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Backups. George Hewitt BCS Teesside - 8 th Feb 2012. Where we’re going. Why backup? Key ideas Backup/restore methods Example architecture Backup media. Context. Survey of European firms: 54% had lost data or suffered systems downtime in past 12 months
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Backups George Hewitt BCS Teesside - 8th Feb 2012
Where we’re going • Why backup? • Key ideas • Backup/restore methods • Example architecture • Backup media
Context • Survey of European firms: • 54% had lost data or suffered systems downtime in past 12 months • 74% were ‘not very confident’ they could fully restore their networks • Most common cause of data loss/downtime was hardware failure http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-15866885
Why backup? • Mitigate risk of downtime • Hardware failure, natural disasters etc • Mitigate risk of data loss • User/software error (including malice!) or corruption • How expensive is downtime/data loss to you? • A backup infrastructure will form part (or all) of a DR/BC architecture
Key Metrics • Recovery Time Objective(desired) • Recovery Time Capability(current) • Recovery Point Objective • Retention period (D/W/M) • An idea of what you consider unacceptable downtime will guide you towards what sort of DR/BC architecture you need
What are not backups? • RAID • Clustering / NLB / other HA • VM snapshots • System restore • Outlook PST on local machine • Shadow copies?
Types of backup • Full backup • Incremental – changes since last backup • Differential – changes since last full • Synthetic full • Continuous data protection
Types of Restore • Granular Restore Technology • Aka File/Object Level Restore • Bare-metal restore
Semi-virtualised architecture Over LAN Over LAN
Traditional Backups • Benefits • Single management interface • Direct control over backup selection lists • Downsides • No reduced costs (backup agent on each VM) • Slow to backup (all traffic over LAN) • Slow to restore (especially baremetal!)
Or…. Over LAN
VM Disk-level backup VM Host & Storage Backup staging storage LAN or Storage Network • LAN • LAN-free • Over storage (FC / iSCSIetc) • egVCB / vStorageAPI • BackupExec VCB, Quest vRanger, Veeam
Interesting Extras! • Changed Block Tracking • Improve incremental VMware backups • Backup software requests changed blocks since last backup • eg. 500GB server taking 2hrs, now only 40mins! • Active Block Mapping • Only blocks in use by the VM are backed up • Software interrogates filesystem (eg NTFS) • eg. Deleted data is ignored
VM Quiescing • To enable application-consistent backups (eg for SQL, Exchange) • Tells the OS/Application to ‘get ready’ for a backup • Off = crash consistent backup! • However – may require additional scripting depending on application
Example Architecture • Medium-size business– 200 users. • 10 servers • Active Directory, Exchange, SQL, File & Print, line of business application • Single VM host with local storage (all servers) • BackupExec installed on VM but selection lists have been restricted to data only • Backups completed to tape • RTO is 1hr. Current RTC is 2 days
Example Architecture • Provision new physical backup server with disk staging • Use appropriate software to perform VM-level backups for most servers • BackupExec to duplicate VM backups to tape • Use BackupExec agents for Exchange Mailboxes and SQL server • Invest in HA SAN or host replication
A note on SQL • Precise method used to backup depends on your RTO/RPO (and size/number of databases) • SQL Agent Backup Jobs can be an option (backup to flat-file) for small number of databases
Disk-to-disk • NAS / Disk shelves • Advantages • fast! • Disadvantages • expensive (consider retention period) • physical protection (onsite/offsite?)
Disk-to-tape • eg LTO Ultrium 3/4/5 • LTO5 native capacity 1.5TB (2:1 compression ‘possible’) • Advantages • High-capacity, long life (15-30 years archival) • Disadvantages • slow (sequential access)
Disk-to-cloud? • ie. Backup to a 3rd party over the Internet • Costs can be attractive • But… consider • Size of dataset (and/or, speed of link) • Replication vs retention • Speed of recovery (and/or, speed of link!) • Bare metal restores
Disk-to-disk-to-tape • Disk to Disk (backup) • Fast – during backup window • Might keep <= 2wks on disk for quick restores • Disk to tape (duplication) • Slow – during working hours • Tapes can then be exported and safely archived offsite
Scaling it up.. • BackupExec – does not scale as well • Enterprise solutions • EgNetbackup / CommVault • Better multi-platform support • Better management of large server numbers • Additional features (archiving, de-duplication) • Integration with other products (egvRanger) still possible
Other things to consider… • Large static datasets • candidate for archiving first? • Storage of backup data • Retention periods • Offsite • ‘Critical spares’
Other things to consider… • Remember – a backup is only as good as the restore • Backups may sit alongside other processes such as replication • Have a DR strategy and test it!