Data Backup and Recovery

SMVI - backing up VMs with NFS datastore for SQL DB and Snapmanager

HendersonD
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There is a lively discussion about SMVI and backing up VMs with iSCSI Luns and the use of Snapmanager products. I have a similare question now that Snapmanager for SQL can take snapshots where the SQL databases and logs are stored on NFS shares. I have:

- SQL 2008 64 bit, Snapdrive 6.3, and Snapmanager for SQL 5.1. The SQL Server has a C: drive where of course Windows and SQL are installed and this is all stored on an NFS data share. Instead of using iSCSI luns to store the SQL databases and logs, I just added for more drives to my SQL server, each from 4 separate NFS shares:

E: User databases

F: logs

U: System databases

W: Snapinfo

- Virtual Center runs on it own server and has VSC 2.0.1 installed

Snapmanager for SQL is working fine to backup the system and user databases. My question is how do I backup the SQL server (C: drive)? I have two choices:

1. Make an SMVI backup job that includes the SQL server. DO NOT include the 4 separate NFS datastores noted above, only include the NFS share that houses the C: drive. DO NOT check the checkbox to make a VMWare consistency snapshot first

2. The same as number 1 above, but this time check the box to make a VMWare consistency snapshot first

So far I am using choice 1. Should I be using choice 2 instead? If I am taking a VMWare snapshot of the C: drive, NOT the drives that contain the actual SQL databases, will I will run into problems? My old SQL server setup used iSCSI luns and the only choice was to NOT take a VMWare snapshot.

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