Backing up VMs on HDS HUS110 storage?

[pkelly_sts]

We're primarily an HP shop (or Dot Hill which HP just re-badge anyway) but as we're due a new storage array we are considering moving to HDS storage but I haven't been able to nail down whether the HUS environments support provisioning LUNs "Read-Only" to a physical (FC-attached) VB&R server.

Anyone here use them in conjunction with Veeam? I've seen a white paper which talks about high-availability set-ups, i.e. replicated/mirrored etc. but this will be a simple single array.

Any pointers appreciated...

Paul

[dellock6]

Hi Paul, I don't know if this HDS array support read-only lun masking, but if the concern is related to Veeam proxies using DirectSAN, we disable any windows automount and lun resignature, so even read-write accessible LUNs are not touched by our software.

[pkelly_sts]

Thanks Luca, I'm aware of that setting.

The only thing that concerns me is the possibility of a "well meaning" admin unfamiliar with the setup seeing a load of disks "offline" in Disk managment & trying to bring one of them /online/. That'd get messy pretty damn quick I think.

No fault of Veeams at all of course, just trying to figure out the best strategy as it's likely we're moving to this storage very soon.

(I'm guessing there are no plans for integrating HDS storage snapshots in the near future then

Paul

[Vitaliy S.]

Hi Paul,

Many existing customers are limiting user accounts that can connect to Veeam proxy servers and can hit "initialize every LUN" button in Windows Disk Management snap-in. It seems like to be the best strategy indeed, if presenting LUNs in read-only mode is not possible.

Thanks!

[pkelly_sts]

That sounds like a (handy) Win2012 setting whereas we're on 2008 but I like the thinking & will see if I can restrict permissions to Disk Management snap-in somehow...

[Vitaliy S.]

Actually, the option to present LUNs in read-only mode does not depend on the Windows server version, it should be in the settings of your SAN storage.

[dellock6]

Another suggestion, valid if you are using FC connections, is to check on the FC switches. Some of them can do LUN zoning with read-only too. I've already seen customers with storage arrays that are not able to present LUNs in read-only, to still be able to show them in read-only using read-only LUN zoning at the switch level.