NDMP Celerra and backup Exec

[Tomthegeek]

Hi

We Are currently useing a NS120, (Celerra and Clairron) we are using symantec backup exec and a HP Fibre Channel Tape Libary to backup are Servers

We have setup 2 NFS Exports on the Celerra and presneted these to 3 ESXi Serevr.

we want to be able to use the NDMP To backup the servers running on the NFS Exports via NDMP across the FC Network.

NDMP Has been setup on the Cellerra and backup exec can see the Celerra's Data mover when we configure a NDMP Job at the momenet the Backup job gors across the Network from the Celerra to the Backup exec Server.

the Celerra can see the Tape Libary (although One Data mover can see only One Tape device while the other one can see the Tape Libary and the Tape Device)

we want this to go acroos the FC Network

1. is this supported for NFS Exports

2. is their any further steps that are required on the Celerra to get this working?

any thoughts

Many Thanks,

we were told on an EMC Forum to "In your backup software you need to define drives as they are seen by the datamover "cXtxLx"."

how is this done?

[Kiran_Bandi]

Is the tape library connected to DM AUX ports?

Is it shared between media server and DM?

Also can you post a screenshot showing the backup selections?

[Colin_Weaver]

Hmm as you have mentioned ESX as well as NDMP you have conflcit of technologies that will limited what you can do.

The Backup Exec NDMP Option can backup files from the storage volumes of the Celerra onto some form of directly atrtached tape library (as long as the Celerra can access the tape libary) However this is a file level snapshot backup of the Celerra content and if this NFS Export appears as some kind of large file (like a LUN would do on a NetApp) then it is backed up as a single file.

If however you have somehow made your selections via an NFS share and not via the volume within the Celerra, then I can imagine it would go via the LAN and might be able to see the VMDK files inside it (although backing up this way will still limit you as you won't be able to access anything inside the VMDK files for a restore)

A VMware Agent backup can give you access to the content of your Virtual machines, however the NDMP Option and the VMware Agent do not directly work with one another, so you can only make the use of one technology or the other and to do a SAN based backup with the VMware Agent data requires that the Datastore 'LUN' be presented over SAN technology to the media server with the library attached to the media server. I am not 100% sure if this capability also applies to NFS setups or whether you should have configured a LUN setup on the Celerra to achieve this. (with the LUN owning your ESX Datastore)

[Tomthegeek]

Hi Thanks, The Tape Libary is connected to the FC Switches and Aux 0 of both Data Movers connected as well.

Cannot send a screenhot at the momement but the settings for the backup job are as follows.

Type - NDMP - We Select one of the NFS Shares

NDMP Setting - Full - Snapsure Disabled for the time Being.

When we run the backup it goes across the network!

We want this to go across the FC

[Colin_Weaver]

I think it is because you are selecting at Share level, NDMP is designed for a volume level selection, as such a share level selection probably does go over the network.

As others have suggested I think we need screenshots.

[Tomthegeek]

Hi Thanks,

We have vmware runing Perfectly fine with VM's on VMFS Present from the Clarion, which are going across the FC with SAN Mode Backups Selected.

The VM's which are Running on the Celerra presneted as NFS Shares with have selected NDMP For. SnapSure had been disabled whilst we are testing this, 

At the momemnt the Backup Job Run Across the LAN not Across the FC network.

The Desired Result is to have the backups run across the FC Network.

the Selection is as follows,

/Celerra/NFS0 - This is how i have configured the NFS Exports - E.G how ESXi Sees them.

I am unbale to Sent a Screenhot as of yet but will do later,

in the mean time i hope this clarifies a few thing on the current setup and and our requirements.

Many Thanks

[Kiran_Bandi]

Hi Tom,

You have to configure the tape devices attached to DMs with BE as NDMP storage devices. From Devices screen, click on Add NDMP server under NDMP tasks. Provide the filer name and logon account when prompted. After adding restart the services. 

Choose the data to beacked up from NDMP Device resource and from devices select the NDMP attached tape device as destination device (which you added in previous step).

Thanks...

[Colin_Weaver]

Hmm gut feeling is that you are trying to do something that we have not tested for or designed into Backup Exec which might work, but is an alternate configuration and not officially supported.

Normally NDMP selections are via the volume root and not via some form of NFS share as such I would not expect the path to match what you have configured on your ESX system I would expect it to be more of an internal path within the Celerra itself.

[teiva-boy]

To backup VMware over NFS, you are limited to NBD or RAWS agents.  You should not be using NDMP.

To be able to backup the VMDK's you MUST be integrating with vStorage API's from vCenter.  Something NDMP doesn't do.  

The alternative is to see if there is a FLARE upgrade for the EMC unit for vmware integration.  Then use FlashSnap and ADBO to do offhost backups.  However, this is much more complicated to setup and may not give you granular restores.  e.g. quick backups, terrible restore options.

[Tomthegeek]

Hi Thanks, Just to confirm that With the Current Setup with the Storage Presented as NFS  to ESXi servers that this is not Possible? (Why then are we able to back the Servers across the network when selecting NDMP)

Also will changeing this from NFS to Either CIFS or iSCSi, will this allow us to Backup the Data Across the FC?

Many thanks,

[Tomthegeek]

Also is it Possible to do this with Netbackup instead of  Backup Exec?

[Colin_Weaver]

No Comment on NetABackup/NFS however for the BE Vmware agent you need a VMFS Datastore presented over Fiber Channel or iSCSI to do the SAN mode Vmware agent backup and the LUN contaning the datastore needs to be presented to the ESX host and the media server. NBD works for NFS because you are using the network and accessing via ESX itself.

You confused things by asking about NDMP - NDMP and NBD are completely different things, NBD is the transport mode for LAN backups of VMware, NDMP is a backup protocol used by the Celerra and other devices. The Backup Exec NDMP option is there to do local file system backup within the Celerra  to a tape library that is directly attached to the Celerra, however this option has no specific VMware capability 

[teiva-boy]

If you move your datastores from NFS over to a block level LUN with VMFS connected via iSCSI or FC (Preferred), backups can happen over the SAN.  This is the fastest possible method to backup VM's.  

If you on'y can use iSCSI, make sure you are using multiple 1GbE links or 10GbE out from the controller, and your BE server has multiple links as well or at least 10GbE.