Proven Practice: Integrating Symantec Backup Exec 12.5 with VCB 1.5
Created on: Oct 8, 2008 7:38 AM by Chris Skinner - Last Modified: Oct 8, 2008 8:03 AM by Chris Skinner
Metadata
Title | Proven Practice: Integrating Symantec Backup Exec 12.5 with VCB 1.5 |
Version | VMware 07/OCT/2008 1.0 |
Author | VMware (NYSE: VMW) is the global leader in virtualization solutions from the desktop to the data center. Customers of all sizes rely on VMware to reduce capital and operating expenses, ensure business continuity, strengthen security and go green. With 2007 revenues of $1.33 billion, more than 120,000 customers and nearly 18,000 partners, VMware is one of the fastest-growing public software companies. VMware is headquartered in Palo Alto, California, and on the Web at http://vmware.com/.
Chris Skinner |
Tags | availability backup Symantec Backup Exec_12.5 VCB vmware_consolidated_backup |
Location | The specified document was not found. |
Context | Instead of installing backup agents in all of our guests and backing up over the LAN, we prefer to use VCB with our chosen backup provider in LAN-free mode.
VMware Consolidated Backup enables the LAN-free operation by providing access to the VMDKs and quiescing guest disk operations to provide a clean backup, but you still need backup software to read the mounted disk and back it up.
In this document, Symantec's Backup Exec 12.5 is outlined. This recent release provides full functionality with VCB without the need for separate scripts to integrate. |
Actors | VMware Certified Professionals, Storage Management / Sysadmin / Operations / Backup experts |
References | See attached PDF |
Outline |
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Disclaimer | You use this proven practice at your discretion. VMware and the author do not guarantee any results from the use of this proven practice. This proven practice is provided on an as-is basis and is for demonstration purposes only. |
How to use this proven practice
This paper documents the steps to successfully integrate Symantec's Backup Exec 12.5 with VMware's Consolidated Backup Framework 1.5. With this latest realease from Symantec, integration scripts provided from some vendors is the way to integrate with VCB. Backup Exec 12.5 includes these scripts within the application and provides the ability to restore a virtual machine directly into VirtualCenter using VMware Converter.
This document assumes the following configuration:
VirtualCenter 2.5 Update 2
ESX 3.5 Update 2
VCB 1.5 proxy server
Symantec Backup Exec 12.5
Windows 2003
VMware Converter 3.0.3 - Standalone Version
See the attached PDF for the detailed steps.
Chris Skinner says:
in response to: Daniel Whittaker
Truthfully, this is best answered directly from Symantec. I am contacting someone at Symantec to get clairification as well.
Daniel Whittaker says:
in response to: Chris Skinner
The drones at Symantec that I've had access to seemed to quote me an overly complex bundle of required items (I don't think they understood the agent for VCB at the time).
My distributor's Symantec sales consultant has just come back and advised that it should be 1x BEWS core license, then 1x VMWare VI agent PER ESX host, covering unlimited numbers of guests per ESX. He indicated that no other licensing options (agents for Windows, etc) are required (which makes sense, but logic is not usually a motivating factor for licensing).
Please advise if you find any different from your own investigations.
Daniel Whittaker says:
in response to: Daniel Whittaker
Further research and clarification indicates that if you're running a VM with Exchange, SQL, etc. you require the agents for those programs installed on the relevant VM also in order to quiesce/backup/restore them correctly.
Chris Skinner says:
in response to: Daniel Whittaker
I completely agree with Daniel's post. The intent of the document was to simply show how to Symantec is integrating the new version Backup Exec with VCB and VirtualCenter. For mission critical applications like those mentioned, definitely treat them as such.
thorswitt says:
Are you sure differential or incremental with modified time is possible?
From Symantec Virtual Infrastructure FAQ
3. Can I perform Incremental or Differential backups of Guest virtual machines?
Answer-
VMware VCB technology does not currently provide any means to perform Incremental or
Differential backups of Guest virtual machines. Currently, Incremental or Differential
backups of Guest virtual machines can only be performed using traditional file-level
backup methods of using a Backup Exec Remote Agent for Windows Systems or Remote
Agent for Linux/Unix Servers inside of the Guest virtual machine.
Steve Hummel says:
in response to: Daniel Whittaker
It looks like it is licensed per ESX host. The quote I received for 10 hosts was over $2100 per host.
It can't do differential or incremental backups. So, you still have to do regular backups for applications or files that require daily backups, which of course, require their own agents. IMHO, this should be licensed once for the vcenter server or not require a license at all. The ability to handle VCB backups by (policy, does it in fact allow this?), and restore individual files from a full VM backup are great steps in the right direction, but the added benefit doesn't justify the cost for me.
Guy Chapman says:
in response to: Steve Hummel
Yes, it is per host (not per socket). The price is steep, I am trying to see if we can wrestle it down some for our environment.
Guy Chapman says:
Chris, I have had difficulty making VCB work using the proven practice documents; specifically, the VM unmounts after 60 minutes or so and I can't find the place where that is specified; also the Symantec scripts don't seem to support backup by UUID so that makes backing up offline VMs (for archival) a challenge. I'd be interested in a bit of dialogue offline to maybe document the wrinkles.
Steve Hummel says:
in response to: Guy Chapman
In the Pre/Post command page of settings for your backup job, change the "Cancel command if not completed within" value from the default of 60 minutes to something more appropriate. I use 240 as my standard, with a longer timeout if it is a large server.
Chris (or anyone),
Do you have any idea on the licensing requirements with Symantec when using the new BEWS 12.5 and the VCB agent for what you have described above? We are in the midst of sorting out a disaster recovery plan on a minimal budget and the above is our theorized best possible scenario.
E.G. Is the BEWS VMWare VI license per ESX Host or for an entire cluster/Datacentre? And are any other agents or options required on top?
I've been in contact with Symantec and our distributors and am getting conflicting reports, so thought I'd go to someone who's already been there and done it.