Throttle or stop backups when using a laptop "on the road"

[TommyB]

Hi,

I'm backing up a few laptops with Endpoint Backup to my Veeam backup repository - so far, so good, works like a charm as long as the stay inside the LAN.

The problem is that when employees are out of the office and are connected via VPN, the backup consumes the whole downstream WAN bandwidth (and we only have 10 Mbit) and basically blocks the internal workers internet access.

Typically, those backups are around 3 to 6 GB, so this is not only a problem for a few minutes.

It would be good if there were an option to deactivate backups if the maximum speed to the backup repository is below a certain threshold (I would say 70-100 MBit is almost the absolute minimum).

What do you think?

Thomas

[Dima P.]

Hi TommyB,

Good request. Have you tried disable backup over metered connection or it’s not working in your case? Thanks.

[TommyB]

Hi Dima,

no, I did not try this.

From what I know (correct me if I'm wrong) this feature is using some Windows API to find out if the connection is actually "metered".

In almost all cases, the road warriors laptops are using a LAN connection, either via cable or WLAN, which does not qualify as "metered".

I also found this Microsoft FAQ: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/hel ... ctions-faq - does this apply here?

But I will set up a test and see if disable backup over metered connection helps.

best
Thomas

[Dima P.]

Hi Thomas,

Thanks for the heads up! Yes, that looks like a right KB article but keep in mind that this feature is available only in Windows 10. Let us know how the testing goes!

[tranquilnet]

We have been using Veeam BDR for many years, CC for less than a year and just started to beta/test the Veeam agent for windows.

We also have run into issues where a single device will consume the entire bandwidth of a connection.

Other solutions we have (and currently) use, typically have a bandwidth limitation feature that can be set, for example to 512Kbps at the agent level (reduces slow connection issues).

Being able to limit CPU usage for example to no more than 50% also comes in handy(reduces slow computer response issues).

Will the agent for windows have these settings? (I suggest that it does)

A more advanced setting (that I have never seen before in a backup agent but I think may be useful) is to be able to set multiple bandwidth limiting settings, each with different values based on the public IP of the devices connection.

For example:

1) If public IP is x.x.x.x then limit bandwidth to 512kbps
2) If public IP is y.y.y.y then limit bandwidth to 2Mbps
3) If public IP is z.z.z.z then do not limit bandwidth
4) If public IP is not any of the above (default) then limit bandwidth to 1Mbps

Thanks,

-Will