Can't see all VMDK files

[nicnictout]

Hello,

i manage a BE 2010 R3 and i have some trouble:

when i look my VMs, i only see the vmdk file, but not the xxxx-flat.vmdk. I glad to backup my VMs configuration, but it would be great if i could make a backup of my datas...

I am able to backup my VMs, so now i wonder what going wrong.

Do i need a special agent (like advance open  file) to see this flat files ?

I saw some posts that indicate the flat files will be backup only if i have the advanced open file option? Do you confirm ?

Thx a lot for your help :)

[RahulG]

Are you using the Vm ware agent for  performing the backup of the VM ? Using the backup exec Vm agent you can backup the complete Vm as well as it allows you to restore the data on the VM if the backup taken is aGRT backup

AOFO will be helpful in backup up normal open files on the server .

[nicnictout]

Yes i install the VMWare Agent on my manager, but i haven't deploy any remote agent on my VCenter or any VMs.

What i've done wrong ? :(

[pkh]

If you did not install a remote agent in the VM, then you would not be able to GRT restore of that VM.

[RahulG]

Yes agree to PKH , You need to add your Vmware center server or ESX server in the selection list , and select the Vm for backup with the GRT option checked in the backup Job properties .

[nicnictout]

Ok

i install Windows remote agent on my VMs, so now i am able to backup them (granulary) as if it were a physical computer (by adding my VM as a Windows ressource)

But if i can't backup my flat files, how could restore a Linux VM ?? My problem is still the same, if i'm not able to see flat files, i can only restore Windows VMs... it's quite strange for a product as BE !!!

In admin guide, they never speak about GRT with Linux, and i'm not looking for that, i just want restore my whole VM (VM configuration and datas stored in the VM)

thx

[RahulG]

no you need to add the Vm as wndows resources , you need to add the esx server in the selectionlist under (Vmware Vcentre and Esx) and under the esx node you need to select the Vms .. You dont need remote agent  installed on the Vm , its just when you are performing GRt restore you need remote agent installed .

[nicnictout]

RahulG,

i agree that remote agent is not necessary, but look my screenshot in attachment, a VM with data cannot have only 70Mo of data. It is the same for all my VMs... by default i use the remote agent in order to backup datas, and only datas.

So until i am not able to backup the flat files, all my VMs aren't totally backuped via VMWare agent.

FYI: i record the VCenter instead of ESX server, it could be the reason why i can only backup the configuration ?

[Colin_Weaver]

Backup Exec Agent for VMWare (AVVI) displays the VMselections for vmdk information as the friendly name for the VMDK it never exposes the exact file names that can be seen if you look at the file system inside the datastore as such what you described in the original question above is expected behaviour.

Backup Exec is not really designed to disaster recover the ESX operating system itself - just the virtual machines which you select by putting a check in the box next to the machine name (so next to AD01 in your above example image.)

[pkh]

You cannot do GRT of files in a Linux VM.

[nicnictout]

Ok,

thx very much for help, you right i won't be able to see flat files through BE.