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PilOop
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Best solutions to Backup&Restore

Hi everybody,

I need your advice to set up a backup&restore solution vmware, paid or free.

I currently have the following configuration:

  • Server : HP ProLiant ML350 Gen9 2xE5-2650v3 2.3GHz 10-core 2P 32GB-R P440ar 8SFF 2x800W PS ES EU Tower Server.
  • VMware : VMware vSphere 6 Essentials Kit for 3 hosts (Max 2 processors per host).
  • vSphere Web Client : Version 6.5.0 Build 4944578

There are three vm on the server and I would like to set up a backup and restore solution.

Here my need :

I would like to perform a full backup of each VM each night to a NAS(synology,asustor, qnap? etc..) on the same network and make a monthly copy of the baclups on the NAS to a NAS in Switzerland.

I have several questions:

Is it possible with VDP? or should I take another solution, example: veeams, OR nakivo ??

How are VMs transferred to the NAS? FTP? iscsi? nfs?

How does VDP work, you have to create a vm VDP? ditto for veeams solution? or nakivo ?

The backup is directly copy on the NAS or on the vm VDP or vm vCenter?

I would like a simple solution to automate backup and restore in case of crash. I have not yet bought the NAS (except the NAS present in Switzerland, an Assustor).

I am in the middle of the analysis phase and I am not yet mastering the concept of backup under VMWare .. I know that there is a multitude of information on the internet but I would like to have your opinions. I would not stupidly install a solution that will not be robust enough over time.

If you have good ideas (best solution, a good NAS), don't hesitate Smiley Happy

Thanks

16 Replies
daphnissov
Immortal
Immortal

Firstly, VDP is going away and is end-of-life, so definitely stay away from that. Veeam seems to be the market favorite and through my own personal experience I believe it to be the best out there. If you purchase a Synology NAS, which is another favorite of home labbers, Veeam can write to it via SMB, iSCSI, or other methods. Same thing I presume with Qnap. To schedule jobs via the GUI, you'll need a paid license, and that is done via the CPU socket count. If you only have one host with 2 sockets, then that's 2 sockets of at least Veeam Standard. For that second NAS, Veeam can run a backup copy job which will duplicate its backup files to a second location. There are many more features you can use, but those are the basics.

PilOop
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Thanks for all infos Smiley Happy

Veeam create the backup directly on the NAS or it makes a copy locally and then written on the NAS ?

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daphnissov
Immortal
Immortal

It will create it directly on the NAS.

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PilOop
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Great!

I see that Veeams also install linux. Veeams must be installed on a VM? (linux or windows) or can I install it on a machine on my network?

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daphnissov
Immortal
Immortal

Don't know what you mean by "installs Linux" but it is installed on a Windows system, physical or virtual.

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cyberpaul
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Hi PilOop,

as for the NAS question, Synology has the nicest management interface. (I'd get a storage server instead, but it is all about personal preference really.)

All mentioned backup solutions are vaguely similar, you need at least one VM for them. With Veeam, you also need a Windows license unless your hosts are already covered for example by Windows Server Datacenter license. Nakivo is Linux based, so no worries there. Also, take a look at VMcom Backup (https://vmcom.com). It will be cheaper than Veeam or Nakivo and also doesn't require any additional licensing.

As for the transport protocol, NFS protocol offers the best performance and would be a preferred choice unless you require an additional level of encryption.

Regards, Pavel

PS: If you have the opportunity to use a storage server instead of NAS, you could install ESXi Free on it and run the backup application from there. If your primary cluster goes down, you will still be able to reach your backups. All of the mentioned backup applications can utilize local disks for storing backups. This would be the most robust solution and easiest disaster recovery.

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PilOop
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Hi cyberpaul,

Thanks!!

All mentioned backup solutions are vaguely similar, you need at least one VM for them. With Veeam, you also need a Windows license unless your hosts are already covered for example by Windows Server Datacenter license. Nakivo is Linux based, so no worries there.

All of my VMs run on Linux. (Debian) If I install veeam on a vm I will have to buy a windows license. (There are windows licenses for virtual machine?).

Also, take a look at VMcom Backup (https://vmcom.com). It will be cheaper than Veeam or Nakivo and also doesn't require any additional licensing.

Thank for the advice, I take a look Smiley Happy

As for the transport protocol, NFS protocol offers the best performance and would be a preferred choice unless you require an additional level of encryption.

No need for encryption, I will look at the NFS protocol.

PS: If you have the opportunity to use a storage server instead of NAS, you could install ESXi Free on it and run the backup application from there. If your primary cluster goes down, you will still be able to reach your backups. All of the mentioned backup applications can utilize local disks for storing backups. This would be the most robust solution and easiest disaster recovery.

