Migrate VBR 9.5 to a new server

[stewsie]

I am starting to plan the installation of a new server which will be used as a replacement for the existing VBR 9.5 service running on a Windows 2008 R2 server. The database is installed on another server and that is not being replaced at all as part of this work.

I have looked at KB ID: 1889 and the specific information for Configuration Database Restore. I only want to restore all the job information and settings to the new server and not make any changes to the database. If I follow the information contained in KB ID: 1889 will this configure the Veeam settings only and leave the existing database information intact or do I need to do something else? Obviously I do not want to risk the backup information contained in the existing database. Of course as part of this work additional backups will be taken prior to starting for additional rollback options.

Would be great to hear your experiences if any of you have carried out a migration of the VBR service.

[stewsie]

Would I just carry out steps 1, 2, 3 and 5? Then restart the Veeam services?

1. Install Veeam Backup & Replication with a brand new DB.
2. Apply the latest patch to Veeam. http://www.veeam.com/patches.html
3. Make sure all local drives that were being used as repositories on the old server are now attached with the same drive letters on the new server.
4. Restore the Veeam database to the instance on the new server or on a SQL server which will host Veeam DB. (link)
5. To associate Veeam with the restored database, please use the DBConfig Utility to change the DB and settings that Veeam is connecting to.

[foggy]

Hi Paul, am I understanding right, you're after setting up a new backup server with local database? Or do you want the new instance to use the existing database? If you want to migrate all the existing Veeam B&R jobs and settings to the new server using local database, just perform configuration backup n the existing instance and restore it to the new one, following the instructions given in the KB.

[stewsie]

Hi

I want to install only a new backup server to replace the existing one and connect it to an existing database on a remote server. The database server is not being replaced. I have been looking at various articles and think that I need to install Veeam on the new server and during the installation connect it to the existing database on the remote server. Once installed import the configuration backup that will be taken which should restore the job states so that full backups do run when the backup jobs next run.

I think this sounds like to way to go otherwise it will install a local database which I do not want.

[foggy]

In case of remote database that will not be changed, you do not need to restore configuration backup. Just set up a new Veeam B&R instance and connect it to the existing database that holds all the required information. Making configuration backup (just in case) prior this operation is always recommended though.

[stewsie]

Thanks for the clarification.

[stewsie]

Update on the work I completed in case anyone is interested

During installation selected to connect to an existing database. This failed as the database was a higher version. Installed using a temporary database and then used DBConfig to connect to correct database. This was also the same during Enterprise Manager installation https://www.veeam.com/kb1845

Once installed and Veeam services started I started to change the credentials and input passwords. During this activity one of the domain accounts locked out. Obviously I wasn't quick enough

Tape server failed to connect. Edited registry key on the tape server and restarted the 3 Veeam services tape-f29/tape-library-not-recognized-t26138.html

New server is running 2016 and overall the performance improvements appear to be huge especially with memory usage. On the old server when copy jobs were running, the Veeam Backup & Replication server would typically use 100% of the RAM. Now the server is using around 56%. This might be a reason for you to replace your existing server especially if it is running 2008 R2 as mine was.

During the installation and configuration I received a number of job failures and restarting the services didn't resolve them . Rebooted the server and all OK

[m.novelli]

One question guys: the VBR installation on Old Server need to be upgraded to the same level of the New Server before exporting the configuration?

I'm migrating a customer from VBR 9.5 U2 to 9.5 U4b

Thanks a lot

Marco

[stewsie]

When I carried out this work both servers were at the same version. I am not sure if this is necessary as you are only copying configuration data from one server to the next. Hopefully someone from Veeam can clarify this for you

[foggy]

You can import configuration from an earlier version, so this is not necessary.

[m.novelli]

Great! Thanks

[ejenner]

Perhaps worth pointing out you should disable your jobs before exporting as well.

Also, if you don't know all of your credentials or don't want to reenter them make sure you encrypt your backup file. Unencrypted backup files won't have any of the passwords. Another reason why you should export the passwords using an encrypted backup file is that jobs trying to run after restoration to the new server could start locking out AD accounts when repeatedly trying to logon with a blank password. This happened to me... so it does happen

[Moebius]

A question that I've wanted to ask for a long time...
What is stored into the Configuration backup exactly? When compared to a full backup and restore of the Veeam database, what information are lost (beside the job history)? And are there information that are only retained through the Configuration backup and restore, and not via the Veeam database b&r method?
(Three questions actually )

[DGrinev]

Hi Lucio,

1. The configuration backup ensures that before the backup all the processes are put on hold. Also, after restoring you will be able to continue the backup process without additional manual intervention (such as rescan of infrastructure objects).
2. I would say there is a lot of trash will be cleaned during the configuration backup.
3. The last but not least is the Restore Options which allows more granular restore capabilities.

Thanks!

[Moebius]

Thanks Dmitry! I was not aware of these Restore Options. They must be a recent addition as I can't recall having seen them the last time I performed a config restore.
So using Configuration Backup nothing is lost---not even the job session history? That's very good to know.

[veremin]

Correct, as long as you select the corresponding checkbox in the restore wizard, the session history will be preserved. Thanks!