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Pmarsha1
Enthusiast
Enthusiast
‎05-14-2009 09:41 AM

HP Dataprotector and VCB

Trying to get my head around how these work together.

VCB mounts a snapshot copy of the disks on the Data Protector server and it then backs up the filesystems.

This leads to a few questions:

1) I take it the backups are file level only and not whole VMDK's?

If this is the case I guess you cannot easily recover from non booting Windows servers like you could with products like BESR?

2) How does this work with applications like MS Exchange, SQL and Oracle?

3) Finally what's the performance like with VCB using NFS rather than iSCSI/FC LUNs?

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2 Replies
habibalby
Hot Shot
Hot Shot
‎05-15-2009 01:48 AM

I use vRanger Pro with Data Protector. I backup my VMs to a Backup LUN that's presented to a VM via RDM and HP DP Agent intalled on this VM, then I Backup as a FileSytem Backup to my Tape Library.

For your Exchange, SQL or Oracle, you can install a Backup Agent of HP DP and take a backp directly from the VM. This Backup will help you if you lost your VMs, you can Restore the vRanger Backup and then restore the HP DP Backup if it's Exchange Backup, or SQL Backup.

Best Regards,

Hussain Al Sayed

If you find this information useful, please award points for "correct" or "helpful".

Best Regards, Hussain Al Sayed Consider awarding points for "correct" or "helpful".
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dconvery
Champion
Champion
‎05-16-2009 04:48 AM

VCB will back up either file level or full VM (Image level vmdk copies)

I would NOT recommend using VCB to back up transactional services like active directory, databases and mail. You are better off using agent based backups for these. Sometimes, you can get away with it on small, low use databases. Remember the goal is to be able to recover in a disaster, so make sure you practice recoveries.

Throughput in SAN mode maxes out at about 1GB per minute copy speed to the "holding tank" in FullVM mode. Some people find that using hot-add mode is more efficient than SAN mode with iSCSI. NBD mode for NFS is fairly decent. If you are using NetApp, you may want to investigate the optional VM snapshot capabilities there as well.

Check out my VCB Proven Practice Guide on VI:OPS it will explain how VCB works and how to set it up to back up and recover VMs.

http://viops.vmware.com/home/docs/DOC-1392

Dave Convery

VMware vExpert 2009

http://www.dailyhypervisor.com

Careful. We don't want to learn from this.

Bill Watterson, "Calvin and Hobbes"

Dave Convery, VCDX-DCV #20 ** http://www.tech-tap.com ** http://twitter.com/dconvery ** "Careful. We don't want to learn from this." -Bill Watterson, "Calvin and Hobbes"
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