Backup Options for ROBO

[gingerdazza]

We have all our main HQ VMware hosts running B&R and all good. However, we have 10+ ROBO office which have single VMware hosts, with 3-4 VMs - mainly domain controllers and print servers. Each site connected via 1.5Mbps. I want to implement a very cheap form of backup and would be interested to know what options other have taken. I was even thinking about deploying a Synology DiskStation in each ROBO, attaching it as a datastore to the hosts, and just periodically cloning the VMs.

What other methods are you guys using/recommending?

[foggy]

You can deploy proxies on each of the remote hosts and backup them with Veeam B&R so that backup traffic stay local.

[gingerdazza]

A.That would mean rather expensive license costs for Veeam as we have the full suite and I believe you can't mix license levels.
B. I assume it would be better to have a repository in the ROBO on which to keep the backups. What cheap options here for a repository?

[foggy]

B. I assume it would be better to have a repository in the ROBO on which to keep the backups. What cheap options here for a repository?

You can review this thread for some options.

[gingerdazza]

That topic seems to mainly discuss larger scale backup repositories. I was hoping to be talking in the sub $1,000 per ROBO arena, say like Synology NAS boxes.

Others got any other suggestions for cheap ROBO backup setups?

[foggy]

Actually options suggested there can be used in environments of almost any scale, starting from the smallest ones.

[gingerdazza]

Is it possible to use VeeamZIP to backup ROBO VMs to a local NAS repository? I assume this would need a Windows VM in the ROBO acting as a proxy and gateway server to a simple SMB cheap NAS like a QNAP?? I don't think this would require any form of Veeam license on the ROBO kit?

[gingerdazza]

BUMP

[foggy]

Yes, you will need a proxy at the remote site to perform this. Corresponding source hosts should be covered by your current license, so make sure it has enough sockets.

[gingerdazza]

1. I assume the proxy can still be just any Windows VM on the host I'm protecting?
2. "source hosts should be covered by your current license". Not sure I understand........

Scenario:
Paris ROBO Office
1 Host VMware, single socket, no Veeam licenses, with 4 Windows VMs, including one used as Veeam proxy. VMware host has Synology NFS/iSCSI NAS as second "backup" datastore.
B&R server in London. From this server setup backup of Paris ROBO VMs using paris proxy, to Synology device in Paris using VeeamZIP manually.

Are any licenses needed in this setup, where and why?

Thanks

[foggy]

1. Yes.
2. You have Veeam B&R license installed on your Veeam B&R server in London that covers some number of source host sockets. This same license should cover remote hosts if you're going to backup VMs residing on them.

[gingerdazza]

Thanks Foggy. But I thought VeeamZIP was free? Can I not use VeeamZIP to backup to ROBO VMs via a proxy to the Synology drive?

[foggy]

Well, we've checked and it turned out that I was wrong. VeeamZIP doesn't require the host to be licensed, so you can use it without bothering about license count.

[gingerdazza]

Thanks

.........can I just check that it's also OK to have a proxy and/or gateway server on an unlicensed host?

[foggy]

Yes, you do not need a license for proxies/repositories/gateways. Only source hosts where backed up/replicated VMs reside are counted.