Installing Veeam on a Domain Controller?

[gshaw]

Hi,

We're looking at replacing our current Backup Exec backup solution with Veeam as part of a VMWare project, part of this involves purchasing a new server to hold the backup data. We're looking to get a DL180 and put 5 x 2TB SATA disks in there and house it in our IT Office (other end of the building to the server room).

Seeing as I'll have an extra physical server I was thinking it would be handy to put the Domain Controller role on there as a failsafe in case something went funny with the VMWare servers. Was just wondering if Veeam supports being installed on a DC though?

I know I'll have to somehow get a connection to the SAN fabric from one end of the building to the other (I'm thinking if I use fiber from one of the iSCSI switches that might do the trick?) but apart from that are there any software issues I need to be aware of?

[Gostev]

Hi, installing on domain controller should not cause any issues for our software. But out of common sense (and based on experience from my "previous life" working for Windows Enterprise Management ISV) I would not recommend installing any additional software on domain controllers unless you have absolutely no other choice. Thanks.

[Yuki]

Not only that, but from what I've understood from the manual - the backup server can not backup itself? So this DC wouldn't be backed up?

[Gostev]

OP is talking about physical server

[joergr]

Don´t install it on a DC. Please read this one here http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library ... DC_Support and focus on the part regarding the sql server on a dc. It will work ofcourse, but it is not recommended at all

best regards,
Joerg

[cinek]

is it ok if I install it on a DC?

[foggy]

Martin, though it is not generally recommended to install any software on a domain controller, you can still do that. If this is a VM, then please observe this topic for some considerations on future consequences of such configuration. Thanks.

[cinek]

thanks, can you confirm if the vm on which veeam is installed can backup it self?

also, is it recommended to install veeam on windows7/8?

[foggy]

thanks, can you confirm if the vm on which veeam is installed can backup it self?

There is another existing topic regarding that.

also, is it recommended to install veeam on windows7/8?

Please see system requirements (covered in detail in the user guide and release notes) for all supported platforms.

[athome]

Hi!

Is it still unsupported to install Veeam Backup & Replication on a Domain Controller? I didnt find any documentation on in for v7 (only that it was not supported in v6)

A

[foggy]

I didnt find any documentation on in for v7 (only that it was not supported in v6)

Anders, not sure where you've found that as it was always supported (though not recommended). Please review the thread above for some details. The same applies to v7.

[athome]

Thank you for reply,

I had misread.. this: http://www.veeam.com/kb1581 I now noticed that is was veeam ONE

Well.. under normal circumstances I would never install VBR on a DC.. but in this case.. its the only physical server in a very small and isolated environment.

A

[Gostev]

Then it will be fine, I would do that for this type of scenario too.

[ddukaric]

Greetings,

just a several short questions. Is it possible to install backup proxy on windows server which serves as AD role? If yes, how recommended it is? Also , can backup proxy create backups of machines it resides on?

Virtualisation environment lays upon vmware technologies.

Thank you.

[veremin]

It's supported to install either proxy or backup management server to DC machine. However, this is not considered as the best practice. For more information regarding it, please, see answers provided above.

Thanks.

[JosueM]

Good day everyone.

I got a retired server from a esxi cluster, it has two Xeon X5355, 16 GB RAM and about 1TB storage (15K RPM SAS disks). Currently there are 2 domain controllers virtualized, I wonder if is acceptable idea to install windows on it configured as aditional domain controller (like the idea to move at least one DC out of the virtual infraestructure) and then install veeam backup server on it and also use it as a backup repository.

What do you think about it? thanks.

[Vitaliy S.]

I think that if you have a spare server, then you can use it for Veeam B&R infrastructure. You can install additional backup repository there in order to follow this best practice deployment > 3-2-1 backup rule, but I wouldn't recommend deploying DC server on this box.

[Didi7]

@gshaw

The DL180 might be powerful enough to run the Hyper-V role and install a DC as a virtual machine on it and B&R on the host. That might be a better choice than installing B&R on a physical DC.

In this case, the DC ist just a DC and still outside the VMware environment.

Regards
Didi7

[JosueM]

I think that if you have a spare server, then you can use it for Veeam B&R infrastructure. You can install additional backup repository there in order to follow this best practice deployment > 3-2-1 backup rule, but I wouldn't recommend deploying DC server on this box.

Since this spare server was used for esxi it has 6 Networks Adapters, how to setup in a way that uses all the availables NICs? my other doubt is if the backup proxy is a VM how it can have access to this new Windows repository? I guess it will do by network wich I understand is more slow way.

Thanks.

[Gostev]

Josue, let's not derail this discussion please, as we are really deviating into totally unrelated area of basic networking right now But start with Googling "Windows NIC teaming" as far as 6 NICs. And for your second question, please refer to VMware User Guide on ESXi networking. Thanks!

[redhorse]

Hello,

we have a full virtualized environment with two ESXi-Hosts and a Dell EqualLogic as a shared storage, the only physical Server are our second DC (one is virtual) and the Veeam-Server with all Veeam Services. So what I want to do is to shut down the physical DC and to install the Active Directory on our Veeam-Server, is this supported? I know this is not Microsoft best practice but I can’t imagine that this could be a problem. I am also able to install a second virtual DC if this is necessary the physical DC is just for the disaster recovery when vSphere is not working anymore.

Kind regards

[foggy]

Yes, this is supported, however not typically recommended, please see above for details.

[boss-chifra]

On site, only one virtual machine. This is a domain controller, do not want to buy another license for second Windows VM.
Is there a problem to use Windows Domain Controller as "Backup Proxy" ?

[veremin]

Such scenario is supported, but not recommended due to the reasons stated above. Thanks.

[DaStivi]

what i missed as answer sofar and questioned a couple of times...

just a several short questions. Is it possible to install backup proxy on windows server which serves as AD role? If yes, how recommended it is? Also , can backup proxy create backups of machines it resides on?

yes!

[foggy]

Though with certain limitations in case hotadd is used.

[flomp]

Hello,

There has already been a discussion, however it is quite old and my use case is a bit different.

I have a small environment with one Hyper-V host, with one VM which is also running the single DC on the network (and nothing else in this VM).

Now I am going to roll out Veeam and add a (additional, physical) Windows 2016 server as Backup Server and Backup Repository.

Would it hurt to make this physical server also a DC? Just to have some redundancy...
I don't plan to do backups of this physical server (because the AD data is already backed up using the backup of the VM).

Thanks!

[wishr]

Hi Flomp,

Welcome to Veeam Community forums and thanks for posting your question.

The original thread you are referring to is still actual. Installing B&R components on a DC machine is not the best practice and I believe Microsoft would not recommend this approach also, but it's supported.

I've merged your topic into the original thread. Thanks.

[flomp]

Hi wishr,

thank you.
I think I might do it another way:
Because the Windows Server Standard license may be used to run one physical server and additionally one virtual server, I think I will install Hyper-V on the backup server and run the second DC inside a VM.
I won't make a backup of this virtual instance (because I already have a backup of the other DC - that should be enough )

This should be compliant to best practices from Microsoft and Veeam, isn't it?

[wishr]

Hi Flomp,

Yes, this setup is supported as mentioned in our User Guide - please notice the green note at the bottom.

Thank you!