Veeam B&R v9.5 U4 Known Issue - Veeam Agents License

[wa15]

I have communicated these two issues to support already but also posting this on the forum for others that may come across this same situation:

1. Veeam B&R U4 clean install doesn't support installing of Veeam Agent license (Veeam reports an "invalid license" message). Opened up a support case (03352433) and they mentioned this will be corrected in the GA release. Current workaround is to install v9.5 U3 and then update to U4.

2. Also, separate observation: even though SQL Server 2016 Express is installed with a v9.5 U4 clean install, the SQL management objects (during the pre-requisite check & install) are still for SQL Server 2014. Also, from the start menu, I can see that SQL Server 2008 Installation Center still shows up. So it appears that some bits from older SQL versions 2014/2008 are still installed, even though SQL 2016 Express is packaged with the installer. Also communicated this to support (03352431).

Thanks.

[Gostev]

Hi,

Thanks for reporting these potential issues - and especially thank you for participating in pilot deployments of the RTM build.

1. This is actually not an issue that needs to be corrected, as legacy subscription licenses are simply not supported with Update 4.

I guess the only problem here is that you're doing new install. You won't need the new license when upgrading an existing installation, as there's a 90 days grace period to swap the license. But yes, at GA time you will be able to download your own license file from the customer portal.

2. AFAIR this is intended and we purposely chose to redistribute this version.

Thanks!

[ikbarbero]

Hi,

We have applied the update 4 to our test environment with subscription based license (per vm) and it doesn't recognize it with this error "Legacy subscription license are not supported. Please obsntate an instance-based license through the Veeam Customer Portal and try again.".

We check our licensing website and we don't have any option regarding instance-based license. Anyone out there have any issue upgrading with this kind of licensing?.

[wishr]

Hi Iker,

I've moved your post to an existing thread covering your question (the same applies to B&R per VM licenses). Please take a look and let us know if you have any additional questions.

Thanks

[Gostev]

Veeam Customer Portal is being updated to generate instance-based license as we speak, and this will be completed before generally availability. As a workaround, please install 9.5 RTM in your test environment with the legacy license, then upgrade it to Update 4.

[Gostev]

BTW, I've asked to add a trial license to the download location, hopefully it should be there by the end of the day - or tomorrow at the latest. Instance licenses are portable between workloads, so it will work as a replacement for both VM and agent legacy subscription licenses.

[wa15]

@Gostev, thanks! looking forward to downloading the license.

[ikbarbero]

Thank you so much for the answer regarding the license issue. We are able to download the license from the repository until the new portal is ready to convert our current one.

[Gostev]

Yes, the trial license is available in the download location now. Happy testing!

[wa15]

I requested a key for the "Veeam Agents" trial license from the portal, and I am still getting an invalid license message when I try to apply it. Am I missing something?

[Gostev]

Only my earlier posts in this thread the portal will not be ready until close to GA date.

[andersgustaf]

I updated to Update4 yesterday, all seemed fine.. until tonight when my 30 agents tried to be backed up.. that didnt really work
This is not a clean install but an update to Update4.

Is there any way of solving this? We have regular support so I dont exspect this to be solved today or tomorrow.. but its pretty urgent.

//Anders

[Gostev]

Unfortunately, contacting our support is truly the only available option with any technical issues, especially if you need urgent resolution. However, AFAIK agents subscription comes with 24/7 support - you cannot really buy agents with basic support?

[Gostev]

According to the notes from a similar support case, you should be able to solve the issue by installing the trial license included with the download.

[andersgustaf]

Understood!

I actually created a case earlier regarding the update and called support this saturday, talked to an agent that asked me to install the trial key instead and that solved the "issue" with my legacy subscription.
Are VAW licensed differently in Update4 since they are reported as instances and Im not able to upload the licensefile for VAW?


//Anders

[garym2000]

FYI, the same seemed to happen with a Veeam Cloud Connect for Service providers Licence. I created a new server using the U4 Beta, and the licence would not apply. I have to put 3a on, apply the licence then update to U4.

[McClane]

Hi,

is there still no option to get the new licences? I cannot found one.

[Dima P.]

To quickly resolve the issue, please install the trial license provided with RTM. If you don't have one - open a support case.

Starting from Update 4 Agent Management functionality does not require separate license file, instead single license for Agents and Veeam B&R must be used. Such license file should have instance counters instead of Workstation/Server counters provided earlier. At the GA date you can get the renewed license file from the customer portal (it should become available automatically after the GA).

[Tefty]

Morning all,

Updated to U4 RTM on Friday and all went well.

