BDRSuite offers a robust solution for protecting VMware vSphere virtual machines with features like agentless, image-level backups, CBT for incremental backups, and application-aware processing. It supports granular recovery, instant boot VM, and replication, with secure storage options across local, remote and cloud destinations, all managed from a centralized console.
Getting Started
Step 1: Planning
Required Components:
BDRSuite Backup Server
VMware vSphere Host
System Requirements (Backup Server): Windows Server 2012 R2 Core (Standard or Datacenter) & above. To learn more, refer to the System Requirements.
Supported Platform (VMware Source): VMware vSphere 5.x, ESXi 5.x, and vCenter Server 5.x and above. To learn more, refer to the VMware Supported Platform.
BDRSuite Backup Server is the central management component for configuring, scheduling, managing backups and recovery across virtual, physical, cloud, and SaaS environments. This server has to be installed and hosted on a dedicated machine.
After installation you can access the backup server by navigating to http://<IP Address>:6060 or http://localhost:6060 in your browser.
Watch BDRSuite Backup Server installation on Windows video.
Configuring Agentless VMware Backup & Recovery
Step 1: Creating a Storage Repository to Store the Backup data
BDRSuite supports on-premise storage options and remote solutions, including DAS, NAS, SAN. You can navigate to the Infrastructure -> Backup Repository tab choose Block Storage. Refer toBlock Storage Repository to learn more.
Watch creating Block Storage Repository video
BDRSuite also supports public cloud services like Amazon S3, Azure Blob, Google Cloud, and S3-compatible platforms such as Wasabi, MinIO, and Backblaze. You can navigate to the Infrastructure -> Backup Repository tab choose Object Storage. Refer to Object Storage Repository to learn more.
Step 2: Adding VMware Backup Sources
To configure backups and restores, the VMware vCenter or ESXi host must be added to the BDRSuite Backup Server. Navigate to Data Source -> Hypervisors -> VMware vSphere, click on Add ESXi/vCenter Server, and enter the required credentials to integrate the VMware vSphere source. To learn more, refer to the Adding VMware Backup Sources.
Watch Adding Data Source Video
Step 3: Configuring VMware Backups
To configure and manage VMware backups within the BDRSuite Backup Server, follow the steps to set up backup jobs, schedule them, manage retention policies, and ensure effective data protection. Navigate to the Backup -> Configure Backup -> Virtual Machines -> VMware vSphere.
Steps to Configure VMware VM Backup
Specify a backup job name & select the backup repository
Select Hosts/VMs for backup
Exclusions (optional): Exclude specific VMs or Disks from backup
Guest Processing Settings: Enable only if you want to perform transitionally consistent backups, log truncation, and system file exclusions on the VM guest OS.
Configure backup scheduling to perform incremental and full backups
Configure retention, encryption, and backup proxy (optional)
Save the backup job. The backup will run as per schedule
To perform various recovery operations for VMware backup jobs, follow the steps outlined for the different recovery types supported in BDRSuite Backup Server. Navigate to Recovery -> Restore Backup Data and click on the Restore button alongside the respective VMware backup job you wish to restore.
Steps to perform VMware Recovery (Full VM Recovery, File Level Recovery, Instant Boot VM, etc)
Choose the target VM you want to restore
Select the Restore type (Entire VM, File Level, Instant Boot VM, etc)
Select Restore Point or timestamp to restore
Specify the restore details and initiate the restore
In BDRSuite Backup Server, managing VMware backup jobs involves navigating to Backup -> List Backup Jobs where you can perform various actions like searching, scheduling, and editing backup jobs. You can also suspend, resume, or abort jobs, adjust schedules, and even generate job reports. Additionally, backup jobs can be reconfigured with changes like retention settings and application-aware processing. For more information, refer tomanaging backup jobs.
Step 6: Reporting & Notification
The Reports section provides information on automatically generated reports for VMware backups in BDRSuite Backup Server, including backup and recovery status, job summaries, and error logs. It also explains how notifications can be configured to keep users informed about the status of VMware backup operations and any issues that may arise. You can navigate to the Reports tab in the BDRSuite Backup Server console. To learn more, refer to Reporting & Notifications.
Watch VMware Backup & Recovery Demo Video.
Configuring VM Replication, Failover & Failback
VM replication for VMware enables you to create a replica VM on a target or source host, which can be powered on to ensure continuous operations in the event of any unforeseen issues with the original VM.
To configure replication, navigate to VM Replication -> VMware vSphere, and click on the Configure Replication button next to the ESXi or vCenter host you wish to replicate VMs from. You can then perform failover to bring up the replica VM when needed and failback to restore the original VM.
Step 1: Adding VMware Backup Sources
To configure backups and restores, the VMware vCenter or ESXi host must be added to the BDRSuite Backup Server. Navigate to Data Source -> Hypervisors -> VMware vSphere, or VMware Replication -> VMware vSphere and click on Add ESXi/vCenter Server, and enter the required credentials to integrate the VMware vSphere source. To learn more, refer to the Adding VMware Backup Sources guide.
Step 2: Configuring VMware Replication
1. Select Hosts and/or VMs for Replication.
2. Exclusions (optional): Exclude specific VMs or Disks from replication.
3. Guest Processing Settings: Enable only if you want to perform transitionally consistent replication, log truncation, and system file exclusions on the VM guest OS.
