HP Data Protector A.06.11 Support for Vmware vstorage technical ...

HP Data Protector A.06.11 Support for 

VMware vStorage 

Technical white paper 

Table of contents 

Summary ...................................................................................................................................... 3 

Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 3 

Backup concepts ............................................................................................................................ 3 

Operational method ................................................................................................................... 3 

Data Protector components .......................................................................................................... 4 

Supported configurations ............................................................................................................ 5 

Restore concepts ............................................................................................................................ 8 

Restore of virtual machines .......................................................................................................... 8 

Considerations........................................................................................................................... 9 

Data Protector backup types ......................................................................................................... 10 

vStorage Image backup method .................................................................................................... 10 

Snapshot management ............................................................................................................. 11 

Standard operation .................................................................................................................. 12 

Backup summary ...................................................................................................................... 13 

Considerations......................................................................................................................... 19 

Installation .................................................................................................................................. 20 

Prerequisites ............................................................................................................................ 20 

Installation procedure ............................................................................................................... 21 

Importing clients into the Data Protector cell ................................................................................ 31 

Configuring the integration ........................................................................................................... 33 


Before you begin ..................................................................................................................... 34 

Configuring VMware users ........................................................................................................ 34 

Configuring a backup host ........................................................................................................ 34 

Configuring VMware management clients ................................................................................... 34 

Configuring virtual machines ..................................................................................................... 35 

Checking the configuration of VMware management clients .......................................................... 38 

Backup ....................................................................................................................................... 39 

What is backed up? ................................................................................................................. 39 

Considerations......................................................................................................................... 40 


Creating backup specifications .................................................................................................. 40 

Modifying backup specifications ................................................................................................ 43 

Scheduling backup specifications ............................................................................................... 44 

Previewing backup sessions ...................................................................................................... 44 

Starting backup sessions ........................................................................................................... 45 

Restore ....................................................................................................................................... 46 

Restore to a datacenter ............................................................................................................. 46 

Restore to a directory................................................................................................................ 46

Finding information for restore ................................................................................................... 47 

Restoring using the Data Protector GUI ....................................................................................... 48 

Restoring using the Data Protector CLI ......................................................................................... 52 

Troubleshooting ........................................................................................................................... 52 

Before you begin ..................................................................................................................... 52 

Checks and verifications ........................................................................................................... 53 

Problems ................................................................................................................................. 53 

Appendix A Command descriptions ............................................................................................... 54 

Addition to omnib .................................................................................................................... 54 

Addition to omnir ..................................................................................................................... 55 

Addition to omnidb .................................................................................................................. 56 

Addition to omniobjcopy........................................................................................................... 56 

Addition to omniobjverify .......................................................................................................... 56 

vepa_util ................................................................................................................................. 57 

For more information .................................................................................................................... 59

Summary 

This white paper describes the Data Protector VMware vStorage integration, which 

enables you to back up and restore VMware virtual machines using the VMware vStorage 

technology. 

Introduction 

This integration is an addition to the already existing Data Protector VMware Virtual Infrastructure 

integration. It is based upon the VMware vStorage backup technology and does not require 

backup proxy systems with the VCB software installed. Note that when you back up virtual 

machines using the Data Protector VMware vStorage integration, the virtual machine files are not 

copied to the backup host first, as is done in a VCBimage backup session, where the files are 

first copied to the backup proxy. 

The new integration can be installed on an existing Data Protector A.06.11 installation and can 

be run in parallel with an existing HP Data Protector VMware Virtual Infrastructure integration. 

This means that systems running versions of VMware that support vStorage can be backed up 

without disrupting backup procedures for earlier versions of VMware. Backup specifications for 

the earlier versions therefore do not have to be changed. The only exception are incremental 

backups for the Snapshot backup method, for which the two integrations do collide. 

The Data Protector VMware vStorage integration does not need to be installed on every ESX(i) 

client or vCenter Server client to be backed up. It can control backups and restores of virtual 

machines from a single backup host within a Data Protector cell, if required. This means that 

virtual machines on ESXi Server systems can be backed up and restored in the same way as those 

on ESX Server systems. 

Both the old and new integrations can be configured and used in the same environment. 

However, note that when this patch is installed, the user interface for an existing VMware Virtual 

Infrastructure integration changes in some areas (as can be seen in this white paper). 

For details of the latest support, see to the HP Data Protector Virtualization support matrix for the 

version of Data Protector you are running. 

For full details of what is supported, refer to the HP Data Protector 6.1x Virtualization support 

matrix. For general Data Protector procedures and options, see the online Help. 

Backup concepts 

Operational method 

Data Protector VMware vStorage integration provides the following new backup method: 

vStorage Image 

This method can be used to back up and restore the following VMware objects: 

Virtual machines 

Virtual machine disks 

Virtual machine templates 

This is a snapshot-based backup method that can be used to backup virtual machines while 

powered off (offline backup) or actively used (online backup). 

It supports interactive and scheduled Data Protector backups of the following types: 

Full 

Incremental 

Differential 

3

For details on the backup types see, Data Protector backup types. 

Data Protector components 

Figure 1 Simplified component layout schematic 

Data Protector Cell Manager 

The Data Protector Cell Manager can be installed on a virtual machine, vCenter Server system, 

backup host, or a separate system outside the virtual environment. 

Data Protector Virtual Environment Integration component 

Under most circumstances, it is only necessary to install the Data Protector Virtual Environment 

Integration component on one Data Protector client in the cell in which the virtual environments to 

be backed up are located. This client will be called the backup host and can be: 

The Data Protector Cell Manager 

A dedicated physical backup host 

A virtual machine 

The component includes the following major parts: 

vepa_bar.exe, activated during backup and restore operations on virtual environments 

vepa_util.exe, activated during browsing and query operations on virtual environments 

vepalib_vmware, a dynamic link library providing VMware specific functionality for backup, 

restore, query and browsing tasks. 

Note 

VEPA stands for virtual environment protection agent. 

Data Protector Media Agents 

Data Protector Media Agents can be installed on vCenter Server systems, backup hosts, or other 

clients in the Data Protector cell.

Supported configurations 

Data Protector supports environments where ESX Server and/or ESXi Server systems are managed 

through a vCenter Server (vCenter environments) as well as environments with standalone 

ESX/ESXi Server systems (standalone ESX(i) Server environments). Mixed environments, in 

which some of the ESX Server and/or ESXi Server systems are managed through a vCenter Server 

system and some are standalone, are also supported. You can even have multiple vCenter Server 

systems in your environment, each managing its own set of ESX Server and/or ESXi Server 

systems. 

vCenter environment 

In a vCenter environment, Data Protector communicates with the VMware Virtual Infrastructure 

through the vCenter Server system. All backup and restore requests are sent there. 

In one session, you can back up virtual machines from multiple datacenters. 

Figure 2 vCenter environment 

ESX Server or ESXi Server system VMware platform capable of hosting multiple virtual 

machines. 

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VM Virtual machine. Virtualized x86 or x64 PC environment, 

in which a guest operating system and associated 

application software can run. 

Datacenter An organizational unit that consists of one or more ESX 

Server and/or ESXi Server systems and the related 

storage for virtual machines (datastores). Datastores can 

reside on local disks/RAID, iSCSI or SAN storage. 

Migration of virtual machines 

In a vCenter environment, Data Protector supports migration (usingVMotion and Storage VMotion) 

of virtual machines between ESX Server and/or ESXi Server systems in the same datacenter and, 

for supporting versions of VMware infrastructure, in different datacenters. Virtual machines 

migrate from one ESX Server or ESXi Server system to another for various reasons: 

If ESX Server and/or ESXi Server systems are configured in a VMware high availability cluster, 

virtual machines automatically migrate when the original ESX Server or ESXi Server system fails. 

If ESX Server and/or ESXi Server systems are configured in a VMware load balancing cluster, 

virtual machines automatically migrate to ESX Server or ESXi Server systems with less workload. 

You can start a migration of a virtual machine manually, using the vSphere client.

Figure 3 Migration of virtual machines 

Whatever the reason for the migration, you do not need to create a new backup specification 

afterwards. Data Protector will automatically find the migrated virtual machines and back them 

up. Note, however that if you select an ESX(i) Server system as a VMware management client, 

Data Protector will not be able to find the migrated virtual machine. 

vCenter Server system in a cluster 

Data Protector also supports environments with a vCenter Server system in a Microsoft Cluster 

Service cluster. After a failover in such a cluster, you do not need to change the backup 

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specification. However, if the failover occurs during a backup or restore session, the session fails 

and has to be restarted. 

