Netbackup 7.0 for VMware on RHEL5

[jaristizabal]

Hi,

I am new to Netbackup and I have been trying to configure the backup solution for a VMware vSphere virtual environment. I have installed my master server on Red Hat Enterprise 5, then I read on the documentation that in order to use Netbackup for VMware is required to have  a proxy server installed on Windows 2003; now I cannot find on the documentation  whether this proxy server is installed as another server instance of Netbackup or a different software is required to create the VMware backup host.

Finally I switch to Windows 2003 and installed the Netbackup server there; following the documentation I can add the ESX servers to my configuration and browse the virtual machines I want to backup. But I still cannot figure out how to make it work having the server on Linux, is there any way to accomplish this, or is a requirement to install the Netbackup server on Windows.


Thanks.

[marekkedzierski]

Host which is browsing vmware machines, running backups and restore have to be Windows Machine with NetBackup Client. You can have Master Server on RHEL5 but also you have to dedicate windows machine for vmware backup. It could be vmware virtual machine (hotadd backup type).

marekk

[jaristizabal]

Hi Marekk.

What exactly do I have to install on the Windows machine if I'll be running the master server from RHEL5?,  the Netbackup client software?.

I tried installing the client software from the Symantec DVD but when I tried to validate the ESX host credentials from the Netbackup admin console on RHEL5 I got this message:

"VMware credential validation failed. Connect to ProxyServer XXX.XXX.X.XXX failed (MM Status 23).

Thanks for your help.

[marekkedzierski]

You have to install NetBackup Client (or Media Server if you have a lot of virtual machines) on Windows machine. Then add dns name of this client to master server properties - vmware backup hosts. Then add vmware virtual center credentials and verify... Veryfication is performed by vmware backup host configured earlier. Try to use dns name insead of ip address in vmware backup host name.

you have 3 options when you choose where to put vmware backup host
1. physical machine  and backup over san
2. physical or virtual - backup over LAN - nbd
3. virtual - backup over LAN - hotadd (snapshot of vmdk added automaticly to vmware backup host vm)

marekk

[jaristizabal]

I have followed your instructions having the Netbackup server installed on a Windows 2003 VM, and everything works fine if both client and server are on the same machine.

For some reason whenever I try to use a server that is on a different machine, no matter if its Windows 2003 or RHEL5 I get errors, like “Connection with the Proxy failed” or “VMware credential validation failed”.

I've been following the documentation but I cannot make a successful connection between client and server.

Thank you.


Juan.

[marekkedzierski]

Juan

YOur master server can be installed on Windows, RHEL, Solaris, AIX etc.. But host which performs backup of vm (proxy) have to be installed on Windows. You have to install NB client on this machine and connect it to existing Master  Server. If you have large amount of vmware data you can install Media Server on this host and backup directly to tape drives or disk etc.
Then add dns name of this host to netbackup master server properties as vmwar ebackup host. Check connectivity between Master and Client, check dns resolution on botch machines:

from the client:
bpclntcmd -pn

marekk