Dell PowerVault DL2000 - Manual (Page 10)

VMware Virtual Machine Protection
10 October 2008
It is important to understand that both Image and File Level VCB backups must be performed
separately to obtain both complete backup of a Guest VM and individual file recovery. This “two-
step” process results double the backup time, double the disk or tape backup media storage, and
twice the backup administrator‟s time to ensure both backups run successfully. Additionally, you
must download, install, configure, and manage the VMware created VCB scripts for Backup Exec
to perform these functions. You can obtain VCB and the VCB interoperability modules specifically
for Backup Exec directly from VMware at http://www.vmware.com/download/download.do?
downloadGroup=VCB
DISADVANTAGES OF BASIC SCRIPT LEVEL VCB BACKUPS
Figure 5- Backup Exec AVVI Configuration
IMPROVING VMWARE VIRTUAL INFRASTRUCTURE
(ESX) 3 BACKUP AND RECOVERY
Backup Exec Agent for VMware Virtual Infrastructure (AVVI) takes the advantages of VCB, such
as off-host backup, while removing some of the challenges of implementing a script-based VCB-
based backup solution. Improvements have been made in several key areas over just basic VCB
script-level integration including;
Integration with key VMware API‟s to ensure VCB “scripting” or “integration
modules” are not required
Eliminates separate VCB backups for system level vs. individual file level recovery
to recover a single file from within a .vmdk file
Protecting **VSS-aware applications such as Exchange, SQL, or SharePoint as part
of the entire Guest virtual machine (**see Best Practices section below)
AVV itself requires no “agent” to be installed on the ESX and nothing to be configured for VCB
backups to take place. All of the support necessary to perform backups of the VMware Virtual