Snapshots with Dell Hardware VSS Writer

[AntonJVR]

I have a customer with a few Hyper-V hosts running Server 2012R2 and using Veeam VBR 9.5 with an off Host Proxy Server and the Dell Equalogic Hardware VSS writer.

The environment has got 4x 10TB CSV's for clustered Storage. When doing a snapshot, the Dell VSS writer takes way more than two minutes to create the snapshot, causing Hyper-V's VM Heartbeat feature to restart some VM's randomly on other hosts.

Can somebody please assist in telling me what the Best Practice sizing for CSV's is for using Dell Hardware VSS.

I have looked at the common stuff like, tasks, Snapshots per CSV, ODX, etc.

Thanks

[Mike Resseler]

Anton,

I would contact support with this one (as usual, post the support case # here and the follow up after that)

For a best practice sizing, 10 TB per CSV should certainly not be considered a bad practice or too much. I have seen this working with larger CSV luns.

[AntonJVR]

Hey Mike, Thanks, Can you confirm that you saw the >10TB snapshots of LUN's using the Dell Hardware VSS writer on Equalogic?

[Mike Resseler]

To be honest, I start to doubt which storage it was from Dell (but certainly not the newer ones). But still, my point for a support call stand. We used to see a lot of issues with hardware VSS and many work has been done in investigation from our side and updates from the hardware vendors for their firmware to address VSS issues.

Another advice is to read this paper: https://blog.workinghardinit.work/2014/ ... r-channel/

It is written by one of our Veeam Vanguards who is also a Microsoft MVP and has lots of experience in configuring off-host proxies with Hardware VSS and Hyper-V

[AntonJVR]

Already implemented as per blog post.
The problem is not with Veeam though.
The customer logged calls and was referred to Dell.
Will try logging another one.. Tx