Feature Request: VeeamZIP - add a comment/notes

[crrnrc]

Hello everybody,

it would be usefull to have a text field on the VeeamZIP creation interface for writing down some notes (eg: requester, backup reason etc.)
It would be also usefull to extend the available retentions with 2, 6, 12 months

thank you
Enrico

[veremin]

it would be usefull to have a text field on the VeeamZIP creation interface for writing down some notes (eg: requester, backup reason etc.)

Are you talking about description field of VeeamZIP backups (VB&R GUI) or VM notes field (vSphere client)?

It would be also usefull to extend the available retentions with 2, 6, 12 months

6 months and 1 year options are already available in version 9.5.

Thanks.

[crrnrc]

Hello v.Eremin,

thank you for your quick reply.

Are you talking about description field of VeeamZIP backups (VB&R GUI) or VM notes field (vSphere client)?

I'm talking about adding a description field on VeeamZIP backups (VB&R GUI)

6 months and 1 year options are already available in version 9.5.

great news!

Thank you,
bye

[veremin]

I'm talking about adding a description field on VeeamZIP backups (VB&R GUI)

You're right. This functionality is not there. The only workaround I can think of is renaming resulting backup file either manually or automatically (PS script), but that is not exactly what you're looking for. Thanks.

[AlexWeit]

Hello,

i want to see the reason of a VeeamZIP.

We are a few backup admins and it would be very helpful if there is a way to provide the VeeamZIPs with descriptions.

BR
Alex

[Dima P.]

Hello Alexander,

Can you please clarify where would you like VeeamZIP description to be displayed (i.e. in the Veeam B&R console or in the backup file description on the file system)? Thank you in advance!

[AlexWeit]

Hi,

nice path would be VBR at "HOME > Backups > Disk (VeeamZip)" or "HOME > Backups > Disk (VeeamZip) > Properties"

BR
Alex

[Dima P.]

Hello Alex,

Thank you for the details. Consider your vote being added to this feature request. Cheers!

[lando_uk]

When doing a veeamzip, i always save the html completion report in the same folder as the vbk.

[stuartmacgreen]

VeeamZIP is a great feature for that one off backup. Its a better option to keeping a Snapshot running for a long period. Snapshots are not backups and all that.!

However, a business could rely on using this to archive individual VMs for retention purposes.
If you use this VeeamZIP feature several times you can end up with a large list of VM standalone backups in your environment.
As time passes, the only identifier for the contents of this backup is the VM name - in Veeam.
If several backup admins run these, the inevitable question comes up "What are we keeping these for again? What are these?"
Or you keep some logging system for some description as to what this VM was used for.

So like Snapshots in vSphere where you can add a comment, it would be nice to add a text field for comments/notes to the backup, things like about what application, OS, etc

Like ZIP files themselves have the ability to hold comments.

If this was baked into the VBK standalone file, it could truly be portable, and readable perhaps in the console via some right click or by the extract utility.

[HannesK]

Hello,
please take your vote as counted +1

Best regards,
Hannes

[stuartmacgreen]

I have come back to this with my current workaround - to answering the question of WHAT IS THAT VM sitting in under VeeamZIP view.
If you don't use some useful naming convention or limited to the name to giving the VM.

Answer:
Restore the VMNAME.vmx file within the VM backup and view in Notepad.

I have noticed there is opportunity if used right this could be a sidecar file to answer that question.

When the VM is in the (vSphere) environment use the Notes section of a VM to fill it with relevant information as to what the VM's purpose or role is/application used etc.

Then when wanting to know just restore the .vmx file
It has 3 interesting lines.

• annotation

This is your Notes

• guestOS

This might show windows8srv-64 OR sles11-64 etc.

• guestOS.detailed.data

This line entry until recently I wasnt aware of or noticed.

Example of the last line could be

Code: Select all

guestOS.detailed.data = "architecture='X86' bitness='64' buildNumber='9200' distroName='Windows' distroVersion='6.2' familyName='Windows' kernelVersion='9200' prettyName='Windows Server 2012 Standard Edition, 64-bit (Build 9200)'"

Restoring the .vmx file takes seconds.

Still think there is opportunity to add a side comment to the standalone backup.

Either way you can find SOME info if the VM Name doesn't reveal it or you have no logging of what they were stored for.