#Linux KVM

[cyber-techs]

How to Optimize Linux KVM Backup and Recovery: Expert Tips

For businesses using Linux KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine) to run their virtual environments, having a solid backup and recovery plan is essential. It’s not just about preventing data loss but also ensuring that operations can continue with minimal downtime if something goes wrong. Whether it’s a hardware failure, a ransomware attack, or simply human error, you want to be ready to recover quickly. In this article, we’ll break down some practical, human-friendly tips on how to optimize your Linux KVM backup and recovery process without getting bogged down in jargon.

Why Backup and Recovery Matter for Linux KVM

Your business data is incredibly valuable. Losing it, even for a short period, can lead to operational delays, financial loss, and a lot of stress. With Linux KVM, you’re likely running multiple virtual machines (VMs) to handle various parts of your business operations, and a single point of failure could bring down everything. Having a proper backup and recovery system in place ensures you’re prepared for the unexpected—whether that’s a server crash, a data breach, or an accidental deletion.

Practical Tips for Optimizing Linux KVM Backup and Recovery

1. Pick the Right Backup Tool

You’ll need a backup tool that plays well with Linux KVM. There are several reliable tools out there, each offering different features, so it’s about finding what fits your needs best. Here are a few options:

Nakivo Backup & Replication: This tool is a favorite for its ease of use and efficiency. It’s great for businesses of all sizes because it offers fast backups and integrates seamlessly with both on-premise and cloud storage.

Veeam Backup for Linux: Veeam has a strong reputation in the backup world. It’s known for reliable backups, offering both full and incremental backups. Plus, it’s pretty user-friendly.

Bacula: If you’re comfortable with open-source software, Bacula is a flexible, highly configurable option. It’s free to use, but there’s a bit of a learning curve.

The key is to choose a tool that fits your business needs—one that provides incremental backups, snapshot capabilities, and easy recovery options.

2. Use Snapshots Wisely

Snapshots are essentially a snapshot of your VM at a certain point in time. They’re fast and easy to take, making them a great tool for quick recoveries. However, it’s important not to rely solely on snapshots for your backups.

Schedule regular snapshots: Set up snapshots at regular intervals—daily or weekly, depending on your needs. This ensures that you always have a recent restore point in case something goes wrong.

Don’t let snapshots pile up: Old snapshots take up space, and if they’re not managed properly, they can slow down your system. Make it a habit to delete outdated snapshots.

3. Incorporate Incremental Backups

Full backups can take a lot of time and storage space. Incremental backups are a smart alternative because they only back up the data that has changed since the last backup. This can save you both time and space.

A good practice is to run a full backup once a week and incremental backups daily. This keeps your data safe without overloading your storage or taking too long.

4. Automate Your Backup Schedule

Let’s face it—manually running backups isn’t sustainable. People forget or get busy, and that’s where things slip through the cracks. By automating your backup process, you ensure it happens regularly without relying on anyone to remember.

Most tools like Nakivo or Veeam have options to automate both full and incremental backups. You can set these up to run during off-hours so they don’t interfere with your day-to-day business operations.

5. Test Your Backups Regularly

This is a step that’s easy to overlook but super important: regularly test your backups. You don’t want to wait until there’s a disaster to find out that your backups weren’t done properly or that the recovery process takes longer than expected.

Try restoring a VM from a backup every now and then. This will help you make sure that the backups are intact and that your recovery process works as expected.

Make sure your team knows the recovery process, so when an issue does arise, they can respond quickly.

6. Consider Off-Site or Cloud Backups

Having local backups is great, but it’s always a good idea to store copies of your data off-site or in the cloud. This protects you in the event of a physical disaster (think fire, flood, etc.) or a full system crash.

Many backup tools, including Nakivo and Veeam, allow you to integrate with cloud storage services like AWS or Azure. This adds an extra layer of protection and peace of mind knowing your data is safe in a remote location.

7. Encrypt Your Backups

In today’s world, data security is a must. Make sure your backups are encrypted, especially if you’re storing them off-site or in the cloud. Encryption ensures that even if someone manages to access your backup data, they won’t be able to read it without the decryption key.

