Here we are with the final article from this series about HPE StoreOnce. In particular this step refers to the HPE StoreOnce integration with Veeam Backup & Replication. As we’ll see in the next steps the integration procedure is very simple and straightforward. In this instance the steps refer to a free 1TB license available for HPE StoreOnce VSA. This is perfect for our home lab and we also have the option to upgrade the existing VSA deployment purchasing the intended licenses to address the new storage requirements.
At the time of the initial deployment for the HPE StoreOnce VSA the firmware version was 3.16.2. Starting from version 3.16.3 there should be no differences from the appliance version barring the limit capping the available storage set at 1 TB for the free VSA. Things might change in the future and maybe that limit might increase!
Another interesting point is the fact it is possible to centrally manage all the HPE StoreOnce instances (physical and virtual appliances) from a single management console. That is the HPE StoreOnce Enterprise Manager.
As already explored in the previous articles from this series there are plenty of reasons to use and leverage the HPE StoreOnce capabilities.
When it comes down to using HPE StoreOnce with Veeam Backup & Replication the process couldn’t be easier. Also considering the native API integration starting from version 3.13.1. From this firmware version in fact we can take advantage of the HPE StoreOnce Catalyst features making this solution very palatable also for our home lab environments.
How can we use HPE StoreOnce and Veeam Backup & Replication together? Simple. We can configure HPE StoreOnce as a target for our Backup Jobs, Backup Copy Jobs, Backup to VTL even with advanced retention schemes including GrandFather-Father-Son (GFS) schemes. We can also enable the de-duplication for any of the created targets.
Last but not least the option to restore also directly from the HPE StoreOnce and using the Veeam Mount Server to enable features like the vPower NFS for Instant VM Recovery.
HPE StoreOnce integration with Veeam
From the Backup Infrastructure view let’s do a right click on the Backup Repository to add a new one as per screenshot below.
On the type let’s go for De-duplicating device in order to select HPE StoreOnce on the next one.
At this point we can specify the HPE StoreOnce appliance. Let’s make sure the firmware version is at least 3.13..1 or later to get advantage of the Catalyst Library features. Good news is the current HPE StoreOnce VSA available for download already ships with the latest firmware version 3.16.3. At the moment VSA versions of the HPE StoreOnce appliance cannot run the upgrade process. The port to upload the required software is closed.
Next step is to specify the IP Address or DNS name of the appliance. I always recommend to make sure both forward and revers name resolution for the FQDN name is working.
In case of Fibre Channel connectivity there are other requirements from the VSA perspective. In the same screen we can also specify the credentials and which Gateway will be used to communicate and move data to the Catalyst Stores.
In this step we now define the available Catalyst Store we would like to use. Very interestingly there is also the option to control the maximum number of concurrent tasks to adapt the network workload and optimise the overall job performance. Same considerations apply if we want to control the throughput for Read/Write operations.
From the Advanced button for this Repository type the option to enable/disable:
- Align file data blocks
- Decompress Backup Data blocks before storing
We’ll cover all these settings in more details in specific articles.
At this point we can specify a Veeam Mount Server. Even with HPE StoreOnce integration with Veeam the mount Server can help for swift restores directly from the HPE StoreOnce. The vPower technologies allows even faster restores and verified recoverability for such jobs like:
- Instant VM Recovery
- SureBackup
- OnDemand Sandbox
On the folder location for the NFSDatastore I would recommend a minimum of 10GB per Operating System type when performing Instant VM Recovery.
And finally a last screen showing a summary of settings before getting amended.
The creation of a new Backup Repository based on HPE StoreOnce integration is very easy to configure. At the end of wizard we can now see the new Repository type available and ready to use.
This concludes a quick overview on the article series aiming at the HPE StoreOnce deployment and integration with Veeam Backup & Replication. Hopefully something useful for your home lab too!
Looking forward to comments and feedback.
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