Configure virtual machine backups with Performance Cloud VMware (NSX-T)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Important Notes
- It is currently not possible to backup named disks. If you try to backup a virtual machine with a named disk attached to it, the named disk will be skipped, and you will receive a warning (if notifications by email are enabled).
To avoid these warnings, please contact our cloud support team so we can exclude the named disk from the backup job(s) in the backend. Note that following this request, for any future addition of disks to the virtual machine, these disks will not be automatically backed up. You will need to contact us again to include these new disks in the backup job(s).
To backup data on named disks, you will have to use another method inside the virtual machine like our Online Backup solution or the Veeam Agent with Veeam Cloud Connect solution. Additional fees will apply for the additional backup service.
- You must keep enough free backup storage in your virtual data center to ensure backups are executing successfully.
- Having multiple backup jobs may affect your backup storage usage considerably. Please pay attention to your backup storage usage and add necessary backup add-ons to your virtual data center through your account management portal Cumulus as needed.
- Please review this article to understand how the retention policy works for Performance Cloud VMware and understand how the backup storage usage is affected and fluctuates.
Procedure
- Login to the Performance Cloud VMware portal using your credentials
- Go the “Data Protection with Veeam” section.
- Click on the Jobs tab
Then click on Create…
- In the backup job creation window, enter a name for the backup job, a description and choose the desired retention policy, then click Next.
In the example below, as it is planned to configure a job that runs every day and to keep backups for one (1) month, thirty (30) restore points are configured.
Note: For advanced retention, it is possible to create more than one backup job with various schedules and various retentions for more flexibility on the recovery points to keep or, optionally, through the option named “Keep certain backups longer complete for archival purposes” for a “Grandfather-Father-Son” retention policy.
For more information, please consult the Veeam documentation on this subject: https://helpcenter.veeam.com/docs/backup/vsphere/gfs_retention_policy.html?ver=120
Please pay attention to the backup storage quota and add necessary backup add-ons to your virtual data center through your account management portal Cumulus as needed.
- On the next screen, click on Add to choose the backup source(s)
Add the objects to back up then click on OK.
Note: It is possible to add one or more elements among the organization, the virtual data center(s), the vApp(s), the virtual machine(s). Selecting the organization at top-level will ensure all future virtual machines to be included in the backup job.
When several elements are added to the job, it is possible to change the processing order with the arrows.
It is also possible to exclude elements, like vApps or VMs, by clicking on Exclusions, if necessary.
Disks cannot be excluded using the portal. If a particular disk must be excluded from a backup job, please contact our cloud support team so we can proceed with the change on the backup job(s) in the backend.
In the current example, the entire organization is selected to include all current VMs and those that might be created eventually.
Then click Next.
- In the next window, the guest operating system processing options to configure are optional depending on the use of the virtual machines. They should be considered when using SQL or Oracle databases for log processing, for example.
If so, enable Enable application-aware processing and customize as needed. Then, provide the required guest operating system credentials.
For more information, please consult the Veeam documentation on this subject: https://helpcenter.veeam.com/docs/backup/em/jobs_edit_guest_settings.html?ver=120
Otherwise, just click Next.
- Customize the backup job schedule as needed (Please avoid keeping the default time of 10:00 PM)).
Then, click on Next.
For more information, please consult the Veeam documentation on this subject: https://helpcenter.veeam.com/docs/backup/em/jobs_edit_schedule.html?ver=120
- In the next window, it is highly suggested to enable e-mail notifications. Then, enter the recipient(s) to receive backup alerts and click on Finish.
Notes:- Separate email addresses with a semicolon.
- According to the location of your virtual data center, please add the sender of the backup report emails to the whitelist of your mail server or anti-spam system:
- Canada: performancecloudbackup@yourcloudservers.com
- United States: performancecloudbackupusa@yourcloudservers.com
- Repeat steps 3 through 8 to create additional backup jobs.
Please pay attention to the backup storage quota and add necessary backup add-ons to your virtual data center through your Cumulus account management portal as needed.
Backup encryption
Enabling the backup file encryption option on a backup job with Performance Cloud VMware can only be performed in the backend.
Once the encryption is enabled, the next backup will be “Active Full”. It means that for the next backup session, a full backup file will be saved in the target backup repository instead of an usual incremental backup. The backup quota may get full if the current usage is near the maximum capacity.
To proceed, please contact our Cloud Support team and mention the following:
- Organization to apply the configuration
- Job(s) to apply the configuration
- Desired encryption password(s) (You can use the following tool to avoid sending clear text passwords: https://www.pwpush.com/)
- Approval to move forward with the request considering that temporary Backup Add-ons may be required in your virtual data center if the backup storage capacity is reached (additional fees would apply).