Data Backup and Recovery

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

HendersonD
5,635 Views

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.

11 REPLIES 11

vrishali
5,600 Views

I'm on leave from 30th Oct to 12th Nov. Please contact my manager

Senthil (senthilk@netapp.com) for anything urgent.

Thanks,

Vrishali

ekashpureff
5,600 Views

Choice 2 sounds preferable to me.

I'm not seeing a down side to it. I think it would be BCP in any VM/Snapmanager environ...


I hope this response has been helpful to you.

At your service,


Eugene E. Kashpureff
ekashp@kashpureff.org
Fastlane NetApp Instructor and Independent Consultant
http://www.fastlaneus.com/ http://www.linkedin.com/in/eugenekashpureff

(P.S. I appreciate points for helpful or correct answers.)

vrishali
5,600 Views

I'm on leave from 30th Oct to 12th Nov. Please contact my manager

Senthil (senthilk@netapp.com) for anything urgent.

Thanks,

Vrishali

HendersonD
5,600 Views

I tried to take a VMWare snapshot of my SQL 2008 Server before taking the filer snapshot and could not get it to work. It kept timing out. I know that this will happen with iSCSI luns attached but I guess it also happens if the SQL databases and logs are stores on NFS shares

ARCOHAKNL
5,600 Views

The problem is that it keeps timing out if you installed the VMware tools and selected the VSS integration.

If you install the tools without VSS, it works fine, but then your SnapManager backup will probably fail.

I had the same problems with some Exchange servers. After installing the VMware tools without VSS integration SMVI and SME work well.

This seems to be a problem that should be solved by VMware, due the fact that there is no SYNC driver anymore included in the VMware tools.

Arco

amritad
5,600 Views

Are you trying VMDK support? We support VMDK with this combination VSC 2.0.1SDW 6.3SMSQL 5.1

Regards

Amrita

HendersonD
5,600 Views

Yes, I am using VMDKs stored on NFS shares for SQL. If I attempt to take a VMWare snapshot before the filer snapshot it times out and I get an error message.

amritad
5,600 Views

So are you using VSC2.0.1 and SDW 6.3 and SMSQL 5.1? If you are using these 3 components then VMDK support is there.

Regards

Amrita

HendersonD
5,600 Views

Yes, I am using all three of these components and my SQL server is running fine. Snapmanager for SQL is working fine and I am getting backups of my System and User databases. The problem comes when I attempt to backup the SQL server itself, in essence the C drive. I have two backup jobs setup using Backup and Recovery in VSC 2.0.1. One job take a VMWare snapshot before the filer snapshot and one does not. I have my Exchange Server in the job without the VMWare snapshot since it has iSCSI luns via Microsoft's iSCSI initiator. I have my old SQL server in this same job since it also has iSCSI luns.

I put my new SQL server in the job that does take a VMWare snapshot first. I am only including the datastore that contains the SQL server (C: drive) and not the datastores that contains my SQL database and log file. When this job runs and attempts to take the VMWare snapshot of this SQL server it times out and never does the snapshot.

amritad
4,847 Views

So this is what happens internally when the components work together

¡ SMSQL: Initiates a database backup

¡ SMSQL: Shows the progress of the backup operation

¡ SDW: Determines whether the data is on a VMDK

¡ SDW: Calls VSC 2.0.1 (SMVI) to take a backup

if it is a VMDK disk

− VMDK disk list and backup name passed

to VSC 2.0.1.

¡ VSC 2.0.1: Takes NetApp Snapshot and updates metadata with list of disks provided by SDW

So databases on VMDK get backed up. VM level backup should happen like it used to previously. So in your case backup of your SQL server fails?

Regards

Amrita

HendersonD
4,847 Views

My SQL database backup just fine. What is not backing up properly is the C drive of the SQL server where Windows is isntalled along with SQL server itself. This I am backing up using SMVI (which is built into vsc 2.0.1). When I try taking a VMWare Snapshot (VMWare Consistency checkbox checked) of the SQL server (C: drive) it times out.

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