Seeding and mapping

[Luca82]

Hi everybody, I've a question about replica seeding.
I have a replicated vm in my DR site and I wanted to replicate another similar (but not the same) vm (it has the same OS) avoiding to transfer all the data between the two sites. I've done some tests on a lab environment and I have realized that the seeding option doesn't make exactly what I need. I've chosen one VM on DR site in order to map my production VM to that already replicated VM: but the problem is that I thought that it would have copied the identical blocks from the already existing VM in DR site and transfer only the difference blocks.... rather, Veeam has overwritten the already replicated vm with my new replica job. Now, my question is: why when I create a Replica Job, the wizard asks me the name of the replicated vm if then the information I've filled is not considered in any way due to the already existing name of the seeding vm?
I hope to make me understand...

Thank you all

[Baptiste]

Hello,

What about cloning your VM on your DR site to be able to map it on your VEEAM Job seeding ?

Regards,

[Luca82]

Hello,

What about cloning your VM on your DR site to be able to map it on your VEEAM Job seeding ?

Regards,

Oh yes, of course I've already thought about that solution....but I remain puzzled about how confusing and misleading is the Replication Job wizard!!!

[Vitaliy S.]

Hi Luca,

I've done some tests on a lab environment and I have realized that the seeding option doesn't make exactly what I need.

Seeding uses backup files to get VM data prior running your replication job. You cannot do seeding from VM replicas.

I've chosen one VM on DR site in order to map my production VM to that already replicated VM: but the problem is that I thought that it would have copied the identical blocks from the already existing VM in DR site and transfer only the difference blocks.... rather, Veeam has overwritten the already replicated vm with my new replica job.

When you use replica mapping option, replication job modifies your target VM, so that it becomes identical to the source VM on the production site.

Now, my question is: why when I create a Replica Job, the wizard asks me the name of the replicated vm if then the information I've filled is not considered in any way due to the already existing name of the seeding vm?

When you map replication job, it uses the name of the VM you're mapping your replication job to.

Please check out this link for more information about these options. Thanks!

[Luca82]

Ok, now it is clear how seeding works, I don't want to argue, but I only want a confirm about my assumptions.

Hi Luca,

Seeding uses backup files to get VM data prior running your replication job. You cannot do seeding from VM replicas.

It's not completely true... there is a misleading during wizard: it calls "seeding options", both the "initial seeding" (from backup) and the "replica mapping" (from replica).
I can "replica mapping" from an already replicated VM!! I've just checked it, and I can confirm that you can choose an already replicated VM for "replica mapping" purpose...therefore... there are 2 replica jobs working on the same target machine!

When you use replica mapping option, replication job modifies your target VM, so that it becomes identical to the source VM on the production site.

Yes, it is exactly what it does. I was only wandering why in the "Job Settings" options (before the Seeding options), the wizard ask me ho to suffix the name of replicated vm... it does not have any sense if in the next steps I choose to map my vm to another already existing vm wihout renaming it!

When you map replication job, it uses the name of the VM you're mapping your replication job to.

Indeed....

[foggy]

It's not completely true... there is a misleading during wizard: it calls "seeding options", both the "initial seeding" (from backup) and the "replica mapping" (from replica).
I can "replica mapping" from an already replicated VM!! I've just checked it, and I can confirm that you can choose an already replicated VM for "replica mapping" purpose...therefore... there are 2 replica jobs working on the same target machine!

Those are two different options and are named correspondingly. Replica seeding allows to use previously created backup to restore the VM on the target side, replica mapping allows to map the replication job to existing VM (either replicated or previously restored from backup). Both are located on the same wizard step, but you can use just one of them in each particular job.

Yes, it is exactly what it does. I was only wandering why in the "Job Settings" options (before the Seeding options), the wizard ask me ho to suffix the name of replicated vm... it does not have any sense if in the next steps I choose to map my vm to another already existing vm wihout renaming it!

Yes, in case of replica mapping, the name of the existing VM does not change. Suffix takes effect in case of newly create replica VM.