veeam license issue with esxi

[pkuczynski]

Hi everyone!

I installed a brand new version of veeam backup, licensed for 2 processors at a customers site.

They have a single Esxi host with 4 vm's.

when I try running a backup, I get this error;

0 of 0 files processed

Total VM size: 12.00 GB
Processed size: 0.00 KB
Processing rate: 0 KB/s
Backup mode: agentless
Start time: 7/23/2010 11:47:26 AM
End time: 7/23/2010 11:47:29 AM
Duration: 0:00:03

Checking the license for the source host "vmware.somecompany.local"
Your Veeam Backup license does not allow processing of free ESXi.

They purchased this HP host server pre-installed with ESXi 4 from HP.

Any ideas why were getting the error and what we should do next?

Thank You!

Peter

PS
I the exact issue someone else was having at this link:
http://support.sublimesolution.net/arti ... &aid=14835

We ARE using a Paid For version 4.1.1 licensed for 2 processors.

[Vitaliy S.]

Hello Peter,

As far as I know all pre-installed ESXi Servers come with the free license.

I think your situation might be similar to one described below:
http://www.veeam.com/forums/viewtopic.p ... 38&start=0

If you need any assistance in checking your ESXi license key, please refer to our support team. They will be able to provide you with the instructions that will help you to identify ESXi license in use.

Thanks!

[pkuczynski]

Thank you!

I will work with you and HP or vmware to get the license issue fixed.

Just as long as I know that ESXi4 IS supported by Veeam and Vmware and this customer does not need to but Vsphere just to get their 4 VM's backed up.

Peter

[Vitaliy S.]

Just as an update for those who may run up against the same issue.

VMware has recently changed their naming for ESXi free version, it is now called vSphere Hypervisor.

So if you see vSphere Hypervisor on the licensing tab, that means you're using free version of ESXi server, which is not supported by Veeam Backup and Replication. But please note that vSphere Hypervisor could be upgarded at any time to any paid version of vSphere.

[michaeleg]

Is there a solution for free ESXi 4.x users for backup that Veeam provide or something else that people recommend if I can't use Veeam Backup & Replication?

[Vitaliy S.]

Hello Michael,

Free (unlicensed) ESXi is not supported for backups at all, because it has most APIs locked to read-only mode by VMware to prevent 3rd party products from managing those unlicensed ESXi. As a workaround you may shutdown a VM and then make an off-site copy to a DR host.

Thank you.

[Gostev]

Is there a solution for free ESXi 4.x users for backup that Veeam provide or something else that people recommend if I can't use Veeam Backup & Replication?

Just buy VMware Essentials, it costs only USD 500... I cannot believe the cost can be a problem considering hardware costs for good ESX server, and Veeam Backup & Replication license cost (assuming you are our customer). VMware Essentials lets you have up to 3 licensed hosts with up to 2 physical CPU in each. Thanks!

[Vladimirf]

There are products that can backup free esxi servers online, that cost really cheap,
i use one , not sure it is a good idea to write it here (moderators won't be happy about it) but if anyone is interested, write me in private i will send you the name.

as for Veeam - i think you really should try and find a way to backup free esxi server too - in our production farm we have 9 hosts in VMWare ent. license and like 15-16 host with free esxi servers that usually host 2-3 guests, just because it is much more easier to work with virtualised servers.

[Gostev] The above posts are 2 years old, currently Veeam is able to backup free ESXi as well - see the last post in this topic for more details.

[foggy]

as for Veeam - i think you really should try and find a way to backup free esxi server too - in our production farm we have 9 hosts in VMWare ent. license and like 15-16 host with free esxi servers that usually host 2-3 guests, just because it is much more easier to work with virtualised servers.

Vladimir, please take a look at this blog post. This is VMware's decision and there is nothing we can do about it.

[J1mbo]

Vladimir, why not use Hyper-V for that scenario?

[Vladimirf]

1 - Hyper-v costs money (license for the host itself)
2 - if we decide to move specific server from and free esxi host to enterprise farm, we don't need to convert the guest, just shut down, copy the folder, and you are back online.
3 - we use vmware like 6-7 years already, and it proves itself both in free edition and in enterprise edition.

[Vladimirf]

Vladimir, please take a look at this blog post. This is VMware's decision and there is nothing we can do about it.

Thanks for the reply.
too bad, this means that we will continue to use another solution instead of buying more Veeam licenses.

