Automatic Snapshot using VRO workflow

1. Scope and Purpose of the Blog

This document contains the usecase and requirements for creating automatic snapshot of  vm(s) using vRO workflow . 

The documents describes the detailed steps involved in the execution of the workflow . 

The purpose of this task is to use vro workflow to eliminate manual process of taking snapshots .  

2. Assumptions and Constraints

Following are the assumptions made while creating this document :

• VRO is working fine .

• vRO is able to reach vm in vCenter / Azure platform.

Automatic Snapshot Workflow Details :

1. Inputs   -

Name	Type	Description
name	string	Snapshot name. The name need not be unique for this virtual machine.
description	string	Snapshot description.
memory	boolean	If TRUE, the snapshot includes a dump of the internal state of the virtual machine (a memory dump).
quiesce	boolean	If TRUE and the virtual machine is powered on when the snapshot is taken, VMware Tools are used to quiesce the file system in the virtual machine.

2. Attributes  -

Name	Type	Description
vms	Array/VC:VirtualMachine	List of VMs
Output_message	string	Snapshot taken successfully message .
errorCode	string	Error occurred while executing the workflow
sleepTime	Number	Sleep time is set to 10 seconds .

 

3. Workflow Items   -

Name	Type	Description
Foreach (Delete a snapshot)	WorkflowItemForeach	Deletes a snapshot.
Sleep timer	Sleep timer	Time to sleep after deletion of snapshots
Foreach (Create a snapshot)	WorkflowItemForeach	Creates a snapshot.
Error Handling	Error Handling	Code to handle error during execution of the workflow

 

4. Workflow Schema  -

5. Benefits of this workflow    -

• This workflow can be executed for a single vm as well as vms in specific order . 

• This workflow waits for some time after complete execution of on workflow item and then starts another . 

• Workflow will throw an exception if unable to take / delete snapshot at any stage . 

• Workflow can be scheduled at a specific time interval as well if required . 

 

6. POC results   -

This worklow has been tested successfully for all VRA , VRLI , VROPS components of vRealize Suite that need to have snapshots taken in sequential manner only and has given satisfactory results .