File to tape maximum

[vmtech123]

Is there a maximum size, or file count for Veeam File to Tape?

Lets say I have a few million files or 40TB of data.

Obviously the DB is going to grow a bit, but will it cause me issues down the road?

Looking to send a bunch of unneeded data to tape at 2 sites and remove from our SAN.

[HannesK]

Hello,
up to V11: there is no hard limit. Recommendations are around 10M files. If your files are relatively large (MB instead of a few KB), then chances are good that it's fine for your scenario.
V12 and newer: at lot things are optimized. The goal for V12 is 1B files per tape drive. Because of the massive improvements, file-to-tape will be charged (VUL, same like NAS backup)

It sounds like a "one time job". So I don't expect any issues, as long your files are not too small and you are patient

Best regards,
Hannes

[vmtech123]

So, what happens if I use file to tape and am currently on socket licenses? Am I going to have issues?

Sockets are better in my environment every possible way I looked, as I did try to switch. Even with the conversion rate, no one considers the fact I JUST upgraded my servers and have so much headroom I could double the size of my environment. Even still it was more money.

That really is unfortunate that I am going to lose features I can currently use if you guys switch file to tape to VULS.

If I want to toss a 100TB VMDK file onto tape (using file to tape) for the next 60 years as a historic archive I will never need again for legal reasons, I can currently do that. This is now going to cost 200 VUL's to do this?

I've been trying to get rid of TSM and switch to Veeam, and the VM backups have been great. The archiving is the only thing TSM does better, but at this point the price of Veeam for smaller customers with a large amount of data is unreasonable. 1 VUL to backup a VM, 200 to export file to tape. hmmm

I really just want to get a bunch of large files off of production storage which is expensive onto tapes at both sites and never access them again. I think I'll go with Azure Files or Glacier even although I'd prefer to keep everything in Veeam. There has to be a way to achieve this. Heck, I can already do it even though it's not pretty and manually have to do it at 2 sites.

I have 100's of TB's of video files from years back I have to keep as well for 60+ years (legal). I get NAS backup being expensive. You can back up a filer, NAS, do versioning etc. It's still to expensive for myself with the large data I have or I'd be all over it. Even Veeam employees have said use VUL or sockets and VM backups as it is too expensive in my environment.

This is another reason why I keep asking for an "Archive" feature like TSM. Allow me to just Copy some files/folders to tape, preferably at 2 sites, and delete them off the SAN. I can already do it so it would be very easy to implement an "Archive" tab. I don't even care about space reclamation or an expiry date, although that would be cool. If you want people to adopt it try not to make it cost 100's of thousands of dollars to implement something I already have for cheaper too.


If file to tape is gong to use VUL's, could you explain a way to me to get a few 100TB of old data on to tape in Veeam, as a one time job that will be feasible.

The other option is ride V11 into the sunset until it's not supported and see where we are at I suppose. 10M is fine.


I think separating File to Tape, and Archive would be a good solution. I'd even be willing to wait for this to limp TSM along a bit longer. The simple Archive function does not need any frills other than copy to tape, restore from tape. select file / folder. Perhaps you could have a little GUI with the folder structure.

[HannesK]

1 VUL to backup a VM, 200 to export file to tape. hmmm

why would you use file-to-tape for that use-case? backup-to-tape does it much better (and it's compressed from Veeam side)

also if you would back up Veeam backups to tape with file-to-tape, that would be for free. All .vbk, .vib etc. files are free of charge.

[vmtech123]

That is a help then If I want to back up a VBK then.

My issue is lets say I have an old server, with 50TB or 100TB of video I have to keep 60 years. It's the same idea, but on the SLIGHT chance I have to restore a single file, I don't want to restore a 100TB VM from tape to get that 1 file/folder.

to save 100s of VUL's I'll obviously just back up the whole VM then.

So creating a large VM, copying files to that VM, backing it up, then exporting to tape = free.
Copying those same files to tape = insanely expensive.

I just don't see how this is feasible for any company with a large amount of data to use. Glacier, or even TSM are so much cheaper.

Once again. having an ARCHIVE ability, and maybe charge for that feature specifically could be an option. I don't need scheduled jobs, versioning, incremental, etc. Just a 1 and done.

300TB would cost me 600 VULs, so spending $3000 annually for Glacier deep Archive seems more reasonable.

I already own Veeam, I already own the tape libraries and tapes. I'd gladly pay a few thousand additional per year to archive with Veeam for Veeam Archives" not 100's of VULS. Especially as a customer with a large amount of socket licenses.


I suppose I'll use Veeam for archiving full VM's. and keep TSM around another few versions and reassess in the future.

[HannesK]

I can only recommend to check with your Veeam sales representative which options would be possible for such scenarios.

[vmtech123]

Thanks, Knowing the VBK to tape is free should be good enough for what I need to do right now.

There is nothing really that will work otherwise besides TSM for us now, so I'll put this on the back burner for a few more years before I revisit. Maybe v13

Have a great day.