Backup Placeholderfiles ( offline Files )

[Reklov]

Hi,

I have a question regarding backup by offline, placeholderfiles thru veeam.

I'm using Veritas Enterprise Vault to archiving Files. This process saves a file to another system and leaves a placeholder in place of the file. This placeholder has the attribute "offline".
Now I want to backup a virtual file server with such files on tape.
For this I use a file to tape job.
Unfortunately, if this job encounters a placeholder, the placeholder will not be saved.
It is reported that this file is not available.
BackupExec backs up these files (placeholder) without following the symbolic link, which would otherwise lead to a retrieval of the file, which would be fatal.
How can the same be done with Veeam B & R?

Best regards
Volker

[Dima P.]

Hello Volker.

Unfortunately file to tape jobs cannot process the content adjusted by third party software, so such behavior is expected. In order to make it work you should have the file and not it's symbolic link on a file system. Thanks!

[Reklov]

Hello Dima,

thanks, is this feature mybe planned ? I like to have just one Backupsoftware and not two to solve my backup needs.

Best Regards
Volker

[Dima P.]

Unfortunately it's not planned. I was wondering if its possible to somehow backup this Vault server separately? If that's a VM you can take a vm backup of this vault server at while you are performing file to tape job, and, as a next step place this vault server backup to tape. As a result you will have all the data on tape: file server and archived data as a vm backup.

[Reklov]

Well, the Fileserver is a VM. If I only backup the VM ( backup by Veeam ) and put this e.g. weekly, monthly, yearly to Tape ( Air gaped, History ... ), then, in case of a restore, e.g. one File is needed and the Restorepoint is no more in the repository, I first have to restore the restorepoint and then I can have a look to this needed file. If it is not there, I must do it with the next tape.
If I have the files on tape, I can read and restore direct from tape ( as I do with BE ).

The Vault is backed up fully by Veeam. I can backup the fileserver with veeam as a VM, but if I will have all Files on tape, I must do a File2Taoe job.

[Dima P.]

Reklov,

I was thinking that you can keep protecting the file server via file to tape jobs but, at the same time, take the Vault backup as the VM and place it to tape. Whenever you need to restore the offline files, you fire the restore of the vault vm and get the needed file from there. Makes sense?

[Reklov]

No, sorry, the Vault isn't a Store where you can't access some needed Files. It's al "encrypted", crunshed and referenced by some Databases.