Learn how to have a proactive IT department

Companies should learn to be more proactive instead waiting for a disaster to happen and be reactive only until there’s a service outage within their IT department. The problem is that a many companies don’t know where or how to get started because they have a lot of infrastructure that needs to be monitored.

As a first step, IT needs to understand the business: all good designs come from understanding your IT services data dependencies and knowing how they relate to one another. Then they need to find out what are the best tools available today.

A great platform to monitor components, and which a lot of people are familiar with is Microsoft System Center Operations Manager (SCOM). There’s a lot of useful information within SCOM that can be used by the relevant personas in the organization, except that the presentation layer and the way it is organized within SCOM is not how those other personas look at IT. SCOM is still pretty technical and is all about components.

Looking at the personas in the IT service delivery organization, you will see that engineers definitely can work with SCOM. However, it usually takes them a while to figure out how they can easily get to the root-cause of a service outage, and what the business impact is of this outage will be.
Savision’s new whitepaper: "Business Service Management with System Center" shows how to stay in control of your business services and make the most out of SCOM. The whitepaper is written by three experts: Microsoft MVP Robert Hedblom, Savision’s Co-Founder & VP of Product Management Dennis Rietvink, and Approved Consulting’s CEO & Solution Architect Jonas Lenntun.

Click here if you would like to download the whitepaper.

Direct Restore to Microsoft Azure for Veeam Backup

Veeam Direct Restore is now available to public and here is an official press release.
You can get it FREE from Azure MarketPlace.

By using Veeam Direct Restore appliance, you can restore your Veeam Backup Data to Microsoft Azure as 

• Cold DR, 
• test or development environment
• migration tool to Microsoft Azure

So how does it really work? 

Just transfer veeam backup data which you have backup by using

• Veeam Endpoint Backup [FREE] :- https://www.veeam.com/endpoint-backup-free.html
• Veeam Backup Free Edition [FREE]:- https://www.veeam.com/virtual-machine-backup-solution-free.html
• Veeam Backup and Replication :- https://www.veeam.com/vm-backup-recovery-replication-software.html

to Veeam Direct Restore appliance @Microsoft Azure 

At this moment, you only can 

• restore Windows based VM from Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 
• max 1TB Azure Disk limit still apply per VM disk. 
• Vmware or Hyper-V VM can restore to Microsoft Azure.

[Configuration]

1. Deploy Veeam Direct Restore appliance from Azure Market Place. It will deploy as VM [Azure Resource Manager].

2. Configure Veeam Direct Restore appliance by connecting to your Microsoft Azure subscription by using initial configuration. [Click Configuration] 

3. Upload veeam backup data via RDP Connection, Veeam FastSCP for Microsoft Azure, Microsoft Azure Files, attaching virtual disk or FTP. We use RDP Connection and attached our local disk. Then copy veeam backup to Direct restore appliance which mapped to Azure Files.

4. Restore machines to Microsoft Azure by using Veeam Direct Restore appliance. [Click Restore]

Select full backup file (VBK) or backup metadata file (VBM). It will restore as VM Classic in this release.

Here is the screenshot that we captured when restore a Domain controller Vmware virtual machine:

Note:- In this wizard, you can change your VM settings and map according to your Azure infrastructure. Azure Storage & Azure Network need to firstly define before restore your virtual machine.

From the history, we notice it took around 16-17 MB/s bandwidth to restore VM to Azure. You can remove VMware tool after VM has boot up.

Give it a try. It work like a charm.

Enjoy!

Perform P2V or V2V Using Veeam Solution

Long time ago we dig out some list on P2V or V2V tool which help us on migration to Hyper-V.

Our previous article:
P2V Tool :- http://www.ms4u.info/2014/05/list-of-p2v-tool-to-vhd.html
V2V Tool: - http://www.ms4u.info/2014/05/list-of-vmdk-to-vhd-conversion-tools.html

Recently we found out that Veeam solution also able to perform the same function but the unique part is able to perform Physical to Virtual Machine Conversion (either Hyper-V or Vmware) and Virtual to Virtual (V2V) Conversion.

