Create Backup Set

Backup Requirements for

Backup Requirements for VMware ESX or ESXi server/vCenter

CloudBacko™ cannot be installed on the hypervisor (ESX or ESXi server).

For best performance, CloudBacko™ 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:

  1. The following TCP ports must be opened on the Backup Client Computer:

  2. For better performance, CloudBacko™ is recommended to be installed on a 64 bit computer, with multiple CPUs and cores.
  3. Consider increasing the JVM (Java Virtual Machine) memory allocation to improve performance of the backup operation.
  4. It is recommended that the temporary directory have disk space of at least 100% of the largest sized virtual machine to be backed up.
  5. It is recommended that the temporary directory be configured on a local drive.
  6. It is recommended that the temporary directory is not configured on the same partition which the operating system is installed on.
  7. For backup of virtual machine with snapshot, backup of the whole VM instead of individual disk is highly recommended.
  8. Consider performing routine recovery test to ensure your backup is setup and performed properly.
  9. 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.

  10. 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.


Please ensure that the following requirements are met by the Hypervisor:

  1. 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

  2. The root account must be enabled.

    CloudBacko™ ESX / ESXi backup set requires the root account for backup and restore.

  3. The following TCP ports must be opened on the hypervisor:

  4. It is recommended that the datastore have disk space of the largest sized virtual machine to be backed up.

Backup with VDDK mode

CloudBacko™ 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


Limitations

The following are limitations of the VMware VM backup module:

  1. 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.

  2. Backup of virtual machine with multiple snapshot root branches is not supported on VMware ESXi Server version 4.0 and 4.1.
  3. 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 CloudBacko™.
  4. For virtual machines with Independent Disks:

    CloudBacko™ will skip the snapshot creation of any Independent Disk on the virtual machine.

  5. 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

  6. 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.
  7. VDDK mode will not be enabled if the independent disk or raw disk is configured in the VM.
  8. Once the backup runs in VDDK mode, you need to restore all the files to the hypervisor, raw files of the VM or individual hard disk file cannot be restored by this method.
  9. Free license on ESX/ESXi are not allowed to run the backup with VDDK mode.
  10. 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.
  11. Delta merge does not apply to the VM backup with VDDK mode.

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:

  1. CloudBacko™ is installed on the VMware Server.

    ?

    Resource allocation for both VM hosting and backup operation must be taken into consideration.

  2. CloudBacko™ must be installed on the hypervisor.
  3. The following TCP ports must be opened on the hypervisor:

  4. Consider increasing the JVM (Java Virtual Machine) memory allocation to improve performance of the backup operation.
  5. It is recommended that the datastore have disk space of the largest sized virtual machine to be backed up.
  6. It is recommended that the temporary directory have disk space of at least 50% of the largest sized virtual machine to be backed up.
  7. It is recommended that the temporary directory be configured on a local drive.
  8. It is recommended that the temporary directory is not configured on the same partition which the operating system is installed on.
  9. 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:

  1. For VMware Server 1.x, active virtual machine selected for backup must be powered down for the backup process to begin.

  2. 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 CloudBacko™.

  3. Independent Disk is not supported. For virtual machines with Independent Disks, those disks will not be backed up.



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 username with system or sufficient privilege to access the VMware product.
Username Version of the Exchange server.
Version This is the username with system or sufficient privilege to access 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.

To create a backup set name:

  1. Type in a meaningful backup set name.
  2. Enter correct backup type, eg: VMware Backup.
  3. Enter the version of VMware product.
  4. Enter the username.
  5. Enter the password.
  6. Enter the host.
  7. Enter the port.
  8. Enter the SSH port.
  9. Click [Next] button to continue.
  10. Note: Click [Next] button again to start the verifying process