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Wajeeh
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Esxi 5.0 Host support for FC connected Tape Drives in virtual machine running symantec backup exec 2012

Dear Experts,

We recently bought  C0H19A: HP StoreEver 1/8 G2 LTO-6 Ultrium 6250 FC TapeAutoloader. The purpose is to backup data from virtual machines, I mean selected data in virtual machines, like for exchange the email databases for accounts server the SQL server database etc. We don't have plan for complete virtual machine backup, hence using symantec backup exec software.

We have this setup:

- TWO DL 380 Gen8 servers (running Esxi 5.0 update2), The two servers don't have any SCSI ports

- ONE HP P2000 G2 MSA FC Dual Cntrl Storage

- TWO HP SN6000 12-pt Sngl Pwr FC switch

- Autoloader HP

All above are connected with FC. The Symantec backup exec 2012 is also installed on Windows 2008 R2 which is a virtual machine.

But now we are unable to see the autoloader robotic library through virtualization layer in backup exec virtual machine device manager. While reading on internet I also found some details that FC connected tape drives are not supported by Esxi hosts. We are really stuck in this situation, any solutions to this. I also read article from vmware saying configuring FC tape drives for Esxi 4.0 and later

Installing a physical windows server with Backup Exec 2012 and with HBA's and connected to above FC switches is the only way to see autoloader ? Even after reading articles on internet I am not very clear, Please guide what solution I have now to get this thing going, I really need to find solution to this.

Waiting for responses.

Kind Regards,

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Lenora_BE
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Hello, I am a Backup Exec support engineer and yes the supported method is only by connecting the tape drive to a physical media server. Please see The introduction in the Backup Exec HCL about Alternative Configurations http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH175582 and http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH146293

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Wajeeh
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Dear Experts,

Please share your experiences and help me on this

kind regards,

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Lenora_BE
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Hello, I am a Backup Exec support engineer and yes the supported method is only by connecting the tape drive to a physical media server. Please see The introduction in the Backup Exec HCL about Alternative Configurations http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH175582 and http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH146293

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Josh26
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We don't have plan for complete virtual machine backup, hence using symantec backup exec software.

Windows 2008 R2

Deciding you only need to backup selected, specific portions of an environment utilising a legacy OS is one of the few places you might get away with still using Backup Exec these days.

As stated above it's not supported, but you I've had success configuring the HBA with vmDirectpath and passing the whole thing through the VM. This pretty much can't be done if you're sharing that FC HBA with your datastores through. If you can obtain a second HBA for one server this would be worth a shot.

As for that Symantec HCL, it defies belief that the HP's D2D systems such as the StoreOnce as recommended for CIFS instead of VTL over iSCSI. This has got to be the worst advice I've ever seen.