Planning Advice for Single Host Environment

[barnettd]

Hi,
We are upgrading equipment at a branch office that has a single Hyper-v server running 3 VMs that serve 500GB files, sql, and domain controller. They are currently backed up using backup exec to an LTO 3 tape backup. Replication is not needed at the site, just the ability to pull files from backup in case of a failure.

The server is getting completely replaced and we would like to use Veeam with the upgraded hardware. Whats the best practice for this scenario? I was thinking:
- Veeam installs to a new or existing VM
- Synology NAS as repository (CIFS or ISCSI?)
- Offsite backup using Amazon S3 or similar.

We have less than 1TB to backup, the docs I have read so far are geared towards larger environments.

Thanks

[EugeneK]

I normally recommend to stay away from CIFS, unless you have a hard requirement to use it.
Offsite backups I'd consider the spare requirements and Veeam Cloud Connect service provider. Depending on the retention policy you'd like to use and RTO/RPO requirements, finding a provider with a close proximity may be required to meet the SLA. One benefit is that you will not need to manage an amazon instance, the SP will do the legwork for you.

[barnettd]

Great thanks, will stay away from CIFS. I haven't looked through cloud providers yet, just threw out the first one to came to mind.
There are no requirements other than make it work at the best price... Any recommendations on repository hardware?

[EugeneK]

That's the tricky one
There's a lot of variables that depend on how often you need to backup and how much changes in between the backups, as well the backup type you choose.
Generally speaking, you want to define
1) RPO/RTO
2) What change rate is expected on the VMs
3) What type of backup job is preferred to be used

Knowing the above 3, you can estimate the minimum requirements for the storage.
The general recommendations are rather common: RAID protection, 7200RPM drives normally serve well, unless the changes are too intense and backup windows too short. Sometimes, even JBOD fits.

CPU/RAM for the repository - check https://helpcenter.veeam.com/backup/vsp ... .html#repo

[DaveWatkins]

You might even be able to use the storage in your existing HV server as the repository once you've migrated to the new hardware

[foggy]

Here's a good reading on that: Recommendations for backup storage, backup target