How do I replicate from backup files with 2nd Veeam server?

[davidb1234]

How do I replicate from veeam backup files when the replication server is not the same server as the backup server? We have a Veeam server in both CORP and DR. The DR one handles all the replication now so that it still survives in case of a CORP failure and we can initiate a failover and have automatic IP changes. I don't want to spend so much time backing up and then replicating and would like to replicate from backup files. How do i accomplish this without running all the jobs from the CORP Veeam server which prevents us from using automatic IP change functionality in a DR event.


CORP
VEEAM BACKUP SERVER - Runs backup jobs and manages backups
BACKUP REPOSITORIES
LOCAL SAN STORAGE
2 VMWARE HOSTS
VMs

WAN LINK

DR
VEEAM REPLICATION SERVER - Run replica Jobs and manages replicas
LOCAL SAN STORAGE
2 VMWARE HOSTS
REPLICAS

[Shestakov]

Hello David,
You can make replicas from backup files. To do this you need to click "source" at the "Virtual Machines" step of the wizard and choose "From Backup Files".
Thanks!

[davidb1234]

It only shows me repositories local to the replication server in DR. How do I make it aware of the repositories that are local to the veeam server at CORP?

[Shestakov]

Sorry David, I missed the fact that replicas and backups are being created from different consoles.
Separate servers are unaware of each other, so you need to use a dummy job mapped to the backup files created by first backup console, and repository rescan setup as a pre-replication job script.
Thanks.

[davidb1234]

You have got to be kidding me.......

What is a dummy job? I've reviewed that thread but I feel like i am missing some information. How do I get this working? These new features don't work as advertised and now I feel like I am being forced to redesign the infrastructure or give up other veeam features to make this work. What gives guys? v8 is not turning out to be all that good for us...

i can't just move the replication jobs to CORP because I must assume CORP is offline and cannot initiate a failover and reIP then.

[Shestakov]

Since you are using 2 different VBR servers in the environment, they work independently and create independent chains of backups/replicas. If you want to replicate from a backup repository, it should be re-scanned each time to make replication aware of the new increment.
The "Dummy Job" can be used to perfom the rescan.
The described method is the only solution if you are using 2 backup servers. If you performed backups and replicas from the same console, you could just choose a backup repository as a source.
Thanks.

[davidb1234]

Since you are using 2 different VBR servers in the environment, they work independently and create independent chains of backups/replicas. If you want to replicate from a backup repository, it should be re-scanned each time to make replication aware of the new increment.
The "Dummy Job" can be used to perfom the rescan.
The described method is the only solution if you are using 2 backup servers. If you performed backups and replicas from the same console, you could just choose a backup repository as a source.
Thanks.

I set up a repository at DR and pointed it to CORP repository where the backup data is and imported the data. I set up the prescript on the replication job to refresh the data store. I created a dummy backup job for the Vm and pointed it to the imported repository(i don't know what this is for). Every time I run the replication job which has the imported backup repository as source it says no restore points found and there are 7.

Do you have specific documentation on how to set this up? We were banking on this feature working and not having all of the caveats associated with it.

[alanbolte]

I just want to clarify that the dummy job workaround is not a supported configuration - some customers have had success with it, but known caveats include several possible problems if the backup and replication jobs run at the same time, needing to remap the dummy job after certain configuration changes on the source backup server, and needing to script repository rescan if you want to replicate more often than the default rescan rate.

For replicating from backup when both jobs run on the same server, here are my thoughts on three methods that allow failover with Re-IP:

1. Run all jobs from production side, with encrypted configuration backups to offsite (recommended):

Pros: Easy restore from backup, fast and easy backup of Veeam server.
Cons: More steps to failover replicas in DR scenario, because you must first restore configuration to DR-side Veeam server. Configuration backup cannot be configured more often than daily, but configuration restore will automatically rescan for replicas so that shouldn't be a problem.

