Team Leader - Nutanix Technology Champion - Nutanix NTC Storyteller

Julien DUMUR
Infrastructure in a Nutshell

Nutanix EN

Nutanix AHV : Storage container contains VDisk(s) not marked for removal

Published: 2 May 2025
Written by Julien D.
3 Comments
Categories: Nutanix AHV EN, Nutanix EN
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While working on one of our clients’ clusters, I encountered a major problem: the impossibility of deleting a storage container that had previously been emptied of its contents…

A Little Background

The need to delete a storage container arose when we decided to migrate the virtual machines to other containers. Why do we have to do this? As part of an On Demand Cross Cluster Live Migration, one of the prerequisites is to have identical names on the storage containers.

To do this, we migrated the vdisks using the CLI, a long and tedious process that I may detail in a future article.

Once all the vdisks were migrated, we still couldn’t delete the container.

Diagnosing the Problem

To begin, I listed all the containers on my cluster to identify the one I was concerned about:

nutanix@CVM:~$ ncli container list
Id : 00060f28-23f5-dbbb-7c17-7cc255a7f766::7
Uuid : ecc3d02d-57c0-4253-a5a4-a335aa3bdcd4
Name : default-container-15796345896744
Storage Pool Id : 00060f28-23f5-dbbb-7c17-7cc255a7f766::6
Storage Pool Uuid : 4fa56350-ece0-4932-8ec9-70669e241470
Free Space (Logical) : 31.16 TiB (34,265,616,109,568 bytes)
Used Space (Logical) : 90.79 GiB (97,483,378,688 bytes)
Allowed Max Capacity : 31.25 TiB (34,363,099,488,256 bytes)
Used by other Containers : 574.87 GiB (617,261,654,016 bytes)
Explicit Reservation : 0 bytes
Thick Provisioned : 0 bytes
Replication Factor : 2
Oplog Replication Factor : 2
NFS Whitelist Inherited : false
Container NFS Whitelist : 
VStore Name(s) : default-container-15796345896744
Random I/O Pri Order : SSD-MEM-NVMe, SSD-PCIe, SSD-SATA, DAS-SATA
Sequential I/O Pri Order : SSD-PCIe, SSD-SATA, SSD-MEM-NVMe, DAS-SATA
Compression : on
Compression Delay : 0 mins
Fingerprint On Write : off
On-Disk Dedup : off
Erasure Code : off
Software Encryption : off

Once my container is identified (default-container-15796345896744), I try to delete it in CLI with the following command line:

nutanix@CVM:~$ ncli ctr rm name=default-container-15796345896744
Error: Storage container default-container-15796345896744 contains VDisk(s) not marked for removal.

The message is quite clear: there are still VDisks in my container, which is completely blocking the deletion. As a reminder, I’ve migrated all the VDisks from my virtual machines, so there shouldn’t be anything left on them…

I check the contents of my VDisk with the following command (replace the container_id with the one corresponding to your container):

