best way to backup vm that never shuts down

[Velvis]

A customer has a Virtiul Box VM running Win XP for a LOB database app (Peachtree). He rarely closes Peachtree or the VM itself. Whats the best way to make backups of this situation? The host is Win 11.

 

[TazUk]

Is it just the Peachtree data that needs to be backed up? If so running Windows backup or similiar inside the VM itself might be the best option.

 

[Velvis]

Is it just the Peachtree data that needs to be backed up? If so running Windows backup or similiar inside the VM itself might be the best option.

That is the only data needs to be backed up but he leaves Peachtree running constantly and if there is a solution to backup open files, its still on a VM that isnt being backed up.

Im trying to figure out if there is a way to do it where the client doesnt need to close Peachtree or manually back it up.

 

[Sky-Knight]

If you grab copies of the VM's files from the host OS, VSS should let you get one. It's not ideal because on restore it's equivalent to a dirty power cycle, but that's the best you're going to get on that ancient crap.

Any VSS aware backup utility on the host should be more than sufficient here. Any image based platform in particular. Synology would be my first stop or Datto if they have time to restore concerns.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

Peachtree (now Sage 50) uses the Pervasive database engine...sorta a twist on SQL.
So, there's data "up in the air"...when Peachtree is running. Even when it's not.

With transactional database engine based programs, it's best to have the program itself spit out copy...and then your back programs sweeps through and grabs that backup file. I can't remember what Peachtree called it, .PTB file? Anyways, I'd make sure that is in place.

Heck, VirtualBox supports USB device passthrough, so you could have it save to removeable USB drive. I'd trust that a lot more than doing a VSS backup of a guest that never shuts down, and that has a database engine constantly up in the air.

 

[Velvis]

Peachtree (now Sage 50) uses the Pervasive database engine...sorta a twist on SQL.
So, there's data "up in the air"...when Peachtree is running. Even when it's not.

With transactional database engine based programs, it's best to have the program itself spit out copy...and then your back programs sweeps through and grabs that backup file. I can't remember what Peachtree called it, .PTB file? Anyways, I'd make sure that is in place.

Heck, VirtualBox supports USB device passthrough, so you could have it save to removeable USB drive. I'd trust that a lot more than doing a VSS backup of a guest that never shuts down, and that has a database engine constantly up in the air.

I had thought about having the Peachtree backup when you exit peachtree, save to the VM shared folder which would then get backed up on the Windows 11 side of things.

So if I understand correctly there is no way to automate this. The user actually has to close Peachtree and backup at the exit prompt?

 

[Sky-Knight]

So if I understand correctly there is no way to automate this. The user actually has to close Peachtree and backup at the exit prompt?

Yes, and while you're at it they really need to upgrade to a version of Peachtree that doesn't require that VPS entirely. But it's an imperfect world...

 

[Velvis]

Yes, and while you're at it they really need to upgrade to a version of Peachtree that doesn't require that VPS entirely. But it's an imperfect world...

Yeah, he doesn't want to because what he has does exactly what he needs and the new version is a subscription and hes not interested in that.

 

[Sky-Knight]

Yeah, he doesn't want to because what he has does exactly what he needs and the new version is a subscription and hes not interested in that.

Heaven forbid financial professionals actually care about the security and integrity of the data their clients provide. It's not like it isn't a huge doorway to a massive problem or anything.

 

[Velvis]

Heaven forbid financial professionals actually care about the security and integrity of the data their clients provide. It's not like it isn't a huge doorway to a massive problem or anything.

He manufactures small electronic parts, and uses peachtree for invoicing.

 

[Sky-Knight]

He manufactures small electronic parts, and uses peachtree for invoicing.

So he's one bad reboot away from not being able to bill anyone. That's fun.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

So if I understand correctly there is no way to automate this. The user actually has to close Peachtree and backup at the exit prompt?

I can't remember with the old versions....I do know it's replacement, Sage 50, the newer versions have a whole separate programs menu shortcut for setting up scheduled backups. It's just been too long since I've worked with the old Peachtree to remember if it can schedule, or if it has to be manual. I'm sure you can do a manual backup without having to exit.

 

[NviGate Systems]

What about pausing the VM and backup up the VM files, then unpause it? That would result in minimal downtime and would save a "VM state" that you could in theory move to another VM and run manual backup from there

 

[Sky-Knight]

What about pausing the VM and backup up the VM files, then unpause it? That would result in minimal downtime and would save a "VM state" that you could in theory move to another VM and run manual backup from there

That stuff in Virtualbox is iffy at best, I wouldn't rely on it.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

Accounting software is what I consider one of the more important things a business has. Well...perhaps "THE" most important thing...(after its employees of course).

I have always had my clients use the built in/native backup functions of their accounting software as their first line of backup for it. Grabbing "images" or other forms of computer backup are a nice secondary thing. But again, when it comes to live transactional database programs....doing live images for backup doesn't always lead to the best success of restoring the data of those programs. A lot of data is "up in RAM"...while backup software sweeps through. Leveraging the built in backup of the accounting software...nearly guarantees restoration success.

 

[nlinecomputers]

Im trying to figure out if there is a way to do it where the client doesnt need to close Peachtree or manually back it up.

Which is stupid. He goes to bed doesn’t he? He needs to turn the damn thing off so that updates and backups can occur. What if a power failure occurs overnight?

 

[Markverhyden]

What about pausing the VM and backup up the VM files, then unpause it? That would result in minimal downtime and would save a "VM state" that you could in theory move to another VM and run manual backup from there

I'd bet that suspending (pausing) a VM will not write data in RAM where it needs to be. As has been mentioned programs like this are just database programs. Database programs are notoriously finicky when it comes to recovering from ungraceful shutdown or images. So you need to have an agent that's completely aware of the environment. In those cases, for financial programs, I'd only rely on what the OEM offers. As far as the VM itself? Again what the hypervisor provides. Not sure about VB but I know VMware ESXi has their own snap shot feature and it works very well. I've used it several times to recovery VM's and their associated apps.