Feature request - shutdown/lock/sleep when completed

[ehj]

Can you add options to shutdown computer after success backup.

[Dima P.]

Hello Einar,
Welcome to the community and thank you for sharing your idea. We are in discussions regarding this feature request so any feedback is highly appreciated.

[frakka]

It be useful also for us.

[Washi]

I think that interesting feature would be possibility of turning off the computer after the backup.

[KevinW]

Hi,

Sorry to resurrect this old thread, I've just downloaded and tested the RC and I was just wondering if any of the following functionality will be included in a future release:

1. Right click on VEB system tray icon and select "Backup then Shutdown".
2. Or on windows 8.x metro interface, a drop down selection on power options for "backup then shutdown" (similar to "install updates then shutdown" for windows updates)
3. Or failing the inclusion of either of the previous suggestions - A tick box for backup At the following events: Shutdown.

Currently the only way to shutdown the computer after a backup is to schedule it (unless the logoff tickbox now works as a precursor to shutting down.). As a home user I would generally like to initiate a "backup and shutdown" when I had finished browsing/working etc... so I can just walk away from my machine. To select this on an ad-hoc basis would be preferable to having the machine back up on every shutdown.

Could you please let me know your thoughts?

Cheers

Kev

[Dima P.]

Hi Kev,
While I have a strong feeling that making this option global may cause more bad than good (users have to think twice while setting the backup events plus that option), I like the idea of ‘backup now then shutdown’ one time operation. Thanks for sharing!

[Gostev]

I like it too.

[hoFFy]

An option "shutdown Windows on successful backup" could be very useful.

This could have two major advantegs. The first is of course power saving. The second is a feedback to the user: if he/she finds the PC turned off knows that the backup was successful.

ciao,
luigi

This sounds good, but wouldn't it be more power saving when the PC gets turned off every time after backup, whether successful or not?
To give the user a feedback... show him a pop-up on next system startup / logon, whether backup was successful or not. Users also should have the option to only display this pop-up if the last backup contained warnings or failures.

I know Veeam Endpoint is not specially for all the non-technical users out there, but only because I'm a sys-admin and I'm dealing with system messages all day doesn't mean, that I wouldn't like to have a "fire and forget" backup solution for my workstation. Scripting with powershell, before/after commands and so on are features that we all love... but functions like "backup and shutdown" are essential in every backup solution (but not in Veeam Backup & Recovery hehe )

[Mike Resseler]

Hey Sebastian,

I agree that it would good to shutdown the PC no matter what, but maybe after the 2nd or 3rd (automatic) retry or something. On the other hand, I don't like the idea of having a pop-up for the end-user.

What I might see in the future (We need to think about that ) is that the sysadmin gets a message through the integration of B&R or something. There is also a very long thread about central management in this forum (and I haven't said we are going to do that sooner or later ) but this would be something that fits in there also.

Anyway, we appreciate a lot all of your feedback, and this is just another one that goes into my notebook as something to put on the table

With all of your feedback, it better be a very large table

Thanks a lot all

Mike

[hoFFy]

Hey Sebastian,

I agree that it would good to shutdown the PC no matter what, but maybe after the 2nd or 3rd (automatic) retry or something. On the other hand, I don't like the idea of having a pop-up for the end-user.

Retry x-times sounds good, and has been proven as very very useful in B&R

What I might see in the future (We need to think about that ) is that the sysadmin gets a message through the integration of B&R or something. There is also a very long thread about central management in this forum (and I haven't said we are going to do that sooner or later ) but this would be something that fits in there also.

I didn't look into that thread for some time, but the pop-up is usefull for those who either don't have B&R and therefore no central repo / admin interface, or for those who don't want to use, or can't use the same B&R server as for the vm backups.

[Gostev]

Actually, we do have retries already in the RC, I believe they go for 23 hours actually.
Dmitry, please confirm if the option to shutdown triggers after successful backup only?

[Dima P.]

Yup, successful backup only and if the backup was canceled manually shutdown or sleep is not triggered.

[g7cnp]

I have tried several times with different backup products to script an automatic backup on shutdown, this would delay shutdown until the backup had completed. Now here's the tricky bit, if I restart rather than shutdown then i'm obviousely in the middle of something so don't want to do a backup. it seems very difficult to detect the difference between shutdown and restart, but I think that would suit many peoples requirements.

Huw

[hoFFy]

I have tried several times with different backup products to script an automatic backup on shutdown, this would delay shutdown until the backup had completed. Now here's the tricky bit, if I restart rather than shutdown then i'm obviousely in the middle of something so don't want to do a backup. it seems very difficult to detect the difference between shutdown and restart, but I think that would suit many peoples requirements.

