Storage, Backup & Recovery
Considerations in
Hyper-V
Christopher Kusek @cxi
Global Virtualization Lead
EMC Consulting
Blog: http://pkguild.com
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Storage is Easy
Storage is Easy for Hyper-V
• Hyper-V hosts support a wealth of storage
options
– Root Partition for Hyper-V
– Fixed Disk VHDs
– Dynamic Disk VHDs
– Cluster Storage Volume (CSV) [Multi-VHDs]
– Pass-through Disk (Raw Disk)
Storage Types in Hyper-V
Storage in Hyper-V Clusters
Storage Options in Hyper-V
• Support for VHDs up to 2TB*
– Server8 support 2TB to 16TB
• Multiple disk types supported per guest
• Pass-through and iSCSI disks for guests
Your Hyper-V host is
the sum total of your guests
so plan accordingly
Storage Considerations
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Lay out storage for your application(s)
Not all disk types are created equal
Design for your I/O Profile not capacity
Snapshots will cause extra I/O
Diff disks will be in use until VM shutdown
Pass-through disks do not support snaps
Backups are not easy
Backups are not easy
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Hyper-V Host requires a backup
Virtual Machines require backup
Applications in VMs require backup
Files inside of VMs require backup
SYSTEM State Requires backup
Choose your granularity
Where do I backup from?
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Backup virtual machines like traditional servers
Backup the virtual host configuration itself
Backup the virtual machines from the host
Backup the virtual machines from the storage
Backup the files in spite of the virtual machines
Please sir, can I have some more options?
Backup Options
• Pick a backup solution which meets your needs
– Image backup
– File backup
– One-off Hyper-V only backup
– Enterprise Solution (Networker, NBU, TSM)
Recovery is ever harder
How do I restore?
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Restore VHD and recover files
Restore files direct
*Other Complex Recovery Options*
End-User Recovery
Backup Admin Recovery
Data Mitigation
• Live Migration helps in planned disasters
• Snaps can support quicker restores
LM/Snaps are not backups*
Data Backup Concerns
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LM/Snaps do not protect corrupt VHDs
Pass-through disks cannot be snapped
iSCSI Direct LUNs cannot be snapped
VSS Diff for snaps up to 15% of total VHD
General Best Practices
Design for Applications
Less disks less complex
More data more backup
Live Migration & Snaps
are NOT Backups
• Understand Granularity
• Avoid point solutions*
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Thank you!
Credits
• Christopher Kusek, vExpert, CISSP, MCT
• EMC Consulting
• Global Virtualization Lead
• Twitter: @cxi
• Blog: http://pkguild.com