Standalone ESX/ESXi Server environment 

In a standalone ESX/ESXi Server environment, Data Protector communicates with vSphere through 

the backup host. All backup and restore requests are sent there. 

In one session, you can back up virtual machines from only one ESX/ESXi Server system. 

Figure 4 Standalone ESX/ESXi Server environment 

In vCenter environments, Data Protector communicates with the VMware Virtual Infrastructure 

through a vCenter Server system and, in standalone ESX/EXSi Server environments, through an 

ESX/ESXi Server system. For the purposes of this documentation, this server system will be called 

the VMware management client. 

Restore concepts 

You can restore virtual machines, virtual machine disks, and virtual machine templates from 

backups performed using the Data Protector vStorage method. 

Restore of virtual machines 

Virtual machines backed up with the vStorage Image method can be restored in two ways: 

To a datacenter

To a directory 

Restore to a datacenter 

When restoring to a datacenter, the normal (and default) situation is to restore virtual machines to 

their original ESX/ESXi server or vCenter. In this case, it is possible to: 

Overwrite existing virtual machine (delete the existing virtual machines before the restore). 

Restore virtual machines that are no longer there, but not those that still exist. 

Alternatively, you can restore virtual machine files to a local directory on a backup host. 

For the restore, you can also specify the following: 

Whether the memory state of the virtual machine should be restored (if a memory file was 

included in the backup) 

Whether the restored virtual machines should be registered in the datacenter 

Whether the restored virtual machine snapshots should be consolidated when the restore 

completes 

Whether the restored virtual machines should be powered on 

The restore options provided are, by default, set to restore VMs with the same names, to the 

datacenter that is the first in the list, but you can change the destination datacenter if you want. 

Note 

If a VM has been migrated since the backup was performed, you do not need to change the 

settings. The Virtual Environment Integration will find the migrated VM, delete it, if required, and 

restore the backed-up version to the original location. 

If you select a non-original ESX(i) Server system as a VMware management client in order to 

restore a virtual machine to a different ESX(i) Server system, the virtual machine is restored to the 

destination ESX(i) Server system without deleting the virtual machine on the original ESX(i) Server 

system. 

Restore to a directory 

When restoring to a directory (restore outside of a datacenter) all the files of virtual machines can 

be restored to a directory of your choice (for example, C:\tmp) on a backup host. 

After such a restore, the virtual machines are not functional. You need to manually move the 

restored virtual machine images to an ESX Server or ESXi Server system, using the VMware 

Converter as described in “Recovery after restoring outside of a datacenter” in the HP Data 

Protector integration guide for VMware Virtual Infrastructure, Sybase, Network Node Manager, 

and Network Data Management Protocol Server. 

Considerations 

Restore chain: When you restore a virtual machine from an incremental or differential 

session, Data Protector automatically restores the complete backup chain, starting with the last 

full backup, which is then followed by the last differential and all subsequent incremental 

backups (if they exist) up to the selected session. 

Concurrent sessions: Restore sessions that use the same devices or restore to the same 

datacenter cannot run concurrently. 

Different backup methods: VMware objects that were created using different backup 

methods cannot be restored in the same session. 

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Data Protector backup types 

The following Data Protector backup types are available for VMware with this integration: 

Full. This is a standard Data Protector full backup to disk and/or tape. 

Incremental. This backs up the changes since the last backup of any type; full, incremental or 

differential. 

Differential. This backs up the changes since the last full backup. It is equivalent to the 

Incremental 1 backup type available in some other Data Protector integrations. 

The type of backup to be performed is specified for a Data Protector backup specification, either 

in the Scheduler page, or in the Start backup dialog box for an interactive backup. However, note 

that not all backup types are available for all snapshot handling modes, so this must be carefully 

considered when choosing the snapshot handling mode. For details, see Snapshot handling. 

vStorage Image backup method 

For the vStorage Image backup method provided by the Data Protector VMware vStorage 

integration, a single central backup host can be used to back up all virtual machines hosted by 

vCenter or ESX/ESXi servers in a Data Protector cell. This backup host can be the Cell Manager 

or any other dedicated host, or virtual machine. The important thing is that it has the Data 

Protector Virtual Environment Integration component installed. This method uses the vStorage 

technology provided by VMware. For details, see the VMware documentation. 

During a vStorage Image backup, the Virtual Environment Integration component first establishes 

connections between the backup host and the virtualization host. It then requests a snapshot of the 

virtual machine that is to be backed up, via the vStorage API. This snapshot is used for VM 

operation during the period of the backup, leaving the VM consistent for the backup. 

The Virtual Environment Integration component then opens the virtual machine disks across the 

network, initializes the Media Agent client and controls the transfer to it of the virtual machine and 

all its associated data.

Figure 5 vStorage Image method 

Snapshot management 

vStorage backup methods rely on the ability to create virtual machine snapshots in order to put a 

virtual machine into a consistent state. Subsequent changes made to the virtual machine disks are 

then recorded to separate files. Note that the snapshot operation is not supported by all virtual 

machine disks. For details, see the VMware documentation. 

During a vStorage backup, Data Protector first creates a snapshot and then copies data from the 

consistent state to Data Protector media. Snapshots created for Data Protector purposes (DP 

snapshots) are distinguished from other snapshots by the label _DP_VEPA_SNAP_ and a 

11

description that contains the product name and a timestamp. Therefore, avoid using this label for 

snapshots that you create for other purposes. 

Figure 6 Snapshot tree 

The presence of virtual-machine snapshots degrades a virtual machine‟s performance; therefore 

DP snapshots are deleted when they are no longer needed. The number of DP snapshots that 

remain on the snapshot tree after a backup depends on two factors: 

The backup type specified 

The Data Protector snapshot handling mode selected (See below) 

Since the snapshot handling mode can affect virtual machine performance, it is specified per 

virtual machine (It is also possible to specify a common mode setting and override this for 

individual virtual machines). 

Standard operation 

During standard operation the vStorage Image method relies on DP snapshots being retained for 

differential or incremental backups. The way in which these snapshots are handled depends on 

the snapshot handling mode selected. 

Note that keeping virtual machine snapshots negatively affects the ESX(i) Server system 

performance. In the Mixed mode, for example, where up to two DP snapshots are retained, the 

impact is the greatest. 

Snapshot handling 

The following snapshot handling modes are available. The mode selected must be suitable for the 

type of backup chain anticipated. 

Disabled: Supports only full backups. The snapshot made at the beginning of a backup 

session is used only to create a consistent state. After the data transfer completes, the snapshot 

is removed. For details, see Snapshot mode: disabled. 

Single: Supports full, differential, and incremental backups in the following backup chains: 

Full, differential, differential, differential,... 

Full, incremental, incremental, incremental,... 

You cannot mix incremental and differential backups within the same backup chain. The 

snapshot made at the beginning of a backup session is used to create a consistent state. After 

the backup completes, one DP snapshot remains on the snapshot tree. It is needed to track 

changes made since the last full or incremental backup. For details, see Snapshot mode: single.

Mixed: Supports full, differential, and incremental backups in all backup chain combinations. 

For example: 

Full, incremental, incremental, differential, incremental, differential,... 

The snapshot made at the beginning of a backup session is used to create a consistent state. 

After the backup completes, up to two DP snapshots remain on the snapshot tree. One is 

needed to track changes made since the last full backup and the other to track changes made 

since the last backup (incremental or differential). For details, see Snapshot mode: mixed. 

Backup chain 

When performing snapshot operations on a backed up virtual machine, you must be careful not to 

break your backup chains. A backup chain gets broken if you do any of the following operations: 

Delete a snapshot 

Revert to a snapshot 

Create a non-Data Protector snapshot 

Change snapshot handling mode 

Add a new virtual machine disk or rename an existing one 

Restore the virtual machine 

After making any such changes, you must run a full backup again to start a new backup chain. 

Otherwise, subsequent incremental and differential sessions fail. 

