Proxmox VE Automated DR Test Engine (v4.1)

[lukasz.krzesinski]

Due to backup restore testing requirements, I wrote a script for Proxmox. Hope someone finds it useful!

Automated Disaster Recovery (DR) testing script for Proxmox VE clusters connected to Proxmox Backup Server (PBS)

Automated, hands-free Disaster Recovery (DR) testing script for randomly selected Virtual Machines (VM) and Containers (LXC) stored on Proxmox Backup Server (PBS). It runs inside a 100% isolated sandbox network, performs a full service port audit via Nmap, captures console screenshots or system logs, emails a PDF report, fires a webhook, and cleans up the storage afterward.

https://github.com/itpl-pl/Proxmox-VE-Automated-DR-Test-Engine#instructions-english-version

 

[ffsapher]

Hey, I installed the script, but I'm having problems with the IP connection. I set up a test bridge, Vmbr999, but it doesn't have a DHCP server. Every restored VM, whether with a static or dynamic address, doesn't interact with the script. I also don't have screenshots, even though I can see the desktop during the restore. Are there any extra steps I need to take to get this to work? Greetings from Poland.

 

[lukasz.krzesinski]

Hey, I installed the script, but I'm having problems with the IP connection. I set up a test bridge, Vmbr999, but it doesn't have a DHCP server. Every restored VM, whether with a static or dynamic address, doesn't interact with the script. I also don't have screenshots, even though I can see the desktop during the restore. Are there any extra steps I need to take to get this to work? Greetings from Poland.

Hi,

Thanks for reaching out! We've pushed an updated version of the script to GitHub that addresses these issues.

1. Reports and Screenshots Work Without an IP
You no longer need to wait for an IP address. We decoupled the execution flow:
Screenshots: Captured directly via the QEMU monitor (screendump) after a configurable boot delay, completely bypassing the network stack.
Test/Status Reports: The script no longer blocks waiting for network pings or SSH handshakes. It now generates the run report and captures the desktop display before and regardless of whether the VM ever receives an IP address.

2. Setting Up DHCP on `vmbr999` (If Your VMs Still Need Network Access)
Because `vmbr999` is an isolated Layer 2 bridge, Proxmox does not hand out IP addresses by default. If your VMs require active networking, you have two quick options:

Option A: Lightweight `dnsmasq` on the Proxmox Host
1. Assign an IP to the bridge in `/etc/network/interfaces` (e.g., `192.168.99.1/24`) and apply (`ifreload -a`).
2. Install dnsmasq: `apt update && apt install -y dnsmasq`
3. Create `/etc/dnsmasq.d/vmbr999.conf`:

interface=vmbr999
bind-interfaces
dhcp-range=192.168.99.100,192.168.99.200,255.255.255.0,12h
4. Restart the service: systemctl restart dnsmasq

Option B: Proxmox SDN (PVE 8.1+)
Under Datacenter > SDN > Zones, add a Simple Zone with automatic DHCP checked.
Define a VNet with your target subnet and IP range. Proxmox will handle the DHCP daemon automatically.

Run a `git pull` on your installation and test it out. The report and screenshots should now generate seamlessly right out of the box!

 

[ffsapher]

Great, I see the screenshots are working now. Thanks.
DHCP is a solution, but what about machines with static IPs that will be in different network segments? From what I remember, Veeam Sure Backup solves this issue in some way.