Backup Exec (V-Ray Edition?) in this scenario

[BlueIT]

Intro

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For a new project we will be hosting our corporate website in-house.

We have two identical physical servers (1proc/6cores) using (at this moment) local storage. Currently we will be using these servers in an active/passive scenario (i.e. the second server will only be used for disaster scenarios, failure of the primary server).

On the main server we will have 2 VMs (probably VMWare vSphere 5 Essentials). VM1 will be running the IIS and CMS system - essentially our website. VM2 will be running MS SQL server (SQL express at this stage).

We wish to regularly back these VMs up and provide the ability to restore them either back onto the active server or in a disaster onto the backup server. This should be a very fast turnaround with minimal downtime - although we don't need v-motion levels of turnaround at this time, smilarly we don't want several hours of restore.

Our supplier has recommended Backup Exec V-ray (BE V-R) edition.

I have read the licensing guides and many other docs on this site, but they don't seem to explain best practices for this.

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My questions are:

1. Is BE V-R edition the best choice in this scenario?
2. Do we need to licence 2 copies of BE V-R - one for each server?
3. Do we need to licence any additional agents or products?
4. Would BE V-R be installed onto VM1 or should it be installed on a separate VM (new VM3) or a separate Server entirely (would this affect licensing)
5. If we later decide to run both servers with either a VM on each or load balanced with the 2 VMs on each in a cluster type scenario does this affect the licensing/set up?
6. Any other helpful advice?
7. Is there a pre-sales e-mail (UK/EMEA pref) who can answer this and any other questions if I can't get the answer here.

Thanks in advance.

[VJware]

V-Ray edition is a licensing suite & includes certain licenses bundled up.

In a typical scenario, without v-ray edition licensing,

one media server license for the server where Backup Exec will be installed with (preferably) locally attached tape / disk (So two servers, 2 licenses)

one agent for vmware license per ESX...(this includes ability to backup unlimited VMs per that ESX host...so if you add a VM to this host, this license covers it)

One agent for applications / databases per application, in this case 1 license for 1 SQL server..

Now, a V-Ray edition includes per host

One media server license + agent for applications / databases + agent for vmware + Deduplication Option..

as you can see the DeDupe option is included here & the other diff is the pricing.

[BlueIT]

Thanks for that but it doesn't really answer any of the questions I asked?

[adpwl1 · Accepted solution]

Lets see if I can help answer any of them for you.

Is BE V-R edition the best choice in this scenario?
I think its the best.  You can do IMAGE based backups with file level recover if needed, along with complete recover of the VMDK.

Do we need to licence 2 copies of BE V-R - one for each server?
You need to license based on the sockets in the complete VM environment, so it looks like you have 1 proc in each physical, so yes 2.  See the license guide: http://eval.symantec.com/mktginfo/enterprise/other_resources/backup_exec_licensing_guide_21223660.en-us.pdf

Do we need to licence any additional agents or products?
Don't think so

Would BE V-R be installed onto VM1 or should it be installed on a separate VM (new VM3) or a separate Server entirely (would this affect licensing)
I would recommend installing BE on a separate server with its own disk for backup.

If we later decide to run both servers with either a VM on each or load balanced with the 2 VMs on each in a cluster type scenario does this affect the licensing/set up?
Not with V-Ray license as its per Proc license.

Any other helpful advice
Do some reading on www.backupexec.com and the support site on best practice in backing up VMWare

Is there a pre-sales e-mail (UK/EMEA pref) who can answer this and any other questions if I can't get the answer here.
Not sure about EMEA, but US does.

You can download trialware version of BE and test it for 60days before you purchase it to make sure it does what you want.  Like the other poster, V-Ray Edition is really just BE2012 in a license/price bundle for Virtual Only environemnts.

[BlueIT]

Thanks a lot fo rthat, very helpful.

Just to confirm the question and reply:

Would BE V-R be installed onto VM1 or should it be installed on a separate VM (new VM3) or a separate Server entirely (would this affect licensing)
I would recommend installing BE on a separate server with its own disk for backup.

If I do this and it is now installed on 3 servers (the new server also having a single processor) do I still only need the 2 licences for the 2 VM hosts or do I need a third licence for this Media server.

[pkh]

It is always recommended that you install BE on a separate physical server.

You need a core BE licence for the media server and 2 V-Ray licences for each of your VM hosts.  These licences are required, regardless of whether you install BE in a physical or virtual server.

[David_Hood]

You don't need a "Core BE License" for the media server, that is included.

From http://eval.symantec.com/mktginfo/enterprise/other_resources/backup_exec_licensing_guide_21223660.en...

See page 4. You get a media server license included with each copy of V-ray.

[pkh]

You are correct.  My mistake earlier.