VBR 7.0 Architecture

[vDL]

Hi Guys,

I have to deploy for the first time a VBR 7.0 infrastructure for a 4 Hyper-v nodes cluster.

I would like to know if you have advices for the architecture please (Repositories, VBR in a HA VM or in a physical computer ...) ?

Thanks for your help

[Vitaliy S.]

Hi David,

Can you please give us a bit more information on your available resources? Where would you like to store your backups? NAS box? Local storage? Also you didn't say anything about the storage you use in production.

Thanks!

[vDL]

Hi Vitaliy,


Thank you for your answer.

I have an Equallogic PS4100 SAN array with SAS drives.

I asked myself where to backup the datas (repository) and I thought about these 2 architectures :

1. A clustered file Server (VM HA)
2. Attached-direct SAN LUN
3. A dedicated CSV attached to the VBR virtual machine

[Vitaliy S.]

Thanks for providing additional details.

I wouldn't recommend storing backup files on the same SAN, as if you lose your production VMs, you will also lose their backups. Do you have any spare physical box or any network attached storage? These devices would be a better target for the backup repository. If you're limited with hardware resources, then I would prefer to implement your second variant.

As regards the location of the backup server, then it can be installed either in the VM or on the physical server, it doesn't matter, what matters is proxy server type.

Can you please tell me if you have hardware VSS providers for your SAN storage? If you do and can present SAN LUNs to the backup server, then I would recommend using off-host proxy server to backup your VMs. See our on-line help center for further reading > http://helpcenter.veeam.com/backup/70/h ... proxy.html

Let me know if that helps!

[vDL]

I don't know if my customer has the VSS provider but I think he does ...

So, if I well understand, I have to follow these steps (in the case I have the VSS) :

1. Install the Backup Server on a physical machine with Windows Server 2008 R2
2. Install the VSS provider to my Hyper-v hosts which have access to the LUNs where are located my VMs
3. Attach a dedicated LUN to my Backup Server as Repository

At this point, I don't know how to install the Offhost Backup Proxy on my Hyper-v hosts ? Do I have to install an Offhost Backup Proxy on each Hyper-v hosts ?

Thanks for your help

[Vitaliy S.]

David,

Yes, your understanding is almost correct! No need to install it on each Hyper-V server, if you do it, it would be on-host proxy servers, not off-host.

To use off-host backup proxy, you need to configure it in the same way you did it with the production host, meaning that these steps should be done:

1. Install off-host backup proxy on a Windows Server 2008R2 (given that all your production hosts are running Windows Server 2008R2)
2. Enable Hyper-V role on this server
3. Deploy hardware VSS provider on both production and off-host proxy server
4. Present your SAN storage in the same way you did it with production Hyper-V hosts.

Thanks!

[vDL]

Vitaliy,

I'm sorry to insist but to well understand, I have to :

- Install my Backup Server on 1 Hyper-v host
- Attach all the LUNs to it where VMs are located AND to all my Hyper-v hosts
- Attach a dedicated LUN to the Hyper-v host where VBR is installed for the Repository
- Install the VSS provider to the Hyper-v host where VBR is installed and on all my Hyper-v hosts

The Hyper-v Cluster uses iSCSI Network for the SAN trafic.

Thanks.

[Vitaliy S.]

Yes, that's correct. In order to mount LUNs to the off-host proxy (Backup Server) you can use Microsoft iSCSI initiator and read-only account to access your SAN storage.

Here is a step-by-step guide, please take a look > http://helpcenter.veeam.com/backup/70/h ... ackup.html

[vDL]

From the link given, I can read :
If you plan to perform offhost backup for a Hyper-V cluster with CSV, make sure you deploy an offhost backup proxy on a host that is NOT a part of a Hyper-V cluster.

I just have 4 hyper-v hosts that are part of a single cluster ... I can check with my customer to purchase a server as a single Hyper-v host ...


Still on the link given, it indicates that "The source Hyper-V host and the offhost backup proxy must be connected (through a SAN configuration) to the shared storage" :
this is the same physical box or 2 separate machines ?


In your answer, you told me that "In order to mount LUNs to the off-host proxy (Backup Server) you can use Microsoft iSCSI initiator and read-only account to access your SAN storage" :
if the Backup Server is installed on the Hyper-v host and not in a VM, the Hyper-v host uses the iSCSI Initiator to access to the LUN


Thanks.

[Vitaliy S.]

David,

1. You don't need to purchase another Windows Server, I believe you can use Windows Hyper-V Server for that, which costs nothing.
2. Off-host backup proxy and source/production Hyper-V host are different physical machines.
3. Yes, that would work as well, but the point is that off-host proxy transfers the load produced by the backup job from the production Hyper-V host to off-host proxy. If you decide to use backup server installed on your production host, that would on-host proxy server configuration.

Hope this helps!