v8 - Backup Copy

[OCIT]

Hi all

Looking for some advice to best run Backup Copy (if that is indeed the right option)

We have approx. 1.4Tb of full backup (VMware VMs) saved to a local disk repository on our VEEAM server, Monday to Friday. This has been configured as reverse incremental and set to keep 14 restore points.

We are now looking into how best to get a copy of this stored to External HDD that can be taken offsite. I've tried to set it up, however I keep hitting problems

1. I notice you have to have a minimum of 2 restore points - I assume one is always a full and the other incremental?
2. The backup copy job is always running as continuous, and seems to sit waiting (12+ hours) for a new restore point. Also, I've set the schedule to Mon - Fri, but if a disk is not attached over the weekend then it sends failure emails on a Sat and Sun. All we want is that Mon-Thurs backups to local drive are copied Tues-Fri to HDD and on a Monday it picks up the previous Friday.
3. We are using a 2 disk rotation, however not sure if this adds to confusion. If Monday is disk 1, then Friday is also 1. The following Monday should be disk 2. What are the implications (if any) of using disk 1? This is why I want to use as little restore points as possible. All we are interested in is making sure the previous full backup is kept offsite

We are looking mid-long term to have cloud replication of some form, however in the short term our directors are screaming at me for making sure we have up to date backups being removed from site "just in case"

Any help appreciated.
L

[PTide]

Hi OCIT,

So you currently have your most recent full backup + 14 reverse incremental which are produced on daily basis except for weekends, right?

1. I notice you have to have a minimum of 2 restore points - I assume one is always a full and the other incremental?

Correct - it's gonna be 1 full + 1 increment.

2. The backup copy job is always running as continuous, and seems to sit waiting (12+ hours) for a new restore point. Also, I've set the schedule to Mon - Fri, but if a disk is not attached over the weekend then it sends failure emails on a Sat and Sun. All we want is that Mon-Thurs backups to local drive are copied Tues-Fri to HDD and on a Monday it picks up the previous Friday.

All we want is that Mon-Thurs backups to local drive are copied Tues-Fri to HDD and on a Monday it picks up the previous Friday.

This backup schema looks a little bit strange to me. Why would one want Friday backup to be picked up on Monday? Please tell me the details - maybe I could suggest something else...

I would set it up in the following way:

Backup job starts at, say, 10pm every day.

BCJ interval starts at 10:05 every day (except for weekends), sees job in progress, waits until backup file shows up, grabs it and that's it - no other backup copy operation is going to be performed until the next interval starts.


See this thread for more info about intervals.

3. We are using a 2 disk rotation, however not sure if this adds to confusion. If Monday is disk 1, then Friday is also 1. The following Monday should be disk 2. What are the implications (if any) of using disk 1? This is why I want to use as little restore points as possible. All we are interested in is making sure the previous full backup is kept offsite

I'm not sure that I understood you correctly...Are you using 2 disk rotation for a BCJ or for your regular backup?

Thank you.

[OCIT]

Sorry for the late reply, I have recently changed jobs so had to put this on hold temporarily.

To answer your questions

1. The Backup job is set for 14 restore points (I have been considering dropping this to 5) and is set to Reverse Incremental

2. Backup schedule is set for 9pm Weekdays (Mon - Fri) - no one is in the office working over the weekend

3. The reason for this was so that no External HDD is left in the drive overnight at any time. The copy job starts first thing and they can remove the HDD early afternoon to take offsite. I agree it still leads to the same scenario over a weekend, that no matter what, the HDD copy is available to them on a Monday, either first thing if left in as you explain, or the job not started until Monday.

4. Sorry, the two disk rotation is for the External HDD. I have set up a Backup Repository called ExternalHDD and set to be Backed by Rotating Media. We then use two External HDDs, with them swapping daily. However I'm not sure of the implications if they forget to swap at any time.

If you need any more information, let me know.

Kind Regards, Luke

[PTide]

The copy job starts first thing and they can remove the HDD early afternoon to take offsite

Basically, you say that both HDDs (where backups are copied to) are being sporadically removed at any time when someone wants to?

The reason for this was so that no External HDD is left in the drive overnight at any time

Ok, that makes sense. That is why you copy Monday backup on Tuesday, Tuesday on Monday and so on...

We then use two External HDDs, with them swapping daily. However I'm not sure of the implications if they forget to swap at any time.

If rotated hard drives policy enabled for repo, then any job (either BCJ of BJ) checks if full backup is present on that drive. If not, then it creates a new full and uses it as a start point for all subsequent incrementals. In other words - your BCJ is going to perform full backup every time you swap drives. Also VBR checks the retention policy for the job. If some backup files in the backup chain are outdated, Veeam Backup & Replication removes them from the backup chain. Please check this article for more details.

The easiest way for you to get the desired backup procedure to work is to add Sundays to backup job schedule.


Given:
1. BCJ interval is set to 24 hours, starts at 7am
2. BJ is set to 9pm
3. BCJ window is set to forbid Saturdays and Sundays.


Here is what's going to happen next:

BJ starts on Monday (9pm).
BCJ starts on Tuesday (7am) and grabs your Monday RP.
BJ starts on Tuesday (9pm).
BCJ starts on Wednesday (7am) and grabs your Tuesday RP.
...
...
BCJ starts on Friday (7am) and grabs your Thursday RP.
BJ starts on Friday (9pm).
BJ starts on Sunday (9pm).

BCJ starts on Monday (7am) and grabs your Sunday RP but, since nothing has changed on your PC during the weekend, that would be the same as if it grabbed your Friday RP!

Note, that since you have +1 RP per week, in order to keep your RPs safe you'll need to increase your total retention period by 2. That would not take lots of space due to the fact that changes during weekends would be negligible.