BackupEDGE 3.0 VMware Compatibility - SCO / UnXis

BackupEDGE can be used to backup individual Unix guest operating systems on VMware hosts, both to network and to physical devices attached to guests through VMware. See "Summary - Resources" below for a complete list.

A host-attached physical device can only be logically attached to one powered-on guest operating system at a time. One BackupEDGE license is required for each virtual guest to be protected.

Compatibility tests were all conducted under VMware ESXi 4.1U1 and 4.1U2. As some host and guest settings products optimal results, please see the "Best Practices" settings for your particular guest. Only these setting are supported for use with BackupEDGE.

Summary - Drivers

SCO / UnXis OpenServer 5.0.7V
Setting Value Notes
Virtual Machine Version: 7 (or Later) Must be Upgraded
Virtual Machine "Guest Operating System" Setting: Other Default Setting
Virtual Machine "Guest Operating System" Version: SCO OpenServer 5 Must Be Changed
Network Adapter (NIC) Type: Flexible (AMD PCNet) Default Setting
Host Bus Adapter (SCSI Controller 0): LSI Logic SAS Must Be Changed

Deployment Instructions

  1. Deploy Template - Do NOT Power up
  2. Right click on guest in inventory list and select "Upgrade Virtual Hardware"
  3. Click "Edit Machine Settings"
    1. Change "SCSI Controller 0" from "LSI Logic Parallel" to "LSI Logic SAS" (the 5.0.7V HBA driver detects and supports this, better than the LSI Logic Parallel emulation).
    2. In the "Options" tab, under "Guest Operating System", change the Version: field from "Other (32-bit)" to "SCO OpenServer 5".

Change Instructions

To Upgrade the Virtual Machine Version, SCSI Controller 0 and Guest Operating System Version on a previously deployed guest:

  1. Power off the guest.
  2. Right click on guest in inventory list and select "Upgrade Virtual Hardware"
  3. Click "Edit Machine Settings"
    1. Change "SCSI Controller 0" from "LSI Logic Parallel" to "LSI Logic SAS" (the 5.0.7V HBA driver detects and supports this, better than the LSI Logic Parallel emulation).
    2. In the "Options" tab, under "Guest Operating System", change the Version: field from "Other (32-bit)" to "SCO OpenServer 5".
    3. Power up the guest into Single User Mode.
    4. Run "netconfig", delete, re-detect and install the AMD PCNet host adapter using the same settings.
    5. After the kernel re-links, reboot into multi-user mode.

When the guest is powered back on after changing Virtual Machine Versions form 4 to 7, the NIC will not be found, necessitating the final 3 steps above.

 

Attaching Physical Devices

  1. See "Device Attachment Instructions:" below.
  2. Run "mkdev tape", mkdev juke", or "mkdev cdrom" to attach the physical device(s). Use lsil controller 0 as the controller and the SCSI ID chosen in the Device Attachment Instructions.
  3. Reboot.
  4. Insert Media and run the BackupEDGE autodetector to find the new Resource(s).

 

OpenServer 6.0.0 / UnixWare 7.1.4
Guest Creation Settings Value Notes
Virtual Machine Version: 7 (or Later) Default Setting
Virtual Machine "Guest Operating System" Setting: Other  
Virtual Machine "Guest Operating System" Version: SCO UnixWare 7 Must Be Changed
Network Adapter (NIC) Type: E1000 Must Be Changed
Host Bus Adapter (SCSI Controller 0): LSI Logic SAS Must Be Changed

Device Driver Installation:

Use the MPT (not the megasas) driver from the "SCO OpenServer Release 6.0.0 Maintenance Pack 4 Device Drivers Supplement" located at: http://www.sco.com/support/update/download/release.php?rid=367.

Use the "Network Drivers (nd) Package Version 8.0.6i (osr600)" located at: http://www.sco.com/support/update/download/release.php?rid=427.

  1. Create the guest with the properties listed above:
  2. Install the OS ISO image or CD.
  3. When prompted for additional drivers, disconnect the ISO image or CD in the vSphere client and attach the Drivers Supplement ISO or CD.
  4. When the drivers have loaded, disconnect the ISO or CD and re-connect the OS image or CD.
  5. Defer the network configuration during initial system load.
  6. Install the latest mainenance pack from SCO / UnXis.
  7. Install ND 806i.
  8. Run netconfig and configure the network.
  9. Run patchck to download the latest updates.

 

Attaching Physical Devices

  1. See "Device Attachment Instructions:" below.
  2. Run "mkdev tape", mkdev juke", or "mkdev cdrom" to attach the physical device(s). Use lsil controller 0 as the controller and the SCSI ID chosen in the Device Attachment Instructions.
  3. Reboot
  4. Insert Media and run the BackupEDGE autodetector to find the new Resource(s).

