v6 Offsite Replication : Seeding How To

[MoifMurphy]

[merged]

Hello,

We've researched this as best we can and have read various blogs but we are none the wiser as to how this works. Could someone please explain the ins and outs to us?

This is our scenario. We have vCenter 5 on our main site and on our DR site. The two sites are on a 100mb WAN on the same IP range. We currently run in excess of 40 servers with 5 being at least 300GB. Even with proxies in place and the concurrent jobs set to more than we are comfortable with we are finding that the replication is taking far too long. In some cases we are looking at over 20 hours. Obviously this is causing a bottleneck and we aren't happy with what we are seeing.

We've looked at Hyper IP but that won't help as we're on the same IP range. So we're trying to find some information regarding seeding. The instructions state that we should create local replication, take the replicas down to the DR site and then configure seeding. My question is if we've already created an initial replica on the DR site over the WAN then can we still use seeding?

And what exactly is seeding? Is it differential changes only? Block level?

[foggy]

Seeding is the initial replication without having to transfer all of the VM data across the sites. It is described in detail in the user guide and the step-by-step procedure is given in this topic above. If you already have the replica VM in DR, you need not to perform seeding anymore as only changes are transferred during each consequent replication job run (block level). Thanks.

[slidek9]

I have a replication seeding issue here;

I've used a NAS box to seed my replicas at the DR site, the replicas have been chugging along (seeding completed weeks ago but NAS just still connected) now for 2 weeks and *boom* the NAS box dies.

The only data on the NAS was the initial seed data - the replica VM's and their meta data are stored elsewhere - however, none of the jobs now run as they are looking for the NAS box!

I cannot remote the NAS box from the repository as it says that the NAS is still in use by the jobs - so I removed the 'Seeding' step fro the jobs (and double checked repositry locations) to make sure the NAS is not being used in any way, and I still cannot run the replication jobs.

Support has suggested that I create a new job and 'Map' my replicas to that, well I have ran that in test and it seems that I lose all of my snapshots as the job 'reinitialise'; this is not really good as I don't want to wait on 1/2TB of snaps to consolidate manually.

So the (long drawn out) question: Why is the seeding repository still needed even after seeding is complete - is there any way I can fix my current situation gracefully?

Please help!

[foggy]

Leon, try to re-enable the 'Seeding' step and remove the reference to the NAS on it.

[slidek9]

Yes! That has fixed it! Thanks Alex Could you raise a feature request, 'when Low connection bandwidth (enable replica seeding) is de-selected, seeding repositorys are automatially removed from the job'. To clear up any confusion for others that experience the same issue?

[foggy]

Not actually removed but just not required to be up and running. This is already on the list, thanks.

[undecided]

[merged]

Hi all, I'm new to Veeam and need some help, I have a primary site and DR site connected with a 10mb/s link. I want to begin replication, and as I understand it I need to make a backup of my primary site VM's. I have now done so and have copied the backup file to my DR repository, imported the backup and can see the backup job and the backed up VM's in Veeam. Now I select to create a replication job, point it to the repository where the backup file is contained(I've also tried the local Veeam servers repository) and the job fails with "vm not found in backup for initial sync".

My question is, do I need to actually restore the VM files to the repository?

thanks

[undecided]

In my case the backup is not of a replicated VM, it's a backup of the parent VM. Is there a way to use this for initial seeding? Or do I have to go back to the primary location and create a replica, then backup this replica and bring it to my DR site? Is there no way I can use the backup of the parent VM for this purpose?

[foggy]

Please read through this topic carefully, it provides the step by step seeding procedure. You need to use the source ("parent") VM backup for that.

[undecided]

Ok, thanks Foggy, I see it now, I have to restore the VM's and then manually map to the VM as if it was a replica. I'm trying this now and will revert if it does not work.

[foggy]

Actually, you do not even need to restore the VM, just use its backup for seeding.

[undecided]

I'm failing miserably here, I've tried as suggested, just to be clear my backup is of the parent VM, it's not a backup of the replica at the primary site. When I follow the steps outlined in your link I get "VM not found in backup for initial seed" even though I've scanned the repository, it finds the backup file, i can see the backup file in Veeam. Then I tried restoring the VM files to the datastore and mapped the replication to the VM, this fails with "A snapshot operation cannot be performed.
Error: A snapshot operation cannot be performed."

I'm struggling here, any idea?

[Gostev]

Suggest you open a support case and have them guide you through the process over webex.

[undecided]

I've manually mapped to the replica after I've restored it. "Get seed data from the following backup repository" is NOT checked. Also, on the "Job Settings" screen, I've manually specified a proxy for the source and destination sides.

I don't believe I'm doing anything wrong here, besides opening a case and waiting for what may be potentially days, does anyone else have an idea that I may try?

[Gostev]

Can you snapshot the replica VM with vSphere Client?

[WPHIT]

Hi Everyone,

Looking for some advice.

I'm replicating between two sites over a 100MB fibre link, currently I'm not seeding I'm just doing straight replications. But with 50+ servers to replicate this is going to take too long.

Try as I might but I cannot get seeding working.

This may be something I'm doing wrong?

1. Setup a new backup respository on a USB drive connected to the Veeam Server at SITEA
2. Backup SERVERA to this drive
3. Take drive to SITEB and upload vbk files to a respository connected to my VEEAM Proxy server (SITEB)
4. Re-Scan that repository in Veeam (SITEA)
5. Do a new replication job but this time select to seed from the repository connected to the VEEAM proxy server at SITEB

Is this correct please?

Thanks,

Andrew

[Vitaliy S.]

Hi Andrew, please take a look at the first page of this thread for the proper replica-seeding procedure.

