Re: [Xen-users] How to Backup and Restore MBR within Logical Volumes?

["Mr. Teo En Ming (Zhang Enming)" <space.time.universe@xxxxxxxxx>]

> dd if=/dev/virtualmachines/windows7-x64 of=mbr.w7-x64 bs=512 count=1

I think if you do this, you are only backing up the first 512 bytes of the logical volume, not the MBR.

Someone correct me if I am wrong.

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On Thu, Nov 12, 2009 at 9:36 AM, Geert Janssens <info@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

On Thursday 12 November 2009, Mr. Teo En Ming (Zhang Enming) wrote:
> Hi All,
>
> I have several Xen virtual machines within logical volumes using LVM2. I
> did not use disk images for performance reasons.
>
> Conventionally, if I want to clone my virtual machines, I have to dd the LV
> to an image file. But this consumes a lot of time and harddisk space.
>
> So, instead of doing that, I want to use losetup and kpartx with my logical
> volumes, which contain operating systems of virtual machines.
>
> I can backup the filesystems of a virtual machine in this way:
>
> # losetup /dev/loop1 /dev/virtualmachines/windows7-x64
>

Are you sure you need to call losetup first ?

I remember I used kpartx directly on the lvm containing my vbd.

Also, I think you can treat the lvm based vbd as a real disk.

So
dd if=/dev/virtualmachines/windows7-x64 of=mbr.w7-x64 bs=512 count=1

should backup your mbr.

Anyone correct me if I'm wrong please.

Geert

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