GRT for files on file server under VMware

[JacobCrow]

I recently installed 2012 (up from 11d) and much of our environment changed as well, including moving to VMware w/2 ESX boxes.  Two of our VM are basically file servers migrated from older standalone servers.  From my admin training I recall we were able to use GRT to restore individual files from a full backup of an ESX box with GRT settings checked.  After I have done full backups I do not see the granularity that allows me to restore from any of my virtual servers.  What I have done is basically added backups for each of the virtual servers in order have recoverable data.  Am I missing something because I thought GRT allowed me to restore files from full VM backups?

We are running BE 2012 on a 2008 server.

Jim

[JacobCrow]

I am attempting to do this via tape.  Reading some of the other threads it would appear that to take advantage of GRT I would first need to backup to disk and then copy that to tape.  Is this correct?

[Backup_Exec1]

Hi

Q I am attempting to do this via tape.  Reading some of the other threads it would appear that to take advantage of GRT I would first need to backup to disk and then copy that to tape.  Is this correct?

Ans : No , that is not the case , You can backup the GRT backup of vmware on Tape and Disk. So there is nothing that is compulosry to backup to disk & then duplicate to tape

For you exisiting issue you can try doing backup to disk as an isolation & check if you are able to see GRT items.

Moreover , Ensure permission for the account you are using are correct.

If remote agent is installed , Try uninstalling & reinstalling remote agent on that virtual machine & check

Thanks

[pkh]

In order to do GRT restore of files, you need to install the RAWS in the VM.  The VMware agent licence allows you to install RAWS in any number of VM's installed on the physical host for which it is licenced for.

Next, to see the iindividual files, you got to click on the server name of the VM, not the host,  For example, if Server1 is on Host1 and you backup Server1 by backing up Host1, click on Server1 to see your individual files.

[JacobCrow]

Thanks for the input.  I have installed RAWS on all the VM hosts.  One thing I discovered this morning is in testing credentials I had not put the correct login account for the individual VM hosts, which is different than the virtual server account.  When testing credentials I did not expand the server to see or test the individual VM hosts.  I have not run a backup yet, but I am wondering, could that have been the issue with not seeing the granularity. 

In response to your 2nd paragraph - In restore I did expand down to the host level but did not see any individual files.  I'm guessing it may be the account credentials that caused my problem.

Thanks

[JacobCrow]

Thanks.  I'm thinking the permission/credentials may have been my problem.  I'll know after this evening.

[Backup_Exec1]

Hi

Please check below link to make sure the account being used for vmware backup have neccessary permission

 http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH129645

Thanks

[pkh]

In your selection list, you should see both Host1 and Server1.  To see the individual files, expand Server1, NOT Host1.

[Maxgeo]

This is a known issue that has only just been acknowledged. It has to do with the catalogging at the end of the ESX/VM backup not matching the FQDN of the server that appears in the list.

See here: http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=TECH191469

Until a fix is released one way to fix the catalog flaw up is to run a one-off agent-only (NOT VM backup) of each server affected. The backup must be done over the LAN and not use SAN mode transport. You can choose a simple one file backup that finishes in 2 mins, you dont need to backup whole server, just pick any single file as if you are backing up a physical server, and when you complete the catalogs will have generated the necessary tables in the database that enables the GRT to work from then on.

NOte: also make sure your RAWS are updated. Lots of weird issues happen if you have old RAWS from previous versions of BE on your servers.

[JacobCrow]

Thanks for the input.  I actually did full backups of two of the servers (one on each of our ESX boxes).  It was a regular, non-VM backup.  Following that I stlll did not get the granularity I had hoped for via the full VM backups that contained each of those servers.  From reading the link it appears that this is a known issue and the work around is to just go ahead and backup the individual servers.  Kind of makes you wonder why one should bother using a VM backup.  I mean if you have to recover a server your likely going to need the more than just the system disk.

Another thing I noticed is when I do a full VM backup, it appears that the system disk (C:) is the only disk backed up.  It is the only disk identified in the log on servers that do not have apps.  Plus based on the space used on the backup it would appear the system disk may be the only disk backed up.

I am going to do a more thorough analysis of bytes backed up vs what should be given used spaces on the disks.

Note: I have loaded agents on all servers under VM and that works because I have performed full backups.

[JacobCrow]

Maybe I am confused.  In order to see the server(virtual server) I have to expand the the host (ESX).  When I try to expand the server there is no expansion tree under it.

Thanks

[JacobCrow]

I confirmed via the backup logs that doing a full backup on the ESX servers only backs up the system disk and system state on those servers that have addtional non-system disk.  The exception would be the exchange server.  So when I go to the individual server i see the granualrity for the system disk and state but not the "E:" disk, for example on my file server.  I will contact support to see if they can make sense out of this.

[Maxgeo]

have you given the backup account or the symantec BE service account admin access to that drive?

[pkh]

You should see Server1 listed seperately as if it is a physical machine.  Expand that to see the individual files.

[JacobCrow]

That's my problem, it won't expand to see any files or folders.  BTW, I filed a case on thissince it does not appear to be functioning the way I would expect it to.

[JacobCrow]

There are no permission differences between the C: drive and the E: drive on the servers.  BTW, I have filed a case on this issue to see if Symantec has a solution.  I will document the outcome.  Thanks.