moving from linux physical server to VM

[rgmueller]

I have a user that will be converting his physical Linux server, backed up via agent process, to be a Linux VMware VM, thus, no longer using agent process. What is the process to either make use of existing files ( I assume by moving to a new location) in the existing Veeam VMware backup jobs (my preferred process) or to cleanup the old files.

[nielsengelen]

You can just add the VM to a backup job and it will be backed up via VBR. It isn’t possible to merge the agent backup with the VM backup so you will have to keep the “old” agent backup till the retention is reached.

[rgmueller]

So the initial backup for the server when moved to a VM backup will be an initial full? You are saying there is no way to copy/move the existing files to any of the folders associated with the VM backup/backup copy/tape jobs?
And the old agent-related files will age out? There is no need to manually remove them?

[rgmueller]

Is it the same answer if moving a VM to different jobs? What about KB2321, does it apply to any of this?

[Mike Resseler]

Hey,

For your first question: Correct, the first backup will be a full. After that, it will depend on the mode you have chosen. The old agent related files will indeed age out depending on your retention settings there. So no need to manually remove them, although you still can if you want to.

For KB2321: Unfortunately it is not. The difference here is that you are moving from one technology (physical backup) to another (virtual backup). So it is not possible for us to retrieve data out of one backup chain and use it for another chain.

[rgmueller]

Thank you.