Start-VBRZip in Veeam Backup Free Edition

[PTide]

In fact, the script you gave me does not work.

What do you mean by "does not work"? Please elaborate on that. Have you searched for a solution in this thread?

Thanks

[Azerty]

Hello
I solved my problem.
By updating the version of powershell (version 2 to 4)
Now it is good
Thank you for your help

Additional question: is it possible to have multiple recipients, I have not found how to do?

[veremin]

The answer to this question has been provided in this thread previously. Thanks.

[Azerty]

Thank you
Now it's good to send to multiple recipients

[veremin]

You're welcome. Feel free to ask for additional clarification, should one be needed. Thanks.

[Azerty]

You're welcome. Feel free to ask for additional clarification, should one be needed. Thanks.

A big thank you for your work Vladimir.
It's very nice of you.
I put here some code that I have changed for formatting email.
To turn GREEN for backups with a SUCCESS result and RED for backups with a FAILED result.

Code: Select all

##################################################################
#                   Email formatting 
##################################################################

# SUCCESS
$styleSUCCESS = "<style>BODY{font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;}"
$styleSUCCESS = $styleSUCCESS + "TABLE{border: 1px solid black; border-collapse: collapse;}"
$styleSUCCESS = $styleSUCCESS + "TH{border: 1px solid black; background: #4CAF50; color: white; padding: 5px;}"
$styleSUCCESS = $styleSUCCESS + "TD{border: 1px solid black; padding: 5px;}"
$styleSUCCESS = $styleSUCCESS + "</style>"

# FAILED
$styleFAILED = "<style>BODY{font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;}"
$styleFAILED = $styleFAILED + "TABLE{border: 1px solid black; border-collapse: collapse;}"
$styleFAILED = $styleFAILED + "TH{border: 1px solid black; background: #FB5A5A; color: white; padding: 5px;}"
$styleFAILED = $styleFAILED + "TD{border: 1px solid black; padding: 5px;}"
$styleFAILED = $styleFAILED + "</style>"


##################################################################
#                   End User Defined Variables
##################################################################

#################### DO NOT MODIFY PAST THIS LINE ################
Asnp VeeamPSSnapin

[...]

 If ($EnableNotification) 
  {
    $TaskSessions = $ZIPSession.GetTaskSessions().logger.getlog().updatedrecords
    $FailedSessions =  $TaskSessions | where {$_.status -eq "EWarning" -or $_.Status -eq "EFailed"} 
  if ($FailedSessions -ne $Null)
  {
    $EmailTo = $EmailToSUCCESS , $EmailToFAILED
    $EmailSubject = $EmailSubjectFAILED
    $MesssagyBody = $MesssagyBody + ($ZIPSession | Select-Object @{n="Name";e={($_.name).Substring(0, $_.name.LastIndexOf("("))}} ,@{n="Start Time";e={$_.CreationTime}},@{n="End Time";e={$_.EndTime}},Result,@{n="Details";e={$FailedSessions.Title}})
    $style = $styleFAILED
   } 
  Else
  {
    $EmailTo = $EmailToSUCCESS
    $EmailSubject = $EmailSubjectSUCCESS
    $MesssagyBody = $MesssagyBody + ($ZIPSession | Select-Object @{n="Name";e={($_.name).Substring(0, $_.name.LastIndexOf("("))}} ,@{n="Start Time";e={$_.CreationTime}},@{n="End Time";e={$_.EndTime}},Result,@{n="Details";e={($TaskSessions | sort creationtime -Descending | select -first 1).Title}})
    $style = $styleSUCCESS
  }
  }
}
  If ($EnableNotification)
  {
    foreach ($EmailTo in $EmailTo)
    {
      $Message = New-Object System.Net.Mail.MailMessage $EmailFrom, $EmailTo
      $Message.Subject = $EmailSubject
      $Message.IsBodyHTML = $True
      $message.Body = $MesssagyBody | ConvertTo-Html -head $style | Out-String
      $SMTP = New-Object Net.Mail.SmtpClient($SMTPServer)
      $SMTP.Send($Message)
    }
  }

I have two questions about the retention settings.

