In this blog post, we finalize the process of utilizing PureStorage Array snapshots for Veeam Backup jobs. If you haven’t already, check out my previous post: How to P1 and P2.
Continue reading “How to: Part Three – Configuring Veeam Backups to use PureStorage Snapshots”
Last week I attended a CompTIA Security+ boot camp. During the duration of the class, I was trying to make the decision: Do I take the exam at the end of the course on Friday, or do I wait and take the exam after more preparation? Interestingly, the CompTIA Security+ Exam just changed from the SY0-401 format to the SY0-501. The new format is more difficult, and the old format is being phased out within two months. Fortunately, after a week long boot camp and many nights of long studying, I was able to successfully sit and pass the CompTIA Security+ Examination. The Exam was quite difficult, with my examination having 90 minutes to complete 83 questions total. In order to pass the exam, one must obtain a score of at least 750 out of 900. Most of the questions are scenario based, so make sure you prepare accordingly and review all of the exam objectives. It took me the entire 90 minutes to complete the exam, but in the end all of the hard work and preparation paid off. This new certification will help me within my career going forward. If you have any questions regarding the Security+, please let me know!
The Certification was a requirement for my new employer, which leads me to my next announcement. I recently left my job for a new opportunity. This was a tough decision, but in the end it was the right choice. The below photo was taken on my last day.
Best of luck to all who remain there, I am exited about my future and excited for this new opportunity.
Last week, I wrote a blog on how to install the PureStorage plugin for Veeam. In this blog post, I will show you how to configure the PureStorage Plugin within Veeam. This quick and easy process is required in order to utilize all of the PureStorage+Veeam awsomeness!
Before we proceed any further, please take note of the following requirements. These requirements are necessary if you wish to utilize Storage Array Snapshots for Backups.
*Important Note: You can still add the PureStorage array without having a Physical Proxy setup; however, you won’t be able to backup VMs without it*
According to Veeam’s website, the following benefits are described below (Taken From Veeam’s Website)
If you would like more information on this, or if you aren’t a Pure customer, reach out to my buddy Brandon @PureStorage via Twitter at @bdwill
Continue reading “How to: Part Two – Configuring PureStorage Plugin for Veeam”
Tuesday the most anticipated day finally came. The Veeam storage array plugin for PureStorage was finally announced!
Why is this a big deal? Simply put: Now backups can backup off the storage array snapshot itself, which provides faster backup and recovery of protected workloads. Additionally by utilizing this plugin, you will reduce snapshot stun and create a more efficient backup process.
According to Veeam’s website, the following benefits are described below (Taken From Veeam’s Website)
Convinced? I thought so. Let’s install the plugin to take advantage of these features! In this short how to, the steps needed to install this array integration plugin are covered.
If you would like more information on this, or if you aren’t a Pure customer, reach out to my buddy Brandon @PureStorage via Twitter at @bdwill
Continue reading “How to: Part One – Installing PureStorage Plugin for Veeam”
In this blog post, we will describe the installation process of Veeam ONE. Veeam ONE is a reporting solution for Veeam Backup and Replication servers, and vCenter itself. It’s a compliment to Veeam Backup and Replication, and it is an included feature of the Veeam Availablity Suite. There are numerous reports one can run within this application, such as reports to see which servers are not being backed up, etc. The benefits of Veeam ONE include visibility into the backup environment, monitoring of components within vCenter, and backup compliance reporting. One if it’s most powerful features is the reporting of vCenter itself. This is a great alternative to other monitoring tools, since you can monitor just about all major system components within your virtual environment. The installation process is similar to the blog post “Installing Veeam Backup and Replication 9.5”, which can be found here.
This past Tuesday was the first day of spring. What better way to usher in the new season than to install Veeam Backup and Replication 9.5! In this blog post, I will show you how quickly it is to install Veeam Backup and Replication. This will be part of a small series on Veeam and the integration is has with other products, such as Dell EMC’s Data Domain, Veeam One, SQL Server 2016, etc
Continue reading “How to: Installing Veeam Backup and Replication 9.5”
Recently I was hit with an email indicating that my Data Domain had experienced a file system panic. The end result was a file system reboot during during backups.
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Alerts History
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Id Post Time Clear Time Severity Class Object Message
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m0-5 Tue Mar 13 18:29:28 2018 Tue Mar 13 18:29:48 2018 ERROR Filesystem EVT-FILESYS-00008: Filesystem has encountered an error and is restarting.
—- ———————— ———————— ——– ———- —— ————————————————————————-
There is 1 historic alert.
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After working with support, it was determined that the issue was due to an issue with memory allocation. I was given the below KB regarding my issue.
“DataDomain FS process (ddfs) may crash with memory allocation failures, but available memory still exists: https://support.emc.com/kb/489444”
Continue reading “How to: Upgrading your Data Domain OS (DDOS)”
Today I stumbled upon an interesting issue while prepping for a Data Domain upgrade. The first step taken to prepare for a Data Domain OS upgrade is to reboot the appliance beforehand. This ensures no issues are present before upgrading. If issues are present, they will most likely be brought to light before the upgrade. This is especially important if your system has been up for an extended period of time!
After a slight delay, I was driving home Friday when I received confirmation of my vExpert 2018 application. The result?
I am happy to announce that I have officially achieved VMware vExpert 2018! This was my first year to apply, and I am very fortunate to have obtained this award/recognition.
In this section, I will go over the following objectives found within the VMware vSAN Specialist Blueprint: Objective 3.1 – Identify physical network requirements
Let’s start with the network basics.
Continue reading “Becoming a vSAN Specialist: Section 3 – vSAN Configuration”
TheVirtualBoi 