Error: Access is Denied

[BrevardITservices]

Case #04877394

This is the only error I get and it happens within seconds of starting a backup job. I get the same results if I run an agent-based backup or a vSphere backup.
I have a Dell server running vSphere ESXi installed from the latest available Dell customized ISO.
I have a single virtual machine running Windows Server 2019 Essentials that I am trying to backup.
My backup repository is an Ubuntu Server running Samba shares.
I can successfully scan the Windows server for "agent-based" backups, and I can successfully scan the ESXi server for VM backups.
I can also successfully scan the backup repository.
This is a brand new installation of Veeam B&R Community Edition.
I configured two different backup jobs: one agent-based and one vSphere-based, and both received the "access denied" error within a few seconds of starting. It does not give any more information on the error.

[HannesK]

Hello,
and welcome to the forums.

As both jobs fail, I assume that the permissions on the SMB share are wrong. As you have an Ubuntu server, I recommend adding it as Linux repository https://helpcenter.veeam.com/docs/backu ... ml?ver=110

For further investigations logfiles are needed. You can wait for support to answer or just check c:\programdata\veeam\backup (I usually use notepad++ with "find in files").

As you sound new to Veeam, I also recommend the quick start guide: https://helpcenter.veeam.com/docs/backup/qsg_vsphere/

Best regards,
Hannes

[BrevardITservices]

Hello and thank you for the reply!

I am not actually new to Veeam, but I am new to Veeam Community Edition (I have other customers with paid support), and I am new to Ubuntu Server. My other clients running Veeam all uses WD or Synology NASes.

I was under the impression if I could browse the Ubuntu Samba share via Windows file explorer with the username/password as well as successfully add and scan the Ubuntu Samba share in Veeam backup repository, that would be all the system needs to write data to it.

Regarding the ProgramData folder, there are a lot of log files in there. Is there one in particular you recommend?

Kind regards

[HannesK]

I never remember which logfile is which. That's why I

(I usually use notepad++ with "find in files").

[Mildur]

I am not actually new to Veeam, but I am new to Veeam Community Edition (I have other customers with paid support),

Is this community edition installation for a customer?

[BrevardITservices]

Yes, this is a customer with single server environment with 5 Windows workstations. They were previously running their line of business app on a Windows 10 VirtualBox VM running off the Ubuntu host. I sold them on a Dell server and Windows domain and repurposing the Ubuntu server as a NAS for backup storage. I have several small customers like this that I usually use VAW for, but I've been wanting to try VBR Community Edition and thought this was a good candidate.

[Mildur]

Ok, i have asked because it is not allowed (Veeam End User License Agreement) to offer services with the community edition to third partys. Your customer has to use a paid license, if he needs to use your services (installation, management, monitoring and supporting the backup Environment) or you are directly violating the license agreement from Veeam.

I recommend you to sell the customer the correct edition, before doing anything further with his environment
For 5 Workstations, he needs to buy at least a 1x 5er VUL Package (Veeam Backup Essentials). 1 VUL count for three workstations. The 5er package is the minimum you have to buy.

Or you could register yourself as a Service Provider and use the „rental“ licenses for this customer to manage his environment.

https://www.veeam.com/eula.html

5.0 Free Licenses and Community Licenses. Free and Community License products can be used in your own production environment in accordance with the terms and conditions of this Agreement. You may not use the Free and Community Licenses to provide services to third parties (including support services for existing installations) or to process third party data.

[BrevardITservices]

I'm sure we can argue minutia of the license agreement all day, but I don't believe there is a violation here. The Community license was registered via my customer's email address and is only being used in their production environment. I am consulting with them to aid in the setup of their software, I am not selling them support services for the Veeam software. In this case, I am the third party so I cannot be providing services to a third party.

[Gostev]

I can confirm you're in violation of Veeam EULA. I added the quoted statement specifically to restrict what you're doing for your client here in regards to the Community Edition. So we could belabor the letter of the law, but this is the spirit.

Would it be clearer if this said "support and consulting services for existing installations"? I'm literally reviewing the updated EULA draft right now, so I can request this change.

Just as Mildur said, the correct and best way to do this is to just rent them a license. I believe those start at $5 per months, so for 5 VMs it is just $25 per month total. Does not really worth taking a risk.

[BrevardITservices]

I really don't understand why this is such a fight. Isn't the spirit of the free software to allow those of us with limited budgets and tiny networks the ability to try and use Veeam?

"Free and Community License products can be used in your own production environment..." so are we just battling over ownership? In that case, this is for my own production network.

I have a Dell server running vSphere ESXi installed from the latest available Dell customized ISO.
I have a single virtual machine running Windows Server 2019 Essentials that I am trying to backup, and have Veeam installed on it.
My backup repository is an Ubuntu Server running Samba shares.
I can successfully scan the Windows server for "agent-based" backups, and I can successfully scan the ESXi server for VM backups.
I can also successfully scan the backup repository.
I can browse the Samba shares from Windows, and within the Job the check for storage size is successful.

I get Error: Access is Denied within seconds of starting a backup job. I'm assuming this has something to do with how Veeam interacts with the Ubuntu Server repository on the network. Can someone help me please?

[HannesK]

If it was indeed your own installation and not one of your client's, then everything is fine and there's no EULA violation.

You also did everything correctly as far as the issue:
1) you opened a case as it is a technical issue. For community edition cases, support will help based on support engineers availability.
2) I told you how to troubleshoot on your own, because chances are high that support will close the case without an answer.
3) I gave you a workaround that should solve that issue which I suspect it to be.
4) If the issues has a different root cause, debug log investigations are needed (on your own or by support)

[BrevardITservices]

Thank you again for the reply, however I reviewed the links and they did not help. I'm fairly familiar with the Veeam config, but I'm missing something with this Linux/Ubunutu config that Veeam needs. I have configured full permissions to the Samba share. I can browse it from Windows with the username/password. I can add it as a Veeam backup repository and scan it successfully. But when I try to target it for a backup job, I get "access is denied".

Does anyone have any experience with Linux/Ubuntu shares?

[BrevardITservices]

Nevermind, I think I finally figured out the Ubuntu Server permissions issue.