Snapshot – BAFM

We’re currently thinking about automating Windows Updates and the involved disaster snapshot-copy to a degree, where we don’t need to intervene anymore.

Right now, we already have a rudimentary scheduler in place, which does the reboots for some (200 ..) systems already. Now, we’d like to extend it to also cover the bi-weekly Windows Update spree.

Since PowerShell (and PowerCLI) work quite well with vSphere automation, I cooked up the below script to first shutdown a virtual machine (for snapshot consistency reasons), then take a snapshot and power on the virtual machine again afterwards.

# LICENSE:     GNU General Public License v2
# COPYRIGHT:   Copyright 2010 Christian Heim 

if ($args.length -lt 1) {
    Write-Host
    Write-Host &quot;  OfflineSnapshot.ps1 &quot;
    Write-Host
    Write-Host &quot;       - Name of the virtual machine.&quot;
    Write-Host &quot;                  Please be aware: This script uses the supplied name to shutdown a virtual machine.&quot;
    Write-Host &quot;                  Make sure, that a) the name is unique before using this script and b) don&#039;t blame me&quot;
    Write-Host
    exit 1
}

$vcenter = &quot;vcenter.home.barfoo.org&quot;

# Add the VI-Snapin if it isn&#039;t loaded already
if ( (Get-PSSnapin -Name &quot;VMware.VimAutomation.Core&quot; -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue) -eq $null )
{
    Add-PSSnapin -Name &quot;VMware.VimAutomation.Core&quot;
}

Connect-VIServer -server $vcenter &gt;$NULL 2&gt;&amp;1

$VMname = $args[0]
$VMname = &quot;$VMname*&quot;
$VM = Get-VM $VMname

Shutdown-VMGuest -VM $VM -Confirm:$false &gt;$NULL 2&gt;&amp;1
$VM = Get-VM $VMname

# Need to loop here, since Shutdown-VMGuest is asynchronous, meaning it returns after
# the command has been sent, instead of returning when the VM is powered off!
While ($VM.PowerState -ne &quot;PoweredOff&quot;) {
    Start-Sleep -Seconds 5
    $VM = Get-VM $VMname
}

$fulltime = Get-Date -f &quot;F&quot;
$VM | New-Snapshot -Name ( Get-Date -f &quot;d&quot; ) -Description &quot;Automatic snapshot for Windows-Updates, dated $fulltime&quot; &gt;$NULL
Start-Sleep -Seconds 5 &gt;$NULL
Start-VM -VM $VM -Confirm:$false &gt;$NULL

# LICENSE: GNU General Public License v2

if ($args.length -lt 1) {

Write-Host

Write-Host " OfflineSnapshot.ps1 "

Write-Host

Write-Host " - Name of the virtual machine."

Write-Host " Please be aware: This script uses the supplied name to shutdown a virtual machine."

Write-Host " Make sure, that a) the name is unique before using this script and b) don't blame me"

Write-Host

exit 1

}

$vcenter = "vcenter.home.barfoo.org"

# Add the VI-Snapin if it isn't loaded already

if ( (Get-PSSnapin -Name "VMware.VimAutomation.Core" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue) -eq $null )

{

Add-PSSnapin -Name "VMware.VimAutomation.Core"

}

Connect-VIServer -server $vcenter >$NULL 2>&1

$VMname = $args[0]

$VMname = "$VMname*"

$VM = Get-VM $VMname

Shutdown-VMGuest -VM $VM -Confirm:$false >$NULL 2>&1

$VM = Get-VM $VMname

# Need to loop here, since Shutdown-VMGuest is asynchronous, meaning it returns after

# the command has been sent, instead of returning when the VM is powered off!

While ($VM.PowerState -ne "PoweredOff") {

Start-Sleep -Seconds 5

$VM = Get-VM $VMname

}

$fulltime = Get-Date -f "F"

$VM | New-Snapshot -Name ( Get-Date -f "d" ) -Description "Automatic snapshot for Windows-Updates, dated $fulltime" >$NULL

Start-Sleep -Seconds 5 >$NULL

Start-VM -VM $VM -Confirm:$false >$NULL

Well, PowerCLI makes my life a little bit easier. Believe it or not, each of us vCenter infrastructure admins has one of these: a Windows admin, thinking a snapshot is also a backup. Thankfully, Alan Renouf over at virtu-al.net wrote the SnapReminder, which already helped me a lot! However, occasionally the script isn’t finding the snapshot author (for whatever reason).

Since I want a notification in that case, I modified the script a little bit to suit my needs.

