Early returns on the quick survey:
I have about 10 responses so far. Keep them coming if you care to.
My conclusion at this point is that the intersection between TSM and
VMware is relatively small. That jives with what VMware has said: they
believe they have only penetrated about 10% of the potential market thus
far. At $600M in licenses in the last year. Wow.
Most folks are using the TSM Client/Agent within the VM to do backups.
Cool and you have to love the licensing on that: one client/agent
license (with the appropriate cores figured, naturally) per ESX Server.
VMs don't crap out often so DR is minimal, but it is relatively
straightforward: rebuild the VM and then reconstitute it with data from
TSM.
Not many folks are worried about backing up the VMDK files though that
can aid in recovery. Some are doing it, but using scripts or snapshots
to accomplish it.
With the exception of customers testing our stuff, I didn't hear of
others using the VCB framework to do backups. I think this is hampered
somewhat by the newness of V5.5 and the hooks there to make that
somewhat easier. Will that come on as a method as time wears on? We'll
see.
I think this gets more interesting as the number of VMs gets larger.
More sophisticated techniques will be required to adequately protect the
environment. And keeping track of hundreds of objects is hard even if
they are all on one piece of hardware (or two). I think, too, that the
movement of physical to virtual is going to drive the necessity of
having ones backup house in order.
TSM users are in good shape. I think that in general, our houses are in
better order...
Thanks again for the input.
Kelly Lipp
CTO
STORServer, Inc.
485-B Elkton Drive
Colorado Springs, CO 80907
719-266-8777
www.storserver.com
-----Original Message-----
From: ADSM: Dist Stor Manager [mailto:ADSM-L AT VM.MARIST DOT EDU] On Behalf Of
Thorneycroft, Doug
Sent: Thursday, May 29, 2008 4:06 PM
To: ADSM-L AT VM.MARIST DOT EDU
Subject: Re: [ADSM-L] VMware and TSM Backup - Survey
Uh gee Kelly, I was hoping to use STORServers agent to manage
VMware Consolidated Backup.
Please don't tell me there's a better way!
-----Original Message-----
From: ADSM: Dist Stor Manager [mailto:ADSM-L AT VM.MARIST DOT EDU]On Behalf Of
Kelly Lipp
Sent: Thursday, May 29, 2008 2:22 PM
To: ADSM-L AT VM.MARIST DOT EDU
Subject: VMware and TSM Backup - Survey
Folks,
I'm trying to determine what our community is doing with respect to
backing up VMware to TSM. If you are so inclined, please answer and
send to me privately.
I am interested in understanding the intersection between TSM and
VMware...
Are you backing up VMware Virtual Machines?
Are you using VMware Consolidated Backup (VCB) or are you using a TSM
Client in the VM or both?
Are you using TSM's new Backup VM command (available in TSM V5.5)?
How many ESX servers and how many VMs?
If you aren't Virtualized yet, do you intend to be?
Have you thought about how to backup your VM environment?
Any other ideas/issues you want to kick around...
If it is true this is a subject of general interest, we can leave it in
the forum as we go round and round.
Thanks,
Kelly Lipp
CTO
STORServer, Inc.
485-B Elkton Drive
Colorado Springs, CO 80907
719-266-8777
www.storserver.com
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