Script for Netapp Snapshots for NFS File Share Backup

[jhaggerty]

Hello,

We want to backup our VMware environment using our netapp NFS datastores. We are currently already taking advantage of this function using the storage snapshots, but also wanted another backup method for Disaster Recovery.

We were able to successfully add the NFS file shares in Veeam and check the "Backup from a storage snapshot at the following path", and that works great if we manually add in the name of the snapshot we want to backup. We do Uncheck the box "Failover to direct backup if a snapshot is not available" with the fear of the backup job locking up VMDK files.

Our thought was to create the same snapshot name every day prior to backup and remove it after the backup job is completed. The scripts can be added to the job at Storage > Advanced > scripts tab. We were hoping someone else has run into this before and maybe had a script to create and remove the Netapp Snapshot when the job was being run.

Thanks, Jessie

[Mildur]

Hi Jessie

Do I understand your use case correctly? You have a VM backup job in place.
But you also want to back up the VM files directly from the NFS File Share via a File Share Backup Job?

Thanks
Fabian

[jhaggerty]

Hello Fabian,

Yes that is correct. We dont currently back up all VMs via the Veeam backup job as it takes too long. So this is our solution to have all VMs backed up at a file level.

Thanks, Jessie

[Mildur]

Hi Jessie

Using NAS Backup to back up the entire datastore will costs you a large amount of VUL licenses (500GB = 1 VUL).
It is also very unusual to back up the VMs on the datastore with this method.

I recommend analyzing why it is to slow and optimize the backup process.
What is your bottleneck in the backup jobs? Have you tried a case with our support team to analyze the performance issue?

Thanks
Fabian

[jhaggerty]

We have the unlimited licenses so that is not a concern. Maybe we will go back and look at different options I guess.

Also to manually configure passwords, firewall rules, on several hundred VMs will take much time and effort with limited IT staff. We were looking for a good solution to back up all VMs with minimal configuration, so this is why we took this approach.

Thanks, jessie

[Mildur]

We have the unlimited licenses so that is not a concern.

Socket licenses? They don't cover NAS backup. You will have to buy additional licenses for NAS backup jobs.

Also to manually configure passwords, firewall rules, on several hundred VMs will take much time and effort with limited IT staff. We were looking for a good solution to back up all VMs with minimal configuration, so this is why we took this approach.

Thanks for providing the use case. The easiest way to backup all VMs without credentials is to enable "VMware tools quiescence" and disable veeam's application aware processing for the vms you don't need it in the backup job. --> https://helpcenter.veeam.com/docs/backu ... ml?ver=110

Using VMware tools quiescence is much better than just snapshotting some files on the NFS without knowing in which state the VM is.

Thanks
Fabian