Feature Request - Backup Mapped Drive

[lethallynx]

Hey guys loving the BETA!

I noticed that in backup mode it just looks to skip over mapped drives and only lists local drives?

It would be nice if you could select a mapped drive to backup.

Would be cool if you could select the whole volume as well as being able to drill down the file structure and select speicifc folders.

Yes I know you could just install the tool onto the fileserver hosting the file share, but in the case of a small QNAP/Synology NAS this isn't possible.

[lethallynx]

Whoops second line should read "I noticed that in ANY backup mode it just looks to skip over mapped drives and only lists local drives?"
I can't seem to edit the original post anymore....

I figured that the File Level backup mode might expose the ability to do it but also checked volume level backup mode (thinking I might have to do the whole network drive as it didn't support file level).

[daemoned]

Dosen't it use Shadow Copies for backup purposes? Can't see how this will work then with network shares.

[Vitaliy S.]

Hi Justin,

Yes, currently mapped as well as removable drives are not exposed via GUI and cannot be selected as a backup source, even for FLR backup mode.

Thanks for the feedback!

[sibinsam]

Will this option be available in GA?

[jonaz]

The only way around this is to use an iSCSI connection to the file server. This way from the OS standpoint, it will look like a local drive, instead of a removable or mapped drive.

[Gostev]

Jona is spot on.

[STORM121]

Have simular situation.

My file server is built from the file side of my VNX5300. I can't install the endpoint on the vnx 5300.

So I have a dedicate server that I map all the cifs server folders to and run backups with acronics.

I have two external USB drives as my targets.

Are there any plans to include mapped drives?

[Dima P.]

David,
I believe VNX5300 does support iSCSI - you could present storage via mounting iSCSI volume?

[STORM121]

David,
I believe VNX5300 does support iSCSI - you could present storage via mounting iSCSI volume?

Yes it does, however I already have all of my block level storage allocated to iscsi.

It would take a lot more work to reconfigure everything to build another connection.

I will just continue doing what I'm doing.

[mcafeej]

If a FLR is selected from a mapped drive why can't it be programmed to inform the user that mapped drives are unsupported and please use the UNC path instead. (Just a thought because I didn't know mapped drives wasn't supported before I found this post after the fact)

Only reason I bumped this topic is because I tried to do a restore to my recently formatted laptop and after about 2 minutes I realized that mapped drives didn't work.

[Dima P.]

Jesse,
This OP refers to the backup issue. As I’ve understood in your case you can’t use the mapped drive while running FLR right? Is it not displayed when you go to Browse the location, I thought we are using the native windows dialog there and you should be able to browse for a mapped drive?

[mcafeej]

I am able to go through the process and even selecting a snapshot from a mapped drive but when it tries to mount the backup job it fails every time unless a UNC path is selected. Is this a bug or intentional?

I could even send some logs if need be and open up a case.

[Dima P.]

Jesse,
Understood. Yes, a support case will be great and as usual, please, post a case ID to this thread so we could track it. Thank you in advance.

[mcafeej]

Ticket # 00731289

Let me know if you need additional information or logs regarding the case.

[mjgouldini]

This is the feature I was hoping for in Veeam. I prefer to use drive letters that I assign rather than shared folders. It makes it very easy to locate and access material using a single letter that having to navigate through a gui and folders and paths.

Everything is so centered on GUI's and one-click solutions, and that is great, but some like to have a little bit more control over what goes on. And when you are talking about something as important as backups, too much control can be a problem, but it should at least be an option.

This is the feature that I hoped would permit me to abandon my existing backup solution.... I guess not.

[Vitaliy S.]

We will keep this FR in mind when discussing features for the next updates. Thanks for the feedback!

[mark0101]

I too would like the option to be able to backup external USB-connected hard-drives.

[AlexLeadingEdge]

The problem with Mapped Drives is that they are user specific, and only exist while that user is logged in, hence why Veeam can't use them as it runs as a service (always running in the background).

Use the UNC pathname to backup to a USB drive on another server as these always exist, regardless of who is logged in (or not).

[sstyk]

Hello,

It would be nice if VAW was able to backup mapped virtual disks(VHD, VHDX) in physical servers.
Right now they doesn't show up when selecting what drives to backup.
Support case number is 02649076.

Stanislav

[Vitaliy S.]

Hi Stanislav, If you can present these disks via iSCSI then, it would be picked up by the backup agent. Thanks for your feedback as well.