I use a NW 7.4SP2 server; 2 tape libraries; about 9 storage nodes (using
AFTD drives, not other tape devices); about 70 other clients. All Windows
clients, in a MS AD environment.
We'll be moving a good number of my clients (not the storage nodes) to
VMs, using VMware ESX (6 VMware servers, in - I think - a VMware cluster;
the cluster part is still being debated).
I've used VMware before, but not ESX. Back then, I ran a VMware server,
with 4-5 virtual machines, and each VM was configured as a BackupExec
client. That is, I backed up each VM independently, but did not backup the
VMware server as a whole (backing up the disk images that are the VMs).
That way, I could do individual restores of specific VMs. I would also
script a pause of the VM itself, and make a copy of the VM image, and then
back that up. That way, I could restore either the entire VM at once, or
restore an individual file within a VM, as needed.
Is that still a good backup strategy, considering that I will now be using
NW and ESX? If not, any pointers at a discussion on how to implement a
backup strategy using NW and ESX?
Another point - licensing. Does the client licensing change, now that most
of my clients go from being physical to being virtual? (I'm guessing not,
and that I'll still need 1 license per client, virtual or not)
Do the ESX servers themselves need a special license, or software module?
(I'm guessing yes)
Thanks for any clues, or experiences/horror stories.
--
Michael Leone
Network Administrator, ISM
Philadelphia Housing Authority
2500 Jackson St
Philadelphia, PA 19145
Tel: 215-684-4180
Cell: 215-252-0143
<mailto:michael.leone AT pha.phila DOT gov>
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