VM's on NetApp iSCSI LUN.

[Dream_On]

Is it possible to use NetApp snapshot, instead of Veeam/VMware snapshot?
VM's are located on iSCSI LUN. Windows servers, with some outdated control software, which is not tolerating normal snapshot. Is it possible to completely bypass VMware snapshot and use NetApp snapshots instead?
Cheers,
Vlad

[Dream_On]

Is this true?

What Backup from Storage Snapshots does is allows to leverage NetApp Snapshots under the covers for backing up virtual environment. While VMware based snapshots are still leveraged, they are only open for a fraction of the time they would be with a traditional VMware based snapshot backup.

[Mildur]

Yes. Backup from Storage Snapshot still requires VM snapshots. All VM backups require a vSphere Snapshot.

To have as less as possible interactions with the VM, you can create crash consistent backups (Job settings: disable application aware processing, disable VMware Tools Quiescence). But it not's recommended. Especially for application servers, there is no guarantee that a non application consistent backup can be used for a full restore.

Windows servers, with some outdated control software, which is not tolerating normal snapshot.

May I ask what's the issue with this software is? Maybe it's better to use Veeams application aware processing with Guest scripts. The scripts could bring this "outdated control software" in a good state before taking the snapshot.

Best,
Fabian

[Dream_On]

Backup from Storage Snapshot still requires VM snapshots. All VM backups require a vSphere Snapshot.

Could you comment on this:
https://vzilla.co.uk/vzilla-blog/veeam- ... ery-points

May I ask what's the issue with this software is?

The Plant Information (PI) System is a set of software modules for plant-wide monitoring and analysis. OSI Software, Inc. information (PI) System is a set of software modules for plant-wide monitoring and analysis. The PI Server Applications are the foundation of this system.
I am not running software, but company, I design backup solution for. They told me, that are trying to avoid snapshots. Therefore, my interest in NetApp snapshots.
They are using snapshots as a backup, I was trying to explain to them, that NetApp snapshot is not a backup, but here we are.
Cheers,

[Mildur]

Hi Vladimir

I checked our What's New guide of V10. We introduced in V10 this capability for Snapshot-Only jobs. But those are Snapshot-Only Jobs and as you have said, no backups. They will be stored on your primary and optionally on your secondary NetApp system.

VM backup (from storage snapshot or not) still require a VM snapshot to be taken. Or you can use Veeam Agent inside the Windows VM. Veeam Agent would create VSS snapshots on the machine.

Best,
Fabian

[Dream_On]

Thanks Fabian, now I understand how it works completely. I will try Veeam backup first, as it seems to have shorter snapshot time, and if not working will try Veeam Agent with VSS.