340112

Symantec NetBackup ™ for
VMware Administrator's
Guide
UNIX, Windows, and Linux
Release 7.0
20654026
Symantec NetBackup™ for VMware Guide
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Documentation version 7.0.
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Contents
Technical Support ............................................................................................... 4

Chapter 1 Introduction .......................................................................... 11
About NetBackup for VMware ........................................................ 11
The features of NetBackup for VMware ...................................... 11
New in this release ....................................................................... 12
Full virtual machine backup vs file-level backup ................................ 13
NetBackup for VMware: vStorage vs VCB .......................................... 13
Minimum levels for vStorage support .............................................. 13
When is VCB required? .................................................................. 13
Why is VCB not being used? ........................................................... 14
NetBackup for VMware environment ............................................... 14
NetBackup for VMware components .......................................... 14
Environment diagrams ............................................................ 15
NetBackup for VMware license requirement ............................... 17
NetBackup for VMware configuration tasks: overview ......................... 17
VMware tasks ........................................................................ 17
NetBackup tasks .................................................................... 18
About VMware storage optimization ................................................ 19
Terminology ............................................................................... 20
Chapter 2 Notes and prerequisites ..................................................... 23

Prerequisites ............................................................................... 23
Notes and restrictions ................................................................... 24
Further notes ........................................................................ 25
Deleting a vSphere Client snapshot ................................................. 25
Setting the Changed Block Tracking option in vSphere Client ............... 25
Notes on the hotadd transfer type ................................................... 27
Creating a helper virtual machine for hotadd transfer ......................... 28
Chapter 3 Configure NetBackup for VMware ................................... 29

Adding the VMware backup host to NetBackup configuration ............... 30
Adding NetBackup credentials for VMware ....................................... 30
Changing the host name of a VMware server in NetBackup .................. 32
8 Contents
Incremental backups must be based on timestamps ........................... 33

Configuring a VMware policy from the Policies node .......................... 33
Configuration parameters for VMware ............................................. 37
Client name selection .............................................................. 37
Virtual machine backup .......................................................... 38
Transfer type ........................................................................ 39
Virtual machine quiesce .......................................................... 40
Exclude unused and deleted blocks ............................................ 40
Existing snapshot handling ...................................................... 41
Monolithic export (VCB only) ................................................... 41
Snapshot mount point (VCB only) .............................................. 42
Browse for VMware Virtual Machines screen ..................................... 42
Configuring a VMware policy from the Snapshot Policy Configuration
wizard .................................................................................. 45
About incremental backups of virtual machines ................................. 45
Volume Manager volumes in the virtual machine ............................... 46
Backup options compared .............................................................. 46
Reducing the size of backups .......................................................... 47
About block-level backup ............................................................... 48
Recovery options: vStorage vs VCB .................................................. 48
Recovery options with VMware vStorage .................................... 48
Recovery options with VMware VCB .......................................... 49
Chapter 4 Back up VMware virtual machines .................................. 51

Backing up virtual machines .......................................................... 51
Further information on NetBackup policies ....................................... 53
Chapter 5 Restore VMware virtual machines ................................... 55

VMware restore procedures: overview .............................................. 55
Restore of selected files ........................................................... 55
Restore of the virtual machine from vStorage backups .................. 56
Restore of the virtual machine from VCB backups ........................ 56
Restore notes .............................................................................. 56
If the recovery host is not at the same NetBackup release level
as the backup host ............................................................ 58
Restoring individual folders and files ............................................... 58
Setting up NetBackup Client Service for restore to a shared virtual
machine drive ....................................................................... 60
Restoring the full VMware virtual machine ....................................... 61
Restore Marked Files dialog box (VMware) .................................. 63
Virtual Machine Recovery dialog boxes (restore to original
location) ......................................................................... 66
Contents 9
Virtual Machine Recovery dialogs boxes (restore to alternate

location) ......................................................................... 69
Chapter 6 Best practices and more information ............................. 75

Best practices .............................................................................. 75
For VCB backups .................................................................... 76
VMware with deduplication ..................................................... 76
More information on VMware ........................................................ 77
Further assistance with NetBackup ................................................. 77
Support information on NetBackup for VMware ................................ 77
Chapter 7 Troubleshooting .................................................................. 79
NetBackup logging for VMware ...................................................... 79

Other logs for troubleshooting .................................................. 80
VMware environment—important! .................................................. 81
Changing the browsing timeout for virtual machine discovery ............. 82
Changing timeout and logging values for vSphere .............................. 82
Notes and tips ............................................................................. 83
Backup and restore problems ......................................................... 84
Credentials for VMware server are not valid ................................ 84
NetBackup cannot obtain the volume ID of a drive ....................... 84
Other backup failures ............................................................. 85
Restore fails when you restore individual files to a virtual
machine that has NetBackup client software ......................... 87
Backup or restore job hangs ..................................................... 87
Mount point missing on a restored Windows virtual
machine ......................................................................... 88
Problems with transfer types ................................................... 89
NetBackup catalog information for virtual machine backups
made on 6.5.4 or lower may prevent browsing the imported
images for restore ............................................................ 90
Restore fails with NetBackup status code 5 ................................. 90
Restore of selected files fails with NetBackup status code
227 ................................................................................ 91
Invalid client error when you restore selected files using
NetBackup BAR interface installed on the virtual
machine ......................................................................... 91
VMware virtual machine does not reboot after restore .................. 91
10 Contents
Appendix A Backup of VMware raw devices (RDM) ........................... 93

About VMware raw device mapping (RDM) ....................................... 93
NetBackup support details for RDMs ............................................... 94
Configurations for backing up RDMs ............................................... 94
About alternate client backup of RDMs ............................................ 94
Requirements for alternate client backup of RDMs ............................ 95
Configuring alternate client backup of RDMs .................................... 95
Appendix B File-level backup of Windows virtual machines ............ 99

About file-level backup of Windows virtual machines ......................... 99
Configuration tasks for file-level backup ......................................... 100
File-level backup options ............................................................. 101
What can be restored from a file-level backup? ................................ 101
Configuring a policy for Windows file-level backup ........................... 102
Index ................................................................................................................... 105

Chapter 1
Introduction
This chapter includes the following topics:
■ About NetBackup for VMware
■ New in this release
■ Full virtual machine backup vs file-level backup
■ NetBackup for VMware: vStorage vs VCB
■ Minimum levels for vStorage support
■ When is VCB required?
■ Why is VCB not being used?
■ NetBackup for VMware environment
■ NetBackup for VMware configuration tasks: overview
■ About VMware storage optimization
■ Terminology
About NetBackup for VMware

NetBackup for VMware provides backup and restore of the VMware virtual
machines that run on VMware ESX servers. NetBackup for VMware takes advantage
of VMware vStorage APIs for Data Protection. The backup process is off-loaded
from the ESX server to a VMware backup host.
The features of NetBackup for VMware

NetBackup for VMware does the following:
12 Introduction
New in this release
■ Performs off-host backup of virtual machines (NetBackup client software is

not required on the virtual machine). Off-host backup reduces the backup
processing load on the VMware ESX server.
■ Automatically creates quiesced snapshots using VSS (Windows only).
■ Uses snapshot technology to keep virtual machines 100% available to users.
■ Supports VMware vSphere as well as older VMware environments.
■ Performs full and incremental backup, including block-level incrementals.
■ Backs up and restores selected files (Windows only) or the full virtual machine.
■ Can restore selected files from a backup of a full Windows virtual machine.
■ Backs up the virtual machines even when they are turned off.
New in this release

The following items are new in this 7.0 release:
■ NetBackup supports VMware vSphere with vStorage APIs for Data Protection.
VMware Consolidated Backup (VCB) is still supported but not required in most
cases. vStorage eliminates the need to make a VCB copy of a virtual machine
snapshot on the VMware backup host. Instead, NetBackup backs up the
snapshot directly from the ESX server.
See “NetBackup for VMware: vStorage vs VCB” on page 13.
■ NetBackup can back up certain pre-vSphere environments (such as ESX 3.x)
without requiring VCB.
■ NetBackup can perform file-level and block-level incremental backups of
virtual machines (cumulative and differential).
■ NetBackup can perform full and incremental backups by means of the same
snapshot backup option.
■ NetBackup can create virtual machine backups that are storage optimized
(unused space on the virtual machine is not backed up).
■ NetBackup can back up virtual machines by their host name, VMware display
name, or UUID.
■ New virtual machine recovery dialogs make it easier to recover the virtual
machine to the original location or to an alternate location.
Introduction 13
Full virtual machine backup vs file-level backup
Full virtual machine backup vs file-level backup

When configured as described in this guide, NetBackup backs up the entire virtual
machine as a set of virtual disk files. The backup includes all data files as well as
operating system files and VMware virtual disk files. From the backup, you can
recover the guest OS and the entire virtual machine. Depending on the option
chosen in the backup policy, you can also recover individual files from the same
backup (Windows virtual machines only).
For Windows, NetBackup also supports file-level backup (backup of selected files).
File-level backup requires VCB. For more information on file-level backup of
Windows virtual machines, see the appendix titled "File-level backup of Windows
virtual machines."
NetBackup for VMware: vStorage vs VCB

NetBackup 6.5.x for VMware relied upon VMware Consolidated Backup technology
(VCB) to make off-host backups of virtual machines. VCB software was installed
on the VMware backup host (called the backup proxy server). For backups of the
entire virtual machine, all files were copied from the VMware datastore and written
to disk on the backup host.
NetBackup 7.0 now uses VMware vStorage APIs for Data Protection. vStorage
APIs enable a variety of data protection features for more efficient use of storage
capacity and faster backups. NetBackup can use vStorage to back up the latest
vSphere environments and earlier VMware environments.
Note that NetBackup 7.0 can back up vSphere environments using VCB. VMware
intends to discontinue VCB in a future release, however, and recommends the use
of vStorage APIs.
Minimum levels for vStorage support

To use VMware vStorage, NetBackup requires the following minimum levels of
VMware servers: ESX 3.5, or VirtualCenter 2.5. NetBackup can use vStorage with
older ESX servers (such as 3.0.2) if they are behind a VirtualCenter at version 2.5
or later.
When is VCB required?

NetBackup can protect most VMware environments by means of VMware's newer
vStorage APIs, without using VCB.
VCB is required in the following cases:
14 Introduction
Why is VCB not being used?
■ For backups of selected files instead of the entire virtual machine, if a

NetBackup client is not installed on the virtual machine.
■ For incremental backups that use the virtual machine backup option called
Full backup with file level incremental.
■ For the following older VMware environments:
■ ESX servers older than 3.5 if no VirtualCenter server is present.
■ For VirtualCenter servers older than 2.5.
Why is VCB not being used?

When possible, NetBackup automatically uses vStorage instead of VCB, even when
backing up certain VMware environments that are older than vSphere. If the ESX
server is at least 3.5, or the VirtualCenter is at least 2.5, NetBackup uses vStorage.
Even if installed, VCB is not used in these environments.
NetBackup uses VCB for VMware environments that are older than ESX 3.5 or
VirtualCenter 2.5. It also uses VCB if the policy is configured for Windows file-level
backups. See the appendix titled "File-level backup of Windows virtual machines."
NetBackup for VMware environment

This section describes the NetBackup for VMware environment.
NetBackup for VMware components

NetBackup for VMware uses the following components.
Backup host
NetBackup for VMware uses a special Windows server that is called a backup host
(formerly called the VMware backup proxy server). The backup host is a NetBackup
client that performs backups on behalf of the virtual machines. The backup host
can also be configured as a NetBackup master or media server.
The backup host is the only host on which NetBackup client software is installed.
No NetBackup client software is required on the VMware virtual machines.
Note that the backup host is referred to as the recovery host when it performs a
restore.
Introduction 15
Virtual machine
Virtual machines provide complete guest operating systems on virtualized
hardware. In a NetBackup policy, a virtual machine is configured as a NetBackup
client, even though NetBackup client software is not installed on the virtual
machine.
ESX server
The VMware ESX server presents a virtualized hardware environment to multiple
virtual machines; each virtual machine runs an independent operating system.
Users can run applications in the virtualized OS as if the OS was installed in its
own physical machine.
vCenter Server
The VMware vCenter Server (or VirtualCenter server) coordinates multiple ESX
servers and workloads. It can migrate virtual machines from one ESX server to
another. It also provides the ability to back up the virtual machines that are turned
off.
The vCenter Server is optional in the NetBackup for VMware environment.
Converter server
For backups that were made with VCB, the VMware Converter server assists in
full virtual machine restores to the ESX server. The Converter must be installed
on the same host as the VMware backup host.
VMware NetBackup Integration Module (VNIM) not required!

The VMware NetBackup Integration Module (VNIM) is not required for NetBackup
for VMware. Conflicts can occur between NetBackup for VMware policies and any
older script-based policies that use VNIM.
See “Notes and tips” on page 83.
Environment diagrams
Figure 1-1 shows the hardware components for NetBackup for VMware.
16 Introduction
Figure 1-1 NetBackup for VMware: backup environment
NetBackup
master server
LAN / WAN
NetBackup
storage unit
(disk or tape)
SAN
VMware backup host VMware virtual disk files VMware ESX server
acting as both NetBackup (datastore) must be available to with virtual machines
media server and client VMware backup host
Figure 1-2 shows a NetBackup for VMware environment with a VMware

VirtualCenter that manages multiple ESX servers.
Figure 1-2 VMware VirtualCenter that manages multiple ESX servers
NetBackup
master server
LAN / WAN
VMware
NetBackup
VirtualCenter
storage unit
(disk or tape)
SAN
VMware backup host VMware virtual disk files VMware ESX

(datastore) servers
Overview of the backup process

The following tables describe the phases in the NetBackup backup process.
Table 1-1 NetBackup backup process with vStorage
Phase Description
Phase 1 The NetBackup master server initiates the backup.
Phase 2 The NetBackup client on the VMware backup host initiates a VMware
snapshot on the virtual machine.
Phase 3 Windows only: VSS synchronizes the file system on the virtual machine.
Phase 4 The VMware server creates a snapshot on the virtual disk datastore.
Introduction 17
NetBackup for VMware configuration tasks: overview
Table 1-1 NetBackup backup process with vStorage (continued)
Phase Description
Phase 5 The NetBackup client reads the snapshot from the datastores and writes
the data to the NetBackup storage unit.
Table 1-2 NetBackup backup process with VCB
Phase Description
Phase 1 The NetBackup master server initiates the backup.
Phase 2 The NetBackup client on the VMware backup host initiates a VMware
snapshot on the virtual machine.
Phase 3 Windows only: VSS synchronizes the file system on the virtual machine.
Phase 4 The VMware server creates a snapshot on the virtual disk datastore.
Phase 5 The VMware backup host does one of the following:
■ For full virtual machine backup, it copies the files from the VMware
datastore and writes them to disk on the backup host.
■ For file-level backup, it mounts individual disk volumes from the
VMware datastore.
Phase 6 The NetBackup client reads the data from the backup host and writes the
data to the NetBackup storage unit.
NetBackup for VMware license requirement

NetBackup for VMware requires the NetBackup Enterprise Client license.