nutanix@CVM:~$ vdisk_config_printer -container_id=7 -skip_to_remove_vdisks

vdisk_id: 1247912
vdisk_name: "$NTNX$-$CURATOR$-$CHAINVDISK$-$0630848d-af0a-440b-9bf2-14ed432105c2$7$"
vdisk_size: 0
container_id: 7
creation_time_usecs: 1724796346611475
mutability_state: kImmutable
snapshot_chain_id: 8053639
vdisk_creation_time_usecs: 1724796346611475
last_updated_pithos_version: kChainIdKey
vdisk_uuid: "faa173c5-be0a-4502-9977-02d9c125b02e"
chain_id: "0630848d-af0a-440b-9bf2-14ed432105c2"
last_modification_time_usecs: 1724800080940533
vdisk_id: 22562934
vdisk_name: "NFS:2:0:2513"
vdisk_size: 4398046511104
container_id: 7
creation_time_usecs: 1741004981139322
vdisk_creator_loc: 4
vdisk_creator_loc: 789428
vdisk_creator_loc: 9451518309
nfs_file_name: "nutanix_guest_tools.iso"
may_be_parent: true
never_hosted: false
snapshot_draining: false
snapshot_chain_id: 22562935
vdisk_creation_time_usecs: 1741004981139322
oplog_type: kVDiskOplog
vdisk_snapshot_time_usecs: 1741004983089382
last_updated_pithos_version: kChainIdKey
always_write_emap_extents: true
vdisk_uuid: "5b601b32-eaf5-4612-9bdf-f8ce3a24c96b"
chain_id: "ebd35e10-4917-476a-9cb7-8447478af99c"
last_modification_time_usecs: 1741004985848279
vdisk_id: 28693745
vdisk_name: "NFS:2:0:2703"
parent_vdisk_id: 9701970
vdisk_size: 10737418240
container_id: 7
creation_time_usecs: 1724235742966570
mutability_state: kImmutableSnapshot
closest_named_ancestor: "NFS:4611686018456079974"
avoid_vblock_copy_when_leaf: true
vdisk_creator_loc: 4
vdisk_creator_loc: 27341647
vdisk_creator_loc: 454849015
nfs_file_name: "a8893eb4-a9b8-4710-80c8-e69fb0093bb0"
may_be_parent: true
parent_nfs_file_name_hint: "a8893eb4-a9b8-4710-80c8-e69fb0093bb0"
scsi_name_identifier: "naa.6506b8dc3a35444155c2731c8d7a8b94"
never_hosted: false
snapshot_draining: false
parent_draining: false
clone_parent_draining: false
snapshot_chain_id: 8053639
has_complete_data: true
clone_source_vdisk_id: 7790073
vdisk_creation_time_usecs: 1745309380225031
originating_vdisk_snapshot_time_usecs: 1724235742966570
oplog_type: kVDiskOplog
vdisk_snapshot_time_usecs: 1745310092381733
last_updated_pithos_version: kChainIdKey
always_write_emap_extents: true
vdisk_uuid: "c1b33a68-dd3e-4afc-917e-67f8c257f40f"
chain_id: "0630848d-af0a-440b-9bf2-14ed432105c2"
parent_chain_id: "af907cc8-795b-4382-907c-4b318529bfcb"
vdisk_snapshot_uuid: "bdbf64db-51ad-4310-86cc-ce68107c20f0"
last_modification_time_usecs: 1745310094964928
vdisk_id: 7783219
vdisk_name: "NFS:2:0:472"
vdisk_size: 4398046511104
container_id: 7
creation_time_usecs: 1723639427516394
vdisk_creator_loc: 3
vdisk_creator_loc: 1247802
vdisk_creator_loc: 675287599
nfs_file_name: "pc.2022.6.0.10-pc-boot.qcow2"
never_hosted: false
snapshot_chain_id: 7783220
vdisk_creation_time_usecs: 1723639427516394
oplog_type: kVDiskOplog
last_updated_pithos_version: kChainIdKey
always_write_emap_extents: true
vdisk_uuid: "db1edf28-7241-451a-b74a-e2f6b68ef394"
chain_id: "874ae2f3-1f2e-4d90-87f3-a755b14c374c"
last_modification_time_usecs: 1723639427524005
vdisk_id: 7783222
vdisk_name: "NFS:2:0:473"
vdisk_size: 4398046511104
container_id: 7
creation_time_usecs: 1723639427831077
vdisk_creator_loc: 3
vdisk_creator_loc: 1247802
vdisk_creator_loc: 675288112
nfs_file_name: "pc.2022.6.0.10-pc-home.qcow2"
never_hosted: false
snapshot_chain_id: 7783223
vdisk_creation_time_usecs: 1723639427831077
oplog_type: kVDiskOplog
last_updated_pithos_version: kChainIdKey
always_write_emap_extents: true
vdisk_uuid: "1d4c82bc-01b2-44da-af1c-fbedda5d3dc2"
chain_id: "83600772-9e50-4050-9957-37da1dac220f"
last_modification_time_usecs: 1723639427839142
vdisk_id: 7783355
vdisk_name: "NFS:2:0:474"
vdisk_size: 4398046511104
container_id: 7
creation_time_usecs: 1723639463452092
vdisk_creator_loc: 3
vdisk_creator_loc: 1247802
vdisk_creator_loc: 675381384
nfs_file_name: "pc.2022.6.0.10-pc-boot.img"
may_be_parent: true
never_hosted: false
snapshot_chain_id: 7783356
vdisk_creation_time_usecs: 1723639463452092
oplog_type: kVDiskOplog
vdisk_snapshot_time_usecs: 1723639536592896
last_updated_pithos_version: kChainIdKey
always_write_emap_extents: true
vdisk_uuid: "cbec4f1c-06e5-400e-bb4b-c71df4cd7e38"
chain_id: "d42ab524-a749-4a51-a1a3-3bf225c0fc12"
last_modification_time_usecs: 1723639536600475
vdisk_id: 7783363
vdisk_name: "NFS:2:0:475"
vdisk_size: 4398046511104
container_id: 7
creation_time_usecs: 1723639463571411
vdisk_creator_loc: 3
vdisk_creator_loc: 1247802
vdisk_creator_loc: 675381960
nfs_file_name: "pc.2022.6.0.10-pc-home.img"
may_be_parent: true
never_hosted: false
snapshot_draining: false
snapshot_chain_id: 7783364
vdisk_creation_time_usecs: 1723639463571411
oplog_type: kVDiskOplog
vdisk_snapshot_time_usecs: 1723639536653959
last_updated_pithos_version: kChainIdKey
always_write_emap_extents: true
vdisk_uuid: "358783f7-b35d-42ae-82cc-24a8dc0bf084"
chain_id: "0805ab92-e816-4fe6-8851-7ffa9af75188"
last_modification_time_usecs: 1723639548309692

