Backup Repository Remote Replication

[daw_idee]

Hello,
we have a local repository of the backup, hyper-v backups and ms agent backup, we need to find a solution to replicate this repository to a remote repository for disaster recovery reason, also is not needed compute power to run these vms in case of disaster (no esx), we need only a replication of the backups with their retention.
there is the possibility to map via NFS a share from another site, or we can evaluate solutions using cloud.
which are the ways to archive this with veeam?
thanks!

[foggy]

Hi Davide, please review the backup copy jobs functionality. Thanks.

[daw_idee]

Hi Foggy, thanks for the reply, one question, the backup copy job is connected to the primary job like a copy to tape job?
In easier words, the primary job can run without interruption of the copy job?
thanks

[foggy]

Correct, the idea is the same. However, the backup copy job might be interrupted in case the primary job needs to write into the same files that the backup copy is using as the source - basically, similar to the tape jobs.

[daw_idee]

because there is very slow internet connection, my fear is that the first copy run can last like a week and we can't stop the backup for this time to run the backup copy job

[Mildur]

You can use backup copy seeding to get the initial copy faster to the the NFS Share:

https://helpcenter.veeam.com/docs/backu ... ml?ver=110

But if you have already a „very slow“ internet connection, i don‘t recommend mapping an nfs share from the secondary site to the primary site.
You won‘t be happy about the stability and performance. Healthchecks will be really slow (if your backup files are large). Synthentic Fulls will be a pain. Active Fulls are a solution, but then all the entire full need to be transferred again to the secondary site.

Can I ask, what is your bandwidth between the primary and secondary site? And what is the size of a Full Backup?
I strongly recommend to use a gateway server on the secondary site, depending on your answer.

[daw_idee]

Hello Mildur,
we have 40 Mbps upload from the source site, there are various hyper-v jobs synthetic fulls that in total on the weekend occupy about 3 TB, daily incremental occupy 300 Gb, there is also an incremental forever of the fileserver via agent, the full backup occupy 37 TB the incrementals about 50GB/day on the repository

[Mildur]

Hi Davide

Thanks for the information.
I see an issue with the 37TB Full.
With an NFS Share mounted on a gateway server in the primary site, each time you do a „Synth Full, a health check or a Merge process (forever incremental)“, veeam will need to read all blocks (37TB + 3TB) over the 40mbps to the primary site, and send it back to the secondary site.
That will take days with your connection.
Even with Active Fulls it will take some days to upload the 40TB each week or months.

If you want to use an nfs share (or iscsi), I recommend to deploy a server in the secondary location and use it as backup Repository Server for mounting the NFS Share or better, connect the NAS with iscsi to this server.
Then only the incremental backups will be copied over the 40mbit link. But this will also take 20 hours to complete with a 40mbit/s connection.

[daw_idee]

yes, you got the point, too much read data traffic, I didn't quite catch the other way, i need to deploy a new veeam server on the remote site and map to this server a new repository volume, and then use this server in which way? why it will do only incremental backup?
thanks for your support

[Mildur]

Only changed blocks will be transferred to the remote location. Synthetic Full is possible of course.

Active Full would be bad, because all 40 TB needs be transferred to the remote location.

- For Synthetic full backups, the veeam proxy will first copy the changed blocks to the remote location and the remote backup repo server will create a new synthetic full with the unchanged blocks from the previous backups.

- The same for Forever incremental merged. Changed blocks will be transferred to the remote location. The remote backup server will merge the oldest vib into the vbk file.

- Health Check can be done completely on the Remote Backup Repo Server.

[daw_idee]

Cool! that sounds like the solution for me, how can i achive this? what kind of job i need to setup? there is any documentation i can study about this? thanks a lot

[Mildur]

Use your Backup Storage as a NFS Share
First, add your server at the remote location as a managed server to your vbr server:
https://helpcenter.veeam.com/docs/backu ... ml?ver=110

Second, use it as a Gateway Server for your NFS Share Backup Repository:
https://helpcenter.veeam.com/docs/backu ... #nfs-share

You can use Backup Jobs and Backup Copy Jobs. I recommend to use a Backup Copy Job.

Use your Backup Storage as a iscsi Target

First, install your server at the remote location with Linux or Windows. If you want to use FastClone, read and follow this guide. FastClone will help you to reduce the creation time for synthetic full significantly. 40TB takes time and a lot of space to do a synthetic full without FastClone.
https://helpcenter.veeam.com/docs/backu ... ml?ver=110

Second, connect your storage over iscsi to the server.

Third, add the server as a backup Repository to Veeam.
https://helpcenter.veeam.com/docs/backu ... ml?ver=110
https://helpcenter.veeam.com/docs/backu ... ml?ver=110

You can use Backup Jobs and Backup Copy Jobs. I recommend to use a Backup Copy Job.

[daw_idee]

wow I didn't know this possibility, sounds perfect, from the license perspective i need to worry about something? thanks

[Mildur]

From the veeam side, you don‘t need an extra license
It‘s included in every edition. You only pay for the back-ed up vms (or free with Community Edition).