Backup a licensed ESX/ESXi Host to a free ESXi Host w/Veeam?

[rciscon]

I'm looking to provide a better/safer place to target my Veeam backups and I'm wondering if the following configuration is feasible:

At a remote office, I've got a licensed ESX/ESXi Host (Dell server hardware) that's connected to vCenter 4.1 or 5.1. Can I install another Dell server with internal disk and install the free vSphere Hypervisor and create a Veeam Repository server using Windows 2008 R2 Core VMs and connect it to disk volumes created on the new Dell server?

On the Veeam B&R VM that's running on the original Dell ESX Host, I'll add the new ESXi Host to the Backup Infrastructure, and add the new Veeam Repository VM on the new Dell server and then target that repository with backups from the original ESX server?

Please let me know if this is possible.

Thanks in advance,

Ray Ciscon
Senior Systems Engineer
MacLean-Fogg Company

[Vitaliy S.]

Hi Ray,

Yes, that's going to work with no issues, however there is no need to add new ESXi host (free) to the backup infrastructure. If you just want to store your backups on that host, you should add Windows 2008R2 Server as a repository and that's it.

Thanks!

[rciscon]

Vitaly,

Thanks for the quick response. The reason I'm wanting to try this with an additional ESXi Host is to expand the amount of available disk for Veeam backup targets (more disk = more restore points). My concern was having that ESXi host connected as an individual host and not as part of vCenter.

Thanks again!

[Vitaliy S.]

The reason I'm wanting to try this with an additional ESXi Host is to expand the amount of available disk for Veeam backup targets (more disk = more restore points).

Understood, but you can expose available space through VM disks hosted on that ESXi server.

On a side note, please make sure you read this before proceeding with your scenario: Don't Store Backups on VMFS...But why not?