This command allows me to display all files that are not marked “for deletion.” These are:

  • Old snapshots whose virtual machines no longer exist or are no longer linked
  • Nutanix Guest Tools installation ISOs
  • Old Prism Central update files

Now that I know where the problem is coming from, it’s time to fix it.er…

Deleting Files

To delete files, edit them one by one with the following command:

edit_vdisk_config --vdisk_id=vdisk_id --editor=vim

The bold “vdisk_id” in the command must be replaced with the vdisk_id of each file returned by the “vdisk_config_printer -container_id=7 -skip_to_remove_vdisks” command, for example:

vdisk_id: 1247912
vdisk_name: "$NTNX$-$CURATOR$-$CHAINVDISK$-$0630848d-af0a-440b-9bf2-14ed432105c2$7$"
vdisk_size: 0
container_id: 7
creation_time_usecs: 1724796346611475
mutability_state: kImmutable
snapshot_chain_id: 8053639
vdisk_creation_time_usecs: 1724796346611475
last_updated_pithos_version: kChainIdKey
vdisk_uuid: "faa173c5-be0a-4502-9977-02d9c125b02e"
chain_id: "0630848d-af0a-440b-9bf2-14ed432105c2"
last_modification_time_usecs: 1724800080940533

Will give the following command:

edit_vdisk_config --vdisk_id=1247912 --editor=vim

This opens the relevant file:

vdisk_id: 1247912
vdisk_name: "$NTNX$-$CURATOR$-$CHAINVDISK$-$0630848d-af0a-440b-9bf2-14ed432105c2$7$"
vdisk_size: 0
container_id: 7
creation_time_usecs: 1724796346611475
mutability_state: kImmutable
snapshot_chain_id: 8053639
vdisk_creation_time_usecs: 1724796346611475
last_updated_pithos_version: kChainIdKey
vdisk_uuid: "faa173c5-be0a-4502-9977-02d9c125b02e"
chain_id: "0630848d-af0a-440b-9bf2-14ed432105c2"
last_modification_time_usecs: 1724800080940533

You then need to add “to_remove: true” at the very end of the file and save it:

vdisk_id: 1247912
vdisk_name: "$NTNX$-$CURATOR$-$CHAINVDISK$-$0630848d-af0a-440b-9bf2-14ed432105c2$7$"
vdisk_size: 0
container_id: 7
creation_time_usecs: 1724796346611475
mutability_state: kImmutable
snapshot_chain_id: 8053639
vdisk_creation_time_usecs: 1724796346611475
last_updated_pithos_version: kChainIdKey
vdisk_uuid: "faa173c5-be0a-4502-9977-02d9c125b02e"
chain_id: "0630848d-af0a-440b-9bf2-14ed432105c2"
last_modification_time_usecs: 1724800080940533
to_remove: true

Repeat the operation with all the files until the “vdisk_config_printer -container_id=7 -skip_to_remove_vdisks” command no longer displays anything.

