Recommendations to Backup Hyper-V Server Core (Small Office)

[unlikely]

Hi,

I cannot easily extract useful beginner information from this similar question
microsoft-hyper-v-f25/how-to-backup-vms ... 59820.html

so I ask again if I can backup (all or part) my Small Office with solution from VeeAm. My devices:

- 1 Hyper V Server CORE with
- 1 VM Windows 2016 Server Core with DC, FPS, ...
- 1 VM Windows 2016 Server Desktop Experience with RDS, FPS
- 5 PCs Windows 10

in particular:
- no "spare" physical server
- no license for another Windows Server

The physical server has plenty os free tray for other disks if needed.

We can use VeeAm free to backup those systems?
If yes: what is the best deplyment of components?
If not: what we should buy (hardware/software/licenses) at very minimum to be able to backup with VeeAm products?

Thanks

[soncscy]

Hi Unlikely,

Sure, just install Veeam on one of your VMs (I strongly advise not your servers since I imagine you want to back these up), and I recommend build a small storage box outside of Veeam.

Add the HyperV server to Veeam, and backup to the small storage box. If you an afford it and have the bandwidth, off-site to some S3 bucket for extra protection.

[JamesNT]

The majority of our client setups are a single Hyper-V server with two virtual machines. One VM is a domain controller and the other is an Applications server with file shares, quickbooks, things like that. We typically install Veeam on the Applications server and back up both VM's. Onsite storage is either a QNap such as this one:

https://www.amazon.com/QNAP-TS-231P-US- ... 879&sr=8-4

Or a USB hard drive.

This configuration works well for us and gives us few issues. For those clients on a budget, it's probably the only way to go. Note there are those on the forum that will give us grief for having Veeam on one of the very virtual machines we are backing up. For each one that gives you grief, tell them you have a GoFundMe page set up so they can donate toward your purchasing a backup server for your clients.

JamesNT

[Noseve]

I am new to this software, but our test environment is similar to the OP's setup(albeit running Windows Server 2012 R2 Hyper-V Core), and with VBR Community Edition installed upon one of the Windows 10 workstations we have taken several hot/live bare-metal backups and successfully restored Core and VMs in one hit with no fuss, to virgin hard disks, including swapping RAID controllers in between backup and restore. Some RAID swaps do require booting into Safe Mode once, but after the subsequent standard reboot all is up and running again as though nothing had happened.
Hyper-V Core system backup is not officially supported by Veeam, but seems rock-solid in our test environment.
Despite the consensus that it is not worth backing up the Hyper-V Core itself, in a slow broadband location the updates can take a long time, not to mention the multiple reboots required. Surely, it is preferable to get those out of the way before the VMs are being used in anger. At this early stage, I cannot believe how brilliant this FREE package is, and would recommend it to anyone.
So, OP, yes, it will be ideal for what you need.

[BugDug]

@Noseve

You mention above that you have VBR installed on one of the Window 10 workstations. Does this mean it's possible install the VBR "backup server" on a client PC rather than on a server and still back-up the server VMs? Is your test environment still working well? If it works reliably, I'm much rather install VBR on one of the Windows 10 clients than go through the trouble of setting up a dedicated back-up VM or back up physical server.

I'd appreciate any suggestions and additional insight on how your set-up works.

Thanks!

[Vitaliy S.]

Does this mean it's possible install the VBR "backup server" on a client PC rather than on a server and still back-up the server VMs?

Yes, that's correct VBR server placement has no affect on what you can back up.