v6 Replication preparation and settings

[AliBaig]

Hi everyone I am new with Veeam and in learning process as well, will need help from all of you.

I have upgraded my VEEAM Backup & Replication from V5 to V6 and now would like to take advantage of the speedier replication.
Can someone please provide step-by-step guidance how to create replica job for DR site?

We have HP SAN P4300 with 3 ESX host in vCenter cluster, and in DR site I have 1 ESXi host which has 12TB NAS (iOmega) configured as DATASTORE. DR site is on different subnet and connected to vCenter over the VPN

- What would be the transport mode and the connected Datastore?
- Do I need to create a new Backup Repository for my replicas?
- If new Backup Repository is needed, where would I point it and would they be called Replication Repositories?

Thank you!

I am sure that more questions may come up as I do this, but this is to get me started

[Gostev]

Hi Ali,
The User Guide provides step-by-step for replication job creation that you are looking for (backup repository questions are also answered there).
The transport mode depends on whether your backup proxy server is physical or virtual (transport modes are well covered in the sticky FAQ topic).
Thanks.

[AliBaig]

Hi Gostev,
Many thanks for your prompt reply, user guide i am using is for v5 and i cannot find for v6. Can you please provide me link where i can download PDF version for v6 user guide? Reason i posted this here because i need to get best successful practice to see how REPLICATION works and how they get seeds from HO, in user guide you get information to the point and it does not explain in depth.

Many thanks.

[Vitaliy S.]

Hi Ali, here you go: http://www.veeam.com/vmware-esx-backup/resources.html

[AliBaig]

Dear all,
After reading UG for v6 i have done following:
* Copied VBM and VBK files from Production site to DR site
* Moved iOmega NAS to DR site
* Create Remote PROXY: 192.168.2.100 (DR SERVER) Transport Mode: Network Connected datastore: Automatic detection (recommended)
* Create Remote Repository: Type (Shared Folder), Share (Write data to this share: Through the following proxying server: 192.168.2.100), Repository: \\192.168.2.101\\Replication\, vPower NFS: Enable vPower
NFS server (recommended): 192.168.2.100 then Finish
* Rescan Remote Repository created in Production, which picked up all backups from Remote (DR) iOmega NAS
* Create Replication Job with Low connection, Select server from vCenter or ESX, Destination: DR ESX box, Source proxy: Automatic, Target Proxy: Automatic, Repository for replica metadata: Remote
Repository, Advance and chose: WAN, Get seed from the following repository: Remote repository, NEXT NEXT & Finish.

This seems to be working like a dream. However, its running extremely slow. When i looked at Realtime Statistics its processing 2 jobs (SQL [seed] & SQL [pending]. SQL vm size is 185GB but it doesn't look like its taking initial seeds from DR NAS (which has VBM & VBK file). Its been 2 hours and it has process on 1.2GB read. Logged a call [ID#5163011] with Veeam but no one explained that instead of copying VBM & VBK files from Production NAS to DR NAS, first run a LOCAL replication which can be SUPER FAST than move DR NAS (storage) to DR site. Simply copying files won’t help you at all because with my experience it is absolutely taking ages to complete job.
Veeam is great to work with but there isn’t enough help or support.[*][*][*]

[foggy]

Repository for replica metadata: Remote Repository

I think this is the reason. As explained in the UI when creating replica job, backup repository should be located closer to the source. Placing the metadata in the remote site slows down the replication process significantly (depending on the metadata size and the link speed) as the source agent pulls it over WAN.