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Symantec Netbackup license for VMware?

FlyMountain
Moderator
Moderator
   VIP   

A few questions about Symantec Netbackup License for VMware.

I understand we will only need one "Netbackup enterprise client" license for which ESX host to backup all VMs reside the host.  But i am not sure about

    1. If we will need Application/DB agent for each VM on ESX, or we will only need one license for each application/DB agent on ESX for all VMs? 

    2. Where we should install the enterprise client/App agent packages for VMware, on ESX or any proxy server we will need on ESX?

8 REPLIES 8

Anonymous
Not applicable

1. One application/db agent per ESX host, that the VM's with the types of dbms listed below have running. So if you got HA/DRS Vmware cluster with two nodes and based on DRS set to fully automatic. You could have some VM's vmotion between hosts. So you need 2 licenses for the netbackup package/agent. So if you even have 1 lotus notes instance in your entire vm infrastructure you need to purchase 2 licenses at least for your 2 esx hosts! (is that right?)

See TN:

NetBackup for VMware license requirement

NetBackup for VMware requires an Enterprise Client license for each ESX Server.

To protect an application or database, an additional license for the appropriate NetBackup package is needed for each ESX server that hosts the application or database.
Examples of such NetBackup packages are the following:
NetBackup for Active Directory
NetBackup for Exchange
NetBackup for SharePoint
NetBackup for SQL Server
NetBackup for DB2
NetBackup for Lotus Notes
NetBackup for Oracle
NetBackup for SAP
NetBackup for Sybase
 
 
Note: Nothing gets installed on ESX. It is a headless OS, or should be. Maybe some vendor hardware management agents but nothing else. Keep em lean and clean!
 

FlyMountain
Moderator
Moderator
   VIP   

Thanks.

Does it mean we will only need one NBU App/DB agent for all VMs on same ESX? If we don't have agent installed in VMs, where can we restore the App/DB data back to, backup host or VMs?

Yogesh9881
Level 6
Accredited

Hi 

Its all about how you backingup you VM infrastructure

vStorage API or installing NBU client on individual VM

Application level backup in VM you need to install inidividual NBU client on VM & according to that you need to DB pack license for each VM.

Anonymous
Not applicable

The technote doesn't make sense based on your comment. need DB pack license for EACH VM
The statement says for EACH ESX.

To protect an application or database, an additional license for the appropriate NetBackup package is needed for each ESX server that hosts the application or database.

Or put it another way from the Symantec Pricing presentation for NBU 7

 

– A single Standard or Enterprise Client license is required for each host 
server regardless of the number of guest operating systems types
 
– A single Application and Database Pack license is required for each host server regardless of the number of guest application types

So for me that means this example scenario

2 ESX Hosts in HA/DRS cluster

20 VM's (windows for argument sake)

 - 3 are running Exchange

 - 2 running Active Directory

 - 4 running SQL

Based on that wording above, I require at least

2 Enterprise Client licenses

2 NB for Exchange licenses

2 NB for AD licenses

2 NB for SQL licenses

To protect these db/app  I need to install the NB Client software inside the VM therefore I require also

9 NetBackup Standard Client licenses

The remaining VM's I just use vStorage API under the Enterprise Client license terms.

Based on this wording thats how I would see things. Or they should say 

To protect an application or database, an additional license for the appropriate NetBackup package is needed for each guest VM that hosts the application or database.

Anyone else care to discuss.

 

FlyMountain
Moderator
Moderator
   VIP   

It makes sense to me, one "enterprise cleint" license for one ESX to back up all VMs on ESX. Since the backup host knows where is the VMs located and how it is made of.

No idea how come we will only need one App/DB agent license per ESX if we install agent in each VM and perform the App/DB backups.

FlyMountain
Moderator
Moderator
   VIP   

 This is the official statement from Symantec. It looks we do only need one App/DB agent on each ESX host. I think the agent software still should be installed on all VM nodes.

•NetBackup 6.5:
–A Standard or Enterprise Client license is required for each guest operating system type per host server
–An Application and Database Pack license is required for each guest operating system type and application type combination per host server
•NetBackup 7:
–A single Standard or Enterprise Client license is required for each host server regardless of the number of guest operating systems types
–A single Application and Database Pack license is required for each host server regardless of the number of guest application types
–When host servers are clustered, each host node must be licensed

Anonymous
Not applicable

I'm slow to understand this now.blush

As they have changed wordings between 6.5 and 7.x

@FelixZhou

I would go with your assumption. For NBU 7.x....

1 Enterprise Client license per ESX host (back up as many VM's as you want using vstorage API)

1 App/DB pack license per ESX host (back up as many guest OS application types as you want) but this will require the NetBackup Client Software installed in the VM. My understanding here is you are lincensed for this due to being covered with the Enterprise Client license.

The database agents are installed along with the Client software now. Back in 6.x days they were separate installations.

V4
Level 6
Partner Accredited

pls find inline comments

1. If we will need Application/DB agent for each VM on ESX, or we will only need one license for each application/DB agent on ESX for all VMs?

SF=>True (1 Enterprise Client per Tiered ESX host. If Guest VMs are clustered amongst other ESX , those host also must be licensed)

2. Where we should install the enterprise client/App agent packages for VMware, on ESX or any proxy server we will need on ESX?

No NBU agent is deployed on ESX, instead we rely on backup host, Preferably it's vCenter itself (where NBU client/media server is deployed and Datastore with Tape drives are zoned for SAN based backups) 

PS: Proxy servers are no longer needed with 7.1 onwards

1 App/DB pack per ESX host (again if Guest VM are clustered amongst other  ESX host, those ESX host also must be licensed with App/DB pack)

Hope this clarifies