Proxy server to proxy servers vs proxy to target repository?

[isaaktnt]

Hello,
I have two sites with separate but very similar setups. Veeam with 2 socket Enterprise license, VSphere Vcenter 5, Veeam proxy server, local repository NAS. I have similar setup on the colocation site but with Veeam 4 socket instead. So far we have only done local independent backups. I am looking to replicate from one site to the other. From the manual it says that I can setup a replication job from site A to site B by either selecting the local or target proxy server and selecting the target backup repository. The diagram also indicates that I can setup a job from one proxy server to the other? Are there any advantages to proxy to proxy? Even though we have a direct "LAN" type of connection we are limited to 10Mbps I need to reduce the amount of the data between the two site as much as possible. What setup should I do?

[Yuki]

Proxy to proxy is especially important if you are replicating VMs between two servers. That way the traffic going across the link is compressed at source proxy and decompressed at target proxy. Otherwise you will be pushing uncompressed VMs.

For backups thats less of an issue, but still - proxy to proxy is recommended for WAN/slow link replication. I'm in the process of implementing similar setup right now, but we have a 100Mbit link and will be pushing data only one way: from main location to remote site. I have proxies on both ends and and will be replicating VMs and backing them up across the private link. Right now we are doing just that but on a 1Gig lan, until the system ships out for remote location. This way we don't need to seed later and amount of out of sync data is minimized.

[isaaktnt]

Thanks! So to setup a proxy to proxy do I just add proxy information from Veeam server at site A to site B and vice versa? Do I need to add repository and managed Vcenter info on both ends as well? Any licensing issues with the difference in socket counts?

[Yuki]

So to setup a proxy to proxy do I just add proxy information from Veeam server at site A to site B and vice versa? Do I need to add repository and managed Vcenter info on both ends as well? Any licensing issues with the difference in socket counts?

1) Yes, just add proxies at both sides

At site A:
- add local proxy (can be Veeam server itself)
- add remote proxy from site B

At site B:
- Add local proxy (can be veeam server itself)
- Add remote proxy from site A

2) For replication a repositorory for metadata is needed, but it doesn't take nearly as much space as backups. So a local repository on Veeam server or on any NAS, file server, etc will work.

3) Don't need to add vCenter really. At least i haven't tied it in any of our deployments.

4) Licensing:
You only need licenses for source hosts. Veeam doesn't need licenses for target repositories or hosts. So you should not need any changes/purchases in that regard. If you have enough licenses at each site to do local replicas or backups, then you are set to do remote jobs as well.

[isaaktnt]

Thank you so much. You just saved me hours/days from rummaging through manuals and forum post. The good thing about how flexible on setups and featured filled Veeam is... is also a nightmare when trying to figure out whats best practice.

[isaaktnt]

Just a quick note, I had to add the target vcenter to the source to complete the replication wizard when it asked for the target host.

[Yuki]

If you do that and something happens to your vCenter server, you will be in trouble. Make sure you have a backup of vCenter.