libvirt users - Sep 2015 - Backup a VM (using live external snapshot and blockcommit)

Hi.

I'm following here a conversation that was initiated on Kashyap's
website [1].

We have a server we use as a host for virtual machines using KVM
(virt-manager used for VM creation) and we would like to setup VM
backups. Basically, we're thinking of a backup schedule like "keep 7
daily and 4 weekly backups". We'd rather not shutdown the VM every day
so live backups would be nice.

I've been doing my best with documentation found on the Internet. It is
likely that the path I chose was not the best, so feel free to tell me
if I'm asking the wrong questions and I should be proceeding totally
differently.

AFAIU, backups can be done at filesystem level (using LVM) and at
virtualization level (using libvirt). We chose the libvirt way.

AFAIU, live backups using libvirt may be done thanks to blockcommit as
explained here on the wiki [2].

-> Considering our use case, is this the recommended way?

Assuming yes, here is the plan.

I wrote a script that does  

# Create snapshot
virsh snapshot-create-as --domain $VM_NAME snap --diskspec
vda,file=$VM_DIR/"$VM_NAME"-snap.qcow2 --disk-only --atomic
--no-metadata --quiesce

# Copy frozen backing file
cp $VM_DIR/"$VM_NAME".qcow2 $SNAP_FILEPATH

# Blockcommit snapshot back into backing file
virsh blockcommit $VM_NAME vda --active --pivot

# Remove snapshot file
rm $VM_DIR/"$VM_NAME"-snap.qcow2

Variables should be self-explanatory: 
- VM_DIR is the directory where the VM are stored
- VM_NAME is the name of the VM, and its qcow2 file is called
VM_NAME.qcow2
- SNAP_FILEPATH is the full path (including name) where the backup
should be created

Using this scheme, we only keep snapshots for the time of the VM file
copy, which is less than a minute. The backing chain is at most 'back <-
snap', and most of the time just 'back'.

If something ever happens to the VM (human error while being logged as
root, attack from the internet,...), we'll turn off the VM, replace its
qcow2 file and turn it back on.

I understand that this method only saves disk states, so the VM will be
started as if it had been powered-off suddenly while running (not quite:
thanks to the '--quiesce' option, at least the disks are in a sane
state). Not perfect but better than nothing. Those backups are meant to
be used only when all else failed, anyway, it's not daily use.

-> Does this make sense? Am I missing a feature or even a different
approach that would make things simpler or more secure? Am I using
libvirt snapshots for what they're not meant to?

-> Anything wrong about my snapshot-create-as and blockcommit command
lines? May I remove the snapshot with only a rm command?

Now, a few side questions, as I might have messed up with the VM I was
experimenting with.

I used the same command lines as described above, except I didn't pass
the '--no-metadata' option. Once the backing file was copied, I deleted
the snapshot qcow2 file and thought I was done with it, until I realized
the snapshot was still listed by virsh snapshot-list. And I couldn't
find a way to delete it. (For the record, I asked on serverfault about
that [3].)

Ultimately, I found the snapshot's .xml descriptor and deleted it (in
fact, moved it) while libvirtd was down. Now, the snapshot is not listed
anymore.

-> Am I getting away with it? Are there still some traces about that
snapshot? Is my VM in an unsafe state? Anything I should do about it?

-> What would be the proper way of dropping an external snapshot that
was created without the '--no-metadata' option, then blockcommitted? I
understand libvirt doesn't do it yet.

Thanks for any hint. I naively thought our use case was pretty usual,
and I must admit I didn't think I'd have to dive into this complexity,
which is why I'm thinking there might be a more "common" way...

[1]
http://kashyapc.com/2014/10/07/libvirt-blockcommit-shorten-disk-image-chain-by-live-merging-the-current-active-disk-content
[2]
http://wiki.libvirt.org/page/Live-disk-backup-with-active-blockcommit
[3]
http://serverfault.com/questions/721216/delete-orphan-libvirt-snapshot

-- 
Jérôme

On 09/11/2015 06:45 AM, Jérôme wrote:
> AFAIU, live backups using libvirt may be done thanks to blockcommit as
> explained here on the wiki [2].
> 
> -> Considering our use case, is this the recommended way?
Yes, using active block-commit is the ideal way to perform a live backup.
> 
> Assuming yes, here is the plan.
> 
> I wrote a script that does  
> 
> # Create snapshot
> virsh snapshot-create-as --domain $VM_NAME snap --diskspec
> vda,file=$VM_DIR/"$VM_NAME"-snap.qcow2 --disk-only --atomic
> --no-metadata --quiesce
> 
> # Copy frozen backing file
> cp $VM_DIR/"$VM_NAME".qcow2 $SNAP_FILEPATH
> 
> # Blockcommit snapshot back into backing file
> virsh blockcommit $VM_NAME vda --active --pivot
> 
> # Remove snapshot file
> rm $VM_DIR/"$VM_NAME"-snap.qcow2
Yep, that about covers it.  Note that the --quiesce step in snapshot
creation requires qemu-guest-agent running in the guest, and that you
trust interaction with your guest.

