Concurrent sessions / backup !!

I can't answer all of your questions, but here's my two cents:

What is Maximum Concurrent connections per storage node and where to configure it ?

Avamar 6.1: 27 connections per storage node

Avamar 7: 72 connections per storage node (wow, I might have to consider upgrading soon! )

Total concurrent backups for Avamar 6.1 is (27 x N) - 1

Where N is the number of storage nodes. I don't know if the utility node counts for the number of sessions. 1 session is always held free for restores. I don't think you can configure this limit yourself.

This applies to a physical grid. A single-node Avamar is a storage/utility node in one, so the 27 or 72 limit applies to that, I think. Not sure about virtual instances. Try googling for "Avamar concurrent backups", that's how I found out some of this information.

Regards,

Steve

There should be no confusion as the limit for no. of concurrent backup depends on no. of nodes configured in an avamar server. If sufficient nodes are deployed then avamar proxy clients can support 384 concurrent backups at max, the only condition is that there should be atleast 6 storage configured of avamar version 7 server.

Mates,

do you have some "VMware Maximus like" limits matrix for EMC Avamar v7.2 ?

I have a problem at my customer enviroment that we can only restore 1 concurrent single/same VM (Image, disk or FLR) at a same time. Is this some hard (by design) limit or can be changed somewhere?

And we need to concurrent restore same VM more than 1 at a same time (for example in the same time do a image restore and FLR restore).

best regards

NTShad0w

Just to clarify, which one of the following:

"I can only restore any single VM at a time. I cannot do a VM Image restore of VM #1 and VM #2 at the same time, I must wait for VM #1 to finish before VM #2 will start"

or

"I can only do a VM image of any single VM at a given time. I must wait for the image restore from VM #1 to finish before I can do an FLR restore from that same VM, VM #1"?

thanks for response Karl,

I mean only about simultaneous restore same VM, I can only run 1 restore of same VM at a same time, next restore/restores of this VM are in Waiing state until first restore will finish.

To me, it seems like that's behaving as-expected.  Avamar basically handles only one backup event per client.  Even though backup and restores of VMs are handled by the proxies, each proxy can still only run one backup (or restore) of a VM at time.

Support might be able to suggest a few options that might work.  If you haven't done so, you should open an SR to that effect.

Let us know if that helps!

Karl

Depending on how your environment is configured you might have two other options.  If you have more than one Avamar grid and you are using policy based replication you should be able to do 2 restores of a client at the same time.  Do the VM restore from one grid and FLR from the other.

Also you could do a both a VM backup and install an agent and backup files like a traditional physical server.  If your going to do a lot of file restores VM FLR has a soft limit of 5,000 file or folders.  In general I personally rely on traditional agent based backups for most file servers because its easier to restore single files.

Karl, Ryan_Johnson,

Thanks for reply mates.

So because of that fact that there is some limits of restore tasks of same VM (client) at a same time I looking for such document where are the limits, because of what and how/if they may be extended.

I will try option to restore same VM (client) via different proxies and give you the results here soon.

Also option to use second Avamar (replicated) looks quite nice, I'm not sure how it will work over looong WAN link (about 3000km) but if it possible to do such long distance restore (Avamar and DD replication working over it).

Idea to use standard agent based backup is also interesting, I need some time to test it in lab environment, but maybe it's also some workaround.

But anybody know the real limits of simultaneous restore (of single VM/client) of Avamar v7.2 ...?

thanks for help mates!!

FYI - here is an article which may be a useful reference

• KB 335770 - How many simultaneous client sessions can be made to the Avamar server?

The KB that Nicholas linked pointed out another detail:

• Backup sessions initiated by avtar commands bypass the MCS and will therefore not obey the limitations defined above.

I forgot all about this.  Have you tried running avtar restore commands for your restore?  I'll bet you can run your VM restores in parallel, since MCS is doing the same thing under the covers - I think it will ignore the client limits and allow more than one restore to run at the same time. 

In simple terms, build out a VMimage restore command on the CLI for each disk you wish to restore, then build out an FLR restore command for the FLR restore.  Kick off both restores in short order and see if they can run together.  I'm betting they will.

Let us know if that helps!