Feature Request: Follow Symlinks

[rieganjx]

Hello all,

in the documentation I found this after having real Problems with backups:
https://helpcenter.veeam.com/docs/agent ... tml?ver=10
..."Veeam Agent for Linux does not back up data to which symbolic links are targeted. It only backs up the path information that the symbolic links contain. After restore, identical symbolic links are created in the restore destination."...

As we are using a lot of Symlinks on our main product linux maschine, that we would like to backup at all our customer sites with Veeam, please make this possible. Otherwise we need another backup software...

kind regards

[PTide]

Hi,

Do you mean that you provide web-hosting services and run several concurrent virtual hosts on the same server using symlinks? How many hosts do you have on one server?

Thanks

[rieganjx]

Hi,

thanks for the response.... I'm affraid you totally misunderstood me. We are an software company and have several clients running our software on physical hardware. (several reasons) But all our customers are also using VMware and our prefered solution to backup these servers is Veeam. So we got an Veeam Installation on many customers sites (anyway). Till now we are using custom scripts to backup our application (filesystem backup). I would love to use a veeam file copy job instead our scripts, but at the moment I can't copy all files I need from the host maschine, because in the filesystems are many symbolic links and Veeam does'nt follow them to copy the folder they link to. In many linux based tools for example samba there is an Option called "follow symlinks" witch enables/disable exactly this be behaivior.
So I would love to see that Veeam would be able to copy the files behind a symlink, too.

For exampfe: I want to copy the directory /backup/current/* witch is an Link to the real path /disk3/backup/actualDate/* and Veeam should copy the directory /disk3/Backup/actualDate/*

I hope now it is understandable.

kind regards
Andy

P.s.: Also fine would be the choice to copy shares instead of directories

[PTide]

Ok, now I see what you mean. May ask you how do you expect the restore operation to work, assuming that VAL follows symlinks, - should it restore both symlink and its target to their original locations, or restore of the target files would be just fine?

P.s.: Also fine would be the choice to copy shares instead of directories

Do you mean that you'd like to use VAL to backup network shares as well?

Thanks

[rieganjx]

Hi,

I'm not sure if I was really using VAL. I didn't install an Agent on the Linux Maschine manually. Just got the Veeam Installation and added an Linux Maschine to the managed servers List (Of course there a some things installed on the managed server) . Then I used "Create new File Copy Job". Is this already the VAL? Thougt I have to install the VAL on the maschine itself and than I could run commands on the Linux maschine etc. I thought this are 2 diffrent "agents". I read that the VAL now reached final state with 9.5 U1 and wanted to try it tomorrow.

But back to your question, of course it would be neccesary that both things would be restored the original Location and the symlinc. (for me it would also be ok to manually copy the files back to the original location, if restored to a diffrent target, but of course thats not an option for your software)

Do you mean that you'd like to use VAL to backup network shares as well?

no real need to be a linux agent, just the ability to copy files from a (samba) share with veeam (like using robocopy on a unc share) but within veeam, so I can use the reporting of veeam and be able to react on completion of the job with a shedule. For example when samba file copy job is finished, start file copy job to tape.

thanks

[nielsengelen]

Looks like you tested Veeam Backup & Replication compared to VAL.

Was the Linux server virtual or physical?

[PTide]

Is this already the VAL?

No, it's not. VAL is installed separately on every Linux host. Unfortunately VAL does not follow symlinks either. Anyway your request has been noted, thank you for that!

just the ability to copy files from a (samba) share with veeam

There is an existing thread for that feature request, you can upvote it by posting another comment there. The more requests we get - the higher chances that the feature will make it to the release.

For example when samba file copy job is finished, start file copy job to tape.

The only option for now is to use some PS script that will constantly monitor File Copy job state and trigger File to Tape job when File Copy job is finished.

Thanks