100 --name test1
Reactivate a sync job
to reactivate a job, because the job was paused or the job failed use.
root@zfs1:~# pve-zsync enable --source 192.168.1.2:100 --name test1
This will reset the error flag in case of failure.
Changing parameters
You can edit the configuration in /etc/cron.d/pve-zsync or destroy the job and create it new.
Information about the jobs
To get a overview about all jobs use:
root@zfs1:~# pve-zsync list SOURCE NAME STATE LAST SYNC TYPE 192.168.15.95:100 testing1 ok 2015-05-13_14:44:00 ssh 192.168.15.95:data/test1 testing1 syncing2015-05-13_14:44:11 ssh root@zfs1:~# pve-zsync status SOURCE NAME STATUS 192.168.15.95:100 testing1 ok 192.168.15.95:data/test1 testing1 syncing
Recovering an VM
You must recover the VM or dataset manually. (In one of the upcoming releases, the restore for Proxmox VE VM will be integrated).
Fist, stop the sync job for the VM or dataset in question.
NOTE: if not you can be interfere the sync job or your snapshot will removed before you are able to send it.
pve-zsync disable --source 192.168.15.95:100 --name testing1 pve-zsync list SOURCE NAME STATE LAST SYNC TYPE 192.168.15.95:100 testing1 stopped2015-06-12_11:03:01 ssh
Then you can send the VM or Dataset to the selected target. SSH is only needed if you send to a remote sever.
zfs send <pool>/[<path>/]vm-<VMID>-disk-<number>@<last_snapshot> | [ssh root@<destination>] zfs receive <pool>/<path>/vm-<VMID>-disk-<number>
If you have a VM you must also copy the config and you need to correct the virtual disk storage configuration accordingly.
cp /var/lib/pve-zsync/<VMID>.conf.rep_<JOB_NAME><VMID>_<TIMESTAMP> /etc/pve/qemu-server/<VMID>.conf
Example restore VM 100 with 2 disk on server 192.168.15.2 and change VMID from 100 to 200:
zfs send rpool/backup/vm-100-disk-1@rep_test100_2015-06-12_11:03:01 | ssh root@192.168.15.2 zfs receive vm/vm-200-disk-1 ssh root@192.168.15.2 cp /var/lib/pve-zsync/100.conf.rep_test100_2015-06-11_14:11:01 /etc/pve/qemu-server/200.conf nano /etc/pve/qemu-server/200.conf
Now you have to change the storage path:
bootdisk: virtio0 cores: 1 memory: 512 name: Debian8min net0: virtio=12:5E:F6:59:A9:BB,bridge=vmbr0 numa: 0 ostype: l26 smbios1: uuid=11fa2fba-5670-4610-aabb-534ad7edeffe sockets: 1 virtio0: zfs:vm-100-disk-1,size=10G virtio1: zfs:vm-100-disk-2,size=10G
to
bootdisk: virtio0 cores: 1 memory: 512 name: Debian8min net0: virtio=12:5E:F6:59:A9:BB,bridge=vmbr0 numa: 0 ostype: l26 smbios1: uuid=11fa2fba-5670-4610-aabb-534ad7edeffe sockets: 1 virtio0: vm:vm-200-disk-1,size=10G virtio1: vm:vm-200-disk-2,size=10G
Troubelshooting
tbd.