V7 Share SCSI tape library

[Giacomo_N]

Hi guys, after read the v7 guide i've decide to shutdown the backup exec server with the SCSI tape library attached.
According to user guide, the tape library can be located in the same site or in another one using iSCSI over the network.

Tape device. Physical tape library, a virtual tape library or a stand-alone tape drive; The tape device should be located in the same site with the Veeam Backup server; connection between them is established directly (using FC/SCSI) or over the network (using iSCSI).

Is it possible to share a scsi library attached to physical windows 2008 server to use it by veeam VM by iscsi? If yes, how?


Thanks in advance

[veremin]

Assuming that library in question supports ISCSI connection, it can be directly attached through this protocol to VB&R server. As long as tape device is shown in the Windows Device Manager (on VB&R server) and uses common Windows drivers, instead of specific, you should be able to use it. Thanks.

[Giacomo_N]

Thank you Vladimir for the reply, the library it's an IBM TS3100 SCSI actually attached by a scsi controller to a physical server, the question is if is it possibble to expose/share
that library over the netowrk by a software or by windows 2008 R2 native iscsi tools..i know, isn't a specific veeam question but it's for a VB&R purpose . Thanks

[veremin]

According to the customers, there is a free tool that allows you to expose physically connected tape appliance via ISCSI protocol. Though, I didn’t test it myself. Thanks.

[Giacomo_N]

According to the customers, there is a free tool that allows you to expose physically connected tape appliance via ISCSI protocol. Though, I didn’t test it myself. Thanks.

Thank you Vladimir! I want to try this solution, the goal is to keep the veeam server virtual and use the tape library in an physical server for a monthly copy job.
After the testing i can post my result with this architecture.
Sorry for the wrong post room, now i know the "tape" section on the forum!

[veremin]

I’m also interested in this; so, kindly keep us updated about the results you get. Thanks.

[guillermo.lozano]

Hi, i'm trying to use this solution to connect, does anyone had any experience with this?

Thanks.
Regards,
Guillermo.-

[guillermo.lozano]

Hello Community, I manager to install Star wind Tape Redirector the tape driver and my Widows Server where Veeam v7 resides is seeing the drive correctly!!!! It's really amazing that a tape drive can be shared by iSCSi.
The Tape Drive (IBM HH-LTO3) was tested correctly by the IBM ITDT Tool on the VM (Veeam Server v7), but now Veeam won't see the tape cartridge inside the drive, Veeam console shows the drive but it says that is empty,

What might be missing for veeam?

Thanks.
Regards,
Guillermo.-

[Dima P.]

Guillermo,

Thank you for the heads up! Is there any chance that IBM ITDT Tool could lock drive?

[Giacomo_N]

Hello Community, I manager to install Star wind Tape Redirector the tape driver and my Widows Server where Veeam v7 resides is seeing the drive correctly!!!! It's really amazing that a tape drive can be shared by iSCSi.
The Tape Drive (IBM HH-LTO3) was tested correctly by the IBM ITDT Tool on the VM (Veeam Server v7), but now Veeam won't see the tape cartridge inside the drive, Veeam console shows the drive but it says that is empty,

What might be missing for veeam?

Thanks.
Regards,
Guillermo.-

Hi Guillermo, i'm trying to do the same, but i'm a little bit confused.
I've install the tape redirector only in the physical server where the library is attached, then i've try to configure the scsi target in the veeam V7 VM..is it correct?

Thank you!

[Dima P.]

Giacomo,

Tape Redirector is installed on a server with the attached tape drive; it creates a gateway to a tape library via iSCSI. Then you add target to iSCSI initiator at the Veeam v7 VM and install drivers of the tape drives.

[guillermo.lozano]

Hi Community!

I managed to get it working now!!
I'm downloading a backup job from Virtual Veeam Server to tape as I’m writing this post.

How?:

On the Physical Server where the tape is connected I’ve installed the Starwind Tape Redirector.
Then from the starwind management console I added the tape drive and exported it with the iSCSi Target.
Then on the VM where Veeam resides (Server 2008 R2 x64) I installed the tape drivers.
After that I added the iSCSI target with the Windows iSCSI Initiator (IP & port 33268 not 3260).

Voila! Tape device is listed as a local device on Windows Device Manager, and Veeam v7 sees the tape.

To start using the tape in veeam I had to manually catalog the tape cartridges (I'm Using a standalone drive) and then create the media pool. (Please See the Veeam v7 Manual for full instructions on how this works)

Now I have to see how it handles, currently it's processing at 23 MB/s (The Tape Drive Link is SAS 6 Gbps)
Another thing is the capacity declared by Veeam, an LTO3 Drive is around 400 GB wihtout compression, but Veeam shows only 370 GB.

These are details that will be solved, in my experience with Veeam, with the help of their support team i accomplished what I needed when I needed it.

Thanks Starwind Software for the Tape Redirector & VEEAM FOR A GREAT STEP towards Easy & Modern Data Protection that suite all needs!!!!

[guillermo.lozano]

Guillermo,

Thank you for the heads up! Is there any chance that IBM ITDT Tool could lock drive?

Hi Dmitry, yes ITDT Locks during the time the tape device is being used by ITDT Tool.

Regards,
Guillermo.-

[Giacomo_N]

Hi Community!