This section describes configuration tasks for VMware and for NetBackup.
VMware tasks
The VMware components including ESX servers and virtual machines must be
set up before you configure NetBackup.
Table 1-3 briefly describes these VMware-specific tasks; further assistance with
these tasks may be found in your VMware documentation.
18 Introduction
Table 1-3 VMware tasks
Sequence Tasks
Phase 1 Set up disk storage on Fibre Channel or iSCSI. The VMware backup
host must be able to access the disk storage.
Phase 2 Install the VMware ESX server and virtual machines.
Phase 3 Install VMware Tools on the virtual machines that you plan to back
up.
Phase 4 Optional: install a vCenter (or VirtualCenter) server.
Phase 5 For recovery of VCB backups: Install the VMware Converter server on
the VMware restore host.
The VMware Converter server is not required for vStorage.
Phase 6 For older versions of VMware only: Install a supported version of VCB
on the VMware backup host.
See “When is VCB required?” on page 13.
For further information on supported guest operating systems and

VMware components and versions, refer to the following Symantec
tech note: http://entsupport.symantec.com/docs/312604
Symantec recommends that the NetBackup media server and the

VMware backup host be installed on the same host.
Notes:
■ Ensure that the hardware and the SAN are configured properly. The VMware
datastore where the target virtual machine files exist must be accessible to
the VMware backup host.
With vStorage, and with VCB version 1.1 and ESX server 3.5, note: A SAN
connection between the backup host and the datastore is optional if you use
the NBD transfer type or NBDSSL transfer type.
■ VMware has specific hardware and configuration requirements. VMware SAN
requirements can be found in the appropriate VMware SAN Configuration
guide.
NetBackup tasks
Table 1-4 lists the NetBackup configuration tasks that are described later in this
chapter and in other NetBackup documentation, as indicated.
Introduction 19
About VMware storage optimization
Table 1-4 NetBackup tasks
Sequence Tasks
Phase 1 Install the NetBackup 7.0 master server and media server.
See the NetBackup 7.0 Installation Guide.
Symantec recommends that the NetBackup media server and the

VMware backup host be installed on the same host.
Phase 2 Install the NetBackup 7.0 Enterprise Client license on the master
server, and install NetBackup client 7.0 software on the VMware
backup host.
Phase 3 Add the VMware backup host to your NetBackup configuration.
See “Adding the VMware backup host to NetBackup configuration”

on page 30.
Phase 4 Set NetBackup access credentials for the VMware vCenter or

VirtualCenter (if any), or for VMware ESX servers.
See “Adding NetBackup credentials for VMware” on page 30.
Phase 5 Configure incremental backups for VMware.
See “Incremental backups must be based on timestamps ”

on page 33.
Phase 6 Create a NetBackup policy for VMware.
See “Configuring a VMware policy from the Policies node”

on page 33.
Phase 7 Perform a backup or restore.
See “Backing up virtual machines” on page 51.
See “VMware restore procedures: overview” on page 55.
Phase 8 Recheck the configuration.
See “Best practices” on page 75.
See “Backup and restore problems” on page 84.
About VMware storage optimization

VMware’s vStorage technology can track block-level changes in the virtual
machine. Block-level change tracking allows NetBackup to skip unused
(unallocated) regions on the virtual disk during the backup. The result is a smaller
backup image (storage optimized).
20 Introduction
Terminology
You can enable storage optimization in either of the following ways:

■ Select Perform block level incremental backup in the NetBackup policy.
NetBackup uses storage optimization when it backs up the virtual machines
that are listed in the policy.
For Perform block level incremental backup, the VMware virtual machine
version must be vmx-07 or later.
Note: It may be necessary to delete an existing snapshot before you start the
backup.
See “Deleting a vSphere Client snapshot” on page 25.
■ Or, if you intend to use the snapshot feature of vSphere Client before you start
a NetBackup backup of the virtual machine: Set the vSphere Client “ctkEnabled”
option to “true” before you use vSphere Client to create the snapshot.
See “Setting the Changed Block Tracking option in vSphere Client” on page 25.
Terminology
Table 1-5 lists the terminology that is used in NetBackup for VMware. For further
explanations of VMware terminology, refer to your VMware documentation.
Table 1-5 NetBackup for VMware common terms
Term Definition
datastore In NetBackup for VMware, the datastore is a disk that contains

the virtual machines files.
guest OS An operating system that runs on a virtual machine.
hypervisor A software virtualization layer that lets different operating

systems run simultaneously on the same physical machine.
independent disk A virtual disk that cannot be captured with a snapshot. An

independent disk can be configured as either persistent or
temporary.
Note: NetBackup for VMware cannot back up the data on an
independent disk. The backup appears to succeed, but the backup
image contains no data for the independent disk.
Raw device mapping Allows a virtual machine to directly access physical disks (on Fibre
(RDM) Channel or iSCSI). By means of RDM, disk LUNs appear to be files
in a VMFS volume.
Note that disks in RDM mode cannot be backed up with VMware

VCB (on a backup host). NetBackup client software must be
installed in the virtual machine.
Introduction 21
Terminology
Table 1-5 NetBackup for VMware common terms (continued)
Term Definition
sync driver Flushes the OS buffers (Windows only) before VMware snapshots
are initiated. The sync driver is installed by means of VMware
Tools.
VCB See VMware Consolidated Backup.
virtual machine An execution environment that the hypervisor creates for the
computer hardware. The resulting virtualized environment allows
different operating systems to run simultaneously on the same
physical machine.
vmdk file In a VMware ESX server, one or more vmdk files make up the disk
image or virtual drive in a virtual machine. The .vmdk files contain
the operating system, applications, and data in the virtual
machine.
VMware An off-host backup server in a NetBackup for VMware

backup/recovery host environment. The VMware backup host performs backups on
behalf of virtual machines.
The backup host is referred to as the recovery host during restore.
VMware Consolidated An off-host backup application programming interface (API)

Backup created by VMware. Designed to off load backups from the ESX
server.
VMware Tools Installed inside each VMware virtual machine. Enhances the
virtual machine performance and adds backup-related
functionality.
vStorage VMware vStorage APIs for Data Protection enable data protection
features for more efficient use of storage capacity. NetBackup can
use vStorage to back up the latest vSphere environments as well
as to back up earlier VMware environments.
22 Introduction
Terminology
Chapter 2
Notes and prerequisites
■ Prerequisites
■ Notes and restrictions
■ Deleting a vSphere Client snapshot
■ Setting the Changed Block Tracking option in vSphere Client
■ Notes on the hotadd transfer type
■ Creating a helper virtual machine for hotadd transfer
Prerequisites
The following prerequisites apply to NetBackup for VMware:
■ The VMware backup host must run Windows 2003 or 2008. (For VCB on
Windows 2008, VCB 1.5 is required.) The supported hardware types are the
same as for any NetBackup Windows client. For further information on
supported guest operating systems and VMware components and versions,
refer to the following Symantec tech note:
http://entsupport.symantec.com/docs/312604
■ To use the hotadd transfer type for backup or restore, the VMware backup or
restore host is installed in a virtual machine.
For ESX 3.5 and earlier: You must set up a shadow virtual machine that has
the same name as the backup host but with the (VCB-HELPER) suffix.
See “Creating a helper virtual machine for hotadd transfer” on page 28.
See “Notes on the hotadd transfer type” on page 27.
24 Notes and prerequisites
Notes and restrictions
Notes and restrictions

Note the following about NetBackup for VMware:
■ NetBackup for VMware does not work with the VMware NetBackup Integration
Module (VNIM). Conflicts can occur between NetBackup for VMware policies
and any older script-based policies that use VNIM.
See “Notes and tips” on page 83.
■ NetBackup for VMware does not support the NetBackup Instant Recovery
feature.
■ If a Windows virtual machine includes Veritas Storage Foundation volumes,
only the Full VM backup option and the Perform block level incremental
backup option (BLIB) are supported.
■ For backups using VCB, NetBackup for VMware supports USB drives as the
snapshot mount point (for staging) on a VMware backup host. The USB drive
must be formatted with the NTFS file system.
■ NetBackup for VMware does not support the Mapped full VM backup option
for virtual machines that contain encrypted drives. For backups of virtual
machines that have encrypted drives, use the Full VM backup option.
■ For Windows virtual machine backups using VCB, the snapshot mount point
on the backup host must be a local drive, not network mounted. Do not set
compression or encryption on the mount point.
■ To restore individual NTFS encrypted files, you must install a NetBackup client
on the virtual machine.
See “Best practices” on page 75.
■ For UNIX and Linux virtual machines, single file restore is not supported.
■ Storage optimization cannot be used if a snapshot exists on the virtual machine
when VMware Changed Block Tracking is turned on.
See “Setting the Changed Block Tracking option in vSphere Client” on page 25.
See “About VMware storage optimization” on page 19.
■ For any non-VCB virtual machine backup that NetBackup 7.0 for VMware
made, the NBDSSL transport method is not supported during the restore. Note
that VMware's current vStorage VDDK API does not support the NBDSSL
transport method during restore.
■ If the policy's Client name selection option is set to VM hostname, note:
NetBackup cannot select a VMware virtual machine for backup if it cannot
obtain an IP address for the virtual machine.
■ If the restore host is on Windows Server 2008 and you use the SAN transfer
type for the restore, the SAN luns must be online.
Notes and prerequisites 25
Deleting a vSphere Client snapshot
See “Restore fails with NetBackup status code 5” on page 90.
Further notes
Additional information is available in the following:
■ For up-to-date information on supported VMware components, guest operating
systems, and file systems, see the following Symantec tech note:
The tech note contains information on NetBackup support for VMware vSphere.
■ For notes and limitations about NetBackup for VMware in this 7.0 release, see
the NetBackup Release Notes.
Deleting a vSphere Client snapshot

For a storage optimized backup, you must delete any vSphere Client snapshot and
re-initiate the NetBackup backup if both of the following are true:
■ A vSphere Client snapshot of the virtual machine already exists before the
backup starts.
■ The vSphere Client Changed Block Tracking (ctkEnabled) option was not
enabled before the vSphere snapshot was created.
Background information is available on storage optimized backups:
See “About VMware storage optimization” on page 19.
To delete a vSphere Client snapshot
1 In the vSphere Client interface, right-click on the virtual machine and select
Snapshot > Snapshot Manager.
2 Select the snapshot and click Delete.
Setting the Changed Block Tracking option in vSphere

Client
If you use vSphere Client to create a snapshot before the VMware changed block
tracking option is enabled, NetBackup cannot use storage optimization for that
virtual machine. You must do the following on the virtual machine before using
vSphere Client to take a snapshot.
Note that NetBackup does not require that you use the Snapshot feature in vSphere
Client. NetBackup automatically creates a snapshot when a NetBackup backup
job starts.
Setting the Changed Block Tracking option in vSphere Client
To enable Changed Block Tracking for the virtual machine

1 In vSphere Client, power off the virtual machine.
2 Select the virtual machine, then click Edit settings.
3 Obtain the hard drive controller and disk numbers (scsi and ide) for each
virtual drive on the virtual machine.
To find the controller and disk numbers, do the following:
■ Click the Hardware tab.
■ Click on each hard disk. Its scsi or ide controller and disk numbers appear
under Virtual Device Node, in the form SCSI(X.X) or IDE(X.X). Make a
note of each.
4 Click the Options tab. Under Advanced, General, click Configuration

Parameters.
5 On the Configuration Parameters screen, click Add Row.

6 Enter ctkEnabled in the Name column and enter true for the Value.
7 For each virtual drive on the virtual machine, enter a Name in the form
scsiX:X.ctkEnabled or ideX:X.ctkEnabled, where X:X represents the
controller and disk number of each disk as found on the Hardware tab.
For example: scsi0:0.ctkEnabled for the first disk and scsi0:1.ctkEnabled
for the second disk. (The numbers for your disks may be different.)
8 Enter true for the Value of each disk entry.
Notes and prerequisites 27
Notes on the hotadd transfer type
9 Click OK.
10 Power on the virtual machine.
Now you can use vSphere Client to take a snapshot of the virtual machine.
NetBackup can apply vStorage optimization (changed block tracking) to future
backups of the virtual machine.
Notes on the hotadd transfer type

NetBackup supports several transfer types for sending snapshot data between
the VMware datastore and the VMware backup host during a backup or restore.
One of those transfer types (hotadd) is used when the VMware backup host is
installed in a virtual machine.
Note the following about the hotadd transfer type:
■ For a backup or restore, the hotadd transfer type does not support the .vmdk
files that are larger than 1 TB. If the .vmdk file is larger than 1 TB, the file
cannot be mounted.
■ The VMware backup host must be installed in a virtual machine.
■ For ESX versions 3.5 and earlier: You must configure a shadow (helper) virtual
machine before the backup starts. The helper virtual machine must have at
least as many SCSI controllers as exist on the virtual machine that you want
to back up.
The helper virtual machine is used internally by the VMware VDDK to attach
the disks temporarily during hotadd backup or restore.
A helper virtual machine is not required for backups of ESX 4.0 virtual
machines. For all other configurations, whether you use VCB or vStorage, a
helper virtual machine is required.
See “Creating a helper virtual machine for hotadd transfer” on page 28.
■ NetBackup does not support IDE disks on the virtual machine or on the backup
host.
■ On the virtual machine to back up, no two disks should have the same name.
(Identical names can occur if the disks reside on different datastores.)
■ The ESX server (where the backup-host virtual machine resides) must have
access to the datastore of the virtual machines that you want to back up.
■ The datastore for the backup-host virtual machine must have some free space
before the hotadd backup begins. Otherwise, the backup may fail.
■ For additional hotadd information, see the following VMware VDDK Release
Notes:
http://www.vmware.com/support/developer/vddk/VDDK-1.1-Relnotes.html
Creating a helper virtual machine for hotadd transfer
Creating a helper virtual machine for hotadd transfer

This procedure applies only to ESX versions 3.5 (and earlier) with use of the hotadd
transfer type.
To create a helper virtual machine for hotadd backup or restore
1 Create a virtual machine.
You do not need to assign any drives to the virtual machine.
2 Give the helper virtual machine the same VMware display name as the virtual
machine where the backup host is installed. Add the (VCB-HELPER) suffix to
the name.
For example, if the virtual machine that contains the backup host is called
bu_host_VM, the name of the helper virtual machine must be the following:
bu_host_VM(VCB-HELPER)
Note that the complete name including the suffix must not exceed 32
characters.
3 For more information on helper virtual machines, see the following VMware
document:
VMware Virtual Machine Backup Guide (Update 2 and later for ESX Server
3.5, ESX Server 3i version 3.5, VirtualCenter 2.5).
Chapter 3
Configure NetBackup for
VMware
■ Adding the VMware backup host to NetBackup configuration
■ Adding NetBackup credentials for VMware
■ Changing the host name of a VMware server in NetBackup
■ Incremental backups must be based on timestamps
■ Configuring a VMware policy from the Policies node
■ Configuration parameters for VMware
■ Browse for VMware Virtual Machines screen
■ Configuring a VMware policy from the Snapshot Policy Configuration wizard
■ About incremental backups of virtual machines
■ Volume Manager volumes in the virtual machine
■ Backup options compared
■ Reducing the size of backups
■ About block-level backup
■ Recovery options: vStorage vs VCB

30 Configure NetBackup for VMware
Adding the VMware backup host to NetBackup configuration
Adding the VMware backup host to NetBackup

configuration
You must add the VMware backup host to your NetBackup configuration. In the
NetBackup Administration Console, do the following.
To add the VMware backup host
1 Click Host Properties > Master Server > and double click NetBackup master
server > VMware backup hosts.
2 Click Add.
3 Enter the fully qualified domain name of the VMware backup host, and click
Add.
4 When you are finished adding backup hosts, click Close.
5 Click Apply and then OK.
Adding NetBackup credentials for VMware

The NetBackup server requires logon credentials to access the VMware ESX servers
or the VMware VirtualCenter. In the NetBackup Administration Console, do the
following.
To add NetBackup credentials
1 Click Media and Device Management > Credentials > Virtual Machine
Servers.
2 Click Actions > New > New Virtual Machine Server and enter the fully
qualified domain name of the virtual machine server (VirtualCenter or ESX
server).
3 In the Credentials pane of the Virtual Machine Server dialog, enter the
following:
Virtual machine server type
Select the type of virtual machine:
■ VMware VirtualCenter server
For a vCenter server (or VirtualCenter server) that manages multiple
VMware ESX servers.
Note: If you have a vCenter server, do not enter logon credentials for
individual ESX servers. NetBackup uses the credentials for the vCenter
only.
■ VMware ESX server
Configure NetBackup for VMware 31
Adding NetBackup credentials for VMware
For ESX servers where there is no vCenter server (or VirtualCenter). Use
this dialog box to enter credentials for each ESX server.
■ VMware restore ESX server
For an ESX server to which NetBackup can restore virtual machines
directly, bypassing the vCenter server. This option is intended for restores
that use the SAN transfer type.
Restoring a virtual machine through the vCenter server (instead of directly
to an ESX server) may result in a slower restore over the SAN.
User name
Enter the user name for the virtual machine server. Note that spaces in user
names are not allowed.
Password
Enter the password (and confirm it) for the virtual machine server.
Validate Credentials
Select this box to have the credentials verified. When you click OK, NetBackup
verifies that the credentials you have entered are currently valid for the
virtual machine server. An invalid entry that you enter during this session
is deleted from the dialog.
If your VMware backup host is running a version of NetBackup that is earlier
than 6.5.4, the credentials cannot be validated. An error message is displayed.
You must verify that the credentials you entered are correct for the VMware
server. If the credentials are correct, you can ignore the error message.
Connect using port number
This option applies only to backups that use VCB.
Unless the port number was changed on the VMware server, no port
specification is required if you use VCB 1.1 or later. If the Connect using port
number box is checked, deselect it. VCB determines the port.
If you use a version of VCB that is older than 1.1, click the Connect using port
number box and use the default port 902.
Note: If you select port 902 and use an ESX server 3.5 or later, the VMware
backup host is unable to communicate with the VirtualCenter or ESX servers.
The attempt to back up the virtual machines fails. The credentials validation
also fails if you selected Validate Credentials.
Changing the host name of a VMware server in NetBackup
4 Click OK.
5 If your site has multiple ESX servers but no vCenter server, use the Virtual
Machine Server dialog to enter credentials for each ESX server.
Changing the host name of a VMware server in

NetBackup
Use the following procedure if you need to change a VMware server's host name
as it is stored in NetBackup.
Example reasons for changing the VMware server name are the following:
■ If you used a simple host name for the server when you added its NetBackup
credentials, and need to replace that host name with the fully qualified host
name.
■ If two hosts currently resolve to the same IP address, and one of them must
be renamed and assigned a new IP address.
To change the host name of a VMware host in NetBackup
1 Remove the current credentials that were entered for the VMware host.
Do the following:
■ In the NetBackup Administration Console, click on Media and Device
Management > Credentials > Virtual Machine Servers.
■ Right-click on the credentials definition for the VMware server and select
Delete (or press the Delete key).
2 Remove the VMware host from the NetBackup EMM database.