 

Device Attachment Instructions:

See "Best Practices" below. All devices should be configured as "SCSI Devices" in VMware.

  1. Power off the guest.
  2. Click "Edit Machine Settings"
  3. Click "Add".
    1. In "Add Hardware", select "SCSI Device" and click "Next".
    2. In the "Connections" section, select the desired tape, library, optical or REV device in the drop down window.
    3. In the "Virtual Device Node" section, select the desired controller and SCSI ID from the drop down window. For instance, "SCSI (0:2)" would mean SCSI controller 0, SCSI ID 2. Click "Next", then "Finish".
    4. Power up the guest into Single User Mode.
    5. Run "netconfig", delete, re-detect and install the AMD PCNet host adapter using the same settings.
    6. After the kernel re-links, reboot into multi-user mode.

 

Summary - Resources

Network Backups

Type Supported Notes
FTP Backups YES Works with any NIC type
Make RecoverEDGE ISO Image, copy to PC or Datastore Folder.
Amazon S3 Backups YES

FTP and S3 Backups work well under VMware. See "Best Practices" below for recommended NIC types for SCO / UnXis guests.

 

Host-Connected Devices

Type / Physical Connection Logical Connection
(How guest sees device) 		Supported Notes
SCSI / SAS Tape Drive SCSI / SAS YES Full Read/Write Support.
SCSI / SAS Tape Library SCSI / SAS YES Full Read/Write Support.
SATA Optical (Blu-ray Disc / CD / DVD) SCSI / SAS YES Full Read/Write Support when mapped as a logical SCSI device.
USB Optical (Blu-ray Disc / CD / DVD) SCSI / SAS YES Full Read/Write Support when mapped as a logical SCSI device.
USB REV / REV Changer SCSI / SAS YES Drive and changer mapped as separate logical SCSI devices.
SATA / IDE Optical (Blu-ray Disc / CD / DVD) IDE NO BackupEDGE cannot detect devices connected this way.

Microlite highly recommends that all devices connected to a phyical host, no matter what the connection type, be mapped to SCO / UnXis guests as logical SCSI devices. This provides full read/write capability.

 

vSphere Client (PC) Connected Devices

Type / Physical Connection Logical Connection
(How guest sees device) 		Supported Notes
SATA Optical (Blu-ray Disc / CD / DVD) IDE Limited Read Only
USB Optical (Blu-ray Disc / CD / DVD) IDE Limited Read Only

VMware creates a virtual “placeholder” CDROM for times when no physical CDROM is attached. Leave this as the primary CDROM. Set to IDE 0:0 (primary master) and attach as necessary. The placeholder drive can be mapped to read the physical CD / DVD / Blu-ray disc drive in your PC, or a local or datastore-based ISO image, by the vSphere client.

When you want to write to optical devices it is best to attach them as mapped SCSI devices, which will make them appear as the second CDROM device.

 

Best Practices - Review

VMware works by hiding all aspects of the physical machine from the guest OS.

All VMware guest Network Interface Cards (NICs) are mapped to one of three logical NICs.

Intel E1000 Series AMD PCNet
(AKA Flexible) 		VMXNET
Hardware Emulation Hardware Emulation Paravirtualized Driver

All Host Adapters are mapped to one of four logical host adapters.

BusLogic SCSI LSI Logic SCSI LSI Logic SAS PVSCSI
Legacy Emulation Legacy Emulation Emulation Paravirtualized

SCO / UnXis operating systems do not have paravirtualized driver support.

 

Best Practices - SCO / UnXis Guests

Network Interface Cards (NICs)

  1. OpenServer 5.0.7V should use the AMD PCNet mode and driver (also known in VMware as "Flexible".
  2. OpenServer 6.0.0 and 7.1.4 should use the Intel E1000 driver from the latest driver set (currently ND 8.0.6i).

 

Host Adapters (HAs)

The LSI Logic SAS Driver should always be used with SCO / UnXis guests.

  1. OpenServer 5.0.7V has a built-in LSI SCSI/SAS driver based on the LSI 01.04.09 LSIL driver.
  2. OpenServer 5.0.7 users can use the 01.04.09 BTLD LSI SCSI/SAS (LSIL) driver located on the ISO image at: ftp://ftp.sco.com/pub/openserver5/507/drivers/sup5btld.
  3. OpenServer 6.0.0 and UnixWare 7.1.4 users should use the MPT (not the megasas) driver from the "SCO OpenServer Release 6.0.0 Maintenance Pack 4 Device Drivers Supplement" located at: http://www.sco.com/support/update/download/release.php?rid=367.

The primary hard drive may also be set to IDE. This imposes other possible operating system performance and size limitiations and is not highly recommended. If used, the additional storage resources should use a logical Host Adapter as listed above.