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vNwaie Bata Recoveiy

lrequenLly Asked CuesLlons (lAC), !uly 2009
ProJuct 0verview
Wbat is VMware Data Recovery?
vMware uaLa 8ecovery ls a new backup and recovery producL for vMware vSphere 4 envlronmenLs LhaL
provldes qulck, easy, and compleLe daLa proLecLlon for vlrLual machlnes.

- lL's a dlsk-based soluLlon LhaL's easy Lo use and fasL Lo backup and resLore.
- lL's bullL on Lhe vMware vSLorage Als for uaLa roLecLlon (prevlously known as vC8) and ls fully
lnLegraLed wlLh vCenLer Server Lo enable cenLrallzed and efflclenL schedullng of backup [obs uslng an
lnLulLlve workflow.
Wbat are tbe VMware Data Recovery components?
1he maln componenLs are a vMware vSphere cllenL plug-ln and a backup/recovery vlrLual appllance.
1he lllusLraLlon below summarlzes Lhe varlous componenLs.



Storage
Servers
VMware vSphere
Virtual Machines

vCenter Server Data Recovery
Management Interface WlLh vSphere CllenL plug-
ln, allows conflguraLlon and managemenL of
backup/recovery appllance vla vCenLer Server. Wlzard
drlven backup and resLore [ob creaLlon plus awareness of
PA/vMoLlon/u8S.
VMware vSpbere rovldes vSS supporL and changed block
Lracklng funcLlonallLy allows lncremenLal backups Lo be more
efflclenL
Storage vlrLual dlsk on dlrecL aLLached sLorage, nlS,
lSCSl or llbre Channel plus CllS flle shares as desLlnaLlons.
All backed up vlrLual machlnes are sLored on LargeL dlsk ln a
dedupllcaLed sLore
Backup and Recovery Appliance Cvl
appllance Lo dlscover, manage backup and resLore vlrLual
appllances



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Can I protect virtual macbines resident on VMware ESX 3.5 or earlier bosts?
no, vMware uaLa 8ecovery ls noL backward compaLlble wlLh LSx 3.3 or earller hosLs. 1hls also means
LhaL when a vCenLer Server 4 ls managlng boLh LSx 4 and LSx3.3 hosLs, vMware uaLa 8ecovery can only
proLecL vlrLual machlnes LhaL are resldenL on LSx 4 hosLs.
Can I protect virtual macbines resident on VMware ESXi 4 bosts?
?es, vMware uaLa 8ecovery can proLecL vlrLual machlnes on LSxl 4 and LSx 4 hosLs.
Can I use VMware Data Recovery witbout a VMware vCenter Server?
vMware uaLa 8ecovery ls deslgned Lo leverage vCenLer Server. vMware uaLa 8ecovery requlres Lhe
presence of a vMware vCenLer Server 4 when performlng auLomaLed Lasks such as scheduled backups
and scheduled lnLegrlLy checks. Powever, for cerLaln manual operaLlons (such as resLorlng vlrLual
machlnes when Lhere ls a slLe loss), vMware uaLa 8ecovery does noL requlre Lhe presence of a vCenLer
Server 4.
Is VMware Data Recovery compatible vCenter Server Linked Mode?
no, vMware uaLa 8ecovery ls noL compaLlble wlLh vCenLer Server 4 Llnked Mode.
How do I migrate my backups from disk to tape using VMware Data Recovery?
vMware uaLa 8ecovery naLlvely supporLs backups Lo dlsk and currenLly Lhere ls no offlclally supporLed
meLhod Lo mlgraLe Lhese backups Lo oLher medla.
Can tbe backup |ob continue wben a virtual macbine is being VMotion or
Storage VMotion?
?es, Lhe backup [ob wlll conLlnue when a vlrLual machlne ls belng vMoLlon or SLorage vMoLlon.
Powever, lL ls recommended LhaL vMware uaLa 8ecovery verslon 1.0.1 or laLer be used for Lhese
scenarlos.
Is VMware Data Recovery tbe replacement for VMware Consolidated Backup
{VCB]?
vMware uaLa 8ecovery ls noL Lhe replacemenL producL for vC8.
Does a virtual macbine need to be powered on in order for VMware Data
Recovery to backup it up?
no, Lhe vlrLual machlne does need Lo be powered on ln order Lo be backed up by vMware uaLa
8ecovery.