I managed to get it working now!!
I'm downloading a backup job from Virtual Veeam Server to tape as I’m writing this post.

How?:

On the Physical Server where the tape is connected I’ve installed the Starwind Tape Redirector.
Then from the starwind management console I added the tape drive and exported it with the iSCSi Target.
Then on the VM where Veeam resides (Server 2008 R2 x64) I installed the tape drivers.
After that I added the iSCSI target with the Windows iSCSI Initiator (IP & port 33268 not 3260).....

Thank you Guillermo, it's my fault, with 33268 port is working!
Now i'm trying the tests..

I've another working scenario with Veeam V7 VM working with a scsi pass-through adapter, but there are a lot of limits..no vmotion,no snapshots etc..

[veremin]

but there are a lot of limits

I’d say the most critical one is that such scenario is officially not supported by VMware. So, should anything happen with it, you will be by your own. Thanks.

[Giacomo_N]

Hi guys, also working for me, but i'm able to share only the drive, not the library, anyway it's a great result!
Now i'm try to investigate in star wind community forum, i want to have the full library and the barcode reading

Thank you Guillermo and Vladimir and also Veeam and star wind software!!

[veremin]

You’re welcome. Should additional help be needed, don’t hesitate to let us know.

[mjgreen81]

Hi all,

We are looking at upgrading to 7.0 in the near future. One of the most attractive features is the possibility to get rid of Backup Exec and let Veeam deal with our tape library.

However, our existing Veeam backup server is a virtual machine and I understand that it is a requirement that he tape library be directly attached. I understand that a physical server is preferential but it may still be possible to achieve this with a virtual server.

Does anyone have any information about how this is done so that we can start to look at our options.

Thanks in advance.

[veremin]

Hi, Mike,

For now you can use third-party tool mentioned by Guillermo in order to expose physically connected device via ISCSI protocol. Also, please be aware that we will support tape drives/libraries connected to proxy servers in one of the future releases.

Thanks.

[mjgreen81]

Thanks for the helpful information

I will start reading!

[veremin]

You’re welcome. Should any additional help be needed, don’t hesitate to let us know. Thanks.

[mintyevertonian]

Hi All

I have a single iSCSI tape drive that is currently connected to a physical server

I have implemented VEEAM and all is working well but still have the infinite retention compliance issues for month end jobs

The VEEAM server I use is on a virtual server. Is there any way I could utilise this tape drive in this scenario? I know I can create a backup Exec job to copy the files from the repository to a tape but the restore times in this instance would be very slow.but I guess it is only for compliance and ultimate disaster

I was hoping to use the VEEAM tape features but I guess I would need a physical VEEAM server or connect the drive to the ESX host?

Thanks

[veremin]

Hi, Fintan,

Your post has been merged into existing discussion.

As mentioned above, in order to share physically connected library/drive via ISCSI protocol you have to use certain 3-party utility. Also, according to plan, the support of libraries/drives connected to VB&R proxy will be added in one of the next product releases.

Thanks.

[tscott]

I have a customer who needs to keep up to 18 years of backups.. Obviously, this means backing up to tape..

They are running ESXi 5.0 with 4 hosts and a virtual Veeam v7 server..

I am doing 30 days of Veeam backups but I'm guessing I need to get a monthly full onto tape for every machine..

I know this is probably simple but what is the best way to accomplish this? The Veeam backup copy option? I thought that VMWare didn't support external physical devices (tape drive) connected to VMs anymore?

Would I have to make my Veeam server physical? Is that a better option?

Thanks

[foggy]

I am doing 30 days of Veeam backups but I'm guessing I need to get a monthly full onto tape for every machine..

I know this is probably simple but what is the best way to accomplish this? The Veeam backup copy option?

You can offload monthly full backups with the backup to tape job also.

I thought that VMWare didn't support external physical devices (tape drive) connected to VMs anymore?

Would I have to make my Veeam server physical? Is that a better option?

As it is described above, you can expose physically connected tape library to a VM via iSCSI protocol using third-party utilities.

[tscott]

So just a backup copy job and select monthly backup?

So the tape library has to be connected to a physical Windows machine? If the Veeam server is physical, do you lose a lot in performance since it doesn't reside on the SAN etc?

Thanks

[foggy]

So just a backup copy job and select monthly backup?

I was talking about backup to tape job (D2T), not backup copy job (D2D).

So the tape library has to be connected to a physical Windows machine? If the Veeam server is physical, do you lose a lot in performance since it doesn't reside on the SAN etc?

Above the way to connect tape library to a virtual backup server is described.

[veremin]

How often the full backup is being performed? On weekly or on monthly basis?

In case of monthly schedule, you can specify backup job as a source for backup to tape job and deselect "processing incremental" option. Otherwise, if full backup is performed more frequently, then, you can create additional backup job that runs once a month in a "full backup " mode and select it as a source for backup to tape job.

Either way, you will have a monthly worth full backup on tapes.

Thanks.

[Choodee]

What options do I have to expose our Dell Powevault 124t SAS to our Veaam B&R running as a VM? are we limited to iSCSI or can we somehow add the physical server with the SAS connected powervault as a backup target?

Thanks
Sandee

[foggy]

Sandee, please review this thread for the available options. Thanks.