Enter the following command:
nbemmcmd -deletehost -machinename VMware_server_name

-machinetype virtual_machine
3 In the NetBackup Administration Console, re-enter NetBackup's credentials

for the VMware server.
Make sure to enter the correct host name for the VMware server.
Incremental backups must be based on timestamps
Incremental backups must be based on timestamps

Incremental backups of virtual machines must be based on timestamps, not on
archive bit. You must configure the NetBackup client on the VMware backup host
as described in this section.
To configure the client on the VMware backup host for incremental backups
1 Start the NetBackup Backup, Archive, and Restore interface from the
NetBackup client that is installed on the VMware backup host.
2 Click File > NetBackup Client Properties.
3 On the General tab, make sure Perform incrementals based on archive bit
is clear (unchecked).
Configuring a VMware policy from the Policies node

You can create a policy (full or incremental) to back up the virtual machine in
either of two ways:
■ Use the Policies node of the NetBackup Administration Console (described in
this topic).
■ Use the Snapshot Policy Configuration wizard.
See “Configuring a VMware policy from the Snapshot Policy Configuration
wizard” on page 45.
To configure a policy for backup of individual files, see the appendix titled
"File-level backup of Windows virtual machines."
To configure a policy to back up the virtual machine
1 In the NetBackup Administration Console, click Policies and select Actions
> New > New Policy.
2 Select the FlashBackup-Windows policy type.
The FlashBackup-Windows policy type is recommended for most
environments. Use it to back up individual drives (Windows), or to back up
the entire virtual machine (any supported virtual machine).
Note the following about the FlashBackup-Windows policy type:
■ Increases the backup speed as compared to standard file-order backup
methods, if the virtual machine is heavily populated with small files.
■ Can create a backup from which you can restore selected files or the full
virtual machine.
For UNIX and Linux virtual machines, FlashBackup-Windows is the only

supported policy type.
For more information on the FlashBackup-Windows policy type and virtual
machine backups, see the following:
See “Backup options compared” on page 46.
3 Select a policy storage unit or storage unit group.
Storage unit groups are described in the NetBackup Administrator’s Guide,
Volume I.
4 Note that the FlashBackup-Windows policy type automatically selects Perform
snapshot backups.
The following is the Snapshot Client pane on the lower left of the policy
attributes tab:
Make sure that Collect disaster recovery information for Bare Metal Restore
is not selected.
5 Select Perform off-host backup.
6 From the pull-down list for the Use field, select VMware backup host.
7 In the Machine field, specify the name of the VMware backup host.
If the VMware backup host does not appear in the Machine pull-down list,
make sure that it was added to the Host Properties setting.
See “Adding the VMware backup host to NetBackup configuration” on page 30.
You may have to close and reopen the policy for the added VMware backup
host to appear in the list.
8 For block-level backups of the virtual machine, select Perform block level
incremental backups.
This option reduces the backup size. To enable this option, you must first
select Perform off-host backup and VMware backup host.
See “About block-level backup” on page 48.
9 Click Options.
The following is the upper half of the Snapshot Options dialog box
(Configuration Parameters). The lower portion (Snapshot Resources) is not
used.
See “Configuration parameters for VMware” on page 37.

10 To save these settings, click OK and then Apply.
11 Use the Schedules tab to define a schedule.
On the attributes tab, you can select Full backup, Differential Incremental
Backup, or Cumulative Incremental Backup.
Incremental backups require one of the following configurations:
■ On the policy attributes tab, select Perform block level incremental
backups. Requires ESX server 4.0 and virtual machine at vmx-07 or later.
■ Or select the Mapped full VM backup or Full backup with file level
incremental option for the Virtual machine backup type on the Snapshot
Options dialog.
12 On the Clients tab, click New to specify virtual machines to back up.
You can type the host name in the Enter the VMware hostname field, or click
Browse and select virtual machine.
See “Browse for VMware Virtual Machines screen” on page 42.
Note: In the NetBackup Java Administration Console, the Install Software
option is for installing NetBackup client software on trusting UNIX clients.
This option does not apply to virtual machines.
13 Use the Backup Selections tab to specify the virtual machine or virtual
machine drives to back up.
Click New. You can make entries manually, or click on the pull-down (UNIX)
or hand icon (Windows) to select from available directives.
For VMware snapshot backup, the System_State directive (Windows 2000)
and the ShadowCopy Components directive (Windows 2003) are not supported.
Enter either of the following and then click Add (on UNIX) or press Enter
(Windows):
■ Individual drive letters.
Enter the drive letter as follows (for example):
\\.\E:
The drive must be designated exactly as shown (E:\ is not correct).

■ ALL_LOCAL_DRIVES
The ALL_LOCAL_DRIVES directive backs up all local drives on the virtual
machines that are selected on the Clients tab. This entry is the only one
supported for UNIX and Linux virtual machines.
Note the kinds of files that are included in an ALL_LOCAL_DRIVES backup:
Configuration parameters for VMware
FlashBackup-Windows The ALL_LOCAL_DRIVES directive backs up all data files

policy on the virtual machines.
ALL_LOCAL_DRIVES also backs up the following, if the
snapshot option is Full VM backup, Mapped full VM backup,
or Full backup with file level incremental:
■ Windows System State files

■ Windows OS partitions that contain the Windows
system files (usually C:)
■ VMware virtual disk files

Note: If you chose Full VM backup or Mapped Full VM
backup for the Virtual Machine Backup parameter,
ALL_LOCAL_DRIVES is the only entry allowed for backup
selections.
To back up individual files or folders instead of a drive, you must configure

a file-level backup. See the appendix titled "File-level backup of Windows
virtual machines." Note that VCB is required.
14 If you click Apply or OK on the policy Attributes tab, a validation process
checks the policy and reports any errors. If you click Close, no validation is
performed.

The following parameters apply to the VMware snapshot method:
Client name selection

Specifies the type of name by which NetBackup recognizes a virtual machine.
VM hostname The network hostname for the virtual machine.
VMware display name The name of the virtual machine as it appears in the VMware
interface.
VMware UUID The unique ID assigned to the virtual machine when the
virtual machine was created.
If you create a policy and then change the Client Name Selection value, note: You
may have to delete the virtual machine selections that were made on the Clients
tab and re-enter them. Otherwise, NetBackup may no longer be able to identify
the virtual machines to back up.
For example, if you change the Client Name Selection from VM hostname to VM
display name, and the display names of the virtual machines are different from
the host names, the host names in the Clients tab cannot be used and the virtual
machines are not backed up. You must delete the host name entries on the Clients
tab and browse the network to select the virtual machines by display name.
Note: When creating virtual machines, use the same name for both host name
and display name. If the Client Name Selection is changed, the existing entries
on the Clients tab still work.
Virtual machine backup

File level snapshot Backs up either of the following:
using VCB
■ Individual folders and files, individual drives, or all local drives,
with the MS-Windows policy type.
■ Individual drives or all local drives, with the
FlashBackup-Windows policy type.
File level snapshot using VCB cannot be used to back up Windows

system files or VMware virtual disk files.
FilelevelsnapshotusingVCB requires VCB on the VMware backup

host.
See “About file-level backup of Windows virtual machines”

on page 99.
Full VM backup Backs up the entire virtual machine. This option works with the
FlashBackup-Windows policy type only. Individual files cannot
be restored from this backup.
Mapped full VM Backs up the entire virtual machine. This option works with the
backup FlashBackup-Windows policy type only. Two kinds of restore are
possible from a mapped full backup: restore of the entire virtual
machine or of individual folders and files.
To perform a VMware backup to a deduplication storage unit,

select the Mapped full VM backup option. This option provides
the best deduplication rates. Use of the Full VM backup option
results in a lower rate of deduplication.
A tabular presentation of these parameters is available.

Full backup with file A combination of Mapped full VM backup and File level snapshot
level incremental using VCB. Backs up the entire virtual machine for full backups,
and backs up individual files, folders, or drives for incremental
backups. This option works with the FlashBackup-Windows policy
type only.
Note: This option is primarily intended for NetBackup 6.5.x
systems that are upgraded to 7.0. When making backups with a
7.0 system, you should use the Full VM backup or Mapped full
VM backup option instead, with an incremental schedule.
Transfer type
If you use VCB for the backup, these options require ESX server 3.5 or later and
VCB 1.1 or later.
The transfer types determine how the snapshot data is sent from the VMware
datastore to the VMware backup host. The appropriate option depends in part on
the type of network that connects the VMware datastore to the VMware backup
host.
san For unencrypted transfer over Fibre Channel (SAN) or iSCSI.

This value is the default.
nbd For unencrypted transfer over a local network that uses the
Network Block Device (NBD) driver protocol. This type of
transfer is usually slower than Fibre Channel.
nbdssl For encrypted transfer (SSL) over a local network that uses
the Network Block Device (NBD) driver protocol. This type
of transfer is usually slower than Fibre Channel.
try san then nbd Provides transfer flexibility if the VMware datastore is
available on both a SAN and a local network. NetBackup
attempts an unencrypted transfer over Fibre Channel (SAN)
or iSCSI. If that fails, it transfers the snapshot data using
the Network Block Device (NBD) driver protocol over the
local network.
try san then nbdssl Provides transfer flexibility if the VMware datastore is
or iSCSI. If that fails, it transfers the snapshot data with SSL
encryption using the Network Block Device (NBD) driver
protocol over the local network.
hotadd Lets you run the VMware backup host in a virtual machine.
This feature requires ESX 3.5 Update2 or later.
For instructions on this transport mode and on installing

the backup host in a VMware virtual machine, refer to your
VMware documentation.
try all types Tries all possible transfer types and uses the first type that
succeeds.
For vSphere systems, this option can automatically switch

transfer type for each .vmdk file, as needed. It selects
whichever type is appropriate, depending on the network
connection that can be used to access the .vmdk file.
Virtual machine quiesce
Note: This option applies only to Windows virtual machines (such as Windows
2003 and XP or later). It does not apply to older Windows systems or to UNIX or
Linux.
By default, this option is enabled. In the great majority of cases, you should accept
the default.
I/O on the virtual machine is quiesced before NetBackup creates the snapshot.
Without quiescing file activity, data consistency in the snapshot cannot be
guaranteed. If not consistent, the backed up data may be of little or no value.
If this option is disabled, the snapshot is created without quiescing I/O on the
virtual machine. In this case, you must perform your own checks for data
consistency in the backup data.
Caution: Symantec does not recommend that you disable quiesce. In most cases,
this option should be enabled.
Exclude unused and deleted blocks

This option reduces the size of the backup image by excluding any unused or
deleted blocks within the file system on the virtual machine.
Note the following:
■ This option applies only to backups of an entire virtual machine (it does not
apply to backups that specify individual files only).
■ This option supports the Windows NTFS file system only.
■ This option uses proprietary mapping technology to identify vacant sectors

(allocated but empty) within the file system. If the virtual disk contains raw
space, that raw space is included in the backup.
Existing snapshot handling
Note: This option applies only to backups that use VMware vStorage. It does not
apply to backups that use VMware VCB.
After it creates a snapshot, NetBackup usually deletes the snapshot when the
backup has succeeded. If snapshots are not automatically deleted (whether created
by NetBackup or not), the performance of the virtual machine may eventually be
affected.
Note also that the existence of undeleted snapshots can cause restore failures due
to lack of disk space. If the virtual machine was configured on multiple datastores
and a leftover snapshot existed on the virtual machine when it was backed up,
NetBackup tries to restore all .vmdk files to the snapshot datastore. As a result,
the datastore may not have enough space for the .vmdk files, and the restore fails.
(For a successful restore, you can restore the virtual machine to an alternate
location. Use the Storage Destination dialog in the Virtual Machine Recovery
dialogs to select a datastore for the .vmdk files.)
The Existing snapshot handling parameter specifies what action NetBackup takes
when a snapshot is discovered before creating a new snapshot for the backup.
Ignore NetBackup ignores any existing virtual machine snapshots

(including snapshots previously created by NetBackup) and
proceeds with snapshot creation and the backup.
Abort If any snapshot exists on the virtual machine, NetBackup aborts

the job for that virtual machine only.
Remove NBU If a virtual machine snapshot exists that a NetBackup vStorage

or VCB backup previously created: NetBackup removes the old
snapshot, creates an updated snapshot, and proceeds with the
virtual machine backup.
Monolithic export (VCB only)

This option applies only to backups that use VCB.
Browse for VMware Virtual Machines screen
When NetBackup backs up a virtual machine, it copies the virtual machine .vmdk
files from the VMware datastore to the VMware backup host. Note that NetBackup
can copy a large vmdk file to the VMware backup host as 2GB files instead of as
a larger file. Sending a large vmdk file in smaller (2GB) units can improve transfer
speed.
The default is Disabled: the vmdk file is transferred to the VMware backup host
in 2GB chunks.
Enabled means that the vmdk file is transferred to the VMware backup host as a
single file, regardless of how large the vmdk file is. In some cases, transferring a
very large vmdk file may result in a slower transfer speed.
Snapshot mount point (VCB only)

Specifies a folder on the VMware backup host. This option applies only to backups
that use VMware VCB on the backup host.
An example mount point is:
G:\mnt
If the folder does not exist on the VMware backup host, NetBackup creates it.
This folder is used in one of two ways, depending on the parameter value that you
choose:
■ For file-level backups (File level snapshot using VCB), the VMware backup host
mounts snapshots of individual virtual disk volumes in this folder. These
snapshots are links to the virtual datastore. No virtual machine data is copied
to this folder.
■ For full virtual machine backups (Full VM backup or Mapped full VM backup),
the VMware backup host creates a snapshot of the entire virtual machine in
this folder. This snapshot contains copies of all virtual disk files on the virtual
datastore that constitute a point-in-time image of the entire virtual machine.
Enough space must be available in this folder to contain the snapshot.
For Windows virtual machines, the mount point must be a local drive, not
network mounted. Also, do not set compression or encryption on the mount
point.
See “Other backup failures” on page 85.