On supported Windows guest operating systems, it is possible to use the VSS framework to 

freeze, or quiesce, the states of the applications running within a VM before a snapshot is 

created. If quiescence is selected for a Windows guest operating system, the snapshot process 

quiesces all system writers and registered application writers before taking the snapshot of the 

virtual machine. 

During a backup with quiescence enabled, a .zip file is created that contains all the BCD and 

writer manifests located in the datastore(s) concerned. Data Protector backs up this file. During a 

restore, the file is restored to the same location and then post-restore VSS steps like roll-forward 

can be performed manually. 

Backup summary 

A summary of the backup option/backup type combinations available with the vStorage Image 

method is shown in the table below. 

Table 1 vStorage backup method overview 

vStorage 

method options 

selected 

None (Standard 

operation) 

How is backup 

consistency achieved? 

Data Protector 

requests a virtual 

machine snapshot, 

providing crash 

consistency. 

Quiescence VSS quiesces system 

and application 

writers before creating 

a snapshot, providing 

data/application 

consistency in the VM 

Supported guest 

operating system 

Supported backup types 

Full Diff Incr 

Windows/Linux ✓ ✓ ✓ 

Windows only ✓ ✓ ✓ 

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For details on the supported backup types, see Data Protector backup types. 

A summary of the snapshot behavior for different backup type/snapshot handling mode 

combinations is given in the table below. 

This is followed by flowcharts showing the detailed operational steps for the backup 

type/snapshot combinations. 

Table 2 Backup type overview 

Virtual machine 

snapshot handling 

mode 

Supported backup types Number of snaphots 

remaining after backup 

Disabled Full 0 

Single Full, Incremental, Differential 1 

MIxed Full, Incremental, Differential up to 2 

Snapshot mode: disabled 

A full backup in Disabled mode progresses as shown in the following figure.

Figure 7 Full backup (disabled mode) 

Legend 

Ti Boxes denoted by Ti show how the virtual machine snapshot tree changes in time. 


base 

The rectangle denoted by Virtual machine base represents the virtual machine base or the last 

non-Data Protector created virtual machine delta file on the active branch. 

VMΔ A rectangle denoted by VMΔ represents a virtual machine delta file created by a Data Protector 

snapshot. 

DP snapshot A rectangle denoted by DP snapshot represents a process (snapshot operation triggered by Data 

Protector). This process closes the current active state to become a read-only file. At the same time, 

it creates a new delta file, which becomes the active state. The active state is denoted by round 

corners. 

Snapshot mode: single 

A full backup in the Single mode progresses in the same way as a full backup in the Disabled 

mode, with the exception that the DP snapshot is not removed at the end (you end up with one DP 

snapshot). A subsequent differential backup is shown in the following figure. 

15

Figure 8 Differential backup (single mode) 

DP snapshot1 remains on the snapshot tree to track changes made since the last full backup. 

A backup chain consisting of a full backup that is followed by incremental sessions progresses in 

the same way, with the exception that, at the end of an incremental session, DP snapshot1 is 

removed instead of DP Snapshot2 (see Figure 9 Incremental backup (single mode)).

Figure 9 Incremental backup (single mode) 

DP snapshot2 remains on the snapshot tree to track changes made since the last incremental 

backup. 

Snapshot mode: mixed 

A full backup in the Mixed mode progresses in the same way as a full backup in the Single 

mode (you end up with one DP snapshot). A subsequent differential or incremental backup 

progresses in the same way as a differential or incremental backup in the Single mode, with the 

exception that no DP snapshot is removed at the end (you end up with two DP snapshots). 

The progress of a subsequent incremental backup is shown below. 

17

Figure 10 Incremental backup (mixed mode)

DP snapshot1 and DP snapshot3 remain on the snapshot tree to track changes made since the last 

full and the last backup respectively. 

A subsequent differential backup progresses in the same way as an incremental session described 

in Figure 10 Incremental backup (mixed mode) with the following exceptions: 

DP snapshot2 is removed before DP snapshot3 is created. 

Instead of changes made between DP snapshot2 and DP snapshot3, changes made between 

DP snapshot1 and DP snapshot3 are backed up. 


Disk space: Virtual machine operations that are performed during backup require additional 

disk space on the datastores. 

You can specify the percentage of space on the datastores that must be free for a backup to be 

performed, during backup specification creation. 

Data Protector checks for each virtual machine or filesystem separately whether the required 

disk space is available. If not, an error message is displayed for the backup of that particular 

virtual machine or filesystem. 

19

Table 5 Disk space requirements 

Backup 

method 

vStorage 

Image 

Required disk space on datastores Explanation 

A specified percentage of the sum of all 

virtual machine disk sizes, plus: 

the size of any quiescence zip files, if 

quiescence is specified. 

the size of the virtual machine memory 

file, if specified. 

After a snapshot is created, changes made to 

the virtual machine disks are recorded to 

separate files (one delta file is created for 

each virtual machine disk). A delta file can 

grow up to the total size of the virtual 

machine disk. Keep this in mind when 

specifying Free space required. 

To disable the check for available disk space for a backup, select a value of 0 for the option Free 

space required when setting up the backup specification. 

Performance: Specifying Quiescence can slow down the speed of backup sessions 

considerably. 

Concurrent sessions: Backup sessions that use the same devices or back up the same 

datacenter cannot run concurrently. If multiple sessions are started concurrently, one session 

waits for the other to complete. 

Installation 

Prerequisites 

To install the VEPA General Release Patch DPWIN_00483, you must first have HP Data Protector 

A.06.11 installed, with the following: 

A supported Windows Cell Manager. 

A supported Windows user interface client. 

A supported Windows Installation Server. 

A supported Windows system available for use as a backup host. 

For further information on the supported systems, refer to the support matrix. 

The VMware virtual environment to be backed up must be at vSphere 4.0 or 4.1. 

Note 

The Data Protector VMware Infrastructure Integration does not have to be installed, but if it is 

already installed, it does not have to be removed: The existing agent can work in parallel with the 

Data Protector VMware vStorage integration for versions of VMware that support the VCB backup 

method as well as the vStorage API. 

You also need to have the following Data Protector patch installed: 

DPWIN_00455 Core Packet patch 

Some of the defect fixes contained in this patch depend on the following additional patches: 

DPWIN_00456 

Cell Server Packet patch, 

release date: Available

Change Request: QCCR2A26439 

DPWIN_00456 is required for this fix. 

DPWIN_00457 

Cell Console Packet patch, 

release date: Available 

Change Request: QCCR2A26439 

DPWIN_00457 is required for this fix. 

Important 

Back up your system before installing the VEPA general release patch. This precaution ensures that 

if you have problems after installing the patch, you will be able to restore your current state. 

Firewall configuration 

Ensure that the following ports are open: 

443 -- on backup hosts, ESX(i) Server systems, and vCenter Server systems 

This is the default value used by VMware. If VMware uses a different port, ensure that the 

currently used port is open. 

5555 – on all Data Protector clients (this is a prerequisite for the general Data Protector 

installation procedure) 

For details on Data Protector ports, see the online Help index:”port range”. 

Installation procedure 

Under most circumstances, it is only necessary to install the following Data Protector components: 

Virtual Environment Integration - on a backup host. This client can be: 

The Data Protector Cell Manager 

A dedicated backup host 

User Interface – on systems that you want to use as user interface clients for the Data 

Protector VMware vStorage integration 

But firsts you have to install the VEPA general release patch. The patch should be installed locally 

on the following systems: 

Cell Manager 

Installation Server 

User interface client(s) that will be used for the Data Protector VMware vStorage integration 

Backup host 

Note 

If a system is in a cluster, the patch must be installed on both cluster nodes. The patch can be 

installed only if the node is active. 

Installing the patch 

1. Connect a system to which you want to install the VEPA general release patch. 

2. Copy the self extracting DPWIN_00483.exe to a temporary folder. 

21

Example: 

On the client vmw37139.company.com, DPWIN_00483.exe is copied to the temporary 

folder C:\tmp. 

Figure 11 DPWIN_00483.exe copied to a temporary folder

3. Run DPWIN_00483.exe. This will start an InstallShield wizard to create a folder in your 

selected temporary location. 

4. In the InstallShield wizard, it is possible to read the Data Protector A.06.11 general release 

patch readme file. 

Figure 12 InstallShield Wizard - Readme file page 

Click Next. 