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Wbo sbould be using VMware Data Recovery?
vMware uaLa 8ecovery ls deslgned for Lhe vMware vSphere admlnlsLraLor LhaL ls also Lasked wlLh
backlng up and resLorlng vlrLual machlnes ln Lhelr envlronmenL. 1he user lnLerface ls famlllar and
sLralghLforward Lo allow Lhe admlnlsLraLor Lo qulckly backup and resLore Lhelr envlronmenL.
How does VMware Data Recovery complement my existing backup and
recovery solution?
vMware uaLa 8ecovery ls deslgned for Lhe vMware vSphere admlnlsLraLor who uses vMware vCenLer
server as Lhelr slngle pane of glass managemenL and ls also Lasked wlLh backlng up and resLorlng vlrLual
machlnes. lor envlronmenLs LhaL
have mlxed vMware LSx verslons
or where Lhere are physlcal and vlrLual machlnes Lo proLecL
or have a broader range of backup medla opLlons Lo supporL
or have Lhe need for more aggresslve recovery polnL ob[ecLlves (8C) for cerLaln buslness
crlLlcal appllcaLlon (LhaL may requlre a speclallzed agenL),
vMware uaLa 8ecovery would complemenL an exlsLlng backup and recovery soluLlon.
Wbat are tbe factors tbat contribute to tbe performance of a backup or
restore?
ln general, lL wlll be
1he amounL of daLa Lo be backed up (full or lncremenLal backup) - less daLa wlll provlde
fasLer performance
Change raLe of Lhe vM - lf Lhe vM can qulesced, Lhen Lhe snapshoL can be compleLed fasLer
Cff-LAn backup - backups uslng shared sLorage wlll be fasLer Lhan LAn based backups. noLe
LhaL ln order Lo uLlllze off-LAn backup, Lhe vSphere edlLlon needs Lo be llcensed for hoL add.

Ieotures

Wbat are some of tbe features of VMware Data Recovery?
SeLup
o lnlLlal SeLup Wlzard
8ackup
o ueflne [obs: selecL sources, desLlnaLlon, backup wlndow and reLenLlon pollcy
o ulsk LargeL - vlrLual dlsks and CllS share



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o roacLlve schedullng of backups uslng Lhe backup wlndow
o lull and lncremenLal backups vM. (noLe LhaL afLer Lhe lnlLlal full backups, all oLher
backups are lncremenLal)
o Show evenLs/hlsLory
o Cuesclng of vM uslng elLher volume Shadow Copy Servlce or freeze and Lhaw
scrlpLs
8esLore
o lull vM resLore, creaLe or overwrlLe enLlre vM
o CverwrlLe slngle dlsk
o ower on vM afLer resLore
o llle level resLore for Wlndows vMs (experlmenLal supporL and requlres Lhe flle level
resLore cllenL uLlllLy)
SLorage
o SupporL for all PCL sLorage plus CllS based neLwork shares for LargeLs
o All backups are dedupllcaLed
o Manage desLlnaLlons: repare, MounL, unmounL, LxLend
o ueleLlng resLore polnLs (applylng Lhe reLenLlon pollcy as well as manual deleLlon)
Can I perform file level backups?
no, vMware uaLa 8ecovery does noL allow for flle level backups. lL only allows vM level backups.
Wbat is tbe maximum number of concurrent backup and restore |obs tbat can
occur?
1he producL ls capable of a maxlmum of elghL concurrenL backup [obs and a maxlmum of elghL
concurrenL resLore [obs. 1he maxlmum number of [obs ls noL user conflgurable.
Can I perform a backup of only specific virtual disks on virtual macbines?
?es, vMware uaLa 8ecovery provldes Lhe capablllLy Lo back up speclflc vlrLual dlsks on one or more
vlrLual machlnes.
Can I perform backups from raw device mappings {RDM]?
Slnce vMware uaLa 8ecovery requlres vlrLual dlsk snapshoLs Lo lnlLlaLe Lhe backup process, backups
from 8uMs can only be performed when Lhe 8uM ls runnlng ln vlrLual compaLlblllLy mode.
Does tbe backup process leave a snapsbot entry on tbe virtual macbine after it
bas completed?
Cnce Lhe backup ls compleLe, vMware uaLa 8ecovery wlll dlsmounL any snapshoLs used Lo perform Lhe
backup, so Lhe vlrLual machlne wlll be lefL ln lLs pre-backup conflguraLlon.
Can I perform file level restores?
llle level resLore wlll be an experlmenLally supporLed feaLure. CurrenLly, Lhls capablllLy ls avallable for
Wlndows x, vlsLa, Server 2003 and Wlndows 2008 vlrLual machlnes. llle level resLore requlres LhaL a



