As I told you in another mail your environment make me more persuaded that the best thing you could do is to use VCB.
NDMP stands for Network Data Management Protocol, a special subset to drive backup/restore images directly from storage appliance to tape drives, VTL/VDL and so on. Normally is an option you've to pay to get in your backup software but with Backup Exec you've an issue. The issue is that BE supports (and works) using NDMP only if the tapes are directly attached to the storage (in a single tier model) or to drive NDMP backup from a storage to another (in a 2 tier). If I suppose, you've the classical schema of "tapes" attached to the media server you can't use NDMP.
To use VCB first you need space somewhere to stage the data from ESX to the server where VCB proxy is installed. More space if you perform a file level backup (only for Windows guests!), less in case of image level (faster, only the vmdk(s) are transferred to the stage area and only the blocks really written! And faster for you push a big file to the tape, not a lot of smaller files...)
There's literature and the needed scripts for BE on the VMware site. As I wrote times ago practically you need the iSCSI initiator for Windows on your server to let the virtual driver of VCB "see" the VMFS LUNs, then VCB 'mount' this LUN somewhere on your C:\ or D:\ disks and the BE client backup it. VCB is the only that does not need to pause or stop the VM guests (you need to freeze them at least if you want to snap with NetApp) and to freeze 10 VMs can take up to 20/30 mins with no service for users.
With BE another (worst for you need to freeze or stop the VMs again) job i sto use RALUS installed on the Service Console (option to pay but cheaper). Then you can backup everything, VMFS volumes and their files...
-----Messaggio originale----- Da: owner-toasters@mathworks.com [mailto:owner-toasters@mathworks.com] Per conto di Amateur-FASadmin Inviato: martedì 4 marzo 2008 10.47 A: toasters@mathworks.com Oggetto: Re: VMware - snap - backup
Right now I have 2 ESX servers _(no VC) and a filer with 2 shelves - 1 attached to the A-controller and 1 to B. Servers attaching with hardware iSCSI.
Current backups are done in the box with Backup Exec. But I was thinking if I could do this more smart with the filers snap functions.
So I was looking at LUNS with VMFS - RDM and each machine in it's own VOL.
What are NDMP?
But maybe I will go the VCB way instead. Just seemed nice and fast to do the snaps on the filer.
Regards Jesper
Jack Lyons wrote:
How are your esx servers attaching to the storage. How are you backing up the rest of the filer or is it all just ISCSI for ESX?
Amateur-FASadmin wrote:
Dear group.
I have some scripting working now - 1- Snap all VM machines on ESX 2- Snap VOL on filer 3- delete snaps on ESX
- Question is: How do I copy/backup out my Snaps on the filer ?
I have an external Windows Server and software iSCSI.
License is only iSCSI on the filer.
Thanks - Jesper Harder
-I have a high Google IQ
----- -I have a high Google IQ