Backup Strategy

[Ratcha]

I've taken over an infrastructure that consists of a couple ESX 3.5 servers and a VC 2.5 server (will likely be upgrading to v.4 of both). A couple other physical servers in the mix but those will be virtualized soon enough. Also added a backup server as the previous one was virtualized and running BackupExec 12.5. I haven't installed BackupExec on the new server yet, but I'm implementing VM backups on this new backup server since there were no backups of VM's being performed. Will end up using BackupExec or something similar at some point to get backups onto tape for off-site & offline storage and archiving.

The current plan is to add a EqualLogic P6010X for centralized storage, HA, VMotion, SAN snapshots, etc. We currently have a 100Mb WAN link that can be used for DR, SAN - SAN replication, and other options, but I'm currently going on the assumption that 1 SAN will be all that I can get at this point. I'll be taking one of the other physical servers and installing ESX on it so we'll have a 3rd ESX host for VMotion & HA.

Now comes backup/DR options which is what I could use some suggestions on based on any experience all of you have had. Everything is Microsoft at this point, DC's, Exchange, SQL being the main app servers that I'm focusing on, with 15 or so VM's in total at this point. I've read about all the great features of Veeam with regards to VSS and apps consistency, but the EqualLogic also supports Exchange and SQL aware backups as well.

Would using Veeam in this instance be redundant? Does Veeam make better/cleaner backups of VM's than the EqualLogic? Couldn't I just use something like FastSCP to get the SAN snapshots off the EqualLogic and place on the backup server / tape / DR site?

How are Veeam backups with regards to AD? As I may end up using backup exec for disk to tape, it also includes options for backing up AD with granular recovery. Does Veeam offer granular recovery on running DC's or would I have to make my own backups of AD from the DC's and do AD restorations old school?

Thanks for any suggestions.

[larry]

I have a setup a lot like yours with a 100 meg WAN. I do have a san a both sites but I dont think it will matter. You can use a Veeam server at the remote site to backup and replicate to your DR site. Have the remote Veeam server replicate to the internal disk on your DR esx server. Backup to the remote Veeam server and then install backupexec on the Veeam server to send to tape. This way you do not need to send tapes. see my post http://www.veeam.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=3988

I replicate my AD servers and Window servers to the remote site, to test DR it takes me only 10 minutes.

After the first sync it only takes about 10 minutes a VM to replicate. One SQL server ( 500 gig ) takes about a hour a night.

[Ratcha]

Hi Larry,

What type of SAN do you have? Is there a reason you use Veeam for DR to the remote site instead of built in SAN snapshot/DR tools? Do you also take snapshots with your SAN?

I may end up doing something similar if we go with a cheaper SAN for the DR site, in which case SAN to SAN replication would not work.

For now, without a DR site in place, I'm trying to determine the best strategy for using the the built in EqualLogic snapshot tools, along with Veeam and BackupExec or similar for tape backups. BackupExec also ties in to the EqualLogic in some way to pull out snapshots for off SAN backups, but again, this may be something that Veeam is better at with it's own backups (and for recovering to a different make of SAN).

[larry]

I have lefthand at both sites.

I was using the lefthand boxes to replicate offsite. I switched to Veeam to be able to pick the times and how often per VM not per Lun. I did place some VMs on their own LUN so I could control the replication job but VM ware wants 20 percert or more of free space on a lun for temperory work space for snap shots to work, this was a big waste of SAN space. When you buy Veeam you buy it per esx source server. You can have two Veeam servers for the same price. The main reason I switch to Veeam for DR is becuase it is really just a click to load the VM at the remote site and a click to undo the test. Using the SAN to replicate you need to mount a snapshot and give rights to a ESX server to use ( san person to do ) next you need to go in to VC and scan for new LUNs ( VM person to do ) next you add the VM to VC and mount it, with our SAN snap shots sometimes the SQL sever need to be recovered and logs loaded ( SQL person ) our Veeam snap shots have work every time for use. - this all took us hours to do and undo.

I have a nice word doc of use Veeam to DR which I wrote for our IT committee:

On a side note, Veeam can replicate between different brands of SANs.

I still use SAN snap shots but only locally. One place SAN snapshots can fail big time is if a large amount of data change. A few things that casue this are SQL pack, virus or a windows defrag. The sanp shots run out of san space and deletes older snapshots. Once I had it delete all snap shots, my falut, I cloned before a patch.

[nguyent]

I agree with Larry. I am going to replace my Eqaullogic SANs replication with Veeam. It works better and cheaper. No De-duplication for SAN replication.

[dmyers33]

Anyway that you can re-do the zip file. I can't seem to open it with WinZip.

Thanks

[larry]

I will try and find someone at Veeam to email it to, I can't upload files. Type placed it there a couple of years ago, I cant open it anymore when I tried.

[dmyers33]

dmyers@surewest.net

I am confused about how Veeam works?

I plan to have an ESXi server with Veeam installed at MY DR site, so that will remain powered up.

Do you define the DR storage to Veeam at the production site and veeam updates files on the storage?

Don

[larry]

veeam installs on a windows server.
Veeam can update storage on a remote san or local disks in an esxi server , or any combo. Veeam allows your to replicate beteen VM clouds. This allows totaly discontnected VMware installs sharing the same VMs.
Veeam backs up to local disk on the windows server or NAS.

At our bank I replicate date from SAN to local esx disk ( SAN failure copy ), remote SAN ( real DR) , remote local esx disk ( just a spare copy, why not ) . I have a veeam server at both sites which backup and replicate both ways. I also make a couple of Veeam backups of some VM's as well as sending them to tape using BE.

[dmyers33]

Thanks so much larry!!!!

Kind of what I'm thinking is:

Production
2 ESXi Servers
20+ VMs
Veeam VM

NAS

=======================
DR
2 ESXi servers
Veeam Virtual

SAN or Nas storage
=======================
DR ESXi stay hot
DR Veeam VM stays hot

==========================
Replicate from Production Veeam server to --------> DR site Veeam server --> DR ESXi Local disk OR SAN

When you replicate to the DR ESXi local disks, does it update the VM files in the datastores for each VM.
When you replicate to the DR remote SAN, hows that work? Separate from the VMware datastores and then you have to restore to the ESX datastore?
Can you then power on a DR VM and have it up and running with the replicated info?
Just confused on what happens under the hood.

[foggy]

Don, I would suggest to review the product documentation for some basic considerations.

Regarding your questions, replication just copies VM files from the source datastore to a destination location (no matter what kind of datastore you specify, local host disks or SAN, Veeam B&R creates an exact copy of a VM on that datastore and registers it on the target host). Then the replica VM is maintained in synch with the original one while its restore points are stored in a native VMware format (snapshots) next to replica VM files.

I also recommend our sticky FAQ topic for reading. Thanks.

[dmyers33]

Thank you so very much foggy.

I have read the info, was just confused about a couple of things that you have made clear.

Thanks so much - I'll re-review the docs again.

What is a sticky FAQ?

[Gostev]

What is a sticky FAQ?

Quite literally, it is a sticky FAQ topic on top of every B&R forum. Sitting right next to the New Topic button and is highlighted with the red font, so that no one could miss it

[dmyers33]

LOL

Do you mean the == READ THIS FIRST : [FAQ] FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS in RED

[foggy]

Just in case you are still missing it...