>>So we can back up the VDR backup store to TSM for offsite/DR purposes. What about restores? do we have to restore the whole VDR storage to a point in time in order to run a restore where TSM has a longer retention than VDR?
As far as I know, yes. >>Can we just restore a part of it and if so how do we determine which part? As far as I know, no. >>Other than offsite/DR I can't see much point in backing up the VDR data store at all unless you can do more with it. Agreed. I was suggesting putting the VDR repository on tape only for folks who have a requirement to use tape at their DR sites. On 9/11/2010 6:13 PM, Prather, Wanda wrote: > TSM is way behind the curve on VMWare backups. > If you have ESX 4.0 Enterprise: > > a) ESX 4.0 enterprise includes a VMWare backup utility called VDR > b) Set up VDR to back up to a disk repository. It does fulls and > incrementals, and dedups them. It's fast, it's easy, it's efficient, knocks > the sox off of VCB. > c) if you want to get the VDR backups into your TSM hierarchy, the disk for > the repository MUST be on a Windows host, shared out to VDR as a CIFS share. > d) install the TSM Windows client on the Windows host that owns the disk, > let TSM back up the VDR repository (you must stop VDR while TSM is running > the backup.) > e) VDR very conveniently creates 2 GB stripes in the repository, so you can > turn on TSM subfile backup for it if you want to really cut down the backup > load. > > I have multiple customers doing this. Most recent one that tried this, got > it working in about 30 minutes. > I think you'll find whitepapers on VDR on the VMWare site. > > There are other VMWare backup products that are implementing the 4.0 backup > architecture already. They may have features you like better than VDR, which > is pretty simple. But if you have ESX 4.0 Enterprise, you already own VDR, > and it's far, far better than running VCB. > > W > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: ADSM: Dist Stor Manager [mailto:ads...@vm.marist.edu] On Behalf Of TSM > User > Sent: Monday, November 08, 2010 5:18 PM > To: ADSM-L@VM.MARIST.EDU > Subject: [ADSM-L] VMware backup questions > > I've been searching online, including a number of listserv posts, and what > I'm finding is that the information I'm looking for seems pretty > fragmented. I'm trying to figure out what the options are for backing up a > VMware version 4 implementation in an all-Linux environment. I've > determined that a proxy server is needed still for VADP/vStorage, just as > for VCB. It appears that the proxy server must be run on Windows. I'm a > bit confused about what's supported, though. So my questions are: > > --In one place in the client manual, it says that file-level backups are > only supported for Windows VMs. I read on another website that TSM only > works with VADP for file-level backups as of now, and for full VM backups, > VCB is still required. Does this mean that VCB must be present in order to > back up Linux guests, and that only full VM backups are available? That > doesn't seem right to me, but that's where the bits of information I've run > across leads me. > > --If the answer to the above is yes, does anyone know if there will be more > options for Linux VMs any time soon, and what it's likely to be? > > --Has anyone been able to locate a single, comprehensive resource describing > what functions are available in what circumstances and what's required for > TSM with VADP? > > Someone please tell me I'm missing something.... > > Thanks! >
