Create a contingency site with Symantec BackupExec and VMWare

[jpmichelino]

Hello to all!
I need create a Contingency Site for a VMWare 5.1 primary datacenter.
I though of a secondary VMWare host in the contingency site and make replication between both sites with VMWare vSphere Replication.
Also I though of put a BackupExec server in the contingency site. It'll make backups from the VMWare secondary server (in the contigency site).
I have some question:
    - It is mandatory to make recovery of a Virtual Machine before to do a backup of it, or I can backup it from the VMWare recoveries files?
    - If  is mandatory to make recovery of a Virtual Machine before to do a backup of it, Can I automatizate the recovery task of VMWare? (for example: by pre task script)

Anybody done it before?
Anybody have some document that explaining how to make a backup from the secondary VMWare host?

Thank.

[Sush---]

Hello jpmichelino,

Consider this as two different locations each having one VMware host and another server where Backup Exec is installed. You can use Vmware replication between these two vmware host servers.

For backups, perform backup of Vmware1 from BE1 server and same way configure BE2 to backup the VMware2 server. Both can use the Backup Exec Agent for Virtulization.

    - It is mandatory to make recovery of a Virtual Machine before to do a backup of it, or I can backup it from the VMWare recoveries files?

--> Its mandatory that VM should be created on the VMware host. Its OK even if the VM is OFF. Backup Exec will be able to backup the Power Off VM too (ensure the option is selected while creating the backup job).

    - If  is mandatory to make recovery of a Virtual Machine before to do a backup of it, Can I automatizate the recovery task of VMWare? (for example: by pre task script)

--> Not sure if you can automate the task from VMware or not but surely not from Backup Exec. We just need the VM to be created on the host.

Thanks,

Sush...

[jpmichelino]

Thank very much Sush.