Semi automatic Veeam v 3.1.1

[gourou76]

Greetings,

Has anybody experienced such a thing?

1. Create customize post script per machine
A. Create 40 post script(batch) and jobs. What to include in batch:
a. Start Cloned VM
b. Change IP address
c. NewSID
d. Rename VM
e. Tweaking VM
f. Import a .reg ...
g. Join domain

2. Backup of new vm
a. Daisy-chain jobs (Command line: "C:\Program Files\Veeam\Backup and FastSCP\VeeamManager.exe" backup 421daae1-188e-4a1d-b7a4-d23a13af9fc9)
b. …….
3. PowerShell connect-viserver -server <server> -user <user> -password <pwd> Start-VM -VM NomDeLaVM
4.
5. I have not found how to restore automatically from latest backup (By design? Or future version)

If you know, please share as son as you possibly can, you may save my life!

Cheers,
Jimmy

[gourou76]

Greetings,

We are going live on Monday morning and you could save my life if you could give us the proper and best practice to do this:

a. Four ESX standard.
b. One master on ESX1
c. Need to deploy 10 clones, and I know the name and IP of these clones
d. Backup clones
e. Same master on ESX1 deployed on ESX2, ESX3 et ESX, 4
f. Then clone ESX 2 into 10 clones and I know the name and IP of these clones
g. Backup clones
h. Then clone ESX 3 into 10 clone and I know the name and IP of these clones
i. Backup clones
j. Then clone ESX 4 into 10 clones and I know the name and IP of these clones
k. Backup clones
l. When clones become unstable (used for an accounting software which injects in a db for 40 countries), so back to step b. Or if master untouched, revert to backup after cloning. Whatever you guys propose.

I will monitor your reply and keep in touch until 22:00 GMT.

Cheers,
Jimmy

[vbussiro]

I'm not spécialist of this kind of problem, but it seems to be a replication process, but why do you want diferent ip for your clones ? With veeam replication approach, you replicate your master each x hours/days, and you power on your clone when needed.
If you want to personnalize each clone (ip, and i suppose sid and hostname), it looks like a vcenter clone/template process, and maybe a vcenter lab manager or vmware view (great products)

[gourou76]

Hi vbussiro,

First, thank you for steeping in!

As a matter of fact, we have a simple architecture: VEEAM 3.1.1 and 4 ESX 3.5 Standard.

We maintain a machine that will be used as a master. This master needs to be deployed to 4 ESX servers in total.

Then, the “master” needs to be cloned 10 times and this makes 40 clones in total.

These clones will necessarily have their names, IP addresses and SID changed, but we are not there yet!

We created 10 jobs, each job per ESX. After the 4th clone, it went in error.

The whole idea is to destroy automatically or rollback (according to the Master’s updates or cleanups) that these VM *will* become unstable as they are used to inject data into a database.

Here is how is goes per ESX :

Master APP ESX11
==============
REM "C:\Program Files\Veeam\Backup and FastSCP\VeeamManager.exe" backup f8488d0b-a598-41ea-ae15-554c9fda23d6
"C:\Program Files\Veeam\Backup and FastSCP\VeeamManager.exe" backup 045a2092-bed9-447a-8863-aa92e2619443


ESX 11 Clones
===========
"C:\Program Files\Veeam\Backup and FastSCP\VeeamManager.exe" backup 2f3d3238-6459-44e5-8694-62749b02dfdb
"C:\Program Files\Veeam\Backup and FastSCP\VeeamManager.exe" backup a10cae74-dec4-4ac1-9453-4ea1d6f5431f
"C:\Program Files\Veeam\Backup and FastSCP\VeeamManager.exe" backup bce70b80-eb63-430a-9a46-8ebc6d08c2c7
"C:\Program Files\Veeam\Backup and FastSCP\VeeamManager.exe" backup 35751dcf-5aeb-420b-a296-faa711c89b77
"C:\Program Files\Veeam\Backup and FastSCP\VeeamManager.exe" backup 5083043e-5098-4d0b-95e7-1063fb853a62
"C:\Program Files\Veeam\Backup and FastSCP\VeeamManager.exe" backup f14766e8-83c3-491e-830b-63ac9aede06b
"C:\Program Files\Veeam\Backup and FastSCP\VeeamManager.exe" backup 2264effe-540a-46df-9895-0a0f32e88ba7
"C:\Program Files\Veeam\Backup and FastSCP\VeeamManager.exe" backup 1266cd8c-3784-431f-acd6-ee29ea346422
"C:\Program Files\Veeam\Backup and FastSCP\VeeamManager.exe" backup 9ab3e8d8-240f-4acd-b9ef-254a5f9f3616
"C:\Program Files\Veeam\Backup and FastSCP\VeeamManager.exe" backup abe1767c-781f-456f-8987-cd0385d181c3
"C:\Program Files\Veeam\Backup and FastSCP\VeeamManager.exe" backup 86ee3792-58aa-4f37-9b53-4d2155022008
"C:\Program Files\Veeam\Backup and FastSCP\VeeamManager.exe" backup 25703bfa-9b75-4290-b3fa-aaafea0cfde2
"C:\Program Files\Veeam\Backup and FastSCP\VeeamManager.exe" backup 6485d05e-c5ff-4c8f-aec9-f74fb8a7d0d9
"C:\Program Files\Veeam\Backup and FastSCP\VeeamManager.exe" backup b5e379f9-9dee-43ac-85b3-e2b4e3d3c1f2
"C:\Program Files\Veeam\Backup and FastSCP\VeeamManager.exe" backup dd113a7d-c19b-408f-889d-edd7ae522d40

Normally, these jobs need to be unattended and via VEEAM scheduler. I just need to be able to create VM and the job should be able to destroy *any* VM that it created before.

Does this seem to be a complex way of using VEEAM Backup and Replication?

Cheers,
Jimmy

[vbussiro]

I think it will be hard with veeam, because replication is not cloning. There is a copy possibility (as in fastscp) but not with live (powered on) vm, and there is no personnalisation, but it can be scheduled.
I think you should have a look to a vcenter based solution, and even better a vmware lab manager. Deployment option are quite well designed. Furthermore, heartbeat monitoring could start automatically one of the clone if needed (and even deploy a new one). I use this in my test lab, and I can deploy a fully operational vm within minutes. But it's not the appropriate forum...

[gourou76]

Dear vbussiro,

Thanks for your input! OK, I can power off the Master. So I can use VEEAM 3.1.1 for scheduling.

Would version 4.0 remedy to some of the other needs?

Cheers,
Jimmy

[vbussiro]

Unfortunately, veeam will copy vm files (vmx, vmdk, etc...), but will not add the new vm into esx inventory. You'll have to "add to inventory" manually each clone. Good thing is you can set backup jobs to backup entire esx, it will backup new machine without any further configuration, and deduplication will work at its best to minimize backup size.
Don't think veeam 4 will add this kind of option.

Again, please consider vcenter, it'll simplify all this, especially post-cloning configuration (set ip, hostname...), regardless of other benefits.

[ebernard]

vbussiro:
just one remark, when replicating a VM, Veeam Backup & Replication registers the VM into vCenter, so it's ready to power on within vCenter/ESX.
Regards
Emmanuel