VMware recommends ESXi - Veeam works best on ESX

[LarsenLP]

Hi there,

I am about to make my entrance into the virtualization world. I have decided to go with VMware SMB Essentials and Veeam Backup and Replication. I will virtualize three production servers on one host, and replicate these to a warm standby host on another physical location.

So far - so good

Looking through a VMware FAQ (http://www.vmware.com/products/vi/esx/esx_faq.html), I stumble across the following:

"VMware ESXi is the recommended platform for both new and existing customers. Future hypervisor releases will solely be based on this architecture."

Hmmmm, VMware recommends using ESXi, but at the same time VMware has restricted the usage of Veeam to disallow backup/replication from ESXi to ESXi hosts, so to get a warm standby server, you need to use ESX for the time being.

I don't really care whether to use ESX or ESXi as hypervisor, but it will be annoying to use ESX now, and then be forced to switch to ESXi in 1-2 years.

Are there any recommendations regarding this from Veeam?

Thanks in advance for your time...

[Gostev]

Lars, VMware restriction only relates to our product being able to work with free (unlicensed) ESXi. Veeam Backup still fully supports licensed (paid) ESXi. So with VMware SMB Essentials, you will be able to use ESXi just fine

Backup and replication to ESXi is not currently supported purely for technical reasons, and we will be adding such support very shortly.

Does this answer your question?

[LarsenLP]

Hi Gostev,

Thank you very much for your quick answer!

Yes, your comment about upcoming support of backup and replication between ESXi hosts was just what I needed.

I have decided to go with ESXi, and have now succesfully virtualized most of my servers. Veeam backup is also in place and running.

As many others, I am really impressed with the application so far, and eagerly anticipating features of the upcoming releases:

- Backup and replication to ESXi host, so warm standby servers can be implemented on this platform
- Block level change tracking on ESXi, so agent doesn't need to read entire vmdk's
- Multiple types of incremental backup, so one full backup can be copied via WAN in weekend, followed by incrementals during weekdays

[Gostev]

- Block level change tracking on ESXi, so agent doesn't need to read entire vmdk's
- Multiple types of incremental backup, so one full backup can be copied via WAN in weekend, followed by incrementals during weekdays

These 2 bullets are actually going to be available very soon (already implemented in Veeam Backup - release end of Q3).