Possible to archive older backups to non-cloud based local storage?

[FSW Ant]

Hello,

My primary on-premise fast-disk based Veeam backup repository is getting full and I have a second, slower on-premise storage that I would like to use as archive. I'd like to use it the way that I understand how SoBR/Capacity Tier works. Basically, all backups primarily save to my main backup repository. After 14 days, the backups would automatically tier-out of fast storage and move to the slower Synology NAS storage. Then after another 4 weeks, they would purge out due to overall retention settings. How can I achieve this? I tried to build this as a SoBR but that doesn't seem to have a way for me to add the SOBR object as a local device, only cloud. To further clarify, I am doing this because this is the only solution available to me right now, our org cannot afford any cloud based storage for this.

Thanks,

Ant

[Mildur]

Hi Ant

A SOBR can online have object storage as a capacity tier. Can be cloud object storage or onpremise object storage.
In your case, just add the the second Synology as a simple Backup Repository (SMB or better as an iSCSI connected drive) and use a Backup copy job to copy the backups from your fast backup repository to this slower repository.
Configure a retention of 28 days for the backup job and a longer retention for the backup copy job.

Just as an additional note, you won‘t have any protection against ransomware with this design.

Thanks
Fabian

[FSW Ant]

Fabian,

Thanks for your response. I initially thought about doing it that way, but doing it that way will cause the slower storage to have duplicates of what is in the fast storage. If I have my fast storage set to 15 days retention, and then my slow storage set to 45 days retention, then my slow storage will have duplicate data for 14 of those days. Ideally I would prefer not to waste that space on duplicate data. That's why I was looking for a solution that would basically archive out, or "move" the existing backups from the fast storage to the slow storage once they are outside of the 14 day window.

You mentioned that SoBR can only have object storage as a capacity tier. Can't I use my local on-prem NAS as the object storage?

Ant

[Mildur]

Your welcome.

Ideally I would prefer not to waste that space on duplicate data.

Having duplicate backups is not a bad thing. It would follow a part of the 3-2-1-1-0 rule which should be leveraged in any backup environment to have a safe backup against ransomware attack or other physical disaster.

3 = Keeping three copies of your data (1x production, 2x backup copies)
2 = using two different storage technologies to store your backup copies
1 = Keeping one of the backups offsite at another location
1 = One backup should be airgapped or immutable
0 = Zero restore errors, backups must be tested

As an example, If you only have 1 copy of the data for the last 4 week, and this data is at the same location as your production environment, you will have a problem if your building is burning down.

You mentioned that SoBR can only have object storage as a capacity tier. Can't I use my local on-prem NAS as the object storage?

Most likely you can, if you can enable the s3 protocol. And it‘s most likely not a supported configuration by us.
It was never officially tested.
Just because it‘s possible, doesn‘t mean it will work out fine.

[FSW Ant]

We do already have multiple backups in multiple locations, so that's not a factor for this. Its unfortunate to hear that Veeam doesn't have a supported way to do this without it be a cloud storage object. I would have thought that would be one of the more requested features. Trying to choose the S3 protocol when adding object storage doesn't seem to be an option since it immediately starts asking for S3 account info (even though the first option on the object storage wizard clearly says "S3 compatible" with "Adds an on-premise object storage or a cloud object storage provider". It mentions an on-prem object but has no options to set it up after clicking that.

[Mildur]

Its unfortunate to hear that Veeam doesn't have a supported way to do this without it be a cloud storage object. I would have thought that would be one of the more requested features.

It doesn‘t have to be cloud Object Storage.
We support many local Object Storages. Just not this nas implementations. We support object storage appliances. We don‘t even recommend nas devices as primary backup storage.

Unofficial object storage compatibility list for Veeam Backup & Replication

Trying to choose the S3 protocol when adding object storage doesn't seem to be an option since it immediately starts asking for S3 account info (even though the first option on the object storage wizard clearly says "S3 compatible" with "Adds an on-premise object storage or a cloud object storage provider". It mentions an on-prem object but has no options to set it up after clicking that.

That‘s expected. If you want to add your NAS as an object storage, you must add it with s3 account info and with the s3 endpoint. Your NAS must be capable of providing that info and protocol. Or it will not work at all.

Object storage works always the same. We just have GUI options for the well known cloud object storages. All other s3 compatible object storages are working in a similar way.

[FSW Ant]

Yea the device I'm trying to use is not an S3 endpoint. Its essentials a CIFS share. Thats the goal, use a basic network share for older backups to time based retention out to without needing any cloud based accounts for it.

[Mildur]

I‘m sorry, but I don‘t see that happening.
SMB Shares are not the preferred backup repository and there will be most likely no active development in this direction (SMB repo as capacity tier).

Thanks
Fabian