Networker VMware VADP for file level recovery

Question

Hello all,

I am very new to Networker. In fact I am using it for the 1st time. We are migrating from Netbackup connected to a library with LTO3 FC drives to Networker connected to Data Domain using VTL.

The problem I currently face is speed related and I am not sure what I am doing incorrectly.

I am conducting a test backup of a 50GB virtual machine (44GB Used) and about 144 000 files:

Netbackup: 7min 8sec to a single drive with hardware compression enabled. (This includes the time to mount and position the media)

Networker: 1 hour 29 min

Regular backups are ok speed wise to DD from Networker.

No change is made to the VM/VMware between the 2 backups, same VMware ESX host (5.0.1), same LUN and the same VC is being used. Both configured to use SAN transport and media/storage node has access to the LUN.

It does not appear to be a resource problem. The NBU media server dates back to 2008 and NSR storage is on a brand new 2x 6 core machine with double the memory (1% CPU and no real disk activity during the backup, disk spike to 3% max where mount is). I also disabled AV software and there was no change.

Could this have to do with the fact that NBU uses what they call flashbackup to process the raw shadow volume? Is there a similar option?

Using the option VADP_DISABLE_FLR=Yes drops the time to 12 min 20 for Networker, but then only full VM restore is possible and this is still slower.

Any pointers or information will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

Thierry101 · Answer

you have to install client if you wanted to do FLR

HvR2 · Answer

Installed the client, rebooted.

Ran the tests again. Still 1hour 32 min for Networker and 7 min 6 sec for Netbackup to backup the exact same VM to be able to restore file level and image level.

Anyone else doing file level and image level backups? Do you mind sharing your findings?

It seems the downside of Networker is that it mounts the VSS volume on the storage node and then backup files individually from there mapped back to the VM.

Thanks,

HvR2 · Answer

After opening a support case I have the answers that I was looking for:

1) Networker file level & image level at the same time, we are seeing what would be expected. Speed nowhere what we use to see, there is no Flashbackup equivalent.

2) Networker image level backup cannot exclude data blocks not being used.

So in essence if you do not thin provision you would need tons more on capacity based licensing and ultimately spend hours, perhaps days more on backup cycles.

Are there any details around when these will be available in Networker?

Thanks,

HvR2 · Answer

After talking to our VMware admin, we can live migrate many of the machines from thick to thin wasting lots space (allocated 250GB using less than 40GB)

Since we will be using DD VTL we will allocate losts of virtual drives.

This gets us close to and perhaps better backup window than before due to the amount of drives that can be added.

NetWorker

Networker VMware VADP for file level recovery

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