Feature request: Backup from storage snap without VM snap

[CSSensus]

I know this is not an optimal backup scenario by any means, but we have an application that cannot withstand a VM snapshot. It's a watchdog application called SCADA and even simply taking a snapshot in VMware can cause the app to fail. Currently we can use Commvault to back this up this way but want to get all of our VMware under Veeam.

The workflow already exists almost entirely right now. You can mount a VM from a storage snap. So extend that to backing up that VM. No, there is no CBT. No, it is not application consistent.

CV makes a catalog of the VM location on storage, takes a storage snap only. Then mounts that storage snap, inventories the VM, and backs it up. It is a hidden function that has to be requested.

[PTide]

Hi,

Thank you for your feedback! Have you already tested that taking a storage snapshot without vmware snasphot does not cause the app to desynchronize?

Thanks

[CSSensus]

Yes I have, I do this today in Commvault. It so far has worked quite well. We also take our normal hourly netapp snaps which I can mount in Veeam and restore from. This also works fine. The app doesn't notice the hardware snaps. Just the pesky VM based ones.

[Vitaliy S.]

What about using Veeam Endpoint Backup inside the guest to protect this data? This approach does not involve VM snapshots at all.

[CSSensus]

I can already do that with Commvault. And I can already do a VM level backup without a VM snap with CV. I would just like to get that VM level backup without a VM snap in Veeam.

[Vitaliy S.]

Ok, thanks for the feedback, I was just suggesting you a solution according to your quote:

...want to get all of our VMware under Veeam.

Out of curioisty, what storage vendor are you using to make hardware-based snapshots?

[CSSensus]

Oh I understand that!

We use Netapp

[larry]

I could use a feature for backing up from the most recent remote snap mirror without doing anything at the VM level. My main reason is I have already used a Veeam job that made the application consistent snapshot at the other site at the SAN level. Now at remote sites I take many local SAN snapshots but only sync (snapmirror) them daily. When it does a transfer it also sync’s the other snapshots. But now to backup from the snapmirror I need to sync first then backup. I have a Veeam server at each site that controls the data stored at that site. This means when I backup from the remote mirror I am using the veeam server at the remote site, when I ask to backup from the mirror
1)Veeam makes the SAN snapshot at local site
2)Veeam then send to snapmirror.
2a) SAN sends all snapshots not synced to remote site (I want this feature)
3)Veeam wait for remote mirror to sync then mounts and uses it.


I would like an option to skip steps 1 and 2 and just use the newest remote snapshot. I will sync on my one schedule.

This is not a big issue as I copy the snapshots every night anyway. Where this would be great is when I want to run a job to backup from snap mirror during production hours but don't want to create WAN traffic. This would also be great for full tape jobs as the data was pulled offsite already so I could send to tape with no local disk copy (just a SAN snapshot), no VM interaction and no WAN traffic.

Having an option to use the snapshot closest to 11pm (what every time picked) for the data source would also be great. No VM action just read the application consistent snapshot I already took with Veeam.

The SAN snapshots have been the best improvement in Veeam since I started using it 5 versions ago.

[Vitaliy S.]

Hi Larry, thanks for sharing your use case, much appreciated.

[DaStivi]

hey there... just try this vmware kb: https://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/micro ... Id=1031280

basically you set the max vmsnapshots ( snapshot.maxSnapshots ) to 0, so vm snapshotting will fail...

at least the only way i know how to "disable" snapshotting for a specific vm!

[plandata_at]

i would support this feature request that VM could exclude VMs from snapshotting, just like the ability to exclude VM from applicaton aware imaging....