Backup to Tape via replicated job?

[dbhagen]

So support suggested that this might be a better place to get this question answered.

Right now I have 2 sites, our datacenter (DC) and headquarters (HQ). Our B&R server was installed at our DC as that would more than likely be our DR location. I recently got a LTO 6 Dell iSCSI tape library here at the HQ to start copying data to tape in VEEAM. All setup and good to go, for backups that exist in the HQ.

Backups are run daily (INCR daily, Full Saturday morning) and DC replicates to the HQ after job completion. Even though they're replicated into the same backup repository in the HQ (DC-TIER1 is replicated to HQ-TIER1 repo, DC-TIER2 -> HQ-TIER2), and the backup to tape jobs are targeting those repos, only the HQ backup data is copied.
When I specify the DC backup jobs, it does not provide an option on what source to work with, and defaults to original source, my DC. That saturates the link between sites every time a tape backup starts. With replication jobs, I can specify what source to work with, but tape is missing this ability.
I understand from reading another thread here that I can do a file to tape backup and target the repos that way, but then the backup jobs are not included in my backup history as being on tape, requiring me to keep track of what VMs are in what backup during what backup window that went to what tape. Way too many moving pieces to keep a tight integrity.

Also, I know on file to tape backups, the whole file set will have to be restored to a backup repo so I can rescan for the jobs and restore from them. When I perform a backup job to tape backup, I am able to see what jobs are on what tape. Does that mean that VEEAM can restore a single VM from that tape without doing a full copy off of the tape? I plan on testing this to verify, but if anyone has any help, that'd be great.

Thanks.

[Vitaliy S.]

When I specify the DC backup jobs, it does not provide an option on what source to work with, and defaults to original source, my DC. That saturates the link between sites every time a tape backup starts.

Do you mean backup to tape jobs? I'm not sure that I fully understand the part about "source to work with". Can you please clarify?

With replication jobs, I can specify what source to work with, but tape is missing this ability.

I assume you're referring to backup copy jobs?

Does that mean that VEEAM can restore a single VM from that tape without doing a full copy off of the tape? I plan on testing this to verify, but if anyone has any help, that'd be great.

In order to restore VM data from tapes, an entire backup chain (containing the required VM data) has to be staged to disk first.

[veremin]

Can you elaborate on the following:

1) You have two backup servers deployed in different locations - one at DC and one at HQ? One that is installed at HR has a tape device attached to it?
2) DC backup server copies backup data via backup copy job to one of the repositories at HQ?
3) A backup to tape job that is created in HQ backup server and that is pointed to one of HQ repositories copies only backups created by HR backup server, not the data produced by DC backup copy job?

Thanks.