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ftan
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Veeam + vSphere 4.1 + FC San + FC Tape Config?

Post by ftan »

Hi,

I have the following and would like to know what is best practice to hook it all up:
- Netapp - FC Disk connect to FC SAN
- Brocade switch
- vSphere 4.1 Server
- ESX 4.1 Hosts connect to FC SAN (no iSCSI or NFS)
- New Backup Server 1TB SAS raid with FC HBA to run VEEAM and Netbackup not connected to SAN (yet).
- New Tape Library LTO5 FC (with 2 ports on the back) not connected to SAN.

So I would like to know what is the best way to connect it all up.
ie. Plug tape to Backup Server directly, trunk a bunch of NICs together or Plug the tape and Backup Server into SAN or does the Backup Server need to see the SAN at all for VEEAM to backup through the API?

Thanks
Vitaliy S.
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Re: Veeam + vSphere 4.1 + FC San + FC Tape Config?

Post by Vitaliy S. »

Hello Francis, If best practices are concerned, please follow the guidelines below:

1. Connect you backup server to FC SAN directly. Please review this link for more information about the proper steps:
http://www.veeam.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=2259
2. Plug Tape Library LTO5 to the backup server directly to offload backup files to tapes. You may automate this procedure by using post backup job script option which can be configured in the advanced job settings:
http://www.veeam.com/forums/viewtopic.p ... 168#p15162
3. Use SAN based backup mode to get best performance for the jobs.

Hope it helps!
ftan
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Re: Veeam + vSphere 4.1 + FC San + FC Tape Config?

Post by ftan »

Vitaliy,

Just want to clarify:
1 connection from tape backup server to SAN.
1 connection from tape backup server to LTO5.
Using vStorage API.

Can you explain how a VM backup goes from the disks in the SAN to the disks on the Veeam/tape backup server (ie. Veeam issues API calls to vSphere Server, Veeam pulls files from SAN directly to local disk, perform changed block housekeeping to local disk, once there, it would go from local disk via the FC direct to LTO5 using netbackup etc.

Is there a problem plugging everything including the SAN, including the LTO5? I guess the risk would be the tape using the SAN bandwith.... I only have 1 port on the server HBA, but I could get a 2 port HBA if that would faciliate the backup.

Is there a way to have it go direct using NDMP, and bypass the backup server completely using a vm appliance ?
Vitaliy S.
VP, Product Management
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Re: Veeam + vSphere 4.1 + FC San + FC Tape Config?

Post by Vitaliy S. »

That's correct, Veeam uses direct SAN access to pull the data from SAN disks and once it's done, pushes backups to tapes via NetBackup. In order to use CBT, vStorage API job mode should be configured, please make sure you meet all the requirements for CBT to work:
http://www.veeam.com/forums/viewtopic.p ... lock#p8858

Besides, should more information about data flow in SAN (LAN-free) mode be required, please check out the User Guide (page 10):
http://www.veeam.com/files/guide/veeam_ ... _guide.pdf

As regards to using NDMP protocol and LTO5, Veeam doesn't support writing to tape targets directly, so you should save all your backups locally on the backup server or any other destination storage device before moving it by NetBackup to tapes, in this case you don't need to have direct SAN connection from your SAN to LTO5.
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