Zadara zCompute (Technical preview)

Overview

Storware Backup & Recovery supports the Zadara zCompute platform by using a VM called “Proxy VM”. The node invokes commands on the zCompute to snapshot and attach drives of a specific VM to itself (Proxy VM). The proxy VM is able to read the data from the attached disk snapshots and forward them to the backup provider.

This means that you need to create a Proxy VM in the zCompute environment.

The Storware Backup & Recovery Server can be deployed anywhere, but keep in mind that Nodes need to be able to call the server over HTTP(S) on the port you have specified.

Backup modes

To protect Zadara zCompute environments you can select one of two available export modes:

• Disk attachment to proxy VM (full)

• Disk attachment with generic incremental

In both strategies, you have a VM called “Proxy VM” that invokes commands on your hypervisor manager to snapshot and attach drives of a specific VM to itself (Proxy VM). Proxy VM is able to read the data from the attached disk snapshots and forward them to the backup provider.

Adding a hypervisor manager

1. Navigate to Virtual Environments -> Virtual Providers

2. Click the "Create" button

3. From the dropdown menu select "Zadara zCompute (Technical Preview)

4. Provide necessary information

   1. General tab

      1. Select the proper node configuration

      2. Provide URL Storware Backup and Recovery accepts URLs in both, short and full formats https://zadara-host/api/v2/aws/ec2 or https://zadara-host

      3. Provide access key and key secret Refer to Zadara documentation - https://guides.zadarastorage.com/cs-compute-guide/latest/symp-ref-guide/access-key.html

   2. Zadara zCompute settings

      1. Enable or disable the requirement for images

      2. Set timeout for specifics operations

When Storware Backup & Recovery creates a backup, some operating systems, such as Windows, may require an AMI for later restores to keep your OS settings. With this option, Storware Backup & Recovery will keep the AMI necessary for future restores in your AWS account. Without this image, a new instance will have to be started with a fresh root device and additional volumes attached, which may not contain your OS-related settings, licenses, or data that were stored on the root device.

Snapshot reversion

Storware Backup and Recovery enables snapshot creation and seamless VM restoration to a selected snapshot. However, due to Zadara’s lack of in-place reversion support, a new VM will be instantiated from the chosen snapshot. If the newly created VM is verified as operational and healthy, the original VM will be permanently deleted.

It is important to note that each reversion results in a completely new VM. If you attempt to revert the original VM again, Storware Backup and Recovery will generate another new instance, but the previously existing VM will no longer be available, as it was removed during the initial reversion process.

Restore

• All virtual machines will be restored to the Symphony region, the only supported one in Zadara

• Storware Backup and Recovery supports all instance types, both EC2 default and Zadara types

• Storware Backup and Recovery supports restore of both Windows and Linux instances