Most backup tools offer encryption as part of their features, so make sure it’s enabled during both the backup process and while the data is stored.

[nixcraft]

KVM forward ports to guests VM with UFW on Linux

[linuxiarzepl]

QEMU 9.0

Została wydana nowa wersja QEMU 9.0 https://linuxiarze.pl/qemu-9-0/

[virtualizationhowto]

Best KVM based Hypervisors in 2024

Best KVM-based Hypervisors in 2024 #opensource #kvm #kernelvirtualmachine #nutanix #redhat #vergeio #scalecomputing #openstack #lxccontainers #proxmox #virtualizationhowto #vhtforums #kvmhypervisor #hypervisor #virtualmachines #homeserver #homelab

This may very well be the year of KVM-based hypervisors in 2024, aside from other options like Microsoft Hyper-V. Many are looking at different options this year for virtualization technologies to run their enterprise infrastructure on-premises as the fear, uncertainty, and doubt over VMware continues. Let’s look at the best KVM-based hypervisors in 2024, various aspects and benefits to consider…

[curry482]

Host Namaste

HostNamaste offers world class Web Hosting and VPS Servers in 7 locations around the globe with leading customer support service and high uptime.

[os2warp]

found this lil guy at the dumpster last week. finally got around to turning it on. booted straight into windows 10. how boring.

couldn't guess the passwords so i plugged the hard drive into windows xp so i could have full unfettered access to everything and it was mostly blank. a couple of rdp files on the desktop. looks like it was being used as a remote terminal in a warehouse somewhere (the usernames were "[redacted] warehouse 1" or "sys admin")

used the onboard restore partition to reinstall windows 10 and now i have a fully functional windows 10 machine. whoop tee doo. maybe it's windows 11 compatible, that might be interesting for a few minutes, guess i need to get it online and do some updates (base 2019 system)

(interestingly if you install windows 10 without an internet connection it lets you create a local account without jumping through any hoops. gotta remember that trick)

maybe i'll finally build that linux machine ive been threatening. need a kvm switch if i do that tho.

[zoobus]

Obey Me (original game) makes moves that hint at a coming EoS > realize the wiki doesn't have quality copies of the good wallpapers > Can't screenshot wallpapers once you've played through an event/lesson so I need to play from scratch > realize virtualbox on linux mint sucks shit > partition drive and figure out Fedora, KVM, waydroid, and photoshop at the same time

I'm like the mouse if you gave her a game that made her horny for 2-3 months instead of a cookie

[gobusto]

I just spent 2 hours figuring this out, so here is how you forward a USB device directly to a QEMU VM on Linux:

Use lsusb to find the bus and device numbers (such as 001 and 008)

Make that device available to KVM: sudo chgrp kvm /dev/bus/usb/001/008 (source)

Start QEMU like so: qemu-system-x86_64 ... -usb -device usb-host,hostbus=1,hostaddr=8 (source)

Context: I was trying to use a USB gamepad within a Windows 2000 VM, but it didn't show up until I did the chgrp step.

[msrlunatj]

Guía sobre Red Hat Enterprise Linux: La Solución Empresarial en Linux

1. Introducción

Presentación de Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)

Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) es una distribución de Linux de clase empresarial desarrollada por Red Hat, Inc. Lanzada en 2000, RHEL está diseñada para ser una solución robusta y confiable para entornos empresariales y de misión crítica.

Importancia de RHEL en el ecosistema Linux

RHEL es ampliamente utilizado en servidores y entornos de nube debido a su estabilidad, soporte técnico y la capacidad de integrarse con una amplia gama de tecnologías empresariales. Es conocida por su enfoque en la seguridad y la escalabilidad.

2. Historia y Filosofía de Red Hat Enterprise Linux

Origen y evolución de RHEL

RHEL se basa en la distribución comunitaria Fedora y fue creado para ofrecer una versión comercial y soportada de Linux. Red Hat ha lanzado versiones de RHEL con ciclos de vida extensos, lo que garantiza soporte a largo plazo para empresas.

Filosofía de RHEL y el software libre

RHEL sigue la filosofía del software libre y open source, pero ofrece soporte comercial, lo que incluye asistencia técnica, actualizaciones y servicios adicionales. Esto proporciona a las empresas la confianza de contar con respaldo profesional.

