Snapshot question

[jackptmcs]

Hello..

When running a network level backup with application-aware image processing enabled will VMware always run a snapshot first? Is this a requirement?

Reason for asking I have a vm 500gb in size, it's datastore doesn't quite have enough space to snapshot it. What alternative options do I have?

Veeam is running from a physical box outside the Virtual environment, same LAN.

I have read through the documentation and FAQs so any help would be appriciated.

[Vitaliy S.]

Hello Jack,

All VM image based backup solutions rely on snapshots, as snapshot is a requirement for image-level backup of running VM with VMware.

Basically, you have two options to choose from: the first one is to relocate this VM to a datastore with sufficient free disk space, the second option is redirect VM snapshot location to another datastore via workingDir parameter.

Thank you.

[averylarry]

You can also (with vSphere 4) move the config files for the VM to another datastore but leave the virtual disk(s) alone. The snapshot is created by default on the datastore where the config files are. This is basically the same think as the workinDir parameter, only it isn't a custom modification.

[tsightler]

You can also (with vSphere 4) move the config files for the VM to another datastore but leave the virtual disk(s) alone. The snapshot is created by default on the datastore where the config files are. This is basically the same think as the workinDir parameter, only it isn't a custom modification.

And, as an added bonus, you can do it without downtime if you have storage vMotion license. Changing the workingDir setting requires the VM to be power cycled to take effect. You can use the advanced option of storage vMotion to relocate the VM configuration file while the VM is running.

[solidsystems]

Hi all,

When the backup job runs and the snapshot is created, the delta-file that is created for the snapshot uses up all the space left on the datastore.

Is there any way to create a backup using Veeam without a snapshot ? or create the deltafile elsewhere?

For example our VM is 400 GB in size. The DB drive for veeam 428GB and the backup drive is 1.8 TB.

At present our first attempt to backup this host failed due to lack of space on the DB drive and now there is only 50mb left on this drive.

Is there a way to overcome this ? as I wasnt aware the DB drive had to be as big as the actual drive we are backing up to..

Cheers,
Shaun

[foggy]

Shaun, you can use workingDir parameter to redirect VM snapshot location to another datastore. However, please note that this parameter works differently in vSphere 4 and vSphere 5. Thanks!

[solidsystems]

Thank you !, just to confirm that Veeam always deletes the snapshots afterwards anyway , so it only creates the Delta during the backup so its only temporary stored on there....?

Cheers,
Shaun

[foggy]

Correct, only for the duration of backup.