2. Run all jobs from production side, with replication of Veeam server to offsite:

Pros: Easy restore from backup
Cons: Replication of Veeam server is likely to be slow due to lack of CBT (also can't hotadd itself) and will only occur when Veeam server is not being used as a proxy for other jobs, so it may be impractical to replicate frequently (e.g. hourly). In DR scenario, you have to power on the replica of the Veeam server manually (and change its IP) before failing over the other replicas. If the replica content isn't up to date, you have to remember to rescan the replicas before failing over.

3. Run all jobs from DR side:

Pros: Fastest and easiest replica failover in DR scenario.
Cons: Must import backups to production-side backup server (or rescan repository) to perform Windows FLR. Explorers (AD, Exchange, etc) must be launched from FLR instead of in one step. Somewhat greater chance for job failures involving AAIP, depending on your WAN connection.

[davidb1234]

For option 1 that you recommend can you clarify? Are you saying run all jobs from PROD. If PROD is destroyed or completely offline preventing us from using the failover plans/button for a replica we would restore a copy of the configuration backup of PROD to DR and be able to then use the failover plans/button on our replicas from DR? Does this restoration of the PROD veeam configuration data to DR have to occur on a same named VM running Veeam as PROD or can it be a differently named windows VM?

[alanbolte]

For option 1 that you recommend can you clarify? Are you saying run all jobs from PROD.

Yes.

If PROD is destroyed or completely offline preventing us from using the failover plans/button for a replica we would restore a copy of the configuration backup of PROD to DR and be able to then use the failover plans/button on our replicas from DR?

Yes. You would maintain an otherwise-unused DR Veeam server for this purpose.

Does this restoration of the PROD veeam configuration data to DR have to occur on a same named VM running Veeam as PROD or can it be a differently named windows VM?

I haven't encountered any restriction on the name of the VM to which you restore the configuration.

[davidb1234]

Thank you. You have been very helpful. With this information I think we are going to rebuild our design to have all jobs at PROD and backup the configuration data to DR with keep and current blank Veeam instance where the old one used to be.

[dellock6]

Just as an addition to the great posts by Alan, for option 2 you can just split the Veeam server by deploying a dedicated proxy role, and disable proxy in VBR server. In this way, VBR becomes only a management console, it's not involved in backup operations and the CBT limits, and so it can be replicated much easily.

[jim.montgomery]

Is it possible to replicate a Virtual Machine from a backup using pull format. We can get it to push with no problems. Basically we have two servers that each have Veeam 8 on them. The first site is the production site and that is where the VM Backups are stored. We have a second Veeam server at our DR Site and would like to be able to pull the Replication rather than pushing the replication. Is there a process that allows us to do this. We can currently push the Replications from the Production Veeam to the DR Veeam. If further clarification is needed please feel free to ask.

[Vitaliy S.]

If you want to use DR backup server to do replications from backup files, then your DR backup server should also be doing backup jobs on the local site. Please review this topic for other tricks to achieve that. Thanks!

[jim.montgomery]

Can a Veeam Server that is not at the Source site for backups utilize or map a repository to the Veeam Server at the Source site which is the server that is running the backups. Then use this mapped repository from the remote Veeam Server for Replication purposes.

[Vitaliy S.]

You're referring to a suggestion with a dummy job posted above, right? This approach will require lots of manual work and, me personally, I would not proceed with this configuration.

[champ_]

Hi,

Our customer has two veeam servers, one is handling backup and the other is handling replication. The Backup repository is a NAS located close to the Veeam replication server.
Is it possible to replicate from the backup files located on the NAS?
I have tried but I receive "no restore points found".

Regards

Roger

[veremin]

You need to either let backup server (that takes care of backup activity) orchestrate replication, as well, or create dummy backup jobs at the second backup server map them on backup data created on NAS (don't forget to assign repository role to it) and choose that repository as source for replication jobs. Thanks.

[champ_]

Hi Eremin.

