Veeam Server (Physical or Virtual)

[atta]

We want to use one server and share it with many clients. Now if we will share it with 6 clients and total nr of VM is 20-25. Should we install Veeam on physical or virtual machine? Is there difference in physical or virtual veeam?

[foggy]

Veeam B&R management server can be installed on any Windows-based machine, regardless it’s physical or virtual. It is the backup proxy server role which is more important in this sense and here is the existing discussion regarding physical vs. virtual proxies (if you are going to backup multiple clients' environments, you should place at least one proxy server at each client's location for optimal retrieval of source VMs data).

[atta]

Okey, but Gostev said in one topic that is recommended to use physical if is large environment and with SAN. (question was about VMware). Is it like that for Hyper-V environment? And backup proxy is it Windows server machine (it must be win server) or it can be Windows client computer example.

[veremin]

The topic Alexander has referred to is totally related to case of vSphere Virtual Environment.

As to Hyper-V environment, the role of proxy server can be only applied to physical server, though, there are two different types of it: onhost proxy server, that is played, by default, by source Hyper-V host where VMs you’re willing to back up or replicate reside on, or offhost one.

The on-host proxy means that all of necessary VM processing operations will be performed directly on the source Hyper-V host. While off-host one allows you to take this workload away to a dedicated physical machine (“offhost proxy”).

More information regarding proxy serves can be found in the corresponding User Guide (p.12); so, kindly take a look.

Thanks.

[atta]

Thanks Eremin, so that means if I have Hyper-V environment so does't matter if I have host with 30 VMs i can still install Veeam on VM and get performance like physical machine. Asking coz i know that physical server gives better performace an VM if you connect it directly to SAN: Am I right or? It is very important to as to understand this coz I will plan deployment and its good to know it.

[veremin]

You should think about central VB&R server as a “brain” of solution – this component is responsible for job management and scheduling, indexing tasks, and general orchestration of the backup and replication environment. And it can be installed without any issues either on virtual or physical machine.

Meanwhile, all of the required operations are done by “muscles” (proxy servers) and here where a thoughtful planning should take place.

In case of VMware environment, you are provided with three possible options: Direct-SAN proxy (only physical machine), Hot-Add proxy (virtual), Network proxy (doesn’t matter).

In case of Hyper-V environment there are two available scenario: on-host proxy (necessary VM processing operations are be performed directly on the source Hyper-V host) and off-host one (when the workload is taken away to a dedicated physical machine).

Asking coz i know that physical server gives better performace an VM if you connect it directly to SAN: Am I right or?

If it’s Hyper-V environment, you don’t have this option.

Hope this helps.
Thanks.

[leduke]

Hello.

Is it better tu use physical Veeam Backup server or using a Virtual Machine ?

What is diffences betwen those two methode ?

Thank you.

[foggy]

Alex, please review the thread above for considerations regarding your question. Thanks.

[josemoreira]

Hi,
We are about to install Veeam B&R. Reading about the product y see that we need a Windows server license for the product and also a second one for the Proxy VM server. Is that correct?
Do I need two windows server licences?

Also, it is not a wrong practice installing the Veeam B&R server on a VM? Shouldn`t be installed on a separate physical server? I am thinking in the case that the ESX host blow up and therefore we won`t have access to the Veeam server....

Many thanks!!

[veremin]

You can install VB&R either on physical or no virtual machine. VB&R server, as well as, proxy can be installed either on any existing Windows-based machines or on dedicated ones. Thanks.

[josemoreira]

Grand, underestood. But my question is about "best practice": what if I install B&R AND Proxy onver the same VM AND the ESX is broken down? I guess that it should not be possible to recover the VMs. Please, correct me if Iam wrong.
Therefore, it is not recommended install the B&R on a physical server? We agree that the Proxy has to be installed on a VM.

[foggy]

Please see the thread above for considerations regarding virtual vs. physical Veeam B&R and proxy and this thread regarding protecting Veeam B&R itself.

Hope this answers your questions.