Backup Query

[ThatBoringBloke]

We currently run our servers on Hyper-V across 3 x hosts. 2 x of the hosts are server 2012 (not R2) and I'm planning on brining the 3rd one up to 2012 this summer.

 

We have the 2 x 2012 hosts currently replicating to a replica server elsewhere on the site, and the plan is to have the 3rd do that too from the summer.

 

Currently all of my HV hosts backup separately to NAS devices located in different areas of the school using Backup Assist.

 

When I get all of my hosts setup to replicate to a replica server I'm considering changing the backups so that the Replica server gets backed up, and not the live data.

 

Does anyone else do this?

Can anyone see any reason not to do this?

[ThatBoringBloke]

*Cough*

 

[smithson83]

Not exactly the same but;

 

We have two Hyper-V Hosts, half the VM's on each, replicating to the other. I backup from Host1 to a NAS at other side of building and to Removable USB-HDD's, so the back up sets contain half live data, and half replicated data.

 

I have tested restoring a Backed up replica VM and seem to remember little to no problems it starting up and running.

 

**EDIT** At the time the replica's were not DC, SQL etc or similar, not sure how they would behave being restored from a replica

 

**EDIT2** The only regular "issue" if you want to call it that, is that when your backing up the Hyper-V host, the VM's going into a "Backing Up" state and you can't make any changes to them, now where as the VM's running on the Host that is being backed up are aware of this the ones replicating to that Host are not, and just see that they can't replicate and mark it as an error. depending on how long it takes to back up all the VM's this will either do nothing, cause a "Warning" state in the replicated VM's or send them in to a "Critical" state, at which point they will stop replicating, until you tell them to re-sync.

Edited June 13, 2014 by smithson83

[ThatBoringBloke]

I stopped thinking about the backup and started thinking about the restoring of data if it was ever necessary, and thought how can I restore a replica and then have it update the original? Would simply reversing the replication work? It was then that I came across this and realised that backing up of the replica is not the way to proceed.

[PotNoodleTech]

Just buy Veeam Backup and recovery. Once you've spent a month will that you'll never need to ask another backup question again!

[smithson83]

I came across a similar, if not the same thread, looks very familiar. Which is why I ran a few tests first.

 

I think as long as the Replicas are not complicated affairs (MIS, DC, anything time dependent etc) you should be OK, but you have extra steps, once you have your restored replica, you have to treat it as such.

 

Go through to same steps as you would if you just lost your primary vm; fail over, start it up, let it settle down, then reverse the replication back to the primary host etc. this is where a DC may fall down because of the time discrepancy and data difference etc, but then, I don't replicate my MIS or DC's, I pay for a separate ofsite backup of MIS and I just have multiple DC's (eg one on the backup host that is backed up live)

 

**EDIT** Just because it isn't supported doesn't mean it wont work, just means your on your own if it dosent. The VM's that I backup as replicas (that aren't backed up elsewhere) are simple setups, ones that if I HAD to I could rebuild quite easily.

Edited June 16, 2014 by smithson83