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VMware Backup Integrity

VMware Backup Integrity. Eric Siebert. vExpert, Author, Blogger. Blog: http://vsphere-land.com http://searchvmware.com Twitter: @ ericsiebert. About the speaker. 25 year IT industry veteran. vSphere Land blog: http://vmware-land.com/. Author of popular books.

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VMware Backup Integrity

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  1. VMware Backup Integrity Eric Siebert vExpert, Author, Blogger Blog: http://vsphere-land.com http://searchvmware.com Twitter: @ericsiebert

  2. About the speaker • 25 year IT industry veteran. vSphere Land blog: http://vmware-land.com/ Author of popular books Contributor to industry publications vExpert nomination

  3. Agenda • Why backup integrity is critical • Traditional backup verification methods • How virtualization makes verification easier • Quiescing is critical to consistency • VMware Tools is important

  4. Why backup integrity is critical? • Good backups are important, good restores is more important • Backups worthless without proper restore capabilities • No errors reported doesn’t imply recoverability • Test and verify backups are working and recoverable Good backup APP Backup Restore Good Restore?

  5. The challenge of verifying backups • Reporting a successful backup is not a complete verification • File, application, database and server restores needed • Proper verification can be time-consuming • Restoring files is easy, applications or whole VM is complicated Need to ensure that VM backups are usable Good backup Non-production environment APP APP

  6. Traditional backup verification methods • Verification can’t impact production VMs • Requires un-used hardware to test restore • Bare-metal restores for verification is impractical • Difficult with many server models and generations Ensuring recoverability with legacy tools unfeasible Non-production environment Same App Backup Same Drivers Restore Same OS

  7. Data Restore Levels 3 Different levels to backup and restore Image level File level Application item level Backup SQL record Restore

  8. How virtualization makes verification easier • VMseasily restored to host and powered on • Network isolation prevents impacting production systems • Multiple VMs restored to tests applications • No extra hardware required The process is easier with virtualization Backup Restore

  9. Consistency is the key to good backups • OS, applications and data need to be in proper state • Critical for transactional applications: AD, SQL and Exchange Transaction-based applications Exchange SQL Active Directory More • Server must be prepared before snapshot • Pending transactions must completed • Missing data can cause corruption Backup Restore

  10. Quiescing is critical to consistency • Quiescing pauses VM while outstanding operations complete • Once quiesce is complete, VM snapshot can be taken Windows uses VSS Linux uses VMare Tools • Not all applications support quiescing

  11. Backup states A VM can be in several states when snapshot is taken • Equivalent to hard power off • OS is quiesced File system consistent • OS and applications are quiesced, best state

  12. VMware Tools • Contains drivers and applications that help optimize the guest OS to run on a VMware host Guest daemon Host/guest communication Toolbox/tray Configure VMware Tool settings VMware Tools VMmemtcl Memory balloon driver VMxnet VMware network drivers VMsync Sync driver for freezing and thawing

  13. VMware Tools • VMware Tools interacts with VSS • VMware Tools may not immediately support newest OSes • Backups can provide OS agents to quiesce VMs • In Linux VMs, the VMsync driver can provide VSS-like features Backup Server starts backup job Backup Server contacts VMware Tools to quiesce VM Microsoft VSS quiesce’s VM Backup Server creates VM Snapshot Using API Backup Server begins image- Level backup Backup Server deletes VM snapshot when finished 1 2 3 4 5 6

  14. What we covered: • Verify recoverability of backups to avoid any surprises • Regular verification of recoverability is required • Leverage virtualization for verification • Automation is essential • Verifying recoverability is critical

  15. Enjoy and share this material • Feel free to promote this material • Recommend your peers to pass certification • Blog, Tweet and share this material and your experience on Facebook • You’re an Expert? We will be happy to have you as Backup Academy • contributor. Apply here. Web: http://www.backupacademy.com E-mail: feedback@backupacademy.com Twitter: BckpAcademy Facebook: backup.academy

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