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SayNo2HyperV
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Every VDP I've tested gets corrupt. What's your VDP verdict?

Why does every single version of VDP end up getting corrupt?  In my experience it is very unreliable...even in a lab test environment.  (ESXi 5.5 with VDP datastore on Starwind 5path Gbit MPIO Adaptec5805 RAID1)

I've tested believe 3 or 4 different version of it.  Throughout the tests I've had backups disappear, services won't start, backup jobs fail, and now with VDP 5.8 gsan degraded.  In Admin mode state and won't come out of it.  It has plenty of disk space.

In all previous tests when it breaks I dig through logs, cruise around on google, Vmware KBs, and never get it resolved...Always end up with a complete reload.  The last time with previous version I re-loaded with existing datastores.

Don't want to simply complain...but every time it manages to get itself corrupt very quickly.  I just scrap it and say maybe Vmware will get it stable next release.  But as I've said this is now my fourth trial test with poor experience.

What does a hard drive and VDP have in common..?  Not a question of if it will fail...it is when.  The irony being VDP is allegedly the solution to the failing hard drive.

Joking aside...what is the trick to get VDP to work reliably for even a month?  I'd really like to know from some pros that have it in production.  You must be running some manual maintenance procedures on the side that are maintaining the dedupe/datastores properly.

Currently looking at Acronis 11.5 ESXi appliance with dedupe store to see how it compares...even though the appliance won't do nice VSS app backups.  But if it can be a one time setup and not require complete reinstall on regular intervals then a few guest agents backups would be just fine.

Also be interested in what other backup products you have in production as an alternative to VDP?

Thanks!

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SayNo2HyperV
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Felt worth mentioning throughout my testing of the different versions of VDP I have always used this VSS workaround.  Even before VDP-A was released.

With Server 2008 R2 on root of C resides vshadow_x64.exe

Residing in Vmware tools backscripts.d folder is a batch file which runs

vshadow_x64.exe c:

This resolved the Disk backup failure with Disk.EnableUUID 

This is the only thing that I've ever customized from VDP default operation.  Snapshots messing with VDP datastores...I dunno.

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SayNo2HyperV
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Acronis 11.5 ESXi Appliance with management server dedupe storage node seems to be working well as an alternative to VDP.

Never did get VDP back in full access mode.  Ran manual integrity check via CLI and it still will not come out of read only admin mode.  Deleted some backups.  It's at 25% used space.

No idea why have such trouble with this software but I'm going to end the VDP trial testing and play more with Acronis 11.5

TTFN

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kbrent2011
Contributor
Contributor

Hi,

VDP has always been a cumbersome solution. We had a disaster and because VDP failed at the most critical moment, we were hit very badly!! We moved to Veeam for a while, but their prices have gone up so high, it costs a fortune now.. and we keep addying hosts...We have been looking for alternatives for the past 2 month. Unitrends and NAKIVO Backup & Replication made it into the finals. I am leaning towards NAKIVO, since the performance, price and features seem to be the most attractive. Main point, do not expect reliability from vdp, look for an alternaive.

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SayNo2HyperV
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Thanks for feedback.  I'll review those products.

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