Cloud Connect V8 - Block Level Replication?

[Yon]

Hello,

I'm excited about the upcoming Cloud Connect feature which I believe will allow service providers to host storage targets for customers, all powered through Veeam software. I have read that WAN acceleration (for those with Enterprise Plus) will be compatible with Cloud Connect.

Will Block level data transfers be available through cloud connect as well? If a customer is using synthetic full backups, will they need to send the entire copy of their backup file each day, or will the software be capable of only sending the changes? I ask because the Veeam Cloud edition option has been of limited use to my clients because it does not have this feature.

Related question, will block level data transfers become an option for Veeam Cloud Edition in V8?

Thanks!

[veremin]

Will Block level data transfers be available through cloud connect as well?

As mentioned in the press release, VB&R Cloud Connect will utilize all VB&R technologies, including Backup Copy jobs. The latter is a forever incremental job, copying only changes to target location.

Related question, will block level data transfers become an option for Veeam Cloud Edition in V8?

The block level replication is already there, though, it's still in experimental stage. So, one should use it cautiously.

Thanks.

[Gostev]

Hi Yon,

I think the way you ask the question makes the potential discussion really complex... because now we need to introduce some new terms e.g. "block level replication", which makes it really confusing. So, let me try it to explain this differently.

Basically, it's not a matter of any functionality being "compatible" with cloud repositories. Under the hood, v8 Cloud Repository is nothing but regular Veeam backup repository, with no limitations whatsoever. Don't even start thinking that it is somehow different from your other backup repositories that you are using today in v7. As such, all the existing functionality we provide in our product today (be it forever-incremental backup, synthetic fulls, backup copy jobs, WAN acceleration - and any other B&R functionality you can possibly think of that has to deal with backup repositories) will continue to work with cloud repositories as well. And anything you can do with your v7 backup repositories today, you can do with v8 cloud repositories.

And since you mention Cloud Edition, I should note that Cloud Connect was specifically built to address all limitations causing that "limited use" of the Cloud Edition you are referring to.

Does this help?

Thanks!

[Yon]

Hi V.Eremin and Gostev,

I appreciate the prompt responses and acknowledge that I was a bit vague with the terminology that I used. I believe that you have answered my primary concern, which is that this new version will be able to more efficiently send a copy of backup data over the WAN to a remote location. I'm excited for the release date as this will likely resolve issues that some of my customers are facing.

Can you describe how the license/subscription of this new version will work? My understanding is that the traditional B&R licensing is a perpetual license cost followed by yearly support contracts which provide technical support and access to patches and upgrades, while the cloud edition is a yearly subscription; if you stop paying you no longer have access to the solution.

Assuming that my understanding of the current license/subscriptions are correct, will the new edition have to similar versions (one perpetual license, and one subscription model)?

One other related question, how will a B&R Cloud edition map over or, convert, into this new version?

Best Regards,

Yon

[Gostev]

Hi Yon

Veeam will charge VCPs with per-VM subscription-based model to be able to deliver the Cloud Connect service, and we will NOT charge actual users (ability to add cloud repositories is included in all product editions at no cost). Now, of course VCP will charge the users based on their own model (I expect something around storage space in most cases), but we don't tap into that revenue stream. More details will be available to VCPs closer to the release, as they are being polished right now.

Cloud Edition remains intact, as it serves different purpose and use case. We will have some positioning documents to explain the difference.

Thanks.

[Yon]

Much appreciated. One last question.

Any change that the block level replication of the Veeam Cloud product will become a standard feature rather than an experimental feature in V8?

Thanks,

[Gostev]

No plans at this time.