Veeam repository, replicas and loss of Veeam server

[cyberswb]

We've been discussing (and advocating) the use of Veeam for backups with a customer.

They have a kind of unusual on-site DR setup with ESX hosts and a seperate SAN that is currently replicated from their production SAN. There's a lot of holes in this strategy, but that's another discussion.

Two subjects came up during our discussion.

The first was restoring the Veeam repository -- assuming you've made a tape or some other backup of the Veeam on-disk data repository (and only that), what is the process for installing Veeam on another server and then accessing that data? Is it possible?

The other was replicas. In this specific customer scenario, we would like to advocate Veeam replicas versus the SAN level replication they do now. Their VMFS volume is 4 extents made up of 2TB SAN volumes and due to replication overhead and other issues, recovering this way would be awkward and perhaps problematic if the extent replicas were inconsistent.

The question came up, though, on what happens if the existing backup server running Veeam was toast, would the replicas on the SAN be usable? I'd assume there's some dependency data that Veeam needs to know about those replicas -- can it be recreated from the replicas themselves, or is there some process for that?

[Vitaliy S.]

Hello Shawn,

If you want to restore VMs from the backups stored on tapes, simply import your backup files to the fresh backup console using "Import Backup" toolbar button, and perform a restore. Additionally, you may restore VMs just using a standalone restore utility.

Yes, all your replicas will be usable. You don't need to have another Veeam server to start the replicas in case of emergency. You can do that manually using vSphere Client. However, if you need to restore to a particular rollback and not to the latest state you still need to have Veeam Backup console installed.

Actually, to avoid Veeam backup server potential losses you may backup Veeam SQL server configuration database or use a remote SQL server, as it is described in this topic: What is the best way of protecting the Veeam Backup server?

Thank you!

[Nautilus]

[merged into existing discussion]

Hello,

we are using veeam backup (v5). We are making backups, relicating Vmfs from vmfs to vmfs, just we have a lot of Jobs.

Now, we are talking about, what will be happen, when Veeam Backup server get Problems, just a crash, DB Problems or what else ever
and Veeam Backup Server can not be recovered (i mean the Situation NO recover of the veeam Backup server)

Whats about with all the Bakcups and replicas which are running since weeks and month? All the Files still existing but without the Veeam Backup Server which make this one.

Can i restore or start a failover with new Server or with powershell or ........

Thanks for any help

[larry]

I just had an issue caused by me testing a new Veeam server. I restored the Veeam database to a new Veeam server, All backups and all but one replica was fully access able. With one replica I could only get to the last restore point, older restore points failed. What happened was the database was one cycle behind this one replica ( the database was synced right before the replica job finished, the crash was right after the job finished ) This one replica could be brought up in VC just the older point in times were not accessible. This was cause by an auto update reboot that went bad, thanks Microsoft, but I was the one who didn’t turn it off  .
I do prefer backups to replicas because Veeam has the import backups command but not for replicas. The other time I had an issue with a replica is when we rolled back a SAN snapshot during a DR test, again I think the Veeam database wanted a new file out there that was now missing, this would also be fixed if there was an import replica function. With low cost iscsi boxes now available I would like to switch to more replica’s but I need a way to import orphan ones. When you need to restore a whole VM it is much quicker when a replica can be brought on than to deal with a backup restore ( I dont have 5 up yet, testing it now ) . I would like to fill an iscsi box with replica data and disconnect from network for storage, bring to DR site or have offline, like a tape. With a import replica utilitly I could then use on any Veeam server. Ok, this was my plug for a replica import utility.

[Gostev]

Some replication functionality changes in v6 will make such replica import utility unneeded. Also, it will be impossible to end up in the situation you are describing in the first paragraph above. So, happiness is just around the corner!

[larry]

thats for the good news With the new low cost iscsi devices I would like to move more towards replicas. I know no dedup but we keep one replica for each VM already, keeping the changes for a few weeks won't cost me too much space with the new iscsi price model. We already move most VM replicas off the high price san to lower cost iscsi. Running one VM on the lower iscsi box can have as good to better performace than the highend SAN with 40 VMs per box, just don't run 40 VMs on the low cost ISCSI. Backup with dedup we use for sending to tape. The next great thing would be to be able to backup a replica with change block enabled, then backup has no performance hit on the production SAN or ESX servers just the iscsi DR box and the Veeam server. This would also cut the WAN traffic down where we backup and replicate the same VMs every night offsite.

[pab]

[merged]

hi everyone,

i'd like to know what happens if my veeam backup VM fails.

- how can i can recover all the backups on another VM?
- should i replicate this VM in a readily bootable state just to be sure i can read my backups or for a faster recovery?


Thanks to all!

Veeam B&R 5.0.2

[larry]

Backups you can just import to any veeam server and all info is there. Replica's are not so nice, you can't import them so you need your veeam database backup (default name "Server\VEEAM " ) to match the last replica job. Your last replica is good without your veeam at all, just the non latest one are gone. Using a VM for veeam just clone the VM and copy the veeam database some where else can copy to clone if needed. I use a bat file to run it after jobs see post What is the best way of protecting the Veeam Backup server? If you use a sql server not on the veeam server then just a one time clone would do. I am just a user but have tested my recovery options a lot.

[pab]

thanks for the answers.
i tried import, it couldn't be easier.