Two options to back up Exchange On-prem (o365 or veeam backup and replication)

[mark49808]

We're a Veeam Backup & Replication customer, and use it to back up both physical servers and VMs that run Exchange Server 2013/2019 (on premises). Works great.

I see that the O365 product ALSO can back up on-prem and even has a special config for hybrid (which we are) https://helpcenter.veeam.com/docs/vbo36 ... tml?ver=60

My questions I dont quite have the answer to are:
1) which is "better"? What am i missing if i go with one option or the other?
2) I currently license our user base for o365 backup, but that excludes many hundreds of on-prem "service account" mailboxes (not real people). This is "free" in the B&R product as I just install an agent or its covered by my socket-based licensing for VMs. if i use o365 backup even for on-prem, will i then have to pay per service account mailbox i'm backing up since its user-based? That tips the scales towards not using it unless there is some compelling value-add that B&R does not give me.

[Mildur]

Hi Mark

If you have socket licenses or VUL, i recommend to back up the exchange server with vbr or the agent.

Some benefits, which are important to me from using vbr as the backup solution for exchange server:

- You can do a DR restore of the entire server if you face any issues.
- In case of a exchange vm, you can create veeam replicas for short time RTO requirements.
- You can leverage surebackup jobs to make sure, that the exchange databases are successfully backed up and that they are consistent and mountable from the restore point.
- You can use a SOBR as a target with object storage as an immutable storage
- You can use a Linux Hardened Repo as a target

You can‘t do them directly with a vbo365 backup job.

will i then have to pay per service account mailbox i'm backing up since its user-based

Yes, as long the „service accounts“ are from the recipient type „usermailbox“, you will need a vbo365 license for them. Shared and Ressource mailboxes doesn‘t need a license.

[mark49808]

Thanks. Seems to tip pretty much everything in favor of the b&r product for on-prem.