Veeam replicating vmdk files from datastore

VEEAM REPLICATING VMDK FILES FROM DATASTORE HOW TO
VEEAM REPLICATING VMDK FILES FROM DATASTORE SOFTWARE
VEEAM REPLICATING VMDK FILES FROM DATASTORE FREE

I chose to backup the entire computer to a shared folder on my DataGravity array which also serves as a backup repository for theВ Veeam backups of my VMs. Once installed, you simply need to configure the backup of the endpoint. I tested this with Windows 7, but can be run on Windows 8, 2008R2 & 2012.

VEEAM REPLICATING VMDK FILES FROM DATASTORE HOW TO

There are several tutorials on the internet to show you how to install Veeam Endpoint Backup, so I will spare you all of the 'Next, Next, Next, Finish' details.

VEEAM REPLICATING VMDK FILES FROM DATASTORE FREE

Install Veeam Endpoint Backup Free & Configure Backup

Now that caught my attention, and sure enough 'it just works'. In fact I recently had a customer who asked if they might be able to use the product to save data from some of their Windows clients up to a DataGravity SMB share. Knowing their reputation for developing products that simply 'just work', I was eager to try out this new Endpoint product. This time they have released Veeam Endpoint Backup - a completely free standalone solution to help protect Windows endpoints. Fast forward a number of years, and VeeamВ hasВ done it again. It was awesome, and the best part about it was that Veeam offered it completely for free.В In fact,В they still do asВ part of Veeam Backup Free edition. I cut my teeth with their FastSCP product (remember that?)В to efficientlyВ move files between ESX/ESXi hosts and datastores. I have for a long time been a huge fan of Veeam - both as a customer and as a virtualization community member.

We will call it 'DataMRI' - because we plan on taking a deeper look into the health of our replicatedВ VMs, so the name fits. The first step would be to create a VM datastore which will be used as a replicationВ target. Let's see how to do it: Create TargetВ VM Datastore for Replica VMs In factВ DataGravity by design, nativelyВ performsВ it's analytics onВ VMDK files residing on NFS datastores regardless if those datastores are serving in aВ primary storage capacityВ or as a replication target В regardless of the VM's power state.В This means VMs can be replicated, remainВ powered off at the DR locationВ and non-intrusively be analyzed for sensitive information. You may be asking - Replicated VMs - doesn't DataGravity have to act as your primary storage? Well in fact DataGravityВ isВ enterpriseВ primary storageВ but there is nothing that prohibits it from also servingВ as a great Backup/Replication target. The customer asked 'if rather then simply replicating these VMs to an otherwise unintelligent data repository, could I replicate to a DataGravity datastore at my DR location to make use of the VM File Analytics?' This is a great use case and the answer is YES. ItВ just so happens that this customer is already using Veeam Backup and Replication to backup andВ replicateВ VMs to aВ DRВ environment every night - ready to failover,В should the need arise. In fact theВ popularity of the article spurred a question at a local VMUGВ in which itВ was asked if DataGravity might be able to provide the same level of insights to toВ replicated VMs sittingВ at aВ DR location.

VEEAM REPLICATING VMDK FILES FROM DATASTORE SOFTWARE

That postВ walked through the steps takenВ with a great free product by Veeam Software called Veeam Endpoint Protection, and coupled it with the power of DataGravity's File Analytics on a simple SMB share. My last blog article received some great attention, and highlights the growing demand for understanding and determining where sensitive data lives on corporate endpoints.

Veeam replicating vmdk files from datastore