Tasks for Configuring Vmware on Netbackup Appliance 7.5.X

[NavGee]

Please confirm if I have missed anything  from the task list as normally I would carry this out on a physical servers/backuphosts.

Using card 3/HBA on the appliance for San Switch.

Setup VC credentials in Netbackup.

Zone HBA WWN's and ESX Server LUNS to  new zone apply to zoneset. Once complete what do I need to do on the appliance?

 I.E  do I run some kind of scan  to see if the backup host/applaince can see the ESX LUNS etc or carry on  with policy configuration.

Regards

[SymTerry]

Hello HOWTO94005 has information on zoning the SAN for a NetBackup 5220 or 5230 appliance. Port 3 for FT is reserved for tape.

[Marianne]

Actually... HOWTO94005 is for Fibre Transport (FT).

Vmware SAN backups use the same dual-port HBA as for tape. 
Zone one port for tape (if you have tape) and the other to VMware datastores.
 

See these discussions:

https://www-secure.symantec.com/connect/forums/vmware-datastore-zoning-appliances 

https://www-secure.symantec.com/connect/forums/configure-host-san-based-vm-backups-using-5220

https://www-secure.symantec.com/connect/forums/backup-host-vmware-and-ndmp-backups

https://www-secure.symantec.com/connect/forums/help-5220-configuration-san-transport-vmware

https://www-secure.symantec.com/connect/forums/zoning-architecture

[NavGee]

Many thanks Marianne the links have been most useful.

Regards

Naveed.

[Mark_Solutions · Accepted solution]

If you don't use Fibre Transport (by that I mean real FT from a SAN Client to a SAN Media Server) then you are fine to use Port 3 on the Appliance for VMware backups as it will be in the correct mode unless you have enabled FT on the appliance which changes the mode of Port 3.

Do bear in mind that multi-pathing the VMware Volumes to the appliance is not yet supported.

Once you have zoned everything in just go to the appliance CLISH and do the following (there may be slight variations in this dependant on your appliance version):

Manage - FibreChannel

Scan

This scans the HBAs for any new tape drives / disk volumes

Next type:

Show

Here you will see everything mapped to the appliance

If that looks good then the rest is a per the manual ... add yoru appliance as a VMware Access Host (Master Host properties) .. add you vCenter Server under the credentials section ... create a policy and see if it works using the san transport method

Do also bear in mind that it is not just zoning the volumes to the appliance you need to add mapping for the volumes so that the actual datastore volumes are seen by the appliance

Hope this helps

[NavGee]

Hi Mark

I'm thinking of using  slot 2 for VMware, as multipathing is not supported by the appliance's just yet, I was going to present half of the ESX LUN's to port 1 on card 2 and the other half to port 2.

Fibre up slot 3 for port1 and port2 for Tape. As there is no San client in this environment however I would like have the availabilty for the future if required for this purpose slot 4 will be available.

Mark can you please expand on your last comment below as do not understand this fully.

"Do also bear in mind that it is not just zoning the volumes to the appliance you need to add mapping for the volumes so that the actual datastore volumes are seen by the appliance"

what do meean add the mapping for the volumes? do mean that the device file needs ammending? Please expand on this?

Regards

[Mark_Solutions]

I have seen people in the past that have zoned the LUNS but have not actually mapped the volumes to their VMware backup hosts which is required

You will know if you have it right or not when you try the backup - Status 23 if it cannot see the volumes over the SAN