Use this screen to select a vCenter server (VirtualCenter), ESX server, or individual
virtual machines.
■ Enter the VM hostname

Enter the name of a virtual machine. The format of the name depends on your
system. It may be the fully qualified name or another name, depending on
your network configuration and how the name is defined in the guest OS. If
NetBackup cannot find the name you enter, policy validation fails.
To enter a host name, make sure that Browse and select Virtual Machines is
not selected.
■ Browse and select Virtual Machine
Click this option to discover ESX servers (shown in the left pane). You can
select virtual machines from a list (in the right pane).
The virtual machine names that are listed may be derived from a cache file.
Use of the cache file is faster than rediscovering the machines on the network
if your site has a large number of virtual machines.
If NetBackup cannot obtain the IP address of the virtual machine, the host
name and IP address are displayed as NONE.
■ Last Update
To update the cache file and re-display virtual machines, click the refresh icon
to the right of the Last Update field. This field shows the date and time of the
most recent cache file that contains the names of virtual machines.
For NetBackup to access the virtual machines, the following are required:
■ For older virtual machines, VMware VCB must be installed on the VMware
backup host.
■ The NetBackup master server must have credentials for the VMware
VirtualCenter or ESX server(s).
■ The browsing timeout value must not be set too low.

See “Changing the browsing timeout for virtual machine discovery”
on page 82.
■ VM Host Name, Display Name, UUID, etc.

When you select an ESX server in the left pane, new columns display
information about the virtual machines. You can change the settings and
arrangement of these columns by right clicking on any of the column headers.
The columns are the following:
VM Host Name The host name of the virtual machine.
Display Name The display name of the virtual machine.
UUID The UUID of the virtual machine.
IP Address The IP address of the virtual machine.
OS The guest OS system as defined when the virtual machine

was created.
Data Store The datastore where the virtual machine configuration

files are stored.
Power The power on/off status of the virtual machine when it

was last discovered.
RDM Status Shows whether the virtual machine has a physical disk in
raw device mapping mode (RDM) or has an independent
drive.
Platform The VMware release version of the virtual machine

(vmx-04 or vmx-07).
Discovered Timestamp The time and date at which the virtual machine's UUID
was initially discovered and cached.
Change Tracking Support Shows whether the virtual machine supports the VMware
Changed Block Tracking feature (for BLIB). Changed Block
Tracking requires ESX server 4.0 and a virtual machine
at vmx-07 or later.
ESX Host The ESX server in which the virtual machine resides (also
appears in the left pane).
Data Center The datacenter that contains the virtual machine (also
Configuring a VMware policy from the Snapshot Policy Configuration wizard
Virtual Center Name The vCenter server that manages the ESX server (also
The virtual machines you selected are listed in the Clients tab.
Configuring a VMware policy from the Snapshot Policy

Configuration wizard
Use the following procedure.
To create a backup policy by means of the Snapshot Policy Configuration wizard
1 In the NetBackup Administration Console (on the NetBackup master server),
click on the name of the master server.
2 Click Create a Snapshot Backup Policy.
3 Click Next.
4 On the Select Client screen, enter a name for the policy.
5 For Virtual Machine Type, select VMware.
6 Enter the name of the VMware backup host.
7 Follow the remaining screens in the wizard.
The wizard creates the policy according to your selections.
About incremental backups of virtual machines

NetBackup 7.0 provides a flexible approach to incremental backups, as follows:
■ For vStorage, NetBackup enables full virtual machine and file-level
incrementals in the same backup.
■ For VCB, NetBackup enables file-level incrementals.
Note the following about incremental backups of virtual machines:
Volume Manager volumes in the virtual machine
■ Incremental backups must be based on timestamps.

See “Incremental backups must be based on timestamps ” on page 33.
■ With VCB, the only backup option that supports incrementals is Full backup
with file level incremental. BLIB is not available. Operating system files cannot
be restored from the incremental backups that use this option.
■ Better support for incremental is available when you use BLIB (Perform block
level incremental backups). BLIB requires ESX 4.0 and virtual machines at
vmx-07 or later.
To configure incremental backup of a virtual machine, choose one of these options:
■ For VCB-based backups (older VMware environments): In the NetBackup policy,
select the FlashBackup-Windows policy type and the Full backup with file
level incremental option (on the Snapshot Client Options dialog).
See “NetBackup for VMware: vStorage vs VCB” on page 13.
■ For vStorage backups: In the NetBackup policy, select the
FlashBackup-Windows policy type and the Full VM backup or Mapped full
VM backup option on the Snapshot Client Options dialog. In the schedule,
select either Differential Incremental Backup or Cumulative Incremental
Backup.
More information is available about these backup options.
See “Recovery options: vStorage vs VCB” on page 48.
Volume Manager volumes in the virtual machine

To back up a virtual machine that contains Veritas Storage Foundation Volume
Manager volumes, use the Full VM backup option. Make sure that the Exclude
unused and deleted blocks option is disabled.
Note: Restore of selected files from a backup of the full virtual machine is not
supported if the virtual machine contains Storage Foundation Volume Manager
volumes.
See “Notes and restrictions” on page 24.
Backup options compared

Table 3-1 describes the backup options for FlashBackup-Windows policies.
Reducing the size of backups
Table 3-1 Backup options for FlashBackup-Windows policies
Backup Selections Virtual Machine What is backed up What can be restored

entry Backup
parameter
Individual drives File level snapshot Individual drives as raw devices. Individual folders and files, or
using VCB entire drive (not including
For example: \\.\E:
operating system or VMware
virtual disk files)
ALL_LOCAL_DRIVES File level snapshot All individual drives in virtual Individual folders and files, or
directive using VCB machine as raw devices. entire drives (not including
operating system or VMware
virtual disk files)
ALL_LOCAL_DRIVES Full VM backup VMware virtual disk files. Backup Entire virtual machine only
directive is "raw partition" type.
ALL_LOCAL_DRIVES Mapped full VM VMware virtual disk files. Backup Entire virtual machine or
directive backup is "raw partition" type. individual folders and files
Note that backup type Full backup with file level incremental is a combination
of Mapped full VM backup and File level snapshot using VCB. VMware VCB
software must be installed on the VMware backup host.
Reducing the size of backups

NetBackup provides several options for reducing the size of the backup image, as
follows:
■ Perform block level incremental backups (on policy attributes tab)
Referred to as BLIB. Reduces the size of incremental backups by tracking
block-level changes. Only the blocks that have changed since the last full or
incremental are included in an incremental backup. Applies to cumulative and
to differential backups. This option applies only to ESX 4.0 virtual machines
at version vmx-07 or later.
■ Exclude unused and deleted blocks (on Snapshot Options dialog from policy
attributes tab)
Reduces the size of a full backup by excluding any unused or deleted sectors
within the file system on the virtual machine.
This option applies to full backups only and is not related to BLIB. Exclude
unused and deleted blocks uses proprietary mapping technology to identify
vacant sectors (allocated but empty) within the file system. If the virtual disk
contains raw space, the raw space is included in the backup. To exclude raw
About block-level backup
space from the backup, select Perform block level incremental backups on
the policy attributes tab.
About block-level backup

NetBackup supports block-level backups of the virtual machine. For block-level
backups, NetBackup uses VMware's Changed Block Tracking feature to reduce
the backup size. Since this option works at the block level (not at the file level), it
applies only to backups of the entire virtual machine. It cannot be used when the
policy backup selections list specifies individual files.
This option reduces the size of full backups as well as the size of incremental
backups, as follows.
Table 3-2 Block-level backup of the virtual machine: full vs incremental

schedule
Type of backup Optimization that is used in backup
Backup of entire virtual machine, Backs up only the blocks that are currently used
with full schedule (allocated) in the virtual machine. Unallocated blocks
are not included in the backup.
Backup of entire virtual machine, Backs up only the blocks that have changed since the
with incremental schedule last backup. Blocks that have not changed are not
included in the backup.
Note the following about block level incremental backups:

■ Can be used only with ESX 4.0 virtual machines at version vmx-07 or later.
■ Can be used only with the FlashBackup-Windows policy type.
■ Not available in VCB-based backups.
Recovery options: vStorage vs VCB

This section compares the NetBackup restore options available with vStorage vs
VCB.
Recovery options with VMware vStorage

The following table describes the recovery features that are available when you
use vStorage. The first two columns (Virtual machine backup and Schedule) are
backup options; the other columns describe the recovery options.
These features require the FlashBackup-Windows policy type.
Table 3-3 Recovery features with vStorage
Virtual Schedule Can Can Comments

machine recover recover
backup virtual files
machine
Full VM Full Yes No

backup
Full VM Incremental Yes No Requires BLIB.

backup
Mapped full Full Yes Yes

VM backup
Mapped full Incremental Yes Yes For full virtual machine

VM backup recovery, BLIB is required.
Full backup Full Yes Yes NetBackup uses vStorage.

with file level
incremental
Full backup Incremental No Yes Requires VCB.

with file level
incremental
Recovery options with VMware VCB

The following table describes the recovery features that are available when you
use VCB. Note that BLIB cannot be used with VCB.
Because it pertains only to Windows file-level backups, the File level snapshot
using VCB backup option is not included in this table.
See “About file-level backup of Windows virtual machines” on page 99.
Table 3-4 Recovery features with VCB (note: BLIB is not supported)
Virtual Schedule Can Can Comments (BLIB is not

machine recover recover supported)
backup type virtual files
machine
Full VM Full Yes No For VCB-based backups, the Full

backup VM backup option does not
support incrementals.
Table 3-4 Recovery features with VCB (note: BLIB is not supported) (continued)
Virtual Schedule Can Can Comments (BLIB is not

machine recover recover supported)
backup type virtual files
machine
Full VM Incremental N/A N/A Incremental backup is not

backup available with VCB and Full VM
backup. Use Full backup with
file level incremental instead.
Mapped full Full Yes Yes

VM backup
Mapped full Incremental N/A N/A Incremental backup is not

VM backup available with VCB and Mapped
full VM backup. Use Full backup
with file level incremental
instead.
Full backup Full Yes Yes This backup option provides

with file level support for NetBackup 6.5.x
incremental systems that are upgraded to 7.0.
Full backup Incremental No Yes Performs file-level incremental

with file level backup only.
incremental
This backup option provides
support for NetBackup 6.5.x
systems that are upgraded to 7.0.
Chapter 4
Back up VMware virtual
machines
■ Backing up virtual machines
■ Further information on NetBackup policies
Backing up virtual machines

Virtual machine backups initiate from a NetBackup policy. You can start the
backup manually from a policy, or have it run automatically according to a schedule
that is defined in the policy.
To create the policy, you can use the Policies node of the NetBackup
Administration Console, or the Snapshot Policy Configuration wizard.
See “Configuring a VMware policy from the Policies node” on page 33.
See “Configuring a VMware policy from the Snapshot Policy Configuration wizard”
on page 45.
52 Back up VMware virtual machines
Backing up virtual machines
To back up a virtual machine manually from an existing policy

1 Click on the Policies node in the NetBackup Administration Console, select
the policy, and click Actions > Manual Backup.
The Manual Backup dialog appears.

Back up VMware virtual machines 53
Further information on NetBackup policies
2 Select the type of schedule for the backup.

3 Select the clients (virtual machines) to back up.
4 Click OK to start the backup.
5 To see the job progress, click Activity Monitor in the NetBackup
Administration Console.
It may take a few moments for the job to appear in the Activity Monitor. Do
not start another backup if a job does not immediately appear. If the job does
not show up after a few moments, close and restart the NetBackup
Administration Console.
Note that your VMware backup request launches more than one job. The first
job automatically creates and deletes snapshots. This job has a dash (-) in the
Schedule column. The second job backs up the virtual machine files from the
snapshot.

For further information on policies and backup schedules, see the "Creating backup
policies" chapter of the NetBackup Administrator's Guide, Volume I.
54 Back up VMware virtual machines
Chapter 5
Restore VMware virtual
machines
■ VMware restore procedures: overview
■ Restore notes
■ Restoring individual folders and files
■ Setting up NetBackup Client Service for restore to a shared virtual machine

drive
■ Restoring the full VMware virtual machine
VMware restore procedures: overview

The following sections describe the VMware restore procedures.
Restore of selected files

The following restore procedures are supported:
■ One-stage process
Restore selected files to the virtual machine by restoring to the recovery host.
The virtual machine drives that are the destination for the restore must be
configured in one of the following ways:
■ The virtual machine drives must be shared through the guest operating
system on the virtual machine.
See “Setting up NetBackup Client Service for restore to a shared virtual
machine drive” on page 60.
56 Restore VMware virtual machines
Restore notes
■ NetBackup client software must be installed on the VMware virtual machine.
■ Two-stage process
■ Restore selected files from the VMware recovery host to a NetBackup
Windows client (not to the virtual machine).
See the NetBackup Backup, Archive, and Restore Getting Started Guide on
how to restore to different locations.
■ Then manually copy the restored files to the Windows virtual machine.
(NetBackup does not perform this step.)
Restore of the virtual machine from vStorage backups

To restore a virtual machine from a backup that was made with vStorage, use the
Virtual Machine Recovery dialogs in the NetBackup Backup, Archive, and Restore
interface.
See “Restoring the full VMware virtual machine” on page 61.
Restore of the virtual machine from VCB backups

To restore a virtual machine from a backup that was made with VCB, restore all
virtual machine files to the VMware recovery host. The recovery host is used as
a staging machine. You must use this approach if the backup was made by
NetBackup 6.5.x.
After you restore the virtual machine files to the VMware recovery host, do one
of the following:
■ Use VMware automated restore
NetBackup integrates with VMware vCenter Converter to restore the virtual
machine to a designated ESX server. The virtual machine files are then removed
from the staging machine.
Certain compatibility issues exist between newer and older versions of VMware
ESX server and VMware Converter. Refer to the following Symantec tech note
for more information:
■ Use the VMware Converter application to restore the virtual machine from
the staging machine to the virtual machine server.
Restore notes
Before you begin the restore, note the following:
Restore VMware virtual machines 57
Restore notes
■ Unless a NetBackup client is installed on the virtual machine, restores must

be performed from the NetBackup master server.
■ To restore files to the original virtual machine location, the destination must
be specified as the virtual machine's host name (not display name or UUID).
■ For the SAN transfer type, the job may be slow when you restore to a vCenter
Server. For greater speed, designate an ESX server as the destination for the
restore.
Note that you can set up an ESX server to be used for restores. You can add
NetBackup restore credentials specifically for that ESX server, by means of
the VMware restore ESX server server type.
■ If the attempt to restore a full virtual machine fails while using the SAN
transport type, try the NBD transport type instead.
■ If the virtual machine was backed up by its display name or UUID, and the
display name is not the same as its host name, you must specify the correct
destination client for the restore. Use the Specify NetBackup Machines and
Policy Type dialog in the NetBackup Backup, Archive, and Restore interface.
See “Invalid client error when you restore selected files using NetBackup BAR
interface installed on the virtual machine” on page 91.
■ For the VMware files that were encrypted on the virtual machine using
Windows NTFS encryption, you must install a NetBackup client on the virtual
machine.
■ For a virtual machine that is running a Linux guest operating system: When
you restore a virtual machine (to its original location or different location),
the ESX server assigns the virtual machine a new (virtual) MAC address. After
you restart the virtual machine, you may have to configure its MAC address.
For instance, the original MAC address of the virtual machine may be in a
configuration file that has to be updated.
Refer to your VMware documentation for more details.
■ When restoring large files, make sure that no snapshots are active on the
destination virtual machine. Otherwise, the files are restored to the VMware
configuration datastore, which may be too small to contain the files you want
to restore. In that case, the restore fails.
The configuration datastore (sometimes called the VMX directory) contains
the configuration files that describe the virtual machine, such as .vmx files.
Note that active snapshots of vmdk files are also stored on the configuration
datastore.
■ If you cancel the virtual machine restore before it completes, the
not-fully-restored virtual machine remains at the target location. NetBackup
Restoring individual folders and files
does not delete the incomplete virtual machine when the restore job is canceled.
You must manually remove the incomplete virtual machine.
If the recovery host is not at the same NetBackup release level as the
backup host
Note the following about mixed-level backups and restores:
■ To restore from a NetBackup 7.0 backup
To restore a virtual machine from a backup that a NetBackup 7.0 backup host
performed, a NetBackup 7.0 recovery host is required. You cannot use a
NetBackup 6.5.x recovery host to restore a virtual machine that was backed
up by a NetBackup 7.0 backup host.
■ To restore from a NetBackup 6.5.x backup
To restore a virtual machine (or selected files) from a backup that a NetBackup
6.5.x backup host performed, the VMware Converter must be installed on the
NetBackup recovery host. The recovery host can run NetBackup 6.5.x or 7.0.
A staging area is required.

