Backup or Replication this is the matter...

[pcrebe]

Hi,
i've read a lot about B&R and i'm uncertain if use Backup or Replica for my datacenter.
I've 3 host in a cluster, everyone connected to the same SAN. One is used for veeamVM (local), that host has a big local storage.

I think to join Replica and Backup in this mode:

- near CDP (or every 1 hour) Replica from 8 am to 8 pm for critical VMs
- vm_replica Backup from 9 pm to an NAS storage
- vm_replica Surebackup from 0 am

my purpose is the lowers RTO and RPO (naturally):
i think the best way to return operative is replicaton, because veeam backup server indipendent (in the disaster scenario with veaamVM gone), and the ulterior backup of the vm_replica fine for file lever restore or Uair.

is my idea right?
Thanks, bye
Carlo

[Gostev]

Hi Carlo, one bad thing about your plan is that you cannot leverage CBT when backing up Veeam replicas, so backup part will be extremely slow. Thanks.

[pcrebe]

Thanks Gostev,
otherwise i could schedule a backup of the VMs to use CBT.

Do you prefer Backup with istant restrore or replication for mission-critical VMs?
The choise is only host-storage dipendent?

Thanks, bye
Carlo

[Vitaliy S.]

Carlo, I would prefer both. I mean if you could do backups locally (+ use auto VMs checks with SureBackup jobs) and at the same time perform replication jobs offsite, that would cover all possible DR scenarios.

That said, the only change I would do to your scenario would be to create backup jobs of production VMs rather than replicas.

[pcrebe]

Thanks Vitaliy,
reading most post i've understood replica is usually used for Offsite DR.
Why for best RTO isn't appreciated for Onsite DR?

I know that Istant Restore is very fast, but veeam Backup Server dependand, and in the worst scenario with all gone prepare a new B&R server is a little more slow.

thanks, bye
Carlo

[Vitaliy S.]

The only reason for this is that in case your primary site goes down there won't be any plan B. In any other case you can use either Replicas or Instant Restores within the same site.

[pcrebe]

Hi Vitaliy,
sure i'll use replica for my SBS2008 restore: i tried an IstanRestore having the Ctrl+Alt+Canc window after 1 hour...too slow...

thanks

[Gostev]

Yep except this really should work at least 10x faster though than 1 hour.
You may want to troubleshoot this issue anyway, as this will affect all vPower-based functionality.

[pcrebe]

Hi Gostev,
the replica starts in 30 min the problem seems the non-authoritative restore of AD in SBS, it takes too mutch time...
sbs pro and cons...
anyway 30 min is better than 60 min