Backups

10 May: Why are my backup times not improving with VirtuCache?

All the below configurations needs to be applied to VirtuCache and your backup software for VM backup times to improve. 1. Apply the ‘Backup-VM’ caching policy to your Backup proxy VMs. 2. The VM that is being backed up needs to be cached by VirtuCache either using the Write-Through or…

01 Jan: VMs with Duplicate BIOS UUIDs when using Datrium Cloning

VMware VMs have two UUIDs – BIOS UUID and instance UUID. VirtuCache doesn’t support Write-Back policy where multiple VMs in the same vCenter share the same BIOS UUID, even if these VMs have different Instance UUIDs. When using the cloning feature in Datrium (now end of lifed), the cloned VM…

07 Mar: VirtuCache compatibility with VMware snapshots

This article applies to snapshots in VMware (not for storage appliance snapshots) that are used for various purposes including for backups by Veeam, Commvault and other backup software. VirtuCache triggers accelerated destaging when a snapshot is created and ensures that the base snapshot is not readable by other hosts until…

03 Mar: Vmware Replication is supported

VMware vSphere Replication is functionality in VMware that allows Vmware customers to replicate their VMs to another location for disaster recovery purposes. vSphere replication can work standalone or along with VMware Site Recovery Manager. vSphere replication uses agents in ESXi hosts to track changed blocks using internal vSCSI interfaces in VMware…

05 Jan: Accelerating Veeam backups

VirtuCache has a policy called ‘Backup-VM’ policy that reduces the time Veeam takes to do VM backups. To take advantage of VirtuCache’s ‘Backup-VM’ policy you have to configure the ‘Transport Mode’ in Veeam as ‘Virtual Appliance Transport Mode’ and use VMware snapshots (not SAN controller snapshots). After this, you would…

17 Jul: Figuring out Transport Mode and Storage Controller Snapshots in Veeam

A follow-on thread to the below two KB articles, KB article on VirtuCache interoperability with Veeam, Zerto, Commvault, Avamar, AppAssure, and Tivoli backup and replication software.  KB article on how to flush write cache to SAN if using SAN controller snapshots with Veeam and or Direct SAN Access Transport Mode in Veeam. …

15 Jun: Powershell scripts to move VMs to Write-Through before storage appliance snapshot starts and move VMs back to original caching policy after snapshot completes

Download the scripts from below link. Scripts that move VMs to Write-Through mode before controller snapshot is taken and revert VMs back to original caching policy after snapshot completes These scripts are only required if the below condition is true: [You use SAN controller snapshots to backup LUNs, without using any…

05 May: Veeam Instant Recovery Support

VirtuCache supports Veeam Instant Recovery only if the original VM is either not present or shutdown AND storage vmotion is used to promote the Instantly Recovered VM to production. Veeam prerequisites for Instant Recovery lists that the original VM should be shutdown: “If you restore a machine to the production…