Host-based backup of VMware vSphere VMs.
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davidkillingsworth
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Does removing a VM guest from a backup job delete it's files

Post by davidkillingsworth »

I have a backup job that has 10 VM guests in it.

I have permanently shut down 7 of those VM guests and let backups run for a few days with the VM guests included as part of the job.

Today, I removed those 7 VM guests from the backup job.

Will the backup files for those VM guests be kept on disk permanently or will they be removed automatically somehow?

Under Storage \ Advanced Settings \ Advanced - VM retention
"Remove deleted VMs data from backup after (14) days) is NOT checked.


To ask the question a different way, do we have a permanent archive of those VM guests that are not running anymore?

Thanks in advance.
veremin
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Re: Does removing a VM guest from a backup job delete it's f

Post by veremin »

I'm wondering what backup you're using. Forward or reversed incremental one? Thanks.
AdrianHinton
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Re: Does removing a VM guest from a backup job delete it's f

Post by AdrianHinton »

Hi v.Eremin,

Would you be so nice as to provide answers for each of the scenarios you have inquired about?

Thank you.
foggy
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Re: Does removing a VM guest from a backup job delete it's f

Post by foggy »

In case of forward incremental mode, VMs will be kept until corresponding backup files are removed according to retention settings specified in the corresponding job. For reverse incremental, there's a 'Deleted VMs retention period' setting that handles the behavior of the VBK file blocks belonging to removed VMs (basically, marking them as free). You can read more details here.
Aremac
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Delete from Backup

Post by Aremac »

I'd like clarification. If I want to point existing backup jobs to a new repository without moving over existing backups I can delete from backup. The existing backups will remain intact but will no longer be associated with the backup jobs. Is this correct?

Thanks,
Vitaliy S.
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Re: Does removing a VM guest from a backup job delete it's f

Post by Vitaliy S. »

Hi Sam,

Yes, If you use remove from backups option, then VM restore points records will be removed from the Veeam backup database, but will remain on the repository. See this web page for further reading.

If you want to create new backup chain for this job, you can just schedule new active full backup pointed to the new repository.

Thanks!
foggy
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Re: Does removing a VM guest from a backup job delete it's f

Post by foggy »

Here's an existing thread discussing this scenario: Change Repository Without Copying Files
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