VMCA2022 - VMCA 2022

Backup from Storage Snapshots and Direct NFS are the preferred processing modes for NFS datastores, as they offer the best performance and reliability for backup and restore operations12.

Backup from Storage Snapshots is a feature of Veeam Backup & Replication that leverages the native snapshot capabilities of the storage system to create a consistent point-in-time copy of the VM data. Veeam Backup & Replication then reads data directly from the storage snapshot, bypassing the ESXi host and reducing the impact on the production environment3. Backup from Storage Snapshots is supported for NFS datastores on NetApp, Nimble, Dell EMC, HPE, and Pure Storage systems4.

Direct NFS is a proprietary transport mode of Veeam Backup & Replication that uses a native NFS client deployed on the backup proxy to read and write data directly from and to the NFS datastore. Veeam Backup & Replication also bypasses the ESXi host and reduces the load on the production environment. Direct NFS is supported for NFS datastores on any storage system that supports NFS version 3 or 4.1.

The other options are not preferred because:

• B) Network (NBD) mode is a transport mode that uses the VMware VDDK to communicate with the ESXi host over the network. This mode produces additional load on the ESXi host and the network, and may result in slower backup and restore performance.
• C) Virtual Appliance (HotAdd) mode is a transport mode that uses the VMware VDDK to attach the disks of the processed VM to the backup proxy VM. This mode also produces additional load on the ESXi host and the network, and may cause issues with disk alignment or SCSI controller limitations.
• D) Network mode with Encryption (NBDSSL) mode is a transport mode that uses the VMware VDDK to communicate with the ESXi host over the network with SSL encryption. This mode provides an extra layer of security, but also adds more overhead and reduces the backup and restore performance.

You can find more information about the processing modes and how to choose the best one for your environment in the following resources:

• Transport Modes
• Selecting a Transport Mode
• Backup from Storage Snapshots
• Storage Systems Supported for Backup from Storage Snapshots
• [Direct NFS Access]
• [Network Mode]
• [Virtual Appliance Mode]
• [Network Mode with Encryption]

The information related to the virtual infrastructure that is missing and must be collected during the discovery are the total number of virtual machines and the size of the source data set. These are essential metrics for sizing the backup components, such as proxies, repositories, and transporters, as well as estimating the backup storage requirements and bandwidth consumption. The other options are either already provided in the scenario (recovery time objective, backup window) or not relevant for the Veeam solution (speed of Fibre Channel fabric). References: Veeam Certified Architect 2022 Exam Guide, page 10; Veeam Backup & Replication v11: Architecture and Design course, module 3.

The things that can be done to validate that the design meets target SLAs and reduces the headcount required to manage the solution are:

• Use tagging and scripts to auto-generate backup jobs, set the start time and windows, letting the backup server manage resource allocation. This option allows to automate the backup job creation and configuration, based on the tags assigned to the source objects, such as VMs, hosts, or clusters1. This reduces the manual effort and human error involved in managing the backup jobs, and ensures that the backup server allocates the optimal resources for each job, based on the load balancing and performance settings2.
• Explain how to detect configuration changes, reporting and using backup job templates to maintain consistency. Document self-service restore the streamline service desk engagement. This option allows to monitor the backup infrastructure and detect any changes that may affect the backup performance or reliability, such as adding or removing VMs, hosts, or clusters3. It also allows to use backup job templates to create consistent and standardized backup policies, and apply them to multiple backup jobs4. Additionally, it allows to document the self-service restore process, which enables end-users to perform file-level restores from their own backups, without involving the backup administrator or the service desk5.
• Review the design so that the slowest part of the infrastructure is fast enough to meet backup window requirements. This option allows to identify and optimize the bottleneck in the backup infrastructure, which is the component that limits the backup speed and throughput. By reviewing the design and ensuring that the slowest part of the infrastructure can meet the backup window requirements, the backup SLAs can be achieved and the backup performance can be improved.

The other options are either not relevant for validating the design (option A and E, as exporting the configuration, scheduling a review, and reviewing the design for bottlenecks are part of the design process, not the validation process) or not effective for meeting the SLAs and reducing the headcount (option C, as using inventory information, backup chaining, and fine tuning are manual and complex tasks that may not guarantee the backup window compliance or resource efficiency). References: Tagging, Load Balancing and Performance, Configuration Change Tracking, Backup Job Templates, Self-Service File Restore, [Bottleneck Statistics]