Can you tell me more about your comment? So I have to buy a storage server and install ESXi Free, so a windows server ?

I don't understand when you say "and run the backup application from there." application is Veeams? if that's it, it will be like having a storage server with ESXi free + veeams do I understand correctly?

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cyberpaul
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

If your VMs run Linux, you'd be better off with Nakivo or VMcom. Veeam needs to start a helper VM to restore files from Linux filesystems 😕

As for the ESXi Free part, it was just an idea. Typically, you'd buy a NAS for storing data and create a VM in your vSphere cluster for the backup application. This is perfectly ok.

What if you loose all data from the primary cluster? You would create a new cluster, create a new VM, install a clean backup application and attach the NAS to it. Then you can restore your data. It would take some time.

I suggest you create another ESXi host, that would be separate from the primary cluster. The host can have some large disks for storing backups and can run ESXi Free so you don't have to pay for VMware license. You create a VM here, install the backup application here and utilize the local disks for storing backups. You don't need NAS anymore.

If you lost all data from the primary cluster, you'd be still able to reach your backup application. You don't have to install a new one. You need just one working ESXi from the primary cluster and you can restore your vCenter.

Hope it makes sense 🙂

Pavel

PilOop
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Thank you all for advising me, my needs has changed. :smileygrin:

In addition to backing up VMs I would like to back up my Windows and two Mac workstations. For Windows I want to use the native backup system and for Mac the Time Capsule.

My initial idea was to create a new virtual machine with Windows and install Veeams; take a NAS (Synology) to store VM backups, as well as backup Windows and Mac machines because Synology is compatible with Time Capsule.

After contacting my IT resellers, most advised me not to create a virtual machine to install Veeams because if ESXi crash I also lose Veeams .. I was well aware of this problem but now I doubt Smiley Happy

Resellers offered me the following solution: Do not take Synology but rather create a backup server...so buy a small HP server, install Windows server and install Veeams. The only drawback is that I could not backup my Mac machines because more Time Capsule and the Veeams agent does not install on Mac.

So I proposed a second solution: Take the best range of Synology (DS3617xs) and virtualize Windows directly on Synology and install Veeams on Windows. Do you have any feedback on virtualization at Synology?

In addition, I do not want to have 1 backup server and 1 NAS server, I prefer to centralize everything on a single machine.

I want to clarify that the most important for us is to back up the datas .. if the restoration takes 2 days it's ok, the goal for us is to know that our datas are not lost.

What would be the best solution for you?

Thanks!

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daphnissov
Immortal
Immortal

I would probably get a Synology and use that to store Veeam backup data plus backup data from your Windows and Mac workstations. For Windows, I would not use the built-in backup application but get the Veeam Free Agent for Windows and use it. A shared folder can be created on Synology which you can expose to Time Machine. Set up Veeam on a Windows VM, and use Synology as its repository either as an iSCSI LUN or a SMB share. If an SMB share, it can be the same folder as where your Windows and Mac backup data is stored. You will still need to replicate the data stored on Synology to have a secondary copy, and so for that you could either replicate to another Synology using the built-in tools, or copy it to a USB drive using the free USB copy app available on Synology.

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PilOop
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Hi daphnissov & Thanks!

You keep my initial idea by installing Veeams on a new Windows VM (I lose Veeams in case of ESXi crash) ?

You will not install Veeams on a virtual machine on the Synlogy NAS?

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daphnissov
Immortal
Immortal

First it's "Veeam" and not "Veeams" (no "s"). Second, Veeam must be installed on a Windows system somewhere. Whether you decide to host that VM on your Synology NAS is up to you. It's probably best you don't. Veeam cannot be installed directly to a Synology NAS because it uses Linux. If you have another external array, you should probably host Veeam there and point its repository to the Synology NAS.

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PilOop
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

haha sorry Smiley Wink

I don't want to install Veeam directly on the NAS but use the Synology virtualization system to virtualize a Windows and install Veeam on this Windows.

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cyberpaul
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Hi, I think both solutions (Synology vs HP server) are equivalent. DS3617xs is technically a small server.

Neither better nor worse, it is now down to your personal preference.

I would get a server because with a server you can do anything. Synology, on the other hand, will be pre-optimized and comes with a nice GUI. The choice is yours 🙂

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IvarHome
Hot Shot
Hot Shot

Veeam is not good solution. It is unable to produce application consistent backups. Best solution is to use hardware storage SAN (iSCSI LUN-s) and use SAN integrated snapshot replication.

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daphnissov
Immortal
Immortal

Quit spreading misinformation. See my response here.

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