Adding NetBackup credentials for VMware
To back up or restore virtual machines, NetBackup requires logon credentials to the VMware ESX servers, the VMware vCenter Servers, or the VMware vCloud servers. In the NetBackup Administration Console, do the following.
To add NetBackup credentials
- Click Media and Device Management > Credentials > Virtual Machine Servers.
- Click Actions > New > New Virtual Machine Server.
- On the New Virtual Machine Server dialog, enter the name of a virtual machine server (ESX server, vCenter server, or vCloud server).
Note:
Enter the server name in the same format in which it is registered in DNS and in the VMware server (whether short or fully-qualified).
See Using the VMware Managed Object Browser to verify the server name.
Note:
Veritas recommends the use of fully qualified names. The entire name must be properly formed without empty or null elements. For example, a fully-qualified name must include the domain name and not end in a period (.).
Note:
The ESX server name is case-sensitive. Enter the ESX server name exactly as it is in the VMware environment. If the case is wrong, the credential validation fails and states "...expecting <correct_name_of_server>."
NetBackup needs access to this server for either of the following reasons:
To browse the server's virtual machines and back them up.
To use the server as a target for restoring virtual machines.
Use the next dialog to identify the type of this server (vCenter, ESX, or ESX for restore only).
- In the Credentials pane of the New Virtual Machine Server dialog, enter the following:
Virtual machine server type
Select the type of VMware server that NetBackup needs to access:
VMware Virtual Center server
Designates a vCenter (or VirtualCenter) server that manages ESX servers. When you create a policy to back up this server's virtual machines, NetBackup can browse this server and list its virtual machines. If the credentials provide full access privileges to the vCenter server, you can restore virtual machines to this server.
Note:
Do not enter logon credentials for the individual ESX servers that this vCenter server manages. NetBackup needs credentials for the vCenter only.
VMware ESX Server
Designates a standalone ESX server that a vCenter server does not manage. NetBackup can browse the ESX server to present a list of its virtual machines for backup. You can also restore virtual machines to this ESX server. To use the server as a target for restores, enter the credentials that provide full access privileges to the ESX server.
VMware Restore ESX Server
Designates an ESX server to which NetBackup can restore virtual machines. You must enter the credentials that provide full access privileges to the server.
Note:
NetBackup accesses this type of server for restores only, not for backups.
The restore ESX server type has the following advantages:
For large environments with hundreds of hosts, NetBackup may not need full access to the vCenter server. With the restore ESX server type, you can give NetBackup full access to a single ESX server that is dedicated to restore.
SAN-based restores that go directly to a restore ESX server are faster than restores that go through the vCenter server.
Allows restoring to an ESX 5.x or later server that a vCenter 5.x or later server manages. NetBackup uses vCenter to create the virtual machine. NetBackup then writes the .vmdk files directly to the ESX server using the Restore ESX Server credentials to that server.
Note:
VMware does not support the restore of virtual machines directly to an ESX 5.x or later server that vCenter manages. To restore the virtual machine, select the vCenter server as the destination. As an alternative, you can set up an independent ESX server to be used for restores. You must add NetBackup restore credentials for that ESX server by means of the VMware Restore ESX Server type.
For further information on the restore ESX server, refer to the following Veritas tech note:
VMware vCloud Director
Designates a vCloud Director server. NetBackup can browse the vCloud environment on this server to present a list of its virtual machines for backup. You can also restore virtual machines to this server.
Note:
The credentials must be for a system administrator account.
Note:
For backup and restore to vCloud Director, both vCloud and vCenter credentials are required (VMware Virtual Center server).
Note:
If the vCloud environment uses a load-balancer to manage multiple cells (nodes), add credentials for the load balancer, not for the cells. If vCloud Director has multiple cells but no load balancer, add credentials for only one of the cells, not for all of them. Note also: If the domain name system (DNS) cannot resolve the name of the load balancer or cell, do the following: Include a line in the hosts file on the VMware backup host that specifies the IP address of the load balancer or cell.
User name
Enter the user name for the virtual machine server. Note that spaces in user names are not allowed.
To enter a domain name with a user name, use a double backslash or enclose the name in single or double quotes, as follows:
domain\\username 'domain\username' "domain\username"
Password
Enter the password for the virtual machine server.
For backup host
You can select a particular backup host for which to validate the credentials. Note that the hosts that appear in the pull-down list can be the following: media servers, or NetBackup clients that have been added under Host Properties, VMware Access Hosts.
For a list of supported backup host platforms, see the NetBackup Software Compatibility List available from the following location:
NetBackup Master Compatibility List
See Adding the VMware backup host to NetBackup.
If For backup host is set to <Any> (the default), NetBackup attempts to validate the credentials using each backup host in turn. NetBackup continues checking only until validation succeeds for a particular backup host or the list of backup hosts is exhausted.
During validation: An invalid user name or password is deleted if you have entered it for the first time and you do not select a backup host. If validation fails for any reason, the entry is removed.
If your VMware backup host is running a version of NetBackup that is earlier than 6.5.4, the credentials cannot be validated. An error message is displayed. You must verify that the credentials you entered are correct for the VMware server. If the credentials are correct, you can ignore the error message.
If the default port number has not been changed on the VMware server, no port specification is required. In that case, make sure that the Connect using port number box is not checked.
If the VMware server has been configured to use a different port, click the Connect using port number box and specify that port number.
- Click OK.
- If your site has multiple standalone ESX servers, use the Virtual Machine Server dialog to enter credentials for each ESX server.
If the NetBackup master server is clustered, do the following on the other master server nodes to verify the credentials for each backup host.
Fail over to the next master server node, to make it the active node.
On the active node, click on Media and Device Management > Credentials > Virtual Machine Servers and double-click on the virtual machine server credential.
In the For backup host field, select a particular backup host (do not select Any).
If the backup host does not appear in the list, you must add the correct credentials for the backup host. (Click Actions > New > New Virtual Machine Server.)
Click OK.
NetBackup validates the credentials.
Double-click the same virtual machine server credential and validate the credentials for another backup host (if any).
For other master server nodes, repeat step 7.
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