Veritas NetBackup 8.1.2 with VMware vSAN datastores

Products

VMware vSAN

Issue/Introduction

This article provides information about Veritas NetBackup data protection for virtual machines deployed on VMware vSAN datastores.
Disclaimer: The partner solution referenced in this article is a solution that is developed and supported by a partner. Use of this product is also governed by the end user license agreement of the partner. You must obtain from the partner the application, support, and licensing for using this product. For more information, see NetBackup.

Resolution

Summary of target use cases, solution architecture, solution components, and support information:

Use cases

Provide backups of virtual machines deployed on VMware vSAN datastores.
Provide restores of virtual machines deployed on VMware vSAN datastores.

Solution Architecture

NetBackup utilizes a primary server, and optionally media servers and clients, to back up and restore virtual machines hosted on VMware vSAN datastores. NetBackup communicates with VMware vCenter Server to provide virtual machine backups and restores using VMware Storage APIs (VADP). Various NetBackup topologies can be deployed depending on the scaling requirements of the assets being protected.

Standalone Primary Server Topology featuring NBD and NBDSSL Transport Modes

The simplest NetBackup data protection topology is to use a standalone NetBackup primary server. In this configuration, a NetBackup primary server can use either the NBD or NBDSSL transport mode to back up and restore VMs that reside on a vSAN datastore. Typically, storage will be directly attached to the primary server in this topology.

Primary and Media Server Topology featuring SCSI Hotadd, NBD, and NBDSSL Transport Modes

A highly scalable NetBackup data protection solution can be achieved by using a NetBackup primary server along with one or more NetBackup media servers. With media servers deployed on the vSAN, the SCSI Hotadd transport mode is available for more efficient backup and restore operations. Snapshots are mounted to media servers using SCSI Hotadd during backup and restore operations. The use of multiple media servers enables load balancing of operations across multiple servers. The NBD and NBDSSL transport modes are still available in this topology. If network traffic via NBD or NBDSSL is to be minimized, NetBackup VMware policies allow for fine tuning of the ordering and availability of various transport methods. Finally, the NetBackup architecture is flexible enough that one or more NetBackup clients installed on the vSAN can also serve as backup and restore hosts communicating with a standalone primary or separate media servers.

Solution Components

The NetBackup solution for backup and restore uses the following components:

VMware vCenter version 6.x
VMware vSAN 6.6.1, 6.7
NetBackup 8.1.2 primary server to communicate with VMware vCenter servers
NetBackup 8.1.2 media servers in VMs to allow for additional scalability of the NetBackup solution
NetBackup 8.1.2 client in a VM to serve as a backup or restore host or to perform single file restore

Support Information

The first line of support is Veritas customer support. All Veritas customers with Capacity, Traditional, or NetBackup Enterprise Virtual Client (NEVC) licensing actively under maintenance are supported according to the terms of their Veritas support contract.

Additional Information

Impact/Risks:
NetBackup 8.1.2 goes end of support as of 6-28-2025 as per Veritas Product life cycle information