Quiescing in ESXi/vSphere is available for both Windows and *nix systems. Windows use the VSS system while *nix uses the vmsync driver.
This is not true. I have some BSD VM-s without any possibility to install even vmwate tools. The message from vCenter is something "...vmware tools are not managed by vmware"
And knowledge to know BSD OS is not my business also.
Some databases do not need to be quiesced to have consistent backups taken with regular vSphere snapshots. One example is vPostgres where everything is written to a redo log first before being committed to the database. This is why the vCenter Server Appliance, for example, does not need to be quiesced to be successfully backed up.
Of course, but do vmware know which database need it? Nobady wasnt heared about them before - they are server made vendor own made databases. And when you ask from support, they gallantly say "this information is confidential". And thats it. There is no any vPostgres.
Any vendor can write support for quiescing in their app. While VMware provides the VSS writer and vmsync driver, the vendor is responsible for hooking into this system and then implementing whatever is necessary to put their product into a consistent state. Thus, VMware provides the framework necessary to take backups of any system running on top of it, but the responsibility is on the vendor building said system in order to use it.
Of course they can, but they just dont do it. Im not so important person for them. Im not from General Motors. They are not responsible for anything.
If the appliance that you have chosen to deploy on vSphere does not offer a snapshot-based (VADP) method to protect the solution, this is not VMware's fault. You need to speak to the vendor of that appliance. Almost all vendors have some method of protecting their appliances. Sometimes that is through an in-guest method; sometimes that is with built-in scripts; and sometimes that is based on VADP. You complaining about Veeam or VMware's software being poor because your Palo Alto or Checkpoint appliance cannot be backed up with snapshots in a consistent state is absurd. It would be like me complaining to a gasoline company that my Subaru Forester doesn't have power steering.
I dont care whos fault it is, I just want to backup, thats it. Im not so important client, they just answer something "shut down server and make backup", they dont care at all. Even more, regular support dont know at all nothing about and if you want to talk with some engineer, then you must wait months. And this "almost all verndor..." is lie.
You haven't read the vendor's documentation or know very much about this appliance. I have absolutely never once heard in all my experience that this is the only or required method to produce a consistent backup of any type of appliance. If you're claiming this is so, provide evidence of it or at least the mythical appliance name in question.
Well, you just have not readed some SAN storage manual. SAN vendors vice-versa suggest backing up VM-s exactly only through LUN-s and through Vmware Snapshot Agent.
You haven't actually tested a restore of your appliance using simple snapshots, or something unusual happened in case that test restore failed to lead you to believe that it won't work.
No, I have tested it and all works perfectly.
This appliance is not VMware certified
This is not my problem. For me its enough when its made for ESXi.
This appliance is a piece of garbage
Maybe Veeam is garbage instead?
You'll have to make do with your backup hack system
Storage SAN is not hack. Just bought some SAN and make normal backups. Instead Veeam is garbage. Its windows based hack. Today its really shame when some vendor dont have on-the-box install-and-use completed and embedded VM with OVA file. I prefer BSD, because BSD takes the least resources. Windows servers are still ok, but not for one simple operation as backup, only for backup.
Replication is not backup. Read that very carefully. Replication is not backup. You comparing LUN replication and vSphere Replication with other backup applications shows you don't understand the difference between these two technologies.
Now I see - you just dont have any experience with Vmware Replication and with LUN snapshot replication. I know very well what is difference between backup and replication. Im used Veritas Volume Manager, Veritas Storage Foundation and Veritas Volume Replicator. They are sector based replications. Also I have used file-based replication software like Retrospect Replicator, Attunity RepliWeb, PeerSync, GoodSync etc. I have written about this also reviews. The difference is huge between them......But now I tell one strange detail. Both Vmware Replication and LUN snapshot replications arent actually replications. Vmware Replication dont replicate anything, it just makes incremental backups and those backups are even compressed and useless to use without decompressing. They have own files structure. Only after decompressing you see usual VM-s. I dont know why Vmware call it Replication, but its not. Maybe because its so dynamic and "silently always run", its very perfect design, it even have some artificial intelligence for backup strategy and right moment. So, it looks like replication, but actually its not. The same thing is with LUN snapshot replications. There is no any actual replication. It just backing up incrementally all LUN snapshots. And also, you cant directly connect those LUN snapshot replications to LUN target. First you must copy those "replicas" into the same storage SAN and after that you can connect them with iSCSI LUN targets. So, its just name "replication", not the one technologically replication means. They are backups.