No issues with normal backups however I have 2 agent backups that now won't run on their schedule, they run fine however when run manually on the end machine.

Anyone else had this?

[Dima P.]

Hello Andy,

That's a known issue. Kindly, review the solution suggested above and let us know if you need any assistance. Thanks!

[Tefty]

So got round to loading in my update 4 license yesterday and still no joy.
My free agent jobs didn't run on schedule last night?

I have a 6 socket perpetual license which shows 6 instances? Am I supposed to tick the allow free agents to consume instances?

Screenshot of license:

https://theradcliffeschool-my.sharepoin ... A?e=mTcaTB

[Dima P.]

Andy,

The checkbox should be unchecked if you want this agents to operate in the Free mode (otherwise they will start to consume these free counters and switch to licensed mode). Do you see any error in the agent job log? Thanks!

[Tefty]

Well I just got off the phone from support.

So I have been using Veeam agent since it first came out and last updated it to version 1.5 when you introduced the ability to point the agents to my B&R server servers for repository access.
I simply had the agent on 2 Windows workstations pointing to my Veeam B&R server for repository access and reporting with the agents setup on a schedule doing full metal backups.
Been working fine for years...
Things have clearly changed a lot since then.....

So support have provided me with a "whats new PDF" (FYI - Not sure why you guys didn't email this out to customers!) stating some of the new license changes.
I have a 6 socket perpetual license which now has also been granted 6 instance licenses for free to match my socket count (up to a maximum of 6 free instance licenses), great.
Having read through some Gostev posts I can see that instance licensing is a new model that can be chopped and changed in multiple scenarios to license VM's, Servers and Workstations however perpetual socket license still exists. OK... can understand this, makes sense.

So then I come onto Agents and why they are not backing up on schedule now. I explain to support that I followed your guidance, updated my license file and still no joy. They advise I need to have the tick box checked so my Agents will use an Instance license.
Confused by this a little I try to ask why I need to use instance licensing now in order to make the Agent backup on schedule? Is it now no longer free?
Does that mean that my Agent install are now the paid version if using the instance licensing?

[Dima P.]

So then I come onto Agents and why they are not backing up on schedule now. I explain to support that I followed your guidance, updated my license file and still no joy. They advise I need to have the tick box checked so my Agents will use an Instance license.

This checkbox will force your agents to perform a switch to the licensed mode, which is not required at all. Can you please give me your case id to review the case details?

Confused by this a little I try to ask why I need to use instance licensing now in order to make the Agent backup on schedule? Is it now no longer free?

Free version remains.

Does that mean that my Agent install are now the paid version if using the instance licensing?

It's up to you: you can keep using agents in free mode or use these free instance counters with your socket based license. Again - that's not mandatory rule and you are the one to decide.

[Tefty]

Case # 03379519

I won't pretend to know all the difference in Agent versions but in short I believed the following to be true from reading over the years.

Free Agent is a simple full metal backup (with created boot media in form of an .ISO) that I can schedule and point to my B&R server for repository access and monitoring.
Paid Agent introduces all the lovely B&R features into the agent such as item level restore, incremental backups etc etc etc...

Please correct me if the above is wrong.

I will see if my Agents backup tonight with the tickbox in place essentially making the Agents the licensed ones.
It could possibly be that my Agents are 1.5... As previously stated these were last updated back when you first implemented the Agent to Repository feature and have just worked ever since and I believe you are now on V3.x of the Agent so I could look at updating them tomorrow.

[Dima P.]

Andy,

Free Agent is a simple full metal backup (with created boot media in form of an .ISO) that I can schedule and point to my B&R server for repository access and monitoring.
Paid Agent introduces all the lovely B&R features into the agent such as item level restore, incremental backups etc etc etc...

Take a look at Editions Comparison table (you will need to click Veeam Agent for Windows tab) to see all the differences in one place.

It could possibly be that my Agents are 1.5...

That's the main problem and it's not related to license. You must update your agents - version 1.5 is quite old and is not compatible with latest Update 4. Must say that update path to the latest version will be a bit tricky as v3 does not support direct updates from versions older that 2.0. Fist you would need to update 1.5 to 2.2 (you can get it here) and only then install latest 3.0.

[Tefty]

Thanks Dima.

Having just read up on managed agents and protected groups I presume I can just uninstall the old Agent and deploy the new v3 from veeam?
Granted my backup chain will then be invalid but I can start again on the new Agent?

[Dima P.]

Hi Andy,

If you have enough instances to covert your physical hosts that should work.