Proxy is not selected

[Peejay62]

I run v7 B&R. I have a (physical) proxy that just isn't selected for work anymore since a few weeks...(this proxy also is a repository server, it runs W2K8 64 bit). When running my backups, all other proxies get filled up and at a certain moment backups start waiting for resources, instead of selecting that proxy for work. Things start queueing up and my backups run a lot longer. I know about the selection logic for proxies, maybe this proxy is last in row, but selection should occur in my opinion.
I verified whether the proxy was selected anywhere (by checking the job logs for the proxy assigments). I never see it assigned (since appx 3 weeks I must add..).Definitely the proxy is enabled and transport is set to automatic. At this moment the proxy isn't used for san-transport (no datastores attached) so it only should perform NBD. I did a reverse test, disabled all proxies except this one, ran a job and the proxy gets selected and performs nbd. Probably I should open a ticket for this, thought I'd drop it here first, maybe somebody experienced the same behaviour and can enlighten me on it.

thanks, Peter

[foggy]

At this moment the proxy isn't used for san-transport (no datastores attached) so it only should perform NBD.

Was it capable of using direct SAN mode at the moment it was picked up by the job last time? With auto proxy selection enabled, NBD proxy is never selected if there is at least one available direct SAN or hotadd proxy, the job will rather wait for the "more powerful" proxies instead.

[Peejay62]

Was it capable of using direct SAN mode at the moment it was picked up by the job last time?

indeed it was.. For specific reasons (reorganizing some san infrastructure) I had to disconnect the datastores from that proxy. So probably this might be the issue. How to solve this? Maybe by connecting one datastore to it so it tries SAN first and than fails over to NBD? This proxy is from a "power" perspective the most powerfull one, capable of 24 concurrent tasks. Letting it perform NBD is not really desired, but at this moment I have no other option available.

thanks, Peter

[Peejay62]

The trick didn't help. I connected 1 datastore to the physical proxy to give it some SAn access. I disabled all the proxys but this one and a hotadd proxy, so 2 proxies available. Have started a job. 2 Vms start backing up (using up the available task slots for the proxy) and the third has "Resource not ready: Vmware proxy" and stays "Pending". The physical server is not chosen for nbd. time for a ticket I guess.

thanks Peter

[foggy]

Do those two VMs reside on the connected datastore?

[Peejay62]

No, they don't. I have been following the backupproces live last night to see what happens. The proxy is not picked. Telling a job to pick that specific proxy works though, it then uses NBD. By the way, there is a second physical proxy that also doesn't have any san access. This one works fine. Tries SAN access first and than skips back to NBD.

[foggy]

If the backed up VM does not reside on the LUN the proxy has access to, direct SAN mode will not be attempted (that proxy will not be considered as available direct SAN proxy for this job), so everything looks expected in your case.

[Peejay62]

Even not selecting that after all ? All proxies in use by other backupjobs, a new jobs comes in and it starts waiting for availability instead of picking that free proxy that has 24 free task slots (NBD)?
Then there is a misperception from my side in the proxy selection logic. I thought it was selecting all proxies taking the most suitable first drilling down to the least suitable, but still selecting all available using the transport mode it can use (at that very moment).

So in my case: Ok we have this proxy, it is not doing anything,so you can perform work, can you do san based? no, can you do hotadd? no, ok then use NBD and start working...

Thanks for clarifying this, I can take some steps to have this proxy used after all (just assign it direct to some jobs).

[foggy]

This is the current proxy selection logic, NBD proxy is never picked up in case proxies capable of other modes are available (even though currently busy). It will be selected only for those VMs that cannot use hotadd proxies for some reason. If you want this proxy to be used, explicitly assign it to some jobs.

[Peejay62]

Ok, thanks Foggy, learned something and can act accordingly..

Bye, Peter