4. Configure Replication Schedule.
5. Configure Target Selection.
6. Configure Network Mapping and re-IP Rules.
7. Give a name and save the Replication job. The Replication will run as per schedule.
8. You can centrally manage and monitor Replication.
1. Navigate to the 'VM Replication - Failover and Failback' menu
2. Click on the 'Restore Replica' button alongside the replication job you wish to restore.
3. Choose the 'Replica Type' as 'Failover'.
4. Choose the 'Restore Version'.
5. Choose the replica VMs you want to failover.
6. Review configuration and initiate the failover.
To learn more, refer to the Configure VMware Failover guide.
Failback
1. Navigate to the 'VM Replication - Failover and Failback' menu
2. Click on the 'Restore Replica' button alongside the replication job you wish to restore.
3. Choose the 'Replica Type' as 'Finalize Failover'.
4. Choose the replica VMs you want to failback.
5.Choose the 'Finalize Type' as 'Failback'.
6. Configure 'Target Selection'.
7. Review configuration and initiate the failback.
To learn more, refer to the VMware Failback guide.
Watch VMware Replication, Failover & Failback Video
Secondary Copy for VMware Backups
Secondary Copy - Backup Copy
Backup Copy in BDRSuite allows you to create another copy of your backups on a chosen target storage repository, ensuring enhanced data protection and availability for recovery.
To configure a Backup Copy, navigate to Secondary Copy -> Backup Copy -> Create New Backup Copy Job, and select the existing VMware backup job for which you want to create a copy. You can store the copy on your preferred target storage, whether block or object, and utilize it for recovery when needed. To learn more refer to Secondary Copy - Backup Copy.
Watch Secondary Copy - Backup Copy Video.
Secondary Copy - Offsite Copy
Offsite Copy page provides instructions on configuring Offsite Copy/DR in BDRSuite Backup Server, where backup data is replicated to a DR server in an offsite location for disaster recovery purposes. It explains how to set up offsite copy jobs for VMware backups, allowing backup data to be stored securely in a remote location, ensuring data availability and business continuity in the event of site failure. To learn more refer to the Secondary Copy - Offsite Copy.
Watch Secondary Copy - Offsite Copy Video.
Secondary Copy - Tape Archive
Tape Archiving in BDRSuite enables you to securely archive your backups to tape storage for long-term retention and compliance purposes. To configure a Tape Archive for VMware Backup, navigate to Secondary Copy -> Tape Archive -> Tape Infrastructure. You can store the VMware data on your preferred tape device and retrieve it whenever required. To learn more refer to theSecondary Copy - Tape Archive.
Watch Secondary Copy -Tape Archive Video.
Advanced Backup Options
Configuring BDR Proxy
The BDR Proxy is a dedicated component in BDRSuite designed to enhance backup performance for VMware backups by handling data transfer tasks, reducing the load on the primary backup server. To set up and manage the BDR Proxy, navigate to Data Sources -> BDR Proxy.
There are three types of BDR Proxy;
Remote Proxy for Remote Hypervisors
The Remote Proxy in BDRSuite extends backup and recovery capabilities to remote environments, enabling efficient management of backups for virtual machines and hypervisors that aren't directly connected to the backup server. It offers centralized management across distributed sites, reduces network load by offloading backup operations, and ensures secure data transfers through encryption and authentication. The Remote Proxy supports diverse environments, including VMware ESXi and Microsoft Hyper-V, enabling comprehensive data protection across multiple locations and network segments. It streamlines backup processes for remote offices and varied IT infrastructures. To learn more, refer to the Remote Proxy for Remote Hypervisors(VMware) and Remote Proxy for Remote Hypervisors(Hyper-V).
Watch Installing Remote Proxy Video.
Backup Proxy for VMware
The VMware Backup Proxy in BDRSuite handles backup processing and traffic management for virtual machines, while the backup server oversees the administration of tasks. It can be configured to work with one or more proxies, allowing users to assign specific backup proxies to each VMware backup job for efficient data processing.
Using backup proxies provides several benefits, including load balancing, which distributes the backup workload to reduce strain on the vSphere infrastructure. BDRSuite also supports LAN-Free Backup Transport modes such as SAN and HotAdd. SAN mode allows for backup proxies to access storage directly, bypassing the ESXi host, while HotAdd enables attaching virtual disks to a proxy VM for efficient backup, provided the proxy has access to the same datastore as the target VM. This approach helps achieve faster backup and restore speeds. To learn more, refer to the Backup Proxy for VMware.
Watch Adding Backup Proxy for VMware Backup Video.
Restore Proxy for Azure Recovery
BDRSuite supports the recovery of VMware and Hyper-V virtual machines (VMs), as well as Windows disk image backups, to Microsoft Azure for rapid disaster recovery. In the event of hardware failure or data center outages, these VMs and disk images can be restored directly to Azure, ensuring minimal downtime and quick business continuity. By leveraging Azure's cloud infrastructure, BDRSuite enables efficient recovery of critical workloads, allowing organizations to restore services promptly without delays in hardware repairs or data migration. To learn more refer toRestore Proxy for Azure Recovery(Hyper-V).
Backup Settings
BDRSuite's backup settings enable you to customize and optimize backup operations with features such as concurrent backups, bandwidth throttling, and more. These options help ensure efficient resource utilization and improved performance. In the BDRSuite Backup Server, simply navigate to Backup -> Configure Backup Settings to configure. To learn more, refer to the Backup Settings.
Purchase & Manage Licenses
Licensing in BDRSuite enables seamless management of VMware Backup & Replication, including activation, renewal, and allocation of licenses to ensure uninterrupted backup and recovery operations. For further details, refer to the Purchase & Manage Licenseguide, which provides step-by-step instructions.
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