Linux Proxies for Replication

[Artaheri]

Hi, we have started setting up some Linux proxies with a goal of adding multiple proxies without incurring licensing costs (unfortunately we don't have Windows Datacenter licenses...)

I understand the limitations of Linux proxies regarding the transport mode, and so have made sure that backups jobs are only using proxies that are on the same host as the VMs they are backing up. For backup jobs this has worked fine.

I am hoping we can also use these for replication; we replicate between two vSphere hosts. I set up Linux proxies on both, and selected the proxies on the same host as the VMs as the source proxies, and the proxies on the same host as the replicas as the destination proxies, however the replication job fails with the following error:

Unable to allocate processing resources. Error: No backup proxy is able to process this VM due to proxy processing mode restrictions.

Does anybody know if replication is possible using purely Linux proxies, or do the transport mode limitations not make this a valid option?

Thanks for any help

[PetrM]

Hello and Welcome to our Community!

Please provide a support case ID for the issue, as requested when you click New Topic. The posts about technical issues without support case ID will be eventually deleted by forum moderator.

The Linux backup proxies are not supported for replications only if WAN-accelerators are in use but you may also check the requirements and limitations for Linux proxies on this page.

Thanks!

[Artaheri]

Apologies, I missed what I now see are numerous places explaining this.

I have an open support case that seems to be stalling but as this isn't an alternative place for support it is probably best to remove the post.

[PetrM]

No issue at all, just don't forget to share the support case ID.

Thanks!

[Artaheri]

Thanks, the case ID is 04586395. There are no WAN accelerators in use, we are replicating between two hosts in the same location over LAN connection. I assumed that the proxy on the same host as the VM could be the source proxy and that I could have another proxy on the destination host but that doesn't seem to be working.

[veremin]

As support engineer responded, it seems that one of the specified proxy server is not able to use Hot Add backup mode. Kindly, schedule a webex session with the engineer and let him find the root cause of the issue. Thanks!

[Artaheri]

I had a webex with an engineer and we got to the bottom of the issue.

In case anybody else has the same problem, here's the problem/solution:

I had been adding the source VMs and replication host using vCenter, and that was causing the job to fail. I also had the hosts added via IP, and when we switched to adding the replication target by referencing only IP it worked correctly. The source VM still is added references through vCenter, only the destination has to be added via IP.

With that change everything works fine. For some reason the Linux proxy fails to connect to the replica destination host when referenced through vCenter, but works fine when added via its IP address.

[Gostev]

DNS issue?

[Artaheri]

I don't think so, DNS looks good. Using the Linux proxies for the backup jobs for the same VMs works fine when referencing through vCenter.

The only situation where it fails is destination host for a replication job. Source host for replication, and both for Backup jobs, works fine when referenced through vCenter. It's a weird one.

[Gostev]

Sounds good. I just remember from my previous life how Linux used to be more picky about DNS functioning properly. Windows seemed more forgiving due to the presence of WINS/NetBIOS