Veritas Netbackup instant access 8.1.2
Q1) They want to save space to datastore and restore the vmdk to other site once we are done on testing on prod site but if i use agent based approach it will not backup the vmdk right? only the VM files will backup so it will not restore the wholle VM?
A1) Yes, agent (inside the guest) based backups do not backup VMDK directly. If you want to backup as VM (i.e. whole or incremental (VMDK) then you do not necessarily need an agent inside the guest VM. But if you want to restore one file directly to the VM then it is usually a lot easier to restore if the VM contains a pre-configured agent.
Also, alternatively, you could still use NetBackup BMR to perform a kind of V2V restore / recovery (just like P2V) of the guest OS to re-create a new VM - but this is just a little bit more involved than a straightforward whole VM restore directly back into ESX VMware.
A common mistake that VMware admins make is to overfill their datastore LUNs. Here's a fact of life: if you want VMware based backups of VM then you are very likely going to have to leave space for snapshots. That's just the way it works. You are in for heaps pf pain if you try to do anything different. Anyone that insists on doing it differently is, quite frankly, in the wrong job. Top tip: always, and I do mean *always* leave 10% to 15% spare in your datastore LUNs.
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Q2) Customer wants to use the appliance as backup host (Appliance) for VMware so the backup more faster but I read some blogs about Appliance 5240 H is also supported ISCSI. VMware supported the ISCSI protocol for NAS to be another datastore but I dont have any idea if appliance can be like NAS.
A2) In general the appliance is not a NAS (for SMB and NFS) and certainly cannot be configured as a NAS for iSCSI. Remember, a typical iSCSI storage array (e.g. a NetApp) is an iSCSI "target". An ESX host in an iSCSI network is an "iSCSI initiator". Likewise, a NetBackup Appliance in an iSCSI network is an "iSCSI initiator". Think of the NetBackup Appliance not as an iSCSI NAS, but instead think of a NetBackup Appliance as a specilaised host (just like ESX Host) that is capable of accessing the same storage LUNs as the ESX host. Do you see how ESX host and NetBackup Appliance are very similar, they are both "hosts", they are both servers.
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Q3) Just read this:
A3) This VOX forum post discusses zoning for SAN over FC. Remember, SAN over FC requires "zoning" which is a way of configuring point-to-point communication between a "SAN initiator" (which is usually a server) and a "SAN target" (which is usually a storage array).
So, FC SAN uses "zoning" between initiator and target - and iSCSI SAN uses "initiators and targets" in the actual iSCSI config - i.e. each achieves the same goal of establishing a special private understanding between initiators (usually servers) and targets (usually storage arrays).
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Q4) and also this
https://www.veritas.com/content/support/en_US/doc/122285129-130445102-0/v62458939-130445102A4) This is a link to the NetBackup Appliance iSCSI Guide, page re transport modes. Yes, the transport name is "san" for both iSCSI and FC based backups.
Remember FC is a SAN protocol. Also, remember that iSCSI is a SAN protocol. They are both "SAN" protocols - but implemented differently, typically over different types of swicthes and cables, but even these distinctions are blurred these days.
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HTH
