Volume data veeam

[Yoann Castillo]

Hello,

A customer asked me an interesting question and i think I haven't given all the answers.

- Why do some veeam backups have a volume of several GB while the data have hardly changed on the server ... ? While on the same backup using Backup Exec, backup files are only a few MB
I know that as Veeam works in block mode and so there is more data to be transferred in a backup.

Thank you in advance.

Sig'

[Gostev]

Your answer is correct and complete. There are also many scenarios when the results will be opposite (large files).

[Yoann Castillo]

How to explain the difference to the client with Backup Exec?
Because for a similar volume, the Backup Exec job is only a few MB and takes a few minutes ...

Thank you.

[veremin]

A couple of question that are likely to shed a little bit more light on the said situation:

1. Is it full or incremental backup run (Veeam)?
2. What is the type of VMs that are backed up? Are they just a simple VMs or VMs running specific applications like SQL, Exchange Server etc.?
3. What backup method is being used in Backup Exec– image-based or file-level one?

Thanks.

[Yoann Castillo]

A couple of question that are likely to shed a little bit more light on the said situation:

1. Is it full or incremental backup run (Veeam)?
2. What is the type of VMs that are backed up? Are they just a simple VMs or VMs running specific applications like SQL, Exchange Server etc.?
3. What backup method is being used in Backup Exec– image-based or file-level one?

Thanks.

Answer :
1. Its Reversed Incremental
2. 90% its simple VMs and other its Exchange/SQL/...
3. I dont know actually, its juste BESR incremental

SCREENSHOT ----> http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/84 ... reoak.png/

Thks.

Sig'

[veremin]

other its Exchange/SQL/

The VMs running special Windows applications are notoriously known of producing high change rates.

How to explain the difference to the client with Backup Exec?

The reason of such behaviour is in the way to products work. Symantec is a file-level solution that requires an agent to be installed inside VM and that keeps track about changed files, meanwhile, VB&R is an image-based one, that cares only about blocks.

And changed blocks are not necessarily related to files – some activities such as defragmentation, as well as, antivirus one that don’t literally change files, does affect seriously the number of changed block and so on.

Thanks.

[Yoann Castillo]

I totally agree with you, but how to explain to the customer that the time is faster with a "file-level solution" (BAckup Exec) ?
It's optimized with Veeam and options are not the same ... But the customer want a justification... )

Thank you.

[chrisdearden]

Simple - delete one of his VM's and ask him to rebuild it & restore data from backup exec. Then do a veeam instant restore.

Time taken during backup is irrelevent if it fits into your backup window. Take taken on restore is considerably more important.


note : please don't actually delete a customers VM

[Yoann Castillo]

Simple - delete one of his VM's and ask him to rebuild it & restore data from backup exec. Then do a veeam instant restore.

Time taken during backup is irrelevent if it fits into your backup window. Take taken on restore is considerably more important.


note : please don't actually delete a customers VM

AHAH !

Thks for this answer.

Sig'

[dellock6]

Time taken during backup is irrelevent if it fits into your backup window. Take taken on restore is considerably more important.

You should really change the name of the product to "Restore and Replication", I'm saying it from years.

Luca.