Snapdrive and Snapmanager with NFS Datastores

GUVNIJJAR · ‎2013-02-21

How can we use snapmanager for SQL and snapdrive with VM's which are running NFS datastores only. I read u need Virtual storage console, and possibly snapmgr for VI.

Can this be clarified and any known steps how this is integrated and used.

It would be useful to get snapdrive to setup VMDK and then get snapmgr for sql installed.

KENNETHKOZEL · ‎2013-02-21

What i read in this is that you want to use SMSQL and snapdrive on a vm instance that is on an NFS data store. You can use SMSQL and SD on anyvm irrelevant of what protocol the data store is served up on. The SMSQL api combined with SD will allow you to mount via iscsi any volume you want within the VM. Snapdrive does not communicate with nfs its not meant to do that, its just software that allows you to mount volumes to either physical or virtual hosts. VSC is a plugin for Vcenter it is much better than SMVI for backing up vm's in a single interface.

GUVNIJJAR · ‎2013-02-27

thanks for reply.

we dont have fibre or iscsi, so we want to use the snapdrive to setup vmdks, instead of luns. Is this possible in anyway. As snapmgr for sql relies on snapdrive, so need snapdrive to setup the vmdk disks,

bloehlein · ‎2013-02-27

Hi,

snapdrive only shows you all vmdk-disks and allows snapshot operations on those disks if the SnapManager for Virtual Infrastructure is configured. But you can't provision new vmdk-disks, snapdrive only supports iscsi and fibre-channel LUNs for provisioning. You'll have to create your vmdk-files in the vsphere client.

Bernd

GUVNIJJAR · ‎2013-02-27

thanks for the reply,

But i am confused, as i have read other posts that snapdrive only allows vmdk-disks if you have VSC configured with VC, as the SMVI is incorporated into VSC. We dont have licenses for SMVI but have VSC configured on VC with the latest version.

Also once snapdrive shows the vmdk disks, can we install snapmanager for sql on top as it relies on snapdrive, even if snapdrive shows only the vmdk disks.

bloehlein · ‎2013-02-27

You need the "backup and recovery" component of VSC which is licensed through the SMVI-license, but then you can use SnapManager SQL with vmdk-files. There's also a technial report aout this: http://www.netapp.com/us/system/pdf-reader.aspx?m=tr-3941.pdf&cc=us

GUVNIJJAR · ‎2013-02-27

In our VSC, i can add the storage filer through the add command in the backup and recovery tab, so i guess we are licensed for it, but we dont have smvi-license, as we dont use this software. Is this sufficient, do we still need SMVI. Trying to work this.

Also when we install snapdrive and it reaches the SMVI section, what do we put there,if we dont have SMVI installed anywhere.

bloehlein · ‎2013-02-27

Just use the Server where you installed VSC in the SMVI section since SMVI is now a part of VSC.

If you provided SMVI/VSC and your vSphere Server details during the setup you should now see all vmdk disks in snapdrive.

GUVNIJJAR · ‎2013-02-27

sorry to sound thick and repeating myself, but just to confirm we should be ok with SMVI not being installed and VSC should be sufficient. Just want to clear this up.

bloehlein · ‎2013-02-27

Yes, it's sufficient: SMVI is basically the "Backup and Recovery" component of Virtual Storage Console, so you won't have to install SMVI on a seperate server

GUVNIJJAR · ‎2013-02-28

I have added the storage system to backup and recovery tab in VSC, where the datastore is kept. Installed snapdrive 6.4.1 on the VM, added vmdk's on to the VM, but they are not being displayed in snapdrive.

The ip i added in the backup and recopvery tab in VSC, is pingable from the VM guest. But this IP is not used when adding the NFS datastores to the ESX host, as the NFS is on a different network subnet which only the ESX host access. But i dont think this would cause the issue.

Any thing else I can check on why I cannot get snapdrive to display the VMDK's.

bloehlein · ‎2013-03-01

Did you add the Storage-Systems to SnapDrive? Maye that's the only point missing... Otherwise please attach your snapdrive-log to this thread, it's located in the snapdrive program folder you've installed it to.

Best regards,

Bernd

CODNCHIPS · ‎2013-07-18

Hi, just been reading this thread as I'm about to embark down a similiar route, therefore curious as to wether bloehlein's last comment was the answer?

Cheers