vcsa-backup

Another VCSA Backup script using REST API written in PowerShell.

Getting Started

These instructions will get you a copy of the script. Executing the script through 2 main functions:

• Initiate a backup of the appliance and store the file ona FTP server
• Retrieve the backups status

See deployment for notes on how to deploy on a live system.

Prerequisites

This script was tested with PowerShell V5 and PowerShell V4.

Installing

A step by step serie.

Setup a FTP server and create creedntials for a user. The user must have the right to upload and create directory.

Create a new directory for convenience.

PS C:\Users\user1> mkdir vcsa-backup


    Directory: C:\Users\user1


Mode                LastWriteTime         Length Name
----                -------------         ------ ----
d-----       27/11/2017     08:44                vcsa-backup

Copy the dowloaded script (vcsa-backup.ps1) under the new directory

PS C:\Users\user1> copy .\Downloads\vcsa-backup.ps1 .\vcsa-backup\

PS C:\Users\user1> ls .\vcsa-backup\


    Directory: C:\Users\user1\vcsa-backup


Mode                LastWriteTime         Length Name
----                -------------         ------ ----
-a----       02/11/2017     17:03          17704 vcsa-backup.ps1

Copy the dowloaded JSON configuration file sample under the new directory. You could rename it with the appliance name for convenience, as one file is required per appliance to backup.

PS C:\Users\user1> copy .\Downloads\sample.json .\vcsa-backup\test-vcenter.json
PS C:\Users\user1> ls .\vcsa-backup\


    Directory: C:\Users\user1\vcsa-backup


Mode                LastWriteTime         Length Name
----                -------------         ------ ----
-a----       31/10/2017     16:02            249 test-vcenter.json
-a----       02/11/2017     17:03          17704 vcsa-backup.ps1

Running a test

As a test, execute the script without arguments and verify the output is the following

PS C:\Users\user1\vcsa-backup> .\vcsa-backup.ps1
Argument -f and existing configuration file name required
USAGE: vcsa-backup.ps1
      -f|--file <configuration file name>
      -o|--operation [backup | status [-m|--mail]]

Deployment

Edit the JSON configuration file copied in the Installing steps. Basically the required information are:

• Under "vCenter" section, fill hostname or IP address of the vCenter appliance and credentials
• Under the "Transfert" section, fill hostname or IP address of the FTP server and credentials
• Under the "SMTP" section, fill the hostname or IP address of the SMTP server, a sender mail address (example [email protected]) and a recipient mail address (comma separated if several mail addresses are required)

Running the script

To run a backup of an appliance, execute the script by adding the argument -f (or --file) with the configuration file name and the argument -o (or --operation) following by the keyword backup.

PS C:\Virtualization\VMware\vcsa-backup> .\vcsa-backup.ps1 -f .\test-vcenter.json -o backup

To get a backup status or sending mail with the backup status, execute the script by adding the argument -f (or --file) with the configuration file name and the argument -o (or --operation) following by the keyword status.

PS C:\Virtualization\VMware\vcsa-backup> .\vcsa-backup.ps1 -f .\test-venter.json -o status

ID                      Start Time               End Time                 Status    Progress %
--                      ----------               --------                 ------    ----------
20171127-130035-5705665 2017-11-25T13:01:03.667Z 2017-11-25T13:02:45.745Z SUCCEEDED        100
<....>
201702211-124430-5705665 2017-08-11T12:44:30.680Z 2017-08-11T12:45:04.856Z SUCCEEDED        100

If a status should be sent by mail, add -m (or --mail) argument after the keyword status.

PS C:\Virtualization\VMware\vcsa-backup> .\vcsa-backup.ps1 -f .\test-vcenter.json -o status -m

Authors

• Raphaël Tani

Acknowledgments

• I was initially inspired by this article https://www.brianjgraf.com/2016/11/18/vsphere-6-5-automate-vcsa-backup/ and would like to write my own script using REST API only without having to load VMware PowerShell module as pre-requisite.