Tape location in v7

[Ikes73]

Hi,

a (much too ?) simple question. Where should we see the tape device attached to in v7 ?
On one of the Proxy servers I assume ? Which then has to be a physical server.
Next step then is to evaluate the load (LAN?) from the job which moves the backup data on disk repository towards the tape.

Tx in advance.

[foggy]

The tape library should be attached specifically to the Veeam B&R management server, not the proxy server in general. So it has to be physical to be able to use tape functionality.

[NightBird]

The tape library should be attached specifically to the Veeam B&R management server, not the proxy server in general. So it has to be physical to be able to use tape functionality.

Attached to the management server ??? not to the backup repository ?

[foggy]

Correct. The first Veeam B&R version with tape support will allow only this type of layout.

[Ikes73]

So, now we have :
central site with SAN , all servers virtual (B&R also) and using Virtual appliance mode.
On a remote site (fiber uplinks are available) we would have to place a physical B&R mgmt server with tape library. Also some Proxies+Repository on secondary storage on this remote location. This way we generate a minimal of LAN traffic (fiber storage available on secondary site for Proxies).
Can we place a secondary B&R mgmt server central ? I doubt that both will be able to work together.

Then, Backup to tape results in traffic from repository through proxy (local SAN disk) towards B&R mgmt server (LAN traffic). LAN traffic only on remote site, not interfering our production env.

[foggy]

In case of a second Veeam B&R instance (physical) in the remote site, it will not be aware of the backup activity performed by the first instance located in the source site. So you would either need to manually ensure that tape jobs pointed to the backup repository do not interfere with backup jobs (as backup files are locked during backup) or use the second Veeam B&R both for performing backups and offloading them to tapes.

[dellock6]

Well, at least with the configuration backup we can protect the central server even if it's a physical one, but for sure I would prefer too to have a dedicated machine for tape management (regardless is a proxy, repository or a new role) and keep the Veeam server in virtual mode, and let it act as pure management console.

Luca.

[chriswal]

I need to implement virtualisation on one customer site.
What is the minimal hardware requirement for backup and recovery , when i want to do offsite replication, on site backup and archive to tape on Hyper-v 2012 ?
is that right (1 hardware domain controller, 2 Hyper-V server, 1 NAS, 1 Tape Drive ) ? Where has the tape to be connected? can i backup also the physical domain controller?

regards
christian

[veremin]

Where has the tape to be connected?

As mentioned, your tape appliance should be directly attached to Veeam B&R server. In other words, VB&R management server should be a physical machine in order to support tape functionality. In your environment, it might be either hyper-v server or physical machine that runs DC.

can i backup also the physical domain controller?

There also will be a special “files to tape copy job” with which it will be possible to copy files to tape from any Windows or Linux server (either virtual or physical) registered in Veeam B&R under Backup Infrastructure. However, it shouldn’t be considered as a replacement of your physical backup solution, since nothing apart from generic copying files-to-tape operations will be provided by this job.

Thanks.

[chriswal]

when i connect the tape to the free hyper-v 2012 server where should the veeam software be installed. can i install veeam backup and recovery software to a core system? is it necessary to buy a hyper-v 2012 license to use veeam software on the server?
thanks

[veremin]

I’ve split your post, so that the topic regarding tape functionality isn’t overfilled with irrelevant discussions.

can i install veeam backup and recovery software to a core system?

In general, Veeam Backup and Replication can’t be installed on Core server, therefore, it won’t be possible to utilize VB&R tape functionality if tape device is connected to free (core) Hyper-V server.

is it necessary to buy a hyper-v 2012 license to use veeam software on the server?

If you’re willing to install VB&R server on this machine, than, yes, it should be paid version, not a free (core) one.

Thanks.

[Andreas Neufert]

"So it has to be physical to be able to use tape functionality."

If your tape library Support an Connection in a VM (there are some iSCSI tape libraries and also some VTLs out there) you are good to go with a virtual one.

If your Backup & Replication Repositories are on a second Location (not at B&R Management site) you can install a second B&R Management Server and use File-to-Tape Backup Job to save the backup files to tape. As mentioned you need to controll backup time window not overlapping by yourself.

[HDClown]

Is there any timeline or ETA of when B&R 7 will support tape libraries attached to physical machines OTHER than the management server?

My B&R management server is physical, but it's located at my collocated datacenter, closest to all of my production VM's. I backup D2D at the datacenter and then backup copy jobs will move data offsite to another location. It's at that offsite location that I want to then backup to tape, as this is a staffed location so I can have employees rotate tape.

I have a physical machine available, but it seems kludgy to have to load a second B&R server just for tape drive purposes as it will be entirely disjointed from the rest of the B&R environment. This appears to be the recommendation today but I'm hoping to ear there is already a plan to have a role or some other option to use an alternate physical server than the management server to run a tape library.

[Gostev]

This feature should make it into the next minor release, but there are no timelines or ETA for that at the moment (approx. Q1 2014).

[HDClown]

As Q 2014 could be up to 6 months out, if one were to deploy a second B&R Server just to push data to tape, and then later want to remove that server and have the tape role handled by the "main" B&R server that does all other operations, is the product built to accommodate migrating the metadata associated with managing what's on tape from one B&R server to another, or perhaps, is there a process to re-scan tapes and re-build this info, or something of this nature?

[Gostev]

is there a process to re-scan tapes and re-build this info, or something of this nature?

That's what Catalog operation does.

[mc625569]

Regarding: tape devices attached to backup repo instead of management server.

Any update on this its now q2 2014 - and this is an important feature for us - we can't use tape with the current architectural limitations.

[veremin]

The amount of required changes makes it rather functionality of the new product release, rather than the patch/hotfix. As no product release has occurred since that time, the described scenario is still not supported. Though, we're working on delivering this functionality sooner, rather than later.

Thanks.