How to Setup Automatic Removal of VMware Snapshots in Protect

Shavlik Protect has the ability to take VMware snapshots. You can set this in a Custom Deployment Template, Under the tab Hosted VM/Templates. You also have the ability to delete old snapshots.

Protect waits to delete the snapshots until the next deployment. If your deployments are spread out, and you would like your snapshots erased sooner, you can do this by deploying a custom patch that is always detected as missing. (QSK2745, MSST-001)

Step 1 - Create a new Patch Scan Template by going to New-> Patch Scan Template and name is "Custom Action Scan". The only thing you need to change is under Patch Properties in the bottom right, click the radio button for "Scan Selected" and click the "Custom Actions" box.

Step 2. Create a New Deployment Template by going to New-> Deployment Template and name it "Custom Action for VMware Snapshot"

• On the General Tab, deselect the ‘Send Tracker status’ option. This change is so that the tracker doesn’t falsely report the deployment as failed. Be aware you will not receive a tracker status for this deployment.

Step 3. Go to the Post-deploy Reboot tab, and set this to ‘Never reboot after deployment’.

Step 4. Under the Hosted VMs/Templates Tab, choose Delete old snapshots created by Shavlik Protect Advanced (age in days): (I set 2. You set your desired results. I also chose to take pre-deployment snapshots. This is also optional.)

Click Save.

Step 5. Click Home,

1. Type a name in step 1. (I used to "Remove VMware Snapshots")
2. Select your machine group with your VM's (Mine is names "VM's")
3. Select how often you would like this to run to remove your snapshots (I chose Sundays, Tuesdays & Thursdays)
4. Select "Custom Action Scan"
   1. Click Auto-Deploy patches after scan
   2. Chose "Custom Action for VMware Snapshot"
   3. Click "Install immediately.
5. Click Schedule.

Congratulations! You have successfully setup an automatic removal of VMware Snapshots in Protect.