Backup a datastore or a vmdk

[Slick25]

Hi everyone, I'm looking for information on backing up a datastore or a vmdk. This particular datastore only has one vmdk in it, no vmx. What will happen when Veeam backs up the datastore? I'm asking because the vmdk in the datastore is configured as a disk on another server (this single vmdk holds a public folder database) and we don't want to backup up the whole vm twice because its just too big (exchange servers get that way, right? ). So hopefully someone can shed some light on if the vm will be backed up too because it references the vmdk or if just the contents of the datastore (the single vmdk) will be backed up. That being said, this is a forum so maybe someone has an opinion on the best way to backup just ONE vmdk, one that happens to contains exchange items...???

[veremin]

Select just this VM as a source for a backup job, and exclude all disks, but one. But can you elaborate on the exact reason you're willing to do so?

[Vitaliy S.]

What will happen when Veeam backs up the datastore?

If you add this datastore as a source for the backup job, nothing will happen, as you need to specify VMs or datastores where VMs VMX files are located, so Vladimir's advice is a way to go.

[Slick25]

Thanks for the info, I appreciate it and will take your advice on how to configure the job. As to why or what we want to accomplish, one of our exchange servers has a 1.5 tb public folder database which is a single vmdk inside it's own datastore which we'd like to have backed up (no DAG's) and I was hoping to NOT impact the guest at all during the time the backup was taking place...so I'm hoping to find out the best way to do that...backup a single vmdk without impacting the guest. Any thoughts, suggestions?

[Vitaliy S.]

VM snapshot will be taken across all virtual disks, so the impact will be present (no matter how you configure the backup job).

I'm asking because the vmdk in the datastore is configured as a disk on another server (this single vmdk holds a public folder database) and we don't want to backup up the whole vm twice because its just too big (exchange servers get that way, right? )

Why do you say that you will have to backup the Exchange server twice?

[Slick25]

Why do you say that you will have to backup the Exchange server twice?

I suppose because it would be a new backup job, right now the disk is being excluded from the job to save space on our repository.

VM snapshot will be taken across all virtual disks, so the impact will be present (no matter how you configure the backup job).

Great point.

Thanks for your input and knowledge everyone, I learned a couple of things and appreciate the help!

[missolac]

VM snapshot will be taken across all virtual disks, so the impact will be present (no matter how you configure the backup job).

Hi Vitaliy,

Could please tell me if the Veeam 9.5.4 works in the same way? If my police exclude all disks excepted OS (because the files I'll be backup with another software), will all vmdk be save? If i'm right, we can exclude disks just if VMDK is set as an independent disk, so, the disk will not be affected by snapshot.

Thanks in advance

[veremin]

You can leave everything as is, actually - there is no need to specifically exclude independent disks, as they are skipped from processing automatically. Thanks!