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Problem with Backup Exec 2012 SP1 and VMware vCenter 4.1 (with VMware View)

Marco_Tafur_-_Q
Level 4

Dear all,

Today I installed a fresh BE server with the following specs:

  • Windows Server 2003 Enterprise R2 SP2 X64 (it is the View Broker)
  • Backup Exec 2012 SP1

The customer wants to backup the entire VMware View 4 (about 50 Virtual Machines) and a server which is there for that site using Backup Exec. When configuring AVVI, we can see the Datacenter an all the Virtual Machines. However, when trying to backup them, the task just stays in queue status. I try to cancel it and it does not cancel the job...I have to kill the processes in order to do that.

At the vCenter, it says it is creating a snapshot and finished about 2 minutes later (which is kinda strange). I was thinking the datastore has run out of space, but I tried another datastore with about 50% of free space and the same happens. BE does not show any errors and there's nothing in the SGMON dump. 

The only error I had was when I tried the job for the first time. It seems Vmware View had wrong credentials to connect to the server. They applied a KB and the error is gone. However, the backup problem persists.

Thanks for the insights.

 

 

6 REPLIES 6

Colin_Weaver
Moderator
Moderator
Employee Accredited Certified

I am not sure that Backup Exec supports VMWare VDI/View.

 

Not in office currently to check however I vaugely remember some sales team members being told it was not supported. Can only check next week.

Marco_Tafur_-_Q
Level 4

I was thinking about it, too. But there's nothing about it in the admin guide or documentacion. As it is using ESXi, it should work (at least to backup the file server).

If I don't manage to get this done by tomorrow, I'll open a support ticket with Symantec...

If it is not compatible...that will bring some fire to the channel which sold it...

Let me know if you have any information. Thanks!

Marco_Tafur_-_Q
Level 4

So today I reinstalled BE 2012 on the Virtual Center server. Guess what...It did the job just for the File server, but not for the View Desktops.

Please let me know if View is supported.

Thanks!

Colin_Weaver
Moderator
Moderator
Employee Accredited Certified

Hi There

 I found  the information I was trying to remember. At the start of April this year, one of our sales team members asked about VDI (VMware View) support, internally, and was advised that VDI (VMware View) itself does not have a programming interface (API) that provides backup functionality. As such no we can't support it, not because of limitations in Backup Exec but because of limitations in the capabilities provided to us by VMware.

Note: VMware do provide the backup (vStorage) API for standard virtual machine implementations in ESX which we do use for non-VDI protection.

 

Rgds

 

Colin

 

 

ZeRoC00L
Level 6
Partner Accredited

Are you using linked clones for your Vmware View setup ?

If so, there is no practical use to backup all the VMs as they are all based on the master image. I would recommend to backup only the master image.

But if you are not using linked clones (all machines are installed separately ?), then I would suggest to redirect as much as possible to a fileserver, so there is no/limited local data. If you were not using Vmware View, you also would not backup all local computers, would you ?

Marco_Tafur_-_Q
Level 4

Hi all,

Well, they haven't been able to confirm if they use Linked Clones. However, they are really mad about the fact they bought two AVVI suites for two VDI sites and can't backup neither of them. That is an example of a bad consulting service from the partner who sold those licenses.

However, I would like to point the fact that there is no information available for this. I have checked the SCL and it says nothing about View compatibility. There are no Technical notes, too. 

Is there any offical statement from Symantec about this?