Removing VMs from a backup

[pshute]

Occasionally I need to restore a restore point from tape. We have only just enough disk space to restore one, maybe two restore points, so I need to use them and delete them soon after.

I noticed that I can delete VMs from the restored restore points, but the vbk file remains the same size. I assume it merely marks the removed VMs as deleted. Is it possible to rewrite the vbk file so it's only the size required for the remaining VMs?

If I could do this then I could safely keep the restored restore points around a bit longer.

[veremin]

Is it possible to rewrite the vbk file so it's only the size required for the remaining VMs?

Nope, you cannot shrink restored backup file. Thanks.

[foggy]

Peter, what kind of restore do you need to do? Just FYI, you can perform restore directly to infrastructure, without the need for staging repository.

[sleti]

When Veeam Backup & Replication removes data for deleted VMs from regular backup chains, it does not free up space on the backup repository. It marks the space as available to be overwritten, and this space is overwritten during subsequent job sessions or the backup file compact operation.

When Veeam Backup & Replication removes data for deleted VMs from per-VM backup chains, it does not mark the space as available but deletes backup files since they contain data for 1 VM only.

[pshute]

Peter, what kind of restore do you need to do? Just FYI, you can perform restore directly to infrastructure, without the need for staging repository.

In this case we're doing an investigation, checking for presence of particular files, so we need to browse and compare the VM file system with other dates, not restore.

[YouGotServered]

Just out of curiosity here, if you told Veeam to run a defrag and compact operation on the full backup file? When Veeam re-writes the vbk, will it remove the "empty space" marked as rewritable from the vbk? If so, then I imagine you can delete the VM data, then schedule a defrag and compact for the next day and reclaim some space.

[foggy]

Hi Cory, compact cannot be triggered separately from the job schedule, while in this case Peter restores backup files from the tape, so there's no job.

[pshute]

So it's technically possible, but not available in the GUI? Can I suggest it as a new feature?

It could be available as an option to run any time on a vbk file, or optionally scheduled after a VM is deleted from it. It could also be an option when restoring a restore point from tape, to specify which VMs you want included in it, and the vbk file could be either built from those only as the data is read from tape, or fully restored then the rest removed, followed by compaction.

[foggy]

So it's technically possible, but not available in the GUI? Can I suggest it as a new feature?

No, there's currently no such functionality. But we already have a dedicated thread requesting this, so your voice is counted.

[YouGotServered]

Hi Cory, compact cannot be triggered separately from the job schedule, while in this case Peter restores backup files from the tape, so there's no job.

I understand that, but what I'm saying is that if you have a compact operation scheduled from within the job options, the compact operation will in fact reclaim this space. Is that correct or am I mistaken?

[foggy]

That is correct.

[pshute]

No, there's currently no such functionality. But we already have a dedicated thread requesting this, so your voice is counted.

Where's that thread, please?

[foggy]

Here it is.