Protecting storage container with local snapshot | Nutanix Community
Skip to main content
I need someone to light my bulb regarding data protection scenario I have in my mind. Currently we're migrating from NetApp/UCS ESX to Nutanix ESX and we uses Commvault as data protection. In addition to Commvault, we uses volume snapshot in NetApp for DR and fast recovery. This does not replicate to remote site however.



In Nutanix, I have configured container for Prod and Dev/QA datastores. Prod datastore protected by Commvault intellisnap and keep two day worth of snapshots. DEV/QA datastore does not protected by Commvault due to licensing issue, we would like to use Nutanix data protection to have similar data protection like Prod datastore (2 day snapshots) .



My question is, writing script to adding VMs automatically to data protection domain is the only way to go? Or any other suggestion?
Yes, as of now, there is no way for protection domains to pick up new VM's when they are created and add them to an existing protection domain.

Around 7 years ago, @shuguet asked this question. i.e. PD at container level so that every VM deployed in a container may be backed up by default. The last post in this thread ( @DavidTeague ) around a year ago mentions that it’s still not possible. I’m looking for this same feature in March 2021 and it only makes sense to want such a feature. Based on the documentation and looking at PE, I see that this is still not possible. Granted, with Protection Policies on Prism Central, you could assign all VMs to a category with a Protection Policy assigned to that category. However, it would be nice to have the PD feature with PE at a storage container level. Nutanix Folks, any rationale for not doing this? 

I too am looking for this feature.  Many competitors have this in place and have so for years. 

 

SB

There are two suggestions I have:

  • Prism Central has a way to ‘tag’ VMs with Categories (and you can create additional categories as you need) I believe this is available VMs running on ESXi VMs as well. With Categories you could create a Prism Central based “Protection Policy” that would ‘automatically’ add a VM w matching Categories into the policy.  (Verify which Prism Central licensing you need for this feature...aka as “Leap” - while it’s used for On-Prem to Cloud like replications, it is possible for Cluster to a-remote-cluster replication to be used.)
    https://portal.nutanix.com/page/documents/details?targetId=Leap-Xi-Leap-Admin-Guide-v5_20:ecd-ecdr-add-vm-protectionpolicy-pc-t.html
  • Script the process using either Powershell - or Prism Central Plays if you want to use “Legacy” Protection Domains (i.e. ones in Prism Element)
Terms & Conditions