Backup Methodology

[itzikd]

Hello,
I want to implement a backup methodology :
1. Full backup once a month and Incremental backup every day. While the backup is kept for four months back.
2. Backup OFFSITE (Backup Copy) When the remote site will maintain a full backup once a year and every day just incremental backup.
Thanks in advance

[Vitaliy S.]

Hello,

1. Can you please tell me what storage you're going to use as a backup repository? If you want to run active full backup once a month, then choose either Forward Incremental backup mode (less I/O load on the storage, but more space consumed by the backup files chain) or Reversed Incremental backup mode (more I/O load on the storage due to rebuild of the VBK file every time the job runs, but less space used by the entire backup chain).

Assuming you have to store your backups for four months, I would probably go with reversed incremental backup mode. Specify 120 restore points for retention policy and schedule active full backups via Advanced backup job settings (Storage -> Advanced -> Active full backup) to run once a month.

2. Can you please clarify when does this full backup should be taken? Having 1 VBK file (full backup) and 364 of VIBs files (incremental restore points) doesn't seem like the best idea, because the entire backup chain will depend on that very VBK file. If I were you, I would consider using GFS retention policy available in the backup copy job settings.

Thank you!

[itzikd]

Hey.
1. My first backup I have been using - Synology DS1812+ which contains five 3TB SATA disks in RAID 5. Backup remote site (OFFSITE) I'm going to use the Dell R320 server with four 3TB disks in Raid 5.
My full backup is a 2 TB volume when my daily backup (incremental) comes to 20GB.
Today I'm runinig incremental backup every day and once a week a Synthetic full backup. The Retention Policy is 30 days. in this configuration i'm staying out of storage space.
My goal is to keep as long as possible historic backup.keeping just a month back is not enough
2. Could you please explain more about GFS retention policy.

[Vitaliy S.]

1. Thanks for providing more information. I'm afraid that no matter what backup mode you choose, you do not have enough space on the target repository to store backups for the last 4 months. You have to either buy more storage or use 1 month retention policy.
2. Yes, of course! Check our on-line help center, that describes this feature in great details > http://helpcenter.veeam.com/backup/70/h ... y_gfs.html

Let me know if that helps!

[itzikd]

if i'm implementing reversed incremental backup mode.what is the benefit of a full backup job, i dont need it?

[Vitaliy S.]

Active full backup is still recommended, please see this topic for further details > How often do I need a full backup?