VMware vSphere Data Protection

2012

On August 29, 2012 EMC and VMware presented a new solution for backup and data recovery for VMware vSphere 5.1. The solution VMware vSphere Data Protection is constructed based on technology of deduplication EMC Avamar and is delivered as a part of VMware vSphere 5.1. VMware vSphere Data Protection succeeds the packet of vSphere Data Recovery which was earlier delivered with vSphere, providing more effective on costs, the reliable and simple solution for protection of the environment of VMware in use.

VMware vSphere Data Protection is based on the EMC Avamar technology including deduplication of data of variable length, a full support of tracking of the changed blocks and recovery in a single step, minimizing storage resource consumption, reducing time for creation of backup copies and providing fast data recovery. VMware vSphere Data Protection can directly be controlled from the web client of vSphere, and thanks to API interfaces of vSphere for data protection process of backup does not require use of agents.

In addition to release of vSphere Data Protection, VMware continues to develop the innovation products in the field of backup in the virtualized environment, providing support of extensive community of partners. VMware is going to continue investments into API interfaces of vSphere for data protection to provide transparent integration of third-party technologies of backup and recovery into the VMware vSphere platform.

VMware Data protection switches on such mechanisms as:

• Deduplication - for economy of space on DWH;
• Tracking of the changed data units - for decrease in traffic during backup;
• Recovery of separate data - for example files of users of virtual desktops.

One copy of VMware Data Protection can service up to 100 virtual machines. One vCenter server can service up to 10 copies of VMware Data Protection.

2012

VMware vSphere Data Protection Advanced

VMware vSphere Data Protection Advanced intended for infrastructures of VMware vSphere of the average size easily is scaled and gives new opportunities of backup and recovery for crucial applications, first of all to Microsoft Exchange and Microsoft SQL Server. VMware vSphere Data Protection is based on EMC Avamar, has the advanced functions of deduplication and one-stage recovery and also completely supports the Changed Block Tracking mechanism that does backup process extremely effective. Close integration with VMware vSphere allows system administrators to manage all virtual infrastructure, including backup operations and recovery, from one console.

2013

vSphere Data Protection 5.5 Advanced

On October 15, 2013 the VMware company announced an exit of vSphere Data Protection 5.5 Advanced.

Changes

In the solution VMware vSphere Data Protection 5.5 Advanced new opportunities are implemented:

• effective reserve replication of data
• integration with EMC Data Domain
• new agent of Microsoft SharePoint
• the automated verification of backup copies.

Functions of the protected disaster recovery, the improved scalability and global deduplication by means of EMC Data Domain and also consistent backup of Microsoft SharePoint are implemented.

Availability

VMware vSphere Data Protection Advanced 5.5 will be available, presumably, in the fourth quarter 2013 at the price of $1095 for one processor without restriction for the number of the protected virtual machines.

2015

there Was VMware vSphere Data Protection 6.0

On February 2, 2015 the VMware company announced the version of VMware vSphere Data Protection 6.0 (VDP) - a product for backup of virtual machines on the ESXi servers.

vSphere Data Protection (VDP) is a part of all editions VMware vSphere, except basic (Essentials). vSphere Data Protection Advanced will be unavailable to the order since March 1.

This version of VDP supports up to 8 TB deduplitsirovanny these backups.

New in a system

• Agents for the Microsoft SQL Server, Exchange and SharePoint.

Agents help to create consistent copies of virtual machines with data of applications, to recover separate subjects of applications from backups (the database or the e-mail). Agents support the SQL Server Failover functions, clusters of AlwaysOn and Exchange Database Availability Groups.

• Integration with EMC Data Domain storage using software of Data Domain Boost.

Now Data Domain can be responsible for processing of backups, and the module VDP it is simple to be responsible for data transmission.

• Possibility of replication of data between the modules VDP.

The data transferred between the modules VDP deduplitsirutsya therefore only unique data units are transferred to the canal. It can be necessary when discarding backup copies into reserve storages through WAN. At the same time different topology of replication of these virtual modules - 1:1, is supported by N:1 and 1: N.

• Data compression for vSphere Replication.

Now if VMware of SRM for replication of data between platforms and recovery of machines after failures is used, then at data transmission the data compression technology joins by transfer (end-to-end network compression).

Graphical representation of process, 2015

Typical compression ratio of data from 1.6:1 to 1.8:1. For example, if earlier the machine of 37.5 GB in size was transferred in 52 minutes, now it contracts up to 20.2 GB and is transferred in 29 minutes.

• The improved replication.

Now neallotsirovanny regions of data are not transferred on the channel of replication, it increases speed. Thin disks and Virtual SAN devices are supported.

• Verification of backup copies.

Backup copies of VDP can be recovered into temporary storage and to start machines disconnected from network to be convinced that OS is started and applications work.

• Support of "freezing" of file systems of Linux.

For Windows systems there are quiescence-scripts stopping transactions with data of VM for which backup is carried out. For Linux it is implemented in the version of VDP 6.0.

• Support of Storage vMotion and Storage DRS in target storage.

Earlier when moving a remark by means of Storage vMotion complete resynchronization of VM was required, in the version of VDP 6.0 movement of machines between servers and storages is controlled and process of complete synchronization is not started.