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How To KVM Backup and Restore in Linux

The document describes how to backup and restore KVM virtual machines in Linux using virsh commands. It explains how to backup the XML configuration file and disk image file by dumping the XML and copying the disk image. It then shows how to restore by deleting or undefining the XML, copying back the disk image, defining the XML again, and starting the virtual machine.

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Christopher Scannell
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234 views4 pages

How To KVM Backup and Restore in Linux

The document describes how to backup and restore KVM virtual machines in Linux using virsh commands. It explains how to backup the XML configuration file and disk image file by dumping the XML and copying the disk image. It then shows how to restore by deleting or undefining the XML, copying back the disk image, defining the XML again, and starting the virtual machine.

Uploaded by

Christopher Scannell
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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How to KVM Backup and Restore in Linux

techsoftcenter.com/how-to-kvm-backup-and-restore-in-linux/

fadıl October 17, 2019

By following the steps below, we’ll see how you can upload your KVM virtuals and return
them from the backup again.

1. Backup Import
First, let’s list our machines and see that they are operational. To do this, we use the
following command.

1 > virsh list –all

Then we close the VM we will install.

1 > virsh shutdown Ubuntu18

Then let’s list the machines again and see that they are turned off.

1 > virsh list –all

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Now let’s back up the machine (XML file) with the following command/method.

1 > virsh dumpxml Ubuntu18 > /MyBackup/Ubuntu18.xml

or

You can copy the corresponding XLM to the corresponding backup directory with the cp
command from the “/etc/libvirt/qemu” directory where the XML is stored in default.

Now let’s back up the disk file (qcow2) with the following command/method.

Copy the qcow2 f format disk file to /MyBackup. The default location of disk files is
under “/var/lib/libvirt/images/”.

or

> virsh domblklist Ubuntu18 command you can see where it is. You can copy it to your
backup folder with cp or scp (remote) command from the related place.

1 > cp /var/lib/libvirt/images/Ubuntu18.qcow2 /MyBackup/Ubuntu18.qcow2

Let’s list and see all our backups.

1 > ls -lash

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Note: You can do the backup process without turning off the machines, but it may be
healthy to turn it off and on despite errors or data loss. Of course, if the machine should
not be interrupted service, as I said VM opened backup can take.

2. Restore Making
Now let’s go back to the backup scenario. To do so, you can delete or undefine the XML.

1 > virsh undefine Ubuntu18

or

If the XML file containing the server properties is deleted and we list it, we can see that the
machine is gone.

1 > virsh list –all

Now let’s delete the disk (qcow2) file to perform the scenario.

1 > rm /var/lib/libvirt/images/Ubuntu18.qcow2

And we can start implementing the script. Let’s start the process of copying the disk
(qcow2) from the place we took the backup to where it should be.
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1 > cp /MyBackup/Ubuntu18.qcow2 /var/lib/libvirt/images/

After the copying process of the disk is finished, let’s make the XML file with the machine
properties available with the following command/method.

1 > virsh define –file /MyBackup/Ubuntu18.xml

or

Let the XML file containing the server properties be copied back to the directory.

Then start the VM and complete the process.

1 > virsh start Ubuntu18

I hope it has been a useful article.

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