Setup Guide

Best Practices 69

Create a

Scheduled Task

. In the

Run

field, enter the path to the batch file,

followed by the hostname or IP address, username, and password. For

example:

c:\backup\backup.bat 172.17.40.70 root

rootpassword

Enter the directory you created in step 1 in the “Start in” field.

Using Storage Array Snapshots for LVM-Based

Storage Repositories

Using storage array snapshot features available on the Dell™ PowerVault™

MD3000, MD3000i and Dell EqualLogic

storage arrays, a point in time

copy of the LVM-based storage repositories can be taken for tasks such as

backup, data mining, reporting, testing software upgrades, etc., in the virtual

machines (VMs). A typical operation involves taking a snapshot of the storage

repository (SR), backing up the VM(s) metadata on an SR on the primary

Citrix

XenServer

Dell™ Edition host, attaching the snapshot to a

secondary XenServer host, and restoring the VM(s) metadata on the

secondary host. A snapshot restore operation can also be performed to go back

to a previous known good state.

NOTE: XenServer 5.0 includes the ability to create snapshots at the VM level.

• A Xen VSS provider included as part of Citrix XenTools

enables quiesced

VM snapshots. Quiesced VM snapshots are only supported for Dell EqualLogic

PS Series arrays and Dell EqualLogic storage repositories.

• Quiesced snapshots take advantage of the Microsoft

Windows

Volume

Snapshot Service (VSS) for services that support it so that a supported

application (for example, Microsoft

Exchange

or Microsoft SQL Server

)

can flush data to disk and prepare for the snapshot before it is taken. For more

information on creating and managing VM snapshots, see the XenServer 5.0

Reference Manual available on the Citrix XenServer Dell Edition website at

citrix.com/xenserver/dell.

With varying degree of impact on file system and application consistency and

service availability, snapshot operations on an SR can be executed in

essentially three ways: