Migration to Immutability - Object storage Azure blob

[pvhoait]

Hi Everyone,
I am looking forward to getting support from you.
Our backup job setting is:
1. The first copy will be stored in local storage at a local site.
2. The second copy will be stored on another site via backup copy job.
3. The third copy will be stored on azure blob storage without immutability (via SOBR).

The SOBR is a combination of Local storage - NAS + Object storage (Azure blob storage without turn on immutability).

Our retention is set GFS: 7 daily- incremental, 60 full months and synthetic full-on Saturday.

Question:
1. I want to apply the immutability to the 3rd copy (object storage: azure blob) so I must deactivate the azure blob in SOBR first and create new azure blob and turn on the immutability and assign to SOBR again to replace the old one?
2. I want to store longtime on Azure (immutable) same our retention policy, how long I will setting immutable period? Let say 7 daily, 4 week and 60 months full?

[Mildur]

Hello Phung

Welcome to the forum.

1. I want to apply the immutability to the 3rd copy (object storage: azure blob) so I must deactivate the azure blob in SOBR first and create new azure blob and turn on the immutability and assign to SOBR again to replace the old one?

Yes. A new Azure blob container/storage account is required. You can't enable immutability on the existing one.

The process to migrate your data follows this steps:
1. Optional, if you have previously used "move policy": Download all backups to performance tier.
2. Replace the non-immutable capacity tier with a new immutable capacity tier.
3. Start an offload session with “Copy Policy” to offload all backups to the new immutable capacity tier.

Please note, "downloading all backups" is a Fast Clone aware process. But only if you use a reFS volume or dedup appliance as a performance tier extend. You wrote NAS? How is the NAS connected to the backup server? SMB or iSCSI with reFS?

2. I want to store longtime on Azure (immutable) same our retention policy, how long I will setting immutable period? Let say 7 daily, 4 week and 60 months full?

With capacity tier you must configure immutability to 60 months. But it will also affect your daily and weekly backups.
If you want to keep backups immutable for 60 months, I recommend using the archive tier for the 60 monthly backups. Azure Archive storage is cheaper. For the Azure capacity tier, use an immutability period of 30 days and change your job retention to keep 30 daily backups. It doesn't make sense to have a lower retention period as your immutability period.

Maybe a better option is to switch from SOBR Capacity Tier to "direct copy to Azure Blob" (possible with v12 and later).
With "direct copy to Azure Blob" you can configure a immutable period of 7 days. Your daily backups will be immutable for 7 days (+10d block generation) and your GFS backups for there entire lifetime (weeklies for 4 weeks, monthly for 60 months).

Best,
Fabian

[pvhoait]

Thanks Fabian,
I am newer with Veeam so Please help me to clear:
1. Optional, if you have previously used "move policy": Download all backups to performance tier.
Phung: Are you talking about move 1st copy data on Local storage (NAS) to performance tier? what is "move policy"? what is the purpose of this?
3. Start an offload session with “Copy Policy” to offload all backups to the new immutable capacity tier.
Phung: you mean that I have to copy the Data from non-immutable to new immutable capacity tier? Can i leave the Data on non-immutable capacity tier? what is the risk of that? what is "Copy Policy"?

Noted: our NAS connect to Backup server via iSCSI.

4. Maybe a better option is to switch from SOBR Capacity Tier to "direct copy to Azure Blob" (possible with v12 and later).
Phung: I refer this option, so i have to remove the object storage - Azure with non-immutable on current SOBR first and create new job (direct copy to Azure Blob) right?

Thanks you very much.
Phung