If the VMware backup was made with either of the following, you can restore
individual files:
■ An MS-Windows policy.
■ A FlashBackup-Windows policy with a Virtual Machine Backup parameter
set to File level snapshot using VCB, Mapped full VM backup, or Full backup
with file level incremental.
To restore individual folders or files
1 In the NetBackup Backup, Archive, and Restore interface, specify the source
client and destination client and the type of policy:
For UNIX systems, on the Restore Files tab, click the Restore icon:
For Windows systems, click Files > Specify NetBackup Machines and Policy
Type.
2 Specify the following:
Server to use for The NetBackup master server that directed the backup.
backup and restores
Source client for The VMware virtual machine that was backed up.
restores Note: If the policy identified the virtual machine by its VMware
display name or UUID (not by host name), specify that display
name or UUID.
Destination client Specify one of the following:

for restores
■ The VMware virtual machine that was originally backed
up, if NetBackup client software has been installed on the
virtual machine.
If the policy identified the virtual machine by its VMware
display name or UUID (not by its host name), specify the
host name of the destination machine. Do not specify the
VMware display name or UUID.
■ The VMware recovery host.
Note: The NetBackup Client Service must be logged on as

Administrator.
See “Setting up NetBackup Client Service for restore to a shared

virtual machine drive” on page 60.
Policy type for The type of policy that made the backup, either MS-Windows
restores or FlashBackup-Windows.
3 Select the type of restore, as follows:

■ For UNIX systems, on the Restore Files tab, select Normal Backups.
■ For Windows systems, click Files > Select Files and Folders to Restore >
from Normal Backup
4 For UNIX systems enter the Browse directory that contains the folders or
files to restore.
5 Click the files you want to restore.
6 Start the restore, as follows:
■ On UNIX systems: Click Restore.
■ On Windows systems: Click Actions > Restore....
7 For Windows systems, if NetBackup client software is not installed on the

virtual machine, select one of the following:
■ Restore everything to a different location
Setting up NetBackup Client Service for restore to a shared virtual machine drive
■ Restore individual folders and files to different locations

Destinations must be entered as UNC path names that refer to shared
drives on the virtual machine.
For example, to restore the file E:\folder1\file1 on virtual machine vm1,
enter the following destination:
\\vm1\e$\folder1\file1
The NetBackup Client Service must be logged on under an account that has
Administrator privileges.
See “Setting up NetBackup Client Service for restore to a shared virtual
machine drive” on page 60.
Setting up NetBackup Client Service for restore to a

shared virtual machine drive
To restore individual files to a Windows virtual machine that has a shared drive,
note: the NetBackup Client Service must be logged on under an account that has
Administrator privileges (not as the Local System account). An account with
Administrator privileges lets NetBackup write to the directories on the virtual
machine to which the data is restored.
If you try to restore files while the NetBackup Client Service is logged on as the
Local System account, the restore fails.
To log on the NetBackup Client Service as Administrator
1 In Windows Services on the VMware recovery host, double-click the
NetBackup Client Service.
2 Check the Log On tab: if the service is not logged on under an account that
has Administrator privileges, stop the service.
3 Change the logon to the Administrator account, or to an account that has
Administrator privileges.
The account must have Administrator privileges in the domain in which both
the virtual machine and the VMware backup host reside.
4 Restart the service.
5 Retry the restore.
Restoring the full VMware virtual machine

If the VMware backup was made with both of the following, you can restore the
entire virtual machine:
■ A FlashBackup-Windows policy.
■ The Virtual Machine Backup parameter was set to any of the following:
■ Full VM backup
■ Mapped full VM backup
■ Full backup with file level incremental, and the policy schedule was a full
backup type.
More detail is available on restore options.
See “Recovery options: vStorage vs VCB” on page 48.
To restore the full virtual machine
1 Start the NetBackup Backup, Archive, and Restore interface.
2 Specify the source client and destination client and type of policy:
For UNIX systems, on the Restore Files tab, click the restore icon.
For Windows systems: Click Files > Specify NetBackup Machines and Policy
Type.
3 Specify the following:
Server to use for The NetBackup master server that directed the backup
backup and restores
Source client for The VMware virtual machine that was backed up
restores
Destination client The VMware recovery host

for restores
Policy type for FlashBackup-Windows

restores
4 Select the type of restore:

For UNIX systems, on the Restore Files tab, select Restore type > Virtual
Machine Backups.
For Windows systems, click the down arrow on the Select for Restore option.
Select Restore from Virtual Machine Backup. A restore window displays the
backups available for restore.
5 Select the virtual machine backup to restore.

For UNIX systems, do the following:
■ On the Restore Files tab, specify the Start date and End date within which
to search for the backup. Click either of the calendar options.
■ Specify root (/) in the Browse directory field and press Enter.
■ Click on the root folder that is displayed under Directory Structure.
For Windows systems, in the NetBackup History pane, click on the VMware
backup. Then click on the item that is displayed under All Folders. You cannot
select individual files. You must select the entire virtual machine.
6 Select restore options.

For UNIX systems, click Restore.
For Windows systems, click Actions > Restore.
The type of dialog that appears next depends on how NetBackup performed
the backup (by means of VCB or vStorage).
See “ Restore Marked Files dialog box (VMware)” on page 63.
See “ Virtual Machine Recovery dialog boxes (restore to original location)”
on page 66.
See “Virtual Machine Recovery dialogs boxes (restore to alternate location)”
on page 69.
Restore Marked Files dialog box (VMware)

If NetBackup used VMware VCB to back up the virtual machine, the Restore
Marked Files dialog appears when you click Restore.
The Restore Options are as follows:

■ Restore all virtual machine files to a virtual machine server automatically
using VMware Converter
Restores all virtual machine files to the staging machine that you specify on
this dialog box. NetBackup then issues a VMware-provided script to restore
the virtual machine to the virtual machine server you specify. After the restore
is complete, the restored virtual machine is powered off. The virtual machine
files are then removed from the staging machine.
If the virtual machine display name already exists on the Virtual machine
server, the restore fails.
Note the following options:
Perform identity Retains the UUID of the original virtual machine (note that the
restore to restore UUID is a globally unique identifier). The virtual machine is
UUID (Universal restored with the same UUID that it had before the restore. This
Unique Identifier) option requires that the previous virtual machine (the one that
was backed up) has been deleted, so that the UUID is free.
Note: If the UUID exists, the restore fails.
The default (no identify restore) makes sure that the display
name of the new virtual machine (created by the restore) does
not already exist. The virtual machine that the restore creates
is given a new UUID.
Strip network Verifies that the virtual machine that the restore creates does
information from not have the same IP address as the virtual machine that was
the virtual machine backed up. The network information is deleted at the time of
that has been the restore.
restored The default is to retain the IP information. Use the default if:
■ You have already deleted the virtual machine that was backed
up
■ And you want the virtual machine created by the restore to
keep the same IP information as the original machine.
Remove backing Does not restore hardware backing information from the original
information for image. Default settings are substituted.
devices like
DVD/CD-ROM
drives, serial or
parallel ports
■ Restore all virtual machine files to the staging machine

Restores all virtual machine files to the staging machine. NetBackup does not
restore the files to the virtual machine server. If you are not restoring to the
original location, you can use the VMware Converter application to restore
the entire virtual machine from the staging machine to the Virtual machine
server.
See your VMware documentation.
The Restore Destination Choices are as follows:
■ Virtual machine server
By default, this field shows the server that was stored in the backup image
information. You can use that server as the restore destination, or enter a
different virtual machine server as the destination.
■ Staging machine for restoration
Select or enter the VMware recovery host to which the VMware files are
temporarily restored. If you chose Restore all virtual machine files to a virtual
machine server automatically using VMware Converter, the files are restored
to the Virtual machine server and deleted from this staging server.
The default is the backup host that was used for the backup. The name of that
backup host is stored in the backup image information. On this dialog box, the
pull-down list for staging machines includes the VMware backup hosts that
are defined in existing NetBackup policies.
Restore staging location
Enter a Windows file path on the staging machine to which the virtual machine
files are temporarily restored. The default is the VMware backup host mount
point that was stored in the backup image information.
The Override default priority options are the following:
■ Override default priority
Place a check mark in this box to override the default priority.
■ Job priority
Set the priority.
Virtual Machine Recovery dialog boxes (restore to original location)

If NetBackup used VMware vStorage to back up the virtual machine, the Virtual
Machine Recovery dialog boxes appear when you start the restore.
Recovery Destination dialog box

Select the type of destination for the recovery: the original location or alternate
location.
■ Original settings of the virtual machine when it was backed up
Shows the configuration of the virtual machine at the time of the backup.
When you restore the virtual machine to its original location, these
configuration settings are used and cannot be changed.
■ Recover virtual machine to
Select Original location or Alternate location.
Recovery Options dialog box

Select the recovery host, transfer type, and other options, as follows:
■ Destination settings of the virtual machine to be recovered
Shows the configuration of the virtual machine at the time of backup. These
settings are applied to the virtual machine when it is restored.
■ NetBackup Recovery Host

The host that performs the recovery. The default is the first host in the list of
backup hosts that NetBackup has credentials to access.
It is usually best to select the host that performed the backup. Selecting a
different host as the recovery host could result in a slow restore or a failed
restore, depending on the selected transfer type. For example, if the host that
performed the backup used a SAN connection to access the datastore, but the
host you select as recovery host does not have SAN access to the datastore,
the restore fails if you select the san transfer type.
■ Transfer Type
Determines how the restore data is sent from the VMware recovery host to
the VMware datastore. The appropriate option depends in part on the type of
network that connects the VMware datastore to the VMware recovery host.
The default type is the one that was used for the backup.
san For unencrypted transfer over Fibre Channel (SAN) or iSCSI.
nbd For unencrypted transfer over a local network that uses the
Network Block Device (NBD) driver protocol. This type of
transfer is usually slower than Fibre Channel.
Try san then nbd Provides transfer flexibility if the VMware datastore is
or iSCSI. If that fails, it transfers the snapshot data using
the Network Block Device (NBD) driver protocol over the
local network.
hotadd Requires that the VMware recovery host is in a virtual

machine. This feature requires ESX 3.5 Update2 or later.
For instructions on this transport mode and on installing

the recovery host in a VMware virtual machine, refer to your
VMware documentation.
Try all types Provides the most transfer flexibility. NetBackup tries each
transfer type and uses the first type that succeeds.
■ Overwrite the existing virtual machine

If a virtual machine with the same UUID or display name exists at the
destination, that virtual machine must be deleted before the restore begins.
Otherwise, the restore fails. Select this option to have the virtual machine
deleted.
■ Restore UUID
Retains the UUID of the original virtual machine (note that the UUID is a
globally unique identifier). The virtual machine is restored with the same UUID
that it had before the restore.
This option requires that the virtual machine has been deleted on the
destination server, so that the UUID is free. Otherwise, you must select
Overwrite the existing virtual machine.
Note the following:
■ If a virtual machine with the same display name but with a different UUID
exists at the target restore location, the restore fails. You must either delete
the existing virtual machine and then run the restore, or keep the existing
machine and abandon the attempt to restore.
■ If a virtual machine with a different display name but with the same UUID
exists at the target restore location: You must either delete the existing
virtual machine and run the restore, or select Restore UUID and Overwrite
the existing virtual machine. In the latter case, NetBackup deletes the
existing virtual machine and restores the original virtual machine.
■ In general, if the attempt to restore the virtual machine to its original
location results in a conflict with an existing virtual machine, and you do
not want to keep the existing virtual machine, you can do one of the
following: Either remove the existing virtual machine, or log into the ESX
server and remove the directory where the virtual machine resides.
■ Remove network interfaces

Removes any network interfaces from the restored virtual machine. Select
this option if the network connections on the destination machine have changed
since the backup was made.
■ Power on virtual machine after recovery
Select this option to have the recovered virtual machine automatically powered
on when the recovery is complete.
■ Override default job priority
■ Job Priority
Set the priority.
Perform Recovery dialog box

Review the settings that will be applied to the restored virtual machine.
■ Recovery settings
Lists several settings that are used for the recovery.
■ Run Pre-Recovery Check
Click this option to verify credentials, available space on the datastore, and
other important requirements.
■ Start Recovery
Starts the recovery of the virtual machine.
Virtual Machine Recovery dialogs boxes (restore to alternate location)

If NetBackup used vStorage to back up the virtual machine, the Virtual Machine
Recovery dialog boxes appear when you start the restore.
Recovery Destination dialog box (restore to alternate location)

■ Original settings of the virtual machine when it was backed up
Shows the configuration of the virtual machine at the time of the backup.
When restoring to an alternate location (not to the original location), you can
change these settings after you click Next.
■ Recover virtual machine to
Select Alternate location.
Recovery Options dialog box (restore to alternate location)

This dialog initially displays the original virtual machine settings that were
recorded in the NetBackup catalog when the virtual machine was backed up. Before
accepting any default values, you may have to verify that the original hosts or
servers are still available.
This dialog contains the following fields:
■ NetBackup Recovery Host
The recovery host transfers the virtual machine files to the VMware destination
that is specified in other fields on this dialog. The default for the recovery host
is the original backup host that backed up the virtual machine.
Consider the following when selecting a recovery host:
■ To use the original VMware backup host for the recovery, verify that the
backup host still exists. The original backup host may have been removed
or reconfigured after the backup occurred.
■ The current processing load on the host that you want to use may be a
factor. The recovery host undergoes significant I/O activity when it restores
a virtual machine.
■ The network connection between the recovery host and the destination
datastore may limit the type and speed of data transmission. For example,
to use the SAN transfer type, the recovery host must have access to the
appropriate luns in the datastore.
■ vCenter Server
Specifies the vCenter server for the restored virtual machine. To use the
original vCenter Server (the default), verify that the original vCenter server
still exists.
To use an older VirtualCenter Server, make sure that it is compatible with the
virtual machine you want to restore. Note that a vmx-07 virtual machine can
be restored only to a vSphere 4.0 server.
To restore directly to an ESX server, select None. None is available only if
NetBackup credentials have been configured for at least one ESX server.
■ ESX Server
Specifies the ESX server for the restored virtual machine. To use the original
ESX server (the default), verify that the original ESX server still exists.
Click the Search option to browse for a different ESX server.
See “Select ESX server dialog box (restore to alternate location)” on page 71.
■ Datacenter
Shows the VMware datacenter containing the selected ESX server.
■ Folder
This option applies only when you restore through a vCenter server. This
option is disabled when you restore directly to an ESX server.
By default, this field shows the folder that contained the virtual machine when
the virtual machine was backed up. If you select a different ESX server to which
to restore the virtual machine, this field changes to None. You must then click
Browse to select a folder within the datacenter for the restored virtual machine.
See “Select Folder dialog box (restore to alternate location)” on page 72.
■ Display Name
Specifies the VMware display name for the restored virtual machine. The
default is the display name that the virtual machine had when it was backed
up.
The display name must be unique for the vCenter Server where the virtual
machine is restored.
Note: If a virtual machine with this display name already exists at this location
(or at the original location), you are prompted to click Overwrite the existing
virtual machine. You cannot restore the virtual machine if the result will be
two virtual machines with the same display name on the same vCenter server.
■ Resource Pool
Use this option to have the restored virtual machine assigned to a resource
pool. Resource pools manage the host's CPU and memory.
■ Datastore
Specifies the VMware configuration datastore where the virtual machine
configuration files are stored.
The configuration datastore (sometimes called the VMX directory) contains
the configuration files that describe the virtual machine, such as .vmx files.
Active snapshots of vmdk files are also stored on the configuration datastore.
■ Transfer Type
Determines how the data is sent from the VMware recovery host to the VMware
datastore. The appropriate type depends on the type of connection between
the NetBackup recovery host and the VMware datastore.
More information is available about these options.
See “Recovery Options dialog box” on page 66.
■ Overwrite the existing virtual machine
Select this option to overwrite an existing virtual machine (at the restore
destination or the original location) that has the same display name or UUID
of the virtual machine to be restored.
If a virtual machine with the same display name or UUID exists at the
destination vCenter, that virtual machine must be deleted before the restore
begins.
Select ESX server dialog box (restore to alternate location)