Run the container removal command:

nutanix@CVM:~$ ncli ctr rm name=default-container-15796345896744
Error: Storage container default-container-15796345896744 contains small NFS files

Another mistake! And yes, there are still small files lying around and you need to force delete them:

nutanix@CVM:~$ ncli ctr rm id=7 ignore-small-files=true
Storage container deleted successfully

This operation is quite long and tedious to apply, but it will allow you to delete a stubborn storage container. If after these manipulations the deletion of the storage container is still impossible, it is because there are still files that have not been moved / migrated.

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Nutanix AHV: Manually Install Nutanix Guest Tools on Linux via CLI

Published: 24 April 2025
Written by Julien D.
No comments
Categories: Nutanix AHV EN, Nutanix EN
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Here is a quick procedure to install Nutanix Guest Tools manually on your Linux virtual machines (Rocky Linux, RHEL, CentOS…) using the command line.

What are Nutanix Guest Tools?

NGT is a set of software features installed on a virtual machine (VM) and a Nutanix CVM. A Nutanix Guest Agent publishes information about the virtual machine to the Nutanix cluster, such as the guest operating system type, the virtual machine’s mobility status, and the Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS). The Nutanix Guest Agent is installed on both Windows and Linux guest virtual machines.

Installing Nutanix Guest Tools

Connect to your Nutanix cluster on Prism Central, go to the list of virtual machines, right-click on the virtual machine on which you want to install NGTs, and click “Install NGT”:

On the next screen, in my case no need to change anything, click on “Confirm and Enter Password”:

Don’t touch anything on this screen, just click “Skip and Mount” at the bottom left:

The ISO is mounted, now we move on to the command lines!

Installing Nutanix Guest Tools (e.g., Rocky Linux)

Here are the commands to run on the virtual machine to install Nutanix Guest Tools:

  • System Update:
sudo dnf update && sudo dnf upgrade
  • Installing Python (if not present on the machine):
sudo dnf install python3
  • Verifying the reader ID:
blkid -L NUTANIX_TOOLS
  • Command print:
/dev/sr0
  • Mounting ISO:
sudo mount /dev/sr0 /mnt
  • NGT Installation:
systemd-run --unit=ngt_guest_agent_upgrade --slice=upgrade_ngt sh /mnt/installer/linux/ngt_rpm_installer/ngt_install_upgrade.sh
  • Checking the installation from the command line:
[root@XXXXXXXXXX administrateur]# yum list installed | grep 'nutanix-guest-agent'
nutanix-guest-agent.x86_64 4.1.2-1 @nutanix-ngt-20250423153748
  • Checking the installation on Prism Central:

  • Unmounting ISO:
umount /dev/sr0

That’s it ! Nutanix Guest Tools are installed !

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Road to Nutanix .NEXT 2025 !

Published: 14 April 2025
Written by Julien D.
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Categories: Events, Nutanix EN

The world of hybrid computing and multicloud is about to experience a major moment with the Nutanix .NEXT 2025 event, which will take place from May 7 to 9 in Washington DC.

This annual event is a must-attend platform for IT professionals, cloud experts, and technology enthusiasts.

With engaging sessions, innovative product demonstrations, and networking opportunities, Nutanix .NEXT 2025 promises to be an enriching experience. As a reminder, last year it was Barcelona’s turn to host the event!

Why attend .NEXT?

The Nutanix .NEXT event is much more than just a conference. It’s a unique opportunity to discover the latest advancements in hybrid cloud, artificial intelligence, and cloud-native applications. Attendees will have access to interactive sessions, hands-on labs, and free certifications. Topics include:

  • AI and ML in the Enterprise: Discover how artificial intelligence and machine learning can transform your organization.
  • Cloud-Native Applications: Learn how to manage VM-container convergence for modern applications.
  • Security and Networking in the Modern Cloud: Explore Micro-Segmentation and Ransomware Protection Solutions

Event Highlights

The event will feature keynote addresses (including Rajiv Ramaswami), new feature demonstrations, and networking opportunities. Speakers will include renowned figures such as José Andrés (chef, restaurateur, and author) and Evy Poumpouras (former special agent and interrogator for the Secret Service, national security analyst), who will share their experiences and visions for the future of IT.

