Help With Veeam Implementation on Different Networks

[computerlive]

Hello everybody,

I would like to thank the more experienced people for their help in pointing me in the right direction.

I also ask the administrators of this forum if I am asking the question in the wrong place to move this question to the correct place.

Scenario: I have 5 physical servers that I backup. These servers are from the same company but are located on different networks and locations. There is no interconnection between them nor is there supposed to be, since despite belonging to the same company, each site is managed independently. In each of these networks there is also a local NAS where the backup is stored. I am currently backing up each of these servers using StorageCraft SPX, which makes a first backup to the local NAS and then replicates that same backup to the Arcserve Cloud. Arcserve's Backup solution is made up of StorageCraft SPX, which performs the server backup/image, and ImageManager, which allows you to control backups (retentions, replications, notifications, etc.) of one or multiple jobs. These 2 applications are so simple, small and autonomous that they are even installed on each of the servers where the backups are being made (in other words, there is no need to have dedicated equipment on the network for the software that manages the Backups). I was relatively satisfied with Arcserve's solution, considering that this solution had a very low monthly cost and included not only software licensing but also cloud backup storage. What happens is that Arcserve is discontinuing all cloud services and I decided it was a good time to switch to Veeam.

What is my current problem? I wanted to have a solution similar to what I have now, but I can't find any information on the internet that tells me how I can do it using Veeam. In other words, I intended to acquire the licensing which from what I understood would allow me to back up 5 instances. However, I don't know to what extent the same license can be installed on 5 different networks. Not to mention that Veeam B&R would have to be installed on a computer that is outside of these 5 networks, which would be the equipment that would manage the 5 backups. Having a dedicated computer on each network just for Veeam B&R would not be very practical and I believe that installing Veeam B&R on the Server where the backup will be made is neither possible nor recommended.

The idea would be to continue to back up each of these 5 Servers to a local NAS and to also be sent to a cloud, such as Wasabi.

I've been wondering if perhaps a VPN solution using ZeroTier might be a possible solution, creating perhaps 5 VPNs, each between the Veeam B&R computer and the server to backup to keeping each server separate from the others. But I'm not sure if it would be functional or if backup to the local NAS in each location would still be possible in this way.

If anyone has a solution for this scenario, I would be grateful.

Regards,

[Mildur]

Hello Edgar

However, I don't know to what extent the same license can be installed on 5 different networks.

If all machines belong to the same company/organization, you can use the same license. For different companies, different paid licenses must be used (or rental if you provide this backup as a service to the other company).

You don't need a central VBR to use a VUL license for your Agents. You can install the license on a manually installed agent. But then you need to do the job configuration for each machine.
Using a central Veeam Backup & Replication server with VPNs to each machine would allow you to manage the agents from a central point of view. You can deploy and update agents from that backup server. And create, edit and monitor the backup jobs in a single place.

The disadvantage of the approach with local NAS devices is the copy to Wasabi. Our backup agent cannot do copy jobs by himself. That can only be done by the backup server. And todo copy jobs, the NAS device must be configured as a VBR backup repository. For a copy job the data would transfer over this components:
NAS → gateway server (in your case probably the backup server) → Wasabi

Probably the easiest way to get it running with the least amount of configuration is to use the standalone agent (with installed license) and two backup jobs:
1x job to the NAS
1x Job to Wasabi

Another option if you are a Veeam certified service provider would be to use Veeam Cloud Connect + Veeam Service Provider Console to manage the companies server. A rental license will be required for this scenario.

Best,
Fabian

[computerlive]

Hello Fabian,

Thank you for your clarification. Before I open this post, I only saw smoke between me and the Veeam solution and now I'm finally starting to see some light.

Let me correct the previous post so that it doesn't mislead you either. These 5 servers belong to 5 different companies, but these 5 companies belong to the same main group. In other words, there is a mother company that owns these 5 sub-companies. For example, this main company owns the offices where the 5 sub-companies are located, however it charges rent to each of them. I initially said that they belonged to the same company because I was only considering the main company and the idea would be to buy the license in the name of this company and then rent the backup service to all sub-companies. In terms of Veeam's license agreement, I don't know if it would be possible to buy just 1 license for the main company and then rent to the 5 companies or if I would even have to buy 1 license for each.

Currently with Arcserve, this is exactly what happens, Arcserve provides the license and hosting to the main company and then it rents it to its sub-companies. Basically the main company works as MSP. I will have to try to understand to what extent the main company can be an MSP and then be able to meet the first solution you suggested of having a standalone agent (which is basically exactly what I currently have with Arcserve). Initially I didn't know if it was possible to work with just the standalone agent. Regarding the need to create 2 jobs, it is not problematic and that would even be the initial idea, taking into account that I intend to have different retentions. In this case, for Backup to NAS I need to have at least 90 days of backup, however for the cloud I only need to have the last 7 days. From what I understand, copy jobs does not allow you to have different retentions.

Your suggestion regarding Veeam Cloud Connect, on the other hand, doesn't seem like a bad option to me either, meaning that, from what I understand, you can have central control of all backups. From what little I've seen so far, it would only require a dedicated appliance. This appliance could even be located in the main company, for example. Even then you would already have access to rental licenses and there would no longer be a need to purchase an annual subscription limited to 5 instances (this is because there are now 5 servers, but in the future there could be more). I had already read about this option but was never completely clear whether with this solution I would still be able to make backups to the local NAS at each site. However, from what you said, it is possible after all. What I didn't want was the need to create VPNs between the sites. From what I understand, with Veeam Cloud Connect I can have, for example, an appliance in the main company, only needing to open specific ports on the firewall to communicate with the agents installed on each server.

However, I have also explored other options and if the main company cannot qualify as an MSP, I have verified that there is an MSP called OVHCloud that provides the 2 services you indicated for a monthly fee.

If I said anything wrong in this post, please correct me.

Once again, thank you for the clarification and time you took to help me.

Regards,

[Mildur]

Hi Edgar

For just 5 servers, I would reach out to OVHCloud and discuss with them if your scenario can be covered by their services.

In terms of Veeam's license agreement, I don't know if it would be possible to buy just 1 license for the main company and then rent to the 5 companies or if I would even have to buy 1 license for each.

That could be a grey zone. But I'm not from the right team at Veeam to comment comment on our licensing policies. I can explain what you can do technically with our products. Licensing questions should be discussed with our Sales department.

https://www.veeam.com/salesinc.html

Best,
Fabian