How to Preserve an Orphaned DIsk Before It Is Deleted

Products

• VMware Tanzu Application Service

Issue/Introduction

Orphaning a disk rather than deleting it preserves the disk for possible recovery. In circumstances after performing recovery operations, you can reattach the disk to a VM. By default, Bosh will delete the disk automatically after 5 days. If you don't want the orphaned disk to be deleted by Bosh, you can preserve the disk.

Resolution

TO PRESERVE AN ORPHANED DISK:

• Create a small database deployment. In our example, the plan name for that small deployment is "db-small", and we name the instance "new-parent":

  • cf create-service p.mysql db-small new-parent

• Stop the new-parent instance:

  • bosh -d service-instance_$(cf service new-parent --guid)  stop

• Shell onto that VM, sudo as root, and disable mysql config to guard against mysql restart:

  • bosh -d service-instance_$(cf service new-parent --guid) ssh
    sudo -i
    cd /var/vcap/jobs/mysql/config
    mv my.cnf DISABLED_my.cnf
    mv mylogin.cnf DISABLED_mylogin.cnf
    exit

• Get the instance ID of new-parent's VM (to use in the next step):

  • bosh -d service-instance_$(cf service new-parent --guid) instances --details  # get INSTANCE-ID e.g. mysql/e62c10f7-e1f1-4065-88dc-a8e0b7c0794d

• List our orphaned disk, and attach it to our new parent instance: (Note, this will also create a new orphan out of new-parent's current disk)

  • bosh disks -o  # get ORPHAN-CID
    
    bosh -d service-instance_$(cf service new-parent --guid)  attach-disk INSTANCE-ID ORPHAN-CID