Additionally, attendees will be able to take advantage of the event to meet event partners such as OVHcloud and HYCU directly at their respective booths.

My Nutanix .NEXT 2025 Schedule

As part of the Nutanix Technology Champion program, I’m fortunate to be invited to the event. Here’s an overview of my planned schedule for the event:

  • Day 0: May 6
    • As a “tourist” day, I’m arriving 24 hours early to enjoy a full day in Washington, DC.
    • No specific plans yet in mind for this day, but I’m likely to visit the major tourist sites.
    • I’m reserving my entrance fees to avoid the crowds on the first day.
  • Day 1: May 7
    • 8:00 AM: Networking Coffee, the perfect opportunity to expand your network
    • 8:30 AM: Booth exploration (get the goodies ready, I’m coming!)
    • 10:15 AM: Opening Keynote
    • 11:45 AM: Lunch and exhibition exploration
    • 3:00 PM: NCP Unified Storage 6.10 Certification (refresh)
    • 3:30 PM: Nutanix Cloud Infrastructure Super Session
    • 5:00 PM: Welcome Reception
    • I’ll likely do a short “Washington by Night” session before heading back to the hotel.
  • Day 2: May 8
    • 9:30 AM: AI and ML Keynote
    • 11:00 AM: NCM MCI 6.10 Certification (refresh)
    • 1:00 PM: Lunch
    • 2:15 PM: Cloud Security Session
    • 3:30 PM: Mastering the Nutanix Migration: Strategies, Tools, and Best Practices
    • 4:45 PM: Day 2 Closing General Session
    • 6:00 PM: .NEXT Celebration
  • Day 3: May 9
    • 8:00 AM: NCP Database Automation 6.10 Certification
    • 9:00 AM: Not much has been finalized yet, probably just a booth exploration
    • 11:45 AM: Event Close

If you see me in the aisles, feel free to drop by if you’re interested!

See you in Washington, DC!

Nutanix .NEXT 2025 is an exceptional opportunity to deepen your knowledge, expand your professional network, and discover the trends that will shape the future of IT.

Whether you’re a novice or an expert, this event has something for everyone. So, pack your bags and join me in Washington, DC for three exciting days!

Wanna join the event ? https://next2025.nutanix.com/

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HYCU Backup : the complete guide

Published: 4 April 2025
Written by Julien D.
1 Comment
Categories: Backup EN, HYCU EN, Nutanix AHV EN, Nutanix EN

It’s finally complete! After about thirty hours spent installing, configuring, and testing a lab environment, and writing each article, my ultimate guide to backing up a Nutanix cluster using the HYCU backup solution is finally complete.

In total, this represents:

  • 4,500+ words
  • 100+ screenshots
  • 30+ hours of work

To make it easier to find all my current and upcoming guides, I’ve created a dedicated link in the menu.

This comprehensive guide includes:

Backing up your Nutanix cluster with HYCU – Overview

Backing up your Nutanix cluster with HYCU – Technical prerequisites

Backup your Nutanix cluster with HYCU – Deploy the HYCU controller

Backing up your Nutanix cluster with HYCU – Initialization and basic configuration

Backing up your Nutanix cluster with HYCU – Adding a Nutanix cluster

Backing up your Nutanix cluster with HYCU – Adding a backup target

Backup your Nutanix cluster with HYCU – Update the HYCU controller

Backing up your Nutanix cluster with HYCU – Creating backup jobs

Backing up your Nutanix cluster with HYCU – Virtual machine protection

Backing up your Nutanix cluster with HYCU – Data restoration

HYCU Backup : Upgrade Path

The guide will likely evolve if I find other interesting elements to share to expand on my experience.

Remember that the security of your data will depend on the time you spend configuring your backup policies in advance.

Feel free to share your questions or concerns, or ask other people who have already implemented HYCU Backup for their feedback.

Other guides are coming soon… Stay tuned!

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Nutanix AHV: Deploy a Windows VM using VirtIO

Published: 3 April 2025
Written by Julien D.
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Categories: Community Edition EN, Nutanix AHV EN, Nutanix EN

This is a problem many people encounter when first deploying a virtual machine on Microsoft Windows: storage detection.

