VM /ETC

It’s always an afterthought. The client bought VI3 Enterprise so they know they have VCB. Everybody is talking about live VM backups so what’s the big deal? Sounds like it’s simple to start backing up VMs and maybe even reducing the cost of your backup agent licensing, right? Well, if you haven’t planned for it, then not really.

It’s not that it’s difficult to install VCB. It’s understanding what is needed to use it. I’ve heard VMware themselves say it’s not the whole solution. It’s just a framework of scripts to help integrate the enterprise backup solution with the virtual environment. Here’s how VMware’s Virtual Machine Backup Guide puts it:

Consolidated Backup consists of a set of utilities and scripts that work in conjunction with a third party backup software. To ensure that Consolidated Backup works with specific backup software, either VMware or your backup software vendor provide integration modules containing any required pre backup and post backup scripts. The third party software, integration module, and Consolidated Backup run on the VCB proxy, a physical machine that has Microsoft Windows 2003 installed.

Here’s what you need to configure before you install VCB.

The VCB Proxy Server – A dedicated physical (not a VM) Windows 2003 SP1 server with direct access to the ESX VMFS LUNs. That means the same hardware that the ESX hosts have for storage – HBAs, iSCSI adapters, etc.

Prerequisites (also from VMware’s Backup Guide) – To be able to install Consolidated Backup on the VCB proxy, make sure that the
following requirements are met:

• The proxy is running Microsoft Windows 2003. Consolidated Backup doesn’t support any other versions of Windows on the proxy.
• Networking on the backup proxy is configured so that the proxy can establish a
  connection to VirtualCenter.
  • If there is a firewall between the backup proxy and the VirtualCenter, the firewall
    must permit TCP/IP connections to VirtualCenter. By default, VirtualCenter
    expects incoming connections at TCP/IP port 902.
• The third party backup software to be used with Consolidated Backup is installed
  and correctly configured.
  • Verify the configuration of the third party backup software at this time by running a backup and restoration job on a local directory on the VCB proxy.

You also have to disable automatic drive letter assignment in Windows on the VCB proxy server.

The SAN – add the VCB proxy to the same zones as your ESX servers. If the VCB proxy can’t see the LUN where the volume folder of the VM is stored then it can’t back it up. That also means that any VMs running from local ESX storage will have to be moved to a SAN LUN if you want to back it up.

You will also need to create NTFS disk space to store your VM backups. Sounds obvious, but adequate space is too often overlooked. Assess your total disk usage from all your VMs. Determine what is an acceptable retention cycle for your backups. Do the math. Yes the backups will be compressed but if you really want to get rid of backup agents then you will need to keep multiple full VM backups and more differentials. Then create the zone(s) for the new storage dedicated to the proxy server.

Third party backup software – you have to configure specific pre-scripts and post-scripts for your backup software. You will also want to install and confgure a VCB integration module for your product. Without these you will quickly fill up your backup LUN.

Be sure to go through the README file that comes with your specific integration module. VCB works differently with each product.

My point is that VCB is not just a product install. It’s a small project by itsellf involving a hardware build, SAN zoning, the software install, and then some scripting configuration. You also need to have an enterprise backup solution already in place that can move the VCB jobs off to tape to keep the whole system healthy.

To learn more about VCB planning and configuration read the Backup Guide .pdf already mentioned. To get a better idea of VCB in action check out the VCB Lab Materials from VMworld 2007.

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