Another this cannot be true.

[cag]

We have 2 servers that can host our VM's. Vcenter is also running on our SQL Server. We have a replication job that replicates the SQL Server to our DR Site. This has been running on trial lic for about 1 week. I then needed to do some maintenance on one of the servers so I vmotioned the VM to another host. Once completed I vmotioned back again to the origial host. Now the replication job complains that the source object cannot be found. GREAT What is going on here. ? I cannot add the VM as a source using vcenter becuase veeam server loses connection vcenter when VSS process runs. (job fails) So I must add the source VM via ESXI host. How do I reset veeam so the job can contunie where it left off. ?

[Vitaliy S.]

Conrad, you have to re-add VMs to the backup job every time you perform a vMotion task while having ESX(i) hosts (not vCenter Server) added to the backup console.

This is the only way to follow because when you register a VM on the host it receives a unique ID number. This ID is being used to track and locate VMs in the backup/replication job later on. Right now backup server cannot find your vCenter Server VM as it has been assigned a new ID and is being treated as new VM.

[Gostev]

This is exactly why in the product UI we recommend populating Veeam Backup with vCenter server as opposed to adding individual ESX(i) hosts. VMotion awareness only comes with vCenter. Thanks.

[cag]

I would add using vcenter but VSS fails because veeam cannot replicate a vcenter server due to communitcation loss during VSS phase and the replication job fails. This just sucks. If I re-add the ESXI host then it complains about a duplicate file name at the destination from another job. I cannot re-init via a wan 330gb this will take for ever. I guess I need to find another product that doesn't have some I impact limitations. You need a better way to track the source server.

[Gostev]

Well, obviously VMotion awareness requires connection to vCenter, because vCenter server is what tracks VMs across hosts. It is completely impossible to match VMotioned VMs across hosts looking at them at a host level.

VSS issue backing up vCenter VM should not impact the way you configure product to backup all of your VMs. In fact, if you review my recommendation on vCenter VM backup, this is the only VM that should be processed by a job configured through a standalone host (and not through vCenter). And it should be removed from all other jobs.

[cag]

Ok when my vcenter server is vmotioned which we do to update the ESXI host what then ????

[tsightler]

Then you have to edit the "special" vCenter job, remove the "old" VM and add the "new" VM since the VM identifier changes when you move the host between ESX systems. This is really something that Veeam should address I can think of quite a number of ways to fix this behavior for this specific case, so hopefully they'll address this weakness in a future version of the product.

[cag]

Wont this force a new complete replication. Across a wan this will take days. This is not a good option for me if I need to start from scratch again.

[murdocmk]

If the VM with vCenter on it is dedicated to vCenter, then you could run a local SQL backup nightly (or more often) and just let the replication happen without VSS. Yeah it might mean an inconsistent database for the latest replication, but how bad would it be if you had to restore that database from the previous night SQL backup (stored on the same system). Or, you could try one of your previous replicas and maybe one of them would be fine? That way you could leave it with other jobs through vCenter and vMotion wouldn't be a problem.

Sure it's a risk but you would know that It solves some matters -- leaves others unsolved.

[cag]

This just sucks. I thought veeam was enterprise class. What enterprise site doesn't use vmotion.
The SQL server is the heart of the company data. Yes your suggestion would work, but I feel if a failure occures it usually happens in 3. (bad luck)
sql backup fails and same night the server fails the same night I am on vacation.
I think I might move vcenter to another location using the same sql server as the database. Install vcenter from scratch pointing to the existing sql database I think is safer, or veeam may still fail because vcenter client cannot access database during vss ?

Anyone know if this will work.

[Gostev]

This just sucks. I thought veeam was enterprise class. What enterprise site doesn't use vmotion.

Let me re-iterate once again just to be clear, and repeat that Veeam has been fully VMotion aware since version 1.0 released over 4 years ago. VMotion is supported for every job configured through vCenter (which is the recommended way). Backup of vCenter VM (and only this VM) does require that you configure the job (with this single VM) through ESX host for technical reason (frozen vCenter cannot process commands required to move the backup process forward, which results in deadlock).

I think I might move vcenter to another location using the same sql server as the database. Install vcenter from scratch pointing to the existing sql database I think is safer, or veeam may still fail because vcenter client cannot access database during vss ? Anyone know if this will work.

Yes, this should work fine, and allow you to create consistent backups of this SQL database.

[ThomasMc]

Maybe someone could do a step by step on how to use this script properly
Back up vCenter VM?