Veeam & Netapp integration / iSCSI integration /

So you're using the VBR server as the Proxy? What about the Repository? If an external (from VBR) Repo, what OS? 

VBR is proxy. Windows is 2019. Veeam is:

Ok. Is it physical or virtual? Did you configure the VBR server and NICs to use MPIO?

And, what are you backing up? VMs or physical devices?

Netapp is configured to server iSCSI, NFS and CIFS. All these vols have snapshots. I am trying to get those snapshots as backup source to Veeam. 

Veeam is physical server. MPIO installed.

Here is a best practice page for NetApp - https://www.veeam.com/blog/netapp-nfs-volumes-veeam-configuration-best-practices.html

Also in Veeam you can select the preferred network for backups but if the NetApp is using the MGMT network card then I don't think you will have it run more than the 1GB.  NetApp would need to have 10GB also.

 I still am not fully understanding what you’re trying to achieve.

[imadam] I guess it is hard since I haven’t laydown whole picture. I am also painting whole picture for myself 😊.

 I understand you have a NetApp configured for iSCSI.

[imadam] I have iSCSI over 10Gbps and Netapp has 10Gbps over iSCSI. Also, I am trying to figure out other stuff on this Netapp. There is CIFS shares on Netapp as well as NFS shared for Vmware VMs. Once I acquire full access to Netapp I will see how this is configured.

And you have snapshots on your NetApp.

[imadam] I see all snapshots. Test using NBD backing up one VM work Ok. Once I switch to direct access, it fails.

But, what are you backing up?

[imadam] I am trying to backup VMs as well as CIFS shares.

VMs, I presume? And, you want to use Backup From Storage Snapshots?

[imadam] Yes, I done this before but Netapp was over FC and this was working right out of the box. However, this is bit more complicated with iSCSI as far as I can see 😊.

 It is generally configured by default, but in your Job > Storage section > Advanced button > Intergration tab, I assume the BfSS is enabled?

[imadam] This is enabled.

 And, you see BfSS mode for each VM in you Backup Job being used?...not nbd mode? 

[imadam] As I wrote about if NBD this test VM works. If I switch to direct access (BfSS I guess), backup fails.

Maybe everything is configured ok, but you’re just wanting to force 10GB NICs on your Veeam server to be used/seen by your SAN?

[imadam] Maybe, that what I am trying to figure out. Simple math tells me that Veeam is not using 10Gbps

When I was using physical Windows servers as Proxies and wanted to use my HBAs (10Gb), I assigned IPs of my storage network on those and used a different (mgmt) subnet for my 1Gb NIC.

[imadam] This is same setup. My 10Gbps NICs are acting as HBA in this case while 1Gbps are only for mgmt purpose.

 So, my storage network used those 10Gb HBAs based off the subnet I used with my SAN (I use Nimble, and iSCSI). All you should need to do is use the subnet on your HBAs your NetApp SAN is on.

[imadam] We have separate subnets.

If NetApp is like my Nimbles...

[imadam] I guess they are since they were in court over some intellectual property dispute 😊.

I connect to my array UI via a mgmt subnet to configure it, but my array’s storage uses a different subnet for storage tasks → replication, etc. I have 2 separate switches for each subnet.

[imadam] here is one “big” switch with modules but separated by VLAN

Have you looked at Veeam’s Storage Integration Guide?

[imadam] Yes, I have. Also, I am looking at another document provided by Veeam for Netapp integration. This document should be upgraded to cover cases where you do all kind of stuff on Netapp 😊.

Specifically, look at “Requirements for Proxies”; “General Requirements and Limitations”; “Adding NetApp ONTAP”; and “Configuring Backup From Storage Snapshots” ….and those just for starters.

[imadam] I will do double check on this.  I am trying to figure out if they are using iSCSI at all. All VMs are over NFS as per naming conventions I am able to figure out on Veeam.

Ok...thank you for the additional info. Your VBR server is configured for iSCSI correct? MPIO is only part of it. After your Windows server is configured, on your array you need to add the IQN of your server to the Volumes on your array. On Nimble, you not only add the IQN as ACL access, but additionally add the type of access - Snapshot only, Volume only, or Snapshot & Volume. For BfSS you only need Snapshot access. For DirectSAN you need Volume only (BTW BfSS & DirectSAN are different). Did you add IQN ACL access to your NetApp Volumes? 

I have gained access to Netapp device so I have collected following info:
 

• NFS for VMs over 10Gbps NIC (all VMs are over NFS presented to Vmware)
• CIFS shares from Netapp over 1Gbps NIC
• SnapManager/SnapDrives over iSCSI 10Gbps NIC

So I guess Direct Storage Access is out of question since those VMs are exported over NFS. What would be best practice from Veeam to backup these? 

Aim is to backup all of this over 10Gbps NIC (including CIFS). 

You can still do Direct Storage, but use DirectNFS. Direct Storage has two modes to it → DirectSAN and DirectNFS. I've not configured DirectNFS personally. 

You could use hotadd (Virtual Appliance) by creating VM proxies in vSphere. That backup method is pretty solid & has decent backup speeds.