5. In the Location to Save Files page, specify the folder for unpacking the files (default: HP Data 

Protector 6.11 VEPA general release patch). 

23

Figure 13 InstallShields Wizard -- Location to Save Files 

Click Next. 

6. In the Extracting Files page, wait for the extraction to complete. 

Figure 14 InstallShields Wizard – Extracting Files 

Click Next. 

7. In the InstallShield Wizard Complete page, click Finish.

Figure 15 InstallShield Wizard – InstallShield Wizard Complete 

The created folder is containing the patch contents described below. 

Patch contents 

Folder Content: 

CM – containing the subfolders i386, x8664 and the file cell_format 

IS – containing the subfolders i386, x8664 and the file omni_format 

DPWIN_00483.doc and DPWIN_00483.text - Installation guide 

InstallScript.pl and Windows_VEPA.pm – Perl installation scripts 

open_source_licenses_vmware_vddk_11.txt 

open_source_vddk_1_1.tar 

Patch Files: 

\open_source_licenses_vmware_vddk_11.txt 

\open_source_vddk_1_1.tar 

\omni_format 

\omniinet.exe 

\vepa.msi 

\DataProtector_A.06.11.msi 

\dbsm.exe 

\bsm.exe 

\asm.exe 

\rsm.exe 

\msm.exe 

\crs.exe 

\csm.exe 

\mmd.exe 

\cell_format 

\admin.dll 

\backup.dll 

25

\clients.dll 

\copy.dll 

\core.dll 

\database.dll 

\instrest.dll 

\monitor.dll 

\report.dll 

\restore.dll 

\users.dll 

\manager.exe 

\mom.exe 

\omnib.exe 

\omnicc.exe 

\omnidb.exe 

\omniobjcopy.exe 

\omniobjverify.exe 

\omnir.exe 

\omnienu.dll 

\InstallScript.pl 

\Windows_VEPA.pm 

\cc.msi 

\core.msi 

\omnitrig.exe 

Figure 16 Patch contents 

Installing the Data Protector components 

The following example will be used to illustrate the procedure. 

Example: 

Cell Manager: vmw37139.company.com (W2k8 R2) 

Installation Server: vmw38238.company.com (W2k8 R2) 

Backup Host: vmw37091.company.com (W2k8 64bit) 

Step 1: 

Run the Perl installation script on the Cell Manager:

1. Log on to the Cell Manager. 

2. Open the Command Line Interface (Command Prompt) using the administrator user account. 

Example: 

Go to: 

Start > Programs > Accessories 

Right-click Command Prompt and click Run as administrator. 

3. Change the working directory to the folder where DPWIN_00483.exe has been extracted. 

Example: 

The file DPWIN_00483.exe has been extracted to the folder C:\tmp\HP Data 

Protector 6.11 VEPA general release patch. Change to this directory by running 

cd “tmp\HP Data Protector 6.11 VEPA general release patch”. 

Figure 17 Changing the working directory to the patch folder 

4. Run the Perl installation script: 

InstallScript.pl -import_is HostName 

using the Perl.exe that is installed with Data Protector. 

Example: 

To first check the perl installation script syntax, run: 

“C:\Program Files\OmniBack\bin\perl.exe" InstallScript.pl –help 

USAGE SYNOPSIS: 

perl InstallScript.pl 

perl InstallScript.pl -import_is hostname1 hostname2 hostname3 

hostnameN 

where hostname is the name of an Installation Server system. 

Example: 

Run the Perl installation script: 

C:\Program Files\OmniBack\bin\perl.exe" InstallScript.pl –import_is 

vmw38238.company.com 

27

Figure 18 Running the Perl installation script 

Step 2: 

If the Cell Manager and Installation Server are installed on different systems, run the Perl 

installation script also on the Installation Server system: 

1. Log on to the Installation Server system. 

2. Open the Command Line Interface (Command Prompt) using the administrator user account. 

3. Change the working directory to the folder where DPWIN_00483.exe has been extracted. 

4. Run the Perl installation script using the Perl.exe that is installed with Data Protector: 

Example: 

“c:\Program Files\OmniBack\bin\perl.exe" InstallScript.pl 

Note 

The option –import_is is not needed now. 

Step 3: 

Update or add the Data Protector User Interface component on clients that you want to use 

for starting backup and restore sessions using the Data Protector VMware vStorage integration: 

Note 

Data Protector user interface clients with updated User Interface component will be able to 

run all the GUI and CLI operations that are required to perform vStorage Image backups and 

restores, as described in this document. They will also be able to run backups and restores using 

the Data Protector VMware Virtual Infrastructure integration (legacy), but some GUI panels will be 

updated as shown in this document. 

Other Data Protector user interface clients that are not updated will still be able to run backups 

and restores using the Data Protector VMware Virtual Infrastructure integration (legacy), but will 

not be able to perform any vStorage Image operations. 

If you want to use both of the integrations, it is advisable to have both updated and non-updated 

user interface clients available.

1. Connect to any client with the Data Protector User Interface component installed. 

2. Open the Data Protector GUI and, in the Context List, select Clients. 

3. Right- click the Cell Manager and click Add components. If you have more than one 

Installation Server system in the cell, select the one with the VEPA general release patch 

installed and click Next. Select the user interface clients on which you want to update the 

component and click Next. Select the User Interface component and click Finish. 

Figure 19 Selecting the User Interface component to upgrade the GUI 

4. Close the Data Protector GUI (in the File menu, click Exit) so that the changes can take effect. 

Step 4: 

Add the Data Protector Virtual Environment Integration component to the backup host. 

1. Connect to any client with the updated Data Protector User Interface component. 

2. Open the Data Protector GUI and, in the Context List, select Clients. 

3. Add the Data Protector Virtual Environment Integration component to the backup 

host: 

If the backup host is not part of the Data Protector cell, use the Data Protector Add 

Clients functionality. 

If the backup host is already part of the Data Protector cell, use the Data Protector Add 

Components functionality. 

Example: 

In this example, the backup host is not part of the Data Protector cell. In the Scoping Pane, 

29

ight-click Clients and click Add Clients. Select the Installation Server 

vmw38238.company.com (on which the VEPA general release patch has been installed), 

specify the backup host vmw37091.company.com and click Next. Select the Virtual 

Environment Integration component and click Finish. 

Figure 20 Adding the Virtual Environment Integration component to the backup host 

The session should complete successfully.

Figure 21 Session completed successfully 

The Virtual Environment Integration component is installed. 

Importing clients into the Data Protector cell 

With the Data Protector VMware vStorage integration, it is not necessary to install any Data 

Protector components on the VMware management clients (vCenter Server systems, ESX(i) Server 

systems), but to make them Data Protector clients, they must be imported into the Data Protector 

cell. 

Using the Data Protector GUI 

To import a client into the Data Protector cell: 

1. In the Context List, click Clients. 

2. In the Scoping Pane, expand Data Protector cell, right-click Clients, and click Import 

client. 

3. In the Import client dialog box, enter the client name in the Name box, select the appropriate 

client type (VMware ESX(i) or VMware vCenter) from the Type drop-down list and click 

Next. 

31

Figure 22 Importing a client 

4. In the configuration panel, specify the following: 

Port: Specify the port that VMware (vCenter Server, vSphere) is using. By default, VMware 

uses the port 443. 

Username and Password: Specify an operating system user account that has the 

following VMware Virtual Infrastructure privileges: 

System.View 

System.Anonymous 

Folder.Create 

VirtualMachine.State.CreateSnapshot 

VirtualMachine.State.RemoveSnapshot 

VirtualMachine.Interact.Suspend 

VirtualMachine.Interact.PowerOff 

VirtualMachine.Interact.PowerOn 

VirtualMachine.Inventory.Create 

VirtualMachine.Inventory.Delete 

Web service: Optionally, change the web service entry point URI. Default: /sdk 

Specify the security type. For details on the security types, see Configuring VMware 

management clients.

Figure 23 Configuring a vCenter Server system 

Note 

Click Finish. 

To change or check the parameters later, open any backup specification for this VMware 

management client, go to the Source page, right-click the client at the top, and click Configure. 

The configuration of a client is also checked when you select the client when setting up a backup 

specification. If the check fails, the dialog box appears for you to enter the correct parameters. 

Configuring the integration 

Configure the integration as follows: 

Configure users as described in Configuring VMware users. 

