attaching qnap as backup repository vmware

[dirkdigs]

i noticed that veeam has whole page about using qnap as a backup repository with vmware but there is not setup guide or best practices guide that i could find.

i have a virtual machine with veeam backup and replication v8 installed.

i would like to use the qnap as the backup repository.

is the best way to simply present the qnap using iscsi and create a new vmfs datastore on the this iscsi LUN ?

then create a new vhd file on this datastore using the full capacity?

is there another method that would be faster or easier to configure?

thanks ,

[Vitaliy S.]

Hi Jason,

If you want to use QNAP as a target for your backup repository, then mount it through iSCSI to your Windows server acting as a backup repository and format the entire device with NTFS. No need to introduce another layer by formatting LUN as VMFS and then creating virtual disk there.

Thanks!

[Pat490]

would iSCSI be faster than VMFS?

[dellock6]

iscsi is a transport protocol, vmfs is a file system, you cannot compare them.
What Vitaliy is saying is that vmfs adds additional and useless complexity to the design. In both cases the qnap will be mounted using iscsi, but with our idea you have:
- iscsi connection
- volume formatted with ntfs
- backup files on it

with the other option:
- iscsi connection
- volume formatted with vmfs
- virtual disk vmdk on top of it
- ntfs file system inside the vmdk
-backup files

Two more layers. And to restore anything, you need to rebuild at least one ESXi server, run a windows VM, mount the vmdk in it to read it. With option one, you can mount the iscsi device to any windows machine, even your laptop, and see immediately the content of the ntfs volume.

[Pat490]

ah ok. thanks for claryfication.

[nine11]

Hi All,

I am a newbie to backup and as well as veeam. Looking for a guide on how I can properly configure QNAP as backup repository in Veeam.

My object is to backup vmguest and also do a separate backup of shared files via Veeam to QNAP and as well as restore them back to vmguest and vmhost.

Thank you,
nine11

[foggy]

Hi, please review the thread above for possible options.