Veeam with vSphere 5 Hypervisor (e.g. free ESXi) works...

[J1mbo]

No. VMware wouldn't allow it. But vmware essentials is very cheap (like $500) and includes 3 hosts with 6 sockets, unlimited cores per socket, unlimited RAM, and vCentre Server too.

[jlehtinen]

Just read through this thread, and I'm curious if there any updates.

I just started working for a company that is using 9 esxi (free) hosts, and I'd love to get Veeam in here.

It sounds like Veeam is working under ESXi 5, but only by "mistake" and it remains unsupported by both Veeam and VMWare. Is this accurate?

Thanks!

[Gostev]

Yes, you have an accurate summary for vSphere 5.0. Backup works "by mistake", full VM restores directly to ESXi do not work (because API is still blocked there), however of course you can restore locally first, and then upload the VM files to datastores through file management functionality, and double-click VMX to register VM, and you will be good to go.

I do not know yet if vSphere 5.1 changes anything.

[Fiskepudding]

Hi..

I just set upgraded a new lab at home.
one old ESXi 5.0 host
one new ESXi 5.1 host

I installed Veeam free (6.1.0.181) and backed up (veeamZIP'ed) the VMs on the 5.0 host to a nas device.
The ESXi5.1 is just set up, but i used the free licence.

Tried to restore the baked up VMs to the NEW ESXi 5.1 host, but i get this error (at the very end of the restore process)

Code: Select all

26.09.2012 16:25:41 Fail     Restore job failed Error: Current license or ESXi version prohibits execution of the requested operation.

So for my question, can't veeam zip backups be estored to ESX free edition?

I thougt that Veeam free could be usefull in a homelab (alongside ESXi free)
If Veeam Free can not be used to restore to ESXi free i have to consider
to use my Technet Pro subscribtion, and move to hyperv in my home lab.

FYI:
I changed the license back to evalutation on the ESX 5.1 and then the restore went fine.

Meaning that if I ontinue tu use Veeam Free to backup ESX free, I wil have useless backups in 60 days

[jlehtinen]

Fiske,

You probably already realized this, but Veeam won't restore to ESXi 5 Hypervisor (free) versions, and it technically shouldn't even be able to back up either.

However, if you're running a small home lab, you don't really need a high-power backup solution. Best option will probably be a scripted copy function, check out ghettoVCB or similar.

[Gostev]

That's right. And for any sort of decent deployment (even just 2 proper ESXi hosts and storage), the cost of VMware Essentials would be less than 10% of hardware costs - so there is really no reason to stick with free ESXi and deal with all of its limitations.

[Fiskepudding]

jlehtinen:
Yea, I realized that free is not supported.

You are correct that i dont NEED a high power backup solution for the lab.
But i dont NEED the lab either, since it is just for testing.
And thats why I want Veeam in there, to test. So that leaves me testing during VMware and Veeam trail period.
Witch is fine.

Gostev. I don't know what a "normal home lab" cost. But the HW cost alone does not even get close to 5000 USD.
Since performanc is not an real issue, I use 3+ year equipment that should been recycled anyway. So my HW cost is close to 0.
But you can then turn your argument upside down.. since i spend 0 on HW i can afford 500 on Essentials

Thanx for the input.

[Gostev]

Also free Hyper-V 2012 might be a better option for old equipment, considering possible compatibility issues of older hardware with latest ESXi versions.

[OmniTel]

Hi There Everyone,

I am sorry if this has been posted before, but I have searched these forums for almost 6-8 hours and came up empty handed. I am REALLY new to virtualization and I am struggling with what, according to me at least, should be an easy task to perform.

I have 2x ESXi 5.1.0-799733 hosts. Both of them is licensed with the free licence from VMware. On Host A, I have running 2 VM's (1x linux based mail server and 1x windows based accounting server) on Host B, There is nothing running.

I need to Migrate / Move the VM's from Host A to Host B. When I select the Quick Migrate option from Backup and Replication 6.1, it goes through all the steps and check if migration can be performed, It shows me a summary before the operation starts where the mode is shown as a "Cold Migration", which I assume is migrating to the different host whilest the VM is powered down (which is not a problem by the way)

When I click on Finish, it finishes "Starting migration" then moves to Processing VM '<name of server>' for about a minute or 2 then fails. The reason given for the failure is "Current Licence or ESXi Version prohibits execution of the requested operation"

Can anyone help? even if it means making use of an alternate method?
My Backup and Replication is V6.1 and I have the 30-Day Trial Licence installed.

Thanking you in advance

[OmniTel]

I uninstalled the free licence granted by VMware and is now running on the trial licence.