# - SnapReminder V1.0 By Virtu-Al - http://virtu-al.net
#
# Please use the below variables to define your settings before use
#
$smtpServer = &quot;smtp.home.barfoo.org&quot;
$MailFrom = &quot;vcenter@barfoo.org&quot;
$adminmail = &quot;christian.heim@barfoo.org&quot;
$VISRV = &quot;vcenter.home.barfoo.org&quot;

# Add the VI-Snapin if it isn&#039;t loaded already
if ( (Get-PSSnapin -Name &quot;VMware.VimAutomation.Core&quot; -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue) -eq $null )
{
    Add-PSSnapin -Name &quot;VMware.VimAutomation.Core&quot;
}

function Find-User ($username){
    if ($username -ne $null)
    {
        $usr = (($username.split(&quot;&quot;))[1])
        $root = [ADSI]&quot;&quot;
        $filter = (&quot;(&amp;(objectCategory=user)(samAccountName=$Usr))&quot;)
        $ds = new-object system.DirectoryServices.DirectorySearcher($root,$filter)
        $ds.PageSize = 1000
        $ds.FindOne()
    }
}

function Get-SnapshotTree{
    param($tree, $target)

    $found = $null
    foreach($elem in $tree){
        if($elem.Snapshot.Value -eq $target.Value){
            $found = $elem
            continue
        }
    }
    if($found -eq $null -and $elem.ChildSnapshotList -ne $null){
        $found = Get-SnapshotTree $elem.ChildSnapshotList $target
    }

    return $found
}

function Get-SnapshotExtra ($snap){
    $guestName = $snap.VM    # The name of the guest

    $tasknumber = 999        # Windowsize of the Task collector

    $taskMgr = Get-View TaskManager

    # Create hash table. Each entry is a create snapshot task
    $report = @{}

    $filter = New-Object VMware.Vim.TaskFilterSpec
    $filter.Time = New-Object VMware.Vim.TaskFilterSpecByTime
    $filter.Time.beginTime = (($snap.Created).AddSeconds(-5))
    $filter.Time.timeType = &quot;startedTime&quot;

    $collectionImpl = Get-View ($taskMgr.CreateCollectorForTasks($filter))

    $dummy = $collectionImpl.RewindCollector
    $collection = $collectionImpl.ReadNextTasks($tasknumber)
    while($collection -ne $null){
        $collection | where {$_.DescriptionId -eq &quot;VirtualMachine.createSnapshot&quot; -and $_.State -eq &quot;success&quot; -and $_.EntityName -eq $guestName} | %{
            $row = New-Object PsObject
            $row | Add-Member -MemberType NoteProperty -Name User -Value $_.Reason.UserName
            $vm = Get-View $_.Entity
            $snapshot = Get-SnapshotTree $vm.Snapshot.RootSnapshotList $_.Result
            $key = $_.EntityName + &quot;&amp;&quot; + ($snapshot.CreateTime.ToString())
            $report[$key] = $row
        }
        $collection = $collectionImpl.ReadNextTasks($tasknumber)
    }
    $collectionImpl.DestroyCollector()

    # Get the guest&#039;s snapshots and add the user
    $snapshotsExtra = $snap | % {
        $key = $_.vm.Name + &quot;&amp;&quot; + ($_.Created.ToString())
        if($report.ContainsKey($key)){
            $_ | Add-Member -Force -MemberType NoteProperty -Name Creator -Value $report[$key].User
        }
        $_
    }
    $snapshotsExtra
}

Function SnapMail ($Mailto, $snapshot)
{
    $msg = new-object Net.Mail.MailMessage
    $smtp = new-object Net.Mail.SmtpClient($smtpServer)
    $msg.From = $MailFrom
    $msg.ReplyTo = $adminmail
    if (!$mailto) {
        $msg.To.Add($adminmail)
    } else {
        $msg.To.Add($mailto)
        $msg.CC.Add($adminmail)
    }

    $msg.Subject = &quot;Snapshot Reminder for $($snapshot.VM)&quot;

$MailText = @&quot;
There is an existing snapshot for the VM $($snapshot.VM) wurde am $($snapshot.Created.ToString(&quot;dddd, d. MMMM yyyy um HH:mm:ss&quot;)).
Please check, whether this snapshot is still needed, otherwise please delete it!

Just a short reminder: A snapshot doesn&#039;t replace a backup!

