I'm using Datastore based backups, i.e. 1 Veeam Backup job per Datastore so I'm not taking multiple 3PAR snapshots of each Datastore as it sifts through the grouping of VMs. The solution has two 3PAR 7400's, a virtual Veeam Enterprise Manager, two physical Veeam Proxy Servers all running 7.0 with Patch 3. The Veeam Proxy Servers have 10Gb Nics and 8Gb Fibre. The backup storage is iSCSI, the Fibre is used to connect to the 3PAR Storage where the VMs reside and a Tape Library for good measure. So far, so fun, let's see where configuration is needed:
- SAN Switch Zoning - I examined one of the existing Blade Server Zones and used that as a template. There are two SAN fabrics, each needed two Zones set up for each Proxy Server. Proxy Server HBA #1 is zoned with one SAN Controller and then separately to the second SAN's Controller. Then HBA #2 then zoned to the same way to the other controller on each SAN.
- 3PAR - The Proxy Server can now log in to the SAN Fabric and you should see the WWIDs appear in 3PAR. Define a Host using both sets of WWIDs. You need to do this on each 3PAR.
- Double check the Proxy O/S is not set to automount. Veeam disables this by default but recheck.
- Now you can configure a test backup job, you need Veeam B&R Enterprise Plus to do this remember, check your license. Enable SAN Based Backups on the test job.
During the Backup window you'll see temporary snapshot volumes being presented to the Proxy Server in Disk Manager, these disappear after a time. At no stage do you need to export the live Production LUNs used for VMware to the proxy server. 3PAR snapshots the LUN and presents this so it's a safe configuration and fast.
Restores have to be carried out over the network. I've seen backups processing 100's of MB/s but restores typically are in the region of 50 MB/s even with 10Gb network speeds. So a 200GB VM could take 2 hours to restore but that's typical of most backup / restore comparisons (it takes twice as long to restore than to backup).
I had one issue where some Datastores would use SAN snapshots and others wouldn't. When I spent some time looking at it I found it was working for SAN #1 but not SAN #2. Turned out I had defined the Host on SAN #1 but forgotten to do it also on SAN #2. Easy fix!
Get your SAN administrator to do the Zoning & 3PAR piece if you're not comfortable as it can be tricky. The Server zoning was already done by an expert so I just copied their naming convention and config to extend it to the Proxy Servers which made it handy!
Tape Integration is next, so far so good, basic but it works nicely. I tested instant restore also which worked like a charm and used Storage vMotion to relocate the VM afterwards.
I really like Veeam, they deliver great software and it's very usable from an Engineer's point of view. Probably one of the last product out there I can say that about!
Restores have to be carried out over the network. I've seen backups processing 100's of MB/s but restores typically are in the region of 50 MB/s even with 10Gb network speeds. So a 200GB VM could take 2 hours to restore but that's typical of most backup / restore comparisons (it takes twice as long to restore than to backup).
I had one issue where some Datastores would use SAN snapshots and others wouldn't. When I spent some time looking at it I found it was working for SAN #1 but not SAN #2. Turned out I had defined the Host on SAN #1 but forgotten to do it also on SAN #2. Easy fix!
Get your SAN administrator to do the Zoning & 3PAR piece if you're not comfortable as it can be tricky. The Server zoning was already done by an expert so I just copied their naming convention and config to extend it to the Proxy Servers which made it handy!
Tape Integration is next, so far so good, basic but it works nicely. I tested instant restore also which worked like a charm and used Storage vMotion to relocate the VM afterwards.
I really like Veeam, they deliver great software and it's very usable from an Engineer's point of view. Probably one of the last product out there I can say that about!
