VirtualBox backups

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userX
Posts: 119
Joined: Thu Sep 15, 2011 11:51 am

VirtualBox backups

Post by userX »

Are there instructions here for using one of your programs to move the OS and the complete contents of one NTFS file system on a virtual disk to a larger virtual disk, while both exist on the same host machine? I want to move 64-bit Windows 2008 Server from virtual disk A to virtual disk B, which are attached to separate virtual machines on one host running 64-bit Win7. Virtual disk B has nothing on it right now.
Alycat
Posts: 30
Joined: Tue Jun 05, 2012 6:07 am

Re: VirtualBox backups

Post by Alycat »

I use VMWare and all I do is copy the directory from within the host os.
TeraByte Support
Posts: 3598
Joined: Thu May 05, 2011 10:37 pm

Re: VirtualBox backups

Post by TeraByte Support »

couple ways - one is to use TBOSDT and just expand the VHD file then use
BIBM to resize the partition on the VHD file (from within the VM). Another
is to backup the VHD file using the virtual drive option in IFD/IFW/IFL and
then restore to the other one using the expand to fit option.


"userX" wrote in message news:2576@public.image...

Are there instructions here for using one of your programs to move the OS
and the complete contents of one NTFS file system on a virtual disk to a
larger virtual disk, while both exist on the same host machine? I want to
move 64-bit Windows 2008 Server from virtual disk A to virtual disk B, which
are attached to separate virtual machines on one host running 64-bit Win7.
Virtual disk B has nothing on it right now.

userX
Posts: 119
Joined: Thu Sep 15, 2011 11:51 am

Re: VirtualBox backups

Post by userX »

TeraByte Support wrote:
> couple ways - one is to use TBOSDT and just expand the VHD file then use
> BIBM to resize the partition on the VHD file (from within the VM). Another
>
> is to backup the VHD file using the virtual drive option in IFD/IFW/IFL and
>
> then restore to the other one using the expand to fit option.
>
>
In regard to the second option, do you mean that I can use IFW within the host OS while it is running, backup the VHD file containing file system A, while its virtual machine's OS is not running; then, again with IFW from within the host OS while it is running, restore this data to the pre-existing VHD file containing file system B, which is currently empty, also while it is not running? If this is what you mean, does it work also when the virtual disk has been configured as a dynamic disk? Thanks.
TeraByte Support
Posts: 3598
Joined: Thu May 05, 2011 10:37 pm

Re: VirtualBox backups

Post by TeraByte Support »



"userX" wrote in message news:2579@public.image...

TeraByte Support wrote:
> couple ways - one is to use TBOSDT and just expand the VHD file then use
> BIBM to resize the partition on the VHD file (from within the VM).
> Another
>
> is to backup the VHD file using the virtual drive option in IFD/IFW/IFL
> and
>
> then restore to the other one using the expand to fit option.
>
>
"In regard to the second option, do you mean that I can use IFW within the
host OS while it is running, backup the VHD file containing file system A,
while its virtual machine's OS is not running; then, again with IFW from
within the host OS while it is running, restore this data to the
pre-existing VHD file containing file system B, which is currently empty,
also while it is not running?"

Yes. Note that restoring to a new or empty VHD file is faster than
restoring to a VHD file that already exists with data (better to just delete
and recreate it).

"If this is what you mean, does it work also when the virtual disk has been
configured as a dynamic disk? Thanks.

Dynamic drives are not officially supported (get rid of it via
http://www.terabyteunlimited.com/kb/article.php?id=038) . If you mean
"dynamic expanding" VHD files, yes, those are supported.

Alycat
Posts: 30
Joined: Tue Jun 05, 2012 6:07 am

Re: VirtualBox backups

Post by Alycat »

Why is it not possible to just copy the directory from the host os, is VirtualBox different to VMWare? Or am I misunderstanding something here? I have had to do this (in VMWare) recently a few times and am wondering if the above is better, faster than just copying.
userX
Posts: 119
Joined: Thu Sep 15, 2011 11:51 am

Re: VirtualBox backups

Post by userX »

VirtualVox supports these four: VDI, VMDK, VHD, HDD. Which of these does IFW/IFL allow as the file type when doing backups and restorations? Thanks.
TeraByte Support
Posts: 3598
Joined: Thu May 05, 2011 10:37 pm

Re: VirtualBox backups

Post by TeraByte Support »

I typically use VMDK for everything except for virtualpc which I use VHD.

"userX" wrote in message news:3632@public.image...

VirtualVox supports these four: VDI, VMDK, VHD, HDD. Which of these does
IFW/IFL allow as the file type when doing backups and restorations? Thanks.

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