VMWare ESX Server 3 backups using NetBackup

[Chad_Wansing]

Anyone else out there using NBU to backup ESX servers? I've done it on ESX 2 before, I just had to use an older version of NBU to accomodate the 2.2 linux kernel version. I tried using 5.1 on the ESX 3 server since it was running (from what I could tell) a 2.4 linux kernel, with no luck. If anyone has any input, it'd be greatly appreciated.

[DavidParker]

Chad,
I have a white paper from Symantec with the Best Practices for backing up VMware.
I can't find a link to it though, so if you'd like I'll email it to you.

DP

[Stumpr2]

Resolution:
In order to back up a VMWare .dsk file, ensure that the redo log has been properly configured. The VMWare Web site has a Backup Planning document that describes different ways to back up VMWare ESX servers. Pages 5 and 6 discuss backing up virtual disk files and explain the need for a redo log.
http://www.vmware.com/pdf/ESXBackup.pdf

Also ensure that the NetBackup policy points to the full path of the .dsk file. The NetBackup directive ALL_LOCAL_DRIVES will not include the .dsk files automatically. The VMWare Web site has a document for configuring NetBackup to back up .dsk files. Pages 4 and 5 discuss how to set up policies using the fully qualified path to the .dsk file.
http://www.vmware.com/pdf/veritasnetbu.pdf

Well, you get the drift? checkout vmware.comMessage was edited by:
Bob Stump

[Graeme_Welsh]

why backup ESX? never done it, cant you just have create scripts for esx deployment, quicker than restores
VMs can just be backed up like any other client....

[Chad_Wansing]

That's what we're doing now, just backing everything up through the guest OS.  What we're really looking to try to move toward is file-level recovery of the individual guest OS's without starting so many threads to get pulled through the ESX NIC's.  I'd rather control the traffic flow at the ESX level instead of possibly kicking off so many clients that might all happen to live on the same ESX box that it diminishes your ability to back the OS's up in the most efficient way possible.  Ideally I'd really like to snap the data off (and still be able to do file-level recovery) and then NDMP it to tape.

I believe the new 6.5 Enterprise clients can do this using VCB's but we're also evaluating NetApp OSSV to keep the load as close to hardware as possible.