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VMware Snapshot limitation of Applications (SQL) residing on Dynamic Disks

Penchy
Level 3

We have verified that most of our SQL Servers Database are residing on Dynamic Disks.

As per VMware the Application-Consistent Quiescing has pre conditions and one of the requirement is that: The Virtual Machine must not use Dynamic Disks.

https://pubs.vmware.com/vsphere-50/index.jsp?topic=%2Fcom.vmware.datarecovery.admin.doc_20%2FGUID-6F...

We recently got some errors on our Backups for one Server and after checking everything and with call with Veritas we realized that the Disks that’s been used for SQL Database are Dynamic Disks. And Veritas says that VMware doesnt support this

http://www.veritas.com/docs/000020052

So far NetBackup didn’t complain about this while doing backups could be due to older version of Clients (we have recently upgraded clients to 7.6.1) or may be the Recent VCenter upgrade from 5.5 to 6.0 Update 2, is able to pass more info to NetBackup.

Usually these types of issues if go unnoticed in Backups, would be visible while doing Restores and as we are not doing any Test Restores of SQL Database because of unavailability of Test Servers, we didn’t encounter this issue so far

We haven’t encountered this error message so far on all Servers but we do have Dynamic Disks for most of SQL Database.

If we have to Restore our SQL Database residing on Dynamic Disks then we would be without Support from Veritas as it’s a Unsupported Configuration from their side.

We do have other SQL Backup through VM's working fine so the Restores might work or fail. We do have the option of recovering from the VMDK Backup and Restore SQL Database as FLAT flies and attach it to Database but again it’s not a supported way of Restoring from Microsoft or NetBackup.

Got on call with VMware too to get their opinion, but they are not aware how Netbackup Interacts with SQL for Quiescing

If these are not supported then we have the Options of

  1. Change Dynamic Disks to Basic for SQL Database (this might not be feasible)
  2. Backup SQL Database using Batch Scripts or Intelligent Policy rather than using a VMware Policy

Netbackup uses Symantec VSS Provider to Quiesce Application on the Server, would Symantec VSS Provider also fall under Limitation of not Quiescing SQL Database as they are residing on Dynamic Disks.

I am sure many of Productions Environment would be using Dynamic Disks for their Databases.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION

Accepted Solutions

Michal_Mikulik1
Moderator
Moderator
Partner    VIP    Accredited Certified

Hello,

in NetBackup SQL Admin Guide 7.7, there is a note on page 94, that SQL cannot be backed up via VMware policy when files are residing on RAID volumes (which AFAIK requires dynamic disks under it. On the other hand there could be a simple - not RAIDed -  volume on a dynamic disk, which looks to be supported for this config). So thats probably the point you are looking for. In the same 7.6 Guide, this point is missing.

So maybe 7.6 clients were not able to recognize this configuration, but 7.7 clients should report an error during ASC job.

So upgrade clients to 7.7 to verify this, and if failing, convert to traditional SQL policies.

Michal

 

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5 REPLIES 5

Penchy
Level 3

Need some info on this. Thanks.

Penchy
Level 3

Our Environment:

Master : 7.7 on Win 2012 Server

Media: Appliance 5230 on 7.6.1.2 (upgraded last week from 76.0.4 to 7.6.1.2)

Clients : SQL 2012 and SQL 2008 on 7.6.1

Marianne
Moderator
Moderator
Partner    VIP    Accredited Certified
I am not sure what you are asking here... You have found the options that are available.

Penchy
Level 3

Marianne my Question for a year we were doing Backups of SQL Servers residing on Dynamic Disks....They never complained when we had clients on 7.6.0.4, some restores of SQL had also worked in the Past, but now they are... Is there no way to Use VMware Policy and use Application State Capture when our SQL Database are residing on Dynamic Disks. We have made sure that the VMware Provider is uninstalled and we use on Symantec VSS Provider and for SQL i guess it will use Microsoft VSS Writer for snapping. Can Netbackup still go ahead and backup a good copy of SQL in VMware Policy?

Michal_Mikulik1
Moderator
Moderator
Partner    VIP    Accredited Certified

Hello,

in NetBackup SQL Admin Guide 7.7, there is a note on page 94, that SQL cannot be backed up via VMware policy when files are residing on RAID volumes (which AFAIK requires dynamic disks under it. On the other hand there could be a simple - not RAIDed -  volume on a dynamic disk, which looks to be supported for this config). So thats probably the point you are looking for. In the same 7.6 Guide, this point is missing.

So maybe 7.6 clients were not able to recognize this configuration, but 7.7 clients should report an error during ASC job.

So upgrade clients to 7.7 to verify this, and if failing, convert to traditional SQL policies.

Michal