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-- Ben Armstrong, Virtualization Program Manager

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Symantec Backup Exec for Windows available with Hyper-V support

One of the cool features of Hyper-V is our built-in support for backing up running virtual machines with zero service downtime via VSS.  The problem is that in order to fully utilize this functionality you need to have a backup program with specific support for Hyper-V.

Note, you can use the VSS backup capabilities "by hand" using the command line under Windows (as discussed here).  You can also backup Hyper-V using Windows Server Backup by following the directions here - but in this case it is a simple "all or nothing" backup.

But now, with the release of Backup Exec 12.5, Symantec has added fully support for backing up Hyper-V and Hyper-V virtual machines.  You can read more (as well as download a trial) here: http://www.symantec.com/business/products/newfeatures.jsp?pcid=pcat_storage&pvid=57_1

Cheers,
Ben

Published Wednesday, September 24, 2008 6:13 PM by Virtual PC Guy
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Comments

# re: Symantec Backup Exec for Windows available with Hyper-V support

I'm confused here.  I'm running Backup Exec 12.0 on a physical server, and it seems to be backing up my two running Hyper-V servers fine.

Is the only advantage in 12.5 that you can restore individual files within the virtual machines without having to restore the whole image and then open it with a program like WinImage?

Thursday, September 25, 2008 5:44 PM by Jason

# re: Symantec Backup Exec for Windows available with Hyper-V support

how are you backing up your VMs from the host, you're running Backup on the VHDs while they are running?  If so, thats not a good idea, it can mess with the VHDs

Thursday, September 25, 2008 7:45 PM by sj

# re: Symantec Backup Exec for Windows available with Hyper-V support

sj:  Well since Backup Exec 12.0 supported VSS, I believed that it would have no trouble backing up a Hyper-V image that was running.  I have had a daily backup going for probably more than a week now, and so far I have not seen any sign of trouble.

During the backup process, the event log in the virtual machine shows the "Virtual Disk Service" starting and stopping a number of times, but they are not errors.  I thought that was by-design.

I know what happens if you try to backup a running Virtual Server 2005 image using Backup Exec 11d.  The virtual machine may blue-screen (though I have never seen any data loss result from that).  My strategy for backing up those virtual machines was to have the backup program run a script which shuts them down before the backup, and starts them back up after the backup is finished.

But like I said earlier, I thought (and am still not convinced otherwise) that Backup Exec 12.0 along with Hyper-V could back up running virtual machine images with no trouble.  This is something I really want to clear up soon though, before I get too much stuff running from Hyper-V virtual machines.

Thursday, September 25, 2008 8:31 PM by Jason

# re: Symantec Backup Exec for Windows available with Hyper-V support

Jason -

With Backup Exec 12.5 you can now select to backup specific virtual machines - and restore them as you mention.  12.0 will perform a complete system backup correctly.

Cheers,

Ben

Tuesday, October 07, 2008 3:18 AM by Virtual PC Guy

# re: Symantec Backup Exec for Windows available with Hyper-V support

EMC's Networker Module for Microsoft Applications (NMM) v2.1 also supports Hyper-V backup both VSS HW and SW snapshos.

Monday, October 13, 2008 11:55 AM by Eyal

# CONFUSION

I'm confused about restoring an online backup of a Virtual Machine.  Using BackupExec's new 12.5 agent, the online backup works just fine, but when I restore the virtual from tape, it restores to a shutdown-state -- i.e., it was backed-up running, but restores in a shutdown state.  Often the VM also generates an EventID 6008 - the previous shutdown was not expected.  Is this a problem restoring the VM in a different state than when it was backed up ?

Thanks for the help !

Monday, October 20, 2008 7:52 PM by Jeff N
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