Does Veeam plan support for backup to tape, and when?

[Seva]

Hi!
We need to evaluate the backup solutions for a perspektive customer. However one of criteria is the support of tape backups.
My question is: are there plans to add tape backup support to veeam backup and replication solution?
And when yes, then when?

Best regards
=Seva

[Gostev]

Hello Seva, most of our customers are doing tape backups today. Our product is D2D2T product, essentially we create backup file for you on disk (for best performance and shortest backup window), and we provide simple integration with your preferred tape backup product, which allows you to copy automatically initiate the copy of our backups to tape once our backup job finishes. We have intergration guides available through our support for multiple tape backup solutions. Thanks!

[Seva]

Thank ytou very much.
Unfortunately I not so familiar with your products. So when you create a backu on disk then ...

1. what is it - a single file, like the tarball or a set of files which could be copied back
2. will be deduplication database cpied with that backup (or is it a part of this backup)?

Thanks

=Seva

[Gostev]

1. It is a single file containing all VMs selected for the specific backup job.
2. Deduplication database is a part of backup file.

We also provide standalone extraction tool (small EXE file) which (if needed) can be copied along with our backup files to every tape, so that you could restore our backup without having to install Veeam Backup and Replication. This will guarantee that you are able to restore the data from tape at any time in future.

[Seva]

Hi, thank you very much for the clarification...
But as usually I have additional questions... so sorry

1. Does veeam use vStorage feature that allows file level backup? I checked the user guide, but found only hints on file level restore.
2. Veeam file level restore. Did I understood it correctly: veeam agent mounts the backup image of VM as file system and allows user to pick up files to be restored.
3. Veeam image level restore: does it require agents? In the user guide is written: "Veeam Agents are deployed on the target localhost or Linux-based server, and the source ESX server where a restored VM should be started". Does it mean the installation of agent software on the service console? vStorage API allows agentless restore.
4. When you need agent to restore VM image, how do you restore on ESXi?
5. When you use agent to restore VM, then you must restore over LAN. Correct?

Many thanks

=Seva

[Gostev]

Hello Seva, I think it will be more efficient if you request the live demo of our product with one of our systems engineer. They will be able to answer all the basic questions like you have above, and show you the product in action. And it is totally free

1. Veeam only does image level backups. File level backup is redundant when you do image level backup, since you can instantly restore the required files from the image. There is no sense to backup the data twice: on the image level, and on the file level.
2. Correct.
3. Agent is optional, it provides for network traffic compression and thus more efficient restores.
4. Agent is optional.
5. Correct.

Thanks!

[Seva]

Sorry for coming back with some feature questiona again, I need clarification for following questions:

1. May I select, which VM disks should be backed up? (For example C: but not D: and E:)
2. Do you support back up of large RDM disks?
3. You use VSS to gurantee consistency of Exchange and SQL Server databases (do you?). Could you recommend to use such backup over the such solutions like for example HP DP solution or native SQL server backup ?
4.I read that the Veeam Backup V5 should be availaible in June. Is it correct? And where I could find documentation on new features?

many thanks

=Seva

[Gostev]

Hello Seva,

1. Yes, this option is available in Exclusion settings of the job wizard.
2. Yes, if RDM is in virtual mode.
3. Yes, we have proprietary VSS integration (see stickied FAQ thread for more info). Yes, I recommend using it over above-mentioned solutions.
4. No, this is not correct - I am not sure where you read it. As per our first v5 announcement in March, the release will happen in Q3. Some of the new features are described in the datasheet here: http://www.surebackup.com

Thanks!

[Bunce]

just to confirm 1) this is not a per VM setting, it's all or nothing across all vm's in the job.

[Gostev]

Correct, this setting is job wide in v4, and per VM in v5.