Provide Data Protector with login information to VMware management clients as described in 

Configuring VMware management clients. 

For each virtual machine, specify details on how to perform various backup methods as 

described in Configuring virtual machines. 

Prerequisites 

Ensure that you have a correctly installed and configured the VMware environment. 

For supported versions, platforms, devices, and other information, see the latest support 

matrices at http://www.hp.com/support/manuals. 

33

Ensure that you have correctly installed Data Protector. On how to install Data Protector in 

various architectures, see the HP Data Protector installation and licensing guide. 

Ensure that you have at least one backup host, with the Data Protector Virtual 

Environment Integration component installed, in your environment. 

Before you begin 

Configure devices and media for use with Data Protector. 

Configuring VMware users 

1. Identify an operating system user that should be used by Data Protector to connect to the 

backup host. 

2. Add this to the Data Protector admin or operator user group. For details on adding users, 

see the online Help index: ”adding users”. 

Configuring a backup host 

The backup host is a Data Protector client with the Virtual Environment Integration 

component installed. No special configuration is required after installation. 

Configuring VMware management clients 

To connect to a VMware management client, Data Protector requires the following information: 

Port 

Username 

Password 

Web root 

This information was already provided when you imported the VMware management client into 

the Data Protector cell. The credentials were saved to the cell_info file on the Cell Manager. 

When the Data Protector uses the credentials from the file, we call it Standard security. Note 

that you can update the values using the following procedures. 

Alternatively, you can instruct Data Protector to use Integrated security, in which case Data 

Protector takes the user account under which the Data Protector Inet service on the Cell 

Manager is running. Integrated security is based on Security Support Provider Interface (SSPI). 

Note that the port and web root are still taken from the cell_info file. 

You can specify Standard security or Integrated security using the Data Protector GUI or 

CLI. 


Open any backup specification for the VMware management client, go to the Source page, rightclick 

the client at the top, and click Configure. 

To change or check the parameters at a later time, use the same procedure. 

Using the Data Protector CLI 

1. Log in to the backup host and go to the following directory: 

Data_Protector_home\bin 

2. Run: 

1. For Integrated security:

vepa_util.exe 

--config 

--virtual-environment VMware 

--host VMwareManagementClient 

--security-model 1 

2. For Standard security: 

vepa_util.exe 

--config 

--virtual-environment VMware 


--security-model 0 

--username Username 

{--password Password | --encoded-password Password} 

[--webroot WebServiceRoot] (for example, /sdk) 

[--port WebServicePort] (for example, 443) 

The message *RETVAL*0 indicates successful configuration. 

For option descriptions, see the vepa_util.exe description at the end of this document. 

Configuring virtual machines 

For each virtual machine, specify details on how to perform various backup methods: 

How to handle virtual machine snapshots created during backup. Note that not all snapshot 

handling modes support incremental and differential backups. 

(Windows virtual machines only) Whether a quiescence snapshot should be taken to make 

applications consistent for backups. 

The type of transport mode to be used during backups. 

You can configure each virtual machine separately or all together. Configuration settings for 

virtual machines of the same datacenter are saved in a separate configuration file on the Cell 

Manager. The file is named VMwareManagementClient%DatacenterPath. It is used for all backup 

sessions involving this particular datacenter. 

To configure virtual machines, use the Data Protector GUI or CLI. 


You can specify details on how a virtual machine backup should be performed when you create 

or modify a backup specification. 

1. In the Source page of a backup specification, right-click the client system at the top or any of 

the virtual machines listed below and click Configure Virtual Machines. 

35

Figure 24 Configure virtual machines (Settings) 

2. In the Virtual machine configuration dialog box Settings tab, specify the following settings: 

Table 7 Virtual machine configuration 

Configure 

virtual machine 

Snapshot 

handling 

Select whether you want to specify common virtual machine settings (Common VM Settings) or 

settings for a specific virtual machine. Virtual machine specific settings override the common 

virtual machine settings. 

Use common 

settings for 

selected VM 

Use default 

settings 

Disabled 

(default) 

Available only if a virtual machine is selected. 

Select this option to apply the common virtual machine settings for the 

selected virtual machine. 

Default: ON 

Available only if Common VM Settings is selected. 

Select this option to set default values for the common virtual machine 

settings. 

Default: ON 

This mode supports only full backups. The virtual machine snapshot that is 

created during backup is removed at the end of the session. For details, see 

Snapshot mode: disabled.

Single This mode supports full, incremental, and differential backups. However, you 

cannot mix incremental and differential backups within the same backup 

chain. 

Data Protector keeps one DP snapshot for backup purposes. For details, see 

Snapshot mode: single. 

Mixed This mode supports full, incremental, and differential backups, in all 

combinations. 

Figure 25 Configure virtual machines (Advanced) 

Data Protector keeps up to two DP snapshots for backup purposes. For 

details, see Snapshot mode: mixed. 

3. In the Virtual machine configuration dialog box Advanced tab, specify the following settings: 

Table 8 Advanced virtual machine settings 

Select any advanced backup features you want to use for the virtual machine(s). 

Optimize 

Disks 

Select this to shrink the virtual machine disk(s) before the backup process. 

This uses the VMware shrink functionality and performs a defragmentation of 

the VMDK file before the shrink operation to maximize backup space 

efficiency. It does not perform any defragmentation of the guest OS. 

Note that use of this option can significantly increase backup times. 

37

Snapshot 

handling 

Transportation 

mode 

Use quiescence 

snapshot 


Available only on Windows virtual machines. 

Select this option to quiesce the applications running in the virtual machine by 

performing a VSS snapshot before running a backup. 

Level of error Available only if Use quiescence snapshot is selected. 

Select from the drop-down box the error level to be reported if the quiescence 

snapshot fails. 

Select the transportation mode to be used for backing up the virtual machine. 

If you are not concerned which mode is used, select Fastest 

available. 

Default: Fastest available 



2. Run: 

vepa_util.exe command 

--configvm 

--virtual-environment Vmware 

--host HostName 

--instance Datacenter 

–-vm VirtualMachinePath 

--snapshots { 0 | 1 |2 } 

--transportation-mode Mode 

--quiescence { 0 | 1 } 

--quiescenceErrLvl { 0 | 1 } 

-–optimize-disks { 0 | 1 } 

--uuid UUID_of_VM 

For snapshots, the values { 0 | 1 | 2 } represent Disabled, Single, and Mixed snapshot 

handling modes respectively. To change virtual machine specific settings back to common 

virtual machine settings, run: 

vepa_util.exe command 

--configvm 

--virtual-environment Vmware 

--host HostName 

--instance Datacenter 

–-vm VirtualMachinePath 

--uuid UUID_of_VM 

--default 

The message *RETVAL*0 indicates successful configuration. 

For option descriptions, see the util_vmware.exe description at the end of this document. 

Checking the configuration of VMware management clients 

To verify the connection, use the Data Protector GUI or CLI. 


You can verify the connection to the VMware management client after you have created at least 

one backup specification. 

1. In the Context List, select Backup.

2. In the Scoping Pane, expand Backup Specifications and then Virtual Environment. 

Click the backup specification for the VMware management client to be checked. 

3. Right-click the VMware management client and click Check configuration. 




2. Run: 

vepa_util.exe 

command 

--check-conf 

--virtual-environment VMWare 


For option descriptions, see the vepa_util.exe description at the end of this document. 

Backup 

Using the Data Protector VMware vStorage integration, you can back up the following VMware 

objects: 




What is backed up? 

Data Protector identifies datacenters and virtual machines by their Virtual Infrastructure inventory 

path. A standalone ESX/ESXi Server system has only one datacenter /ha-datacenter and 

only one folder /vm, which stores all the virtual machines. 

Example: 

Datacenter: /ha-datacenter 

Virtual machine: /vm/myvm1 

In a vCenter environment, you can organize virtual machines and datacenters within folders that 

you create yourself. If you subsequently move a datacenter or a virtual machine, you don‟t need 

to create a new backup specification because Data Protector will find a virtual machine using its 

UUID. Note, however, that virtual machines will be restored to the original folders. 

