Server Migration

[Eric Loh]

HI All,

Who knows how to migrate the Veeam backup and replication to new server? Please send me a guide of migration.

I have a server 2012R2 and I want to migrate all configurations and licenses to the new server 2019.

Thanks in advance!!

[Vitaliy S.]

Hi Eric,

Please use the instructions from this page > Migrating Configuration Database

Thanks!

[foggy]

Hi Eric, does your Veeam B&R also contain a repository? If yes, then use this procedure to migrate backup files to the new one. This KB might also be useful.

[Amit2728]

Hi all,

I am in the process of migrating my client's VBR to a new server with local repository. The current backup infrastructure looks as follows -

1. VBR is installed on a physical server - version is 9.5.0.1536
2. Physical server is connected to a SAN for all backup jobs and a tape library for tape jobs.
3. There are also replication jobs to DR site.

The client wants to migrate everything (backup jobs, tape jobs, replication jobs, backup files, etc) to the new server and then phase out the current server and SAN. The tape library will be connected to the new server for tape

I want to ensure that this migration is done with minimal/without impact. The said client is a bank and their data + backups matters most. We are talking of TBs of data.

The client has a major concern - if something goes wrong during the migration, is there a way to move back to their previous working environment?

Thank you guys for sharing your views on this.

Best regards,

Amit

[foggy]

Hi Amit, please see above for the hints. Migration procedure with the help of Veeam B&R configuration backup functionality is pretty straightforward and allows to get back if something goes wrong. Thanks!

[Amit2728]

Hi Alexander,

Thanks for the reply. I've gone through the KBs, pretty straightforward as you say.

However since i will have large data to transfer, can I have the 2 systems up at the same time? What i mean is that I was planning to perform a gradual migration on a 3-days intervention as per below:

1. Install VBR on new server and perform update required.
2. Disable all jobs on existing server and manually backup config.
3. Create new repository on server
4. Restore (migrate option) config on new server.

5. Migrating replication jobs
5.1. Keep disable replication jobs on existing server. Other jobs are re-enable.
5.2. Go through the replications jobs settings on the new server.
5.3. Test the replications, and if ok = all replication jobs migrated successfully

6. Migrating tape jobs.
6.1. Disable tape jobs on the existing server (only backup jobs running now)
6.2. Add the new tape infrastructure on the new VBR server.
6.3. Go through the settings of the tape jobs.
6.4. Test the tape jobs, and if ok = all tape jobs migrated successfully.

7. Last, migrating backup jobs.
7.1. Disable backup jobs on the existing server.
7.2. Depending on the existing physical connection of the SAN (survey yet to be done), I will be able to either connect the SAN to the new server or add the repository of the new server to the existing server.
7.3. File copy backup files to the new repository of the new server.
7.4. Go through the settings of the backup jobs.
7.5 Test the backup jobs, and if ok = all backup jobs migrated successfully.

8. Power off old server and SAN. Monitor new VBR server for a couple of days.

9. Decommission old system.

Thanks.

Amit

[foggy]

A few things to keep in mind then off the top of my head:

1. Both Veeam B&R instances should be at the same patch level since looks like some of the servers in your environment will be temporarily shared between old and new Veeam B&R.
2. Be very careful and avoid possible overlaps with jobs from different instances trying to process the same VMs at the same time - this might result in issues.
3. Follow the procedure for repository migration mentioned above.

[Amit2728]

Hi Alexander,

Thanks again for your advice.

I will feedback after the migration.

Regards

[saeed_bashir]

Hi Amit,

I am in a same situation, old and new Veaam sever must co exsist for some time before we get rid of old Veeam Server.

Can you kindly share your experince of how the migration went.

We have 5 different sites with a local VM as Veeam proxy server with local NAS in each of them used as repositoryy.

Then on four sites we have backup copy jobs which are dumping the backup to one site which has Primary Veeam B&R Server confogured with tape library.

We are in a process of moving all old backup infrastrcutre to new hardware, we have bought Dell NAS servers for eash of our sites.

[foggy]

Hi Muhammad, be careful with enabling/disabling the same jobs on different backup servers while you're gradually migrating - other than that you should be fine provided all other hints in this thread are also noted.

[saeed_bashir]

Thanks foggy for the reply, I am just a bit confused about couple of thing and would apreciate if some one can please help and assist.

I have a server 2012 running my Veeam B&R and it is a repository server as well for onsite data plus its a target location and repo for my backup copy jobs coming from different sites.

Now this means I have to copy the backup files first to the new server and then restroe the config??

This means that I can not keep the backup job on the old server running while the backup files ar ebeing copied which can take coupel of days ??

Same with backup copy files, till I copy all the backup copy files to new server and restroe the backup config there and start these jobs again, they would have to be disabled on the old server ??

I think this is due to backup configuration and restore as that will not have the info about the new restore points if they are running during the backup file copy from old to new server ??

[saeed_bashir]

In simple can my backup jobs keep running on the old server while I am copying the old backup files from it to new server, what will happen to the new restore points created after I started moving backup files to new server as it can take couple of days easily to finish that, I would have already restored the old server backup config to new server as that is the first step before moving files..

[veremin]

In simple can my backup jobs keep running on the old server while I am copying the old backup files from it to new server

Jobs will try to apply retention to old restore points being copied and fail because of file lock.

what will happen to the new restore points created after I started moving backup files to new server as it can take couple of days easily to finish that

The new server will be unaware of these restore points, as they are not preserved in the backup configuration restored to new.

You can probably:

- increase retention period for existing jobs by couple of days (whatever time it takes to copy all backups)
- copy as much restore points as possible to have just few restore points that can be copied within hours or one day at least
- disable jobs before final copy operation (few restore points)
- copy final restore points
- back old server configuration up
- restore it to new server

Thanks!