Infrastructure setup to host offsite backups

[NorthGuard]

I wasn't sure in which forum to place this request, but are there any step by step guides to setup a data center to handle offsite backups?

We want to begin backing up on-prem physical servers to our data center and I am not entirely sure where/how to get started.

[Mildur]

Hi NorthGuard

It would help, if you could tell us a little bit more about what you want achieve. Are this „on-prem physical server“ your own companies server or are this customers and you want to offer them a backup service? There are many possible deployment options depending on what you want to do.

If this are your own companies server, one of many possible options would be, that you can deploy a vbr server at the datacenter. Create protection groups to manage the veeam agent on the physical servers and create backup jobs for them. You need a vpn connection between the on-prem server and your datacenter.

If you want to provide backup services to your customers, then register as a service provider, deploy veeam cloud connect and the veeam service provider console. Your customers will be able to send backup data directly to your veeam cloud connect service without the requirement to use a vpn.

[NorthGuard]

thanks for the reply!

Definitely the last - provide backup services to customers.....

[Mildur]

Thanks.
Then Veeam Cloud Connect with the Veeam Service Provider Console as a centralized Veeam Agent management interface is the way to go. You need to register as a Veeam Service Provider to get the correct licensing first (Rental licensing with monthly reporting). You can read more about the VCSP Partner program here.

The guides for the implementation can be found here:

Veeam Cloud Connect
Implement VCC
VCC Reference Design, old, but most of it is valid today

Veeam Service Provider Console
Implement VSPC
Manage Veeam Agents in the VSPC

[NorthGuard]

Thank you!!

Do you know what additional licensing I would need?

I know I would obviously need a B&R or Agent license for the customer, but do would they need an additional license on top of that or would I as a provider need a license for something?

[Mildur]

It depends.

Customer wants to manage backups (Agent or vbr backups) by himself
The customer needs his own enduser license (perpetual or subscription). He will configure everything directly on his agent or vbr server. With enduser licensing, when he is making or copying a backup to your cloud connect environment, a license fee for each unique agent or vm is required for you as a service provider. This license is a rental license and is installed on your cloud connect backup server.

Managed Backup Service (Agent or vbr)
If your company manages the backups for the customers, you can use veeam rental licensing. This license will be deployed automatically from the VSPC when activating/installing the agent.
The rental license is for service provider to provide services to customers.
With rental, your customer is not allowed to manage the backup Agent. He is not allowed to open support cases directly with veeam. It‘s a managed backup scenario. All needs to be done by you.
When you use rental licensing on customers site, you don‘t need to pay the additional license fee for Cloud Connect.

Free or community license on customers site
This license typ will not work with Veeam Cloud Connect. And if your customer is using a free license, you are not allowed to provide services to him, also not for existing installations. All customers needs a paid license, if a service provider is involved.

Summary

Customer requires:
- A Rental license, if you manage everything and customer does not use the backup console.
- Perpertual or subscription, if he wants also access to the backup console to manage or monitor the backup jobs.

Service Provider requires for Cloud Connect:
- A rental license with activated Veeam Cloud Connect functionality
- A rental license for VSPC to deploy and manage agents for the customers

Rental license are owned by the service provider and it is forbidden to give a customer a copy of the license key.