Migrating/Converting from NTFS to REFS

[parneye]

I have a Veeam Backup Copy Job that has a target of an NTFS repository. (Server 2012R2)
The job has 22TB stored in the NTFS repository (yearly, quarterly, monthly, and weekly restore points).

I want to take advantage of REFS. I have made an additional repository on the server as REFS (Server 2012R2) - is there anyway to migrate the 22TB from the NTFS repository to the REFS repository and for it to take advantage of REFS for the files migrated?
In other words, can I migrate existing backups from an NTFS repo to an REFS repo and take advantage of REFS space saving for those existing backups files (not just for new backup files)?
I'm open to any solution.

[soncscy]

Hey James,

No, the existing files cannot be copied over directly and benefit from Block Cloning -- this is something that must happen with an API call at the write, and through normal copies, there isn't a way to do this. If you were to do a Backup Copy, you could start a new chain w/ Block Cloning, but this of course isn't really feasible.

Your best bet is just start a new set of Backups on your ReFS repo, keep the old backups around until you reach a sufficient retention, then decommission your NTFS repo.

[mweissen13]

Hello James!
Additionally, please note that block cloning can only be utilized with Windows Server 2016 or newer. You cannot benefit from this with Server 2012R2. Also you will have to reformat the drive with a newer version of Windows Server.

[parneye]

hi guys.. Sorry for the delayed repsonse. Thanks for your input.

[parneye]

hi soncsy, by "If you were to do a Backup Copy, you could start a new chain w/ Block Cloning, but this of course isn't really feasible" - do you mean it's possible to reseed through setting the old backup copy as a source, or are you saying that you have to start fresh, and can't feed through the old retention?
thanks again.

[foggy]

Harvey means that only new backups created after the new full will use block cloning.