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Copyright © Acronis, Inc., 2000-2010
VMware vCenter integration
This feature provides the capability to view virtual machines managed by a VMware vCenter Server
in the management server GUI, view the backup status of these machines in the vCenter, and
automatically register virtual machines created by Acronis Backup & Recovery 10 in the vCenter.
Integration is available in all Acronis Backup & Recovery 10 advanced editions; a license for Virtual
Edition is not required. No software installation is required on the vCenter Server.
This feature also enables automatic deployment and configuration of Agent for ESX/ESXi to any
ESX/ESXi server, that is not necessarily managed by the vCenter.
1.3.3.2
Storage Node
Acronis Backup & Recovery 10 Storage Node is a server aimed to optimize usage of various resources
(such as the corporate storage capacity, the network bandwidth, or the managed machines' CPU
load) required for the enterprise data protection. This goal is achieved through organizing and
managing the locations that serve as dedicated storages of the enterprise backup archives (managed
vaults).
The storage nodes enable creating highly scalable and flexible, in terms of the hardware support,
storage infrastructure. Up to 20 storage nodes can be set up, each being able to manage up to 20
vaults. The administrator controls the storage nodes centrally from the Acronis Backup & Recovery
10 Management Server (p. 407). Direct console connection to a storage node is not possible.
Setting up the storage infrastructure
Install the storage nodes, add them to the management server (the procedure is similar to the
managed machine registration (p. 408)) and create centralized vaults (p. 401). When creating a
centralized vault, specify the path to the vault, the storage node that will manage the vault, and the
management operations to be performed on the vault.
A managed vault can be organized:
on the hard drives local to the storage node
on a network share
on a Storage Area Network (SAN)
on a Network Attached Storage (NAS)
on a tape library locally attached to the storage node.
The management operations are as follows.
Storage node-side cleanup and validation
Archives, stored in unmanaged vaults, are maintained by the agents (p. 398) that create the archives.
This means that each agent not only backs up data to the archive, but also executes service tasks that
apply to the archive, the retention rules and validation rules specified by the backup plan (p. 399). To
relieve the managed machines of unnecessary CPU load, execution of the service tasks can be
delegated to the storage node. Since the tasks' schedule exists on the machine the agent resides on,
and therefore uses that machine’s time and events, the agent has to initiate the storage node-side
cleanup (p. 409) and the storage node-side validation (p. 409) according to the schedule. To do so,
the agent must be online. Further processing is performed by the storage node.
This functionality cannot be disabled in a managed vault. The next two operations are optional.