- How many days is "in1week" 6 or 7 days?

- If a backup is made every Sunday with a retention time of "in1month" how many backups should be done before it is removed? 4 or 5? Is it depends on the month?

Thank you for your answers.

[veremin]

From the top of my head:

- How many days is "in1week" 6 or 7 days?

7 days.

- If a backup is made every Sunday with a retention time of "in1month" how many backups should be done before it is removed? 4 or 5? Is it depends on the month?

The number of backup cycle is irrelevant here. A backup will be deleted in 30 days regardless of how many backup cycles have occurred since the time it was created.

Thanks.

[Azerty]

The number of backup cycle is irrelevant here. A backup will be deleted in 30 days regardless of how many backup cycles have occurred since the time it was created.

Thank you for return.
It is still important in terms of storage space.
If a backup 100 GB is made every Sunday and if retention is "in1month", then it will take a maximum of 500 GB of storage space for an uncompressed backup.

[veremin]

Correct, I was just trying to point out that VeeamZIP backups in contrast to ordinary ones don't have point-based retention - a backup will expire regardless of current number of restore points. Thanks.

[Azerty]

Thank you
This is what I understand

[Azerty]

Another question. This time on the compression level

Which on average is the compression percentage:
- Level 5
- Level 6

Thank you

[veremin]

Depends on how well source data can be compressed. Typically, level 6 gives 10% over level 5 at the price of higher CPU load. Thanks

[Azerty]

OK
I have calculated that the level 5 provides approximately a 20%

[veremin]

Which means that pattern of your source data might not be that suitable for data reduction.

On average we see about 50% of overall data reduction with default settings (deduplication + optimal compression).

Thanks.

[Azerty]

Which means that pattern of your source data might not be that suitable for data reduction.

On average we see about 50% of overall data reduction with default settings (deduplication + optimal compression).

Thanks.

The test was done on a domain controller server on a test esxi.
I recheck the information Monday and I give you details.
Have a nice week end

[silver_2000]

This may have been covered but there are so many circular links pointing back here Im lost

The script works as long as I dont enable email
When I enable email I get a series of errors starting with this

Code: Select all

New-Object : Exception calling ".ctor" with "2" argument(s): "Value cannot be null.
Parameter name: from"

At C:\Users\administrator.xxx\Documents\veeamzip.ps1:109 char:12
+ $Message = New-Object System.Net.Mail.MailMessage $EmailFrom, $EmailTo
+            ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : InvalidOperation: (:) [New-Object], MethodInvocationEx 
   ception
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : ConstructorInvokedThrowException,Microsoft.PowerShell. 
   Commands.NewObjectCommand
 
The property 'Subject' cannot be found on this object. Verify that the property 
exists and can be set.

Any help would be appreciated

[PTide]

Hi,

When I enable email I get a series of errors starting with this

What are the values of $EnableNotification, $SMTPServer, $EmailFrom, $EmailTo, $EmailSubject variables?

Thanks

[Azerty]

Which means that pattern of your source data might not be that suitable for data reduction.
On average we see about 50% of overall data reduction with default settings (deduplication + optimal compression).
Thanks.

The test was done on a domain controller server on a test esxi.
I recheck the information Monday and I give you details.
Have a nice week end

I bring you the results of the backup on my test server.
- Server saved: Domain Controller Windows 2003 R2 with user data.
- Duration 5:24:53
- Data read 558.0 GB
- Transferred 507.2 GB
- Backup size 500.7 GB
- Dedupe 1.9x
- 1.1x Compression
- Compression mode: Level 5

I do not find these very good results
I am far from an overall reduction in data with default settings 50% (+ deduplication optimal compression).

