Installing and Configuring the Agent › Post Installation Tasks › VMware vSphere Integration Post Installation Tasks › Specify a Backup Approach

Specify a Backup Approach

The agent lets you specify one of the following approaches to protect VM backup data:

• VCB Framework--Lets you protect VMs on all ESX Server systems supported by the version of VCB Framework that is installed on the backup proxy system.

  Note: VMware ESX Server 4.0 and VMware vCenter Server 4.0 are supported with only VCB Framework 1.5, Update 1 and later releases.

• VMware vSphere Web Services SDK and VMware VDDK--Lets you protect the implementations that follow using the agent.
  • ESX Server 3.5 and above up to ESX Server 4.0
  • VMware Virtual Center 2.5 and above up to vCenter Server 4.0 managing ESX Server 3.5 and above up to ESX Server 4.0

  Important! After you install the agent, by default, CA ARCserve Backup processes backups using VDDK if VDDK is installed. However, you can specify to use the VCB approach for backups by modifying the registry keys described in this topic.

When using the VDDK approach, be aware of the following expected behavior:

• CA ARCserve Backup uses VDDK to process raw (full VM) backups and raw (full VM) backups with the Allow file level restore option specified when VDDK and VCB Framework are installed on the backup proxy system that is protecting the VMs. However, CA ARCserve Backup always uses VCB Framework to perform file mode backups if VCB Framework and VDDK or only VCB Framework is installed on the backup proxy system.
• CA ARCserve Backup tries to use VCB Framework to execute backups when VCB Framework is installed on the backup proxy system and VDDK is not installed on the backup proxy system.
• Backups fail when VDDK and VCB Framework are not installed on the backup proxy system.
• Backups store the snapshot in the mount directory specified using ARCserve VMware Configuration Tool.
• CA ARCserve Backup uses VDDK to recover data when the VM data is backed up using VDDK.

  Note: VMware converter cannot be used to restore data when you used VDDK to back up the VM.

• The backup process creates a file named vmconfig.dat in binary format that contains the VM configuration details.

  Note: You should not attempt to modify vmconfig.dat.

• The backup process does not create or update catalog files.
• The backup process creates disk files with a zero file size in the mount directory for raw (full VM) backups and raw (full VM) backups with the Allow file level restore option specified.

  Important! You should not attempt to modify the disk files.

When using the VCB Framework approach, be aware of the expected behavior that follows:

• CA ARCserve Backup uses VCB to perform backup operations when VCB and VDDK are installed on the backup proxy system.
• CA ARCserve Backup attempts using VDDK for backup operations when VCB is not installed on the backup proxy system.

Note: CA ARCserve Backup attempts the above-described failover actions when the backup operation starts. After CA ARCserve Backup detects the applications corresponding with the approach specified, CA ARCserve Backup does not attempt to fail over to the alternate approach only if a failure occurs during the backup operation.

When executing file level backups using the VCB approach or the VDDK approach, be aware of the expected behavior that follows:

• The backup process does not create or update catalog files.
• The backup process creates a child disk in the mount point directory.

The mount point directory does not display files for the mounted volume. This behavior occurs because VDDK does not mount volumes to a directory or map volumes to a drive letter.

To specify a backup approach

1. Open Windows Registry Editor

   Modify the following registry keys, as required, using the values specified.

   • Key Name--useVCBFor35

     Lets you specify the VMware application to use for backup operations on ESX Server 3.5 systems when VCB Framework and VDDK are installed on the backup proxy system.

     Path

     HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ComputerAssociates\CA ARCserve Backup\ClientAgent\Parameters
     

     Type

     REG_DWORD

     Default Value

     0 (Back up data using VDDK)

     Note: To protect VMs using VCB Framework when ESX Server 3.5 is installed on the backup proxy system, set this value to 1.

   • Key Name--useVCBFor40

     Lets you specify the VMware application to use for backup operations on ESX Server 4.0 systems when VCB Framework and VDDK are installed on the backup proxy system.

     Path

     HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ComputerAssociates\CA ARCserve Backup\ClientAgent\Parameters
     

     Type

     REG_DWORD

     Default Value

     0 (Back up data using VDDK)

     Note: To protect VMs using VCB Framework when ESX Server 4.0 is installed on the backup proxy system, set this value to 1.

2. Close Windows Registry Editor.

Important! To protect VM data using the VDDK approach, VMware VDDK must be installed in the backup proxy system. Similarly, to protect VM data using the VCB approach, VMware VCB Framework must be installed on the backup proxy system.