Feature request: cmdlets or documented methods for Powershell-based interaction similar to "Files" pane.

[evilaedmin]

Greetings. HPE provides the StoreOnce Catalyst Copy Utility for interacting with StoreOnce catalyst items independent of backup vendor.

Apparently (allegedly) Veeam isn't setting a needed flag on the catalyst items so the Catalyst Copy Utility refuses to interact with items generated by Veeam.

This makes it impossible to use the only user-accessible scriptable method for moving or deleting Veeam-generated Catalyst items

Veeam B&R does however present the Files pane which clearly allows listing, sorting, and deleting of Catalyst items created by Veeam.

This request is to provide a supported documented powershell cmdlet or object methods to allow for scripting to interact with Catalyst items created by Veeam, same as the Files pane (browse, list, sort, delete, copy, paste).

[oleg.feoktistov]

Hi Eugene,

Thank you for your feedback! I noted it and will discuss it with my colleagues.

All the best,
Oleg

[evilaedmin]

Hello Oleg,

Is there any chance your colleagues could give me an unsupported hint, similar to as in for example, this thread, as to how to do a delete operation? I believe I'm on the right track identifying the

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storeonce://

filenames from the .GetStorage() (or findStorage()? I am without my notes at the moment.) method of each restore point. All I want to do is delete a couple of thousand restore points without having to manually do it in the Files pane.

Thank you kindly!

[jhoughes]

Unfortunately, the delete method will delete ALL restore points for a VM or chain. You cannot select a subset or individuals points to be deleted.

[evilaedmin]

Hello Joe,

I agree that seems to be the documented behavior. But sure there is an unsupported object or class method that will delete just the file by name?

[evilaedmin]

Hi Eugene,

Thank you for your feedback! I noted it and will discuss it with my colleagues.

All the best,
Oleg

Hello Oleg. Looks like I've been looking for the types:

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Veeam.Backup.Core.CStoreOnceFileCommanderClient

Which I can create with:

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$repoAccessor = [Veeam.Backup.Core.CRepositoryAccessorFactory]::Create($Repository)

Where $Repository is Get-VBRBackupRepository.

So for any $RestorePoint output of Get-VBRRestorePoint:

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$repoAccessor.FileCommander.DeleteFile($RestorePoint.FindStorage().FilePath.ToString())

Now I need to purge these from the configuration database as well.

Hope this helps others if they end up in this thread from Google.

[oleg.feoktistov]

Hi Eugene! Thank you for posting this!

[jmm]

Hello, little 2021 "No New Good NEWS on that thread" (Veeam 11 + VSA Storeonce 4.2.3)
"Catalyst Copy Utility refuses to interact with items generated by Veeam" : --> lost half a day on this horrible Utility ... and still not working.
(Same Explanations by HPe Engineers : Veeam doesn't put the good flag etc ...)

" Remove-VBRRestorePoint -Oib $R -Confirm:$False " -->
I put a real mess in my backups because I have used regular delete methods on HPE Storeonce Veeam Catalyst Restore points.
Consequences : Full backups CHains deleted because I used veeam cmdlet to delete an increment (VBI) point ?
This is really sad that we lack regular documentation (and PowerShells cmdlets specific to HPE Storeonce !)

So I will give a try to your method, thank you again,
If only I will have found your goods advises before deleting my backups points !

[oleg.feoktistov]

Hi @jmm,

Yes, this feature request has been in place for a while now, and I do remember about it. However, please understand that we have prioritization for all the features. Hence, a range of them give way to the most demanded and critical ones.

Sorry to hear your backups have been deleted after cmdlet execution. Nonetheless, it is clearly stated in IMPORTANT! section that Remove-VBRRestorePoint cmdlet removes all restore points of the corresponding VMs, not just one. Restore point here just serves as an entry point to obtain VM info.


Best regards,
Oleg

[jmm]

Hi Oleg,
You're right on the "Remove-VBRRestorepoints" cmdlet : I may have read with more attention the description, bad for me.

On the other end, I found this new cmdlet in 11a :

Remove-VBRBackupFile -Backup $b -FromDisk

https://helpcenter.veeam.com/docs/backu ... ml?ver=110

Since two months my backups Catalyst copy jobs had real bad behaviors :
=> They were ruining the RAM of my manager servers
==> They were all running at the same time
--> Lot's of jobs in errors, lots of backups corrupted, and Veeam never achieved in repairing them (manual cleaning was a real waste of time for 100+ jobs with problems ...)
---> multi Pibs of Housekeeping pending and more and more every single day !

So I do that's Updates :
VEEAM 11 --> 11a
+ HPE StoreOnce VSA 4.2.4 --> 4.3

I put a scheduled task every night with a auto-clean Powershell script who search for corrupted backups files, and try to repair them with Remove-VBRBackupFile -Backup $b -FromDisk.

Global behavior is now ok ! No more RAM overhead in the manager, Housekeeping is running well.

This is now ok.

Main reason why this corrupted Hpe Storeonce Copy jobs happens :

Memory saturation on Veeam Manager Server.
Networks accidents.

Hope this could help some of you.

[oleg.feoktistov]

Hi,

Yes, Remove-VBRBackupFile cmdlet was introduced in 11a specifically for the cases, when some restore points are missing leaving a backup chain or a whole backup corrupted. It mirrors this UI option.

Regarding memory saturation on VBR server - if it happens again, I'd also suggest to elaborate on your scenario on general VBR forum. I mean, Powershell script is a great way of dealing with maintenance tasks, but maybe this issue can be avoided in the first place.

Best regards,
Oleg