> I understand that this method only saves disk states, so the VM will be
> started as if it had been powered-off suddenly while running (not quite:
> thanks to the '--quiesce' option, at least the disks are in a sane
> state). Not perfect but better than nothing. Those backups are meant to
> be used only when all else failed, anyway, it's not daily use.
Yep.
> 
> -> Does this make sense? Am I missing a feature or even a different
> approach that would make things simpler or more secure? Am I using
> libvirt snapshots for what they're not meant to?
No, you're spot on for one of the useful use cases of snapshots.
> 
> -> Anything wrong about my snapshot-create-as and blockcommit command
> lines? May I remove the snapshot with only a rm command?
Looks correct to me, and matches my recent KVM Forum slides:
http://events.linuxfoundation.org/sites/events/files/slides/2015-qcow2-expanded.pdf
> 
> Now, a few side questions, as I might have messed up with the VM I was
> experimenting with.
> 
> I used the same command lines as described above, except I didn't pass
> the '--no-metadata' option. Once the backing file was copied, I
deleted
> the snapshot qcow2 file and thought I was done with it, until I realized
> the snapshot was still listed by virsh snapshot-list. And I couldn't
> find a way to delete it. (For the record, I asked on serverfault about
> that [3].)
virsh snapshot-delete --metadata $dom $badname

to remove $badname snapshot that no longer exists because you changed
things behind the scenes.
> 
> Ultimately, I found the snapshot's .xml descriptor and deleted it (in
> fact, moved it) while libvirtd was down. Now, the snapshot is not listed
> anymore.
> 
> -> Am I getting away with it? Are there still some traces about that
> snapshot? Is my VM in an unsafe state? Anything I should do about it?
Directly manipulating .xml files behind libvirt's back is not ideal;
better is to use libvirt APIs (the way snapshot-delete --metadata does).
> 
> -> What would be the proper way of dropping an external snapshot that
> was created without the '--no-metadata' option, then
blockcommitted? I
> understand libvirt doesn't do it yet.
> 
> Thanks for any hint. I naively thought our use case was pretty usual,
> and I must admit I didn't think I'd have to dive into this
complexity,
> which is why I'm thinking there might be a more "common"
way...
Nope, right now, there is still some user burden rather than a
one-command-does-it-all virsh wrapper.  But fortunately it is not too
bad (you proved it is scriptable), and you discovered the correct
sequencing.

-- 
Eric Blake   eblake redhat com    +1-919-301-3266
Libvirt virtualization library http://libvirt.org

Hi Eric.

Thank you so much for your quick and relieving answer.

Le 2015-09-11 17:05, Eric Blake a écrit :
> Yes, using active block-commit is the ideal way to perform a live backup.
Great.
> Yep, that about covers it.  Note that the --quiesce step in snapshot
> creation requires qemu-guest-agent running in the guest, and that you
> trust interaction with your guest.
Yes, I think I get this. I don't really figure out what these cases
could be. We're using Debian Jessie and I installed qemu-guest-agent.
Other VM could use other systems, but most likely Linux based.

Do you mean that, in cases where you shouldn't trust the guest, using
'--quiesce' might end up being worse than nothing? Or just useless?
 
>> -> Anything wrong about my snapshot-create-as and blockcommit
command
>> lines? May I remove the snapshot with only a rm command?
> 
> Looks correct to me, and matches my recent KVM Forum slides:
>
http://events.linuxfoundation.org/sites/events/files/slides/2015-qcow2-expanded.pdf
I'll have a look at these, thanks.
 
>> Now, a few side questions, as I might have messed up with the VM I was
>> experimenting with.
>>
>> I used the same command lines as described above, except I didn't
pass
>> the '--no-metadata' option. Once the backing file was copied, I
deleted
>> the snapshot qcow2 file and thought I was done with it, until I
realized
>> the snapshot was still listed by virsh snapshot-list. And I
couldn't
>> find a way to delete it. (For the record, I asked on serverfault about
>> that [3].)
> 
> virsh snapshot-delete --metadata $dom $badname
> 
> to remove $badname snapshot that no longer exists because you changed
> things behind the scenes.
Before removing the .xml file, I tried the command indicated in the wiki
[1] with no success.

"NOTE-2: Optionally, you can also supply '--no-metadata' option to
tell
libvirt to not track the snapshot metadata -- this is useful currently
as at a later point when you merge snapshot files, then you have to
explicitly clean the libvirt metadata (by invoking: virsh
snapshot-delete vm1 --delete --current -- repeat this as needed.)"

Shouldn't the 

    virsh snapshot-delete vm1 --delete --current

be rephrased as 

    virsh snapshot-delete vm1 --metadata --current 

?

I see '--delete' is not listed in the man.

Or even

    virsh snapshot-delete vm1 --metadata $badname

since after the blockcommit, the snapshot is unused, I'm not sure it is
considered current.

Anyway, I'm glad you confirm I now have the correct sequence.

Thanks again.

Enjoy the WE.

[1]
http://wiki.libvirt.org/page/Live-disk-backup-with-active-blockcommit

-- 
Jérôme