Architecture Overview
The Veeam Backup for Nutanix AHV architecture comprises the following set of components:
A Nutanix AHV cluster is a logical group of Nutanix HCI nodes managed by Nutanix Controller VMs (CVMs). While performing backup and restore operations, Veeam Backup for Nutanix AHV uses the Nutanix AHV cluster to access Nutanix AHV resources such as VMs, volume groups, storage containers and networks.
A backup server is a Windows-based physical or virtual machine on which Veeam Backup & Replication is installed. The backup server is the configuration, administration and management component of the backup infrastructure. It coordinates backup and restore operations, controls job scheduling and manages resource allocation.
Nutanix AHV Plug-in is an architecture component that enables integration between the backup server and the Nutanix AHV backup appliance. Nutanix AHV Plug-in also allows the backup server to deploy and manage the backup appliance.
A backup appliance is an architecture component that sits logically between the backup server and other components of the backup infrastructure. While the backup server administers tasks, the backup appliance performs management operations, processes jobs and delivers backup traffic. The Nutanix AHV backup appliance is a Linux-based VM that resides in the Nutanix AHV cluster and includes the following components:
- Backup Appliance Web Console is an interface that allows you to manage backup and restore operations, and to configure settings of the Nutanix AHV backup appliance.
- Veeam Updater is a service that is responsible for installing and scheduling updates for the Nutanix AHV backup appliance.
A worker an architecture component that performs data processing tasks. During backup, workers retrieve source machine data from the Nutanix AHV cluster and deliver it to backup repositories. During restore, workers transfer backed-up data from backup repositories to the Nutanix AHV cluster.
The backup appliance comes with a preconfigured embedded worker that can be used in small virtual environments. In large environments, it is recommended to deploy dedicated workers — Linux-based VMs that are distributed among the cluster hosts (nodes) and are automatically launched for the duration of a backup or restore process.
A backup repository is an architecture component where Veeam Backup for Nutanix AHV stores backup files. The backup repository runs the Veeam Data Mover component that retrieves backed-up data from the worker.
If the backup repository cannot host Veeam Data Mover, it resides on a gateway server — a dedicated component that “bridges” the backup server and worker. For more information, see the Veeam Backup & Replication User Guide, section Gateway Server.
