Virtualize Every Server

@Dashrender said:

@Carnival-Boy said:

So should I virtualise my Veeam server?

Question is: why wouldn't you?

Performance? Backup and recovery is very disk intensive.

Does virtualization create any noticeable change in performance? Noticeable meaning measurable, here? It should not.

Dashrender

@Carnival-Boy said:

@Dashrender said:

@Carnival-Boy said:

So should I virtualise my Veeam server?

Question is: why wouldn't you?

Performance? Backup and recovery is very disk intensive.

OK, but you were planning on dedicating a server to it anyhow, right? so adding virtualization to that host will add nearly zero overhead, but give you so much in the ability to move between hosts, use the host as a temp VM platform, etc.

Carnival Boy

I should add that I'm not separating my server from my backup repository, which I might want to do it if it was virtualised. Currently everything resides on the same physical box.

Dashrender

@Carnival-Boy said:

I should add that I'm not separating my server from my backup repository,

I don't follow, can you give me more details?

scottalanmiller

@Carnival-Boy said:

I should add that I'm not separating my server from my backup repository, which I might want to do it if it was virtualised. Currently everything resides on the same physical box.

Why would virtualization change that decision?

Carnival Boy

I mean the backup repository (the location of the backup files) doesn't have to be on the same server as the Veeam software. If you separated them you could then backup the Veeam software itself (I think, I assume that Veeam could backup itself). If you didn't separate them, you wouldn't want to backup the Veeam VM as that would be backing up the backup. You don't want to backup your backup repository.

scottalanmiller

@Carnival-Boy said:

I mean the backup repository (the location of the backup files) doesn't have to be on the same server as the Veeam software. If you separated them you could then backup the Veeam software itself (I think, I assume that Veeam could backup itself). If you didn't separate them, you wouldn't want to backup the Veeam VM as that would be backing up the backup. You don't want to backup your backup repository.

This part makes sense. But why would you separate (potentially) if virtualized but did not when physical? Is it because when virtualized this is just easier so you have more options? And does that not then make virtualization that much better as an option?

Carnival Boy

@scottalanmiller said:

But why would you separate (potentially) if virtualized but did not when physical?

Without virtualisation, separation requires two machines.

dafyre

There's that, and then if the Host where your Veeam instance live burns out the RAID array, you have lost all of your backups, lol.

scottalanmiller

@Carnival-Boy said:

@scottalanmiller said:

But why would you separate (potentially) if virtualized but did not when physical?

Without virtualisation, separation requires two machines.

Okay, gotcha. So that's a major vote pro-virtualization then

scottalanmiller

@dafyre said:

There's that, and then if the Host where your Veeam instance live burns out the RAID array, you have lost all of your backups, lol.

That's the case if your array burns out virtualized or not.

Carnival Boy

@scottalanmiller said:

Okay, gotcha. So that's a major vote pro-virtualization then

Maybe. I'd have to consider any licencing implications of separation.

art_of_shred

@scottalanmiller said:

@dafyre said:

There's that, and then if the Host where your Veeam instance live burns out the RAID array, you have lost all of your backups, lol.

That's the case if your array burns out virtualized or not.

That's why you need replication and/or archival. SPOF for backups is never an "ok" thing.

scottalanmiller

@Carnival-Boy said:

@scottalanmiller said:

Okay, gotcha. So that's a major vote pro-virtualization then

Maybe. I'd have to consider any licencing implications of separation.

Even if you don't decide to do it, having additional options is a positive on its own. If needed, it is there in case.

Carnival Boy

The only other server I still have physical is Hamachi. I virtualised it originally but it was very flaky so went physical, which is a pain.