Restores seem slower than backups

[corby]

Hello,

I am evaluating the Veeam backup software. I have backed up VMs using VCB SAN Mode. I have tested a restore.

The restore process seems to be much slower than the backup process. Also, judging by the fact that a restore requires SSH authentication, and there is no option for SAN Mode, I am wondering if the restore is being performed over the network.

Is this true? Are restores performed over the network rather than through the SAN fabric?

Corby

[Gostev]

Corby, that is correct. With VI3, there is no API exists that would provide with ability to write directly to VMFS. It has to go through ESX. So restore over the network is the only option. We can do restores with or without service console agent, but using service console agent provides much better performance.

Note that if your backup storage is attached directly to target ESX host, and using service console agent, the restore process becomes LAN free.

Thank you!

[mdornfeld]

We have been thoroughly testing out the Veeam Backup software package. We found that using the Service Console Agent, the restores went at only 11 MB/sec average. Using Agentless, the restores went at 50 MB/sec average, which is completely opposite of the way that I've been told Veeam should work. I've already had my results forwarded over to dev. Btw Veeam dev, 50MB/sec is still way too slow.

[Gostev]

Matt, wow that would be interesting for us to investigate. Slow service console agent restore is strange, but 50MB/s agentless restore is totally unexpected (5-10 times faster than everyone else is getting). Do you have battery-backed write cache on the ESX host you were performing tests with, by any chance? What ESX version are you using?

[mdornfeld]

Hi Gustov.
We are using ESX 3.5 Update 4.
Our setup consists of our HS21XM IBM Blade hosts connected via fiber to IBM SAN Volume Controllers (SVC's) with 8 GB Cache, connected to a DS4700 via 4GB Fiber.

[Gostev]

Nice hardware