Name: $($snapshot.Name)
Description: $($snapshot.Description)
Snapshot size: $([math]::Round($snapshot.SizeMB * 1MB / 1GB))GB

&quot;@    

    $msg.Body = $MailText
    $smtp.Send($msg)
}

Connect-VIServer $VISRV

foreach ($snap in (Get-VM | Get-Snapshot | Where {$_.Created -lt ((Get-Date).AddDays(-5))})){
    Get-SnapshotExtra $snap
    $SnapshotInfo = Get-SnapshotExtra $snap
    $mailto = ((Find-User $SnapshotInfo.Creator).Properties.mail)
    SnapMail $mailto $SnapshotInfo
}

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# - SnapReminder V1.0 By Virtu-Al - http://virtu-al.net

# Please use the below variables to define your settings before use

$smtpServer = "smtp.home.barfoo.org"

$MailFrom = "vcenter@barfoo.org"

$adminmail = "christian.heim@barfoo.org"

$VISRV = "vcenter.home.barfoo.org"

# Add the VI-Snapin if it isn't loaded already

if ( (Get-PSSnapin -Name "VMware.VimAutomation.Core" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue) -eq $null )

{

Add-PSSnapin -Name "VMware.VimAutomation.Core"

}

function Find-User ($username){

if ($username -ne $null)

{

$usr = (($username.split(""))[1])

$root = [ADSI]""

$filter = ("(&(objectCategory=user)(samAccountName=$Usr))")

$ds = new-object system.DirectoryServices.DirectorySearcher($root,$filter)

$ds.PageSize = 1000

$ds.FindOne()

}

function Get-SnapshotTree{

param($tree, $target)

$found = $null

foreach($elem in $tree){

if($elem.Snapshot.Value -eq $target.Value){

$found = $elem

continue

}

if($found -eq $null -and $elem.ChildSnapshotList -ne $null){

$found = Get-SnapshotTree $elem.ChildSnapshotList $target

}

return $found

}

function Get-SnapshotExtra ($snap){

$guestName = $snap.VM # The name of the guest

$tasknumber = 999 # Windowsize of the Task collector

$taskMgr = Get-View TaskManager

# Create hash table. Each entry is a create snapshot task

$report = @{}

$filter = New-Object VMware.Vim.TaskFilterSpec

$filter.Time = New-Object VMware.Vim.TaskFilterSpecByTime

$filter.Time.beginTime = (($snap.Created).AddSeconds(-5))

$filter.Time.timeType = "startedTime"

$collectionImpl = Get-View ($taskMgr.CreateCollectorForTasks($filter))

$dummy = $collectionImpl.RewindCollector

$collection = $collectionImpl.ReadNextTasks($tasknumber)

while($collection -ne $null){

$collection | where {$_.DescriptionId -eq "VirtualMachine.createSnapshot" -and $_.State -eq "success" -and $_.EntityName -eq $guestName} | %{

$row = New-Object PsObject

$row | Add-Member -MemberType NoteProperty -Name User -Value $_.Reason.UserName

$vm = Get-View $_.Entity

$snapshot = Get-SnapshotTree $vm.Snapshot.RootSnapshotList $_.Result

$key = $_.EntityName + "&" + ($snapshot.CreateTime.ToString())

$report[$key] = $row

}

$collection = $collectionImpl.ReadNextTasks($tasknumber)

}

$collectionImpl.DestroyCollector()

# Get the guest's snapshots and add the user

$snapshotsExtra = $snap | % {

$key = $_.vm.Name + "&" + ($_.Created.ToString())

if($report.ContainsKey($key)){

$_ | Add-Member -Force -MemberType NoteProperty -Name Creator -Value $report[$key].User

}

$snapshotsExtra

}

Function SnapMail ($Mailto, $snapshot)

{

$msg = new-object Net.Mail.MailMessage

$smtp = new-object Net.Mail.SmtpClient($smtpServer)

$msg.From = $MailFrom

$msg.ReplyTo = $adminmail

if (!$mailto) {

$msg.To.Add($adminmail)

} else {

$msg.To.Add($mailto)

$msg.CC.Add($adminmail)

}

$msg.Subject = "Snapshot Reminder for $($snapshot.VM)"

$MailText = @"

There is an existing snapshot for the VM $($snapshot.VM) wurde am $($snapshot.Created.ToString("dddd, d. MMMM yyyy um HH:mm:ss")).

Please check, whether this snapshot is still needed, otherwise please delete it!

Just a short reminder: A snapshot doesn't replace a backup!

Name: $($snapshot.Name)

Description: $($snapshot.Description)

Snapshot size: $([math]::Round($snapshot.SizeMB * 1MB / 1GB))GB

$msg.Body = $MailText

$smtp.Send($msg)

}

Connect-VIServer $VISRV

foreach ($snap in (Get-VM | Get-Snapshot | Where {$_.Created -lt ((Get-Date).AddDays(-5))})){

Get-SnapshotExtra $snap

$SnapshotInfo = Get-SnapshotExtra $snap

$mailto = ((Find-User $SnapshotInfo.Creator).Properties.mail)

SnapMail $mailto $SnapshotInfo

}

Tag: Snapshot

Create an offline snapshot of a VM

Modified SnapReminder