Tried the migration again and it is working 100%

[chrmol]

Seems that Veeam 6.5 blocks the ability to run Backups on (free) ESXi 5.0 hosts.

[jlehtinen]

Yeah, I noticed that as well.

Omnitel, for future reference - if this was a one-off migration, here's a few other alternate methods you can use to move VM's across hosts.
1.) Power off the VM, transfer the files using USB, or copy across the network using scp (issue with this is that if it's a thin provisioned disk you will also transfer all the padded 0's - i.e. if it's a 120 GB drive and you're only using 20GB of that, you STILL will transfer 120GB).
2.) Use VMware vCenter Converter (free) and do a V2V (virtual to virtual) conversion from one ESX host to the other

[Jfmoots]

Seems that Veeam 6.5 blocks the ability to run Backups on (free) ESXi 5.0 hosts.

Veeam utilizes an API provided by VMware. If that API is open Veeam will Backup/Recover. The API is closed on Free ESXi. The API is open on any licensed version of ESXi.

[chrmol]

In version ESXi 5.0 (free) the API is open by mistake - but Veeam 6.5 doesn't backup on that version any longer!
It worked fine in my lab until I upgraded Veeam from 6.1 ti 6.5 - nothing else has changed!

[tsightler]

I believe the restriction is actually in the VDDK. I believe we are using a newer version of the VDDK with 6.5 which has likely closed this capability.

[0zzY]

Hi all, i have read in these posts veeam can't work with esxi free 5.1, and 5.0 upd1 becouse are disable some API in the these free hypervisor..but what about esxi 5.0? I have a customer with hypervisor 5.0 free and veeam works (it seems) both backup and restore procedures (can i sleep this night?) ..

Before i sold veeam to my customers, i have read the system requirements and in some docs i have seen ESXi3 ESXi4.x ESXi5 were supported..yesterday i have read this forum, and seen in another pdf that ESXi (free) is not supported..i think the first one docs should be corrected before other people make the same mistake...

[Vitaliy S.]

Standalone ESX(i) hosts with paid license are fully supported, so I believe system requirements document shouldn't be changed.

[0zzY]

Standalone ESX(i) hosts with paid license are fully supported, so I believe system requirements document shouldn't be changed.

with paid license is missing..i don't think it's a detail, and many other like me could misunderstand

[hanscees]

I am about to become a paying veeam customer but I do not like this attitude from veeam at all and also I think it is not smart.
Microsoft was smart to allow schools to use a cheap license. That awy all children insist on using microsoft windows and word.

Lots of small companies and schools use free esxi. I am trying to see how veeam works on my home esxi-server.
But since veeam does not support free esxi, that first good impression is gone.
I think that's not smart. Then also not adjusting your documentation on this point tells me you are actually misleading customers.
Sorry, but you are losing my confidense here.

[Vitaliy S.]

But since veeam does not support free esxi, that first good impression is gone.

It's not Veeam who puts this restriction, please look at this posts to get a clear picture of this situation:

Veeam utilizes an API provided by VMware. If that API is open Veeam will Backup/Recover. The API is closed on Free ESXi. The API is open on any licensed version of ESXi.

[hanscees]

then please do not write in your log-emails:
Error: Your Veeam Backup license does not allow processing of free ESXi.
Veeam Backup & Replication 6.5.0.109

[Vitaliy S.]

Yes, I agree that this message sounds a bit confusing, so let me verify if it is an easy task to change this message in our session log. Thanks for the feedback!

[aeccles]

I know that VMWare 5.5 lifted a lot of restrictions... can Veeam now send replication jobs to a 5.5 free edition?

[veremin]

Even though some of the previously existed limits went away with the release of vSphere 5.5 free, the latter still seems to have Storage APIs for Data Protection blocked, preventing us from using free hosts as source/target for replication jobs.

Thanks.

[aeccles]

Thanks - can you confirm if I need Essentials or Essentials Plus? According to this link, Data Protection is only in Plus

[veremin]

Most likely, you've confused "Storage APIs for Data Protection" with simple "Data Protection". The latter has to do with backup/DR solution provided by VMware in Essential Plus bundle. Thanks.

[aeccles]

Most likely, you've confused "Storage APIs for Data Protection" with simple "Data Protection". The latter has to do with backup/DR solution provided by VMware in Essential Plus bundle. Thanks.

You are probably correct, but I still don't know if Essentials or Essentials Plus is needed? The Veeam requirements docs just say the free edition won't work... I assume that means every other version will, but I'd rather know for sure instead of assume. Thanks!

[veremin]

As it's stated in the corresponding sticky FAQ, vSphere Essentials is the minimum supported version. Thanks.

[aeccles]

thank you!

[veremin]

You're welcome. Feel free to ask, if any additional clarification is needed. Thanks.