Replication design question

[GabesVirtualWorld]

Hi
Still having some trouble getting my head around a good replication design. I hope you can give me some answers on this one.

Using the documentation, page 134 Veeam Backup & Replication for VMware | USER GUIDE | REV 7:
http://veeampdf.s3.amazonaws.com/guide/ ... vmware.pdf

Offsite replication over a direct path requires the following backup infrastructure components:
1. At least one backup proxy in the source site. The backup proxy must have access to the
Veeam backup server, source host, backup proxy in the target site and backup repository
holding replica metadata.
2. At least one backup proxy in the target site. The backup proxy must have access to the Veeam
backup server, target host and backup proxy in the source site.
3. Backup repository for storing replica metadata. The backup repository must be located in the
source site, closer to the backup proxy, and must have access to it.

When I would like to do this with the least possible number of VMs and make sure that target and source ESXi DON'T have a direct connection, can I then implement the following design (and get it working)?


At the source site, I will only have a backup proxy that can see the backup proxy at the target site. This backup proxy at the target site, is also the VEEAM B&R Server and a Backup Repository.

Questions:
- Am I correct that the Backup Repository can be a local Windows disk on the target backup proxy / B&R Server?
- I read: "Veeam Backup & Replication writes information about every data block to the VM replica metadata stored in the backup repository. The more data blocks there are, the more metadata is written to the backup repository." Is there a ball park figure for 5 TB data? Should I think of 1 GB / 10 GB / 100GB ?
- In this scenario only the VMs that are proxies can see each other on the other site, no other cross-site traffic is needed. Correct?

Thank you.
Gabrie

[Shestakov]

Hi Gabrie,

Am I correct that the Backup Repository can be a local Windows disk on the target backup proxy / B&R Server?

Yes, you are.

I read: "Veeam Backup & Replication writes information about every data block to the VM replica metadata stored in the backup repository. The more data blocks there are, the more metadata is written to the backup repository." Is there a ball park figure for 5 TB data? Should I think of 1 GB / 10 GB / 100GB ?

You can estimate the space required for metadata based on the typical metadata size, which can be calculated as 128MB for each 1TB of source VM data (per each replica restore point).
So the answer is 640 MB.

In this scenario only the VMs that are proxies can see each other on the other site, no other cross-site traffic is needed. Correct?

What do you mean by "no other cross-site traffic is needed"?
Thanks!

[GabesVirtualWorld]

What do you mean by "no other cross-site traffic is needed"?

The only traffic between Source and Target Site is the traffic between the two proxies.?

[Shestakov]

Yes, replica data flow is Disk > Source proxy > Network > Target proxy > Disk.

[GabesVirtualWorld]

Thanks !!!

[foggy]

Gabrie, a couple of comments.

1. Your backup server will need connection to both source and target hosts.
2. Repository for storing replica metadata should be located on the source side (see p.3 in your original post).

[GabesVirtualWorld]

Ok, now I'm really confused. Why are you (foggy) and Shestakov telling me different things? And it also doesn't match the three points I got from the manual.

Please enlighten me.

[foggy]

Please keep in mind that in your setup backup server is also a target proxy, since both are installed on the same server. In general case, target proxy does not need access to the source ESXi host, only backup server does (to issue calls to vSphere).

[GabesVirtualWorld]

Should I maybe switch the sides completely? Is that what you are saying? This situation is used for a migration since the customer already has a Veeam license, we can now use it to migrate the customer into our datacenter. In other words, if needed, I can put the B&R server in the other datacenter. Is it always, in any config, necessary for the B&R server to see ESXi hosts on both sites?

This config will run for maybe 2-3weeks most and then we'll remove the whole setup

[foggy]

Switching the sides will leave the requirement for the backup server to access both source and target hosts. Is it a big issue in this case to give a backup server temporary access to the host on the other side?

[GabesVirtualWorld]

I think we can do this, but it is not the desired config. But I think there is no other solution then to go forward like this.

Though, when re-reading the manual and those three points, I still can't find the passage that talks about the B&R server having to see target and source ESXi.

How would this then work with WAN Proxies? Is there also the requirement that the B&R server can see both target and source ESXi?

[foggy]

There's a picture right after these points that assumes the connections are available. However, I agree, probably it should be mentioned more explicitly.

The requirement still applies to WAN accelerated replication.

[GabesVirtualWorld]

Thank you for all your comments!