can I use a Backup Exec RAWS to backup a Server hosting virtual machines?

[Tactical_N8]

I am using Backup Exec 2012 on a server running windows server 2003 R2 Standard x64.  This server has an interal LTO-3 tape drive that I back up to.

I am using a Remote agent to backup another server that is running windows server 2008 R2 x64 to the same tape drive.
I am thinking about installing hyper-v on this 2008 server and hosting 2 virtual machines on it.

If I do this, will the RAWS that I using to backup the Host (2008) Server also backup the virtual machines?

I know that there are other options that would work better for backing up virtual environments, but I'm trying to come up with a quick solution that doesn't involve spending more money right now.

[CraigV]

Hi,

In effect you would, but you need to buy the Hyper-V agent and license the media server. Once you push-install the RAWS agent to this server, you would be able to backup the VMs. The RAWS agent allows communication between the remote server and media server

Check below for more information:

http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=HOWTO74442

http://www.emea.symantec.com/beguide/en-GB/files/BE2012_customer_license_guide.pdf

http://community.spiceworks.com/topic/166132-backing-up-a-hyper-v-environment-with-symantec-backupexec

Otherwise check the section in the BE 2012 Admin Guide which will tell you how to backup Hyper-V. If you have applications and want application GRT, then you need the agents installed on the media server too.

Thanks!

[pkh · Accepted solution]

The RAWS on the host machine will backup the VHD's of the VM's, but they may not work when you restore the VHD's.  This is because there is no proper snapshots taken of the VM's.  The VHD's are backed up as if they are ordinary files.

To properly backup the VM's, you can do either of these

1) install RAWS in them and back them up as if they are physical machine.  Recovering them would be just like recovering a physical machine

2) iinstall the Hyper-V agent on the host and backup the VM's as VM's.  Since proper snapshots of the VM are taken in this case, you can just restore the VHD to recover the VM's.