Netbackup 7.5 with VMware backup via ISCSI issue

[Victor_Mak]

Hello all,

Now I am evaluating the backup solution. I set up a lab with following details:

1. one Master Server - Netbackup 7.5.0.3

2. one Media Server - Netbackup 7.5.0.3 + Media Server deduplication 

3. one VC with VSphere ESXi 4.1

4. one FreeNAS 7.1 with ISCSI enable

The media server deduplication work great. Now i am integrating with the VMware VStorage API but got some issues. The backup failed after created snapshot in VC. I had a 20GB ISCSI disk assign to both VC and Master/Media server, FYI.

in VC:

in Master/Media server:

The job error log:

8/10/2012 11:08:42 AM - Error bpbrm(pid=3528) from client tst-vstorageapi-app01: ERR - Error opening the snapshot disks using given transport mode: Status 23

8/10/2012 11:08:46 AM - Info netbackup75-m1(pid=2832) StorageServer=PureDisk:netbackup75-m1; Report=PDDO Stats for (netbackup75-m1): scanned: 2 KB, CR sent: 0 KB, CR sent over FC: 0 KB, dedup: 100.0%

8/10/2012 11:08:47 AM - Error bpbrm(pid=3528) could not send server status message       

8/10/2012 11:08:48 AM - Critical bpbrm(pid=3528) unexpected termination of client tst-vstorageapi-app01        

8/10/2012 11:08:50 AM - end writing; write time: 00:00:17

the backup failed to back up the requested files(6)

Any idea for this case? Thanks guy.

[Victor_Mak]

updated. When i changed the transfer mode to NBD. it works. but san mode not work. any idea?

[RLeon]

Hi,

The 20GB disk (iScsi or not) has to be presented to both the ESX (for use as a datastore) and the Nbu media server.
Note that it is the same 20GB shared between the ESX and the media server.
We're not talking about giving them each a 20GB disk.

The VC does not need to be given access to this disk.

Then, make sure the vmdk of the vm you want to test backup using the vStorage API is located inside this 20GB datastore.

Lastly, on the media server, do not initialize, or assign drive letter to this 20GB disk. You have to leave it as a raw disk.

The rest is just to follow the admin guide (setup VC credentials etc), setup the vmware policy type and use san mode.

Essentially what would happen is that the VC tells the ESX to make a snapshot of the vm inside the 20GB datastore, with said datastore disk actually being visible to the media server.
So the media server just backs up that vm snapshot directly via san (in your case iScsi) from this 20GB disk.

RLeon

[V4]

Check if this helps

Get your datastore zoned (Read below abstract on how to zone datastore)

Create Flashbackup Windows / VMware  policy (Flashbackup windows applicable to 7.1 and prior , VMWare policy types applicable to 7.5 and onwards

You can discover VM based on UUID, VM display name, DNS name. Better to keep it  as VM display name. for easier identification .

Backup selection would be default (All local Drives)

Regarding assigning those Data Stores to Backup host, we strictly rely on zoning , we do not want those LUNs to be initialized , or mounted

Below are the steps that we need to follow

Run Following syntax from Backup Host . Run CMD with administrative privileges

· Diskpart automount disabled

o Disabling automount would prevent Windows from automatically mounting any new basic volumes that are added to the system.

· Diskpart automount scrub

o Scrub would Removes volume mount point directories and registry settings for volumes that are no longer in the system. This prevents volumes that were previously in the system from being automatically mounted and given their former volume mount point(s) when they are added back to the system.

Above syntax must be executed prior to zoning is done. Also make note that above service are by default enabled in Windows 2k8 family, and they are restored back to default state after patch is applied. So we need to disabled them manually

· Disable Virtual Disk Service

o After zoning is done and LUNs are visible in Disk management as Basic Online with Healthy status , Disable Virtual Disk Service from Services console. This would prevent this LUNs being visible to others accessing Backup host

Hope above clears your doubts

[Victor_Mak]

@Rleon, thanks for your help. Let me explain a little bit the enviornment. The 20GB disk in VC named tst-vstoreageapi actually hosting a VM (15GB linux) and i also persent this disk to master and media server named disk 1 (that disk in offline status). So, when i run the policy. the snapshot can successful took. but can not backup. According this scenario, if i use FC instead of iSCSI. it works(last time i did it with NBU 7.0). It only not work when the disk is iSCSI disk. So any idea on my case, need any other setting when using iSCSI? Thanks.

@speedfreak, i had already tried your methods. still not work. One more question, since my structure is use sperate master and media server. so the iscsi disk need to persent to both master and media server or just master is ok?

[V4 · Accepted solution]

datastore are to be zoned to backuphost through which backup would happen. It can be either master/media or vcenter server.

generally vcenter is preferred and is made media server with tape drive and data store zoing for san backup.

i can see from first snap seems that 20 GB iscsi LUN on master is initialized which it shouldn't be.. read my last post

Regarding assigning those Data Stores to Backup host, we strictly rely on zoning , we do not want those LUNs to be initialized , or mounted

check if this helps

[V4]

btw it's known limitation within VMware backup. check from admin guide hope this helps. 

If the VMware backup host cannot access the datastore over the selected transport mode, the

backup fails. The detailed status log on the backup host may contain the following:

12/4/2009 1:12:34 PM - Error bpbrm(pid=21376) from client vm4: ERR -

Error opening the snapshot disks using given transport mode: Status 23.

Select a different transport mode and retry the backup.