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Ravi1987
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VCB Documentation

HI,

i m using vi 3 infrastructure in my organisation . currently i have 25 virtual machine running on 3 esx 3.5 update3 server with one vc server .

now i want to implement vcb for Backup. i read vmware vcb manual 2 or three time to implement vcb but still i m not confident to implement it. can any body provide me proper documents with screen shot to implement vcb

Ravi
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dconvery
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Ravi -

Check out my "Proven Practice" doc on VIOPS -> http://viops.vmware.com/home/docs/DOC-1133

It deals with setting up VCB, NetBackup and Vizioncore vRangerPro. The process is similar for most backup software versions. While you are over there, click on the "Availabilty" button and check out the other docs. There may be one for your backup software. If not, post back with you backup software version and may be we can provide some further info.

Dave Convery - VMware vExpert 2009

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Accomplishing the impossible means only that the boss will add it to your regular duties.

Doug Larson

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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arunjm
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Hi Ravi, Doug,

Please let me know what are the areas of improvement required for Setting Up VMware Consolidated Backup section (page number 33) at .

Thanks,

Arun

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dconvery
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Arun -

I am assuming that you work for VMware and "own" the backup guide...

I

personnaly feel that the existing doc needs to be more clear, which is

why I published my doc. Feel free to plagarize any of it.The VMware doc

seems to skip around. I published everything in a step-by-step method with screen shots.

Check out this doc I just created on VI:OPS ->http://viops.vmware.com/home/docs/DOC-1392

Dave Convery

VMware vExpert 2009

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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Ravi1987
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Thanks Sir,

This is a perfect doc.

thanks once again

Ravi
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depping
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Indeed, Arun is a tech writer for VMware dave, might want to PM him, don't know how much time he spends on the forums.

Duncan

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dconvery
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Ravi -

Thanks for the kind words.

Duncan -

Thank you for the tip. I see he only posted two comments, both regarding the VCB docs and hasn't been back....Maybe we scared him away! Anyway, I PM'd him.

Dave Convery

VMware vExpert 2009

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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arunjm
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Hi Dave and Duncan,

I occasionally visit VMware communities. Could you suggest areas of improvement for this guide.

Thanks,

Arun

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dconvery
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Arun -

I know you PM'd me about this as well, but if you don't mind, please follow this thread. I can post a link through Twitter and on my blog and we can get a nice public discussion of what everyone would like to see in the documentation.

First, a little background on my experience with VCB. I was tasked with integrating VCB 1.0, NetBackup and Vizioncore esxRanger at a customer's site. I had some issues understanding how VCB worked after reading the VM Backup Guide. The readme in the integration kit was also confusing to me. After a few days of experimentation and posts on the forums, I finally figured out how to get it working. It wasn't until TSX 2007 that I fully understood HOW it worked. Eventually, I conducted a ssession at VMworld 2008 (BC2497) regarding integrating VCB 1.5, NBU 6.0x and vRanger. I also published a companion doc on VI:OPS ->http://viops.vmware.com/home/docs/DOC-1133.

Recently, I noticed an increased amount of questions regarding VCB on the VMTN forums. Most related to misunderstanding how it worked or how to integrate it with the backup software. Eventually, I created the more generic Proven Practice Guide on VI:OPS -> http://viops.vmware.com/home/docs/DOC-1392. This was an effort to explain how VCB works and provide a step by step guide for installing VCB.

So, here are the issues that I have with the existing documentation and what would be nice improvements:

When the guide was revised in August 2008, (I see it was just revisedagain on 3/13) the referenced changes were placed at the end of the document. This is nice as a reference to me, now that I know how to use VCB and I would not change it. However, many people new to VCB skip those changes.

Some of the instructions on the integration kits are confusing unless you know the advanced workings of the backup software involved.

An explanation of how VCB works, with pros and cons should be presented, then a step-by-step guide about how to install it should follow. This should include screen shots for each step.

Examples of how to use each method, with screen shots, should be given. The screen shots give a user a point of reference so they know how things should look.

The pre-freeze/post-thaw scripting process is still unclear. It took me a while to figure this outin the days before VMworld last year.

The hot-add mode instructions also need to be made more clear. I think screenshots would help here.

If you want, you could set up a spot on the VI:OPS forum to post revisions of the doc and ask for community input before final publication. Like I said before, feel free to use what I posted. I would also be fine with reviewing anything you want.

I am sure Duncan (and others) has much more to add to this as well.

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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arunjm
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Hi Dave,

The updated Virtual Machine Backup Guide is at http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vsphere4/r40/vsp_vcb_15_u1_admin_guide.pdf.

Do let me know your feedback.

Thanks,

Arun

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dconvery
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Arun -

I just read the VCB 1.5u1 doc for about the fourth time since its release. It is the same as the previous docs from a quality perspective. I don not mean to say it is low quality, because it is a very well written doc. It is just that some people need pictures and further explanations to get it right.

I did notice that the sections about vcbMounter / vcbRestore from a console only reference ESX 3. It actually led me to go to an ESX 4 console to check if those utilities still existed.

Dave Convery

VMware vExpert 2009

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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jjj0923
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you have multiple documents entitled proven practice - which one pf the many?

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