Best configuration for backing up vSphere 5.0 with use of Backup Exec 2014 Agent for VMware

[Tosk]

Hi,

Our 3rd party IT support company is trying to push this as a backup solution:-

- Datto SIRIS 2 device £2649
- Datto cloud service monthly Backup/Virtualisation Service £359 per month

Up to now we have been quite happy with using HP Ultrium tape drives to backup our servers with Backup Exec (now using version 2014), but now we will be moving to virtual servers with vSphere 5.0, which don't directly support tape drives for backup.

This "rental/insurance" service quoted above I find horrifyingly expensive after being used to the value of tape backup. So our current tape drive and tapes cost as a maximum £2500 over the use of seven years. The above solution would cost over £30,000 - and I don't understand why customers would accept an over 10 fold increase of cost to backup the same amount of data.

We have about 50 employees and our growth of data on the servers is slow. 2TB.

I'm no expert - but I think I can use a separate backup server connected to a new HP LTO-6 ULTRIUM 6250 EXT TAPE DRIVE device. I believe I could use Backup Exec 2014 Agent for VMware to then backup the vSphere images to the backup server and then in turn back these up to tape as an off-site backup solution. So to clarify we would have a box hosting vSphere5 with 4 virtual servers and a separate backup server runing Windows 2012.

I want to check please if:-

1) My guessed configuration above would work.

2) What is the upgrade path (if any) from Backup Exec 2014 to Backup Exec 2014 Agent for VMware? Do we upgrade or replace?

Many thanks

Paul

Systems Manager

Aerco Ltd

[CraigV · Accepted solution]

Hi,

1. Disk-based backups for an image backup of VMware are a must. Put in as many large disks as you can in the media server and backup to that, before duplicating to tape. It will work. Just make sure you plan properly with the correct size of disks and number.

2. There is no upgrade path...AVVI is simply an agent license that is installed on the media server which unlocks the ability to see the VMware infrastructure. Just buy the license and install it.

Thanks!

[Tosk]

Hi Craig - thanks for your time in replying on this - much appreciated.

Paul

[CraigV]

Glad to have helped!

Thanks!

[pkh]

Your proposed configuration will work and you can just backup straight to tape. To restore individual items, like files/folders, databases, mailboxes, etc. The backup on tape needs to be staged onto disk first. Just make sure you have sufficient disk space to hold your largest VM. On top of your VMware agent license, you would also need to buy Agent for Application and Databases licenses if you intend to restore individual Exchange mailboxes, AD objects and Exchange mailboxes. These licenses are on a per application/database per VM basis