VeeAm B&R 6.5 - Copy backup files

[EddyMandemaker]

Hello,

We have following setup, 3 ESX servers, with 15 running VM. VeeAm B&R takes a backup every day, following the principe reversed incremental. Retension period is 28days, so I have 27 VRB files and 1 VBK file. For restore operations this is good for me, latest full, and if needed can go back in time.

For disaster recovery purpose we copy all backup files to external USB 3.0 disk, including the VRB files.

My question:
Is it useless to copy the VRB files to the external disk, because I only can import the VBK file? If I want to import a backup via B&R console, I only see that i can pick the VBK files.
What about if I need to restore a file / VM from another point of time from the external disk ? impossible ? other ways to perform ?

thanks for any feedback.

Regards

[kjc3303]

I think you need to import via the .vbm file which will import the backup chain

Kev

[Vitaliy S.]

Hello Eddy,

It's not useless, you need to offload VBK and VRB files if you want to run a restore job from the VRB restore point. During the import operation just make sure VRB files are located in the same folder as the imported VBK file, this will allow you to import the entire backup chain.

Thank you!

[EddyMandemaker]

Thanks for the very quick responses, i tested the VBM files and see the restore points available ... awesome..

regards Eddy Mandemaker

[croyston]

This may be a simple question (s), but I am new and just want to make sure I get this right:

So I am running Reverse Incremental backups nightly, running an Active Full on the first Saturday of every month. Looks like I will be able to retain almost a year of backups on my backup servers local disks, so I plan on doing that.

I want to archive each months backups to a removable disk that will sit in a drawer offsite somewhere forever. So in 3 years from now I'd like to be able to pull out the hard drive corresponding to any month going back 3 years and have a snapshot of my VM's and their data from any day of that month. I know I will need to copy the .vbm, .vrb's and the .vbk to this removable offsite drive. My question is, is there always just going to be just the 1 vbm file in my repository (I have only run 1 Active Full since I've been demo'ing Veeam) or does it make a new one after each Active Full? If there is just one vbm per repository, is there any issue taking that vbm, and only the vrb's and vbk from the most recent month and moving them to the archive hard drive? Or will Veeam not like it when I try to import or restore from those hard drives if all the vrb's from the repository are not on the hard drive? Will I have a problem if I ever need to restore from those drives setting it up this way?

For restoring from those archived drives, it looks like I will just select Import Backup, and point it to my removable drive's vbm file. Then I will see those restore points under Backup and Replication > Backups > Imported, and restore as normal?

I hope that was clear. Thanks. -Craig

[Vitaliy S.]

Hi Craig,

VBM files are not required during backup import operation. When you hit the "Import" button in the backup console, just browse to the VBK file with the dependent VRB files located next to this file. Once you do this, all imported backups will be under Backups -> Imported node of the backup console.

Thanks!

[foggy]

VBM files store backup metadata and are not required either for restore or import of backups. However, they allow to speed up some operations - for example, they significantly increase backup import performance.

[veremin]

Hi, Craig.

Here is a topic which is concerned with similar questions; might be worth taking a look.

In addition, I’ve created previosuly a script is responsible for taking the latest .vbk file to external device and also for some kind of GFS rotation scheme; might be useful, as well.

Should any additional help be needed, don’t hesitate to let’s know.
Thanks.

[croyston]

Thanks for clearing that up, Ill check out the links.

[veremin]

Should any additional questions arise, feel free to contact us.

Thanks.