I found this article, tho several yrs old, discussing NFS configurations on NetApp 

As far as “best practice” goes. Which Transport Mode you choose is dependent on your environment - what h/w you have, what editions of software (Veeam, NetApp, etc) you have which dictate capabilities, org expertise, etc. Depending on the Transport Mode you choose to go with, Veeam does have recommended Best Practices on how to implement, generally speaking, in their BP Guide. But, details on how to do so is dependent on the vendor (i.e. NetApp for DirectSAN or NFS, at least on the storage side of things).

For me, using Nimble, when I implemented DirectSAN via Windows several yrs ago, there was this Guide I followed & it was created I believe by a Nimble SE. And, though it’s several yrs old now, pretty much everything in it still applies.

As I mentioned above, you could try Virtual Appliance (hotadd) Transport mode. It works really well. Sometimes, for my Replication jobs, I can get up to 3GB read speed. Most times it’s at about 300-700MB, but still...that’s comparable to DirectSAN/BfSS speeds. 

Got few Netapps around so I will play with setup. With FC is really easy and works pretty good.  So, now I will read out BP and make some plans how to push this. I have seen some registry setting to force traffic over 10Gbps NICs. 

If you have some to do that with..yes, I highly recommend doing so.

Hmm..again, not sure a registry setting is needed here. But, hard to say definitively without being able to see everything you have configured. 

For virtual appliance, you bypass your storage and use the Proxy VMs for Backup processing. Just have a Proxy VM in each vSphere Cluster and you should be good….if you go that route. But, it sounds like you’re mostly interested in utilizing direct access to your array. Keep us posted how your testing goes, and if there’s any further info we can provide.

Direct Access, at least over FC, works great. We have months and years of successful backup. I didn’t bother much with setup, it was ease. Setup here is different:

• NFS is primary protocol for VMs over 10Gbps NIC
• iSCSI is being used for SnapManager over same 10Gbps NIC
• CIFS is being served over 1Gbps NIC

This setup works for pretty much 18 to 20 years without issue. I just need to see how to aim Veeam at this in best possible way. 

I will probably recommend to get FAS2820 and get Snapmirror so Veeam can be used to manage snapshots. 

If you can use FC or iSCSI those are the best routes to go with storage. Having the storage integration in Veeam also helps as well. I have used both methods and they are great.

I have used both FC & iSCSI over the yrs with success as well. There’s config in BOTH FC & iSCSI needed. There isn’t just setup FC and “it just works”. It seems like the real issue is not that it’s not working, but just getting your traffic over the 10Gb NICs? Just go through all the steps we’ve provided, as well as Guides, and see where the mishap is. I think then traffic will traverse those HBAs like you’re wanting. 

I’ve used direct SAN with SAS/DAS and it works great.  I believe I’ve also done it with ISCSI, and it was also great.  All of my environments are too small for FC so I haven’t tried that, but I expect nothing less than great.  LOL

@imadam could you solve the issue in the meantime? If not maybe we can have a deeper look into your setup?

Regards

Matze

@MatzeB I am making some progress 😊. At moment looking at https://www.veeam.com/blog/nas-backup-remote-netapp-fas-systems-vss-integration.html to see what is required on Netapp side. 

Questions: Customer has CPU licences. Is there anything else required as far as Veeam licensing to backup NFS and Cifs shares from Netapp?

Yep, most of the things are working. What I am trying to retrieve backup from Netapp 10Gbps ports using my 10Gbps NICs on backup servers. I have cca 30TB to backup.

For some reasons traffics goes only over 1Gbps NIC. 

Okay just some ideas.

Your Netapp has 10GB - fine. Your Server has a 1GB let’s call “Management”, with the Default Gateway set and a additional 10GB interface with a static IP without gateway.

Do the following:

• The 10GB Interface on Server and Netapp are on the same network, let’s call iSCSI VLAN? if Not do this
• The Netapp is added under storage Systems?
• iSCSI needs to be started on your windows Host
• Because i think you use MPIO for iSCSI on Netapp, you have to install MPIO Role on Windows. After this restart. Then System Settings, MPIO, Add Support for iSCSI, dont forget save. Restart
• You need to create a IGROUP on the netapp with all IQNs of your Veeam Proxy/Servers, mostly in your case this one Server. Dont map any LUNs to it, just create it.
• On windows Server establish iSCSI Connection to your Netapp iSCSI Target using “quick connect”.
• Now run rescan on the windows server (veeam - infrastructure - windows server - rescan)
• Run Rescan on the storage system (rightklick - rescan)
• Try a Test Backup

Pro Tip: Temporary disable failover to network in Proxy and set Storage mode to direct SAN Access. Than the job will fail instantly install using 1GB.

What is the job showing as current transport mode? doesnt mather if 1GB or 10GB….do you see NBD? or SAN or retrieving from ontap snapshot?

Matze

@MatzeB iSCSI is used only for SnapManager. We found another VLAN which is NFS. We had to dig network configuration as well. I see traffic going over 10Gbps but I am getting between 100 and 140 MB/s thruput. Bottleneck reported by Veeam is Source. 

We are now working on CIFS shares. There are few things to be done by Netapp on device.

Going over these documents related to Veeam&Netapp I found that they should be updated with some information how to configure and make sure backup is working on Netapp in wanted way 😊. It would save a lot of time. Netapp with Pure is one of the leading platforms.