Configuring a VMware backup policy to protect SharePoint Server
Through a VMware backup policy, NetBackup can create full application consistent backups of a SharePoint Server that resides on a virtual machine. Granular Recovery Technology (GRT) is always available with the VMware policy. For complete details on how to create a policy for SharePoint Server backups in a VMware environment, see the NetBackup for VMware Administrator's Guide.
These instructions describe how to configure a VMware policy with the Enable SharePoint Recovery setting. Alternatively, you can also use Enable SQL Recovery. Do not select both recovery options. If both options are selected, the SQL snapshot preparation fails.
To configure a VMware policy to protect SharePoint Server
- Create a new policy or open the policy you want to configure.
- In the Policy dialog box, click the Attributes tab.
- In the Policy type list, select VMware.
- In the Policy storage box, select a disk storage unit.
If you want to use NetBackup Accelerator, select a PureDisk storage unit type (MSDP or PureDisk). The NetBackup device mapping files list all supported storage types.
- To use NetBackup Accelerator, click Use Accelerator.
Accelerator uses the initial full backup to establish a baseline. Any subsequent backups that are performed with Accelerator can run significantly faster. You may want to create an additional policy schedule that enables the Accelerator forced rescan option. This option establishes a new baseline for the next Accelerator backup.
Perform block level incremental backups is automatically selected and grayed out. On the VMware tab, the Enable block-level incremental backup option is also selected and grayed out.
More information on Accelerator is available, See About policy attributes.
See the NetBackup Administrator's Guide, Volume I.
- On the Clients tab click Select automatically through query.
- Select NetBackup host to perform automatic virtual machine selection and the host you want to use.
- Use the Query Builder to create a rule(s) that selects the virtual machine(s) you want to back up.
For more details on the Query Builder, see the NetBackup for VMware Administrator's Guide.
- Click the Backup Selections tab.
This tab displays the query you created on the Clients tab.
- Click the VMware tab.
For details on the options in this dialog box, see the NetBackup for VMware Administrator's Guide.
- Check Enable file recovery from VM backup.
This option must be enabled for application protection of SharePoint Server.
- Check Enable SharePoint Recovery.
This option enables recovery of the SharePoint databases or individual objects from the virtual machine backups. If this option is disabled, you can recover the entire virtual machine from the backup, but you cannot recover the SharePoint databases or objects individually.
- If you want to exclude certain disks from the VMware backup, click the Exclude Disks tab.
NetBackup excludes those disks from the VMware backup that protects SharePoint Server. Be sure that any disks that you exclude do not contain SharePoint data.
For details on the Exclude Disks tab, see the NetBackup for VMware Administrator's Guide.
- Click OK to save the policy.