SnapProtect - VMware restore with iscsi

[apatti]

Hi there,

We have SnapProtect V10 SP9, basically we have 2 production sites, each one has a 7-Mode Netapp array (2 controler each). Each of this sites have ESXs servers attached to the arrays by FC and one physical MediaAgent. We also have a backup site with one 7-Mode Netapp array, used for Snapvault destination driven by SnapProtect.
We have no ESX servers on the backup site.

In order to restore the virtual machines from the snapvaulted snapshots (backup array) we created a iscsi VLAN and assigned iscsi IP addresses to the ESX proxy of each production site, and to both controllers of the backup array. On this array, we created igroups.

We were able to mount the snapvaulted snapshot with one esx, but not the one from the other sites.

It appears that SnapProtect created an igroup on the backup array with the name :

Controler2_backup_array> igroup show
cv_ESX_prod_site1_iSCSI (iSCSI) (ostype: windows):
iqn.1998-01.com.vmware:ESX_prod_site1 (logged in on:ifgrp-vlanISCSI)

Any one konws how to generate an igroup, like this one ?

Thanks

Best regards,

[dankirkwood]

Hi Apatti

I am not a NetApp employee but I think what you are trying to do should work. SnapProtect should create the igroups automatically so you don't need to create them yourself. If SnapProtect is not creating them, then it probably indicates there's something wrong with your configuration or environment.

SnapProtect usually needs to mount the LUN into a Media Agent in order to view its contents, in a SAN environment it can do this either by SCSI hot-add from the ESX host (if the Media Agent is a VM), or direct FC or iSCSI connection from the NetApp controller into the Media Agent. To get this to work, you may find that you need to configure an iSCSI initiator on your Site 2 Media Agent along with an IP address that can "see" the backup array's iSCSI target IPs. When you do the "browse for restore", go to the Advanced tab and select the Site 2 Media Agent; and when you initiate the restore (i.e. after clicking the "restore all selected" button), click the Advanced button, go to the Data Paths tab, and make sure that the same Media Agent you chose earlier is selected as both Media Agent and Proxy. Also check the ESX Browse tab, you might find that changing the ESX server options here makes a difference.

(I'm using SP10 but I think these options are the same in SP9).

If this doesn't help then please post what messages you're seeing in the job events when you try to do the restore, also look for anyhing significant in the CVMA log and the vsbkp logs on the Media Agent.

Of course you can also try opening a support case 🙂