I’ll show you how to deploy a Windows virtual machine on Nutanix AHV.

Prerequisites

To begin, download the VirtIO ISO image from the Nutanix Support website (registration required): https://portal.nutanix.com/page/downloads?product=ahv

Remember to select “VirtIO” from the drop-down menu at the top of the page, then download the “Nutanix VirtIO for Windows (iso)” version:

Once the ISO image is downloaded, you need to transfer it to the cluster.

Now let’s move on to deploying the virtual machine.

Creating the virtual machine under Prism Element

Log in to the Prism Element web interface of your Nutanix cluster, then select “VM” from the menu:

On the virtual machine management page, click “Create VM” in the top right corner:

In the window that appears, there are a number of fields to fill in:

In order:

  • Virtual machine name
  • Time zone
  • Amount of vCPUs
  • Amount of RAM

Next, you need to add one or more disks:

For each type of disk you want to add, you will need to select the appropriate options:

In the case of our VM, we’ll add:

  • 1 40GB disk for the operating system
  • 1 CD-ROM with the Windows ISO
  • 1 CD-ROM with the VirtIO ISO

You should have 3 disks at this point:

Adding a network adapter is the last step before finalizing the creation of the virtual machine:

If you’re unsure how to add new networks to your cluster, I recommend reading my article on the subject:

The machine is now created, and you can proceed with its deployment.

Creating the Virtual Machine in Prism Central

To create the VM in Prism Central, go to the “Infrastructure > Compute > VMs” menu:

Then click on “Create VM” to access the VM creation menu:

The fields to be filled in remain generally similar to those you can find under Prism Element, although organized slightly differently:

And spread over several tabs:

Since the process is generally identical, I won’t go into detail about all the steps. One notable difference: the ability to assign one or more categories to our VM upon creation:

The last tab allows you to check all the information that we have just configured:

Deploying the Virtual Machine

To deploy the virtual machine, boot it and launch the console. The first step is to choose the language:

Then click on “Install now”:

Then select the version you want to install:

Accept the license agreement:

Now click on “Custom…”:

Damn! The hard drive you configured when creating the virtual machine is not showing up… Click “Load a driver” to fix this problem:

Click on “Browse”:

Now navigate to the directory corresponding to the version of Windows you are deploying, in my case Windows Server 2022:

Select all drivers from the list and click “Next”:

Once the driver installation is complete, the disk finally appears:

The installation is launched, all you have to do is wait:

Your virtual machine is deployed!

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HYCU Backup : Upgrade Path

Published: 25 March 2025
Written by Julien D.
No comments
Categories: HYCU EN, Nutanix AHV EN, Nutanix EN
nutanix hycu

LAST UPDATE : 24/03/2025

As I mentioned in my article about updating the HYCU controller, you can’t upgrade from version 4.7.0 to 5.1.0, for example. To reach the latest version, you’ll have to follow upgrade paths…

And to determine these upgrade paths, you’re forced to sift through each Release Note for each version, which can be tedious in the long run… If you’d like me to make things easier for you, follow the guide!

Version table

Actual VersionNext Version
4.0.04.0.1
4.0.14.0.2
4.0.24.0.3
4.0.34.1.0
4.1.04.1.1
4.1.14.1.2
4.1.24.1.3
4.1.34.2.0
4.2.04.2.1
4.2.14.3.0
4.3.04.3.1
4.3.14.5.0
4.5.04.5.1
4.5.14.6.0
4.6.04.7.0
4.7.04.7.1
4.7.14.8.0
4.8.04.8.1
4.8.14.9.0
4.9.05.0.0
5.0.05.1.0
5.1.0TBA

How do I read the table and determine its upgrade path? It’s very simple. For example, if you’re currently on 4.5.1 and want to update your controller to 5.1.0, you’ll need to go through 4.6.0 > 4.7.0 > 4.7.1 > 4.8.0 > 4.8.1 > 4.9.0 > 5.0.0 > 5.1.0 :

This article will be regularly updated with the release of new versions of the software.

