Design question for the group

[cvacanti]

Thoughts on this design?

Site 1 (on east coast)
1 Veeam B&R 8
1 vCenter server
1 vSphere cluster

Site 2 (west coast)
1 vSphere cluster

I have site 1 backing itself up locally and then replicating from backup files to the west coast. I want to have the 1 Veeam server managing all site 1 and site 2 backup and replication jobs. (if that's not the best idea let me know). I plan to setup a backup repository NFS from site 2 to the Veeam B&R server in site 1. Is that the best idea? I don't want the site 2 backups to cross the wan ever. Site 2 replication will of course go to site 1.

Just having issues with the site 1 having a backup repository in site 2. Should I just setup a Veeam server in site 2? If so can it use the same proxy server in site 2 that the current Veeam B&R server use in site 2?

Thanks for the help.

[foggy]

Am I understanding right, you're going to have local backups at both sites as well as do cross-site replication between them?

A recommended approach is to make Veeam B&R server residing at the target site responsible for replication jobs. This will allow for automatic failover/failback operations using Veeam B&R UI in case of DR. If you decide to go this way, consider using Enterprise Manager to have a visibility across two Veeam B&R servers.

Adding a backup repository residing in remote site to local Veeam B&R (if this is your main concern) is not an issue provided the repository is Windows or Linux server (not CIFS share) and Veeam data mover agent can be installed on it. Also make sure you have proxy servers deployed on both sides. Using the same servers as proxy servers for different Veeam B&R instances is possible, just keep the load aspect in mind - both Veeam B&R servers will assign tasks to the same servers but the maximum number of concurrently running tasks will be counted within each of them.

[cvacanti]

Thanks Foggy -
So if the backup repository for Site 2 is a share on a windows server would that be on the Site 1 B&R server or on a random server on the Site 2 side? Can I attach a VMDK to the proxy and use that as a backup repository for Site 2? Also - was thinking...will the backup data go across the wan or stay on the lan in site 2 or is that dependent on the server location from where the backup repository is shared?

[veremin]

So if the backup repository for Site 2 is a share on a windows server would that be on the Site 1 B&R server or on a random server on the Site 2 side?

If you're going to perform backup from Site 2 to CIFS repository located in Site 1, be aware to specify the so called gateway server in Site 1 that will run Veeam Data Mover.

Can I attach a VMDK to the proxy and use that as a backup repository for Site 2?

You can, but it's not considered as the best practice.

Also - was thinking...will the backup data go across the wan or stay on the lan in site 2 or is that dependent on the server location from where the backup repository is shared?

Can you elaborate on that? If you want to keep traffic locally, proxy server, repository server and gateway server (in case of repository being CIFS share) should be located within one site.

Thanks.

[cvacanti]

The backups for site 2 would be kept local to site 2. with the Veeam B&R server being in site 1 I'd have to add a backup repository located at site 2 on the Veeam B&R server located in site 1. If I run a backup job, choosing the proxy at site 2, and the backup repository at site 2, would that data logically flow from site 2 and through the veeam server in site 1 or will the backup server tell the proxy in site 2 to drop the data into the backup repository in site 2 keeping the data on the lan and off the wan?

Would this all be easier by having two veeam servers? 1 in site 1 and 1 in site 2 and use enterprise manager then? We have enterprise plus licensing.

[veremin]

As I've mentioned backup traffic will stay within site 2, as long as every component that I've listed is deployed at site 2 (proxy, repository, gateway, if required).

However, Windows FLR executed from remote console might be rather slow. So, I'd recommend to have a cold console at the site 2 for the purpose of faster granular restores.

Thanks.