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flle resLore uLlllLy be lnsLalled ln Lhe vlrLual machlne and LhaL Lhe flle resLore be lnlLlaLed vla Lhe guesL CS
console.
Can I restore a VM wben a backup |ob is being executed?
?es, a resLore can be lnlLlaLed and compleLe even when a backup [ob ls belng run.
Can I perform a backup wben an integrity cbeck is being performed on tbe
destination disk?
?es, Lhls ls posslble wlLh vMware uaLa 8ecovery verslon 1.0.1 or laLer. 1hls was noL posslble wlLh
vMware uaLa 8ecovery verslon 1.0.
Wbat tbe maximum number of virtual macbines tbat can be backed up using
VMware Data Recovery?
1he number of vlrLual machlnes LhaL can be backed up uslng each vMware uaLa 8ecovery appllance ls
100 vlrLual machlnes.
Are snapsbots resident in tbe VMs copied as part of tbe backup?
no, snapshoLs are excluded from Lhe backups. vMware uaLa 8ecovery wlll only copy Lhe sLaLe of Lhe
vM aL Lhe Llme of Lhe backup.
BeJuplicotion
Did VMware develop tbe deduplication tecbnology used in VMware Data
Recovery?
?es, Lhe dedupllcaLlon Lechnology used was developed by vMware. vMware uaLa 8ecovery lmplemenLs
block based ln-llne desLlnaLlon dedupllcaLlon.
Wbat are tbe maximum number of dedupe destinations and size of eacb
destination?
lL ls recommended LhaL each vMware uaLa 8ecovery appllance have no more Lhan Lwo dedupe
desLlnaLlons and LhaL each dedupe desLlnaLlon be no more Lhan 1 18 ln slze.
Is tbe deduplication performed inline witb tbe backup or on a pre-determined
scbedule?
1he dedupllcaLlon ls done lnllne as Lhe backups are belng sLored ln Lhe dedupe sLore.
Is it file level deduplication?
no, lL ls block level dedupllcaLlon.
Can I disable deduplication?
no, dedupllcaLlon ls always enabled and all backups uslng vMware uaLa 8ecovery ls dedupllcaLed.



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Wbat factors will increase my deduplication rates?
Pavlng vMs LhaL have commonallLy ln Lhe backup desLlnaLlon (across mulLlple backup [obs) wlll lncrease
Lhe dedupllcaLlon raLe. lor example, back up all Wlndows Server 2003 vMs Lo Lhe same desLlnaLlon
dlsk. ln addlLlon, uslng one desLlnaLlon dlsk for all backup should lncrease dedupe raLes.
Are tbere any best practice recommendations around tbe destination storage
to be used witb VMware Data Recovery?
?es, recommendaLlons can be found here:
http://viops.vmware.com/home/docs/DOC-1551
Can VMware Data Recovery use 3
rd
party deduplicated storage as a
destination?
?es, as long as Lhese sLorage devlces are llsLed on Lhe vMware sLorage compaLlblllLy maLrlx. Powever,
vMware uaLa 8ecovery was deslgned Lo prlmarlly use LradlLlonal sLorage devlces as Lhe backup
desLlnaLlon.
Hiscelloneous
Is VMware Data Recovery compatible witb IPv?
vMware uaLa 8ecovery requlres an lv4 address Lo communlcaLe.
Can I use an NFS sbare as tbe destination for tbe deduplicated store?
vMware uaLa 8ecovery cannoL naLlvely use nlS sLorage as a desLlnaLlon. Powever, vMware uaLa
8ecovery can wrlLe Lo a vlttool Jlsk LhaL resldes on a nlS sLorage LhaL ls on Lhe vMware sLorage
compaLlblllLy llsL.
Wbat is Volume Sbadow Copy Service {VSS]?
1he volume Shadow Copy Servlce provldes Lhe backup lnfrasLrucLure for Lhe MlcrosofL Wlndows x and
MlcrosofL Wlndows Server 2003 and 2008 operaLlng sysLems, as well as a mechanlsm for creaLlng
conslsLenL polnL-ln-Llme coples of daLa known as shadow coples. WlLh respecL Lo vMware uaLa
8ecovery, supporL for vSS allows creaLlng snapshoLs LhaL ensure appllcaLlon conslsLency" and more
accuracy ln backup daLa.