Posts made by magicmarker

@Obsolesce said in Looking to migrate backup service to Unitrends.:

@magicmarker said in Looking to migrate backup service to Unitrends.:

@JaredBusch said in Looking to migrate backup service to Unitrends.:

@scottalanmiller said in Looking to migrate backup service to Unitrends.:

@magicmarker said in Looking to migrate backup service to Unitrends.:

Looking at the Veeam scenario. If I create a SAM-SD as my Veeam repository for local backups. Can someone point me to what middleman software I should be looking to replicate those local backups to the cloud on the SAM-SD to Backblaze B2? This is easy with a Veeam cloud connect partner since I can do this within the Veeam console, but what about going to a third party cloud backup provider?

CloudBerry, or just a script. No special tools needed to send things to B2. B2 provides libraries for it.

Cloudberry is a backup solution itself. You would use that to manage your backup scheudles and such as well as to send the data to offsite storage.

Cloudberry does exactly what I was talking about in my previous post by the way.

I've now got my Veeam install up and going and sending backups to my SAM-SD repository (working great BTW!). I'm wanting to install the CloudBerry server client on my SAM-SD (CentOS 7) and upload my Veeam repo to BackBlaze B2 for offsite storage. I'm having trouble wrapping my head around the proper Veeam backup method to send to the SAM-SD repo and have CloudBerry upload to BackBlaze efficiently. I've currently got the Veeam backup job setup on the Forward Incremental Forever Backup Method. What is the best Veeam backup method to send to the repo that CloudBerry can upload to BackBlaze B2 efficiently, and reduce the amount of uploaded data keeping in mind CloudBerry has the Synthetic Full Backup feature that reuses the existing data stored in the cloud.

You may have better luck with SW VTL.

This seems to be what I understand you are trying to accomplish:
https://www.starwindsoftware.com/resource-library/starwind-vtl-for-backblaze-b2-and-veeam

Here is the install guide. Wow, what a PITA. I never thought I would have to think about setting up tapes again.

@JaredBusch said in Looking to migrate backup service to Unitrends.:

@scottalanmiller said in Looking to migrate backup service to Unitrends.:

@magicmarker said in Looking to migrate backup service to Unitrends.:

Looking at the Veeam scenario. If I create a SAM-SD as my Veeam repository for local backups. Can someone point me to what middleman software I should be looking to replicate those local backups to the cloud on the SAM-SD to Backblaze B2? This is easy with a Veeam cloud connect partner since I can do this within the Veeam console, but what about going to a third party cloud backup provider?

CloudBerry, or just a script. No special tools needed to send things to B2. B2 provides libraries for it.

Cloudberry is a backup solution itself. You would use that to manage your backup scheudles and such as well as to send the data to offsite storage.

Cloudberry does exactly what I was talking about in my previous post by the way.

I've now got my Veeam install up and going and sending backups to my SAM-SD repository (working great BTW!). I'm wanting to install the CloudBerry server client on my SAM-SD (CentOS 7) and upload my Veeam repo to BackBlaze B2 for offsite storage. I'm having trouble wrapping my head around the proper Veeam backup method to send to the SAM-SD repo and have CloudBerry upload to BackBlaze efficiently. I've currently got the Veeam backup job setup on the Forward Incremental Forever Backup Method. What is the best Veeam backup method to send to the repo that CloudBerry can upload to BackBlaze B2 efficiently, and reduce the amount of uploaded data keeping in mind CloudBerry has the Synthetic Full Backup feature that reuses the existing data stored in the cloud.

@Coreytay I wish I would have known about them sooner. I played around with the trial license and was impressed.

@scottalanmiller said in Correct license for a Win 10 Veeam backup server on Type-1 Hypervisor:

@magicmarker said in Correct license for a Win 10 Veeam backup server on Type-1 Hypervisor:

@scottalanmiller Really wish Veeam would do a linux appliance for the backup server. Veeam allows the backup software to install on a Win 10 OS. I get it though, I need to install it on a Server 2016 VM. Thanks for you input.

Me too, Veeam would really benefit from that. BUT, tons of their features exist by leverage Windows features under the hood to make the magic happen. So unfortunately, Windows Server licensing is just part of the Veeam ecosystem. Veeam is amazing, but this is a key factor as to why we don't just use it across the board. The cost of Veeam plus the often needed cost of Windows can make it pretty formidable for many SMBs.

I've already committed to Veeam, but after I committed, I found Nakivo which runs the backup server on a linux box. Seems like a good competitor to Veeam.

@scottalanmiller Really wish Veeam would do a linux appliance for the backup server. Veeam allows the backup software to install on a Win 10 OS. I get it though, I need to install it on a Server 2016 VM. Thanks for you input.

