Create Backup Set
Backup Requirements for
Backup Requirements for VMware ESX or ESXi server/vCenter
%edition_name% cannot be installed on the hypervisor (ESX or ESXi server).
For best performance, %edition_name% should be installed on a separate dedicated physical machine - Backup Client Machine - for backup of your virtual machines.
Please ensure that the following requirements or recommendations are met by the Backup Client Computer:
-
The following TCP ports must be opened on the Backup Client Computer:
- Port 22 (required for restore)
- Port 80 and 443
- For better performance, %edition_name% is recommended to be installed on a 64 bit computer, with multiple CPUs and cores.
- Consider increasing the JVM (Java Virtual Machine) memory allocation to improve performance of the backup operation.
- Sufficient disk space must be allocated for the temporary directory, and the formula of calculation of disk space is as following:
(Total File Size * Delta Ratio) * number of backup destinations = Maximum Free Space Required
!
The calculation is based on the current guest VM size, and it does not take into account guest VM growth over time. It is recommended for fast growing guest VM the maximum free space required should be reviewed on regular basis to avoid potential backup problems.
- It is recommended that the temporary directory be configured on a local drive.
- It is recommended that the temporary directory is not configured on the same partition which the operating system is installed on.
- For backup of virtual machine with snapshot, backup of the whole VM instead of individual disk is highly recommended.
- Consider performing routine recovery test to ensure your backup is setup and performed properly.
Please consider the maximum file size allowed for different ESX/ESXi version.
For ESXi 5.0, this error occurs when any individual flat .vmdk file exceeds 2,181,972,430,848 bytes. This is the size generated when 'Adding a virtual disk' with size of 1.984492366201720 TB is specified."
For different block size setting on VMFS, the maximum file size may be different, please refer to the following articles for details:
http://kb.vmware.com/kb/1012384
http://kb.vmware.com/kb/1003565
The absolute maximum snapshot file size is limited to roughly 2 TB. However, different block size setting on the VMFS datastore may have a smaller size limit, adjust the block size setting when necessary.
Consider to disable the memory snapshot or quiesce guest options when taking snapshot for VMware VM backup, to shorten the time required for the process.
- Snapshot the virtual machine's memory
- Quiesce guest file system (Needs VMware Tools installed)
Please ensure that the following requirements are met by the Hypervisor:
SSH must be enabled on the Hypervisor.
To enable root SSH login on an ESX/ESXi host, please follow the below instructions from VMware.
http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=8375637
The root account must be enabled.
%edition_name% ESX / ESXi backup set requires the root account for backup and restore.
The following TCP ports must be opened on the hypervisor:
- It is recommended that the datastore have disk space of the largest sized virtual machine to be backed up.
Backup with VDDK mode
%edition_name% comes with the virtual disk development kit (VDDK) mode with the ESX/ESXi and vCenter backup. The backup speed is enhanced because the backup can spool the delta of the VM directly from the ESX/ESXi or vCenter. With the new VDDK mode, it supports
- the backup / restore resource pool and 'roles' settings, and support the restore to another name or alternation location on ESX/ESXi platform.
- the VM hardware version upgrade, change tracking option and change tracking data option when a new backup set is created.
- add or remove VM hard disk without uploading the existing hard disk again on the vCenter backup.
Limitations
The following are limitations of the VMware VM backup module:
VMware ESX or ESXi Server with Raw Device Mapping (RDM) is not supported.
Snapshots are not available when the Raw Device Mapping (RDM) is used in physical compatibility mode.
- Backup of virtual machine with multiple snapshot root branches is not supported on VMware ESXi Server version 4.0 and 4.1.
- For backup of individual virtual disk, the restored virtual machine does not support the reversion of previous snapshots, if the snapshot contains disks which are not previously backed up by %edition_name%.
For virtual machines with Independent Disks:
- If Independent Disks are to be included in the virtual machine backup, the virtual machine must be powered off first, before running the backup job.
- If the virtual machine is powered on, the Independent Disk will not be backed up.
%edition_name% will skip the snapshot creation of any Independent Disk on the virtual machine.
If the file name of the virtual machine contains the following special characters, the https access to the files will be failed:
` ^ ~ = ; ! / ( [ ] { } @ $ \ & # % +
This is due to the percent-encoding specified in the URL standard is not supported for ESXi based HTTP(S) file access. To resolve the issue, please rename the corresponding file to avoid special characters. For instructions on renaming a virtual machine, please refer to the following knowledge base article from VMware:
http://kb.vmware.com/kb/1026469
- For the VDDK mode, no VM's snapshot, memory or the suspend status will be able to backup and restore. If the backup and restore of the snapshot, memory or the suspend status is required, do not turn on the 'Change Block Tracking' option when you create the ESX/ESXi or vCenter backup set, select [No] for the creating the backup set in non-VDDK mode which allows the backup and restore of the snapshot, memory or the suspend status.