Example: 

Virtual machine: /vm/myfolder1/myfolder2/.../myvm2 

Datacenter: /myfolder/mydatacenter 


The vStorage Image method supports the backup of individual virtual machine disks. In this 

case, all the virtual machine files (see above) are backed up, except the metadata and disk 

content files of any virtual machine disks not specified. You can run full, incremental, and 

differential backup sessions. However, after you add a new disk to a virtual machine, ensure to 

run a full backup session for the updated virtual machine. 


To back up virtual machine templates, expand the vm folder when you create a backup 

specification and select the desired virtual machine template files. A backup contains the following 

files: 

39

vmtx 

Virtual machine template files. 


Thick and thin disks: Data Protector is not able to detect whether virtual machine disks are thick 

or thin. In both cases, complete disks are backed up (that is, the complete space allocated at a 

disk‟s creation time is backed up, even if the space is still empty). 

Prerequisites 

Ensure you have removed all user-created snapshots before you start backing up a virtual 

machine. 

Creating backup specifications 

Create a backup specification using the Data Protector Manager. 

1. In the Context List, click Backup. 

2. In the Scoping Pane, expand Backup Specifications, right-click Virtual Environment, 

and click Add Backup. 

3. In the Create New Backup dialog box, select Blank Virtual Environment Template and 

click OK. 

4. Specify the application to be backed up: 

In Client, select a VMware client. Note that the Client drop-down list offers all clients that have 

been imported into Data Protector as a VMware vCenter, or VMware ESX(i) client. If 

your client is a vCenter Server system that is configured in a Microsoft Cluster Service cluster, 

select its virtual hostname. 

If the selected VMware server concerned is not configured as a Data Protector client, it will not 

be displayed in the list. If a user has not been correctly configured for the client, a warning is 

displayed that the configuration check failed. Click OK to open the Configure VMware dialog 

box and provide the connection parameters as described in Configuring VMware 

management clients. 

In Backup host, specify the backup host to use for the backup. 

In Datacenter, select a datacenter containing the VM you want to back up. If you want to 

back up virtual machines from different datacenters, select All datacenters. For a 

standalone ESX/ESXi Server system, only one datacenter is available (/ha–datacenter). 

In Backup method, select a backup method. 

In Free space required, select a percentage of space on the datastores that must be free 

for a backup to be performed. Note that this option‟s value cannot be changed at a later time, 

by modifying the backup specification. To be able specify a new value, you need to create a 

new backup specification. 

Data Protector issues a warning message if this percentage is not free.

Figure 26 Selecting a client 

Click Next. 

5. Select the virtual machines, individual virtual machine disks or virtual machine templates that 

you want to back up. 

You can back up the following VMware object: 




However, you can make your selections at different levels: 

ESX/ESXi servers 

Pools 

vApps 

VM folders 

Individual VMs 

VM disks 

VM templates 

Note that we do not support backup of the vApps configuration itself. 

If you select any level above individual virtual machines (for example, a VM folder) all virtual 

machines and virtual machine disks contained in the selected item will be included in the 

backup specification. If a virtual machine is added within the item after the backup 

specification is saved, it will also be backed up when the specification is run. If a virtual 

machine is added within the item between a full and incremental/differential backup, each 

VM will be treated separately and the added VM will receive a full backup. 

41

Figure 27 Selecting VMware objects 

If your virtual machines are not configured yet, right-click the client system at the top or any of 

the virtual machines listed below, and click Configure Virtual Machines. For details, see 

Configuring virtual machines. 

Click Next. 

6. Select devices to use for the backup. 

To specify device options, right-click the device and click Properties. Specify the number of 

parallel backup streams in the Concurrency tab and the media pool you will use. 

Click Next. 

7. Set backup options. 

For information on application specific backup options, see Table 9 VMware backup options.

Figure 28 Application specific options 

Click Next. 

8. Optionally, schedule the backup. See Scheduling backup specifications. 

Click Next. 

9. Save the backup specification, specifying a name and a backup specification group. 

Tip 

Preview your backup specification before using it for a real backup. See Previewing backup 

sessions. 

Table 9 VMware backup options 

Options Description 

Pre-exec, Post-exec 

The command specified here is run by vepa_bar.exe on the backup host before the 

backup (pre-exec) or after it (post-exec). 

Do not use double quotes. Type only the name of the command and ensure that the 

command resides in the following directory on the backup host: 


Backup memory file If this option is selected, the memory of a running virtual machine is saved into a file and 

backed up. Note that the backup takes considerably longer if this option is selected. 

Modifying backup specifications 

To modify your backup specification, click its name in the Scoping Pane of the Backup context, 

then click the appropriate tab, and apply the changes. 

43

Scheduling backup specifications 

You can run unattended backups at specific times or periodically. For details on scheduling, see 

the online Help index: “scheduled backups”. 

Scheduling example 

To schedule differential backups at 8:00, 13:00, and 18:00 during week days: 

1. In the Schedule property page of the backup specification, select the starting date in the 

calendar and click Add to open the Schedule Backup dialog box. 

2. Under Recurring, select Weekly. Under Time options, select 8:00. Under Recurring 

Options, select Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, and Fri. See Figure 29 Scheduling a backup 

specification. Under Session options, select Differential from the Backup type dropdown 

list. 

Click OK. 

3. Repeat step 1 and step 2 to schedule differential backups at 13:00 and 18:00. 

Note: The default scheduler granularity is 15 minutes. If required, you can change the 

granularity to one minute using global variable SchedulerGranularity. 

4. Click Apply to save the changes. 

Figure 29 Scheduling a backup specification 

Previewing backup sessions 

Preview the backup session to test it. You can use the Data Protector GUI or CLI. 


1. In the Context List, click Backup.

2. In the Scoping Pane, expand Backup Specifications and then Virtual Environment. 

Right-click the backup specification you want to preview and click Preview Backup. 

3. Specify the Backup type and Network load. Click OK. 

The message Session completed successfully is displayed at the end of a successful 

preview. 


1. Log in to a Data Protector client with the Data Protector user interface component installed. 

2. Go to the following director: 


3. Run: 

omnib -veagent_list BackupSpecificationName -test_bar 

What happens during a preview? 

The following are tested: 

Communication between the backup host and Data Protector 

The syntax of the backup specification 

Whether devices are correctly specified 

Whether the necessary media are in the devices 

Starting backup sessions 

Interactive backups are run on demand. They are useful for urgent backups or restarting failed 

backups. 

To start a backup interactively, use the Data Protector GUI or CLI. 


1. In the Context List, click Backup. 

2. In the Scoping Pane, expand Backup Specifications, and then Virtual Environment. 

Right-click the backup specification you want to start and click Start Backup. 

3. Specify Backup type and Network load. Click OK. 

The message Session completed successfully is displayed at the end of a successful backup 

session. 


1. Log in to a Data Protector client with the Data Protector user interface component installed. 

2. Go to the following directory: 


3. Run: 

omnib -veagent_list BackupSpecificationName [-barmode 

VirtualEnvironmentMode][LIST_OPTIONS] 

where: 

VirtualEnvironmentMode is one of the following backup types: 

full|incr|diff 

The default is full. 

45

LIST_OPTIONS can be any of the following: 

-crc 

-no_monitor 

-test_bar 

For option descriptions, see the omnib command usage at the end of this document. 

Examples 

To start a full backup using the backup specification test_backup1, run: 

omnib -veagent_list test_backup1 -barmode full 

To start a differential backup using the same backup specification, run: 

omnib -veagent_list test_backup1 -barmode diff 

Restore 

You can restore virtual machines using the Data Protector GUI or CLI. 

Virtual machines backed up with the vStorage Image method can be restored in two ways. 

You can select: 

Restore to datacenter 

Restore to directory 

Restore to a datacenter 

By default, virtual machines are restored to the datacenter that is specified at the top of the 

Restore to datacenter drop-down list, but you can select a different datacenter if you want. By 

default, Data Protector deletes a virtual machine (if it exists) before it is restored, even if it resides 

in a different datacenter than the datacenter you restore to. 

Note 

An ESX(i) Server system is only aware of its own datacenter. So if you select an ESX(i) Server 

system as a restore client and a virtual machine exists in a different datacenter, it cannot be 

deleted. Consequently, you end up with two virtual machines having the same UUID. 

Alternatively, you can choose to restore virtual machines only if they don‟t exist, leaving existing 

virtual machines undisturbed. 

