Backup Exec 16 + vSphere 6.5 NVMe Controller = failed Backups

[PXCSW]

I wanted to try the new NVMe Controller on a with vSphere / ESXi 6.5,

but when I run the System, which I want to backup with this Controller, my Backup Jobs always fail after just a couple minutes.

BE Server runs 2012 R2 & BE 16.0 Rev 1142

Backed up System also runs 2012 R2 with vmware hardware compatibility level 6.5 (hardware version 13).

I get these errors:

VixDiskLib_Open() reported the error: You do not have access rights to this fileVDDK-Warn: ERROR opening boot.ini file boot.ini for reading

VDDK-Warn: ERROR: Unable to create a temporary file at 'C:\Program Files\Symantec\Backup Exec\Data\VMwareTemp\vixmntapi'.

VixDiskLib_Open() reported the error: You do not have access rights to this file

when I go back to LSI Logic SAS SCSI Controller, backups run fine again.

Is this configuration not supported?

[CraigV]

*Edited*

[PXCSW]

It IS BE 16, the server is WINDOWS 2012 R2

[Colin_Weaver]

Backup Exec 16 uses VDDK 6.0 and not VDDK 6.5 - we have been testing with VDDK 6.5 and have found an issue which means we cannot include it in Backup Exec at this current time.

Unfortunately VMFS 6 (which is the new VMFS version available in ESXi 6.5)  requires VDDK 6.5 to use SAN Transport - as per http://pubs.vmware.com/Release_Notes/en/developer/vddk/65/vsphere-vddk-65-release-notes.html#knownis...

So at this current time BE 16 does support ESXi 6.5 but only if you do not intend to use SAN Transport against VMFS 6.0 datastores.  http://www.veritas.com/docs/000125164

Which means you will either have to use NBD (to use VMFS 6) or implement VMFS 5 datastores.

[PXCSW]

I'm not sure you understand what I'm asking about.

The transport type doesn't change. It has always been NBD for us.

I'm asking about official support for VMware ESXi machines with a virtual NVMe Disk Controller

[Colin_Weaver]

Are you saying you have added storage into a specific VM using a different type of virtual SCSI card?

and if yes Is the resulting storage still inside a VMDK in a VMFS datastore or somewhere slse?

[Colin_Weaver]

Hmm OK I did some reading here

https://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=21477...

If this virtual adaptor connects a VM to physical hardware then it cannot be supported by a virtual machine backup in the same way that using iSCSI to add a drive into the OS of a  VM would also not be supported. You have to use a traditonal agent backup to protect the content of any VM that has volumes connected outside of the VMDK mechanism.

If this NVMe adaptor does use a virtual VMDK disk, then as per the comment in the following doc related to HotAdd support for NVMe then there is an implication that VDDK 6.5 is needed for the new adaptor as well.

http://pubs.vmware.com/Release_Notes/en/developer/vddk/65/vsphere-vddk-65-release-notes.html

As an extra point the article also mentions VDI - VDI is as far as I know is also not supported by the VDDK snapshot mechanism meaning we cannot backup it up as a VM.

[PXCSW]

The NVMe Controller connects to an existing vmdk on a vmfs 6 datastore.

HotAdd is listed and enabled in the Backup Job under Virtual Computers > VMware > Transport Mode Priority List

But all my successful backups list "nbd" as the used transport mode. The failed ones don't show a mode at all.

Also I'm not sure about the "NVMe controller should not be used on the HotAdd backup proxy."

Would this refer to the server, which is running Backup Exec? If so, this is not the case, because our BE Server is a phyiscal machine - not a VM.

I can try to untick the Hotadd transport mode in a backup job and see if that helps...

Also we're not using VDI

[Colin_Weaver · Accepted solution]

I suspect VDDK 6.5 is still needed agains the fact that NVMe adapators are a new ESXi option and probably is not supported by VDDK 6.0

[PXCSW]

Alright thanks. I guess that would be it.

Any known ETA for VDDK 6.5 support?