- VDDK mode will not be enabled if the independent disk or raw disk is configured in the VM.
- Free license on ESX/ESXi are not allowed to run the backup with VDDK mode.
- Once the backup job executed on a VM which change block tracking option was enabled by the VDDK, please do not off this option in the VM for consequence backup jobs. If you need to disable this option, you are suggested to create a new backup set with requires to disable this option.
Backup Requirements for VMware Server/Player/Workstation
As the backup and restore procedures for VM running on VMware Player and Workstation are very similar to that of VM running on VMware Server. The description in this section is mainly based on the VMware Server.
Please ensure that the following requirements are met by the VMware Server:
%edition_name% must be installed on the hypervisor.
!
Resource allocation for both VM hosting and backup operation must be taken into consideration.
The following TCP ports must be opened on the hypervisor:
- Port 902
- Port 912
- Port 8222
- Port 8333
- Consider increasing the JVM (Java Virtual Machine) memory allocation to improve performance of the backup operation.
- It is recommended that the datastore have disk space of the largest sized virtual machine to be backed up.
- Sufficient disk space must be allocated for the temporary directory, and the formula of calculation of disk space is as following:
(Total File Size * Delta Ratio) * number of backup destinations = Maximum Free Space Required
!
The calculation is based on the current guest VM size, and it does not take into account guest VM growth over time. It is recommended for fast growing guest VM the maximum free space required should be reviewed on regular basis to avoid potential backup problems.
- It is recommended that the temporary directory be configured on a local drive.
- It is recommended that the temporary directory is not configured on the same partition which the operating system is installed on.
- Consider performing routine recovery test to ensure your backup is setup and performed properly.
Limitations
The following are limitations of the VMware VM backup module:
- For VMware Server 1.x, active virtual machine selected for backup must be powered down for the backup process to begin.
- For backup of individual virtual disk, the restored virtual machine does not support the reversion of previous snapshots, if the snapshot contains disks which are not previously backed up by %edition_name%.
- Independent Disk is not supported. For virtual machines with Independent Disks, those disks will not be backed up.
Granular Restore Requirements
Please ensure that the following requirements are met for Granular Restore to use:
- Granular restore is only supported on VMware backup sets created and backed up using %edition_name% v7.13.0.0 or above on Windows platforms with Granular Restore feature enabled.
- Granular restore is only supported on VMware backup sets created and backed up using %edition_name% v3.1.0.0 or above on Windows platforms with Granular Restore feature enabled.
- Granular Restore add-on module is required per backup set for this feature to work. Contact your backup service provider for more details.
- Both compression and encryption are not enabled for Granular restore backup sets, to optimize restore performance the storage quota required will be higher than non-Granular Restore backup sets. Contact your backup service provider for details.
- %edition_name% must be installed on a 64 bit Windows machine as libraries for VMware Granular restore only supports 64bit Windows.
- Temporary Directory Folder should have at least the same available size as the backup image to be restored.
- One spare drive letter must be available for the granular restore process as the VMDK or VDDK image is mounted on Windows as a logical drive by %edition_name% and it will automatically take the next available drive letter in alphabetical order for the mounted volume. (Drive letters A, B, and C will not be used.)
- Recommended minimum network speed is at least 100Mbits download speed per second. Network bandwidth should be increased in proportion to the delta chain to ensure optimal performance. Working with limited network bandwidth may severely affect the granular restore performance.
You can use an online speed connection testing site (e.g. http://www.speedtest.net) to test your connection speed.
- The following dependencies are restore related and therefore they will be checked by %edition_name% only when an granular restore is performed. Absence of these elements will not affect the backup job but would cause the restore to fail.
- The Windows login account used for installation and operation of the %edition_name% client machine requires Administrator privileges
Set the name of the backup set
Name |
This is the name of the backup set. You can create a meaningful name for it.
|
Backup Type |
Enter the correct backup type from the drop down box.
|
Version |
This is the version of the VMware product.
|
Username |
This is the username with system or sufficient privilege to access the VMware product.
|
Password |
This is the password for the user login.
|
Host |
This is the host of the VMware product.
|
Port |
This is the listening port of the VMware product.
|
SSH Port |
This the SSH port.
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To create a backup set name:
- Type in a meaningful backup set name.
- Enter correct backup type, eg: VMware Backup.
- Enter the version of VMware product.
- Enter the username.
- Enter the password.
- Enter the host.
- Enter the port.
- Enter the SSH port.
- Click [Next] button to continue.
Note: Click [Next] button again to start the verifying process