Estimating replication metrics

[bmwisme]

I don't have my second ESXi host to test replication bandwidth consumption and duration. Would creating a new incremental backup job to a remote target scheduled for say every 30 minutes properly simulate replication? Would this temporary job interfere with my other backup jobs as far as CBT?

Thanks

[foggy]

I don't have my second ESXi host to test replication bandwidth consumption and duration. Would creating a new incremental backup job to a remote target scheduled for say every 30 minutes properly simulate replication?

If this would be an agent-enabled backup target (i.e. Windows or Linux-type) and you set the repository to decompress data before storing (as replica restore points are stored as snapshots in native VMware format), then this could be considered as replica simulation in terms of bandwidth consumption and (to a lesser degree) time required. However, data population on target datastore during replication can be optimized with the help of virtual target proxy server having direct access to the target datastore for hotadd.

Would this temporary job interfere with my other backup jobs as far as CBT?

No.

[bmwisme]

Thanks foggy for your input.

A full remote backup over our slow WAN link (bonded T1 - 3MPs) would take 11 hours, is there a way to "seed" a backup - baseline for incrementals?

[dellock6]

Sure you can. If it's a replication job, you can first dump a copy of the VM, bring it to the DR site, upload it to the target datastore, and while you are configuring the replication job, simply choose to map the replica to an existing VM.

Luca.

[bmwisme]

Doesn't a replication job need an ESXi host as the target? I am testing incremental backups for this slow WAN link to estimate for host to host replication when I get my second host.

[foggy]

Yes, replication occurs between two ESXi hosts. In case you seed replication job using VM backup, Veeam B&R will basically restore the VM from it, regisiter it on the target host, and perform incremental run.

[bmwisme]

Yes, replication occurs between two ESXi hosts. In case you seed replication job using VM backup, Veeam B&R will basically restore the VM from it, regisiter it on the target host, and perform incremental run.

Sorry, I don't think understand. I have one ESXi host but I want to do a backup to a remote location. I would like to start with a full backup so I only get incremental backups over this slow WAN link. I understand I can "seed" a replication job but I won't be doing replication for now.

[Gostev]

You can seed backup as well, see "map backup" functionality in the backup job wizard.

[bmwisme]

Thanks Gostev, I can understand that.