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First VMWare vSphere backup over twice as large as last RAWS backup of same servers

RyanW
Level 4

Both jobs are full backups, not incremental or differential.

How can that be? Are the VMWare backups also backing up freespace in the VMDK?

 

My last RAWS backup of these two servers was 177GB, my VMWare backup was 404GB.   The only thing I can think of is I have GRT enabled, so does that mean the VMDK's get backed up and then BE goes back and does a backup via RAWS for GRT restores?
 

 

Also I'm getting a warning that I don't have the Active Directory Restore agent to do GRT restores of my AD server but this FAQ: https://www-secure.symantec.com/connect/sites/default/files/Backup-Exec-2010-VMware-FAQ%5B1%5D.pdf makes no mention of needing another agent to do GRT enabled restores of AD.

7 REPLIES 7

RyanW
Level 4

Anyone have thoughts on this?  My total used space on my VM's does not total 404GB. So I think it's backing up free space too.

 

This is exceptionally weird since my other ticket lodged mentions that it is not backing up SQL/Exchange/System states, so that number seems mighty inflated.

CraigV
Moderator
Moderator
Partner    VIP    Accredited

Hi Ryan,

 

You can do GRT restores when backing up a full VM. BUT...in order to do this, you do need the appropriate agent. Otherwise, the application will never know what is available.

Colin_Weaver
Moderator
Moderator
Employee Accredited Certified

OK License wise to use any aof the application GRT options with AVVI tyou must have teh license for that option (Exchange, AD, SQL, etc)

 

For file system GRT you don't need a special license.

 

With regards the byte count there are a number of files in an operating system that are excluded automtaicvally by a RAWS backup (virtual memory for instance) however your byte count difference seem a bit large so it is poissibel you might be backup uop the white space as well - the only reasosn I have seen for White Space backups have related to either Virtual RDM disks inside the image (but when running differentials), or differential backups having the incorrect security - as you state you are ruinnign fulls this does not match.

 

Oh and File System GRT enabled should not change the byte count as it does only back it up once - althoguh it is stored slightly differently and an extra metadata gathering/catalog gathering phase is included.

 

RyanW
Level 4

I'm not running any RDM disks attached to my ESXi server nor am I running differential backups of ESXi (yet).

 

Any other suggestions to check for?

Hemant_Jain
Level 6
Employee Accredited Certified

Please go to ESX box and provide exact total size of the vmdk files and information whether they are thick or thin disks. Also, provide the used space at the operating system level.

Thanks

RyanW
Level 4

According to vSphere Client: 308GB used out of 440 provisioned.

 

The vmdk's are smaller than their provisioned size, so that makes me think I set them up as thin disks.

 

OS Level = 67.66 used on one server and 175.85GB used on the other totalling: 243.51GB used.  So I'm not sure why there's a 60+GB discrepancy there.

 

 

 

ricdanger
Level 4

You should be aware that VMware thin disks are only thin when you create them. If you create a file inside the VM and delete it, the space is not reclaimed. Then, the OS may or may not write new blocks on the same space, or use another block, increasing the size of the thin disk.

But still, BE AVVI should only backup the "used" space listed on VMware. That can be bigger than the space really in use inside the VM. But is generally lower than the provisioned space.

RAWS backs up only the files really on the disk.

I would say that you should expect AVVI backup jobs of 308GB, RAWS smaller than that. If you get AVVI jobs of 440GB, and you are sure you are using thin disks, then you should be hitting the same problem listed on the following thread:

http://communities.vmware.com/thread/281269