[J1mbo]

Actually Hyper-V is completely free software, just like vSphere Hypervisor, as a standalone product.

And if those 2-3 guests are Windows, then it's licensed that way too for installation as a role (std is base+1virt, ent is base+4 guests).

You can script copying of VMDK files though, either from the service console (http://communities.vmware.com/docs/DOC-8760) or to another datastore by emulating the vSphere client.

[Vladimirf]

Actually Hyper-V is completely free software, just like vSphere Hypervisor, as a standalone product.

And if those 2-3 guests are Windows, then it's licensed that way too for installation as a role (std is base+1virt, ent is base+4 guests).

You can script copying of VMDK files though, either from the service console (http://communities.vmware.com/docs/DOC-8760) or to another datastore by emulating the vSphere client.

as we checked lately , Hyper-v is based on Windows server 2008R2 - really far by its options from vmware vshpere 5 by it's options and hardware use.
and using two different Virtualization platforms will add more complicity to whole team......
copying files with scripts is nice, but not as a reliable backup solution,
anyway as i said we have another solution that allows us to backup free esxi servers on the fly, with scheduled jobs, and last version even has replication jobs. for it's cost - 700$ , it's totally worth it.
we just were considering to unite out backups in one place, but as i see it it won't be possible.

[J1mbo]

$500 buys 6-sockets/3-hosts of Essentials licensing, then you could use Veeam on 3 more hosts...

[Vladimirf]

700$ is not limited to any number of hosts/guests

[Vitaliy S.]

and using two different Virtualization platforms will add more complicity to whole team......

Here is a pretty good discussion with all pros and cons of using both free Hyper-V and VMware Hypervisor, worth checking it out:
Microsoft's view on free Hyper-V vs. free ESXi

As to the complexity issue, then you can use the same installation of Veeam B&R and Veeam ONE to protect and monitor/report on both platforms using the same console, which should really make it less complex.

Thanks!

[Vladimirf]

Here is a pretty good discussion with all pros and cons of using both free Hyper-V and VMware Hypervisor, worth checking out:
Microsoft's view on free Hyper-V vs. free ESXi

As to the complexity issue, then you can use the same installation of Veeam B&R and Veeam ONE to protect and monitor/report on both platforms using the same console, which should really make it less complex.

Thanks!

I'm not talking only about the complexity of monitoring( though we don't have Veeam One installed) and Backup, i'm talking about overall complexity in everyday work with two different platforms.
and we do have a lab of hyper-v (installed on our old vmware enterprise servers) and it is still far from vmware.

anyway as i see this discussion is pointless, you just propose me to change my working production to another platform.....

I totally accept that you where forced by vmware to discontinue the support of free esxi, just wanted to point out that there are still solution that do backups to free esxi, and as i see it - it is much easier to use them , than to transform my production servers to hyper-v that is at least as i see it is not so reliable and feature rich as esxi (for now at least).

[Vitaliy S.]

Point well taken, I was just trying to offer you some workarounds, thanks for the feedback.

[J1mbo]

i'm talking about overall complexity in everyday work with two different platforms, and we do have a lab of hyper-v (installed on our old vmware enterprise servers) and it is still far from vmware

Singing vmware's praises... but unwilling to pay for it. Take your choice!

[Vladimirf]

I guess you work for vmware ha?
There is no eother explanation to saying this other way, latest vmware pricing is really outrageous, and there are still products that do the backup. So its mot like vmware closed the option entirely.

[Gostev]

OK, I do not see why no one had noticed this still, but Vladimir bumped up a very outdated 2 years old thread which does not reflect the current situation.

Vladimir, at this time EVERY backup vendor (including Veeam) is able to backup free ESXi due to some changes in vSphere 5, as explained in the following topic > Veeam with vSphere 5 Hypervisor (e.g. free ESXi) works.

Should you decide to take this opportunity, you can certainly use Veeam to backup VMs running on free ESXi 5 just fine - there is no need to buy anything else.

I am locking this thread to prevent further confusion as well as possible bumps in future. If you have any further questions regarding current free ESXi support by Veeam, please continue posting in the above-mentioned thread.

If you'd like to discuss VMware vs. Hyper-V offering, and specifically free editions - we have big, active and very current existing thread for this with lots of opinions already posted, so please direct your further posts on this topic there > Microsoft's view on free Hyper-V vs. free ESXi