It is important to frequently backup VMware in case your original copy gets compromised by hardware failure, malware, or some other single point of failure glitch, etc. This article will point out a few mistakes that people make in creating these backups in a bid to avoid the dire consequences.
Not scheduling backups
In a normal business, there are times when servers experience a lot of traffic. It is best to schedule VMware backup times regular when servers are not receiving so many requests. This allows a faster back up time with no interruptions. Avoid times like virus scan times; server maintenance times, high traffic business hours etc.
Not looking for errant snapshots
The backing up process by VMware tools involves creating snapshots. This is so that data is not changed when the backing up process begins as this can corrupt the backup. These can sometimes cause data losses. VMware ESX(i) backup should be done properly by deleting all unneeded snapshots after use. If it is not deleted, performance issues will ensue. The most effective way for a person to get these errant snapshots is to peruse each virtual machine individually. There are also some third party tools that a person can use to ease this process.
Not staggering your VMware backups
Creating a VMware backup for many virtual machines at the same time can slow down the VMs on the host. Making simultaneous backups causes a lot of traffic in the host physical NIC and vSwitch which can bring about server crashes. This is avoided by backing up a single server at a time. If simultaneous backup creation is necessary, stagger them so that you are not using the same Virtual Machine File System Volumes and RAID groups at the same instance.
Not dealing with bottlenecks on host servers
A good systems administrator should always make sure he knows of all bottlenecks in his system; whether visible or invisible. Backup your VMware ESX(i) properly by using resource usage monitoring tools in the backup process. These tools will give you an insight on bottlenecks in your servers and give you a chance to deal with them before backups are destroyed.
Not using the SYNC driver properly
The SYNC driver can cause applications used in creation of a VMware backup to crash. The end result is corrupted and therefore unusable backups. An individual should know how to correctly handle the SYNC driver because it has many important functions like stopping I/O.
Back up your VMware virtual machine - this is necessary for the smooth running of your IT department. Avoiding the above mistakes will make sure that the backup process is hassle free.
Not scheduling backups
In a normal business, there are times when servers experience a lot of traffic. It is best to schedule VMware backup times regular when servers are not receiving so many requests. This allows a faster back up time with no interruptions. Avoid times like virus scan times; server maintenance times, high traffic business hours etc.
Not looking for errant snapshots
The backing up process by VMware tools involves creating snapshots. This is so that data is not changed when the backing up process begins as this can corrupt the backup. These can sometimes cause data losses. VMware ESX(i) backup should be done properly by deleting all unneeded snapshots after use. If it is not deleted, performance issues will ensue. The most effective way for a person to get these errant snapshots is to peruse each virtual machine individually. There are also some third party tools that a person can use to ease this process.
Not staggering your VMware backups
Creating a VMware backup for many virtual machines at the same time can slow down the VMs on the host. Making simultaneous backups causes a lot of traffic in the host physical NIC and vSwitch which can bring about server crashes. This is avoided by backing up a single server at a time. If simultaneous backup creation is necessary, stagger them so that you are not using the same Virtual Machine File System Volumes and RAID groups at the same instance.
Not dealing with bottlenecks on host servers
A good systems administrator should always make sure he knows of all bottlenecks in his system; whether visible or invisible. Backup your VMware ESX(i) properly by using resource usage monitoring tools in the backup process. These tools will give you an insight on bottlenecks in your servers and give you a chance to deal with them before backups are destroyed.
Not using the SYNC driver properly
The SYNC driver can cause applications used in creation of a VMware backup to crash. The end result is corrupted and therefore unusable backups. An individual should know how to correctly handle the SYNC driver because it has many important functions like stopping I/O.
Back up your VMware virtual machine - this is necessary for the smooth running of your IT department. Avoiding the above mistakes will make sure that the backup process is hassle free.
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