08-01-2013 05:22 AM
Hi,
We want to make VMDK backups of VMs hosted on a VMware ESXi 5.1 host but get the following error:
We use two backup servers in our environment which face this problem. One with Windows 2003 R2/BE2010 R3 and the other with Windows 2008 R2/BE2012. Both Windows and BE are fully patched.
The VMs don't have VMware tools or BE agent installed. With the VMware Vsphere Client it is possible to make a quiesce snapshots.
Any help will be appreciated.
JaapB
Solved! Go to Solution.
08-06-2013 04:28 AM
This api is an api using which backup exec or any backup application will talk to Vmware to backup the VMDK right from the datastore without needing a temp staging location, like the previous VCB api
We need this for the backups to work.
Please review
Backup Exec 2012 Software Compatibility List (SCL)
http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH175581
"All free versions of ESXi (4i and 5) require a minimum license from VMware in order to be protected by Backup Exec. This is due to the lack of vStorage API forData Protection support in the free unlicensed versions of ESXi and is a current limitation of VMware."
Edit : Page no 34
08-01-2013 05:24 AM
Hi,
Check the TNs below:
http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=TECH129724
http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=TECH146397
I also assume that you have SP3 for BE 2010 R3 and SP2 for BE 2012 installed?
EDIT: Get the latest SPs below if not:
http://buex.ec/2010SP3
http://buex.ec/2012SP2
Thanks!
08-01-2013 05:39 AM
Those two SPs are already installed otherwise ESXi 5.1 is not supported.
I have been through these TNs already but will look into them again. Maybe i overlooked something.
08-01-2013 06:26 AM
Backup Exec requires VMWare Tools to be installed on the Virtual machines. Could you try installing it and see if that works.
Alternatively, disable Application GRT on the Backup jobs.
08-01-2013 06:52 AM
Installed VMware tools and disabled GTR. Same error.
08-01-2013 08:18 AM
Hello JaapB, If you haven't already, try recreating the jobs?
08-01-2013 09:34 AM
Have you installed the VMware tools without the VSS /filesync driver?
Can you reboot the VM?
Can you install a remote agent on the VM and try the backup again?
08-01-2013 01:20 PM
Hello JaapB,
could you please check if there are any existing snapshots present, if snapshots are present please remove those snapshots and than try,
if snapshots are removed and still facing the same issue, in browse VM folder the one in question in datastore and check for a delta file which is created with snapshot which needs to deleted when snapshot is deleted, if file is present please delete that file and than try with a backup job.
Please have a look at VMware article http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=1005049
hope this resolves your issue
08-01-2013 10:58 PM
VSS is not installed. Rebooted the server and installed the remote agent. Backup failed again with the same error.
08-01-2013 10:59 PM
Recreated the job, but it did not help. Same error.
08-02-2013 02:00 AM
No snapshots or delta files are available on this ESXi 5.1 host. VMDK backup still fails.
As a test i'm thinking about moving the VM to a ESXi 5.0 host.
08-02-2013 02:21 AM
08-02-2013 02:41 AM
We are facing this issue with all the VMs on the ESXi 5.1 host. Two VMs are Linux VMs (Centos, Ubuntu) and one Windows 2012.
We have this issue for a while but we knew ESXi 5.1 was not supported. We thought the issue would be solved by installing the lastest SP for BE.
08-02-2013 02:52 AM
Do you have the Vstorage API license installed?
http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH196047
08-02-2013 03:01 AM
08-02-2013 04:48 AM
vStorage api is not installed on the ESXi 5.1 host. This host is just running the free version for test purposes.
We are using this box to test if our BE environment can backup ESXi 5.1. If it's working we intend to upgrade our vCenter 5.0 environment.
If this api is needed, why can we backup VMs from a ESXi 5.0 host that also not contains the vstorage api?
08-02-2013 05:16 AM
Dear JaapB
Vstorage api is used by backup exec to talk to Vmware and pull the vmdk data while the VM is running.
If this is missing this process fails and the backup will fail.
Can you try to use a trial version of Vstorage api and test this backup?
08-02-2013 06:14 AM
We will give it a try and report back after the weekend.
Still we don't understand why we are able to backup VMs from ESXi 5.0 that not has the vStorage Api installed.
08-02-2013 06:30 AM
08-02-2013 06:39 AM
May be Esxi 5.0 has the vstorage api license integrated with the full license