Backup Software

[ChrisC]

I would have thought you'd still have visible .WSB files on the NAS even with a block level backup.

[TwistedHelixis]

Have you done a test restore?

 

I use windows backup also to an iscsi drive but do test restores every term.

 

You might also be able to mount the iscsi drive as a windows drive to see the actual backed up files.

[mrstrong]

I've done test restores of individual files/folders but not the complete DC (its a vm) or a bare metal / DR scenario

e.g. if the server was lost, is that what you do, ie. do you restore to a different server?

We only have one physical server which is very old though have just got another one which will be

replacing it. Perhaps I should try doing a restore on the new server, e.g. try and connect it to the

nas over iscsi ?

[TwistedHelixis]

I normally do my test restores by copying the backed up iscsi folder to a USB drive, then putting that in an old test server, mounting the iscsi file as a windows drive and doing a restore from there.

 

Although, I have had to do a few 'proper' restores, normally when I get a new host server and I connect the new host to the backup iscsi and do a restore.

 

You could do a full test restore to the old host, one of the options during the restore sequence is to either keep the ID or assign it a new ID, so in effect its a new separate server, or you could just restore the HDD files and not the VM itself.

Edited March 17, 2023 by TwistedHelixis

[TwistedHelixis]

Perhaps I should try doing a restore on the new server, e.g. try and connect it to thenas over iscsi ?

 

This is how I sometimes install a new host server. Install OS, install Hyper-V role and backup role, Connect to iscsi backup and do a restore.

[Primus]

sorry @ChrisC I wasn't clear, we are not using veam at the moment, we are looking at various backup options.

 

We are currently using "windows server backup" that comes built in as part of the microsoft server 2012R2 OS

This server connects to a NAS over iscsi. To the server it just looks like another local disk that it is backing up to.

But when I log into the the NAS I am unable to see the backup files e.g. like the .vhdx of the hyper-v guest disks

I think this is because it is a "block level storage"

 

So my question was in essence if we loose the server (that connects to the NAS over iscsi) are we stuffed or

can I spin up another server and connect to the NAS over iscsi to get at the data ?

 

Maybe we would need to export / backup the exiting iscsi config first?

 

This is normal when you use iSCSI on a NAS. However you can plug the NAS into any server and map the iSCSI again and everything will be accessible.

[mrstrong]

now we've got a second physical server I think I'll do some test restores to it to get my head round this iscsi setup

(setup by a third party a long time ago).

 

Just read that you need to be careful though as its not designed to be accessed by more than one "client" at a time

so presumably I will need to take the disk offline in Disk Management on the production server before connecting via

iscsi initiator from my new server!?

 

I normally do my test restores by copying the backed up iscsi folder to a USB drive

I didn't understand this at first because I thought you were talking about a "folder on the NAS" which doesn't exist

as its just block level on the NAS but I think I understand now: I guess you mean you somehow view the

disk in windows OS and copy the WindowsImageBackup folder to a USB ?

My windows backup disks don't have a drive letter but I guess i could assign one to see the files on the NAS?

[TwistedHelixis]

My iscsi target is actually on a Windows server, so there might be a few differences between that and your NAS. I am also only selecting to backup the VMs using the hyper-V backup system that is part of Windows backup, so I am not doing barematal or file level backup.

 

so presumably I will need to take the disk offline in Disk Management on the production server

Yes, I normally disconnect all links from the old server to the iscsi target. Then connect the new server up.

 

I guess you mean you somehow view the disk in windows OS and copy the WindowsImageBackup folder to a USB ?

So my iscsi target is on windows server 2012r2, the backup file created by Windows backup is literally just a .vhdx file, which I can copy to my USB drive and then mount on any Windows computer.

I have a folder on my backup server called iscsi and inside that I have a file named backup.vhdx. Perhaps your NAS does this part differently to my server.

Edited March 17, 2023 by TwistedHelixis

[mrstrong]

thanks thats very helpful, hopefully will have some spare time later this week to investigate

 

Found out you can run

Get-Volume | Format-List

in powershell to see the ObjectId and then run e.g.

\\?\Volume{nnn...}

to view volume contents without drive letter

[Squelch]

Hyper Backup started at 13.30 today, 15-03-2023

Let's see how long it takes to backup 2.8TB of M365 data. I have paused the M365 backup while it happens.

 

Just in case anyone was interested, hyper backup is still running on my synology NAS 13 days later and is currently 94% complete.

Even though it shows 2.8TB of data to be backed up it's on 4.13TB of data so far. There isn't anything else on the NAS, just M365 backup.

[PotNoodleTech]

Just in case anyone was interested, hyper backup is still running on my synology NAS 13 days later and is currently 94% complete.

Even though it shows 2.8TB of data to be backed up it's on 4.13TB of data so far. There isn't anything else on the NAS, just M365 backup.

 

Your internet connection is probably the limiting factor though I would have thought.

 

Hopefully it's being throttled as I wouldnt fancy spending 14 days blocking up out internet pipe for the whole school!

[Squelch]

Your internet connection is probably the limiting factor though I would have thought.

 

This is a NAS backing up to an external USB3 hard drive.

 

96% done, not long to go now! (snore...)

[PotNoodleTech]

This is a NAS backing up to an external USB3 hard drive.

 

96% done, not long to go now! (snore...)

 

Ah so you've already backed up the M365 data to the nas and you're just offloading to USB? I get you.

 

USB is slow!

[Squelch]

Just in case anyone was interested, hyper backup is still running on my synology NAS 13 days later and is currently 94% complete.

Even though it shows 2.8TB of data to be backed up it's on 4.13TB of data so far. There isn't anything else on the NAS, just M365 backup.

 

It's 99% complete now and it's used 4.38TB of disk space, I'm glad I used a 5TB external drive. I was joking when I said it wouldn't be finished until Easter. This hyper backup started on 13th March.

If this is how slow "Hyper" backup is I wouldn't want to touch "Normal Backup" or "Bog-standard Backup"

[Zbd]

Even between Synology NAS's its slow. It takes us several days just to do an incremental backup.

[Squelch]

It's slower than Slowly McSlow, loser of last years slowest person to do a very slow thing competition.

[Squelch]

We're on day 30 now. I think it might be time to put it out of its misery.

 

[PotNoodleTech]

We're on day 30 now. I think it might be time to put it out of its misery.

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]68659[/ATTACH]

 

or buy Veeam

[Squelch]

I do use Veeam already but only for local backups. The synology hyperbackup test was to see if a cold copy of our m365 data could easily be made.

[PotNoodleTech]

Ah I get you.

[Dos_Box]

We're on day 30 now. I think it might be time to put it out of its misery.

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]68659[/ATTACH]

 

I've had Windows updates install slower than that

[Squelch]

Luxury!

We used to turn on t'server in 1932 and it wouldn't post until we'd finish harvesting t'fields. Then our father would whip us with his trusty serial lead until one of us remembered the password.

[jamoritch]

Only got one physical host server here (it runs a hyper-v DC) so I guess veam is not an option, unless it could go on a PC?

We want to backup the hyper-v DC and some office 365 teams / onedrive

Any suggestions ?

Only real requirement is we must have an offline copy.

 

edit:

@jamoritch were you not happy with redstor ?

 

Very happy with Redstor just wasn't too happy with the price.. however, we have since gone direct to Redstor (great guys) and turns out the local authority add an extortionate amount on for 'maintenance'.

[SenseiForlan]

ShareGate and Gs Richcopy 360 are my go-to backup tools