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DavidDC
Contributor
Contributor

esxi backup advice would be wonderful

I’d really love some advice on the most efficient (including cost) method of backing up our esxi host as our current method, via a remote cli perl script takes 30 hours to run!

The ideal would be complete host redundancy, but failing that, I’d take anything that offered a downtime under 3 hours in the event of total disaster on the main host. The company I work for is prepared to spend but the budget isn’t fabulous ie the less the better as per usual!

A description of our setup:

- 2x HP DL380 hosts, each running esxi 3.5 (u4 I think, or the last update before 4.0)

- The second host is intended solely as a backup/redundant machine

- The hosts are near identical hardware wise – only difference is in CPU config – main host is dual quad core, redundant is dual twin core. Tests have shown that I can file copy a virtual machine to the backup host and the virtual OS will boot without hardware complaint.

- The main host holds 2 virtual machines each running win 2003 server. The first machine is 270Gb (160Gb of actual data) and the second is 72 Gb (40Gb data). Both need to be backed up.

- The two machines are linked via gigabit Ethernet

- We don’t currently hold any VMware licenses, and given that the client file interface bugs out on large file copies in 3.5 and the remote cli is read only and seems to be bandwidth throttled (we get 3Mb a second in a good second) you can see how we are sitting at a 30hour backup time.

- I can’t get away with switching off the virtual machines during backup – so backups need to be hot/live.

So my question is, given this setup – how do I get the maximum for the minimum? The closest to redundancy with the minimal of cost? It seems to me the best way would be to be copying changes-only directly to the redundant host (no NAS middleman) but I wouldn't really know...

If you need any more info just let me know. Help would be really appreciated as I’m no Linux guru and it’s been an effort/maze walk just to get where I’m at with the 30hr backup.

Thanks,

David

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AntonVZhbankov
Immortal
Immortal

I suppose you should think about continuous storage replication and high availability storage in this case, not backup.

Take a look at PHDVirtual Virtual SAN - it would suit your needs 100%. And it's free.


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MCSA, MCTS, VCP, VMware vExpert '2009

http://blog.vadmin.ru

EMCCAe, HPE ASE, MCITP: SA+VA, VCP 3/4/5, VMware vExpert XO (14 stars)
VMUG Russia Leader
http://t.me/beerpanda
DavidDC
Contributor
Contributor

Thanks very much Anton - I'd never heard of PHDVirtual Virtual SAN. It certainly sounds promising. Downloading now.

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AntonVZhbankov
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If you consider any comment as helpful, please award points Smiley Happy


---

MCSA, MCTS, VCP, VMware vExpert '2009

http://blog.vadmin.ru

EMCCAe, HPE ASE, MCITP: SA+VA, VCP 3/4/5, VMware vExpert XO (14 stars)
VMUG Russia Leader
http://t.me/beerpanda
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DavidDC
Contributor
Contributor

Sorry, I didn't notice those buttons on the left. Points awarded.

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