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Vmware VSS writer issues with Redgate SQL Clones

  • September 26, 2024
  • 6 replies
  • 68 views
J
Byte
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I’ve encountered an interesting issue and I’m hoping someone might have a creative solution.

A customer of mine is using Redgate software to clone SQL databases. These cloned databases are mounted as virtual disks on the server, appearing as disks in Windows Disk Manager, but not as VM disks.

When performing file system and application-consistent snapshots, they fail on the SQL writer due to the virtual disks created by the SQL clones. The same issue occurs when attempting to quiesce the filesystem from VMware.

This could potentially be resolved by using the database agent and running crash-consistent snapshots, but I’d prefer to continue running only VM backups of this server, if possible.

Is there a way to exclude these cloned databases from the VSS snapshot, either on the Commvault, SQL, or VMware side, since these databases don’t need to be backed up?

Any suggestions?

Best answer by mikevg

@John Robert,

 

Creating vmware snapshots without cv in-guest agent only leverages the vmware tools enabled vss system. And this will call writes to create snapshots before creating the vmware snapshot.

 

I think the best solution is to install the Commvault agent and enable application aware vmware backups which will leverage the in-guest Commvault agent to create vss snapshots providing more options to configure it.

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6 replies

A
Vaulter
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Hello @John Robert 

Could this help filter the disks?
https://documentation.commvault.com/2023e/essential/creating_disk_filter_for_vmware_vm.html

If not given the uniqueness of this case a ticket might be best to help get a complete answer for you. 

kind regards

Albert Williams

The best way to learn anything, is to question everything
J
Byte
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  • John Robert
  • Author
  • Byte
  • 36 replies
  • September 27, 2024

@Albert Williams It would if the disks were vmware disks. But they are only virtual disks inside the Operating system. Meaning you would not see them in vmware, but they appear as devices in diskmanagment in Windows.

I could use the following guide to disable SQLwriter in total. 

https://knowledge.broadcom.com/external/article/325342/disabling-specific-vss-writers-with-vmwa.html

But this would exclude all databases from the vss snapshot, and not only the few that troublesome.

I was hoping if anyone outside commvault might have experienced this, as this is not directly related to commvault, but rather how VSS works. 

M
Byte
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  • mikevg
  • Byte
  • 58 replies
  • Answer
  • September 27, 2024

@John Robert,

 

Creating vmware snapshots without cv in-guest agent only leverages the vmware tools enabled vss system. And this will call writes to create snapshots before creating the vmware snapshot.

 

I think the best solution is to install the Commvault agent and enable application aware vmware backups which will leverage the in-guest Commvault agent to create vss snapshots providing more options to configure it.

J
Byte
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  • John Robert
  • Author
  • Byte
  • 36 replies
  • October 3, 2024

@mikevg Thanks.

It appears that there are a few mechanisms that can handle this with the agent installed. 

I just hoped that it would be possible to put some exclusions on VMWare tools or in config for VSS sql writer.

 

M
Byte
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  • mikevg
  • Byte
  • 58 replies
  • October 3, 2024

Hi @John Robert,

 

This should still be applicable…

https://knowledge.broadcom.com/external/article?legacyId=1031200

 

Regards,
Mike

J
Byte
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  • John Robert
  • Author
  • Byte
  • 36 replies
  • October 3, 2024

That should still work. This is the solution I have found to be best now, as these SQL servers are non production VM’s and the likelihood of the DBs not starting up again is very low after a crashconsistent backup. If so we can restore from older backup in this case.

 

 

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