VMware and Backups

[spikespiegal]

Welcome to the club. Look at Falcon Store running on top of EMC to perform these kind of gymnastics properly at a hardware level. I otherwise have learned the hard way to ignore pretty much anything EMC tells me.

Otherwise, for in-state Windows Server backs ups, VM'd or otherwise, are best left to either Acronis, or Paragon type products. I use the Paragon product on a regular basis to make in-state Server 2003 images/snapshots without downing the box, and it works very well.

As far as I'm concerned any Windows admin who's only using file level back-ups and *not* using a proven, in-state cloning tool like Acronis or Paragon needs to be reprimanded.

 

[Genx87]

I agree which is why virtualization looks great to me. But a clumsy backup system VMWare has setup is sad.

 

[SolMiester]

Hi guys, where did you get to with the VM backup solution. I am in the same boat, no linux skills at all, just built my 1st ESX server 3.5. My DR solution is 2 x P800 controller for the Direct Radid Array, swap cable to other server on live server failure ( we only have 10 servers (VMs)).

I was contemplating a NAS box solution and having the consolidated backup software or other imaging solution create the image to the NAS box, however I certainly wouldnt be doing it nightly, maybe weekly or better yet just monthly!

Opinions?

 

[SoulAssassin]

This is what you want:

http://www.vmware.com/products...nsolidated_backup.html

 

[SolMiester]

Yay, we purchased foundation which comes with Consolidated Backup.........Just got to wait for my MSA50 so I can get going on this!!

 

[Mr Pickles]

It seems as though there is a lot more work put into this then there should be. I mean virtual is supposed to be easier, correct? I don't see why using the same software that you use to backup your physical servers and then creating a template of your server and a snapshot now and then wouldn't suffice. I mean you are working with an environment that's going to change soon to ESX (which is a good move) so why get really technical? I would just use the tools you have now.

 

[mooseracing]

Originally posted by: Pirotech
Take a look at
Acronis True Image Echo Server for Windows

The enterprise edition has more options for Windows than just the windows version. I have been testing this since we are setting up a new network and new servers. I was able to restore a Primary DC from bare metal in under 15mins. That alone is worth the license costs, all though I've had issues with their support.

To run it in the VM use it like a regular backup software, take a complete snapshot of the VM system (.tib file will be created). Then if you ever want to restore the VM, just boot to the recovery media. Whether its the true media or just an iso stored somewhere on your network, then you can load your image from there.

 

[Czar]

I'm running a few ESX hosts at work, and use TSM to take backup of the servers just like I would a normal server.

live backups of vm's like a set of files is just maturing right now, slowly but surely, but there are mature solutions out there.

For ESX there is the ESX Ranger http://www.vizioncore.com/esxranger_eval.html for example.

If you run vmware server then I guess you servers then I guess you can live with a few hours of downtime. Script the shutdown of the vm's, script a file level backup to a file server or something like that. Script the startup.

If you can not live with a few hours of downtime then I suggest going to the ESX server.



And dont think of ESX native backup as some sotof solution since it is only a way for third party applications to take backups. Dont think a good native backup solution will come from VMware untill version 4.0 at the earliest. Hell, TSM is just now getting support to use VMwareðs backup with version 5.5 of TSM