AVVI Copy Backup

[WestTexan]

Does anybody know of a way to do a "copy-only" backup using BE 2010 R3 with Agent for VMware Virtual Infrastructure? This would equivalent to the "Full - Copy the files" Backup method for files. I basically want to make an additional full backup without resetting the Changed Block Tracking file for the VM. I only see an option for Full, Differential (vSphere only) and Incremental (vSphere only).

This seems like a common use case. I'm wanting to test backup-to-disk methods without disrupting the normal differential backups. I could also see a need to make a full backup to tape during the middle of the week for some auxilliary purpose.

[Simon_B_]

From my understanding if you run a FULL job that is not part of your full/differential policy this should not reset the changed block tracking. You would have to verify this by testing though.

[WestTexan]

I may try to test that. Testing is difficult since you essentially have to perform a restore that should require the differential and full backup, and make sure that it does not ask for this "auxilliary" full backup.

I'm dubious that this will work since there is no way to specify which full backup job should reset the CBT file. Sure, we have naming conventions and similar media that help me group my normal full/differential jobs, but there is no hard link in the configuration that does this. It seems that since this is an option for file based backups, namely "Full - Copy the files" instead of "Using archive bit (reset archive bit)", there would be a similar option for VMware if that is possible.

Is there any Symantec documentation that addresses this issue?

[sbora]

You can run set-copy (duplicate backup) of the Full backup that you will run. This job will copy the data from the orignial backup's media (tape or disk whichever is used for full backup) and will not disrupt your differentials.

[WestTexan]

The duplicate backup option won't meet this need. If I want to make an auxiliary copy of a few VMs on Wednesday, I don't want to have to retrieve my weekend backup tape, load it and have it spin through the entire backup set looking for a few VMs. Also, that weekend backup is out-of-date on Wednesday, I just want a full "copy-only" backup. Is nobody else encountering this need, or is AVVI not widely used?

[sbora]

West Texan,

As of today BE does not have option to perform COPY backup. I am trying to find out if this is something that can be raised in BE as an enhancement request or this is a limitation imposed by VMware. I will update this forum post once I have the information.

[sbora]

Okay, I got the response on this one and this is not a limitation from Backup Exec but from the VMware side.