Is this normal ?
What to do to improve compression and backup time ?
Does he have something to do at the deduplication ?
What will happen if the backup is not completed overnight, and that users are working on the network ?

I'm worried

[veremin]

Kindly, create a separate topic in general forum and provide your questions there, because they are not related to the given script and being put here they overfill the existing discussion with not related matter.

Thank you for understanding.

[Azerty]

Kindly, create a separate topic in general forum and provide your questions there, because they are not related to the given script and being put here they overfill the existing discussion with not related matter.

Thank you for understanding.

Yes
Sorry for the inconvenience
But I use the free version.
Thanks anyway.

[MrJH]

Noticed that the B&R console showed failures, for a group of 4 VMs backed up via PowerShell. The first backup is successful, but the 2nd and remaining VMs fail.

PowerShell script displayed this - https://disqus.com/by/disqus_lNJp0VFoxQ/
Moans about cat : Cannot find drive. A drive with the name 'ID' does not exist

I can't see what has changed on the server that the PS script is run from, up to a couple of days ago everything was fine.

B&R is installed to a Server 2012 box.

Any ideas, anyone?

Many thanks.

[veremin]

But I use the free version.

Product edition doesn't matter in this case. So, kindly, follow my advice. Thanks.

[veremin]

Any ideas, anyone?

You $EncryptionKey variable doesn't appear to contain anything, so I wonder whether you;ve followed steps mentioned in "Encryption" chapter of the original blog post, such as creating secure string, etc.? Thanks.

[ciambell3]

Hello boys,
I've tested with success the script VeeamZIP (HV - updated) of Vladimir Eremin. Now the question is How I can restore the VM with powershell?
I would like to use Start-VBRHvRestoreVM, but i cannot found Get-VBRRestorePoint from backup file that I've created from the script before.
https://helpcenter.veeam.com/backup/pow ... orevm.html
Can you help me?
Regards.
Thanks in advantage.
Matteo

[veremin]

Hi, Matteo,

I'm wondering whether you're using free or paid product edition.

Thanks.

[ciambell3]

Hello,
I'm working with free edition.
Regards.

[navs]

Hi, I was looking into a script to auto backup my VMs in Hyper-V and came across this article https://www.veeam.com/blog/veeam-backup ... shell.html. However i am having some issues, i am running Veeam B&R 9.0.0.1491 [update 1]. I think article is written for Veeam 8 update 2. Is it meant to run OK in Veeam 9. I have filled out the below in the script. Any help appreciated.

[veremin]

I haven't tested my code against version 9. However, I strongly believe it should work smoothly, because otherwise I would have got a lot of complains, providing the number of users actively leveraging it. Thanks.

[navs]

Hi, i am getting the below error when i run the script, anything you can spot i am doing wrong?

Code: Select all

Find-VBRHvEntity : Cannot validate argument on parameter 'Server'. The argument is null. 
Provide a valid value for the argument, and then try running the command again.
At D:\batchfiles\VeeamZIPnew_noemail.ps1:76 char:48
+   $VM = Find-VBRHvEntity -Name $VMName -Server $Server
+                                                ~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : InvalidData: (:) [Find-VBRHvEntity], ParameterBindingValidati 
   onException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : ParameterArgumentValidationError,Veeam.Backup.PowerShell.Comm 
   and.FindVBRHvEntity

Code: Select all

Start-VBRZip : Cannot validate argument on parameter 'Entity'. The argument is null. 
Provide a valid value for the argument, and then try running the command again.
At D:\batchfiles\VeeamZIPnew_noemail.ps1:86 char:40
+     $ZIPSession = Start-VBRZip -Entity $VM -Folder $Directory -Compression $Comp ...
+                                        ~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : InvalidData: (:) [Start-VBRZip], ParameterBindingValidationEx 
   ception
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : ParameterArgumentValidationError,Veeam.Backup.PowerShell.Comm 
   ands.Backup.StartVBRZip

[veremin]

Is the corresponding Hyper-V server added to a backup console? Thanks.