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Chapter 8. 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 Enterprise 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 Enterprise Virtualization Ecosystem at Red Hat Marketplace.

8.1. 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 8.1. Backing Up a Virtual Machine

  1. Using the REST API, create a snapshot of the virtual machine to back up:
    Copy to Clipboard Toggle word wrap 
    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:
    Copy to Clipboard Toggle word wrap 
    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:
    Copy to Clipboard Toggle word wrap 
    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:
    Copy to Clipboard Toggle word wrap 
    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:
    Copy to Clipboard Toggle word wrap 
    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:
    Copy to Clipboard Toggle word wrap 
    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.
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