You can enter the name of the ESX server, or drill down in the list to select a
server.
■ Specify ESX server
Enter the fully qualified name of the ESX server in this field.
■ Search
Click Search to display a list of available ESX servers that are on the vCenter
server. Drill into the list and place a check mark beside an ESX server.
Note: Some older ESX servers may not support the version of the virtual
machine that you want to restore. Verify that the ESX server is compatible
with the virtual machine.
Select Folder dialog box (restore to alternate location)

This dialog shows the folders that exist on the datacenter that is shown in the
Datacenter field.
Pick a folder from the list of available folders. The restored virtual machine is
placed in this folder.
If two datacenters of the same name exist in the vCenter server, all folders for the
identically named datacenters are displayed. After you select a folder and click
OK, verify that the Folder path shown on the Recovery Options dialog indicates
a folder on the datacenter that contains the destination ESX server. If the selected
folder is on the wrong datacenter, the restore fails.
Storage Destination dialog box (restore to alternate location)

Select the datastores where the .vmdk files are to be restored.
■ Source VMDK File Name
Shows the names of the virtual machine .vmdk files that were backed up.
■ Datastore
Shows the VMware datastore where the .vmdk files are restored. Click in this
field for a pull-down to select another datastore available to the ESX server.
■ Datastore Status
Indicates whether the datastore has enough space to contain the selected
.vmdk file.
OK The datastore has enough space to contain the selected

.vmdk file of the virtual machine that you restore.
Insufficient space The datastore does not have enough space to contain the
selected .vmdk file of the virtual machine that you restore.
Network Connections and other options dialog box (restore to

alternate location)
■ Select/unselect all network names
This box selects or unselects all the networks that are listed under Network
Names. If a network is selected, the restored virtual machine is automatically
connected to that network.
Place a check mark in this box if you want to select all network connections
for the restored virtual machine.
■ Network Names
Select particular networks that you want the restored virtual machine to be
connected to.
Note: When the virtual machine is backed up, its network connections are
recorded in the NetBackup catalog.
For the restore, NetBackup determines what networks currently exist, and
lists network names as follows:
■ If a network that was recorded in the backup catalog for the virtual machine
still exists, it is listed on this screen and automatically selected.
■ If a network is available that was not listed in the NetBackup catalog, it is
listed on this screen but not selected.
■ If a network was recorded in the backup catalog but is not currently
available, it is not listed.
■ Power on virtual machine after recovery

Turns on the virtual machine after it is restored.
■ Override default job priority
■ Job Priority
Set the priority.
Perform Recovery dialog box (restore to alternate location)

■ Recovery settings
Lists the settings that are used for the recovery.
■ Run Pre-Recovery Check
Verifies credentials, determines whether the datastore has available space,
and reviews other important requirements. You must run this check at least
once. You can proceed with the restore even if the check fails.
■ Start Recovery
Starts the recovery of the virtual machine.
Chapter 6
Best practices and more
information
■ Best practices
■ More information on VMware
■ Further assistance with NetBackup
■ Support information on NetBackup for VMware
Best practices
The following are best practices for VMware:
■ For a more efficient backup, the NetBackup media server and the VMware
backup host should be installed on the same host.
■ When creating virtual machines, use the same name for both host name and
display name. If the policy's Client Name Selection is changed, the existing
entries on the policy Clients tab still work.
■ VMware recommends that you run no more than four simultaneous backups
of virtual machines that reside on the same datastore.
■ Successful VMware snapshots depend on the following:
■ The amount of I/O that occurs on the virtual machine datastore. Backups
should be scheduled when relatively little I/O activity is expected. Reducing
the number of simultaneous backups can also help. (Use the Limit jobs per
policy attribute in the NetBackup policy.)
76 Best practices and more information
Best practices
■ The design of the I/O substructure that is associated with each virtual
machine datastore. For correct I/O design and implementation, consult
your VMware documentation.
■ Include in a single NetBackup policy those virtual machines that use the same
datastore. This practice lets you control the amount of backup-related I/O that
occurs per datastore, to limit the backup effect on the target virtual machines.
■ NetBackup supports multiple backup hosts. When a single backup host is
saturated with a backup process, another backup host can be added to increase
backup throughput.
■ Upgrade to the latest version of VMware vSphere or Virtual Infrastructure.
■ See the Symantec white paper titled NetBackup for VMware Best Practices
Guide.
For VCB backups

When backing up virtual machines with VCB, note the following regarding the
snapshot mount point on the VMware backup host (formerly called backup proxy):
■ On the backup host, the file system that contains the snapshot mount point
undergoes extensive I/O during full virtual machine backup. For this reason,
the file system should reside on a high performance device.
■ On the backup host, the file system that contains the snapshot mount point
should be reserved for snapshots only. It should also be on a dedicated SCSI
or Fibre Channel bus.
■ The file system that contains the snapshot mount point should be routinely
defragmented. A heavily fragmented file system can adversely affect backup
performance.
■ To increase backup throughput on the backup host, define multiple snapshot
mount points. Each mount point should be created on a disk that is connected
on its own disk bus (such as SCSI or IDE). Thus, I/O activity that one policy
creates can be isolated from I/O activity that other policies create.
VMware with deduplication

For a VMware backup to a deduplication storage unit, select the Mapped full VM
backup option for the Virtualmachinebackup parameter on the VMware snapshot
method. This option provides the best deduplication rates. Use of the Full VM
backup option results in a lower rate of deduplication.
More information is available about VMware configuration parameters.
Best practices and more information 77
More information on VMware
More information on VMware

VMware Inc. provides an extensive set of manuals on VMware products.
http://www.vmware.com/support/pubs/
Further assistance with NetBackup

For assistance with Snapshot Client configuration, refer to the NetBackup 7.0
Snapshot Client Administrator's Guide. The guide contains installation and
configuration instructions on Snapshot Client.
For a list of all supported combinations of platforms and snapshot methods, see
the NetBackup 7.x Snapshot Client Compatibility document:
Support information on NetBackup for VMware

Up-to-date information on NetBackup support in a virtual environment is available
in the following tech note:
Support for NetBackup in a virtual environment
This tech note provides a wide range of support information, such as a list of
supported guest operating systems, file systems, and required VMware
components.
78 Best practices and more information
Support information on NetBackup for VMware
Chapter 7
Troubleshooting
■ NetBackup logging for VMware
■ VMware environment—important!
■ Changing the browsing timeout for virtual machine discovery
■ Changing timeout and logging values for vSphere
■ Notes and tips
■ Backup and restore problems
NetBackup logging for VMware

For log messages about VMware backup or restore, see the following NetBackup
log folders.
Table 7-1 NetBackup logs that pertain to VMware backup and restore
Log folder Contains messages Resides on

on
install_path\NetBackup\logs\bpbrm Backup and restore NetBackup master or

media server
install_path\NetBackup\logs\bptm Backup and restore NetBackup media

server
install_path\NetBackup\logs\bpfis Snapshot creation VMware backup host

and backup
install_path\NetBackup\logs\bpcd Snapshot creation VMware backup host

and backup
80 Troubleshooting
NetBackup logging for VMware
Table 7-1 NetBackup logs that pertain to VMware backup and restore
(continued)
Log folder Contains messages Resides on

on
install_path\NetBackup\logs\bpbkar Backup VMware backup host
install_path\NetBackup\logs\bprd Restore NetBackup master

server
install_path\NetBackup\logs\tar Restore VMware recovery

host
install_path\NetBackup\logs\bpVMutil Policy configuration VMware backup or

and on restore recovery host
install_path\NetBackup\logs\bpVMreq Restore The client where the

Backup, Archive, and
Restore interface is
running.
install_path\NetBackup\logs\nbproxy Policy configuration VMware backup host
Note: These log folders must already exist in order for logging to occur. If these
folders do not exist, create them.
To create the log folders, run the following command on the NetBackup servers
and backup host:
Windows:
install_path\NetBackup\logs\mklogdir.bat
UNIX (on master or media servers):

/opt/openv/netbackup/logs/mklogdir
More detail is available on snapshot logs and logging levels.

See the NetBackup 7.0 Snapshot Client Administrator’s Guide.
A broader discussion of NetBackup logging is available.
See the NetBackup Troubleshooting Guide.
Other logs for troubleshooting

The following may also contain valuable backup information.
Troubleshooting 81
VMware environment—important!
Table 7-2 Other logs for VMware
Log folder Contains messages on Resides on
\Program Files\Common File mapping during backup VMware backup host

Files\VERITAS\VxMS\Logs
See “Enabling VxMS logging”
on page 81.
Note: The use of VxMS
logging can reduce the
performance of the backup
host.
Enabling VxMS logging

VxMS logging may require significant resources on the VMware backup host.
To enable VxMS logging
1 On the Windows desktop of the backup host, click Start > Run and enter
regedit.
2 To be on the safe side, make a backup of the current registry (File > Export).
3 Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SOFTWARE > VERITAS > VxMS.
4 Change the Logging DWORD value.
For example: Useful logging levels (in decimal) are 3400 for low and 7400 for
high.
VMware environment—important!
Unsupported equipment can cause many problems. Ensure that your VMware
environment (including ESX servers, SAN devices, and backup host) conforms to
all requirements and recommendations that are spelled out by VMware. For
instance, if VMware does not support your HBAs, device drivers, or guest operating
systems, NetBackup cannot work.
For support details, see VMware documentation at the VMware support site (for
example, the VMware compatibility guides).
82 Troubleshooting
Changing the browsing timeout for virtual machine discovery
Changing the browsing timeout for virtual machine

discovery
In the NetBackup Administration Console on Windows, you can adjust the time
available for browsing for virtual machines in the NetBackup policy.
To change the browsing timeout value
1 In the NetBackup Administration Console on Windows, click on the Policies
node.
2 From the main menu, click View > Options, then click the Policies tab.
3 Adjust the VMware connect timeout value.
4 Click OK.
Changing timeout and logging values for vSphere

The following are vSphere registry keys and their default values for various
timeouts.
Table 7-3 Registry keys and defaults for vSphere timeouts
DWORD registry key name Default value (in seconds)
jobtimeout 900
poweroptimeout 900
snapshottimeout 900
registertimeout 180
renametimeout 180
browsetimeout 180
connecttimeout 300
The registry key and default for the vSphere API logging level are the following.
Table 7-4 Registry key and default for vSphere API logging level
DWORD registry key name Default value
vmcloglevel 0 (no logging)

Troubleshooting 83
Notes and tips
To change vSphere timeouts and logging values

1 On the Windows desktop of the backup host, click Start > Run and enter
regedit.
2 To be on the safe side, make a backup of the current registry (File > Export).
3 Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SOFTWARE > VERITAS > NETBACKUP
> CURRENTVERSION > CONFIG and create a key called BACKUP.
4 To change a timeout value, create a new DWORD under BACKUP, using the
appropriate registry name (such as jobtimeout or poweroptimeout).
Enter a value for the timeout.
5 To change the level of vSphere API logging, create a new DWORD called
vmcloglevel and enter the new logging value.
The allowed values are 0 through 6, where 0 is no logging and 6 is the highest
logging level.
Notes and tips

Note the following:
■ For incremental backups, make sure the VMware backup host is correctly
configured. Otherwise, NetBackup performs only full backups.
■ You cannot restore Windows operating system files from a file-level backup
of a virtual machine. You can restore standard data files only. A restore of the
operating system requires a full virtual machine backup.
■ Make sure the VMware Tools are installed on each virtual machine. Otherwise,
communication problems and other problems can result.
■ You cannot restore individual VMware files onto the virtual machine itself,
except under certain conditions.
See “VMware restore procedures: overview” on page 55.
■ (For VCB backups only.) For the Full VM backup, Mapped full VM backup, or
Full backup with file level incremental options: Backups are not supported if
the snapshot staging area in the VMware backup host has compression or
encryption enabled.
See “Other backup failures” on page 85.
■ For VMware environments that require VCB: Make sure that you have the
latest VCB version on the VMware backup host.
See “When is VCB required?” on page 13.
84 Troubleshooting
Backup and restore problems
■ NetBackup for VMware does not work with the VMware NetBackup Integration
Module (VNIM).
Note the following:
■ If VNIM is installed, do not configure a NetBackup for VMware policy (with
the VMware snapshot method) to call any scripts that use VNIM. Such a
policy results in a backup that fails.
■ Do not run any NetBackup for VMware policy at the same time as a
script-based policy that calls VNIM. If the two policies require access to
the same virtual machine, a conflict may result and the backup may fail.

This section describes the backup and restore problems that may occur with
NetBackup for VMware.
Credentials for VMware server are not valid

A number of possible problems can prevent NetBackup from gaining access to
the ESX server or VirtualCenter. NetBackup’s Add Virtual Machine Server dialog
has a Validate Credentials box that directs NetBackup to verify the credentials
when you click OK. If the credentials do not pass validation, a pop-up message
appears.
Problems can result for a variety of reasons, including the following:
■ An incorrect virtual machine server name. Make sure that the server name is
entered correctly.
More information is available about changing the server name that is stored
in NetBackup.
See “Changing the host name of a VMware server in NetBackup” on page 32.
■ An invalid user name or password. Make sure that a valid user name and
password were entered correctly.
■ VCB only: An incorrect port number. Make sure that the port number is correct,
or you can uncheck the Connect using port number box. In most cases, no
port specification is required. For VCB backups, VCB software determines the
port.
NetBackup cannot obtain the volume ID of a drive

NetBackup may not be able to obtain the volume ID of a drive that is listed in the
policy’s backup selections. In that case, none of the drives that are listed in the
Troubleshooting 85
policy for the client are backed up. The backup fails with NetBackup status code
156.
Try one of the following:
■ Use the ALL_LOCAL_DRIVES directive instead of listing individual drives.
■ A drive letter that is specified in the policy’s backup selections list may be
incorrect, or the drive may be down. Update the client’s include list (Exceptions
to exclude list), and fix or remove the drive entry in the backup selections list.
Other backup failures

Other backup failures can occur for several reasons:
■ You cannot run more than one backup per virtual machine at a time. If you
start a second backup of the same virtual machine while the first backup is
active, the second job fails with a status 156.
■ VCB only: If the VMware backup host has insufficient space in which to mount
a snapshot of the virtual machine, the backup fails with status 156.
The bpfis log on the VMware backup host may contain a message such as the
following:
13:35:37.859 [5536.1276] <2> onlfi_vfms_logf: [2007-09-21

13:35:34.578 'vcbMounter' 2204 error] Error: Failed to export
the disk: There is not enough space on the disk
Free up additional space on the backup host and rerun the backup.
■ If the VMware backup host cannot access the VMware datastore by means of
the transfer type that was selected for the job, the backup fails.
Select a different transfer type and retry the backup.
The final status code for the failure depends on whether the backup uses VCB
or vStorage, as follows.
■ For VCB backups: The backup fails with status 156 and the bpfis log on the
backup host may contain messages such as the following:
12:23:29.998 [3892.3332] <2> onlfi_vfms_logf: [2008-05-07

12:23:26.279 'App' 3668 trivia] Attempting to open
LVID:46a9ed36-ca235c12-1236-00001a1a24e4/46a9ed35-aa804fd4-6b99
-00001a1a24e4/1.
12:23:29.998 [3892.3332] <2> onlfi_vfms_logf: [2008-05-07

