Data Integrity Check for Backup
BDRSuite Backup Server can perform regular health checkups for your backup data. In the machine where the BDRSuite Backup Server is installed, the following conditions are to be met;
The Hyper-V role must be enabled in the Windows machine where the BDRSuite Backup Server is installed.
The KVM must be installed in the Linux machine where the BDRSuite Backup Server is installed.
You need have a ESXi/vCenter Server.
If you cannot meet any of the first two conditions then you can use the ESXi/vCenter Server (Local & Remote) and enable the data integrity feature.
Once you enable the Data Integrity option the system will run mount check, boot check and heartbeat check on the last successful incremental of your backup data in a sequence. This verification is carried out for every 24 hours/1 Day (This default value can be modified by the user). The verified status result will be downloaded to the local repository and shared to the user in the screen shot representation of the boot screen.
Note: Integrity Check is performed only for VM/VM Template/Image-based backup jobs.
Mount Check
This verifies the mount status of your backup data, by auto-mounting each backed up disk to disk management and updates the result.
Note: Mount Check is applicable only for Windows servers. Mount check will fail for Non Windows OS Disk and Dynamic Disk
Boot Check
This verifies the boot status of your backup data by auto-booting backed up data in Hyper-V Manager(On Windows Server) or KVM(On Linux Server) or VMware ESXi/vCenter server and updates the result.
Note: The boot check is applicable only for backups containing OS partitions.
Target Hypervisor
1.VMware
If you want to use VMware ESXi/vCenter Server to enable the BDRSuite Backup Server to perform the boot check then you can choose VMware to be your target hypervisor.
Note: It is recommended to use ESXi Server rather than the vCenter Server. Adding and using the vCenter server for data integrity will lead to NFS Datastore issue.
Target ESXi/vCenter : Select/add the ESXi/vCenter server.
Target Datastore : Choose the target datastore.
2. Hyper-V
If you want to use Hyper -V role enabled in the machine running BDRSuite Backup Server to enable it perform the boot check then you can choose Hyper-V to be your target hypervisor.
Note: If you choose Hyper -V then make sure the Hyper - V role is enabled on the BDRSuite Backup Server machine to perform the boot check. Remote Hyper - V host is not supported for boot check.
Target Host/Server
The IP address of the BDRSuite Backup Server machine will be by default taken.
RAM Size
The value defines the RAM size to be allocated for the VM created during boot check.
Boot Check Timeout
The value defines the timeout period to check the Boot Status of a backup job.
Note: If the backed up VMware VM contains VMware tools and the boot status of the VMware VM is a success, screenshot will be taken immediately. Where as for VMware VM (without VMware tools installed), Hyper-V VMs and Windows Servers the screen shot will be taken as per the Boot Check Timeout's value(which can range between 5 mins - 60 mins).
Integrity Check Frequency
The value defines the time interval between consecutive Integrity Check operations.
Once you have it updated, as per the frequency chosen, the integrity check will be done for your VM/Image level backups and the screen shot of the boot screen can be found in the Data Integrity Reports section. If you have enabled email notifications then you will receive the same to your email as well.
Supported Schedule type:
- Image integrity check is supported for 'Run Every' and 'Run Daily' schedule types.
Image integrity check is not supported in the following cases:
- For 'Run Weekly' schedule type.
- If the backup is suspended for a long time period(no schedules were run).
- For Non-OS disks, only mount test can be performed and boot test will be tagged NA.
- For Ubuntu VMs with disk size more than 2TB, boot check is not supported in Hyper-V manager.
- Mount check is not supported in KVM manager.
- For GPT partitioned VM, boot check is not supported in KVM manager.
Process:
1) A newly configured backup job will undergo its first integrity check after 24 hours from its full backup's successful completion time. A backup schedule post-24-hour cycle is required, to initiate first integrity check.
2) After the 24-hour cycle, only after a backup schedule is performed.
3) Successive integrity checks will be performed at a 24-hour cycle which begins at the successful completion time of last integrity check.
4) Also, note that integrity check will be performed for last known successful backup.
Example:
1) A backup configured at 9 AM today(Monday) and its full backup completes at 9:10 AM.
2) Integrity check will be performed the next day(Tuesday) after 9.10AM(when first backup schedule post 9:10 AM completes, first integrity check will be performed).
3) The first integrity check completes at 9:40 AM (Tuesday), as per 24-hour cycle the next integrity check will be performed on or after 9:40 AM (Wednesday).
4) This cycle repeats at 24-cycle every day with integrity check completion time set as the beginning of the cycle.
