Feature Request: Quota for SOBR extends and repositories

[timmi2704]

Hey Veeam,

here is a request for a feature which might be useful in some situations:
For SOBR extends I'd really like to have something like a quota setting option --> If a certain percentage of disk usage is reached, or a specified amount of free space is left, Veeam should stop writing to that extend and use another one instead.
In my case it would be useful, because SOBR extends on deduplication appliances shares prevent write access at a certain level of disk usage (In order to keep some working space for deduplication appliances volume maintenance).
This leads to some problems with backup jobs.

Apart of that, it could be useful if you need to create more than one repository/extend on a single volume. That sounds irrelevant, but it might be necessary, if you want to use backup copy jobs for backup point retention for example.

Thanks for having a look at that
Have a nice weekend!

[Shestakov]

Hi Timo,
Thanks for the request. Veeam B&R will stop using extent and switch to another one if the first one is full. What percentage would you use in your case?
By the way, you can use VeeamONE alarms to be notified if backup repository is getting full.
Thanks!

[jmmarton]

Apart of that, it could be useful if you need to create more than one repository/extend on a single volume. That sounds irrelevant, but it might be necessary, if you want to use backup copy jobs for backup point retention for example.

There are ways to essentially accomplish this today. For example, if you are using a Windows repository just create multiple folders and make each folder a separate backup repo. Or if you're using a deduplication appliance, create multiple shares off the same appliance.

Joe

[timmi2704]

Veeam B&R will stop using extent and switch to another one if the first one is full. What percentage would you use in your case?
By the way, you can use VeeamONE alarms to be notified if backup repository is getting full.

Veeam will use another extend, if it is recognized as full. Our deduplication appliance prevents write access although there are several hundred GB free space left. So this mechanism doesn't work unfortunately. My percentage or a fixed value would be set in a way that would prevent that behaviour.

There are ways to essentially accomplish this today. For example, if you are using a Windows repository just create multiple folders and make each folder a separate backup repo. Or if you're using a deduplication appliance, create multiple shares off the same appliance.

This would allow the creation of different repositories on the same devices, indeed. But still there would be a fight for free space. I'm not sure, whether NTFS disk quota can manage that, but I'd rather refrain from that.

[Shestakov]

Timo,
What kind of repository does show wrong results?
Could you contact Veeam support to investigate the issue?
Thanks!

[timmi2704]

Veeam support is involved (01832709 and 01834133) and they recommended to ask for a feature request here.
The repository itself does not show a wrong result. There really are several hundred GB of free space, but the only operations allowed are file delete operations if the free available space is below a certain threshold.
I'm talking about Quantum deduplication appliances.

[dellock6]

I still don't get this initial statement from you :

SOBR extends on deduplication appliances shares prevent write access at a certain level of disk usage (In order to keep some working space for deduplication appliances volume maintenance)!

Quantum has no native integration with Veeam as datadomain or storeonce, so even if we had such a protection in the software, it would not apply to the quantum, as it would be seen as a regular smb share.
Where did you get this statement from?

[timmi2704]

I think we have a misunderstanding here This is not a Veeam limitation. Sorry for my bad explanation.

Indeed, the deduplication appliance presents NFS share which are set up as a repository.
The appliance itself limits write access, when nearing full capacity.

So my feature request is about having a quota option for repositories or SOBR extends in general.

[Shestakov]

I believe it`s better to get everything working and showing correct free space results to avoid the issues like yours. I`ll talk to developers and support engineers about your case, thanks for providing the case number!

[timmi2704]

Hi Nikita, were you able to find out, whether this is something the developers look into?
Many thanks!

[Shestakov]

Hi Timo,
There is a number of SOBR-related bugs fixed in the upcoming product version. One of the main issues was with Exagrid repositories, but as I understood you had a problem with Quantum appliance.
I`ve reviewed your support cases and it looks like they were closed because of no response from your side.
Thanks!

[timmi2704]

Nikita, 01834133 was still open. A new SR has been opened which will only take care of the above mentioned problem: 01896061.

[allankjaer]

When using Scale-out Repository in Location mode, have I seen that one of the extends is getting out of disk space, and when this happens it will be nice to rebalance the backup data on to the other extends.

I think that it could move some VM backup chains to others extends, maybe also as a preventive maintenance, when a extend is below x GB or x%.

[Shestakov]

Thanks for the feedback, Allan
As mentioned above, you can use VeeamONE alarms to be notified when backup repository reaches the defined threshold.