proxy phys or virtual

[kornelg]

hello,
i have 2 esx hosts with 192 gb each and with 2x 6core cpu each and hared storage.

is it better the backup proxy as a virtual machine in each host or a dedicated physical machine.i havent understood the difference between the network mode and direct san.
in network mode we use a backup proxy as physical and it is slower as with direct san which is a vm with 2008r2 in esx?
is it correct?

[foggy]

John, I suggest reviewing this discussion for 'physical vs virtual proxy' considerations (nevermind it is for earlier versions, just replace 'backup server' with 'proxy' while reading).

And to get better understanding of different backup modes available, I recommend this sticky FAQ topic and also corresponding user guide section (p.21). All of them are described there in pretty good detail.

Once you have any further questions, feel free to ask here. Thanks.

[kornelg]

A: No special configuration is needed for VM, however we recommended that you add additional virtual SCSI controller to the VM (edit its virtual hardware settings). The host running backup proxy server VM must have all datastores where protected VMs' disks reside connected to it, otherwise hot add will not be possible.

I dont understand the above.
Well i install veeam in other physical machine.can work this machine as proxy?
And when i add a backup proxy as a vm in an esx host should i add another one at the other esx host?
And i can also use better other physical machine for backup proxy!is it correct?

[foggy]

Well i install veeam in other physical machine.can work this machine as proxy?

Any existing physical or virtual machine can be a proxy. When you install Veeam B&R on a computer, it installs a default proxy as a part of the installation. However you can add any other servers to Veeam B&R console to serve as proxies, either physical or virtual. It all depends on the backup transport mode you are going to use.

And when i add a backup proxy as a vm in an esx host should i add another one at the other esx host?

In case of shared storage (when the host running proxy server VM has all datastores where protected VMs reside connected to it), it is sufficient to have one proxy server that will use hotadd to retrieve data from all the hosts connected to that storage.

And i can also use better other physical machine for backup proxy!is it correct?

You can try both and decide what better suits you. What kind of storage do you have? Generally, physical proxy with direct SAN access can provide better results than hotadd, however in many cases backup performance is comparable.

[kornelg]

so when i add a backup proxy in an esx host as a vm what should i do as a configuration?i should use iscsi initiators to connect to the lun where the vms are?
which is the config?

[foggy]

Typically, no special configuration is required (you do not need to use iSCSI initiators, etc.). However, there is a set of limitations of using hotadd mode outlined in the following KB article: http://www.veeam.com/KB1054.

Recommendation to add another SCSI controller to the proxy VM comes from the fact that all disks of the backed up VMs are attached (hot added) to the proxy server during backup if hotadd mode is used and the more SCSI controllers the proxy VM has the more I/O performance is. A bit more on that here.

[kornelg]

finally for example i have 2 esx hosts.i install veeam backup in a physical machine and this can work also as proxy server.i can also add a vm in both esx hosts as proxy server.i can also a physical machine use but it must have the hyper v role enabled if i have win 2008 r2.
when i have a vm proxy in esx i must connect the disks of the vm i want to backup in different scsi controller?

[veremin]

i can also add a vm in both esx hosts as proxy server.

Providing it’s a shared storage that’s being used, there is no need to deploy virtual proxy server at each ESXi host – one would be enough. Moreover, it’s not even necessary to deploy additional Virtual Machine to be served as a proxy, since proxy role can be assigned to any Windows –based virtual machine without any issues.

i install veeam backup in a physical machine and this can work also as proxy server.

Your physical machine with VB&R installation is playing the role of default physical proxy. Furthermore, you can use it in Direct SAN mode, as long as you follow necessary preparation steps.

i can also a physical machine use but it must have the hyper v role enabled if i have win 2008 r2.

No, you don’t have to do it. Hyper-V role being enabled is requirement for Hyper-V off-host proxy.

when i have a vm proxy in esx i must connect the disks of the vm i want to backup in different scsi controller?

No, you don’t have to do it. What Alexander mentioned was the typical recommendation that is likely to help increasing performance.

Hope this helps.
Thanks.

[raulpc]

Providing it’s a shared storage that’s being used, there is no need to deploy virtual proxy server at each ESXi host – one would be enough. Moreover, it’s not even necessary to deploy additional Virtual Machine to be served as a proxy, since proxy role can be assigned to any Windows –based virtual machine without any issues.

I read your comments and I have cleared some doubts. I can then add to veeam any Windows-based VM act as a proxy server? for this replication job. VMs based on windows , are made to any settings before adding them as backup proxies to veeam? or simply added to veeam without any configuration, as if adding a VM for backup?

Thanks.

[foggy]

Right, you can add any existing Windows VM to serve as a proxy. No additional configuration is required, provided all the required ports are open.