You can specify the following options: 

Whether the memory states of virtual machine should be restored (if the memory files were 

included in the backup). 

Whether restored virtual machines should be registered in the datacenter. 

Whether restored virtual machine files should be consolidated when the restore completes. 

Whether restored virtual machines should be powered on. 

Restore to a directory 

If you select Restore to directory, virtual machines are restored to the backup host specified in 

the Restore client option, to the directory specified in the Restore to directory option (for 

example, C:\tmp).

After such a restore, the virtual machine files are not functional. You need to manually move the 

restored virtual machine images to an ESX Server or ESXi Server system, using the VMware 

Converter as described in “Recovering virtual machines manually” in the HP Data Protector 

integration guide for VMware Virtual Infrastructure, Sybase, Network Node Manager, and 

Network Data Management Protocol Server. 

Finding information for restore 

You can find information about backup objects in the Data Protector IDB, such as which backup 

type and media were used, and which messages were displayed during the backup. To retrieve 

this information, use the Data Protector GUI or CLI. 


In the Internal Database context, expand Objects or Sessions. 

If you expand Objects, backup objects are sorted according to virtual machines for which they 

were created. For example, backup objects for the virtual machine /vm/mach1 from the 

datacenter ELDatacentro are listed under /%2FEldatacentro/0/%2Fvm%2Fmach1. 

If you expand Sessions, backup objects are sorted according to sessions in which they were 

created. For example, backup objects created in the session 2010/08/15–7 are listed under 

2010/08/15–7. 

To view details on a backup object, right-click the backup object and click Properties. 

Figure 30 Backup object information 

Tip 

To view the messages displayed during the session, click the Messages tab. 

47


1. Log in to a Data Protector client with the Data Protector User Interface component 

installed. 



3. To get a list of VMware backup objects created in a particular backup session, enter: 

omnidb -session SessionID 

4. To get details on a particular backup object, enter: 

omnidb -veagent BackupObjectName -session SessionID -catalog 

Here is one example of a backup object name: 

any.company.com::/%2FElDatacentro/0/%2Fvm%2Fharbour 

For details, see the omnidb man page or the HP Data Protector command line interface 

reference. 

Restoring using the Data Protector GUI 

1. In the Context List, click Restore. 

2. In the Scoping Pane, expand Virtual Environment, expand the relevant client and click the 

datacenter with virtual machines to be restored. 

3. In the Source page, Data Protector displays VMware objects that were backed up with the 

VMware vStorage method. 

By using the From and To options, you can narrow the scope of displayed virtual machines to 

those backed up within the specified time interval. 

Note 

Select the VMware objects that you want to restore. 

With the vStorage Image method, Data Protector restores the full restore chain for each 

selected VMware object, beginning with the last full backup session (even if that full backup is 

outside the specified time interval) and ending with the last backup session performed during 

the specified time interval.

Figure 31 Selecting VMware objects for restore (vStorage Image) 

4. In the Options page, specify the restore options. For details, see Table 10 Restore options. 

49

Figure 32 Restore options (vStorage Image) 

5. In the Devices page, select devices to use for restore. 

6. Click Restore. 

7. In the Start Restore Session dialog box, click Next. 

8. Specify Report level and Network load. 

Click Finish to start the restore. 

The message Session completed successfully is displayed at the end of a successful 

session. 

Table 10 Restore options 

GUI/CLI option Description 

General options 

Backup host/ 

[-barhost] 

Specifies the client with the Data Protector Virtual Environment 

Integration component installed that will act as the backup host to 

control the restore session. By default, the same client as used for the 

backup will be used for the restore.

Restore client/ 

[-destination] 

Restore to datacenter/ 

[-newinstance] 

Datastore/ 

[-store TargetDatastore] 

Restore to directory/ 

[-directory] 

Restore memory state if available/ 

[-memory] 

Register virtual machines if needed/ 

[-register] 

Consolidate snapshots to single file/ 

[-consolidate] 

Power-on virtual machines after 

restore/ 

[-poweron] 

Options for Restore to datacenter 


handling 

Specifies the destination VMware management client. If you select an 

ESX(i) Server system, virtual machines are registered in and restored to 

this system. If you select a vCenter Server system, virtual machines are 

registered in the vCenter Server but restored to one of its ESX(i) Server 

systems . 

Select this option to restore virtual machines to a datacenter. Select the 

desired datacenter. 

See Options for Restore to datacenter. 

Specify the desired datastore. If the option is left empty, virtual 

machines are restore to the original datastore. 

Select this option to restore virtual machines files to a directory on the 

selected backup host. 

See Options for Restore to directory. 

Select this option to restore the virtual machine memory file as well, if it 

was backed up. 

This option is not available if Restore to directory is selected. 

Default: not selected 

Select this option to register restored virtual machines. 

If this option is not selected, you need to manually recover the restored 

virtual machines as described in “Recovering virtual machines 

manually” in the HP Data Protector integration guide for VMware 

Virtual Infrastructure, Sybase, Network Node Manager, and Network 

Data Management Protocol Server. 


Default: selected 

This option is applicable only if Register virtual machines if 

needed is selected. 

Select this option to commit all existing snapshots (including non-Data 

Protector ones) to the virtual machine base when the restore completes. 



This option is applicable only if Register virtual machines if 

needed is selected. 

Select this option to put the newly-restored virtual machines online when 

the session completes. 



Specifies Data Protector‟s behavior if virtual machines to be restored already exist in the 

destination(s). 

Delete before restore 

(default) 

[-deletebefore] 

Skip 

[-skip] 

Options for Restore to directory 

File conflict handling 

Select this option if the virtual machine exists and you want 

Data Protector to delete it before performing the restore. 


Select this option if you don‟t want Data Protector to perform 

a restore if the virtual machine exists. This allows you to 

restore deleted virtual machines without affecting existing 

ones. 


Specifies Data Protector‟s behavior if files to be restored already exist in the destination. 

Note that if you select Restore to directory, the restore is effectively a filesystem restore and 

the following options apply rather than the Virtual machine handling options. 

Overwrite (default) 

[-overwrite] 

Data Protector always overwrites existing files with those 

from the backup. 


51

Skip 

[-skip] 

Keep latest 

[-latest] 

Restoring using the Data Protector CLI 

Data Protector leaves existing files intact. They are not 

restored from the backup. 


Data Protector only over-writes existing files if they are older 

than the files from the backup. 


1. Log in to a Data Protector client with the Data Protector User Interface component 

installed. 



3. Run: 

omnir -veagent 

-virtual-environment vmware 

-barhost BackupHost 

-apphost OriginalVMwareManagementClient 

-instance OriginalDatacenter 

-method vStorageImage 

[-session SessionID] 

VirtualMachine [VirtualMachine] 

[NewInstance | Directory] 

VirtualMachine 

-vm VMPath [-disk DiskName [-disk DiskName...]] 

NewInstance 

-newinstance TargetDatacenter 


[-destination RestoreClient] 

[-consolidate][-memory][-register][-poweron][-deletebefore | -skip] 

Directory 

-directory RestoreDirectory 

[-overwrite | -skip | -latest] 

For descriptions of all the options, see the omnir description in Appendix A Command 

descriptions. 

Troubleshooting 

This section lists general checks and verifications, plus problems you might encounter when using 

the Data Protector VMware vStorage integration. 

For general Data Protector troubleshooting information, see the HP Data Protector troubleshooting 

guide. 

Before you begin 

Ensure that the latest official Data Protector patches are installed. See the online Help index: 

“patches” on how to verify this. 

See the HP Data Protector product announcements, software notes, and references for general 

Data Protector limitations, as well as recognized issues and workarounds.

See TBD http://www.hp.com/support/manuals for an up-to-date list of supported versions, 

platforms, and other information. 

Checks and verifications 

If your configuration, backup, or restore failed: 

Examine system errors reported in the debug.log located in: 

VirtualCenter Server system: Data_Protector_home\log. 

Standalone ESX Server system: /opt/omni/log. 

Check if you can do a filesystem backup and restore on the problematic client. For information, 

see the online Help. 

Problems 

Problem 

Backup sessions start to fail after you have added or updated a Data Protector 

component on a vCenter Server system or ESX(i) Server system 

Backup sessions start to fail after you have added or updated a Data Protector component on a 

vCenter Server system or ESX(i) Server system (that has been imported to the Data Protector cell as 

VMware ESX(i) or VMware vCenter). An error similar to the following is displayed: 

[Critical] From: VEPA_BAR@vmw37242.company.com "" Time: 10/28/2010 

1:14:05 PM Could not find the connection information for host. 

