Backup with Veeam v10 of SVMs CIFS NetApp from replica in DR site

[fll]

Hello,

What would be the procedure to solve the following question?

CIFS volumes NetApp at the primary site replicated with Snapmirror to the DR site.

The SVM CIFS Replica that Snapmirror generates is OFF.

How to backup CIFS volumes with Veeam v10 using SVM replica as source?

Thanks

[Gostev]

Hello, can you add what is stored on those CIFS volumes? I will then move this topic to the correct, workload-specific subforum. Thanks!

[fll]

Thanks for the reply.
When I add the DR site NetApp to Veeam the SVM CIFS Replica that Snapmirror generated does not appear.

Regards.

[Gostev]

You didn't answer my question though what workload is stored in these CIFS shares? In other words, what are you trying to backup with Veeam?

[fll]

Hello,
at the moment they are only CIFS shares for tests but when it is in production there will be several CIFS shares with around 9 TBs of information that will need to be copied to tapes.

Thank you.

[Gostev]

Yeah, but what "information" is it? For example, Hyper-V VMs? SQL Server databases? User files and folders?

[fll]

They are CIFS files that came from a Windows File Server

[Gostev]

Sorry, I have no idea what do you mean by "CIFS files". Google is not aware of such term either.

Can you please explain in plain human language what are these files:
- Are they regulars user files (such as documents, images, videos and so on)?
- Or are there some application-managed files (such as Hyper-V VM virtual disks, SQL Server database files, Exchange mailbox database files, and so on)?

Because the approach to their backup would be totally different depending on this.

[fll]

We are talking about SMB shares.
NetApp manages SMB data with CIFS protocol ("Common Internet File System").

[Gostev]

Yes, I understand that. My only question all this time has been what specific workload is hosted in those SMB shares. I listed some possibilities in my previous post. Thanks!

[fll]

Sorry, those SMB shares will have regular users files.
Thanks!

[Gostev]

Sounds good, in this case there are no complications and you can use the most straightforward way: our file shares backup capability. Please note that I'll be moving this topic to the corresponding subforum once you read this.

To backup files from SnapMirror copy, I would recommend to register the file share with Veeam inventory normally, by specifying the "production" share location as the source. This is important for restores, since this is where you want restored files to be placed when performing "restore to the original location". However, in addition to that, open the advanced file share settings dialog of the same wizard, select the storage snapshot option, and specify a path to the SnapMirror copy on the secondary NetApp array as the data source. This will make the job retrieve files from there, as opposed to your primary NetApp array.

Just remember to specify an actual path to the latest storage snapshot there (as far as I know, NetApp has the static path that always points to the latest available snapshot, but I'm not a NetApp expert).

That should do it. At this point, just create the new File Share Backup Job, and specify the file share you just registered in the inventory as the source.

Thanks!

[fll]

Thanks!

[fll]

Hi,

Veeam allows CIFS backup from a storage snapshot. Ok.

But how do you tell the path to snapshots that Snapmirror to the DR site has replicated?

"\\ <IP SVM> \ share" is the same for Main-NetApp and DR-NetApp

Is there any other path to access snapshots that Snapmirror replicates?


Thanks!

[Gostev]

Let's summon our NetApp expert @Adam.Bergh here, as he may be able to advise.

[Adam.Bergh]

Hi,

Happy to jump in here. Can you confirm if you are or are not using ONTAP "SVM DR" technology to replicate the data to the secondary SVM? If using SVM DR replication type, the destination SVM is completely offline, and there is no way to access that data without stopping the source SVM and starting the destination SVM. We do not support backups from SVM DR relationships.

If you are using just a traditional scheduled SnapMirror per-volume relationships, we can back up this data. We have scripts available at our github site as well that make this easy! See HERE for the scripts. Just remember to add the secondary volumes to the namespace and to share them out via SMB.

Regards,
Adam Bergh

[fll]

Hello Adam, thanks for the reply.
Indeed, we are using SVM DR.
What options would we have to make a backup without destroying the SVM DR Relationships?

Regards.

[Gostev]

From what Adam posted, sounds like it is technically impossible to make backup from SVM DR Relationships due to a NetApp limitation: the source SVM must be stopped before you can read data from the destination SVM.

[Adam.Bergh]

What options would we have to make a backup without destroying the SVM DR Relationships?

Backup from the source shares is fully supported or course. Are there additional details that you can provide on why this is not an option for your organization?

-Adam

[fll]

Thanks Adam for responding.
Being able to use snapshots from the replica in DR site is because the goal is to copy CIFS data to tape but the tape drive and backup repository is in DR site.

Regards!

[Adam.Bergh]

Just so you are aware, the new "NAS Backup" feature introduced in VBR v10 does not include tape out support. We only support disk and cloud targets as repositories. We do however support NDMP to tape technology since VBR 9.5u4. It is possible to use NDMP to tape from a volume that's part of the SVM-DR relationship. You can read more about our NDMP support HERE.

-Adam

[fll]

Very grateful Adam.

I'll check the information.

Best regards

[fll]

Hello,
When I run:

cluster::> security login create -user-or-group-name ndmpuser -application ssh -authmethod password -vserver <SVM-name> -role vsadmin-backup

NetApp responds:

Error: command failed: This operation is not permitted on a Vserver that is configured as the destination for Vserver DR.

Thanks!