EMC Avamar VCB Interoperability Module

Overview
This interoperability module enables VMware Consolidated Backup (VCB) integration with EMC Avamar software. Integration is achieved by using pre and post scripts for snapping running Virtual Machines and mounting them on a Windows 2003 proxy. Scripts support full VMDK image level backups for all Virtual Machine types and file level backup of Windows Virtual Machines. Prior to using this module, VCB must be installed and configured. For details on how to set up VCB, consult the VMware Virtual Machine Backup Guide. This document covers the following topics: Features of Avamar VCB Interoperability Module (AVIM) AVIM Installation on the Backup Proxy How AVIM Works Adding a Virtual Machine for VCB Backup with EMC Avamar Software Restoring Virtual Machines This document assumes an understanding of both Avamar and VCB. For more detail, please consult each products respective documentation.

Features of Avamar VCB Interoperability Module (AVIM)

AVIM enables file-level backup for virtual machines running any version of Microsoft Windows that is supported by VMware ESX Server version 3.0. It also enables full virtual machine (full VM) backup for all virtual machines running on VMware ESX Server version 3.0. Data has to be stored on VMFS on a SAN storage array. Backup is supported for virtual disks backed by VMFS files or by raw device mappings in logical compatibility mode. Backing up Raw Devices in Physical Compatibility Mode is not supported.

AVIM Installation on the Backup Proxy

Extract the AVIM zip to the etc\scripts folder in the Avamar client directory. The AVIM zip contains the following files. pre_avamar-fullVM.bat post_avamar-fullVM.bat pre_avamar-file.bat post_avamar-file.bat Readme.doc VMDK mount script VMDK clean up script File mount script (windows only) File clean up script This document

How AVIM Works

The Avamar VCB Interoperability Module is a series of .bat wrapper scripts that leverage VCB scripts to snap/mount and unmount running virtual machines. These scripts are called before and after an Avamar backup job. There are a pair of scripts for full VM backup and a pair for file level backup (for Windows Virtual Machines only). The AVIM scripts depend on the assumptions in the list below and will require modification if the assumptions are not true. Script Assumptions:

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VCB is installed in its default location (c:\program files\VMware\VMware Consolidated Backup\) The generic scripts are present in the generic directory The VCB Backup Root directory exists

Adding a Virtual Machine for VCB Backup with EMC Avamar Software
1. From the Main Administrator Interface, shown below, create a new Data Set.

From the Tools menu, choose Manage Data Set and then New. Tools -> Manage Data Set -> New

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2. Under Source Data select the following options: Click the checkbox next to Enter Explicitly From the pulldown menu, choose Windows File System Click the checkbox next to Select Files and/or Folders. Specify the VCB Backup Root Directory configured in the config.js (by default this is C:\mnt)

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3. Under Options, click More and add the following options: Attribute Attribute Value run-at-start pre_avamar-fullVM.bat run-at-end post_avamar-fullVM.bat cacheprefix Name of the Virtual Machine note: Use the scripts with fullVM.bat for VMDK backup and file.bat for file level backup (file level is for windows VMs only) Click OK to complete the creation of the Data Set. 4. Create a group using this new Data Set to complete the process.

Restoring a Virtual Machine

The Virtual Machine Backup Guide lists three options for performing file-level restore for data backed up from virtual machines using VCB: 1. 2. 3. Centralized Restore Per-Group Restore Per-Virtual Machine Restore

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In option 1, Centralized Restore, the backup administrator manually performs the restore procedure. One way of implementing this is to expose the target directory of the virtual machine as a CIFS share to the backup proxy. Use Avamar on the VCB proxy to restore the desired file to this network share. Another implementation of Centralized Restore is to copy the files to a shared network drive that both the backup proxy and the virtual machine have access to. Next, copy the restored files back into place from within the virtual machine. For options 2 and 3, the Avamar Client software has to be installed on some or all virtual machines. When restoring data for a virtual machine, keep in mind that the respective backups are associated with the VCB proxy and not with the virtual machine's DNS name. The Avamar application contains options for restoring files that were backed up by other clients. This is called a Redirected Restore. A virtual machine client can restore files belonging to other clients (proxy) only when the user/the virtual machine has been given permission to do so.

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