Action 

Re-import the vCenter Server/ESX Server system to the Data Protector cell and restart the backup 

sessions. 

Problem 

It takes a long time for Data Protector to display the Source page 

When you create a backup specification, it takes a long time for Data Protector to display the 

Source page. 

Action 

When you specify the Datacenter option, select a specific datacenter and not All datacenters 

to reduce the query time. 

Problem 

It is not possible to change common virtual machine settings using the Data 

Protector GUI 

When you try to change common settings for virtual machines that belong to the same datacenter 

(in the Source page of a backup specification, right-click a datacenter and click Configure 

Virtual Machines), the options are not available (they are grayed out). 

Action 

The common virtual machine settings can only be changed by editing the datacenter specific 

configuration file on the Cell Manager, which is located in: 

Data_Protector_home/Config/Server/Integ/Config/VEAgent/myvcenterhostnam 

e.com%%2FMyDataCenter 

The common settings can be found in following block: 

common=({ 

53

}); 

Problem 

path='/Common'; 

uuid='0'; 

snapshots=0; //values: 0 (disabled), 1 (single), 2 (mixed) 

transportation-mode='LAN'; //other values: „SAN‟, „Hotadd‟, „LANSSL‟ 

quiescenceErrLvl=0; //other values: 1 (warning), 2 (fatal error) 

enableCt=0; //not supported for this patch 

useCt=0; //not supported for this patch 

quiescence=0; //possible values: 0, 1 

default=1; 

optimize-disks=0; 

Virtual machines cannot be backed up in parallel 

During a backup session, virtual machines are backed up sequentially. 

Action 

To back up virtual machines in parallel, create a separate backup specification for each virtual 

machine and start the backup sessions in parallel. 

Problem 

A virtual machine disk is deleted 

Suppose you back up a virtual machine and, later in time, you add another disk to the virtual 

machine. When you restore the virtual machine, the newly-added disk is deleted. 

Action 

Whenever a new disk is added to the virtual machine, run a full backup of the virtual machine. 

Appendix A Command descriptions 

The following CLI commands are added /updated on an updated user interface client: 

Addition to omnib 

Usage: 

omnib –veagent_list ListName 

[-barmode VirtualEnvironmentMode] 

[List options] 

VirtualEnvironmentMode 

{ full | diff | incr } 

-barmode VirtualEnvironmentMode 

Specifies a full, differential or incremental 

backup. If the option is not specified, a full 

backup is performed.

Addition to omnir 

Usage: 

omnir -veagent 

-virtual-environment vmware 

-barhost BackupHost 

-apphost OriginalVMwareManagementClient 

-instance OriginalDatacenter 

-method vStorageImage 

[-session SessionID] 

VirtualMachine [VirtualMachine…] 

[NewInstance | Directory] 

VirtualMachine 

-vm VMPath [-disk DiskName [-disk DiskName...]] 

NewInstance 

-newinstance TargetDatacenter 


[-destination RestoreClient] 

[-consolidate][-memory][-register][-poweron][-deletebefore | -skip] 

Directory 

-directory RestoreDirectory 

[-overwrite | -skip | -latest] 

-barhost BackupHost Specifies a client with the Virtual 

Environment Integration component 

installed (backup host) that should control the 

restore. 

To restore virtual machines to a directory on 

the backup host, the backup host‟s operating 

system and virtual machines‟ operating 

systems must match. 

-apphost 

OriginalVMwareManagementClient 

Specifies the original VMware management 

client. 

-instance OriginalDatacenter Specifies the original datacenter. 

-session SessionID Specifies from which backup to restore. If 

this option is not specified, the last backup is 

used. 

-vm VMPath Specifies the virtual machine path. For 

example, /vm/myTestVM. 

-disk DiskName Specifies a virtual machine‟s disk to be 

restored. If the option is not specified, the 

complete virtual machine is restored. 

-newinstance TargetDatacenter Specifies a datacenter to which a virtual 

machine should be restored. 

-store TargetDatastore Specifies a datastore to which a virtual 

machine‟s files should be restored. If the 

55

option is not specified, the files are restored 

to the original datastore. 

-consolidate Consolidates a virtual machine‟s disks when 

the backup completes. 

-memory Restores a virtual machine‟s memory file if it 

was backed up. 

-register Registers a virtual machine in the target 

VMware management client. 

-poweron Powers on a virtual machine when the 

restore completes. 

[-deletebefore | -skip] -deletebefore Deletes a pre-existing 

virtual machine before it is restored. 

–skip Skips the restore of a pre-existing 

virtual machine. 

If this option is not specified, the - 

deletebefore logic is used. 

-directory Specifies a directory on the backup host to 

which a virtual machine should be restored. 

[-overwrite | -skip | -latest] -overwrite Overwrites a pre-existing file. 

-skip Skip the restore of a pre-existing file. 

-latest Overwrites a pre-existing file if it 

is older the one from the backup. 

Addition to omnidb 

The option –veagent is added. 

For details, see the HP Data Protector command line interface reference. 

Addition to omniobjcopy 

Usage: 

omniobjverify –veagent Host:Set 

-session SessionID 


Addition to omniobjverify 

Usage: 

omniobjverify –veagent Host:Set 

-session SessionID


vepa_util 

A tool to perform queries and execute command on virtual environments. 

Usage: 

vepa_util [command|query] ENVIRONMENT_OPTIONS {COMMAND_OPTIONS| 

QUERY_OPTIONS} 

ENVIRONMENT OPTIONS 

--virtual-environment vmware 

--host arg Backup host. 

--port arg (=443) Port to connect to (e.g. 443). 

--username arg Username to use for the connection. 

--password arg Password to use for the connection. 

--encoded-password arg Password to use for the connection. 

--webroot arg (=/sdk) webroot for the SDK (e.g. /sdk). 

--security-model arg Standard security: 0 

Integrated security: 1 

COMMAND OPTIONS 

--set-esx-maintenance-mode Enters/exits maintenance mode for specified 

ESX(i) Server system(s). 

--esx-server arg Specifies ESX Server systems(s) to enter/exit 

maintenance mode. 

--check-config Checks whether the ESX(i)Server system is 

configured right. 

--config Configures the ESX(i) Server system. 

--configvm Configures the backup options for particular 

virtual machines. 

VM CONFIG OPTIONS 

57

--instance arg Specifies the datacenter a VM belongs to. 

--vm arg Specifies the path of a VM (e.g. 

/vm/myTestVM). 

--snapshots arg Specifies a snapshot handling mode (0=full 

only | 1=Single | 2=Mixed) 

--enableCt [=arg(=1)] Specifies whether to enable Changeblock 

tracking (CBT). 

--useCt [=arg(=1)] Whether to use Changeblock tracking. 

--transportation-mode arg SAN | LAN | LANSSL | HOTADD 

--quiescence [=arg(=1)] Specifies whether to use VSS quiescence. 

--quiescenceErrLvl [=arg(=1)] Specified what kind of error to show in case 

quiescence fails. 

--uuid arg Specifies a UUID of the VM. 

--default Uses common settings for this VM. 

--optimize-disks [=arg(=1)] Optimizes disks before backing them up. 

QUERY OPTIONS 

--list-object-names Lists all object names. 

--list-esx-servers Lists all ESX Server systems. 

--list-datacenters Lists all datacenters. 

--list-datastores Lists all datastores. 

--list-restore-devices Lists all devices needed for restor.e 

--input arg Specifies an input string. 

BROWSE OPTIONS 

--root-node arg Specifies a root node to start the browsing 

on. 

--debug arg { 

}

© Copyright 2010 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. The information contained herein is 

subject to change without notice. The only warranties for HP products and services are set forth in the 

express warranty statements accompanying such products and services. Nothing herein should be 

construed as constituting an additional warranty. HP shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors 

or omissions contained herein. 

Trademark acknowledgments, if needed. 

4AA0-2348ENA, October 2010 

For more information 

Visit the following Data Protector online resources to get more information: 

www.hp.com/go/dataprotector 

www.hp.com/go/imhub/dataprotector 

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