Was really planning on installing the Veeam server as a Win 10 VM. Going back to the drawing board now. Looks like I'm either going to have to install the Veeam box on a physical Win 10 pc, or purchase a Windows Server 2016 license so I can run the Veeam server as a VM. Not sure what makes more sense at the moment. Anyone else deploying Veeam servers as physical pc's?

Edit: A third option may be purchasing a Win 10 retail license and then "move" that license to the VM for paper trail purpose as @JaredBusch mentioned.

@JaredBusch said in Correct license for a Win 10 Veeam backup server on Type-1 Hypervisor:

@magicmarker said in Correct license for a Win 10 Veeam backup server on Type-1 Hypervisor:

@JaredBusch said in Correct license for a Win 10 Veeam backup server on Type-1 Hypervisor:

My long time understanding is no.

There is no license being upgraded when you are using a new VM like this.

Now, do you have a piece of hardware with a non OEM license that you can decommission and "move" the license to the hypervisor host? That would make it legal.

Obviously move is a fake term for paper trail purposes. You do not have to actually P2V anything. Just mark that license as "used" by the Win 10 instance.

This would be easy to do. I've got available decommissioned Win 7 physical pc's that I can just note the product key is being used for the Veeam Win 10 VM.

Not OEM license on those

OEM Win 7 keys on the physical boxes. I'm going to need retail keys instead correct?

@JaredBusch said in Correct license for a Win 10 Veeam backup server on Type-1 Hypervisor:

My long time understanding is no.

There is no license being upgraded when you are using a new VM like this.

Now, do you have a piece of hardware with a non OEM license that you can decommission and "move" the license to the hypervisor host? That would make it legal.

Obviously move is a fake term for paper trail purposes. You do not have to actually P2V anything. Just mark that license as "used" by the Win 10 instance.

This would be easy to do. I've got available decommissioned Win 7 physical pc's that I can just note the product key is being used for the Veeam Win 10 VM.

What is the typical Veeam backup server OS recommendation for SMB then? Should I be looking at going with a Windows 2016 OS instead?

I'm going to build a Veeam backup server. I've got Windows 10 Enterprise volume license keys with SA (per device) available in my MS VL license agreement. I'm having a hard time getting a clear answer if I can use that license as a VM on my standalone ESXi server. I understand the VL license key can be used for upgrading an OEM installation. Can I also use the license to install a Windows 10 VM Veeam backup server? The Veeam server will only be accessed for administrative purposes.

@NetworkNerd Excellent. I saw someone post this blog in the reddit VMware forum as well. Thank you!

@Pete-S said in Looking for an alternative database to MS SQL to process a text file.:

PS. SQL Express has a 10GB data size limit, not 1GB. Otherwise if you are running windows I suggest MySQL as an alternative. They have a nice Workbench software that you can use to administer the db. https://www.mysql.com/products/workbench/

I said my databases are under 1GB, not that MS SQL Express has the 1GB size limit.

@Pete-S said in Looking for an alternative database to MS SQL to process a text file.:

Hmm, I work with these things quite often.

I suggest changing the name of the text file. That will be an atomic operation. I suggest doing it after the file has been written to disk. If you try rename operation while the file is written to, it will fail. After it has been renamed you have all the time in the world.

So the flow would look like this then? Receive text file > Rename text file > copy text file to file server shared folder > rename original text file > rename new copy to original name > archive old text file.

Did I understand that right?

@DustinB3403 said in Looking to migrate backup service to Unitrends.:

@magicmarker said in Looking to migrate backup service to Unitrends.:

@Obsolesce said in Looking to migrate backup service to Unitrends.:

@magicmarker said in Looking to migrate backup service to Unitrends.:

Is anyone using Unitrends to backup their infrastructure? I'm currently using Carbonite Business (formerly Evault). Carbonite has served me well overall, but it's expensive. My contract with Carbonite expires in a few months and I was researching other vendors. I looked at Veeam and Unitrends. Initially, Unitrends was going to be out of my price range, but they are now offering me free hardware to get me to switch before the end of the year. I'm leaning towards Unitrends now with all the end of the year incentives they are offering me. Anything I need to know about Unitrends, good or bad? If you are using Unitrends now, are you happy? I've gotten some feedback that the entire strategy hinges on the recovery appliance. This could be a problem if their turn around time is lacking to get a new box. I'm being told their is a 24hr turnaround in the event they need to send a new recovery appliance which is reasonable to me.

We did it cheap with Veeam and our own backup repositories using MD1000s... 14x 8TB drives, and some with 14x 4TB drives. It's been working well. Like that for onprem backup.

