VMWare Backup Maximum number of LUNS that can be presented to windows 2008 R2

[Anurag_Sharma]

VMWare Backup Maximum number of LUNS that can be presented to windows 2008 R2

Hi All,

This is the configuation of our NetBackup Master Server

Operating System :Windows 2008 R2  Standard x64
Processor : Intel Xeon 3.6o GHz x64
RAM : 12GB

We are in the process of implementing vstorage Backup with NetBackup.

In order to use SAN transport medium we would need to present all ESX luns


Currently our ESX infrastructre has 200 LUNS.

Would it be possible to present 200 LUNS on this box ?

As per windows fourms there is no limit as longs as we dont give them drive letter.

We have automount and auto scrub disabled as well

Anyone who has done Vstorage/VCB implemntation please share best practices and challanges.

[Douglas_A · Accepted solution]

There really is no "Best pratice" to the count of LUNs you can assign. Only the amount of backups you can do from a single LUN target at a time.. (4 per datastore/lun at a time)

I have been succesfull will upwards of 500 presented and had no issues.

[Anurag_Sharma]

Was it a Windows "VMware Backup Host" ?

[Douglas_A]

yes my backup host is always my media server (best practice) and has to be windows for the VADP process.

[V4]

I commented this few weeks agon on Abduls' blog https://www-secure.symantec.com/connect/blogs/nuts-and-bolts-netbackup-vmware-transport-methods-and-tcp-ports

May be helpful to you.

Regarding your query for 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

[Anurag_Sharma]

Speakfreak:

You gave the excellent suggestion "Disable Virtual Disk Service" we already have run automount disable and automount scrub.

I checked out the post you mentioned, unfortunatly if could not find the exact number or any guidence on how many luns can be presented to the windows Backup host.

[V4]

there isn't any limitation i've came across for assignment of LUNs to backuphost server

as if we are not giving them any drive letters (which could  have been alphabaticaly contraint, but in our case is exception). Hence you may go ahead with LUN zoning.