Backup of File Server (failover cluster) on vSphere

[ianc1990]

Hi guys,

We're trying to figure out if backing up a file server in a Windows Failover Cluster is possible when it's all running in VMware (i.e. without the Windows agent).

To set this up, we have the same VMDK mounted on 2 VMs. It's then setup in the usual way within failover cluster manager and failover/take back works perfectly.

In Veeam, we have the option to backup the whole VM (so it would double up on size), but we only care about the data and we only want to back it up once.

If we had a Windows agent on these boxes, we'd set it up with 'failover cluster' as the job mode and chose the volumes we'd like to backup, excluding everything else. How can we do this without the Windows agent (so all through 'VMware vSphere' as the backup job type?

[Rick.Vanover]

A number of ways this could be done:

-Veeam Backup & Replication: A VM image-based backup is not possible as the Failover Cluster likely has a storage configuration that is not supported.

-Veeam Backup & Replication: A file copy job of the data you care about is an optoin.

-Veeam Agent for Microsoft Windows: A backup of the whole cluster or selected drives.

[ianc1990]

Veeam Backup & Replication: A file copy job of the data you care about is an option.
--- My concern with this one is the replication of the data off-site. If it's not done using option 1 or option 3, it's doing a full copy each time isn't it (vs just changes)?

[foggy]

That's correct, file copy is not incremental.

[Rick.Vanover]

Understood as such - just wanted to lay out options. Positive there is that there is no cost (Even Free Edition can do that) - but alas the limitation.

[ianc1990]

So what do you think the best method would be?

I'm toying with creating a protection group, adding the cluster through AD, then backing up the volumes that way - but that would mean that I need to get a Windows agent for each of the VMs. Apart from the cost implications, is it recommended to install the Windows agent on a VM (if the VMWare cluster is already protected by Veeam)?

[Rick.Vanover]

Veeam Agent for Windows is Cluster Aware - and when you add it (it must be managed by the B&R server) - it will ask if it's a cluster and then take care of the rest for you.

[omoyano]

Hello,

I have the same problem
Two windows 2016 with iSCSI disk (vsphere 6.7) and I can't see these disk with Veeam B&R.
I can only do a backup file (file copy job)


Another solution ? I have last version of Veeam 9.5update4

[foggy]

iSCSI disks are skipped by Veeam B&R. You can use Veeam Agent for Windows to backup these servers.