Import existing VBM365 repository for archival purpose

[dasfliege]

One of our VBM365 tenants is switching to another service provider. As they still want to have their existing backups accessible for some time, they asked us if it possible to export the data and hand it over to the new service provider.
So my question: Is it possible to import an existing repository in VBM365 and are you still able to perform restores from this repository, even if you never perform any backups to the repo after importing it?

[Polina]

Hi,

Are you storing their backups in object storage or in a local Jet-based repository?

[dasfliege]

In a local jet repo

[Polina]

In this case, your customer can simply 'take' with them their existing repository with all its backup databases.

To restore this existing data, there're options:
1) Use Veeam Explorers to read backups from these databases as standalone. In this case, only the latest backup state will be available; no choice of a restore point to browse.
2) On the new VB365 server, re-add this repository and add the tenant's organization. Then they will be able to browse their older backups and restore points from the organization node in the VB365 console.

Makes sense?

[dasfliege]

Makes sense. Thank you!

But i think for option 2, they do have to point (and run?) a backup job to the imported repository as well, don't they? Or is veeam recognizing where the imported data belongs to, just by adding the repository?
I forgot to mention that the new service provider will setup a fresh backup job for the same organization prior to importing the archive we deliver, so they will not have any gaps in backup history.

[Polina]

With the 2nd option, there's no need for a backup job, Veeam will recognize that there's a repository that contains some backups belonging to this organization.

[dasfliege]

With the 2nd option, there's no need for a backup job, Veeam will recognize that there's a repository that contains some backups belonging to this organization.

Unfortunately that does not seem to be true. As soon as i delete the backupjob, there is no option anymore to perform restores. I have not deleted the repository or the organization. Only the job.

[dasfliege]

Created a case for that (07527546) as i just found another job that we acidentaly deleted and re-created. But even though the organization and the repository has not been touched at all, after recreation of the job there is no option to perform restore. After the job has been run once, we are able to select the restorepoint that has just been created but not all others that should be available inside the existing repo. Seems like VBM365 is not re-synacing the existing repo.

[Polina]

Did you try to initiate a restore from the organization level vs a backup job?

[dasfliege]

Did you try to initiate a restore from the organization level vs a backup job?

Yes we did and fortuntely for the job that has been accidentialy deleted, this does work.

The problem that we still have now, is that there does not seem to be any restore points available for a job that we deleted 1 year ago and just wanted to keep the data for archival purposes. Retention on the repository was set to 1 year and my asumption is that veeam, even if there was no job running against the repo, was applying the retention and just slowly deleted the data from the repository? How is the behavior of the Jet DB Files? Will it decrease in size if restore points are deleted by retention or will it stay the same size? Because the File is still 9TB and also Veeam is telling me that 9TB are used.

[Polina]

Hi Florin,

Retention is applied to a repository regardless of job existence. It doesn't matter if you have any jobs pointed to the repository - retention will continue to clean up data for as long as the repository remains in the VB365 scope.

In a Jet-based repository, retention frees up space in the database for future backups but doesn't shrink the database's physical size.

[dasfliege]

Thanks for clarification Polina

[paruccone]

I have a similar problem with my tenant: backed up (multiple copies at different points in time) my VeeamRepository files but older backups' content is not visible despite being physically present in the repository (or at least that's what I assume given that the first copy consists of 180GB of files and following ones kept growing larger despite its content being made of 90GB of onedrive and 50GB of exchange. I have no way of recreating the old backup job as the old VM doesn't exist anymore.

I opened support case ID 07800084 on august 20th and it was closed on aug 27th with the following reason:
Unfortunately, due to low support staff availability we were unable to process your request. This support case has been archived automatically.
Please keep in mind that, support for Free Products is provided on a best effort basis depending on staff availability.

Any chance that now you have a bit more bandwidth available to help now if I open a new ticket? I use the community edition together with my MS365 E5 developer to run Proof of Concept architectures/tests before I recommend solutions to my customers so they become yours too and this is a blocking point for SMBs want a simple portable solution to backup their tenant (without having a datacenter/IT infrastructure with VMs, including VM365 server, being automatically backed up but being fine with just reinstalling the server on another host).

Thanks!

[Polina]

Hi Alessandro,

Support for the Community Edition is provided on the best effort. You can open a new case and if there's a capacity, support team will assist you.

Meanwhile, did you already try exploring your backups from the ogranization level as suggested above?