Move Backups between Veeam infrastructures

[arestas]

Hello all,

I have a strong background with ofther backups tools, but recently my companie started working with veeam and my veeam knowledge is not the best.

My companie recently started working with veeam and we need to migrate veeam backups from one backup infrastructure to a new one.

The old infrastructure will be decomissioned.
In the new backup infrastrucute everything will be new (new licenses and so on).

So my question is how can i move backups between veeam infrastructures. Is there a way to achive that?

Regards,
CAG

[Egor Yakovlev]

Hi Carlos.

If everything, including VBR server and configured Jobs will be new, there is no need of backup mapping or configuration copy.
You can just add Backup Repositories from old VBR server to a new VBR server and run a Rescan - new VBR will see all restore points from old one and put them into Disk(Imported) node for you to use as a recovery source.

Note that if new VBR server will be of different version(say old is 9.5, new is 10), upon adding old Repository servers some components might get updated(f.e. Veeam data movers on Windows Repository), which will render old VBR server useless immediately - it will not be able to put backups there anymore due to transport components versions mismatch. Plan your VBR shift carefully.

/Cheers!

[haslund]

How much backup data do you need to migrate? Are you using the scale-out backup repository today? I assume you would have connectivity between old and new infrastructure for a period of time?

[arestas]

Hello,

We are talking about 200TB.
Yes we have connectivitie.
We are not using scale-out backup repository in the old environment. There is a local disk repo and a tape librarie repo.

I have created a lab and for the local disk repo the suggestion made by Egor worked.
Just not sure what to do with tape librarie... any inputs on this? We can´t just wait for them to expire because there are some long retention backups there.

Regards,
CAG

[foggy]

Could you please clarify what do you want to achieve for the tape backups? Do you want the existing tapes to be tracked by the new Veeam B&R instance or...?

[arestas]

Hello,

We needto keep the entire tape history and where the backups are (on witch tape), so we can buy some tape reader to add to the new veeam server and we can restore from them.

Regards,
CAG

[Egor Yakovlev]

In this case it will be best to use Configuration Backup and Restore, so tape catalog will be migrated over.
Without it, new VBR server will have to catalog and inventory each tape again to become aware of it's contents.
/Thanks!

[arestas]

Hello,

That will bring all the other information we dont need, or am i wrong?

[Egor Yakovlev]

Correct.
It is either full configuration transfer + delete unwanted migrated components, either a fresh install + add parts you need from the scratch.

[arestas]

Hello,

I think i didnt mention but the all the existing veeam infra will be decomissioned, including out tape robot.
If i understande correctly, importing full configuration will allow to attach a (new)device like a tape reader to the new veeam infra and to restore from those tapes?

If we devide to go for a fresh install we need to catalog every tape, so veeam know whats inside, right?

Thanks,
CGC

[Egor Yakovlev]

Right, you should then follow Replacing Tape Devices process for all medial pools to preserve it's configuration when changing the hardware. Ideally on source(old) VBR server, to have a stable solution with new tape device working\tested prior to VBR migration.

And yes, if fresh VBR will have a fresh tape library with old cartridges, full tape catalog+inventory will be needed. That will allow fresh VBR to see existing Veeam backups on the tapes.
Media Pools will have to be recreated manually from the scratch though.

/Thanks!

[arestas]

We wont have problems applying a new (different) license on the new server? The machine hostname/IP will be different.

[Egor Yakovlev]

You mean new Veeam license?
It is 100% portable and has no locks on previous installations \ components.