Replacing Backup Exec, removable media scenario.

[Clegg]

Hello,

I have been using Backup Exec for a decade or more now and I am testing out Veeam as a replacement for Hyper-V backups. The scenario I used before for my lab (where I do most of my work in) was:

Backup the entire environment fully to a removable eSATA array (~12TB) which would be done once a month and when done be taken offsite. Then have every other day differentials go to a local disk in the host so if I needed access to a recently removed or changed file I could.

Since the terminology is so different between the systems I am not sure how Veeam truly handles removable/file level media and scenarios like this. I know Veeam doesn't really do file level incremental/differential backups, so I am not sure if I can do incremental/differential backups to a local disk while having the full backup offline?

My topology is I have a single Hyper-V host, running Server 2012. I have Veeam installed in a VM. I have the backup media directly connected to the host and I am using the OnHost backup topology with Veeam just running it and the host backing up direct to either the eSATA array, or the local SATA disk for differentials.

Any help or guidance would be appreciated

Thanks,
Joe

[Vitaliy S.]

Hello Joe,

so I am not sure if I can do incremental/differential backups to a local disk while having the full backup offline?

You can store full + incremental backup on the local disk as well as keep another full backup copy in the offsite location. Since incremental and differential backups do require full backup they are based on/rely on, do you need the full backup form the remote site to run a restore job in your current scenario?

With Veeam B&R v7 we are introducing backup copy jobs, that can assist you with copying full backup to the offsite location: http://www.veeam.com/blog/countdown-to- ... ion-2.html

As to the removable media scenario, then there is an existing topic describing how it is done with Veeam B&R v6.5, please look it through to verify if it can be applied to your workflow: Veeam Backup & Removable Media (rotated drives)

Thank you!

[v.Eremin]

It might be worth backing up first to locally attached drives and then copying monthly-worth full backup to rotated media. Not only will it guarantee required backup data redundancy, but also it’s always advisable to have one backup copy within easy reach should any restore be needed.

And there are several options how the aforesaid scenario can be implemented:

1) Use two backup jobs, one of which is writing to locally attached drive, meanwhile, the other to removable appliance.
2) PS usage. Schedule a custom PS script to run once a month. This script will be responsible for copying latest .vbk file to rotated device.
3) Or wait till the Veeam Backup and Replication with the new backup copy job is released.

Hope this helps.
Thanks.

[Clegg]

Ahh that's what I thought I would need... a full backup locally, and then copy it to the removable disk....

That's kind of a deal breaker for the lab I am spinning this up in due to disk limitations. The local disk is not big enough for a full sadly. Only the removable disk box is.

hmm... I may need to look at some hybrid Veeam/Backup Exec solution. For incremental file backups separate from the full Veeam image backups. (Using a post script in Veeam to reset the "Archive" bit on all the files in the VM data directories after the full Veeam image).

[v.Eremin]

Yep, you will probably have to implement some workaround, as it’s not possible to separate places where incremental and full backup files are stored.

In fact, it makes little sense to store them separately, since should any restore be needed, you will have to find and plug a removable media, where full backup is stored, because it’s impossible to perform restoration activity, having only incremental restore points. Therefore, the required RTO/RPO is likely to suffer from such a design.

So, the bottom line is that if it's possible, you should try to increase space available locally (enough for storing a given number of restore points) and use rotated media for the purpose of backup data redundancy (or for long-term archival copies of backup data).

Thanks.

[Clegg]

Yeah if this was a prod environment I would be doing exactly that , getting more local backup space, and then spinning off a copy of the local to offsite. The fact this is a lab with no budget means I need to get a bit more creative But with all this - I am still extremely impressed with Veeam, backups with it are almost 25% faster than Backup Exec was for a full backup of the environment!

[v.Eremin]

I am still extremely impressed with Veeam, backups with it are almost 25% faster than Backup Exec was for a full backup of the environment!

And the upcoming version will definitely have some ace in the hole. So, stay tuned.