This article walks you through installing the VMware Virtual Disk Development Kit (VDDK), a crucial component for performing VMware backups with Zmanda Classic.
Do I need to install these dependencies?
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Skip this if: You're using Zmanda Classic through a Cloud Provider marketplace listing (e.g., AWS, Azure) or the VMware Backup Appliance. These dependencies usually come pre-installed.
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Follow these steps if: You're using a binary installation of Zmanda Classic.
You can install the following dependencies before or after installing Zmanda Classic.
Installing on RPM-based systems:
Follow these steps to install the required dependencies for RPM-based systems.
1. Enable EPEL repository and install basic utilities:
yum install -y epel-release open-vm-tools perl openssl-devel
2. Install Perl modules:
yum install -y perl-Time-Piece perl-Archive-Zip perl-ExtUtils-Install perl-Path-Class perl-Try-Tiny perl-Crypt-SSLeay perl-version perl-Data-Dumper perl-HTML-Parser uuid-perl perl-XML-SAX perl-XML-LibXML perl-LWP-Protocol-https perl-Socket6 perl-Text-Template perl-IO-Socket-INET6 perl-Net-INET6Glue perl-Module-Build
3. Install development tools and libraries:
yum install -y e2fsprogs-devel libuuid-devel openssl-devel perl-devel
4. Ensure compatibility for 32-bit applications:
yum install -y glibc.i686 zlib.i686
5. Install additional Perl modules and libraries:
yum install -y perl-XML-LibXML libncurses.so.5 perl-Crypt-SSLeay
6. Install CPAN and guest filesystem tools:
yum install -y perl-CPAN
yum install -y libguestfs-tools-c
yum install -y libguest-winsupport
Having trouble with libraries on Rocky Linux?
In case of errors for the mentioned libraries on Rocky Linux, run the following command:
cpan -i Path::Class UUID LWP::Protocol::https Socket6 IO::Socket::INET6 Net::INET6Glue
Installing on Debian-based systems:
Follow these steps to install the required dependencies for Debian-based systems.
1. Install Perl and network communication related packages:
sudo apt-get install perl-doc libxml-libxml-perl libcrypt-ssleay-perl libsoap-lite-perl
2. Install module building tool:
sudo apt install libmodule-build-perl
3. Install development tools and compatibility libraries:
sudo apt-get install lib32z1 build-essential uuid uuid-dev libssl-dev
Important notes:
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VDDK compatibility:
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VDDK 6.7 works with vCenter versions 7 and 8. Download the binary from VMware's Customer Connect portal: VDDK 6.7
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VDDK 7.0 is partially tested. File-Level Recovery (FLR) and incremental backups are not fully validated.
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VDDK 8 is under testing and might have backup functionality issues.
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VM backup flexibility: Performs backup regardless of the virtual machine’s power state.
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Restoring VMs: After restoring a VM, you'll need to register it manually by selecting the .vmx file in the datastore browser.
A pop-up will appear. Select the ESXi host where you want to transfer the VM and click 'OK'. The VM will start in a powered-off state; you'll need to turn it on manually.
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Vmware-install.pl file compatibility: This script works for RPM-based systems. If you're on Debian-based systems and encounter issues, consider alternative installation methods.
Installing VDDK on your AE server:
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Download the specified VDDK versions from VMware’s website.
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Download the installation script for your system:
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RPM-based: vmware-install-rpm.pl
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Debian-based: vmware-install-debian.pl
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Note: Rename downloaded files to
vmware-install.pl
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Steps to install PERL file for VMware:
Now that you've downloaded the VDDK, follow these steps to install the required Perl module and complete the VDDK setup for Zmanda Classic:
1. Unzip the VDDK Installer file:
tar -xvzf file.tar.gz
2. Copy installation file inside the folder vmware-vix-disklib-distrib:
cp vmware-install.pl vmware-vix-disklib-distrib cd vmware-vix-disklib-distrib
3. Create a soft link to the uninstallation script:
ln -s vmware-install.pl bin64/vmware-uninstall-vix-disklib.pl
4. Execute the script:
perl vmware-install.pl
5. Verify the installation:
Ensure that VDDK is installed without any errors. If any dependency is missing, install it with the respective package manager.
By following these steps, you'll have the necessary dependencies installed for Zmanda Classic to back up your VMware VMs effectively.