Backup files on a physical server

[dtwiley]

We have a client with a single physical server with ~75TB files in a local share which we want to backup to a NAS.

I was advised that we could just buy a single bundle of 5 VBE but when backing up the data using the file share method it doesnt seem to detect that its on a windows server and is applying the NAS capacity based licence. Therefore it fails with the error "Failed to perform file backup Error: Unable to process the workload: your license has been exceeded".

In the Licence information page, under instances, it shows VMs Count 1, multiplier 1, instances 1 but then it has "File Shares (500GB)" and Count 0, Multiplier 1, Instances 0.

So its applying the capacity licence to the file share backup even though its source is on a Windows server and not a NAS.

[Mildur]

Hi Dave

The job type defines how many VUL licenses you require.

If you use a file backup job, you need 1x VUL license for every 500GB.
If you have a physical windows server, you can use Veeam Agent for Windows Server. An agent backup job will only use 1x VUL instance.

Thanks
Fabian

[dtwiley]

FYI using an agent level backup of the data on the physical server fails with "Failed to create snapshot. Cannot create a shadow copy of the volumes containing writer's data. VSS asynchronous operation is not completed" I assume this is because Veeam is running from the same physical server.

[Mildur]

"Failed to create snapshot. Cannot create a shadow copy of the volumes containing writer's data. VSS asynchronous operation is not completed"

The VSS limit per volume is 64TB. Do you have the 75TB on a single volume?
You won't be able to use Veeam Agent for Windows to back up a 75TB volume.

File backup job is the only option which will work for the 75TB volume.
Also, you have to add the server as an SMB share. Added as Managed File Server VSS snapshots will be created, which is not possible for 75TB volumes.

I see two options.
Split your 75TB in smaller volumes or buy more VUL licenses for a file backup job.
With 75TB, you need 150 VUL's. We also have special license contracts available for high volume NAS shares. I'm not sure if you get this contract for 75TB. Please contact your Veeam sales representative or reseller.

Thanks
Fabian

[dtwiley]

Very frustrating, we told our sales rep the requirement of a physical server with 75TB data and were told to buy a single VBE bundle.

[Mildur]

Yes, I understand. I suggest talking to your sales rep again.

The 64TB limit is documented here on microsofts website:
Usability limit for Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS)

Thanks
Fabian

[dtwiley]

Thanks, i wasn't expecting to have to use VSS as this is a file share on a windows server.

I assume the capacity licence is for covering a NAS where a windows licence doesn't apply, shouldn't the software see that you're backing up a file share from a licenced windows server and use that licence instead of trying to apply the NAS capacity licence?

[Mildur]

The file share on your windows server is stored on a disk/volume.
When using Veeam Agent backup jobs or "Managed File Server"-file backup jobs, VSS is used to have a consistent backup of the files.

I assume the capacity licence is for covering a NAS where a windows licence doesn't apply, shouldn't the software see that you're backing up a file share from a licenced windows server and use that licence instead of trying to apply the NAS capacity licence?

The operating system behind the file share is not used in calculating the license requirements for file backup jobs. File backup jobs always require a capacity license.

Thanks
Fabian

[dtwiley]

Splitting the volume is not feasible, this is a media company with a central repository of files.

Additionally the cost of buying capacity licences for 75TB FAR exceeds the cost of the licence we provided in the solution as quoted by our Veeam Account Manager, I can't go back to the client now and tell them they have to spend a few thousand more. Is there no workaround here at all?

[Mildur]

Understood. There is one exception when you can use Veeam Agent for Windows backup jobs.
You can use our VBR storage integration to back up a volume greater than 64TB with the veeam agent. This of course only works if your physical server has this 75TB volume on a supported storage system.
Storage Snapshots on Volumes Greater than 64 TB
System Requirements - Storage Systems

Unfortunately, with internal disks and unsupported storage systems, you need to use file backup jobs. I suggest talking to your Veeam Account Manager about this case. This forum is run by product management and can only tell how the product works.

Best regards
Fabian

[dtwiley]

Thanks, the data is residing on Windows Server 2022 so means this isn't a hardware storage system with a specific hardware storage snapshot provider.

I'll revert back to account management.

[Spex]

A volume of 75 TB is a nightmare in terms of processing times when using the agent/vss approach.
No parallel processing is possible and recovery times are (even in a fast environment) I guess weeks.
In our environment, I train the users with extremely large shares to organize their data into subdirectories.
And for each subdirectory we use a mount point. In your case you could do something like this:
<root of share>\Dir1 (16 TB disk with mount point Dir1)
\Dir2 (16 TB hard drive with mount point Dir2)
\Dir3 (16 TB hard drive with mount point Dir3)
\Dir4 (16 TB hard drive with mount point Dir4)
\Dir5 (16 TB hard drive with mount point Dir5)

By using thin provisioning, you can avoid wasting space in each mount point.
And what about future grow...?

[Jan2]

Creating multiple mount points as recommended by Spex can save a lot of other problems as long as they do not grow to exceed capacity limits. Periodic full backups and incrementals rather than synthetic backups or reverse incrementals is going to save you a lot of time for backup jobs when you reach the end of the retention cycle. Consolidating a backup job that large (based on personal experience) takes almost a week if you use any type of reverse incremental strategy. Using periodic fulls and incrementals means you need a huge storage space many times the size of the data that you are protecting as a landing zone for this data because of the periodic full backups.

[m.novelli]

When using such HUGE file Servers for media files I think both Windows Server and Veeam are a bad financial approach.

I suggest a HUGE NAS (QNAP / Synology) with RAID6 , some spare drives available (inside or outside NAS) and the integrated backup APP with backup to some Cloud vendor (AWS, Azure) or more cheap Storage. You can also implement a mirror to a second identical NAS and in the end you have spent a fraction of a similar Dell / HPE Server with Windows Server and Veeam Backup license.

Marco