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13.2. Backing Up and Restoring Virtual Machines Using the Backup and Restore API

13.2.1. The Backup and Restore API

The backup and restore API is a collection of functions that allows you to perform full or file-level backup and restoration of virtual machines. The API combines several components of Red Hat Virtualization, such as live snapshots and the REST API, to create and work with temporary volumes that can be attached to a virtual machine containing backup software provided by an independent software provider.
For supported third-party backup vendors, consult the Red Hat Virtualization Ecosystem at Red Hat Marketplace.

Note

For information on how to work with the REST API, see The Backup and Restore API in the REST API Guide.

13.2.2. Backing Up a Virtual Machine

Use the backup and restore API to back up a virtual machine. This procedure assumes you have two virtual machines: the virtual machine to back up, and a virtual machine on which the software for managing the backup is installed.

Procedure 13.6. Backing Up a Virtual Machine

  1. Using the REST API, create a snapshot of the virtual machine to back up:
    POST /api/vms/11111111-1111-1111-1111-111111111111/snapshots/ HTTP/1.1
    Accept: application/xml
    Content-type: application/xml
    
    <snapshot>
        <description>BACKUP</description>
    </snapshot>

    Note

    When you take a snapshot of a virtual machine, a copy of the configuration data of the virtual machine as at the time the snapshot was taken is stored in the data attribute of the configuration attribute in initialization under the snapshot.

    Important

    You cannot take snapshots of disks that are marked as shareable or that are based on direct LUN disks.
  2. Retrieve the configuration data of the virtual machine from the data attribute under the snapshot:
    GET /api/vms/11111111-1111-1111-1111-111111111111/snapshots/11111111-1111-1111-1111-111111111111 HTTP/1.1
    Accept: application/xml
    Content-type: application/xml
  3. Identify the disk ID and snapshot ID of the snapshot:
    GET /api/vms/11111111-1111-1111-1111-111111111111/snapshots/11111111-1111-1111-1111-111111111111/disks HTTP/1.1
    Accept: application/xml
    Content-type: application/xml
  4. Attach the snapshot to the backup virtual machine and activate the disk:
    POST /api/vms/22222222-2222-2222-2222-222222222222/disks/ HTTP/1.1
    Accept: application/xml
    Content-type: application/xml
    
    <disk id="11111111-1111-1111-1111-111111111111">
        <snapshot id="11111111-1111-1111-1111-111111111111"/>
        <active>true</active>
    </disk>
    
  5. Use the backup software on the backup virtual machine to back up the data on the snapshot disk.
  6. Detach the snapshot disk from the backup virtual machine:
    DELETE /api/vms/22222222-2222-2222-2222-222222222222/disks/11111111-1111-1111-1111-111111111111 HTTP/1.1
    Accept: application/xml
    Content-type: application/xml
    
    <action>
        <detach>true</detach>
    </action>
    
  7. Optionally, delete the snapshot:
    DELETE /api/vms/11111111-1111-1111-1111-111111111111/snapshots/11111111-1111-1111-1111-111111111111 HTTP/1.1
    Accept: application/xml
    Content-type: application/xml
You have backed up the state of a virtual machine at a fixed point in time using backup software installed on a separate virtual machine.

13.2.3. Restoring a Virtual Machine

Restore a virtual machine that has been backed up using the backup and restore API. This procedure assumes you have a backup virtual machine on which the software used to manage the previous backup is installed.

Procedure 13.7. Restoring a Virtual Machine

  1. In the Administration Portal, create a floating disk on which to restore the backup. See Section 11.6.1, “Creating Floating Virtual Disks” for details on how to create a floating disk.
  2. Attach the disk to the backup virtual machine:
    POST /api/vms/22222222-2222-2222-2222-222222222222/disks/ HTTP/1.1
    Accept: application/xml
    Content-type: application/xml
    
    <disk id="11111111-1111-1111-1111-111111111111">
    </disk>
    
  3. Use the backup software to restore the backup to the disk.
  4. Detach the disk from the backup virtual machine:
    DELETE /api/vms/22222222-2222-2222-2222-222222222222/disks/11111111-1111-1111-1111-111111111111 HTTP/1.1
    Accept: application/xml
    Content-type: application/xml
    
    <action>
        <detach>true</detach>
    </action>
    
  5. Create a new virtual machine using the configuration data of the virtual machine being restored:
    POST /api/vms/ HTTP/1.1
    Accept: application/xml
    Content-type: application/xml
    
    <vm>
        <cluster>
            <name>cluster_name</name>
        </cluster>
        <name>NAME</name>
        ...
    </vm>
  6. Attach the disk to the new virtual machine:
    POST /api/vms/33333333-3333-3333-3333-333333333333/disks/ HTTP/1.1
    Accept: application/xml
    Content-type: application/xml
    
    <disk id="11111111-1111-1111-1111-111111111111">
    </disk>
    
You have restored a virtual machine using a backup that was created using the backup and restore API.