3. Características Clave de Red Hat Enterprise Linux

Soporte a largo plazo y estabilidad

RHEL ofrece soporte extendido para cada versión, con actualizaciones de seguridad y mantenimiento durante 10 años. Esto es crucial para entornos empresariales que requieren estabilidad y confiabilidad a largo plazo.

Gestor de paquetes

YUM (Yellowdog Updater, Modified) fue el gestor de paquetes tradicional de RHEL, pero ha sido reemplazado por DNF (Dandified YUM) en versiones más recientes. DNF mejora la gestión de paquetes y la resolución de dependencias.

Comandos básicos: sudo dnf install [paquete], sudo dnf remove [paquete], sudo dnf update.

Formatos de paquetes soportados

RHEL utiliza varios formatos de paquetes:

.rpm: El formato de paquetes nativo de Red Hat y sus derivados.

.deb: Aunque no es nativo, puede instalarse en sistemas basados en RHEL con herramientas específicas.

Soporte para entornos virtuales y en la nube

RHEL ofrece herramientas y soporte para la virtualización, incluyendo KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine), y es compatible con plataformas de nube como AWS, Azure y OpenStack.

4. Proceso de Instalación de Red Hat Enterprise Linux

Requisitos mínimos del sistema

Procesador: 1 GHz o superior.

Memoria RAM: 1 GB como mínimo, 2 GB o más recomendados.

Espacio en disco: 10 GB de espacio libre en disco.

Tarjeta gráfica: Soporte para una resolución mínima de 1024x768.

Unidad de DVD o puerto USB para la instalación.

Descarga y preparación del medio de instalación

La descarga de RHEL requiere una suscripción activa con Red Hat. Se puede preparar un USB booteable usando herramientas como Rufus o balenaEtcher.

Guía paso a paso para la instalación

Selección del entorno de instalación: El instalador gráfico de RHEL, basado en Anaconda, ofrece una interfaz intuitiva para la instalación.

Configuración de particiones: El instalador permite particionado automático y manual, adaptándose a diferentes configuraciones de almacenamiento.

Configuración de la red y selección de software: Durante la instalación, se configuran las opciones de red y se pueden elegir paquetes y características adicionales.

Primeros pasos post-instalación

Actualización del sistema: Ejecutar sudo dnf update después de la instalación garantiza que todo el software esté actualizado.

Instalación de controladores adicionales y software: RHEL puede instalar automáticamente controladores adicionales necesarios para el hardware.

5. Comparativa de RHEL con Otras Distribuciones

RHEL vs. CentOS

Objetivo: CentOS era una versión gratuita y sin soporte de RHEL, pero ha sido reemplazado por CentOS Stream, que ofrece una vista previa de la próxima versión de RHEL. RHEL proporciona soporte técnico y actualizaciones extendidas, mientras que CentOS Stream actúa como un puente entre Fedora y RHEL.

Filosofía: RHEL se centra en el soporte empresarial y en la estabilidad, mientras que CentOS Stream se enfoca en el desarrollo y la contribución de la comunidad.

RHEL vs. Ubuntu Server

Objetivo: Ubuntu Server está diseñado para ser fácil de usar y de administrar, con un ciclo de lanzamientos regular. RHEL, por su parte, se enfoca en ofrecer soporte a largo plazo y en satisfacer las necesidades de grandes empresas.

Filosofía: Ubuntu Server ofrece versiones LTS para estabilidad, mientras que RHEL proporciona soporte y servicios comerciales extensivos.

RHEL vs. SUSE Linux Enterprise Server (SLES)

Objetivo: SLES, desarrollado por SUSE, es similar a RHEL en términos de soporte empresarial y estabilidad. Ambas distribuciones ofrecen soporte extendido y herramientas para la gestión de servidores.

Filosofía: RHEL y SLES son comparables en términos de soporte empresarial, pero cada uno tiene su propio enfoque y conjunto de herramientas específicas.

6. Herramientas y Servicios de Red Hat

Red Hat Satellite

Red Hat Satellite es una solución de gestión de sistemas que permite la administración centralizada de sistemas RHEL, incluyendo la implementación, configuración y mantenimiento.

