Many VBR servers, single VEM, migration to Postgres - how to handle licensing?

[wku]

Hello.

This is a single organization, not any kind of rental / MSP setup.
We have many separate VBR servers backing up different sites.
They are all joined to a single Enterprise Manager and they're sharing a single large VUL-type license, with usage totalled/summarized globally.
(As described in sections 1.11 and 1.13 of https://www.veeam.com/licensing-policy.html).

I just started to prepare for a migration of some sites to Postgres, however I ran into this nasty surprise:

https://helpcenter.veeam.com/docs/backu ... ml?ver=120

All backup servers must be based on the same database engine as Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager (PostgreSQL or Microsoft SQL Server).

https://helpcenter.veeam.com/docs/backu ... ml?ver=120

Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager collects data from backup servers with configuration databases that run on the same database engine as the Enterprise Manager configuration database. The database engine used by Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager and all of the Veeam Backup & Replication Servers managed by this Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager must match. To migrate the Enterprise Manager configuration database, see Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager Guide.

This is quite problematic, as rebuilding all those VBR servers with Postgres is going to be a operation taking many months due to change management and it not being quite the top priority task.
So for the transition duration - which may be as much as "most of the year 2024" - I either immediately cut-off all sites (upgrading VEM first) and gradually rejoin them, or gradually lose communication then finally re-join (upgrading VEM last).

Is there some kind of a guideline here?
Will we be fine if we manually ensure to remain in compliance in total across the environment, and provide logs from all the sites in case of an audit?

[Dima P.]

Hello wku,

As an another idea: you can spin off a new Enterprise Manager with Postgres, while keeping your current EM operational. Then start migrating your Veeam B&R servers one by one to Postgres and once B&R is migrated it should be removed from your Microsoft SQL EM and added to Postgres Enterprise Manager.

Will we be fine if we manually ensure to remain in compliance in total across the environment, and provide logs from all the sites in case of an audit?

Since you will be migrating the same workloads / servers from one EM to another that should not be a problem from the licensing perspective.

[wku]

That's a very interesting suggestion, I wouldn't think of it!

However, there's then a question regarding the historical info in the "MSSQL" VEM.
I believe we have some kind of a compliance requirement to keep historical information about backups being done, as form of proof to insurance or to regulators (or both).

VEM is currently configured to keep 1 year of backupjob history because of that.
If a VEM database migration would be done in-place, the data would, presumably, "survive" and remain visible.

But with this kind of split setup, the new "Postgres VEM" would start from a fresh blank state.
Can we keep the old data available for reading in the old VEM, even after VBRs are removed from it, or does removing a VBR clears its history in VEM?
Should there some kind of report/exports or something be done instead?

Finally, could I ask for a bit of a clarification on the last part?
I think - I hope - we're both in agreement, but just to sleep better:

Veeam (of course) requires us to not exceed the total amount of workloads in our global license.
A recommended way to "help us" ensure compliance is to have all data summed up under a single VEM.
But it's not really mandatory - an audit would probably require more detailed data from each VBR anyway.
Having the VBRs split among two VEMs during migration, having some totally-disconnected VBRs for one reason or another - that is OK as long as the grand-total is within the license allotment.
Correct?

Thank you very much, and apologies for all the questions.
This VEM limitation kind of exploded in my face suddenly, derailing the whole schedule.
Of course it's documented, so it's all my fault - although it might be worth it to highlight this requirement more prominently (e.g. in the "supported engine for configuration database" section of System Requirements page).

[Dima P.]

Can we keep the old data available for reading in the old VEM, even after VBRs are removed from it, or does removing a VBR clears its history in VEM?

You can take a backup of your current EM machine before removing the B&R server. Whenever you need the historical information due to compliance reasons you can always spin the machine via instant vm recovery, get what is needed and shut the instant recovery down even without restoring the machine.

I'll check if there is more elegant way of doing that or if EM preserves the logs after specific B&R server has been removed.

Having the VBRs split among two VEMs during migration, having some totally-disconnected VBRs for one reason or another - that is OK as long as the grand-total is within the license allotment. Correct?

Correct!

[Dima P.]

wku,

Confirmed that whenever you perform a B&R migration via configuration backup (configuration backup of your VBR + MS SQL followed by configuration restore to VBR + PG SQL) all the sessions are preserved and should be collected whenever you add such B&R to a new EM.

I'd go with a backup EM suggestion during a first couple of migration cases just to be safe anyway, at least for a first B&R PG SQL > EM PG SQL migration.