12:23:26.279 'App' 3668 error] No path to device
LVID:46a9ed36-ca235c12-1236-00001a1a24e4/46a9ed35-aa804fd4-6b99
-00001a1a24e4/1 found.
86 Troubleshooting
■ For vStorage backups: The backup fails with status 6 and the job detailed
status log on the backup host may contain messages such as the following:
12/4/2009 1:12:34 PM - Error bpbrm(pid=21376) from

client moneevm4_clone: ERR - Error opening the snapshot
disks using given transport mode: Status 23.
12/4/2009 1:12:39 PM - Error bpbrm(pid=21376) could not
send server status message
12/4/2009 1:12:40 PM - end writing; write time: 00:00:28
the backup failed to back up the requested files(6)
■ NetBackup cannot find the host name or VMware display name of a virtual
machine that is listed in the backup policy. The detailed status log may include
the following error message:
Critical bpbrm (pid=<pid number>) from client <client name>:

FTL - snapshot creation failed, status 156.)
If the virtual machines do not have static IP addresses, you may have to
configure NetBackup to identify virtual machines by their VMware display
names or UUIDs. Examples of the environments that do not use static IP
addresses are clusters, and the networks that assign IP addresses dynamically.
Note that NetBackup may have been configured to identify virtual machines
by their VMware display names. In that case, make sure that the display names
are unique and that they do not contain spaces or special characters.
See “Client name selection” on page 37.
■ For versions of VCB earlier than 1.5: A disk was mounted on a virtual machine
but the disk is assigned to the virtual machine in raw mode (RDM). As a result,
the attempt to create a snapshot of the virtual machine fails.
The bpfis log on the backup host may contain a message such as the following:
12:46:27.175 [2636.5628] <2> onlfi_vfms_logf: [2007-10-17

12:46:27.019 'App'
1976 verbose] Fault Msg: "Virtual machine is configured to use a
device that prevents the snapshot operation: Device '' is a raw
disk, which is not supported."
For VCB 1.5 and for vStorage, the RDM is ignored (not backed up) and any
independent disk is recreated but empty.
See “Configurations for backing up RDMs” on page 94.
■ For the Full VM backup, Mapped full VM backup, or Full backup with file level
incremental options: Backups are not supported if the snapshot staging area
in the VMware backup host has compression or encryption enabled.
Troubleshooting 87
■ For the Full VM backup, Mapped full VM backup, or Full backup with file level
incremental options: Backups are not supported if the snapshot mount point
on the VMware backup host has compression or encryption enabled. For the
backup, the VMware backup host copies the space-optimized VMware virtual
machine images to its snapshot mount point. The Windows NTFS file system
that is allocated for the snapshot mount point should not have the Compression
or Encryption attribute set. If either attribute is set, backups succeed but single
file restores cannot be performed from the backups.
■ The attempt to create a VMware snapshot of the virtual machine exceeds the
VMware timeout of 10 seconds
If the attempt to create a snapshot of the virtual machine exceeds the VMware
timeout of 10 seconds, the snapshot fails with NetBackup status 156. This
timeout may occur if the virtual machine is configured with a large number
of volumes. Note that the timeout may be encountered even if the Virtual
machine quiesce option was disabled.
Do one of the following:
■ Reduce the number of volumes within the virtual machine.
■ Install a NetBackup client on the virtual machine and select another backup
method for the policy (not the VMware snapshot method).
Restore fails when you restore individual files to a virtual machine that
has NetBackup client software
When you restore individual files to a virtual machine that has a NetBackup client,
make sure that a firewall does not interfere with the restore. If a firewall stops
the restore, turn off the firewall and retry the restore.
Backup or restore job hangs

NetBackup may have exceeded the maximum number of allowed VMware NFC
connections to the ESX server when it used the transfer types nbd or nbdssl. Note
that NetBackup uses one NFC connection per virtual disk on the ESX or ESXi
server.
If NetBackup is configured to access the ESX server directly (not through a vCenter
or VirtualCenter server), the maximum number of allowed connections is smaller.
The following are the maximum connections as set by VMware:
88 Troubleshooting
Table 7-5 VMware NFC connection limits
ESX version Type of access to the ESX Maximum NFC

server connections allowed
ESX 3.5 Directly to ESX server 9
ESX 3.5 Through vCenter 27
ESX 4 Directly to ESX server 9
ESX 4 Through vCenter 27
ESXi 4 Directly to ESX server 11
ESXi 4 Through vCenter 23
Try a different transport type (such as SAN or hotadd). If a different transport

type is not available and NetBackup accesses the ESX servers directly, set up
access through a vCenter (or VirtualCenter) server. Use of a server increases the
maximum number of allowed connections. For example, a limit of 27 means that
NetBackup can back up or restore a virtual machine that has up to 27 disks, if the
ESX server is behind a vCenter server.
Note that the connection limits are per-host (that is, per vCenter or ESX server).
For example, assume the following environment:
■ An ESX 4.0 server with three virtual machines.
■ Each virtual machine has ten virtual disks.
■ The virtual machines are behind a vCenter 4.0 server.
For a simultaneous backup of the three virtual machines, NetBackup requires 30
NFC connections. With a limit of 27 NFC connections per vCenter server, any of
the three backup jobs may hang.
These limits are described in the VMware Virtual Disk API Programming Guide:
http://www.vmware.com/support/developer/vddk/vddk11_api_programming.pdf
Mount point missing on a restored Windows virtual machine

A Windows virtual machine may fail to write its mount point configuration to
disk (the mount point configuration remains in RAM). In that case, the mount
point information cannot be backed up. When the virtual machine is restored,
the data from the mounted volume is restored, but the mount point is absent from
the restored virtual machine.
Troubleshooting 89
Reassign the mount point on the restored virtual machine. To make sure the
mount point is correctly configured, restart the virtual machine.
Problems with transfer types

This topic describes problems that may arise with the following transfer types:
■ san
■ nbd
■ nbdssl
■ try san then nbd
■ try san then nbdssl
■ hotadd
■ try all types
More information is available on these types.
See “Transfer type” on page 39.
Note the following potential issues:
■ During a backup, VMware creates mount directories in the C:\Windows\Temp
folder. After the backup, VMware automatically removes the mount directories.
In some cases, such as when the backup uses the hotadd transfer type,
NetBackup may be unable to remove the mount directories.
In that case, you must manually remove the mount directories from the \Temp
folder. The folder name contains a string such as VMware-System.
■ If a datastore is out of space when you attempt to delete snapshots, VMware
creates a snapshot named Consolidate Helper. You must manually delete this
snapshot before the next backup. For more information, see the following
VMware knowledge base article about deleting the Consolidate Helper snapshot:
http://kb.vmware.com/kb/1003302
■ Taken together, the virtual machine and the alternate client virtual machine
may contain too many disks. If the total is too great for the alternate client's
SCSI controllers to handle, a backup or restore using hotadd fails with status
6. The following message appears in the job detailed status log:
ERR - Error opening the snapshot disks using

given transport mode: Status 23.
Add more SCSI controllers to the alternate client virtual machine.

90 Troubleshooting
NetBackup catalog information for virtual machine backups made on

6.5.4 or lower may prevent browsing the imported images for restore
If you import a NetBackup 6.5.4 or lower virtual machine backup image to a
NetBackup 7.0 system, the catalog header file (non .f file) of the imported image
may have the wrong value for VM_TYPE. The value of the imported image may
be incorrectly reported as 0 even for type 1 (Full VM) and type 2 (Mapped full VM)
backups. As a result, you cannot use the Backup, Archive, and Restore interface
to browse and restore the virtual machine image.
You must change the VM_TYPE value in the header file of the imported image to
correct this problem. For backups that were made with the Full VM backup option,
set VM_TYPE to 1. For backups that were made with the Mapped full VM backup
option, set VM_TYPE to 2.
For instructions, see the following tech note:
http://seer.entsupport.symantec.com/docs/308841.htm
Restore fails with NetBackup status code 5

A virtual machine restore may fail in the following cases:
■ If an .ISO file was presented to a virtual machine as a virtual CD or DVD at the
time of backup, the ISO file must be available on the destination host for the
restore. If the ISO file is not available on the host where you restore the virtual
machine, the restore fails. Note that the Virtual Infrastructure interface on
the VirtualCenter may include the following message:
Invalid configuration for Device '1'
■ The VMware restore host is on Windows Server 2008 but the SAN luns are
offline.
The detailed status log in the NetBackup Activity Monitor includes the message
Virtual machine restore: file write failed.
If the restore host is on Windows Server 2008 and you use the SAN transfer
type, you must manually change the SAN luns to be online.
■ For vStorage restores: If the restore host cannot access the VMware datastore
by means of the transfer type that was selected for the job, the restore fails.
The job detailed status log on the VMware restore host may contain messages
such as the following:
3:26:43 INF - Beginning read-blockmap on server luebeck

of client moneevm4, reading file h:\dstu\moneevm4_1259284475_C1_F1.
13:27:21 (19400.001) INF - TAR STARTED
Troubleshooting 91
13:27:23 (19400.001) INF - Beginning restore from server luebeck

to client luebeck.
13:27:36 (19400.001) FTL - Virtual machine restore: VxMS initialization
failed
13:27:37 (19400.001) FTL - Virtual machine restore: file create failed
13:28:42 (19400.001) INF - TAR EXITING WITH STATUS = 5
13:28:42 (19400.001) INF - TAR RESTORED 0 OF 1 FILES SUCCESSFULLY
13:28:42 (19400.001) INF - TAR KEPT 0 EXISTING FILES
13:28:42 (19400.001) INF - TAR PARTIALLY RESTORED 0 FILES
13:29:54 (19400.xxx) INF - Status = the restore failed to recover
the requested files.
Select a different transfer type and retry the restore.
Restore of selected files fails with NetBackup status code 227

To restore selected files (not the entire virtual machine) to the original location,
you must specify the host name of the virtual machine. Do not specify the display
name or UUID as the destination. If you specify the display name or UUID as
destination, the restore fails.
Invalid client error when you restore selected files using NetBackup
BAR interface installed on the virtual machine
If the virtual machine was backed up by its display name or UUID, and the display
name is not the same as its host name, note: you cannot restore selected files by
means of the Backup, Archive, and Restore (BAR) interface if the interface is
installed on the virtual machine itself. The files can be restored if BAR is installed
on the master server or media server. In this case, BAR must not be installed on
the virtual machine that you want to restore to.
To restore files, note that the Destination client for restores field in the BAR
interface must have a valid host name or IP address.
VMware virtual machine does not reboot after restore

The virtual machine may have had SCSI and IDE drives at the time of backup and
the guest OS resided on a SCSI drive. In that case, the virtual machine when
restored may attempt to boot from the IDE drive. The boot attempt fails with the
message "Operating system not found." This problem occurs when NetBackup
uses the VMware vStorage APIs.
VMware has identified this problem and will address it in a future release.
92 Troubleshooting
As a workaround, you can reconfigure the BIOS on the virtual machine to boot
from the correct SCSI device.
Appendix A
Backup of VMware raw
devices (RDM)
This appendix includes the following topics:
■ About VMware raw device mapping (RDM)
■ NetBackup support details for RDMs
■ Configurations for backing up RDMs
■ About alternate client backup of RDMs
■ Requirements for alternate client backup of RDMs
■ Configuring alternate client backup of RDMs
About VMware raw device mapping (RDM)

VMware raw device mapping mode (RDM) allows a virtual machine to directly
access physical disks. With raw device mapping, a VMware virtual machine can
use large storage devices such as disk arrays. Access to the data on an RDM disk
is faster than to a fully virtualized disk (vmdk file). An RDM disk can be locally
attached to the ESX server or configured on a Fibre Channel SAN.
NetBackup supports the disk arrays that are configured on a virtual machine as
RDMs.
Note: NetBackup cannot back up the RDM by means of a VMware backup host.
94 Backup of VMware raw devices (RDM)
NetBackup support details for RDMs
NetBackup support details for RDMs

For notes and restrictions on NetBackup support for VMware RDM (such as the
required version of VCB), see the following Symantec tech note:
Support for NetBackup in a virtual environment
Configurations for backing up RDMs

You can use either of the following NetBackup configurations to back up disk
arrays as RDMs:
■ Without Snapshot Client: Install a NetBackup client on the virtual machine.
You can configure NetBackup to back up the virtual machine and any RDMs
as if the client was installed on a physical host. Without Snapshot Client
software on the virtual machine, the features of Snapshot Client are not
available. (This configuration is not discussed in this NetBackup for VMware
guide.)
■ With Snapshot Client: Install a NetBackup client and Snapshot Client software
on the virtual machine. Configure an alternate client backup.
About alternate client backup of RDMs

Backup of an RDM requires the alternate client off-host backup method that is
provided by NetBackup Snapshot Client.
Alternate client backup of an RDM consists of the following:
■ The RDM disk array contains the data to be backed up. Another host containing
NetBackup client software and Snapshot Client software must have access to
the disk array. This host is the alternate client. (In this configuration, the
virtual machine is called the primary client.)
■ A snapshot of the data is created on the disk array and is mounted on the
alternate client. The alternate client creates a backup image from the snapshot,
using original path names, and streams the image to the NetBackup media
server.
■ The alternate client handles the backup I/O processing; the backup has little
or no effect on the virtual machine. The media server reads the snapshot data
from the alternate client and writes the data to storage.
■ The virtual machine and alternate client must be running the same operating
system, volume manager, and file system. For each of these I/O system
Backup of VMware raw devices (RDM) 95
Requirements for alternate client backup of RDMs
components, the alternate client must be at the same level as the primary
client, or higher level.
For complete requirements on alternate client backup, refer to the Policy
configuration chapter of the NetBackup Snapshot Client Administrator's Guide.
Requirements for alternate client backup of RDMs

To use Snapshot Client to back up an RDM, note the following:
■ RDM devices must be configured in physical compatibility mode. You select
this mode when you create the RDM. Physical compatibility mode is not
configured in NetBackup.
For an introduction to RDM, refer to your VMware documentation. For example,
see the following VMware document:
ESX Server 3 Configuration Guide
■ NetBackup may require certain OS and array configuration, depending on the
guest OS and the array. For details, see the disk arrays chapter of the NetBackup
Snapshot Client Administrator's Guide.
■ NetBackup client software must be installed on the virtual machine.
■ The requirements for the NetBackup for VMware feature (a backup host and
the VMware snapshot method) do not apply to backups of RDM disk arrays.
To back up RDM disk arrays, you must configure a Snapshot Client alternate
client backup.
Configuring alternate client backup of RDMs

The following procedure highlights key points in creating an alternate client
backup of a disk array that is configured as an RDM. For broader details on disk
array configuration, refer to the NetBackup Snapshot Client Administrator's Guide.
To create an alternate client policy for a disk array that is configured as an RDM
1 Select a policy type that is appropriate for the OS of the virtual machine and
for the type of data to back up.
Refer to the Policy configuration chapter of the NetBackup Snapshot Client
Administrator's Guide.
2 On the policy Attributes tab in the Administration Console, click Perform
snapshot backups and Perform off-host backup.
The following is a detail from the Attributes tab.
3 Select Alternate Client from the Use pull-down. In the Machine field, enter
the name of the host that is configured as an off-host backup machine (the
alternate client).
Do not select VMware backup host.
4 Click Options.
5 Select a snapshot method.
The VMware method does not apply to alternate client backup and is not
available in the list.
Select a snapshot method that is appropriate for the volume or array. For
example:
■ The HP_EVA_Snapclone method or other EVA method for an HP EVA
array.
■ The EMC_CLARiiON_Snapview_Clone or other CLARiiON method for an
EMC CLARiiON array.
Backup of VMware raw devices (RDM) 97
■ FlashSnap.
For FlashSnap, the following must be installed: VxVM 3.2 or later for
UNIX, VxVM 4.0 or later for Linux and AIX, or VxVM 3.1 or later for
Windows. Also, volumes must be configured over the primary host’s disks.
The VxVM FlashSnap license must also be installed.
■ VSS (for Windows guest operating systems only).
The array may require additional OS and NetBackup configuration as
described in the disk arrays chapter of the NetBackup Snapshot Client
Administrator's Guide. The same guide contains more details on snapshot
methods.
6 If required by an array snapshot method that you selected in the previous
step, specify the Snapshot Resources.
7 In the policy’s Clients list, select the virtual machine on which the array is
configured as an RDM.
8 In the policy’s Backup Selections list, specify the disk that you want to back
up, or the files or volumes that reside on the disk.
Appendix B
File-level backup of
Windows virtual machines
This appendix includes the following topics:
■ About file-level backup of Windows virtual machines
■ Configuration tasks for file-level backup
■ File-level backup options
■ What can be restored from a file-level backup?
■ Configuring a policy for Windows file-level backup
About file-level backup of Windows virtual machines

