Hello
everyone, I'm looking for some design help rather than specific technical help.
We
currently run our NetBackup Master/Media server on a SUN M5000 with Solaris 10
and NBU 7. Our Windows team is looking to upgrade the VMware environment to
the latest version and we would like to start using the vStorage API.
Now
my issue is that to backup with the vStorage API I need a Windows "backup
host" which is defined as:
"NetBackup
for VMware uses a special Windows server that is called a backup host (formerly
called the VMware backup proxy server). The backup host is a NetBackup client
that performs backups on behalf of the virtual machines. The backup host can
also be configured as a NetBackup master or media server. The backup host is
the only host on which NetBackup client software is installed. No NetBackup
client software is required on the VMware virtual machines.
Note
that the backup host is referred to as the recovery host when it performs a
restore. "
I'm
trying to understand my options for this windows machine.
1)
I could install media server binaries on it and attach a couple of tape drives,
issues with this would be
a)
one more netbackup media server to administer ie upgrade, patch etc
b)
a windows server that would need windows patches thus impacting the netbackup
environment
c)
licensing costs associated with a media server
Do
I have any other options for getting the VMware backups off to tape?
Is
it possible to use a SAN client or something and attach tape drives to that...
then at least it's just a NetBackup client rather than a NetBackup server. My
concern with this would be that I can't directly attach the tape drives and I'd
have to install the fiber transport stuff onto my Solaris master server and
have it run the backups to tape.
I
would like to hear what other people are doing or planning.
Thanks!
Scott
Chapman
Senior
Technical Specialist
Storage
and Database Administration
ICBC
- Victoria
Ph:
250.414.7650 Cell: 250.213.9295