Advice for per ESXi-Backup?

[mwefer]

Hello everybody,

we´re currently in progress of implementing a new Veeam Backup strategy and want to use specifically the "networked mode". We have two Veeam Backup Proxies and two locations with ESXi severs to backup. These two locations and Veeam Backup Proxies reside within a flat network.

These ESXi servers are representing a single ESXi-Cluster, which spans above these two locations. Our approach:

Proxy A backups site B / Proxy B backups site A
Proxy A gets used by Backup Server on site B to backup site A via TCP/IP Fibre-Nic Crosslink and vice versa.

The idea behind this rather unusual approach: Between these two sites are several switches we don´t want to burden with the load.

We know networked mode is not ideal in terms of performance - still we want make this efficient as possible: So we configured a backup job per ESXi server to tell the backup proxie just to backup a specific site.

This approach turned out to be more problematic as we thought, as when a VM uses vMotion, another backup job now is responsible and its causing a new full backup of the VM.

So, our question is: Is there a more practical approach to backup an ESXi-Cluster in networked mode, when we just want that a Backup-Proxie backups the VMs from a subset of the ESXi servers?

Any input on this is highly appreciated!


Regards,
mwefer

[PTide]

Hi,

The idea behind this rather unusual approach: Between these two sites are several switches we don´t want to burden with the load.

I'm afraid that I'm not following you on that. If you utilize proxy A to backup site B then the traffic will go between sites from ESX-A to Proxy-B right through those switches, won't it? By the way, where is your backup repository located and how is it connected to proxies?

This approach turned out to be more problematic as we thought, as when a VM uses vMotion, another backup job now is responsible and its causing a new full backup of the VM.

May I ask you what ESXi version are you using? Please check this VMware KB

Thanks

[mwefer]

Hi,

i configured a new network (subnet) for the crosslink-connection between the two proxy servers. So we thought, thate the proxy queries the data of the ESXi servers on his site and sends the data directly via crosslink to the other backup server. Each proxy server has also its own backup server and its own repository.

We´re using 6.0 U2 and i didn´t meant storage vmotion, but a host migration from ESXi A to ESXi B.

I guess we better stick to a per VM backup approach.


Regards,
mwefer

[PTide]

So we thought, thate the proxy queries the data of the ESXi servers on his site and sends the data directly via crosslink to the other backup server.

That's not quite correct. during backup job proxy retrieves data from ESXi host via network/hot-add/direct-san and then sends it to the repository. Backup server just orchestrates the process unless you use it as a proxy. Have you considered using direct SAN approach to make backups locally and then ship copies from site A to site B and vice-versa using Backup Copy Job?

Thanks

[foggy]

To prevent full backup after VM migration in case of per-host approach, just use some other containers as source for the backup jobs (folders, resource pools, etc.). In this case VM will still be backed up by the same job even after migration to another host.

[mwefer]

Thanks for the replies! We will work with containers (folders) and give the networked mode a try. On the long run the direct SAN approach will be implemented.