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Backing up your Nutanix cluster with HYCU – Data restoration

Published: 18 March 2025
Written by Julien D.
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Categories: HYCU EN, Nutanix AHV EN, Nutanix EN
nutanix hycu

I accidentally deleted one of the virtual machines in my cluster. Luckily, I can restore it with HYCU!

Restore a full virtual machine

I accidentally deleted the VM-DEMO-HYCU:

By clicking on it, I can access all the available restore points:

To restore the virtual machine, I select the restore point that interests me and click on “Restore”:

I select “Virtual Machine Options” to access the restoration options:

Restore VM allows you to restore the virtual machine in place of an existing virtual machine.

Clone VM allows you to restore the machine without touching the existing virtual machine using a clone.

Validate VM Backup allows you to create a copy of the virtual machine to verify the status of the restore point.

In my case, I select “Restore VM” and click “Next”:

In my case, I leave everything as default because it corresponds to the configurations I want to apply. If you wish, you can customize the destination storage container, the source of the restore point (backup or snapshot), and even the virtual machine configuration if you want it to be different from the original one.

Once the process is launched, you can follow its progress in the “Jobs” menu:

A few minutes later (or a little longer depending on the volume of data to be restored and the origin of the backup point), your virtual machine will be operational.

On your Nutanix Prism interface, you will see that the description of the restored machine has been entered:

Restore a specific file or folder

You can also restore a specific folder or file instead of restoring the entire virtual machine. To do this, select the desired restore point and click “Restore Files”:

Then leave the default value “AUTOMATIC” and click “Next”:

Wait while the restore point is read, the tree structure will then be displayed on the left:

Select the item(s) to restore, and click “Next”:

Then you have 3 options to choose from:

“Restore to Virtual Machine” allows you to restore files to their original location.

You can then:

  • Select the original location or a different location
  • Select the action to perform if the files already exist
  • Choose whether or not to restore the original permissions

“Restore to External Share” allows you to restore files to a different share

You can then:

  • Select the sharing type
  • Indicate the shared path
  • Select the action to perform if the files already exist

“Download” allows you to download the selected files

There you go, now you know how to restore your precious data in just a few clicks.

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Backing up your Nutanix cluster with HYCU – Virtual machine protection

Published: 13 March 2025
Written by Julien D.
1 Comment
Categories: HYCU EN, Nutanix AHV EN, Nutanix EN
nutanix hycu

Everything has been configured to allow the backup of the virtual machines in our cluster, we will now see how to protect the virtual machines using the backup policies that we have just created.

Manual protection

The most classic protection method is the manual protection of virtual machines from the HYCU interface.

To do this, connect to the management interface of your HYCU and go to “Virtual Machines”. You should have the list of all the virtual machines present on the Nutanix cluster that you previously added:

Select the virtual machine(s) to protect and click on “Set policy” at the top right:

Then select the backup policy you want to apply to your virtual machine and click “Assign”:

Your virtual machine is now protected, the first backup will take place during the backup time slot you previously defined. If you want to force the first backup, select the protected virtual machine and click “Backup” at the top right:

Then click on “Yes”:

If everything goes as expected, you will then have Compliance and Protection in a Green status:

Automated protection via categories under Nutanix

We have seen how to protect virtual machines manually from the Nutanix interface. But it is possible to do it directly from the Nutanix Prism Central interface.

To do this, it is important to set up the necessary prerequisites and the first is to create categories to which the virtual machines will be assigned. Connect to Prism Central, go to “Administration > Categories”:

Then click on “New Category”:

Name your category, give it a value and click “Save”. For simplicity, I put the same value:

Then log in to HYCU and edit the previously created backup policy and check “Auto-assignment”:

Below, new fields are now accessible. Fill in the values ​​of the category you created previously and click on “Add”:

Back on Prism Central, on the list of my virtual machines, we can see that no virtual machine belongs to a category:

The only virtual machine protected at the moment is the VM-DEMO-HYCU that I protected manually in the first part of this article. So I will now select the VM-DEMO-LAB virtual machine, click on the menu “Action > Other Actions > Manage categories”:

I select the category to assign to my virtual machine and I validate:

Back on my HYCU interface, I can see that my virtual machine is now part of the BACKUP policy. It was automatically assigned to this backup policy when I assigned it the corresponding category, an operation confirmed by the Events in HYCU:

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Backing up your Nutanix cluster with HYCU – Creating backup jobs

Published: 7 March 2025
Written by Julien D.
No comments
Categories: HYCU EN, Nutanix AHV EN, Nutanix EN
nutanix hycu

Now that our HYCU controller is configured and up to date, we now need to protect our virtual machines…

Cleaning the default policies

We will start by deleting the backup policies created by default. To do this, in the side menu go to “Policies” and delete all policies except “Exclude”:

Once the cleaning is done, we can get down to business.

