Initial install - where to load components

[AlanRaczek]

Hello all-

I have been thinking about this for a while and not quite sure where to put the components. We have a storage server running Server 2012 R2 and it has a Drobo B1200i
attached via iSCSI. This machine also has Acronis True Image installed to back up the server. We also have 2 ESXi servers running v5.5. One ESXi is attached to the Drobo
the other is not. There are not more than 7 VM's on each server.
I am looking to see if it makes sense to install Veeam BR on the storage server (all components) or install the Backup Server on a non-iSCSI attached VM and then have a
proxy on the storage server. The storage server would be our destination for the backups. Just trying to see if separating the components would ease the load on the storage
server.

Thanks.

[foggy]

Hi Alan, given the number of VMs, the load will not be high. Anyway, I'd consider using virtual proxies using hotadd for optimal backup speeds. Placement of the management server itself doesn't play big role here.

[AlanRaczek]

Sir-
Not quite wrapping my head around hot add. Can u point me to documentation that would be best to use? Seems like one VM needs access to all datastores?

...Alan

[foggy]

Sure, please review the corresponding user gudie section and the sticky FAQ. Basically, the host on which hotadd proxy resides must have access to the datastore hosting VMs it needs to process.

[AlanRaczek]

Foggy-

Note we do have a support contract so I might go that route. I need this up ASAP.

Yes, got it, thank you. This is the part I am not grasping:
"The ESX(i) host on which the backup proxy is deployed must have access to the datastore hosting disks of VMs that you plan to process. "
So with 2 ESXi hosts, each with their own datastores and no shared VMFS or clustering how do I accomplish this? Sorry, there is some iSCSI
stuff I am not understanding. It's looking like a lot of re-configuring or maybe I am missing something.

...AR

[foggy]

You just need a proxy on each host, each of them will hotadd disks of the VMs residing on the corresponding datastores.

[AlanRaczek]

Foggy/anyone-
To be clear - Our ESXi servers have multiple datastores. does this still hold true "each of them will hotadd disks of the VMs residing on the corresponding datastores"?

Just pick one VM in each host?

...Alan

[foggy]

Yes, since VM residing on the host should have access to all the connected datastores.

[AlanRaczek]

Being dumb I know, as long as the BU proxy is on one VM, it does not matter IF that vm doesn't have access to all datastores?

[foggy]

It will use hotadd for datastores it has access to and network mode for other datastores.

[AlanRaczek]

How about a backup proxy on one vm in each datastore?

[foggy]

This should do the trick.