To achieve this process, you need:

• Veeam Endpoint Backup
• Veeam Backup and Replication

Here is a quick walk through on the solution:

1. Perform backup of entire volume using Veeam Endpoint Backup. Refer to http://www.ms4u.info/2016/03/backup-your-laptop-or-physical-server.html about Veeam Endpoint Backup. ver1.5

2. Transfer your backup to Veeam Backup and Replication Repository.

3. Use Veeam Backup and Replication Console to "export disk contents as virtual disk"

 4. Select your target virtual disk

• VMDK - Vmware format
• VHD or VHDX - Hyper-V format

At the end, you will get a virtual disk according to your hypervisor platform.

Uninstall Veeam Backup Transport on Hyper-V Server Core

This post is suitable for those who would like to remove Veeam Backup Transport by using command line on Hyper-V core.

Firstly, you must identify the installer by using the command

wmic product

Look for Veeam Backup Transport

To uninstall, go to the particular folder which installer is located

C:\Windows\installer

msiexec.exec /x [installer]

msiexec.exe /x bc37a.msi [Do take note that the file may be different, that why you should use wmic to find the correct file]

Backup Your Laptop or Physical Server With New Improvement on Veeam Endpoint Backup 1.5

Veeam has just released a new version for Veeam Endpoint Backup which allow you to backup your laptop, desktop and even physical server. Guess what? It's FREE!

Requirement to install:

• Windows 7 or later
• Windows Server 2008 R2 or later. However at this moment Windows Server 2016 Technical Preview version are not supported.

New improvement:-

• Ability to select days for daily backup
• Auto ejection of removable media.
• Ability to set avoid weekend backup or only perform backup on weekly
• Ability to perform backup once powered on when computer is shutdown during backup windows

• Ability to perform standalone full backup to another location.

Backup chart can now switched between size and duration without having to go into the settings.

• Built-in email notification. You will able to receive backup job status reports by email without having to check the status from the console.

Others improvement:

• Enhanced file level backup performance by up to 10%
• Enhanced file level backup inclusion and exclusion logic for added file exclusion reliability.
• Job retries are now suspended automatically when device is running off battery. This prevent battery drain.
• Job progress is now displayed in the taskbar. 
• Wi-Fi signal strength is now displayed in the Recovery Media boot screen to inform you about possibility of connectivity issue.
• Experimental ability to skip bad blocks (via a registry value). 

Feel free to check out yourself. Interested, - click here to download.

Integrate HP StoreVirtual VSA With Veeam Backup and Replication v9

We are performing a test on Storage Snapshot by integrating with Veeam Backup and Replication (VBR) v9 and here is our summary of the configuration on our lab environment.

A storage snapshot is a set of reference markers, or pointers, to data stored on a disk drive, on a tape, or in a storage area network (SAN). A snapshot is something like a detailed table of contents, but it is treated by the computer as a complete data backup.

With storage snapshot you can get point in time image level view of data. Feel free to check out, How Backup and Storage Snapshot work together :- https://www.veeam.com/blog/how-snapshots-backups-work-together.html to understand the technology.

For those folk who would like to test storage snapshot in lab environment, you can download Virtual Storage Appliance (VSA) and load it up on Hyper-V or Vmware infrastructure.

Infrastructure:

• HP StoreVirtual VSA [FREE 1TB] - http://www8.hp.com/us/en/products/data-storage/free-vsa.html
• Veeam Backup and Replication v9 - https://www.veeam.com/availability
• ESX Server
• Vmware vCenter

Objective of our integration is using Veeam Explorer for Storage Snapshots which lets us to perform granular recovery for VMware vSphere virtual machines (VMs) directly.

Not only you can integrate with HP StoreVirtual VSA, here is the supported storage that you can integrate with :

For EMC:

• EMC VNX
• EMC VNX2
• EMC VNXe

For HPE:

• HPE 3PAR StoreServ
• HPE StoreVirtual
• HPE StoreVirtual VSA

For NetApp, all Data ONTAP based storage, including:

• NetApp FAS
• NetApp FlexArray (V-Series)
• NetApp Data ONTAP Edge
• IBM N-Series

[StoreVirtual VSA]

• Download either Hyper-V or Vmware Virtual Disk
• Configure minimum of 4GB of Memory on the VSA. We tried to change it to lower but it won't work well. So min 4GB is the safe zone.
• Create a volume and present a LUN to ESX Server. Put VM into this new LUN. We put a linux VM
• Create a schedule to Snapshot a Volume to continuously perform storage storage snapshot

 [Veeam Backup and Replication v9]

• Use VBR Console
• Add Storage from Storage Infrastructure workspace

• Select HP StoreVirtual, enter VSA Management IP and credential

Once added, you able to view VSA storage, volume and create on-demand snapshot from Veeam VBR Console. Screenshot below displayed interface on VBR Console and HP StoreVirtual Centralized Management Console (CMC)

• Next, create a backup job to backup VM which located in VSA. Below is the page that you need to configure to use Storage Snapshot.