If you use VMware VCB, you can back up selected Windows files instead of the
entire virtual machine. This appendix describes how to configure such a backup.
In most cases, it may be better to schedule full and incremental backups of the
entire virtual machine with the NetBackup Mapped full VM backup option. From
a mapped virtual machine backup, you can restore the virtual machine or selected
files. To set up such a policy, see the "Configure NetBackup for VMware" chapter
in this guide.
To back up selected files from a Windows virtual machine, you can use either of
these approaches:
■ Install the NetBackup client software in the virtual machine. NetBackup
conducts the backup as though the client is installed in an ordinary physical
host. Most features that NetBackup supports on physical hosts are also
supported when the client is installed on the virtual machine. (This
configuration is not described in this appendix or in this guide.)
100 File-level backup of Windows virtual machines
Configuration tasks for file-level backup
For further support details on this configuration, see "General NetBackup

support in a virtual environment" in the Symantec tech note titled Support
for NetBackup in a virtual environment:
■ Set up a backup host that includes VCB and a NetBackup client. This appendix
describes how to configure this kind of backup.
Note: The file-level backup capability described in this appendix requires VMware
VCB. VCB has been replaced by VMware vStorage APIs for Data Protection. Note
that VMware intends to phase out support for VCB.
Configuration tasks for file-level backup

The following table summarizes the tasks for setting up file-level backup.
Table B-1 Configuration tasks for file-level backup
Sequence Tasks
Phase 1 Install VMware components.
See “VMware tasks” on page 17.
Phase 2 Install the NetBackup 7.0 master server and media server.
See the NetBackup 7.0 Installation Guide.
Symantec recommends that the NetBackup media server and the VMware
backup host be installed on the same host.
Phase 3 Install the NetBackup 7.0 Enterprise Client license on the master server,
and install NetBackup client 7.0 software on the VMware backup host.
Phase 4 Add the VMware backup host to your NetBackup configuration.
See “Adding the VMware backup host to NetBackup configuration”

on page 30.
Phase 5 Set NetBackup access credentials for the VMware vCenter or VirtualCenter
(if any), or for VMware ESX servers.
Phase 6 Configure incremental backups for VMware.

File-level backup of Windows virtual machines 101
File-level backup options
Table B-1 Configuration tasks for file-level backup (continued)
Sequence Tasks
Phase 7 Create a NetBackup policy.
See “Configuring a policy for Windows file-level backup” on page 102.
File-level backup options

Table B-2 describes the backup and recovery options for file-level backup.
Table B-2 Backup options for file-level backups (MS-Windows policies)
Backup Selections Virtual machine What is backed up What can be restored

entry backup
parameter
Individual folders and File level snapshot Specified folders and files only, Individual folders and files
files using VCB excluding Windows system files
Individual drives File level snapshot All data files and folders in Individual folders and files
using VCB specified drives, excluding
For example: E:\
Windows system files
ALL_LOCAL_DRIVES File level snapshot All data files and folders on all Individual folders and files
directive using VCB local virtual machine drives,
excluding Windows system files
What can be restored from a file-level backup?

You can use file-level backup to back up ordinary files and folders on the virtual
machine. The backed up files and folders can be individually restored.
Important note: File-level backup does not support restore of the following:
■ The VMware virtual disk files that define the virtual machine.
■ Windows system protected files (System State).
■ Windows system directories such as the following:
C:\WINDOWS\system
C:\WINDOWS\system32
■ Windows system database files (such as RSM Database and Terminal Services
Database)
Configuring a policy for Windows file-level backup
To back up the virtual disk files and operating system files, use the
FlashBackup-Windows policy type and the Full VM backup or Mapped full VM
backup options as described in another chapter of this guide.

Use the following procedure to make file-based backups of Windows drives, folders,
or files. Requires VCB software on the VMware backup host.
To configure a policy for file-level backup
1 In the NetBackup Administration console, create a new policy.
2 For the policy type, select MS-Windows.
3 Select a policy storage unit or storage unit group.
4 Select Perform snapshot backups.
5 Select Perform off-host backup.
6 From the pull-down list for the Use field, select VMware backup host.
7 In the Machine field, specify the name of the VMware backup host.
If the backup host does not appear in the Machine pull-down list, make sure
that it was added to the Host Properties setting.
See “Adding the VMware backup host to NetBackup configuration” on page 30.
You may have to close and reopen the policy for the VMware backup host to
appear in the list.
8 Click Options.
Select the following:
■ For the Virtual machine backup option, select File level snapshot using
VCB.
■ For the Snapshot mount point (VCB only) option, specify a folder on the
VMware backup host. For example:
G:\mnt
The VMware backup host mounts snapshots of individual virtual disk
volumes in this folder. The snapshots are links to the virtual machine
datastore. No virtual machine data is copied to this folder.
More information is available about the other configuration parameters.
File-level backup of Windows virtual machines 103
9 To save these settings, click OK and then Apply.

10 Use the Schedules tab to define a schedule.
Both full and incremental backups are supported.
11 On the Clients tab, click New to specify virtual machines to back up.
You can type the host name in the Enter the VMware hostname field, or click
Browse and select virtual machines.
See “Browse for VMware Virtual Machines screen” on page 42.
12 Use the Backup Selections tab to specify the files to back up.
Click New. You can make entries manually, or click on the pull-down (UNIX)
or hand icon (Windows) to select from available directives.
For VMware snapshot backup, the System_State directive (Windows 2000)
and the ShadowCopy Components directive (Windows 2003) are not supported.
Enter any of the following and then click Add (on UNIX) or press Enter
(Windows):
■ Individual folders and files.
■ Individual drive letters.
Enter the drive letter as follows (for example):
E:\
The drive letter must not be a network (shared) drive: It must specify a
drive on the virtual machine.
■ The ALL_LOCAL_DRIVES directive.
This directive backs up the data files on all local drives on the virtual
machines that are selected on the Clients tab.
File-level backup as described in this procedure cannot back up the following:
■ Windows System State
■ Windows system files (such as on C:)
■ VMware virtual disk files
A procedure is available for backing up these files.
13 If you click Apply or OK on the policy Attributes tab, a validation process
checks the policy and reports any errors.
If you click Close, no validation is performed.
Index
Symbols browse virtual machines 42

156 (status code) 85 browsing timeout 82
227 (status code) 91
5 (status code) 90 C
6 (status code) 86, 89 cache file
for browsing virtual machines 43
A catalog header file
ALL_LOCAL_DRIVES 36, 85 wrong value for VM_TYPE 90
alternate client backup catalog information in 6.5.x 90
configure for RDM 95 change VMware hostname in NetBackup 32
of RDM 94 Changed Block Tracking 19, 48
alternate location for restore 69 how to enable 25
archive bit 33 client
installed in virtual machine 99
Client name selection option 37
B code 156 error 85
backup code 227 error 91
environment diagrams 15 code 5 error 90
file-level 99 code 6 error 86, 89
host 14 configuration datastore 57
adding to configuration 30 configuration steps 17
how to enter in policy 34 Consolidate-Helper snapshot 89
how to configure 33 Converter
how to perform 51 VMware 15
job hangs 87 credentials
off-host adding for VMware 30
configuration 34 troubleshooting 84
options compared 46 ctkEnabled 25
process overview 16 Cumulative Incremental Backup 35
reduce size of 47
throughput 76
troubleshooting 84 D
Backup Selections list 36 datacenter
Bare Metal Restore 34 for restore 70
best practices 75 datastore
BIOS out of space 89
reconfigure for booting 91 deduplication 76
BLIB 19, 35, 46–48 Differential Incremental Backup 35
block level incremental backup. See BLIB disable virtual machine quiesce 40
blocks Discovered Timestamp 44
exclude unused and deleted 40 disk array
configured as RDM 95
106 Index
display name 37, 44 incremental backup (continued)

drives timestamp setting 33
and reboot failure 91 independent disk 20, 44, 86
individual file backup 99
E Install Software option 36
Instant Recovery not supported 24
EMM database
invalid client 91
remove VM host name from NetBackup 32
ISO file 90
encrypted drives 24
encryption of snapshot data transfer 39
Enterprise Client license 17 J
environment job hangs 87
diagrams 15
importance to performance 81 L
equipment 81
Last Update 43
ESX server 15, 30
license requirements 17
Exclude unused and deleted blocks option 40
logging
Existing snapshot handling option 41
how to create folders for 80
VMware 79
F vSphere 82
File level snapshot using VCB 38, 99 VxMS 81
file-level backup
about 99 M
configuration tasks 100
manual backup 51
policy for 102
Mapped full VM backup 38
files list. See Backup Selections list
Monolithic export option 41
FlashBackup-Windows policy 33, 46
mount point
Full backup with file level incremental 39
for snapshot (VCB) 42
Full VM backup 38
missing 88
snapshot 76
H VMware 37
header file
VM_TYPE value 90 N
helper virtual machine
nbd 39
for hotadd transfer type 28
nbdssl 39
host name 37, 44
nbemmcmd 32
changing in NetBackup 32
Network Block Device (NBD) transfer 39
host properties
Network Block Device (NBD) transfer with SSL 39
for VMware 30
Network Connections dialog 72
hotadd transfer type 40, 67, 89
NFC connections 87
notes on 27
NTFS file system
hypervisor 20
for USB drives 24
I O
imported image
off-host backup 34
trouble restoring 90
optimized storage 19
incremental backup
overview
about 45
configuration steps 17
requirements 35
Index 107
overview (continued) S
of backup process 16 SAN luns 90
restore procedure 55 SAN transfer type 39
overwrite virtual machine 67 SCSI drives
and reboot failure 91
P scsiX:X.ctkEnabled 25
Perform block level incremental backup 19, 35 Select ESX server dialog 71
Perform Recovery dialog 73 Select Folder dialog 72
Perform snapshot backups option 34 server name
policy changing in NetBackup 32
for file-level backup 102 size of backups 47
for full virtual machine backup 33 snapshot
types 33 how to enable Changed Block Tracking 25
wizard for creating 45 mount point 42, 76
port number 31, 84 removing leftover 41
prerequisites 23 vSphere Client
how to delete 25
Snapshot Policy Configuration wizard 45
Q SSL encryption of snapshot data 39
quiesce virtual machine 40 start a backup 51
status code 156 85
R status code 227 91
RDM 20, 86 status code 5 90
about 93 status code 6 86, 89
alternate client backup of 94–95 Storage Destination dialog 72
configurations supported 94 storage optimization 19, 24
reboot failure 91 enable Changed Block Tracking 25
Recovery Destination dialog 66 how to delete snapshot for 25
recovery host 14, 67
recovery options 48–49 T
vStorage vs VCB 48 terminology 20
Recovery Options dialog 66, 69 timeout
recovery wizard. See restore from vStorage backup browsing 82
release level timeouts
using mixed levels 58 vSphere 82
remove VMware host name from NetBackup EMM timestamps
database 32 for incrementals 33
restore transfer types 39
and catalog information 90 and hung job 87
from VCB backup 63 for restore 67
from vStorage backup 66 hotadd 27
individual files 58 problems with 89
job hangs 87 troubleshooting
notes on 56 tips 83
procedure overview 55
virtual machine 61
Restore Marked Files dialog 63 U
run a backup 51 USB drives
as the snapshot mount point 24
108 Index
UUID 37, 44 VMware Tools 21

VMX directory 57
V vmx-07 35
VNIM 15, 84
validate
volume ID of drive
credentials 30
troubleshooting 85
VCB 13, 21, 46
Volume Manager volumes 46
and file-level backup 99
vSphere Client
port number 31
enable Changed Block Tracking 25
recovery options 49
vSphere Client snapshot
restore from backup 56, 63
how to delete 25
snapshot mount point 42
vStorage 13, 21, 46
when required 13
minimum VMware levels required 13
why not used 14
recovery options 48
VCB-HELPER suffix 28
restore from backup made by 66
vCenter Converter 56
VxMS logging 81
vCenter server 15
Virtual machine quiesce option 40
Virtual Machine recovery wizard W
restore to alternate location 69 wizard
virtual machines to create backup policy 45
backup options 38 to recover virtual machine 66
browsing 42
configure backup policy for 33
how to back up 51
restore procedures 55
VirtualCenter server 15
VM_TYPE value in header file 90
vmdk file 21
transferring to backup host 41
VMware
and Linux 34
backup environment 14–15
backup host 30, 34
backups 51
configuration overview 17
Converter 15
credentials 30
ESX server 15, 30
host properties 30
introduction 11
logging 79
main features 11
policy configuration 33
file-level backup only 102
required components 14
snapshot mount point 37
terminology 20
troubleshooting 79
VMware NetBackup Integration Module (VNIM) 15

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Symantec NetBackup ™ for

UNIX, Windows, and Linux

Documentation version 7.0.

Contacting Technical Support

Licensing and registration

Asia-Pacific and Japan customercare_apac@symantec.com

Europe, Middle-East, and Africa semea@symantec.com

North America and Latin America supportsolutions@symantec.com

Additional enterprise services

Technical Support ............................................................................................... 4

Chapter 2 Notes and prerequisites ..................................................... 23

Chapter 3 Configure NetBackup for VMware ................................... 29

Incremental backups must be based on timestamps ........................... 33

Chapter 4 Back up VMware virtual machines .................................. 51

Chapter 5 Restore VMware virtual machines ................................... 55

Virtual Machine Recovery dialogs boxes (restore to alternate

Chapter 6 Best practices and more information ............................. 75

Chapter 7 Troubleshooting .................................................................. 79

NetBackup logging for VMware ...................................................... 79

Appendix A Backup of VMware raw devices (RDM) ........................... 93

Appendix B File-level backup of Windows virtual machines ............ 99

Index ................................................................................................................... 105

■ About NetBackup for VMware

■ New in this release

■ Full virtual machine backup vs file-level backup

■ NetBackup for VMware: vStorage vs VCB

■ Minimum levels for vStorage support

■ When is VCB required?

■ Why is VCB not being used?

■ NetBackup for VMware environment

■ NetBackup for VMware configuration tasks: overview

■ About VMware storage optimization

About NetBackup for VMware

The features of NetBackup for VMware

■ Performs off-host backup of virtual machines (NetBackup client software is

New in this release

Full virtual machine backup vs file-level backup

NetBackup for VMware: vStorage vs VCB

Minimum levels for vStorage support

When is VCB required?

■ For backups of selected files instead of the entire virtual machine, if a

Why is VCB not being used?

NetBackup for VMware environment

NetBackup for VMware components

VMware NetBackup Integration Module (VNIM) not required!

Figure 1-1 NetBackup for VMware: backup environment

Figure 1-2 shows a NetBackup for VMware environment with a VMware

Figure 1-2 VMware VirtualCenter that manages multiple ESX servers

VMware backup host VMware virtual disk files VMware ESX

Overview of the backup process

Table 1-1 NetBackup backup process with vStorage

Phase 1 The NetBackup master server initiates the backup.

Table 1-1 NetBackup backup process with vStorage (continued)

Table 1-2 NetBackup backup process with VCB

Phase 1 The NetBackup master server initiates the backup.

Phase 5 The VMware backup host does one of the following:

NetBackup for VMware license requirement

NetBackup for VMware configuration tasks: overview

Table 1-3 VMware tasks

Phase 2 Install the VMware ESX server and virtual machines.

Phase 4 Optional: install a vCenter (or VirtualCenter) server.

The VMware Converter server is not required for vStorage.

See “When is VCB required?” on page 13.

For further information on supported guest operating systems and