Thanks for the reply!
Please explane what you mean by creating a dummy backup job on the Veeam replication server and pointing it to the NAS.

Regards

[veremin]

On the second server (replication server) create backups jobs that reflect VMs selection settings of backup jobs existing on the first server (backup server), map them to backup residing on NAS device (prior to that assign repository role to it). After that, create replication jobs, let them replicate from backup, selecting the newly-created repository as a source.

I can't test it at the moment, so, I'm not 100% sure whether the first step with dummy jobs is necessary or not. My guess that it's needed to create an association without which replication from backup wouldn't work, but feel free to double check that.

Thanks.

[foggy]

Don't forget that repository rescan will be required prior each replication job run. The entire process is discussed in a bit more details in the thread above.

[alanbolte]

Vladimir: has the situation changed from my post on the previous page?

[foggy]

Alan, if you're talking about dummy job workaround, then I don't think something has changed since then.

[jim3cantos]

Alan, if you're talking about dummy job workaround, then I don't think something has changed since then.

Hi,
we are thinking to upgrade to v9. Does dummy job workaround still work the same in v9?
Thanks

[alanbolte]

In v9 there is no longer any significant upside to running two separate backup servers to separate backup jobs from replication jobs. It makes much more sense to put your single backup server at the DR site, and use a remote console at the production site for management and file- or application-level restores. If you have Enterprise or Enterprise Plus edition, you have the added bonus being able to designate a guest interaction proxy at the production site.

[Dave1981]

Hi B&R Team

I have had a support ticket open )02042230) and after much investigation the problem appears to be a limitation with Veeam and so I was wondering if I can request it as a feature. I don't believe I am alone in needing something like this.

My scenario is as follows:

We have two primary sites (UK & China) and a DR site located elsewhere in the UK.

Each primary site has an on site B&R server that controls the daily Backup job and then has a Backup copy job to an off-site repository.

On the off-site location we have a B&R server that performs a replication of the critical servers and a Failover plan is configured to be implemented should the Primary site go offline (We use Re-IP/ Network mapping).

This is able to work fine from UK site to offsite as both sites have reasonable connections.

The problem we have is that due to the great firewall the data rate coming out of china is very limited (lucky to get 1MB/s) so our Backup windows is not long enough to perform both the Backup Copy job to get the data off site and then a Replication from Production source job. I had hoped to get around this by using the Replication from Backup Source option (utilising the already copied Backup every day) but the offsite server is unable to do this because the Backup jobs are not created on it. The Replication from Backup works if the Replication is controlled from the onsite server in China but this leads to a problem that I am unable to use the Offsite server to create a Failover plan which means I am unable to use any of the failback options.

I want the Failover plan on the offsite server as my DR planning is assuming the Onsite B&R server went up in smoke with the rest of the building should these replicas be needed.

I would like request the ability for a separate B&R server offsite to use a Repository stored on it to perform “Replication from Backup”. This would allow me to keep data transfer to a minimum whilst also allowing me to use the power of Failover plans should anything happen to my primary site.

[foggy]

Hi Dave, you can review this thread for a possible workaround, however an easier option is to have a backups server responsible both for the remote backup and replication from backup jobs residing in the DR site.

[PaulVM]

Hi,

I currently have a replication job that replicates to a DR site and is set to use the Production Storage. This has being casuing issues due to the snapshot deletion process extending into Business hours.

I added the backup repository to the DR Veeam server and modified the job to use the Backup repository as the data source. The job has hung saying the VM has 0.0 B to process and is stuck at 0% despite saying job error.

A) Did I do this correctly? If not what do I need to do?
B) How do I quit this job as it says exiting will break the local backup!!!

[foggy]

I added the backup repository to the DR Veeam server...

This makes me think you have two Veeam B&R instances, one in production site and another in DR, and trying to replicate from backup created by another instance, right?

[PaulVM]

Yes thats correct.