Backup Proxy servers in Hyper-V cluster architecture

[zmehos]

I've got 2 Node Hyper-V Cluster environment with Windows 2016 Server and HPE MSA 2042 storage connected by iSCSI to the servers for storing all VMs.
Backup server is a Virtual server located on one of the hosts with Windows 2012R2 server and Veeam B&R 9.5 Update 3 is installed.
I also have 2 Synology storages for backups. Each storage is connected to one of the servers by iSCSI in order to back up VMs on the related server.

1. Did I plan the infrastructure correctly or would it be better to connect Synology storages by iSCSI directly to the virtual backup server?
2. I have already added my cluster to Veeam Backup infrastructure into Managed Servers section. Do I also need to add Hyper-v host servers that are part of the cluster so that I can use them as Backup Proxies server or I can only use Off-Host Backup Proxy configuration in this case?
3. Any other comments and recommendations on the configuration will be highly appreciated.

[Mike Resseler]

Hi zmehos,

First: Welcome to the forums!
For your questions:
1. Since you will run a all in one Veeam VBR server, the repository will also be on that server so my advice would be to add the storage to the virtual backup server. Then create a new repository with a location on the synology
2. Perfect. Nothing more to do. You will need to use on-host proxies in your case as off-host requires a physical Veeam server. Each host will be a onhost proxy
3. Not really at this moment.

Cheers
Mike

[zmehos]

Thank you for reply, Mike

1.Did I get you right that the following changes would benefit the infrastructure:
•Delete repositories that are currently connected to hosts via iSCSI (Synology)
•Disconnect Synology backup devices from the hosts and connect them to virtual Veeam VBR server via iSCSI instead (Veeam VBR is currently located in the cluster)
•Create new repositories with a location on the virtual Veeam VBR server

2.When I click to Add proxy, all I can see is the frame for creating Off-host proxies, not on-host. Am I missing something?

https://zmehos.smugmug.com/Veeam-Backup/i-4XQTDK8/A

[Mike Resseler]

If you connect your hyper-v hosts to it, then those hosts become a repository role. In your setup, I think that it is easier to connect the VBR directly to the storage and let that VM be an all-in-one

For the proxies. By adding the Hyper-V hosts, it becomes the default on-host proxy for that source so nothing additional to do there

[zmehos]

Thanks a lot for your detailed replies, Mike!

1.I have decided to keep my configuration where Synology backup SANs are connected to Host servers via iSCSI. I’ve created a support case with the same question for Veeam Support and here is an abstract of what they have advised:
This is a great idea to connect your hosts and NAS's via iSCSI, as doing this way you are excluding any excess links in the “data chain”. For example, when you start a task to make a reserve copy, both agents (related sub-processes that are doing data move, one is started on the source of data and the other one is started on the recipient of the data creating a dot-dot connection) will be running on the same host and will communicate via RAM instead of network (or virtual network).

This explanation is for some reason is close to my heart. I think yours is great as well, but I just find that the one from the support guys is outlining the benefits more explicitly.

2.My issue was that I didn’t get that Backup Proxies servers are created automatically on the Hyper-V host server when you add those Host servers or a Hyper-V Cluster to Veeam Backup infrastructure using Managed Servers section. Thanks to your answers I have finally got this idea thanks a lot!