Huw

Windows Event Log generates another entry when restarting and not shutting down. Might this be helpful for the developers?

[Dima P.]

I have tried several times with different backup products to script an automatic backup on shutdown

How about using this option (it is available in the UI > Configure Backup > Schedule step) in the Veeam Endpoint Backup for daily backups. Does that work for you?

[g7cnp]

I assume you're refereeing to the 'at log off' option, however I would always choose shutdown rather than logoff, I wouldn't mind logging off and leaving the pc running if it would shutdown when the backup finishes.

[Dima P.]

Huw,
At log off event could be used to trigger backup job start; however shutdown after successful backup option is available as a part of Scheduled (daily at) backup option.

[g7cnp]

what happens if multiple options are selected? is it an OR relationship or an AND?

[Mike Resseler]

It is OR relationship. That's the strength of the scheduler that you can select multiple triggers. The only non-OR is the "do not backup when last backup is younger than X hours..."

[Dima P.]

You can select multiple options. The backup will be triggered once by the first received event, then Backup no more often than XX counter prevent the next backup from being started (its configurable at the Schedule step of the wizard)

[hoFFy]

Using the backup on logoff and shutdowen after successful backup sounds like a nice workaround... But: you are referring Endpoint as a product mainly for end users. We all know that only very very few people out there, so called "end users", have never heard of Veeam and you state that the product needs to be kept simple for those end users. I don't think its simple to tell the user he has to log off in order to shutdown his computer after work is done. This sounds simple.... but all of us have been trained since Win95 to use the shut down option in order to shut down the computer. And now there is Endpoint... "please log off to shutdown". Simple said. As I know from my first days, when working with end users, there is will be no understanding why the should now log off instead of shutdown. Even if the understand it, they will forget about it after two days and continue clicking on shutdown to shutdown

Once I opened a support case for this and the supporter told me it has to do something with keeping the needed services running, while system tries to shut down everything (case # 00888385). What I don't understand is why software like Acronis TrueImage is able to keep the needed services running and start backup on shutdown event?!

The statement of g7cnp of starting a backup "in the middle of something" when a restart was initiated rather than a shutdown could lead to bit frustration, this is true. But how often does the normal end user restart his computer "in the middle of something"?
Another approach to work whith this could be to display a message "press any key within 10 seconds, or automatic backup will start". The same procedure as automatic start of chkdsk during startup if filesystem seems not clean. <<-- This would be a really great one! I have installed Endpoint on about 50 clients from our customers now, and nearly all of them looked a bit confused when I told them that Endpoint is not able to start backup on shutdown event. They all know this is technical possible, as most of them know Acronis TrueImage from former days

[Dima P.]

Sebastian,
Good post and good feature request indeed. Correct me if I am wrong - I think we should just add the shutdown event under the existing logoff checkbox?

[hoFFy]

Exactly.
The best way in my opinion, if thats possible, is to show the message as stated in my last post

display a message "press any key within 10 seconds, or automatic backup will start". The same procedure as automatic start of chkdsk during startup

this will be very helpful for those who just want to restart their computer, without backup starting everytime.

[Dima P.]

I guess such message is not needed if we are able to identify the proper system events and start a backup only after shutdown ignoring the reboot. Thank again - we will definitely discuss your request!

[hoFFy]

Great, thanks!

[Gostev]

we should just add the shutdown event under the existing logoff checkbox?

Dima, actually we had it there for quite some time but, it was causing some major issues, so we have specifically removed it before the release.

[hoFFy]

What about fixing the issues for a future release?

[KevinW]

Hi Guys,

Still loving the products (VB&R and VEB)... A while back I suggested a "backup then shutdown" option in veeam and you guys said you liked it. Has there been any developments on this?, this could be as easy as Right clicking on the VEB icon in the system tray, selecting "Backup" then adding a new field called "Backup then shutdown" which simply appends the windows shutdown command at the end of a backup job - Personally I'm not worried about whether the backup finishes successfully as this would be reported when the user next logs in..

This makes it very easy for the non-techie user (like my dear old mum) to confidently backup their machines before shutting down without too much effort...

Cheers

Kev

[Dima P.]

Hey Kev,
Thank you for the kind words!

A while back I suggested a "backup then shutdown" option in veeam and you guys said you liked it.

We’ve added the similar functionality to the daily scheduled backup (shutdown after daily backup) and polished it more in the latest update. Do you still want the manual “backup then shutdown” option or the said option is enough?

[Gostev]

Dima, I don't see how this is a replacement...