Vmware Backup data recovery with HA

DL180's aren't supported by VMWare - http://www.vmware.com/resources/compatibility/detail.php?device_cat=server&device_id=10405&release_id=31

Are you referring to VMware Data Recovery?

You can use VMware Data Recovery to use the Local Datastore of the ESX host as a Backup and Restore Repository.

From what i see DL180 does not support fault tolerant which in any case it is not included in the Vmware Essentials Plus kit. I only care about  HA and Vmware Data Recovery

As hanccocka said if i can use the Local Datastore of the ESX hosts as a Backup and Restore Repository that would be fine.
Because i have never worked with Vmware Data Recovery before i want to ask if i can start the virtual machines directly from the local datastore if my SAN goes dead,. Can this be done or must I have a SAN to restore the machine and turn it on from there?

Also i want to ask if the SAN goes dead what will happened to HA configuration?

Thanks

Yes, you can use ANY datastore for a repository within the ESX hosts, this includes, local, SAN, NFS based datastores, you can also use CIFs based shares on NAS or Windows servers.

The VMware Data Recovery repository, is a repository, you need to restore machines from it. You cannot run machines from the repository. Virtual machines can be resotre to ANY datastore mounted by ESX, so you could restore to a local datastore in the event of SAN failure, but you cannot mount and run.

That technology is Patented by Veeam and is available in Veeam Backup and Replication v5 - very popular, won many awards at VMworld 2010

download trial here - http://www.veeam.com/vmware-esx-backup.html

If the SAN goes dead - you've got no virtual machines that will be functioning. HA configuration is storted in the vCenter database, and also written to the Agents on the ESX hosts. It's not stored on the SAN. But if the SAN is not available, and you have no shared storage, shared storage functions will not operate, and you VMs will all be down.

If i understood correct you said that i can restore a virtual machine from the repository to any datastore mounted by ESX but i cannot run this virtual machine???

This is a video taken from youtube that shows a guy demonstrating vmware data recovery , restoring a virtual machine and was able to run it .
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qjprEjKXBc&feature=related

Do you mean i will not be able to mount and run it because the virtual machine was located before on SAN shared storage under HA configuration?

My apologies for asking so much questions but i want to understand what i am going to do :)

Thanks

Yes, once you've restored it you can run it.

But you cannot run it from the datastore (like Veeam can without restoring!).

I thought you wanted to run it from the datastore without restoring.

I don't think i can find a better explanation and example from what you gave me :)

Thanks a lot

vDR is vgood!