Exchange datastore backups on SAN

[alex1002]

Good Day,
I am interested in Veeam, but would like to have a few questions answered.
1. If exchange is virtual on Hyper-V and data stores are on a SAN share via ISCSI. Can Veeam be used to backup these datastores?
Thank you

[foggy]

Alex, do you mean volumes mounted via in-guest iSCSI initiator or "local" host storage connected via iSCSI? The latter is supported.

[alex1002]

Alex, do you mean volumes mounted via in-guest iSCSI initiator or "local" host storage connected via iSCSI? The latter is supported.

Thats what I meant.... Will veeam automatically see te ISCI Storage? or you must manually select it.
I want to know because backupexec I had the manually select the volumes.

[Vitaliy S.]

Volumes exposed via in-guest iSCSI cannot be backed up, since they are not "visible" in the VM configuration. You should be using regular virtual disks, if you want to backup this data.

[matt306]

Our exchange environment had been setup the same way, but was relatively easy to convert. You have two options if you can take the downtime and have some spare storage.

The easiest is to add a new VHD(X) to the VM and use the EMC to move the mailstores to the new drive. Handy if you have multiple mailstores as you only have to take one offline at a time to move them. If you have corrupted items etc... in the mailbox it can be a real pain in the backside.

The other is to use Disk2VHD to create VHD's of your attached iSCSI disk (obviously take all Exchange services down first). Take the iSCSI volume out and give the VHD the same drive letter and Exchange is none the wiser. This route takes the whole of exchange down, but depending on your SAN etc... can actually be quicker than moving mailstores with EMC.

As usual make sure you've got a good backup first

[alex1002]

This is kind of a dummer. I will need to rethink my config If I go veeam. Basically I would need to show the ISCSI disk to VMWARE and use them to create VM Datastores, then create VHD and present those to my VM Host to create mailstores on those.

[foggy]

Basically I would need to show the ISCSI disk to VMWARE...

You mean Hyper-V, right?