Backup VM through vCenter or directly from host

[adam900331]

Hello!

I use Vesam B&R in trial mode and add the vCenter into the inventory which has include two host and many VMs. When I configure a backup job for this vCenter and run it, are the VMs snapshot moved from the host through the vCenter server to the backup destination? Or the VMs snapshot move directly from the host to the backup destination?

Thx.

[Mildur]

It depends.
Veeam has three backup modes:

• Direct Storage Access

- Transfer directly from Production Datastore to the Veeam Proxy

• Virtual Appliance

- Transfer directly from ESXI Server through a Veeam Backup Proxy VM

• Network

- Transfer directly from ESXI Server management Interface to an Veeam Backup Proxy

I think, you have installed a new VM as a Veeam Backup Server. If yes, then your transport Mode will be "Virtual Appliance"

https://helpcenter.veeam.com/docs/backu ... ml?ver=100

[adam900331]

Thanks for Your fast answer. So in theoretically, If I have two site:
A site: there are two host
B site: there is a vCenter (include the two host which is sit on A site)

The Veeam sits in A site (on phisycal server), and adding to the Veeam console the vCenter. When I perform a backup job, the Veeam transfer the VM snapshot form the host directly to the backup destination in network. Is this process not impact in the vCenter? So won't it transfer the VMs sanpshot to the vCenter in B site and transfer back to the backup destination in A site?

[Mildur]

If your Veeam Server is a physical server, then it will transfer VM Data with "Network Transport Mode".
"Direct Storage Access" need some configuration steps.

Scenario:
Your VBR Server has all component installed. You don't have configured a dedicated backup Repo on another server

• Veeam Proxy

• Veeam Backup Repo

• Veeam Management Server

In this case:
1. Your Veeam Server communicates with vcenter to create a snapshot (optional: Guest Application Aware processing)
2. Snapshot gets created on ESXI Hosts
3. Data Blocks are send from the ESXI Host to the Veeam Proxy component on your VBR Server
4. Veeam Proxy Sends the Data to the backup Repo on your VBR Server
5. Your Veeam Server communicates with vcenter to delete the snapshot after backup job

Traffic Flow:

• Management Commands from VBR to vCenter

• Snapshot Creation Order from vCenter to ESXI Host

• VBR Server to the VM for Guest Application Aware Processing

• Backup Data (vms/snapshots) from ESXI to the VBR Server --> This is the real backup traffic

_______________________________

https://helpcenter.veeam.com/docs/backu ... ml?ver=100

The process of data retrieval in Network mode includes the following steps:

1. The backup proxy sends a request to the ESXi host on which the processed VM is registered to locate the VM on the datastore.

2. The ESXi host locates the processed VM on the datastore.

3. Veeam Backup & Replication instructs VMware vSphere to create a VMware vSphere VM snapshot, copies VM data blocks from the source storage and sends them to the backup proxy over LAN.

Note that the real data transfer speed may be significantly less than the available speed. This is because the backup proxy and the ESXi host communicate over the ESXi management network.

4. The backup proxy sends the data to target.

[adam900331]

Thanks! It is very helpful for me!