vCenter Server 5.5 Update 2d (VCSA) problems?

[h0bbel]

VMware released vCenter Server 5.5 Update 2d (Build 2442329) on the 27th, with VADP bug fixes.

Since I updated my vCenter Server Appliance, and ESXi host. I've been unable to back up my Windows Server 2012 R2 based Domain Controller. VMware vCenter Appliance 5.5 Update 2d (Build 2442329) and ESXi 5.5.0 (Build 2403361) January 27th Patch

This worked perfectly before the vCenter and host upgrade, but since this is in my home lab, I also did a bunch of other updates at the same time, which is why I didn't immediately connect the backup issues with the vCenter update. To be sure, and eliminate as many possible causes as possible, I ditched my old Veeam VM, and set up a new Veeam Backup & Replication server, patched it with Patch 1 and re-created my jobs - After all, this is in a lab environment.

I am running Veeam B&R 8p1 (8.0.0.917) on a Windows Server 2012 R2 VM, in Appliance (Hot-add mode). What happens when I try to perform a backup, is that the VMware snapshot is created (I see this on the vCenter), the VMs disk is added to the Veeam VM and then it just hangs there for hours. I am unable to stop the job, that process hangs as well. I can't even RDP to the VM at this point, and to get to it I have to use the vSphere console.

To "recover" from this, I have to power-off the Veeam B&R VM, disconnect the backup source vmdk from the Veeam VM, delete the snapshots on the source VM and power on the Veeam VM again, basically undoing what Veeam B&R did in the first place.

Has anyone else upgraded their vCSA yet, and got B&R8 working with it?

[foggy]

Christian, have you contacted support with this?

[Steve@ASP]

Hi,

I have upgraded the vCenter Appliance on a site to 2d but I DID NOT get around to updating the hosts yet. I am also running Veeam B&R 8p1 (8.0.0.917) on a Windows Server 2012 VM (NOT R2), in Appliance (Hot-add mode).
I am not having any problems backing up a 2012 (NON R2) server.

I guess this indicates that the problem is either the host update or the fact that my servers are not R2.


Hope this helps


SteveP

[h0bbel]

Christian, have you contacted support with this?

I have now, case ID 00740963

[jimmyroot]

Curious as to whether there are any updates Christian?

Looking to deploy VCSA 5.5 U2d for a client next week and would like to be aware of potential issues

Thanks!

[unsichtbarre]

We have had no problems with the VCSA (vCA). Have used it with Veeam since early 5.5 in many customer environments.

Now we are qualifying it for use in our internal production Data Center. We have pulled a host away from our production cluster, installed latest VCSA and Veeam 8 and will be running QA for about the next 3 weeks. We have experienced no issues; in fact the API seems much faster!

To be certain, it is not Veeam 8 we are qualifying for our use; it is the VCSA. When it succeds QA in our environment, we are going to retire all Windows-based vCenter Servers.

We look forward to moving on to VCSA 6 as well, but not for quite some time after the hard-learned lessions from early adoption of 5.1!

[Matts N]

Hello,
Any chance you have only added vCenter to VBR and are trying to take a backup of vCenter? At least for a Windows installed vCenter, vCenter can NOT create a snapshot of it's own database. You need to add the host the database is running on and create the snapshot via the host. I am guessing there is a similar problem with the VCSA here.

// Matts

[Vitaliy S.]

At least for a Windows installed vCenter, vCenter can NOT create a snapshot of it's own database. You need to add the host the database is running on and create the snapshot via the host.

Actually you do not need to do that, vCenter Server installed into a Windows box can be backed up via vCenter Server connection starting from Veeam B&R v7. Thanks!

[h0bbel]

This issue has to have been related to my vCenter and issues outside of Veeam B&R's control. After reorganizing my setup, it now works perfectly without any changes made to the Veeam environment. Veeam support has been really responsive in trying to figure out what might be wring, but in the end this is down to issues outside of their scope.

So, vCenter 5.5 Update 2d (VCSA) works fine.

[philfry]

Can you explain what your issue was exactly? I'm running into a similar issue but this doesn't happen with another vCenter appliance that is an older version. Thanks!