How many integrations are there between VMware and Net Backup for virtual machine backup?

[SeanRegan]

I asked one of our leading virtualization experts, Gerorge Winter to get me a list of some of the integrations we have built with VMware. Here is his first pass of a list he just sent me in email.  This is the underpinning of the technology that has taken home more Best of VMworld awards for data protection than anyone else.  More capabilities are coming for VMworld this year too. 

•  vStorage API for Data Protection (VADP) – Explicit integration with this backup API

• vCenter server – Credentialed access to the vCenter which provides ability to direct backup activities to the entire vSphere environment through this single point of contact

• ESX server – Direct access to the ESX server for backup or optimized restore functionality

• ESXi server – Direct access to the ESXi server for backup or optimized restore functionality

• Changed Block Tracking (CBT) – Full support of this mechanism to provide true incremental backup and restore functionality

• VMware Consolidated Backup (VCB) – Image based backups

• VMware Consolidated Backup (VCB) mount API – File level backups

• VMware Converter – Integration provides entire VM restore support for non-VADP (VCB) style of backups

• VDDK SAN Access – Used for direct access to Datastores for true off-host backups.  Support for both Fibre and iSCSI based Datastores.

• VDDK SAN Access – Used for direct access to Datastores for true direct to storage restores.  Support for both Fibre and iSCSI based Datastores.

• VDDK NBD transport – Network based backups and restores

• VDDK NBDSSL transport – Secure Network based backups and restores

• Hotadd – Virtual Machine based backups and restores

• VDDK Mount API – Part of the Application/Database Granular Restore functionality

[teiva-boy]

So what sets you apart then? Everyone has a GRT equivalent, they all do vadp and CBT. What's unique?

[SeanRegan]

There is a blog on this coming soon from www.MrVray.com. He is a former backp admin and engieer with a take on single file recovery. 

Some VM backup vendors claim certain functionality but when you actually start using their product, you realize that many features don’t work as implied. Granular Recovery is the biggest offender in this category followed by those who scream about being agentless.  Anyone who leads with an agentless claim should automatically identify for the "better investigate this claim" line. Same with those who crow about "legacy". Replace legacy with proven in their markeitng claims and you get a better perspective on what they really mean. 

From Mr. Vray's Upcoming Blog. 

As VMware becomes more popular, data protection software vendors have scrambled to come up will all sorts of methods of providing basic data protection features that customers have come to expect.  Customers want to be able to backup the VM (VMDK) once and restore single files or the entire VM (VMDK) from that backup.  Most vendors claim to do this but it is how they accomplish this that is the focus of this discussion

Here is a look it single file recovery, 

2.  Single file discovery.  To catalog files inside the VMDK(s) the backup application needs to somehow find the files that are inside each VMDK.  This is a very difficult problem.

Vendor V##&% - To catalog single files this product physically logs into each virtual machine and performs a file search.  There are two significant issues with this method.  First, lots of load is created on every VM and its ESX host during the search process.  So much for off-host backup processing!  Second, you must register an administrative login for every VM being protected.  And finally, the cataloged that is created is not accurate!  It is created at a different time than when the VMDK was backed up.  Ask your legal department what they think of that!  

NetBackup engineers have developed an elegant and secure solution that discovers single files as part of the backup process not after the backup process.  A simple checkbox turns this on.  No additional hardware, software or unnecessary load on your VMs or ESX servers.  And the catalog is 100% accurate.