Recommended Settings for Backup Job

[vaicsimmons]

I am pretty green when it comes to Veeam and I need some advice setting up my backup job.

All Veeam services are running on a standalone Windows box that has 63 TB of local storage. The 63 TB is formatted as a ReFS volume. My goal is to keep 6 daily, 3 weekly, 11 monthly and 7 yearly backups.

I will be backing up a dozen VMs. These VMs all run Windows Server and include domain controllers, a SQL server, an Exchange server, and an IIS server. I’ll also be backing up a VM that runs the vCenter server appliance. In total, all the VMs consume around 2 TB.

With that said, I do have some questions.

1. Should I group all the Windows VMs into one job and place the Linux VM in its own job?

2. Should I run my backups at forward incremental and create synthetic fulls? If I use synthetic fulls, is there any need to create active fulls periodically?

3. Should I enable Storage-Level Corruption Guard and perform Full Backup File Maintenance?

4. My backup server has 4 CPUs (60 cores in total). Would you leave the Compression Level at “Optimal (recommended)” or is it worth changing the setting to “High?”

5. Should I leave the Storage Optimization setting at “Local target” or change it to “LAN target?”

6. Would you recommend enabling Guest File System Indexing?

7. Should I configure the repository to “Use per-VM backup files?”

If I missed anything then please let me know. Any other suggestions / comments are appreciated.

[HannesK]

Hello,

1. the recommendation is not more than 300 VMs per job with per-VM backup files. Grouping is based on personal preferences. I would do at least two jobs (Windows / Linux)

2. There is no need for active fulls. See FAQ

3. That's a good idea, yes. But I would recommend much more to apply the 3-2-1 rule. It's not a good idea to save everything on only one server.

4. & 5.: The defaults are fine. No need to change them.

6. only if you need search. most customers don't do it. and if they do it, then only for file-servers

7. yes, always. I would not care too much about a few GB less deduplication.


Best regards,
Hannes

[vaicsimmons]

Hannes,

Thank you for the response. As for the 3-2-1 Rule...we have 3 buildings on the property, plus another bout 1/4 mile down the road which is connected to our main office via fiber. This server will be placed in another building located on the property. I will have a second server located in the building that is 1/4 mile down the road. Therefore, I will have our production data in our main office, a veeam backup in another building on the property, and a second veeam backup in another building off of the property. I will also likely look to keep my daily and one weekly backup in the cloud.

[JPMS]

7. yes, always. I would not care too much about a few GB less deduplication.

Hannes, why do you recommend to always “Use per-VM backup files?”

[HannesK]

for the following reasons:

- Easier tape restore
- No 16TB files on wrong formatted NTFS volumes
- More performance through parallel processing
- Easier job management (put more VMs in one job)
- More efficient storage usage with SOBR
- Optional Windows Server 2016 Dedupe if files < 1TB
- Easy deletion of individual VMs from backups
- Per-VM accounting