Windows Agent and GFS

[Cia91]

Hi all, i'm having some trouble on understanding how to use GFS in conjunction with backup agent.

We have a W2008R2 server backup up with Veeam Agent. We have a small retention on this server, which is only 7 days.
To better improve our retention i created a Windows Agent Backup Copy to a different storage with a GFS retention keeping 4 weekly backup and a few daily.

Today i was testing the restore of these backup, particularly the Bare Metal Recovery. I boot the Agent on a spare Server, correctly connect to the GFS Repository and with my surprise i receive the error "Veeam Agent for Microsoft Windows is unable to open backup files created by Veeam Backup and Replication".

It looks like the Bare Metal recovery only works with the backup file taken directly from the Agent, and if you copy them elsewhere they are not usable anymore with this mode.

At this point i can't understand what's the use of "Windows Agent Backup Copy", or maybe i'm doing something wrong and there is a way to be able to restore these backup.

[DGrinev]

Hi Cia,

The backup copy job is creating an independent backup chain in the secondary target, not just copying them.
You can restore from the backup copy job chain in case there is no original backup in the database (removed, corrupted, etc.).

If you want to restore from the backup copy you should initiate it by choosing Veeam backup repository instead of Shared Folder in the restore wizard.

Thanks!

[Cia91]

Well, the Bare Metal Restore Wizard only give option for Local Storage and Network.

I tried Local Storage being the server attached to the storage where GFS copy the backup, you mean i should try with Network Storage?

That will work also if for some reason i loose the Veeam Server and only the Proxy Repository is working?

[HannesK]

did you try Veeam backup repository?

[Cia91]

So, today i managed to try the solution you suggested.

I'm testing this type of recovery because we want to copy the backup file of our Physical server to the DR site, where i deployed a Backup Repository and Proxy which is the target of the GFS Copy Job.

The Network Storage -> Veeam backup Repository doesn't actually connect directly to the Repository, but it ask for the IP of the Veeam server itself.
This restore worked, but in case of disaster we will not have the Veeam Server in the DR site (or at least not readly avaialable), this is why i was trying to restore from the local storage, it's way faster to connect the server to the storage, run the iso and you are restoring in a matter of minutes.

I've tried to move the Agent backup file to the DR site with Robocopy instead of GFS Agent Copy and i can restore them with the Local storage wizard.

My suggestion is that since there is a GFS option specifically for Windows Agent backup, the resulted file should be able to be restored in the same way the original file can be restored, otherwise this GFS option is quite limiting the usefulness of the Agent Backup...