VMware Cloud Community
daviddavis
Enthusiast
Enthusiast
Jump to solution

What solution are you using to backup VMware ESX Virtual machines? What is the best?

What solution are you using to backup VMware ESX Virtual machines? What is the best?

Ideas include:

  • VMware VCB (with backup App)

  • EsXpress

  • ESX Ranger (with backup App)

Others?

What is the ideal? I am hoping that there is someone out there who has tried all of these and more who might be able to shed some light on this.

David Davis

Author of TrainSignal's VMware Workstation & Server video series

Personal website: HappyRouter.com

Author of Free Video - How to run ESX Server 3i in VMware Workstation

- David Davis -- Author of TrainSignal / Pluralsight.com video training courses. -- Blogger at www.VirtualizationSoftware.com
Reply
0 Kudos
1 Solution

Accepted Solutions
GregMeathead
Enthusiast
Enthusiast
Jump to solution

Backup Exec System Recovery, formerly Livestate. Best one i ever used, also can be used on physical servers. Full restore takes 30 min. very fast backup. Get trial, check it out. I've been using it for 3 years on more than 100 vm's. Helped many times

View solution in original post

Reply
0 Kudos
8 Replies
RParker
Immortal
Immortal
Jump to solution

http://communities.vmware.com/message/717641#717641

there are numerous posts that talk about this. BTW, VM Ware VCB is NOT a backup solution, it is HOW other backup software (netbackup, symantec, legato, etc..) can connect to the VI infrastructure to backup the VM's.

daviddavis
Enthusiast
Enthusiast
Jump to solution

Hi RParker,

Thanks for taking time to respond.

All good answers & true. I did look at that link and I did some searching.

Still, I am wondering if there is any post, web URL, or comparison that anyone has done between all the different ESX backup options (gee, a whitepaper would be great)?

Out of all the posts I read, I get the idea that EsXpress is easy and reasonably priced but that ESX Ranger is very popular as well. That's good info but I am still wondering what are all the available ESX backup options and, feature by feature, how do they compare?

Again, I appreciate your help!

David

- David Davis -- Author of TrainSignal / Pluralsight.com video training courses. -- Blogger at www.VirtualizationSoftware.com
Reply
0 Kudos
petedr
Virtuoso
Virtuoso
Jump to solution

Hey David I'll say upfront I work for the company that makes esXpress but before that I ran a oracle/linux virtual infrastracture and we used esXpress there. That is how I initially got involved with the esxpress guys. My best advice to you is to do your own evaluation of the various solutions and see what works best in your environment so you can make the best decision.

But so you have it here are some of the features of esXpress v3.1.

Backups are run in the virtual space using VBAs (Virtual backup appliances), it supports Full ( give that away for free ) and Delta backups, esXpress can backup templates and Vms with existing snapshots, supports backups to network targets (ssh/ftp) and vmfs (lan free), can handle File Level Backups, does simple replication, self executing restores ( no software needed), industry standard compression, full encryption, among others.

Good luck with your evaluations,

Pete@esxpress

www.thevirtualheadline.com www.liquidwarelabs.com
GregMeathead
Enthusiast
Enthusiast
Jump to solution

Backup Exec System Recovery, formerly Livestate. Best one i ever used, also can be used on physical servers. Full restore takes 30 min. very fast backup. Get trial, check it out. I've been using it for 3 years on more than 100 vm's. Helped many times

Reply
0 Kudos
daviddavis
Enthusiast
Enthusiast
Jump to solution

Thank you to everyone who responded on this. Excellent Comments! I appreciate it and will check out these products.

If anyone runs across any whitepapers that compare ESX virtualization backup products, please let me know.

Thanks,

David Davis

Author of TrainSignal's VMware Workstation & Server video series

Personal website: HappyRouter.com

Author of Free Video - How to run ESX Server 3i in VMware Workstation

- David Davis -- Author of TrainSignal / Pluralsight.com video training courses. -- Blogger at www.VirtualizationSoftware.com
Reply
0 Kudos
azn2kew
Champion
Champion
Jump to solution

Texiwill just had an article about Backup Solutions and comparision with his experience here.

If you found this information useful, please consider awarding points for "Correct" or "Helpful". Thanks!!!

Regards,

Stefan Nguyen

iGeek Systems LLC.

VMware, Citrix, Microsoft Consultant

If you found this information useful, please consider awarding points for "Correct" or "Helpful". Thanks!!! Regards, Stefan Nguyen VMware vExpert 2009 iGeek Systems Inc. VMware vExpert, VCP 3 & 4, VSP, VTSP, CCA, CCEA, CCNA, MCSA, EMCSE, EMCISA
Reply
0 Kudos
SamRm
Contributor
Contributor
Jump to solution

<![endif]><![if gte mso 9]>

"What solution are you using to backup VMware ESX

Virtual machines? What is the best?

Ideas include:

  • VMware VCB (with backup App)

  • EsXpress

  • ESX Ranger (with backup App)

Others?

What is the ideal? I am hoping that there is someone out there who has tried

all of these and more who might be able to shed some light on this."

-


Hi David,

I can't directly compare products to VCB framework, except to my old

scripts.

We evaluated 4 VMWare backup products this September-October.

  • EsXpress

  • vDCR Backup

  • ESX Range

Based on our testing we preferred vDCR Backup over EsXpress and ESX

Ranger.

Main reasons: faster backups = smaller backup windows, it works/integrated with

our Netbackup tape backup.

vDCR backup server http://www.ardeologic.com

My 5 cent.

Sam

Reply
0 Kudos
seminole38
Contributor
Contributor
Jump to solution

David,

depending on your storage and the number of VM's but you can also have a look of the vmbk.pl script (). It may be usefull in certain case.

Regards

Reply
0 Kudos