 

•  Click Advanced | Integration | Make sure enable backup from storage snapshot.

[ Performing Restoration]

Once backup has completed, you can test performing a restoration. Navigate to Storage Snapshot and restore your items. We are restoring a Linux VM from Storage Snapshot.

Note on the estoration history. You will notice VSA is creating a storage a copy or clone of storage snapshot and present to ESX host in the virtual environment.

We can perform necessary restoration operation in the VBR Console. After restore is complete, VBR issue command to the storage system. The storage system deletes the snapshot copy from the ESX host and perform cleanup operation.

Issue - Unable to View Wizard Content When Using Veeam Backup and Replication Console

We encountered the following issue when managing Veeam Backup and Replication v9. It seem like overlapping of field.

You will notice that content is overlapping and we are unable to view the content on every wizard page open from Veeam Backup and Replication (VBR) Console. Even we increase or decrease screen resolution, we are still unable to view the content and proceed further.

Next, we try to install stand-alone VBR Console on another machine. Yet we still having same issue.

Thanks to my team mate (Jesse, based @Beijing) suggestion, we manage to resolved it.

[Resolution]
1. On VBR VM and host, change the font size to smaller (100%). Use control panel , go to Display.

2. Then log off your session and login again.
3. Open VBR Console and test open a wizard page. Now you will able to view and proceed with any action regarding wizard page on VBR Console.

Moving Vmware Workstation Virtual Machines To New Location

Initially we have created several test virtual machines using Vmware Workstation 12 on C Drive. It was running fine till we are running out of space. So the only option is move to new location.

After we walk-through on Vmware Workstation Console, we cannot find export feature similar like Hyper-V. 

A bit disappointed for newbie of Vmware Workstation user. :)

Finally we managed to find a way to start your virtual machine on new location. You just need to perform the following steps:

1. Make sure entire virtual machines are turn off. Then move entire folder from C to D (new drive)

2. Open Vmware Workstation console. When you click on Virtual Machine, it will give an error message indicated "missing".

3. Just remove them from the library.

4. Use Open and select VM configuration from new location.

That should do the trick on how to move Vmware Workstation VM from one location to another location. This concept is similar like Move & Copy Hyper-V VM to another location.

Whitepaper:- Overcome the challenges of Managing IT in a hybrid cloud world

Today’s IT world is increasingly hybrid. Cloud-based computing has made major inroads on many areas of on-prem computing, opening new opportunities for applications and services that would never have been possible before. But the monolithic “datacenter” of yesteryear, with heavy concentrations of the products of a single vendor in place, has not been completely replaced by the Cloud. Instead it has given way to a hybrid environment that includes physical datacenters and clouds, decades-old legacy systems, licensed and open-source applications and infrastructure components, and cloud-based services from many different vendors.


With all this happening, are you aware of…

- What are the different forces that are driving adoption and deployment of hybrid cloud architectures?

- What are the major trends that make today the most innovative environment ever for business, and also the most challenging IT management environment?

- What is the current state of hybrid cloud management offerings?

If you are having problems managing your IT environment, our whitepaper will outline a framework for approaching IT management that combines excellence in IT Operations with a strong focus on business impact of IT systems.

Download Savision's free whitepaper on the Challenges of Managing IT in a Hybrid Cloud World, which will give you the answers you are looking for.

Free WhitePaper : All You Need to Know About Microsoft Nano Server

A whitepaper about Microsoft Nano Server written by Veeam Microsoft Evangelist Mike Resseller has published. In this whitepaper, you will learned about:

Deployment options

Remote management

Troubleshooting tips and tricks

And much more!

To download, click here.

Enjoy!