backup up SAN snapshot

[gcballard]

ok, I'll try to make this brief. We need to back up a database that has almost 100% change rate (don't ask why). Between the time of a veeam backup starting and stopping we estimate we would probably have around 300GB change rate. While we know Veeam could back this up, our confidence in vmware's ability to commit a 300+GB snap is not great. Even if it doesn't corrupt, it will lock the VM so we can't do anything else with it for hours. But even greater is the concern of the the performance hit to our production system when it deletes/commits the VM snapshot.

Easy solution? Present new SAN snapshot and back that up.

Problem: The SAN snapshot shows up as snapshot so VMWARE requires a resignature of the datastore. I can't figure out how to get this to happen so that when Veeam goes to back it up the # it uses to reference the datastore is the same. Any ideas? I can add more detail if necessary.

Thanks for reading.

[dellock6]

Hi,
can you maybe avoid to show up the snapshot LUN again to VMware, and show it only to Veeam in san mode? Can you arrange such a configuration, stating I do not know how is made your environment?

[tsightler]

1. Present the snapshot to a different cluster or standalone ESX(i) host.
2. Enable automatic LUN resignaturing on one of your ESX(i) hosts.
3. Write a script to perform the resignature.

This thread might be useful:

http://communities.vmware.com/message/1708158

This actually works pretty well, but in my testing you loose CBT. In your case that doesn't matter much since it's "100% change" anyway.

[Gostev]

CBT is lost because it requires VMware snapshot...

[tsightler]

Well, you still have to take a VMware snapshot of the SAN snapshot or you wouldn't be able to back it up anyway. I think it's more because the VM is powered off.

[gcballard]

tsightler, I'm assuming you're talking about presenting to another host that doesn't have the original LUN presented? You got my brain juices going. Thanks!

right now my Veeam servers are Virtual, and I have a fibre SAN but you guys have really given me some good ideas.