backing up esx host datastores

[phillbl]

Hi,
I am looking at backing up esx datastores using veeam. I can backup the datastore but I am wondering what happens if I storage migrate the server to another datastore.

for example I have 5 x 2TB datastores. In Veeam I am going to create 5 separate backup jobs for each datastore split across multiple proxy servers. if the vm is on backup job datastore 1 and then the vm is storage migrated to datastore 2 I understand that the vm will be automatically detected on other backup job that backs up the datastore that the server was migrated to. What happens to the vm files that are stored on the 1st backup job that is no longer on the datastore?

Thanks

[veremin]

Assuming that it’s reversed incremental that is being used, these VMs will fall under a Deleted VMs retention period specified in the job settings. Generally speaking, with this setting the full backup file will be purified after specified period of time of any blocks belonging to deleted VMs (these blocks will be marked as unused).

Thanks.

[phillbl]

hi thanks for the reply,

so if what you say happens (we are using ri) the virtual machine will have to be backed up again from scratch. So if my retention is 14 days then as long as my vm deletion date is the same or 15 I should be covered if I need to restore if that makes sense?
cheers

[foggy]

Yes, the VM would need to be backed up from scratch after its data is cleaned up from the VBK file.

Regarding your second question, you will not be able to recover this VM after the Deleted VMs Retention period expires and the VBK is purged, however you will before that, regardless of the number of restore points you have. Remember, this setting specifies the number of days, not restore points, so you should be careful here (restore point not always mean a separate day). I suggest reviewing this thread for better understanding of how this setting work.

[phillbl]

hi thanks for the reply, yes I understand that I would be unable restore after the vm had expired but if a server was moved to different storage the old vm would still be recoverable for 14 days. once the 14 days has expirted that will not be recoverable but the new vm will now have 14 restore points.

at least that's how I understand it.

thanks

[foggy]

If we are talking about daily backups, that's correct.

[phillbl]

Hi,
from further reading it seems that vmawre data protection allows vm's to be storage migrated and backup set history be kept after a storage migration. So once the vm is storage migrated a full is not required. Is this technically not possible in the veeam backup and replication software?

Thanks

[Gostev]

Sure it is possible, but you need to setup your jobs correctly.

Obviously, if you explicitly setup your job to only backup VMs from the specific datastore, VM will quite correctly not be backed up by the job once it leaves the datastore you specified as the job's scope. In fact, it would be considered a bug if the job would continue backing up VM, because this would be completely against the settings you have defined for your job.

To ensure that the job continues backing up VMs as they are VMotioned, you should configure the job correctly. For example, you can setup your job by adding individual VMs or VM folders.