Creating the backup time slot

In order for our backups to run outside working hours, it is imperative to set up the time slots during which HYCU will back up your virtual machines. Still in the “Policies” menu, click on “Time Windows”:

Normally, nothing is created, click on “New”:

Then, you will have the choice between 2 options:

  • Backup Window to define the time range during which the backup will be executed
  • Copy Window to define the time range during which the backup copies can be made

We will choose the “Backup Window”:

In my case, I kept it simple by naming it “HNO” for Non-Working Hours, I indicated the Timezone corresponding to my geographic location and then I selected the time slots that interested me, namely from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. from Monday to Sunday:

Creating the backup policy

To create a backup policy, in the “Policies” menu, click on “New”:

  • Name your backup policy
  • Leave “Backup” checked
  • Enter the frequency of backups in hours/days/weeks/months (which will correspond to the targeted RPO)
  • Enter the restoration period (which will correspond to the targeted RTO)
  • Enter the retention period of your backups
  • Select the backup target (in my case, the Synology)
  • Check “Use backup window” and select the backup time slot previously created

Click on “Save”.

Your backup policy is now created, the next step is to protect the VMs in your cluster.

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Backup your Nutanix cluster with HYCU – Update the HYCU controller

Published: 4 March 2025
Written by Julien D.
No comments
Categories: HYCU EN, Nutanix AHV EN, Nutanix EN
nutanix hycu

HYCU being a backup software followed and supported by the publisher, updates will be regularly made available to you in order to correct bugs, security flaws, provide optimizations or add new features.

Upgrade Path

If you missed some updates of your HYCU system, you should know that you will have to respect an update order to reach the desired version.

Indeed, if you are like me in version 4.9.0-5310 and version 5.1.0-2871 is available, you will not be able to perform a direct update to 5.1.0-2871. You will first have to install all the intermediate updates, i.e.: 5.0.0-1643 then 5.1.0-2871.

To know the update orders, you must consult the “Upgrade Notes” section of the Release Notes of the versions you must install:

Preparing the update files

If you followed the beginning of the guide, you will have noticed that I had uploaded in advance 2 additional versions of HYCU:

Otherwise, for those who missed it:

  • Check the box “I agree to the HYCU…” and click “Continue”:

  • Click on “Download .qcow2”:

Once you have downloaded the qcow2 image from HYCU, you now need to transfer it to your Nutanix cluster.

To do this, connect to the Prism Element of your Nutanix CE cluster and go to “Settings > Image Configuration”:

Click on “Upload image”, fill in the form and select the previously uploaded image:

Click “Save” to start the transfer and wait until your image is processed by the cluster and is indicated as “ACTIVE”.

Installing updates

Once you have finished preparing your update files, log in to the HYCU interface, and click on the cogwheel at the top right:

We’ll start by pausing all controller activity so that the updates can run smoothly. Click on “Power options”:

Select “Suspend All” and click “Save”. Then go back to the “Setting” menu in the cogwheel and then click on “Software Upgrade” to display the list of available updates:

Select the update you want to install and click “Software Upgrade”:

A message alerts you that the backup jobs currently running will be canceled, click “Yes”:

The system will log you out during the update. Wait about ten minutes before logging back in:

Once the update is complete, log back in and perform the following updates:

When your HYCU controller has reached the target version, reconnect to the interface then go to the settings at the top right, then to “Power Options”:

Select “Resume” to return your HYCU controller to normal operating mode and click “Save”.

On your Nutanix cluster, you will then find the old versions of your HYCU controller:

You can delete them after some time if you don’t have any problems with the version currently in production (remember to update the name of the virtual machine if you put the version in it like me!).

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