12-20-2010 02:05 AM
I have some VMWARE guests that are running as windows domain controllers and have been backing them up as vmware guests with the below policy:
Policy Name: TEDC-TSP-VM-DCs
Options: 0x0
template: FALSE
c_unused1: ?
Names: (none)
Policy Type: FlashBackup-Windows (29)
Active: yes
Effective date: 04/14/2010 14:50:03
File Restore Raw: yes
Mult. Data Stream: no
Perform Snapshot Backup: yes
Snapshot Method: VMware
Snapshot Method Arguments: mntpt=F:\VCBsnaps,Virtual_machine_backup=1,trantype=0
,vmdktype=0,disable_quiesce=0
Perform Offhost Backup: yes
Backup Copy: 0
Use Data Mover: no
Data Mover Type: 0
Use Alternate Client: no
Alternate Client Name: kn-tsp-bup01
Use Virtual Machine: 1
Hyper-V Server Name: (none)
Enable Instant Recovery: no
Policy Priority: 0
Max Jobs/Policy: 1
Disaster Recovery: 0
Collect BMR Info: no
Keyword: (none specified)
Data Classification: -
Residence is Storage Lifecycle Policy: no
Client Encrypt: no
Checkpoint: no
Residence: kn-tsp-bup01-hcart2-robot-tld-0
Volume Pool: NetBackup
Server Group: *ANY*
Granular Restore Info: no
Generation: 77
Client/HW/OS/Pri: kn-be-dcp01.euprimep.tsys VMWare Virtual_Machine 0 0 0 0 ?
Client/HW/OS/Pri: kn-be-dcp02.euprimep.tsys VMWare Virtual_Machine 0 0 0 0 ?
Client/HW/OS/Pri: kn-be-dcq01.euprimeq.tsys VMWare Virtual_Machine 0 0 0 0 ?
Client/HW/OS/Pri: kn-be-dcq02.euprimeq.tsys VMWare Virtual_Machine 0 0 0 0 ?
Client/HW/OS/Pri: kn-be-dcv01.euprimev.tsys VMWare Virtual_Machine 0 0 0 0 ?
Client/HW/OS/Pri: kn-be-dcv02.euprimev.tsys VMWare Virtual_Machine 0 0 0 0 ?
Include: ALL_LOCAL_DRIVES
Schedule: Weekly_full
Type: FULL (0)
Calendar sched: Enabled
Sunday, Week 1
Sunday, Week 2
Sunday, Week 3
Sunday, Week 4
Sunday, Week 5
Maximum MPX: 8
Synthetic: 0
PFI Recovery: 0
Retention Level: 4 (2 months)
u-wind/o/d: 0 0
Incr Type: DELTA (0)
Alt Read Host: (none defined)
Max Frag Size: 0 MB
Number Copies: 1
Fail on Error: 0
Residence: (specific storage unit not required)
Volume Pool: (same as policy volume pool)
Server Group: (same as specified for policy)
Residence is Storage Lifecycle Policy: 0
Daily Windows:
Day Open Close W-Open W-Close
Sunday 000:00:00 000:00:00
Monday 000:00:00 000:00:00
Tuesday 000:00:00 000:00:00
Wednesday 000:00:00 000:00:00
Thursday 000:00:00 000:00:00
Friday 000:00:00 000:00:00
Saturday 000:00:00 000:00:00
Schedule: Daily_Incr
Type: CINC (4)
Calendar sched: Enabled
Monday, Week 1
Tuesday, Week 1
Wednesday, Week 1
Thursday, Week 1
Friday, Week 1
Saturday, Week 1
Monday, Week 2
Tuesday, Week 2
Wednesday, Week 2
Thursday, Week 2
Friday, Week 2
Saturday, Week 2
Monday, Week 3
Tuesday, Week 3
Wednesday, Week 3
Thursday, Week 3
Friday, Week 3
Saturday, Week 3
Monday, Week 4
Tuesday, Week 4
Wednesday, Week 4
Thursday, Week 4
Friday, Week 4
Saturday, Week 4
Monday, Week 5
Tuesday, Week 5
Wednesday, Week 5
Thursday, Week 5
Friday, Week 5
Saturday, Week 5
Maximum MPX: 8
Synthetic: 0
PFI Recovery: 0
Retention Level: 4 (2 months)
u-wind/o/d: 0 0
Incr Type: DELTA (0)
Alt Read Host: (none defined)
Max Frag Size: 0 MB
Number Copies: 1
Fail on Error: 0
Residence: (specific storage unit not required)
Volume Pool: (same as policy volume pool)
Server Group: (same as specified for policy)
Residence is Storage Lifecycle Policy: 0
Daily Windows:
Day Open Close W-Open W-Close
Sunday 000:00:00 000:00:00
Monday 000:00:00 000:00:00
Tuesday 000:00:00 000:00:00
Wednesday 000:00:00 000:00:00
Thursday 000:00:00 000:00:00
Friday 000:00:00 000:00:00
Saturday 000:00:00 000:00:00
My question regards recovering the domain controllers if something goes wrong. A collegue has suggested that this wouldn't be possible with a vcb backup and I wanted to know if this was correct?
If it is what is the best way to backup and recover vmware windows domain controllers?
12-20-2010 03:36 AM
Hi,
Not an expert but i think you should apply everything stated in this note to your process for restores.
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd363545%28WS.10%29.aspx
01-07-2011 02:24 PM
On VMwares KB :-
Microsoft do not recommend using any form of REDO log / Snapshot process that is not integrated with Microsoft's API for Active Directory.
For more information, see the Microsoft Knowledge Base article