[rbrambley]

I'm replicating between two sites over a 100MB fibre link, currently I'm not seeding I'm just doing straight replications. But with 50+ servers to replicate this is going to take too long.

and

5. Do a new replication job but this time select to seed from the repository connected to the VEEAM proxy server at SITEB

If you are already running a replication job for a VM you just click the seeding (low bandwidth) check box on the first screen of the existing job wizard / properties and then configure the repository location on the seeding screen in the job.

Seeding for replication is not an ongoing process. It's a 1 time feature for getting the new full replication done across the WAN.

If your jobs are completing but talking too long you should double check your config and consider other changes.

• Do you have a proxy at both sites? Is the job going from a proxy at sitea to a proxy at siteb?. This allows Veeam to compress the data before sending and then inflate on the other side. This is a required config.
• Look at the VMs and the times to complete / data transfered in the job reports too. Are a few VMs taking longer than the others? Maybe move those VMs to their own jobs using other proxies (for example) so they don't hold up the bulk of the other VMs.

Of course, there is only so much we can do for low bandwidth between sites - I have to say this because I see a lot of high expectations on large amount of data passing over smaller, saturated pipes.

[homerjnick]

I'm away to start replication at our 10Mb WAN DR site...I read the procedure in the manual and in this thread but have a quick question.

It was noted earlier by Vitality the stepped procedure but this is what I have done.

1) Taken a NAS device and added it to my Veeam server as a repositry at my Production site.
2) Taken backups of VM's I want replicated to this repositry
3) Take NAS off my Production site and added it to the network at my DR site.

I was then going to add a new repositry using the NAS device which is now at the DR site (or can I just repoint the location of the repositry when the NAS was on my Production Site)

New repositry has the backups in there so can use that as my seed.

Will that work?

[rbrambley]

Even with the files local at the DR site you could create a scenario where data is ping ponging back and forth. Things to think about:

Has your NAS changed ip addresses?
What is the network route / gateway for the NAS and for Veeam ?
Is your Veeam install you will be using to run the new replication job different from the one that create the backup seed?

If it's a new Veeam server (at the DR site) other than the one that ran the backup job then you have to create a new repos linked to that new DR Veeam anyways. Proxy and repos sets can only be linked to one Veeam server.

So, think about where the replication job will be created, and what proxy / repos sets are configured there, and how they will communicate and data will flow, and keep it all local to your DR site!

[homerjnick]

Even with the files local at the DR site you could create a scenario where data is ping ponging back and forth. Things to think about:

Has your NAS changed ip addresses?
What is the network route / gateway for the NAS and for Veeam ?
Is your Veeam install you will be using to run the new replication job different from the one that create the backup seed?

If it's a new Veeam server (at the DR site) other than the one that ran the backup job then you have to create a new repos linked to that new DR Veeam anyways. Proxy and repos sets can only be linked to one Veeam server.

So, think about where the replication job will be created, and what proxy / repos sets are configured there, and how they will communicate and data will flow, and keep it all local to your DR site!

I have one Veeam server at my Production site and one Veeam Proxy at my DR site.

Yes the NAS device will change its IP and the same Veeam server that ran the backup will run the replication.

I will create the replication job on the Veeam server at my Production site but point the new rep job using a seed on the NAS box which is now at the DR site with the backups I created now in a new repositry which is on the DR site...

I fail to see if this is an issue? My only concern is am I ok to use the NAS to backup directly to at my Prod site as it is added as a repositry and then move it to the DR site, add another new repositry that points to the NAS at the DR site, scan it and it picks up the backups that were dumped there whilst the NAS was at the Prod site??

[foggy]

I fail to see if this is an issue? My only concern is am I ok to use the NAS to backup directly to at my Prod site as it is added as a repositry and then move it to the DR site, add another new repositry that points to the NAS at the DR site, scan it and it picks up the backups that were dumped there whilst the NAS was at the Prod site??

Nick, no issues, actually. I believe that you even can just repoint the existing repository to the new location and rescan it to get existing backups imported.

[homerjnick]

Nick, no issues, actually. I believe that you even can just repoint the existing repository to the new location and rescan it to get existing backups imported.

Fantastic...thanks.

[homerjnick]

Foggy,

How do I repoint the existing repository?

I go into the properties and then the Repository part but the "Path to Folder" that contains the network share path is greyed out so I cannot type in there to change it.

The "Share" section is also greyed out...so I cannot type in the new shared folder path.

[foggy]

Seems that there's indeed no way to do that, sorry. For some reason it seemed to me that you could edit the location for Windows-based repository.
Then in your case, you need to add a new repository and point it to the DR site NAS.

[homerjnick]

Fair enough I can do that...

[vcosonok]

G'day, I stumbled across this post when I made the mistake of advising a colleague incorrectly based on my experience of VBR5. Alas, I had not read the VBR6 user guide before advising my colleague. The following blog post might provide some enlightenment:

VBR6: How to Configure Replica Seeding in Veeam Backup v6 for Offsite Replication

Cheers!

[chad156]

I has an issue were my failover failed and my Servers are still running from the DR site. I performed a back up of the virtual machines and sent the USB drive back locally to replicate back with a seed.

When I set it up and run the job I get and error that it cannot find the VM in the backup to seed from.

I have the repository setup and when I scan the repository it say it skipped two backups?

Can someone shed some light on this?

[chad156]

I'm not sure why my post was merged...I know how to seed, i've done it many time.

[Gostev]

The post was correctly merged because we want all seeding-related questions and issues covered in the single topic instead of being spread across the forum.

However, it would be even more correct if moderator removed the post completely instead of merging, because it violates the rules of posting technical issues displayed when you click New Topic. No issue can be troubleshoot without having debug logs available, so first thing R&D will ask me when I approach them with your issue is support case ID.