Backup of shut-down VMs

[omfk]

Hi all,

we have some VMs which we shut complety down. As these VMs were used for our accounting system we might need them in the future if we get a visit by authorities. So we can't completey erase them from our system.
As our VUL limit is still not reached keeping them in our normal backup is no pain.
What is best practise for keeping such shut down VMs in VBR? Just a initial backup (plus backup copy) and then never start these jobs again?

What would have to be changed if I no longer can afford VULs for these VMs?

BR
Frank

[Mildur]

Hi Frank

What would have to be changed if I no longer can afford VULs for these VMs?

31 days without any backup of a vm and the vul license can be used again for a new workloads.
So, If you have done a single backup of the vms, license can be used for another vm after that time.
Restore will always be possible, even if you downgrade to the community edition for some reason.

What is best practise for keeping such shut down VMs in VBR? Just a initial backup (plus backup copy) and then never start these jobs again?

A initial backup from a backup job would have a retention. Backup files will be deleted someday.
If you don‘t know how long you need this VM Backups, consider creating a veeam zip without specifying a retention period. We use VeeamZip for such one time backups all the time.
You can make as many copies you want of the veeamzip backup files to other locations.

I‘m not entirely sure, but I think I read somewhere, that VeeamZip doesn‘t consume a VUL license. Cannot find it anymore.

[Regnor]

You could backup those VMs with VeeamZIP as this will create a standalone one-time backup and doesn't need to be licensed.

Edit: Mildur was faster VeeamZIP doesn't consume a license, so it should work for this case.

[Mildur]

Thanks Max for confirmation, wasn‘t sure about the license

[omfk]

Hi all,

thanks for the hint to VeeamZip. Both VMs are now processed. And I only have to copy the files to some more locations.

But for the next 31 days they still count against our VUL?
Is there a way to shorten this period? What about if I delete all backup files as well? This is just a theoretical question, we are not in danger of exceeding our VUL limit.

BR
Frank

[Mildur]

Hi Frank

If you have only done a VeeamZIP, no license will was used. And if you have done a normal backup job, then a license was used to backup the vm.

You can revoke a license if you must.