How Virtual Servers Work with Data Protection

When it comes to data protection for virtual servers, IT managers often wander between virtual and physical.

To back up virtual machines, they often choose between newer image-based, tightly integrated backup software and traditional, physical and virtual backup tools. Integrating tools to manage physics and virtual machines is a long-term goal, but it's actually easier to implement.

Because virtual backup tools have evolved into backup virtual operating system images, until recently users had been able to use the same tools to back up all aspects of a virtual machine, not to mention using a single tool to back up physical and virtual systems. Therefore, many IT companies use two sets of backup tools.

Living in two worlds

For many IT people, an integrated tool for physical and virtual environments can reduce the management challenges of physical and virtual environments.

Andrew Gahm, systems and security engineer at South Jersey Healthcare, uses Quest Software's vRanger Pro to manage virtual servers and software for on-demand backup of physical servers to disk. The company has about 150 VMware vSphere virtual servers and 100 HP physical servers.

At first, the company used EVault as the only backup tool, then started virtualizing the server and backing up the child like a physical machine. The company then purchased the Quest (and later Vizioncore) Essentials package, which included vRanger backup tools, vFoglight for monitoring and reporting, and vReplicator, as host-level vRanger deployment costs were lower than a single Evault license. VRanger's interface is simple, but also pay attention to the protection of virtual machines. "If Vizioncore treats physical machines like virtual servers, I wouldn't hesitate to use his family's products," Gahm said.

But now, like vRanger and competitor Veeam's Backup and Replication, only focus on the backup of the operating system and application layer, staying on the traditional backup product features. vRanger is powered by copying the virtual machine operating system, including system state information, which is known as bare metal storage in the physical environment. Instead, traditional backup software creates a system's file system view from an internal protection system. And although the latest vRanger version can make both types of copies, it is still more suitable for virtual machines.

Budget Blocks Virtual Backup Projects

For companies that don’t have the budget to buy new equipment, it’s difficult to get rid of traditional backups. The line between daily data line backups for operational recovery and redundant hardware replication or disaster recovery sites is blurred, but some small companies still find traditional tape backups the most economical way.

Network engineer Kendrick Coleman uses Veeam Software's mirror-level backup to eliminate the management challenges of the agent. In this way, data is backed up to tape via UltraBac, which facilitates offline backup. Currently, Veeam does not support direct backup to tape.

"For small companies like me, including copying software licenses, bandwidth, and off-site architecture. Organizations consider using hosting companies to replicate key servers to the cloud with Veeam, but now we run two nights Backup," Coleman said.

Other users are waiting for a backup tool dedicated to virtualization before consolidation. For users like Bob Swipes, he said he is eager to convert his virtualized backup tool to the physical server backup tool Veeam, because Veeam now supports granular application object-level storage from mirrored backups.

At the same time, Swipes uses IBM Tivoli Storage Manager to back up Veeam files to tape. Data volumes are protected by snapshots on Dell EqualLogic iSCSI SANs with external replication capabilities. “Once we have the latest VMware updates installed, we will re-evaluate the use of Veeam for data volume backups and see how the results are.”

Shannon Snowden of a courier service company says the logistics of implementing virtualization projects often makes simultaneous Upgrading servers and backup environments has become difficult. As the company gets closer to 100% virtualization, he predicts that the tools used by users to back up virtual machines will replace traditional tools. "This is just a transitional issue," he said.