Setting up DR in Veeam - Please confirm correct config.

[tscott]

I have a production site with a Veeam VM doing Veeam backups locally to a NAS on site.. I am setting up a DR site which will have one ESX host and a NAS via iSCSI for storage..

I just need confirmation on how to set this up.. I've added the DR host to Vcenter but not into the production cluster.. I've put a Veeam VM server on the DR host.. I planned on using the Veeam DR VM to do the replica backups and the Veeam Prod VM to do the backups.

The DR site does not have a repository and I'm guessing that's OK being these are replicas and will be actual VMs on the shared storage and not backups..

Currently I have the DR equipment at the Prod site and will let the replicas run for a week so I don't have to "seed" them.

One of the questions I have are under the "Job Settings" screen.. I've added my production Veeam server in my Backup Infrastructure > Proxies and I've also added my Production NAS as a repository on my DR Veeam server. Do I just leave the proxy selection as automatic for both source and target?

For the repository for replica metadata selection do I choose my production NAS?

If there are any other tips / things I may be doing better please let me know.

*SIDE QUESTION: Do people backup and replicate their Veeam VM server(s)?

Thanks!!

[kjc3303]

Do I just leave the proxy selection as automatic for both source and target?
I would manually select to ensure that the target is the DR proxy and the source is the Production Proxy, peace of mind due to having all at one site initially

For the repository for replica metadata selection do I choose my production NAS?
Yes

*SIDE QUESTION: Do people backup and replicate their Veeam VM server(s)?
I have similar set up to you prod and DR VBR servers. DR for replication and Production for Backups I just back up my Production configuration to the DR site on a monthly basis or after any fundamental changes.

Kev

[foggy]

Tom, seems that you are doing everything right. Just wanted to note that having production Veeam B&R server serving as proxy for both itself (for backups) and DR site Veeam B&R server (for replication), you need to remember that the number of concurrent tasks per proxy is counted within each backup server independently. Just keep this in mind when considering proxy server load.

[tscott]

I just back up my Production configuration to the DR site on a monthly basis or after any fundamental changes.

Kev, can you elaborate on this please?

Thank you

[veremin]

Though I’m not Kevin, I think, he is talking about new VB&R feature that was introduced in 6.5 version. This feature is called Configuration Backup and it is responsible for retrieving configuration data from the SQL database.

In other words, there is no longer need for backing up VB&R server as a whole. All you need in disaster situation, when your back up server goes down, is reinstall your B&R software and restore configuration files.

For more information please see corresponding User Guide (p.297).

Hope this helps.
Thanks.

[tscott]

Thanks a lot Vladimir..

[tscott]

Is this still the same in V8? You need a Veeam B&R server in the prod site and a Veeam B&R server in the DR site to do the replicas?

Thank you!

[Vitaliy S.]

Yes, if you want to do VM failover using Veeam backup console when your main data center is down, then installing VBR server on the remote site is still a recommended approach.

[tscott]

Yes, if you want to do VM failover using Veeam backup console when your main data center is down, then installing VBR server on the remote site is still a recommended approach.

So if I just wanted to manually power on the replica VMs I wouldn't need a Veeam B&R in DR side? I thought there had to be a proxy on both sides (production and DR).

Thanks

[Gostev]

Correct. Replica VMs are absolutely regular VMs, so you don't need anything else to power them on.
Proxies are required when you are performing actual replication only (to create those replica VMs).
Thanks!

[tscott]

So yes, you need a Veeam proxy on both sides (DR and Prod) to do replicas?

[veremin]

It's recommended, but not required. If you're replicating VMs across WAN, then, you'd better have proxy servers deployed at each site, so that the data crosses WAN in compressed and deduplicated state. Thanks.

[tscott]

What about running replica / backups jobs.. What if a backup job on the PROD VM server happens to run at the same time a replica job on the DR VM server runs for the same specific VM? What happens?

[Vitaliy S.]

Since backup servers in HQ and DR sites are not "aware" of each other, then you need to use different job schedule to avoid job overlaps. There are existing topics discussing this question, please use forum search for more details on how existing customers are solving this potential problem.