Managing an ESXi host in a VMware environment involves configuring numerous settings and configurations, which are crucial for maintaining a stable and secure virtualized infrastructure. Whether you’re preparing for a disaster recovery, migrating to new hardware, or simply want to ensure that your configuration settings are preserved, automating the backup, restore, and reset processes can save time and reduce errors. Ansible, with the help of the community.vmware.vmware_cfg_backup module, allows you to automate and simplify these critical tasks.
In this article, we will explore how to use the community.vmware.vmware_cfg_backup module to:
- Backup the ESXi host configuration
- Restore a previously backed-up configuration
- Reset the ESXi host configuration to factory defaults
By using these functionalities, you can ensure a smooth and reliable ESXi host management experience.
Using community.vmware.vmware_cfg_backup Module
1. Backing Up ESXi Host Configuration
The vmware_cfg_backup module allows you to back up the ESXi host configuration. The configuration backup captures various settings, such as networking configurations, firewall settings, user configurations, and more.
Example: Backing Up ESXi Host Configuration
- name: Save the ESXi configuration locally by authenticating directly against the ESXi host
community.vmware.vmware_cfg_backup:
hostname: '{{ esxi_hostname }}'
username: '{{ esxi_username }}'
password: '{{ esxi_password }}'
state: saved
dest: /tmp/
delegate_to: localhostExplanation:
hostname: The IP address or hostname of the ESXi host you want to back up.usernameandpassword: The credentials used to authenticate with the ESXi host.dest: The path to the location where the backup will be saved. The backup file will have a.tgzextension.state: Ifsaved, the .tgz backup bundle will be saved indest.
This task will back up the configuration settings of your ESXi host into a .tgz file, which you can later use for restoration or migration purposes.
2. Restoring ESXi Host Configuration
Restoring the configuration is a critical task when you need to revert to a previous state or recover a system after an issue arises. The vmware_cfg_backup module makes it easy to restore a previously saved configuration.
Example: Restoring ESXi Host Configuration
- name: Save the ESXi configuration locally by authenticating directly against the ESXi host
community.vmware.vmware_cfg_backup:
hostname: '{{ esxi_hostname }}'
username: '{{ esxi_username }}'
password: '{{ esxi_password }}'
state: loaded
src: /tmp/
delegate_to: localhostExplanation:
State: Ifloaded, the backup file insrcwill be loaded to the ESXi host rewriting the hosts settings.src: The path to the.tgzfile that contains the backup of the configuration.
This task will restore the configuration from the specified backup file to the target ESXi host.
3. Resetting ESXi Host Configuration to Factory Defaults
Sometimes, you might need to reset your ESXi host back to its factory settings, such as when you’re decommissioning hardware or performing a fresh installation. The vmware_cfg_backup module allows you to reset the configuration to its default settings.
Example: Resetting ESXi Host Configuration to Factory Defaults
- name: Save the ESXi configuration locally by authenticating directly against the ESXi host
community.vmware.vmware_cfg_backup:
hostname: '{{ esxi_hostname }}'
username: '{{ esxi_username }}'
password: '{{ esxi_password }}'
state: absent
delegate_to: localhostExplanation:
state: absent: Ifabsent, the host configuration will be reset to default values.
This task will completely reset the configuration of the ESXi host to factory defaults, which can be useful in specific scenarios, such as before reconfiguring the host for a new deployment or when troubleshooting configuration issues.
Benefits of Using community.vmware.vmware_cfg_backup
The community.vmware.vmware_cfg_backup module provides several advantages when managing ESXi hosts:
- Automation: Automates the process of backing up, restoring, and resetting ESXi configurations, reducing manual effort and errors.
- Disaster Recovery: Ensures that you can quickly recover configurations in case of failure or disasters.
- Consistency: Maintains consistency across multiple ESXi hosts by allowing configuration backups to be reused during deployments or migrations.
- Easy Integration: Integrates seamlessly with other Ansible playbooks and workflows, enabling you to include configuration management as part of broader infrastructure automation tasks.