What are you doing for offsite backup then?

One product doesn't not imply the lack of another. He could use B2, AWS, Microsoft or any other number of blob storage providers to store a copy of his backups offsite.

Was not implying anything. Was just curious.

@Obsolesce said in Looking to migrate backup service to Unitrends.:

@magicmarker said in Looking to migrate backup service to Unitrends.:

Is anyone using Unitrends to backup their infrastructure? I'm currently using Carbonite Business (formerly Evault). Carbonite has served me well overall, but it's expensive. My contract with Carbonite expires in a few months and I was researching other vendors. I looked at Veeam and Unitrends. Initially, Unitrends was going to be out of my price range, but they are now offering me free hardware to get me to switch before the end of the year. I'm leaning towards Unitrends now with all the end of the year incentives they are offering me. Anything I need to know about Unitrends, good or bad? If you are using Unitrends now, are you happy? I've gotten some feedback that the entire strategy hinges on the recovery appliance. This could be a problem if their turn around time is lacking to get a new box. I'm being told their is a 24hr turnaround in the event they need to send a new recovery appliance which is reasonable to me.

We did it cheap with Veeam and our own backup repositories using MD1000s... 14x 8TB drives, and some with 14x 4TB drives. It's been working well. Like that for onprem backup.

What are you doing for offsite backup then?

@dave_c said in Looking for an alternative database to MS SQL to process a text file.:

@magicmarker
I see 2 conditions for that to work:

1. Never process the file until it is completely written/received
2. The bar code software must not lock the file exclusively so all branches can use it (possibly) at the same time

The BarTender label software does not lock the text file. I have confirmed that with support today. BarTender just does read-only against the text file when it queries the file. The only problem that I could see happening is someone attempting to lookup data (print a label) on the text file the split second it takes to overwrite the file as Scott mentioned. BarTender does not read the file until you query the text file for a lookup. It think it would be very rare that that a lookup happens the exact time the file saves/overwrites, but it could happen.

@scottalanmiller said in Looking for an alternative database to MS SQL to process a text file.:

Since you are looking to learn here, as well as accomplish a goal, it is worth noting that a Relational Database like SQL Server, MariaDB, Oracle, Informix, DB2, PostgreSQL, MySQL, etc. is not the right kind of database for this work. This does NOT mean that you should change now, you've done the work, and learning something completely new would be silly. And at this scale, anything that does the job is fine.

Relational Databases are designed around doing complicated relational integrity. They are "big and heavy" systems because of this. What you are doing is SO basic. What you would want, in an ideal world, is something way simpler from the NoSQL database family (NoSQL simply means that it is something other than a relational database, it can be ANYTHING else.)

A really simple key-value store sounds like it would meet your needs better. Way simpler, less to learn, less to know, less to do. REDIS would be the obvious choice due to market penetration, popularity and ease of use.

Again, not saying to switch. Saying that when it comes to learning about this, this is a better way to have approached it. REDIS is purpose built for this kind of need.

Thanks for posting this Scott. Very interesting. I quickly googled REDIS, but it's over my head. Any other good resources you can provide to help me learn more about this?

@dave_c said in Looking for an alternative database to MS SQL to process a text file.:

@magicmarker

Yes, you can completely automate the text import into your DB with SQL File Import. You create your job, then setup a scheduled task in the application.

Then I think that you have your solution: SQL File Import connects to every major data source, even the free ones discussed here

Right, but I'm also going to test just using using the text file on a file share folder. My label software will easily process and handle the text file connection (using BarTender label software). The MariaDB solution with SQL File Import will be plan B. If I don't have to make more complicated than I have to, then I was going to leave it simple. I just don't know if using the text file is going to work out.

@dave_c said in Looking for an alternative database to MS SQL to process a text file.:

@magicmarker
I am almost sure SSIS needs Standard+
A python, powershell, etc. script would do but needs programming time.

SQL File Import looks nice. Can it be automated?

Yes, you can completely automate the text import into your DB with SQL File Import. You create your job, then setup a scheduled task in the application.

@dave_c said in Looking for an alternative database to MS SQL to process a text file.:

For what I understand, your label software uses ODBC to connect to the database. For a 1GB Database SQL Server Express sounds right unless you have something not included in that edition. Otherwise, Postgres and MariaDB are great.
How are you importing the text files, a script?

I created a SSIS job to import the text file into the MS SQL server table. SSIS is very powerful, but it's daunting to just create simple tasks. If I go the MariaDB route I was looking at this an application called SQL File Import to import my text file into MariaDB. Anyone heard of SQL File Import or used it?