Linux Vmware Backup host multi-pathing support

[juggernaut1]

Ran into an issue today regarding support for multipathing esx data stores on a linux rhel vmware backup host.  Are any of you all having this issue as well? If so what did you do to avoid the multi-pathing?  The esx datastores are EMC clariion with powerpath on the rhel vmbackup host.  In the pdf support for virtual environments it states that it might be supported in future releases.  Do any of you know if this is rolled into 7.6?  Looking for ideas on how to get around this limitation for supportability. Current version of nbu is 7.5.0.6 and wanting to use SAN transport for VM backups.

Thanks,

[sri_vani]

linux vmware multi path is nt yet added in support

Please add this below link to your book marks and subscribe to this so that you will receive notification each time it gt updated

http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=TECH127089

on pg no 28:

NetBackup for VMware on a Linux backup host does not support

multipathing with SAN transport

NetBackup for VMware on Windows supports multiple SAN paths between the

vSphere ESXi storage and the NetBackup for VMware agent (backup host). Multiple

paths can provide SAN I/O high-availability and higher backup throughput.

With a Linux backup host, NetBackup for VMware is unable to support

multipathing, because of incompatibilities in the following: the Linux operating

system, VMware vStorage APIs for Data Protection, and vendor-specific DMP

solutions.

As a result, NetBackup for VMware cannot support multipathing with a Linux

backup host that is on any of the following platforms:

■ NetBackup 52x0 Appliance

■ NetBackup for VMware on SLES

■ NetBackup for VMware on RHEL

Support for multipathing with Linux backup hosts may be included in a future

release.

Note the following:

■ This issue does not affect NetBackup support forVMware’s Native Multipathing

(NMP). NMP is multipathing between the ESXi host and storage.

■ This issue does not affect NetBackup for VMware on Windows backup hosts.

The Windows OS has integrated multipathing support.

Meanwhile you can try add this client(LInux host) without using multipathing.

Please refer this excellent post :

https://www-secure.symantec.com/connect/forums/suse-linux-112-vmware-backup

[juggernaut1]

Thanks for the reply but yes I'm very aware of this as I'm looking for people that are working around this without using a windows media server for vmware backuip host.  

[RamNagalla]

.hi

 if you dont what to spend for new windows media server

1) you can still use of Linux host, but not with the Mulitpathing .

2) use NBD transport with the linux media server.(if single path is not possible/accepted) untill symtec provides mulitpath support for Linux.

[Marianne]

I don't see this as a NetBackup/Symantec issue. 

Have another look at the extract posted above:

NetBackup for VMware is unable to support multipathing, because of incompatibilities in the following: the Linux operatingsystem, VMware vStorage APIs for Data Protection, and vendor-specific DMP solutions.