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VMWare Backup

rgomez
Level 3

Hi all,

We currently have one server running Backup Exec 2010 R3 with LTO-4 SCSI Drive with MSL2024 Libary and backing up around 9TB of data per week. We started testing VMWare backups this week and Backup Exec 2015 along with it thinking in upgrading.

We installed a new server and connected things up. Now the problem is:

We run 3 ESXi Hosts (5.1.0) Version with around 44 VMs, one has 2x2TB Disks and the Datastores where those disk files are have no space so I cannot make any snapshots of that VM that's the main server for backup :) The SAN is an VNX5100 with direct FC to backup server.

Is there any other way of doing this that I'm not aware off?

Thank you

rgomez

9 REPLIES 9

CraigV
Moderator
Moderator
Partner    VIP    Accredited

Hi,

 

Snapshots shouldn't be that big, but the only other way is to try do file-level backups. That means that recovery is much longer as the VM needs to be recreated from scratch before data is restored.

Better option is to buy additional DAEs for the VNX5100 and put in NL-SAS HDDs. Backup to that first, and then duplicate to tape. It's going to ensure that if you do a GRT backup, no staging is required to disk unless the data has been expired and you have to restore from tape.

Something to consider.

Thanks!

rgomez
Level 3

Hi,

Thank you for such a fast reply. The point here is to avoid File-level backups and VMs (without GRT), as you can imagine it is going to double the Backup Size. I think the only way for now is to use File-level backup on our FileServer VM.

Is there any estimated size for the Snapshots of such a big disk? I've checked now and 1x 2TB disk is on a different Datastore than the other 2TB disk. Both have around 300gb free space. Should it be enogh? Both disks are around 75% full,

Thank you!

CraigV
Moderator
Moderator
Partner    VIP    Accredited

...just check on the details of the link below and it tells you how much disk space you might require...

http://clientui-kb.symantec.com/resources/sites/BUSINESS/content/live/TECHNICAL_SOLUTION/169000/TECH169148/en_US/ReadMe.txt

Best bet is to check the Admin Guide to verify how much space is required.

Thanks!

Colin_Weaver
Moderator
Moderator
Employee Accredited Certified

If you are worried about snapshot sizes within the datastores then really you shoud be asking VMware as we make a call into the VMware API to request a snapshot and then access the snapshot to run the Backup.

I do have a concern that you have a VM with 2 disks in different datastores and I believe (unless VMware have changed the operation in more newer versions than when I saw this problem) that the snapshot of both disks will be placed on the same datastore as the configuration (VMX) files for the VM - which obviously is more likely to then run that area out of space.

If you already know you cannot take snapshots then  you need to provision more disk space somehow on the VMware side of things.

rgomez
Level 3

Thank you for your reply. I will try to change the Snapshot dir to a Datastore with a few free GB to see the result. Don't think it's enough but I will still try.

This is a major problem to me, and still the only thing making me try, otherwise I would keep Backup Exec, file-level Backup it's not a solution as I'm having big problems compressing around 300 User Files Windows Folders on this same VM using that method.

Already opened a discussion about that.

teiva-boy
Level 6

Your Vmware rep or EMC rep can work with you to calculate your snapshot sizes.  They have the tools and calculators for this.  Rule of thumb is to start with around 20% of free space.  That's been the rough generalization for near a decade.  It still rings true.

You also should be backing up to disk first and not tape.  This makes backups so much better, and restores even more so.  Your EMC rep can help you with that, and a DataDomain unit.  DataDomain + Boost/OST + BackupExec is an amazing thing.

 

 

rgomez
Level 3

You mean for eg. a 2TB Disk I should have around 500GB free space? Generaly speaking of course.

Thank you for your suggestion. You mean, run every backup Job to Disk first and then use the Backup server to write it to tape and delete source files on disk?

teiva-boy
Level 6

Pretty much yes on both counts.  

 

As for backing up to disk first, there are a few benefits.

1.  You can do faster backups, by doing more concurrent backups, instead of the serial tape streaming that BackupExec performs.

2.  Restores from disk are almost always faster than tape.

3.  You unlock the GRT functionality when restoring from disk intead of tape.  This means restoring a file out of a VM, without staging it first.  restore an email from exchange, a file from sharepoint, etc...  All possible when the backup set is on disk first.

 

You can then clone/duplicate/stage to tape as needed with a policy/job/schedule as needed.  But putting it on disk first is to offer fast restores.  Putting it on tape is for your off-site'ing needs.

teiva-boy
Level 6

Talk to your EMC rep about datadomain, and not an additional DAE.  They can also have their SE look at it via NAR collection and other tools for analysis and verifying your disk config.  You don't want to backup your production data to the same storage platform.