What does this mean - software vss provider vs hardware vss?

[boe]

Hello,

I'm reading this https://helpcenter.veeam.com/docs/backu ... tml?ver=95 and it mentions The number of VMs in the group is limited: for a software VSS provider — 4 VMs, for a hardware VSS provider — 8 VMs. I'm using Windows 2012 R2 vss. I have 8 VMs on my server - so do I need to set up 2 backup jobs? I'm not sure what hardware based VSS is (is that like and equalogic/emc thing)?

[Mike Resseler]

Hi Boe,

Hardware based VSS is indeed a VSS provider that uses the hardware capabilities. Equalogic and EMC have such but note that it is not always easy to configure them correctly. If there is a hardware VSS, Veeam will choose this one by default (unless you tell it otherwise). Hardware providers work at the storage system controller level. Software providers operate at the software level, between the file system and the volume manager. This can cause a performance overhead on the Hyper-V host and that is one of the reasons of those limitations.

Hopefully this will give you some more guidance in choosing the correct VSS provider: https://helpcenter.veeam.com/backup/hyp ... vider.html

Cheers
Mike

[boe]

Thanks - so if I have 8 VMs on the host and do not have any hardware provider for vss - just windows 2012 R2, should I create 2 backup jobs - 4 VMs in each?

[Mike Resseler]

You can still put the 8 VMs in one job. No worries

[boe]

Thanks. I guess I don't understand what it means by "The number of VMs in the group is limited: for a software VSS provider — 4 VMs, for a hardware VSS provider — 8 VMs."

[Mike Resseler]

It will be Veeam B&R that will group the VMs if the requirements are met and take a single snapshot versus taking a single snapshot per VM. When you have 8, at least 2 snapshots will need to be taken but it still less than 8

Makes sense?

M/

[boe]

I think what you are saying is if I set up a backup job - no matter how many VMs -VEEAM will do whatever it needs to to make it work?

[Mike Resseler]

Lol... Yep, with Veeam, it just works

[boe]

Thanks!