Backup Exec 2010 R3

[IT-KTBL]

We made a clean install of VM VSphere 5.

After that we installed Backupexec 2010. We discovered the problem, that we could only make backups over NBD, not over HotAdd or SAN Mode. After some testing we discovered that Backupexec can not read VMFS5, we now switched to VMFS3, everything is working fine.

But this can not be the solution. Is there a way Backupexec can read VMFS5?

[VJware]

Have you completely patched 2010 R3, as SP1 added support for VSphere 5

[IT-KTBL]

Yes, its completley patched.

VShere 5 is working fine, but not with VMFS5 only with VMFS3.

I have currently two LUNs mounted one with VMFS5 and one with VMFS3, when i move the VM to the LUN with VMFS5 the backups dont work. On the VMFS3 LUNs the backups are running.

There error code is then: V7-79-57344-38277 - unable to open a disk of the virtual machine

[VJware]

If i recall, VMFS5 uses GPT & if yes, then this error would occur as BE does not support GPT disks yet..

[Colin_Weaver]

Hmm now that interesting as when we are referring to not supporting GPT we are usually referring to how the windows partition has been created and formatted within the vmdk. Which is how the Windows Disk manager inside the VM is used and therefore potentially not the same thing as the datastore itself being laid down as GPT, unless one of the wizard/tools in VMware itself deliberately creates Windows GPT partitions when creating a machine anywa.

As such not saying GPT is not the problem but will be querying a few internal team members to see if I can find out more detail.

EDIT1: Thinking about it, if the VM had been created with Windows GPT partitions then copying back to VMFS  3 would not fix the issue.

EDIT2: If we did not support VMFS 5 then I don't think NBD would work either.

EDIT3: as the original poster mentioned Hot Add and SAN mode, then be aware SAN mode is not supported if the media server is virtualized and Hot Add is not supported if the media server is NOT virtualized  as such you cannot test both those modes on one media server as only one of them could possibly work anyway.

[IT-KTBL]

We created the partition directly in VM, with standart settings. After that we connect it to Windows.

And yes you are right, at the moment i use a VM for Backup so only Hot Add is working, but to find the error we installed BackupExec on a pyshikal hardware too. There we found it and tested SAN mode back to the VM we tested Hot Add, both are working with VMFS 3.

If you like, have a look at the service Ticket: 415-835-631

Its was solved cause the support guy used NBD, that was before we discovered the problem (this took some more hours). If needed you can contact me and have a look at our system.

I will make a new service ticket for this soon, when i get no solution here.