Veeam Backup Nutanix Proxy deployment is available in two modes. And this is one of the many features introduced with the release v2.0. First step is install the plugin as explored in the previous article. Next step consists in using the wizard to either Deploy a new Proxy or connect to an existing one. This article covers both methods.
There is really no preferred method. The easier one is the default “Deploy new Proxy” option where the wizard takes care of all the steps. Including the actual creation of the Proxy. The other method allows to connect to an existing Proxy installed manually. Probably the latter offers more control over certain parameters and easier for troubleshooting. As of the latest version of the plugin it is possible to use both a DNS name or an IP Address. Personal preference goes for the hostname as it is easier to remember and also forces to check name resolution for DNS queries. Very useful to understand and locate which one is which!
The best practice is t have one Veeam Proxy per Nutanix AHV cluster. The Proxy runs on a Ubuntu kernel and appears just a “standard” AHV VM. As a standard VM of course it is possible to add CPU and Memory as required to increase performance. By default the Veeam Proxy processes AHV virtual disks concurrently. 1 CPU corresponds to 1 disk. Veeam documentation provides more info on Proxy sizing.
Veeam Backup Nutanix Proxy deployments
The first method for the Veeam Backup Proxy deployment is to use the builtin-in or automatic option. This option in fact, requires just the main details to connect to the desired Nutanix AHV cluster, deploy the Proxy and add this to the list of Backup Proxies in the Veeam console ready to use.
Next step is to specify the Nutanix Cluster name, the desired name for the Proxy AHV machine, on which Nutanix storage container this will be deployed and the number of concurrent tasks as mentioned earlier.
During the Proxy creation it is possible to add the desired number of CPU / Memory. Anything above 4 CPU and at least 4 GB of RAM is a good start for testing also in a homelab. Of course these values can also be changed by editing the Proxy properties after first deployment.
In a similar fashion, in the next screen it is a matter of selecting the desired Nutanix VM Network and desired name for the appliance. Teh recommendation is to place this on the same network as the Veeam Backup & Replication or at least ensure the routing between the tow networks is working. Of course it is also possible to configure the DNS server info, very useful to help the Proxy resolve all the necessary names including the one for the Veeam infrastructure as well.
Next is to provide or create the credentials to access the Veeam Backup Nutanix Proxy appliance. Default username and password is “veeam” upon creation. It will ask to be changed on first login.
Next is to define which Veeam Backup Repository the Proxy will access to store the backups of the Nutanix AHV VMs. It is also important to check the access defined on the selected Repository for the Proxy.
The wizard has now all the info to proceed, upload and configure the Veeam Backup Nutanix Proxy directly on the selected Storage Container and attached to the chosen Network. At the completion, the new Proxy will be automatically added to the list of Backup Proxies.
What happens in the background when the Proxy is deployed? A quick look at the Nutanix PRISM console under tasks reveals the status about each step the Proxy image upload and customization with the values as per the wizard.
Going back to Veeam console the progress is also shown in the foreground with the single steps.
As soon as the Proxy VM is deployed, it is possible to use the PRISM console to access the machine. Whilst the previous version of the plugin uses Network Port 8100, the latest release v2.1 has changed this to standard 443. The rest of the configuration can be easily done from the proxy web console available at the address reported. Access to the Proxy itself generally is not required other than for troubleshooting purposes. All the updates on both the Proxy VM and the Proxy console are available from the Veeam Updater option included in the Proxy Web console.
Manually adding the Veeam Proxy
Another option to deploy the Veeam Backup Nutanix Proxy is to manually create the AHV VM and then connect to this one using the same wizard. From the perspective, the procedure here is mimicking similar steps as per previous version. The process is already documented in a previous article and from version 2.0 the following applies:
- Â The image to upload on the Nutanix container is located by default on the Veeam Backup server in “%ProgramFiles%\Veeam\Plugins\Nutanix AHV\Service\PlatformPlugins\AhvProxyManagement\Images”. At the time of writing latest is version 2.1.396
- This is a vmdk file that needs to be uploaded into the Nutanix Storage Container an will be used as template to clone the new Proxy install
- When creating the new Proxy and cloning the disk image from template it is necessary to increase the size of the clone at least to 50GB or more. Typically 50GB are more than enough to let all the services compile and run on the first boot of the appliance.
Once the Proxy has been created next is to use the wizard to point at the Nutanix Cluster and the CVM machine previously configured on the plugin first time configuration.
Next is to select the name of the Proxy VM as this one has been created on the Nutanix AHV cluster.
The wizard now shows the relevant info and offers the option to also customize the max number of concurrent tasks. Each task correspond to a CPU on the Proxy VM. Of course CPU and Memory can be further customized directly from the PRISM console.
In a similar manner the wizard also reads the values from the Proxy VM. In this case it is using the IP Address in the field of the hostname.
Next is to provide the credentials to access the Proxy VM. By default it uses “veeam” for username and password. Typically these are changed at the first boot of the Proxy VM.
If the communication is successful it will show a warning about the self-signed certificate. Click continue to proceed.
In the Access Permissions section it is possible to define which Veeam Backup Repositories the Proxy will be able to use to store the backups and run the restores from.
At this point the wizard has all the necessary info to complete the wizard.
And a final screen to confirm the summary of the main settings, which can be changed at any time by simply editing the properties of the Veeam Proxy. Next step is about creating the backup policies to protect the Nutanix AHV workloads.
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