Replication from backups

[dave8730]

Setting up a new replication job to DR site with two source repositories, repo 1 contains a local backup of the VM, repo 2 at the DR site contains a backup copy of the VM. If at the time the replication job runs both repos contain the same restore point for the VM (repo 1 from backup job, repo 2 from backup copy job), which repository will the replication job use as a source for the VM?

[dave8730]

I have now tested the scenario (didn't think to do that before posting), and the test replication job used repo 1 even though repo 2 contains the same restore point and is local to the replication destination ESXI host and proxy.

I will need to come up with another way of getting the replication job to use different source repos for the same VM depending on the time of day (to avoid sending the VM data over the WAN twice).

I had thought of multiple replication jobs with the same VM using different source repos, but that would create two replicas of the same VM.

[foggy]

Since both backup chains contain the same VM state, but backup copy restore point is created later, it should be selected as a source for replica. Could you please make sure that both repositories contained the same VM state at the time replication started in your test? Btw, what is the reason for selecting both repositories as replica source?

[dave8730]

Thanks for the reply foggy. Yes during the test the timestamp was exactly the same for the restore point in both repositories, and I ran two tests one using both repo 1 and 2 as the source and the second test using just repo 2, both tests showed the same time and date for the restore point.

The reason for wanting to use both repositories as a source is that I want replication running twice per day, and during the second run of the job repo 2 already contains a copy of the backup which is located at the DR site, so using repo 2 instead of repo 1 would save sending the data accross the WAN again.

[dave8730]

I have just performed another replication test using the production backup and backup copy jobs rather than basing the test on test backup jobs, and the correct repository was used as a source for the VM this time (the backup copy repository repo 2 was used).

I will make the change to the production and see how it goes.

[foggy]

Ok, I've checked with QA, the backup copy job restore point inherits creation time from the regular backup job restore point. So they both have similar timestamps and Veeam B&R just picks up the first returned by SQL, so it's kind of random. I understand your scenario, seems you want to create replica points more often than they are copied to the remote site, but I don't see an easy way for the job to get them from different repositories unless some scripting is involved (to temporarily edit job settings prior its second run).

[dave8730]

I can confirm it does seem to be random - I edited the production replication job and for both runs it used the local repository only.
Not a disaster though, it just means the same data has gone over the WAN twice, but will still be within the backup window.
Thanks for your help.

[dave8730]

I will do a feature request for the job to favour the source repository which is closet to the target, or maybe to have an option to specify which repository to try first.

[dave8730]

Ah, not sure how to do a feature request, do I start a new topic here?

[foggy]

You've already done that by posting here. Thanks!