Prerequisites for alternate client backup of a virtual machine (VSS)
With the VSS backup method, you can back up a virtual machine with a NetBackup client that is installed on a host other than the Hyper-V server. The separate host is called an alternate client. Although a NetBackup client must reside on the Hyper-V server, that client does not perform the virtual machine backup. The alternate client handles the backup I/O processing, to save computing resources on the Hyper-V server.
Note that the NetBackup media server can be installed on the alternate client instead of on the Hyper-V server. In this configuration, the alternate client host performs the media server processing.
Note the following prerequisites for the alternate client backup of a virtual machine:
Requires the VSS backup method.
The VSS snapshot provider must support transportable snapshots with the Hyper-V writer. A transportable snapshot is one that can be imported to the alternate client.
Check with the vendor of the VSS provider.
The VSS provider should be installed on both the primary client (the Hyper-V server) and the alternate client.
All virtual machine files must reside on Hyper-V host volume(s) that the VSS provider supports for transportable snapshots involving the Hyper-V writer.
The primary client (Hyper-V server) and alternate client must run the same Windows operating system, volume manager, and file system. For each of these I/O system components, the alternate client must be at the same version as the primary client, or at a higher version.
The primary client and alternate client must run the same version of NetBackup. For example, the use of a later version of NetBackup on the primary client and an earlier version on the alternate client is not supported.