Red Hat Ansible Automation

Ansible Automation es una herramienta para la automatización de tareas y la gestión de configuraciones, facilitando la administración de sistemas a gran escala.

Red Hat OpenShift

OpenShift es una plataforma de contenedores y Kubernetes gestionada por Red Hat, ideal para la implementación y gestión de aplicaciones en contenedores.

7. Comunidad y Soporte

Acceso al soporte de Red Hat

Red Hat ofrece soporte técnico profesional a través de sus suscripciones, que incluyen asistencia técnica 24/7, actualizaciones de seguridad y parches.

Recursos comunitarios y documentación

Red Hat Customer Portal: Acceso a documentación, guías de usuario, y foros de soporte.

Red Hat Learning Subscription: Cursos y formación en línea para usuarios de RHEL.

8. Conclusión

RHEL como una opción robusta para empresas

Red Hat Enterprise Linux es una opción sólida para empresas que buscan una distribución de Linux con soporte técnico profesional, estabilidad y escalabilidad. Su enfoque en la estabilidad y el soporte extendido lo convierte en una opción ideal para entornos empresariales y de misión crítica.

Recomendaciones finales para quienes consideran usar RHEL

RHEL es adecuado para organizaciones que requieren soporte técnico y estabilidad a largo plazo, y que están dispuestas a invertir en una solución de Linux empresarial respaldada por Red Hat.

9. Preguntas Frecuentes (FAQ)

¿RHEL es adecuado para pequeñas empresas?

RHEL es ideal para empresas de todos tamaños que buscan un sistema operativo empresarial robusto y con soporte técnico profesional.

¿Qué diferencia a RHEL de CentOS?

CentOS era una versión gratuita y comunitaria de RHEL, pero ahora CentOS Stream sirve como una vista previa de las próximas versiones de RHEL. RHEL proporciona soporte empresarial y actualizaciones extendidas.

¿Cómo obtengo soporte para RHEL?

El soporte se obtiene a través de una suscripción con Red Hat, que incluye asistencia técnica, actualizaciones y acceso a herramientas de gestión.

¿RHEL es compatible con software de terceros?

Sí, RHEL es compatible con una amplia gama de software y aplicaciones de terceros, y Red Hat ofrece soporte para integrar soluciones empresariales.

[rebelstreamers]

This is the correct way to share a folder from a Linux Host to Linux Guests without changing the permissions of KVM or Libvirt folders

[clatterbane]

New approach to working around that frustrating touchpad issue with trying to run FreeBSD and derivatives in KVM/QEMU: just giving a USB drive over to NomadBSD!

Had to get a little amused during the installation.

Yeah, you should indeed maybe skip the encryption for now if you have no clue wtf you are doing. I did not want to encrypt anyway, but also have never worked with geli.

And everything so far seems to be functioning after booting back into the new install, besides the Wifi card. Support is kinda spotty on the BSD side, which is one reason I was just trying to run shit in a VM.

But, some kind soul on the forum has us covered!

Vaguely impressed again at how friendly and helpful a lot of BSD communities do seem to be. Maybe especially in comparison to some gaggles of Linux enthusiasts. (And yes, I say this as someone with plenty of experience there. 😩 Approachability is not always great, maybe especially for new users.)

So yeah, I do now have working network through tethering to this phone. Which I tried to do with something else a while back (don't actually remember what tbh), but I was glad for the little walkthrough. Especially since I am a huge n00b when it comes to BSD. A lot of stuff is just different enough to trip you up pretty fast until you get used to it.

I did a little more configuration, and ran an update on the little that came installed by default. It's late enough that I don't even want to get into a browser sufficiently to even post to Tumblr from over there tonight, but hey. Certainly planning to jump back in tomorrow.

This is looking pretty fun for now, at least. Which is at least half the point.

[amwult]

i have all these linux kvm and openbsd vmd machines banging around and i've been running sysbench across them to get a feel for the performance ratios, been writing it down. would you guys be interested in these? i could make a page. it's not really systematic but is insightful.

[nixcraft]

-> How to unlock LUKS using Dropbear SSH keys remotely in Linux