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Hyper-V backups with allow file recovery enabled, implications for catalog space?

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Env:

Hyper-V host:  Windows 2012 R2 in a farm with CSV storage (from SAN), NetBackup Client v7.6.1.1

Hyper-V VM: Windows 2012 R2, NetBackup Client v7.6.1.1, and not many other applications installed, e.g. AV.

Master/media: Appliance 5230 v2.6.1.1, with MSDP storage unit.

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Scenario:

1) A "full" backup of the guest VM using NetBackup Client inside the guest VM, it saves 111,000 files.

2) A "full" backup of the guest VM using Hyper-V Host layer, with 'enable file recovery from VM backup' enabled, saves 242,000 files.

3) A "full" backup of the guest VM using Hyper-V Host layer, with 'enable file recovery from VM backups' DISABLED, saves < 100 files.

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If I use 'dir /b /s' type commands to list the contents of the C: and D: drives of the client, I can see circa 242,000 files - of which 150,000+ are in the C:\Windows folder structure.

So, each Hyper-V full VM backup with 'file recovery' enabled, causes an additional 130,000 file names to be recorded in the catalog for each full backup of each Windows VM.

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Now, we know that the NetBackup 'catalog' sizing documentation recommends to use an average file name length of 110 bytes when estimating catalog size, which is clearly good advice, because on a bare bones Windows 2012 R2 system, the average file name length is 113.36 bytes.

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What I'm leading to is... If a backup admin is to make wide-spread use of Hyper-V backups with 'file recovery enabled' at the Hyper-V host layer, then one will have to factor in the additional space required to 'catalog' all the additional file names that a plain client backup does not have to; because with a plain client backup at the guest layer using NetBackup Client within the guest OS, then the backup will use Shadow_Copy_Components: and System_State: which hides and abstracts the multitude of files which comprise the Windows OS.

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So, some simple calculations, if I have 400 guest VMs running Windows and I want to be able to recovery individual files, and I have a retention of 8 weeks, and I take a weekly full, then I will need, an additional 44 GB of catalog space more than if I were to use plain client backups:



average len113.36  bytes
full plain backup111,745  files
full VM backup242,027  files
difference130,282  files
weekly full retention8  weeks
number of clients400  clients
total extra catalog space46,153,556  KB
total extra catalog space45,072  MB
total extra catalog space44  GB

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And I guess there's also got to be some additional overhead on the master server receiving details of an extra 52 million files (i.e. 400 clients * 130,000 file names) each week, which have to be saved within the catalog.

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My question... Does the above seem reasonable?


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