Need a recommendation for a storage target for Veeam Backup Essentials

(they don't like the internet).

So why do they have a network?

nadnerB

@nadnerB You install Veeam itself on the Synology?

Nope, the NAS is just a CIFS/NFS network target
Veeam server --> \ <NAS IP><backup folder>
(ML doesn't like double slashes so I added a space)

nadnerB

@Dashrender said:

(they don't like the internet)

Sounds like a religious group I used to work for (before my IT days)

JaredBusch

@nadnerB Your response did not really clear up my question.

What I want to know is where is Veeam installed. How are people using it. Because it cannot reliably do its job if it is in a VM on the server that craps out.

Does everyone run it on some random box? If so what kind of specs? Does the backup traffic actually pass through the box running the Veeam software? If so, then it needs to have as much network as the backup target and source.

scottalanmiller

Instead of installing Veeam on a separate instance, what about building a SAM-SD NAS from something like a Dell R510 and installing Veram there and backing up to the local storage?

nadnerB

@JaredBusch said:

@nadnerB Your response did not really clear up my question.

What I want to know is where is Veeam installed. How are people using it. Because it cannot reliably do its job if it is in a VM on the server that craps out.

Does everyone run it on some random box? If so what kind of specs? Does the backup traffic actually pass through the box running the Veeam software? If so, then it needs to have as much network as the backup target and source.

Right. My apologies.
I run it on a separate VM inside my vSphere environment.
I don't see it as an issue if it goes toes up as I have regular backups of the veeam config also going to NAS boxes in two separate buildings.

So in a nut shell... vSphere --> ESXi host --> Veeam Server

My Specs:
CPU: 2 Sockets with 2 Cores (4 in total)
RAM: 8GB
HDD: 60GB (thin provisioned)
OS: Server 2012 R2

The traffic passes through the backup proxy. This can be a separate server OR the same server.
I have opted for the all-in-one approach.
Here is my thread regarding my initial Veeam setup queries: http://mangolassi.it/topic/1221/veeam-installation/2

@JaredBusch said:

What I want to know is where is Veeam installed. How are people using it. Because it cannot reliably do its job if it is in a VM on the server that craps out.

Respectfully, Isn't the same true for a bare-metal installation?

Hopefully, I've been more helpful this time

Dashrender

@thecreativeone91 said:

@Dashrender said:

(they don't like the internet).

So why do they have a network?

Required evil.

Carnival Boy

I have an HP Proliant DL180 G6 server with 4 x 1TB midline drives, giving me 2TB usable storage. Windows 2008 is installed on it (bare metal) and it only runs Veeam. It backups our VMs over the normal network once a night, I haven't bothered separating out the traffic.

I do one full backup once a week and incrementals thereafter. The full backup is then copied on to 2TB external drives, which I rotate. I keep the latest backed up external drive at home. Incrementals are backed up to the cloud. The full backup file is about 1TB, and the incrementals are about 9GB.

So in a complete disaster, where everything has gone including the Veeam server, I can restore the weekly backup using the external drive and then restore the incrementals from the cloud. So I can always recover to the previous night.

I wouldn't have a strong issue with running Veeam as a VM, but it adds an extra layer of hassle if it craps out and I don't need that.

I installed a separate USB 3.0 card in the server, which makes backing up to an external drive pretty quick. It takes about 4 hours to do 1TB.

gcanales75

Install Veeam on a separate physical server. During the backup window Veeam consumes a lot of resources and can became a "bad neighbor" if it's installed as a VM, also it really doesn't make much sense living within the enviroment it wants to protect.

You can keep the backups on the Veeam server drives, and if possible make a copy of the backups to a remote NAS, there are nice and affordable NAS boxes available.

I'm about to have to setup some sort of solution (depending on how well GFI did with their VM Backup offering this week) But my intent was to put a GL360 or something similar running 6 500 GB drives, server 2008 on the metal, oh but i dunno. we will see how i feel

scottalanmiller

Why not Linux? Free and no need to run several versions behind.