In a first step (before we start to migrate our datastores) I would like to use virtual VMware Backup Hosts to use HOTADD transport instead of NBD.
The first question is "Why hot-add?".
You want your Backup host to be able to read vmdk from NFS datastore. It is ok. But what's next? If you use NetBackup client as a Backup host it simply reads vmdk from NFS datastore (via LAN) and passes the same amount of traffic (via LAN) to the media server. It has no difference with LAN transport except some details. If you want to reduce LAN traffic you can use media server installed into a VM as VMware Backup Hosts but is should use SAN connected disks otherwise you'll pass traffic via LAN again.
Veritas has nice admin guide for NetBackup + VMware https://www.veritas.com/support/en_US/article.000108087 it covers everything.
and articles:
https://www.veritas.com/support/en_US/article.v63153325_nbu_vmware_web
https://www.veritas.com/support/en_US/article.v62458957_nbu_vmware_web
https://www.veritas.com/support/en_US/article.000094725
It requires reading because you're designing a backup solution and must consider many factors.
Hello Mike_Gavrilov, first of all thanks for replying so fast.
The first question is "Why hot-add?".
According to most documentation or internet articles (also from competitors) I learned, SAN transport with NFS datastores is not possible, so the only option you have, is to use NBD oder HOTADD as transport protocol. Correct me, if I am wrong.
Why HOTADD instead of NBD? Because NBD is limited to 100MB/s in 1 stream and 220Mb/s in 4 streams, with every stream at 55MB/s at max according to a NetBackup technical article. This is far beyond the theoretical maximum transfer speed of a 10GBit/s LAN interface, because VMware limits the traffic to ensure that managment of the console is still possible. HOTADD transfer should be much faster, as the VMDKs of VMs in SNAPSHOT-mode can be attached to those virtual 'VMware Backup Hosts', which seem to be called 'VMware Access Hosts' now in NetBackup v8.0 according to the Host properties dialog of the Master Server, right? Backup data can be processed through a 10GBit/s LAN-interface without limitations. It is right, that the VMDKs must be read through LAN from the NFS datastore and send through LAN again to the physical media server, where the MSDP pool is located, but the same happens with NBD.
No doubt that SAN transport would be the best option of all VADP transport protocols.
This is only 1 of several steps to follow, but in the end I would like to use those 'VMware Access Hosts' and HOTADD transport mode for restore purposes, when e.g. Thin VMDKs must be restored, which is not recommend to be restored via SAN transport. Correct me, if I am wrong!
I already studied the NetBackup 8.0 Administrator Guide for VMware before I wrote the initial post, but I couldn't find the necessary steps to follow to create a VMware Access Hosts for use in NetBackup, that's why I tried to list the steps in my initial post.
Maybe you can answer the question here?
A virtual 'VMware Access Hosts' formerly known as a 'VMware Backup Host' or 'VMware Proxy Server' is no more than a virtual Windows machine with the NetBackup client installed? Or are there any further steps or software installations necessary before I can configure or add this virtual 'VMware Access Host' to the Host Properties configuration of the NetBackup Master Server?
As SAN transport with VADP is only possible with FC or iSCSI, the necessary steps to migrate from NFS to iSCSI storage will follow, as we would like to backup VMware VMs as fast as possible and NBD is definitely too slow, specially for such a big environment in a Datacenter, where we are talking about several TB of data.
Best regards.
Hi Didi,
Got your point. 10G changes the whole picture.
HOTADD transfer should be much faster, as the VMDKs of VMs in SNAPSHOT-mode can be attached to those virtual 'VMware Backup Hosts', which seem to be called 'VMware Access Hosts' now in NetBackup v8.0 according to the Host properties dialog of the Master Server, right?
Yes, this is correct about VMWare Backup host but I have doubts about "much faster". Sure, you can work around vmkernel port limitation with hot-add but can you read VMDKs faster than 220 Mb/s with your productive load? Do you have enough bandwith on media-servers?
I would use NBD + NetBackup Accelerator (CBT).
A virtual 'VMware Access Hosts' formerly known as a 'VMware Backup Host' or 'VMware Proxy Server' is no more than a virtual Windows machine with the NetBackup client installed?
That's correct but it also can be virtualized Media Server
https://www.veritas.com/support/en_US/article.v19545588_nbu_vmware_web
Step-by-step in the end of presentation
https://vox.veritas.com/qsuop67736/attachments/qsuop67736/Articles-Backup-and-Recovery/715/1/NetBackup%207.6%20Blueprints%20-%20VMware.pdf starts on page 22
Or are there any further steps or software installations necessary before I can configure or add this virtual 'VMware Access Host' to the Host Properties configuration of the NetBackup Master Server?
NetBackup installation is enough.
Didi
You mentioned "Because NBD is limited to 100MB/s in 1 stream and 220Mb/s in 4 streams, with every stream at 55MB/s at max according to a NetBackup technical article."
Do you have a reference for that article? This something I need to look at again. In the past I couldn't find much and assumed it was forum folklore
Quote Mike_Gavrilov: Yes, this is correct about VMWare Backup host but I have doubts about "much faster". Sure, you can work around vmkernel port limitation with hot-add but can you read VMDKs faster than 220 Mb/s with your productive load? Do you have enough bandwith on media-servers?
With a competitor product I can get 450 to 510 MByte/s on SAS-drives with 1 stream. Using 2 backup streams on 2 different VMs using HOTADD on the same ESXi-host I get 2x 330 MByte/s (660MByte in total) on SAS-drives. Will move one HOTADD-VM to another ESXi-host and see, if I might get more, because in this scenario, the theoretical limit on 10GBits/s interfaces is nearly reached. Somewhere I read, that around 600MByte/s on one 10GBit/s LAN interface is realistic.
Quote Mike_Gavrilov: I would use NBD + NetBackup Accelerator (CBT).
Believe me, the last step of changes, will be iSCSI-storage and VADP SAN transport protocol and NetBackup Accelerator use.
Quote Mike_Gavrilov: Or are there any further steps or software installations necessary before I can configure or add this virtual 'VMware Access Host' to the Host Properties configuration of the NetBackup Master Server? NetBackup installation is enough.
So, the clear answer to my question is ... A naked Windows 2012R2 installation and the install of the NetBackup Client v8.0 is enough and I can use this VM as a VMware Access Host, integrate this one in the Host Properties of the Master server and use HOTADD with this VM, right?
