Re: [Vserver] One More Time - copy a Guest from system to system

From: Roderick A. Anderson <raanders_at_acm.org>
Date: Tue 10 Jul 2007 - 22:30:47 BST
Message-ID: <4693FA87.7020005@acm.org>

Chuck wrote:
> On Tuesday 10 July 2007 14:01, Roderick A. Anderson wrote:
>> I've been all through the Wiki and old docs, searched using Google,
>> looked through my _OLD_ messages (back to 2003) and still can't come up
>> with a well defined method to copy a (running if possible) vserver guest
>> from one system to another.
>>
>> From my reading I think I need to build the _new_ guest 'mynewone'
>> using the skeleton method. Then rm all the files in /vserver/mynewone
>> and follow that with a rsync from the _old_ guest to the _new_ guest.
>> Unfortunately the vserver docs are from the CTX kernels. A vserver
>> --help gets a semi-useful help screen. Any newer docs?
>>
>> What special rsync switches do I need or use to make this process
>> doable? As in it is a running guest that I'd prefer not taking down
>> until the actual move I'm sure /proc and maybe /dev could cause problems.
>>
>> The need for the hot copy is because the _old_ guest has a big pile of
>> installed perl modules and _other_ software packages. It would be
>> easier to copy than (re)install them. :-)
>>
>

Thanks Chuck.

Right now we trust in our good karma so there are no backups like this. 8-(

> i don't even bother creating the destination vserver if it will be a mirror of
> the original, i simply rsync /etc/vservers/* and /vservers/*.

I do like the copy of /etc/vservers/<guest>. I'm working my way through
getting the new _copy_ to behave like the old. Since the build method
was rsync several bits of functionality that I get with a build method
of yum are not there. Such as using yum. Plus my usual build scripts
took care of putting in apps/vunify, /apps/init/mark, etc.
>
> we do that every 6 hours to update files that have changed, or add new guests
> with no problems. you will see 'file vanished before copy' and 'ignoring
> socket' errors, but they are nothing.
>
> we use rsync -a --perms --delete <and the rest of the copy line>
>
> if i install a new guest, when i wake it is on the mirror server ready to go.
> and yes i have tested the new copies and they run as perfectly as the
> original ones.

Sounds good.

Rod

-- 
> 
> 
>> Thanks for any help on this,
>> Rod
>> -- 
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>>
> 
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Received on Tue Jul 10 22:33:44 2007
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