What is the best way of protecting the Veeam Backup server?

[veremin]

As far as I know, the configuration will be restored to the SQL-sever which is used by VB&R, be it local SQL instance or remote one.

Hope this helps.
Thanks.

[shaun2011]

is there a benefit to backing up veeam db frequently and in PROD site down situation import the db at recovery site to control failover / failback? would this work? or best option is to use snapshots in VI client to move between restore points in case latest is corrupted?

thanks.

[talhajee]

Hi ,
I am running veeam b&r 6.5 on esxi 5.1 . I want to know can veeam backup itself.

Talha

[Vitaliy S.]

Yes, you can use Veeam B&R to backup itself.

[talhajee]

I am trying to backup veam B&r machine but it is giving me error "Production datatstore is getting low on free space". Also i am trying to exclude one hard drive (data store drive) in it but i dont know when it calculate size it tells me size of all hard disks . Any idea why?

[veremin]

I am trying to backup veam B&r machine

As mentioned above, there is no need to backup your VB&R server as a whole, because starting from the 6.5 version the best way for protecting your VB&R server is to perform configuration backup on regular basis.

Detailed description of this functionality can be found above or in the corresponding User Guide.

Also i am trying to exclude one hard drive (data store drive) in it but i dont know when it calculate size it tells me size of all hard disks

It’s a known GUI glitch that will be solved in the next release.

"Production datatstore is getting low on free space".

It means that production storage runs out of available space required for storing temporary snapshots, etc.

Hope this helps.
Thanks.

[Vitaliy S.]

Last post in this topic might help you to resolve the datastore error message: Error: Insufficient free disk space on production datastore

[nOon]

Hello,
i already have a vmware installation with srm and vsphere replication.

Now i want to add backup with veeam. I was wondering what is the best configuration to install the veeam backup.

I was thinking to hae a veeam server on the protected site (with replication on this vm to the remote site), a proxy on the procteted site and a proxy on the remote site.
My goal is when i have an issue on the main site and SRM do is job and failover everything to the second site the backup still continue.
Do you know if it' s possible?

Thanks

[foggy]

Yes, this is possible. However, as you can read above in this topic, there is no need to backup/replicate entire Veeam B&R server starting from v6.5 as it allows to perform its configuration backup.

[nOon]

Yes, this is possible. However, as you can read above in this topic, there is no need to backup/replicate entire Veeam B&R server starting from v6.5 as it allows to perform its configuration backup.

Ok after reading some other thread on the forum i was thinking about an other solution.
On each site i create a vm for the veeam management server and a second one for the proxy with local strorage. And i create a job on each site.
Like this if i lost a site it will be easy to continue to backup or restore from the second site.
Plus it seems you don't need extra license

[foggy]

Plus it seems you don't need extra license

You need to license only hosts you are backing up/replicating from. In case of DR, you can revoke the license from the lost site hosts and assign them to the hosts in the second site. However, if your intention is to backup hosts in both sites at the same time, you will need to license both of them.

[chjones]

Hi all,

I know this topic has been asked before, but I have a difference in my network that I am trying to work around. I know the best practice is to run the Veeam Backup Server in the DR Site so you can manage replica failovers if the primary site is offline. However, my question is "What if you have no dedicated DR Site, both datacentres are active and need VM backups and replicas between each other?". This is my setup.

Each datacentre hosts active systems, and needs to failover to between each other in the event of a disaster. Backups occur at each site, and replicas also are sent both ways between the sites.

Currently I have a Veeam Server at each Datacentre which manages the local backups at each site. Each job has a custom powershell which triggers HP Data Protector to offload the .VBK files to tape (I'm using Reverse Incrementals at the moment but am looking to switch to forward increments at the end of the year when I am getting HP StoreOnce Appliances at both sites). The Backup Server at each site also initiates the replication of VMs from it's local site to the other site. In the event of a DR Situation, the Veeam Server at other site isn't aware of the replications that have taken place.

So, the first idea was to still keep the two Veeam Servers, but have them manage the backups and replication jobs for the other site. So, Site A manages the replication and backup jobs for Site B, and vice versa. This still keeps me within my licence limit as licences are based on the source host CPUs (for a replica job you dont have to licence the destination host).

However, my other option which I'm leaning towards, is a single Veeam Server at one of the sites runnning Windows Server 2012 inside a VM, and also with SQL Server 2012 installed locally. Veeam would be installed and use the local SQL instance. I would then configure all backup and replication jobs for both sites on the one server. I would also have a regular replication job, with application aware enabled and SQL log truncation occurring, to replicate the Veeam Server itself to the other site.

I have been testing this for a few days and it does actually work. To failover, all I need to do is:

- Hit vCenter and power on the replica manually (as Veeam understandably can't manage a failover of itself) and re-ip the VM
- Ensure DNS has updated with the new hostname
- Rescan the replicas (in case any replications happened after the last team veeam itself was replicated)
- Any replicas can now be failed over under Veeam's control
- Remove all backup files from veeam and rescan the respositories (rescanning the repos first doesn't detect any backups that occured since veeam was replicated, which is a pain but I can live with that)
- Edit the Backup Jobs and map them to the Imported Backup Folders

As I said, I've tested this and failed over and it all appears to work. I've also tested then replicating Veeam back to the original site once it comes back online and manually failing back over, and it works.

I'm curious to what other people think?

Our MSSQL Database Servers are managed by other team within the IT Department (and some of them are VMs which are being replicated with Veeam) so I need Veeam online before I can easily manage the failovers of their servers. Also, I don't want to have to rely on another team to get their infrastructure online before I can get Veeam up and running. Having a self-contained Veeam and DB Server seems like a good idea to me, it essentially becomes a Virtual Appliance.

Does anyone have any thoughts, suggestions, comments? I'm open to hearing anything

Thanks,

Chris

[foggy]

Chris, have you considered to utilize configuration backup functionality available in Veeam B&R starting v6.5? Probably, it will address your case in a more convenient manner.

[chjones]

Chris, have you considered to utilize configuration backup functionality available in Veeam B&R starting v6.5? Probably, it will address your case in a more convenient manner.

Hi Foggy / Alex, I currently am backing up the configuration every day to a repository at the other site. I have looked at the Configuration Backup for a full DR situation, which from my understanding will recover the layout of the Backup Infrastructure, the jobs, the schedules, etc. but won't update the system with the latest restore files in each respository (the only way I have found to get this to work 100% is to remove the backup from disk then to rescan, if u rescan an existing backup without removing it no changes are detected).

I hear what you are saying, in a disaster we can reinstall Veeam on any server and then restore the configuration. Doing this I'd still lose the job histories (unless we restored the original database too), but Veeam would be aware of the configured jobs adn the proxies, repositories, etc. I guess I could rescan the replicas and the backup repositories, etc. I've thought about this, however we really want to avoid two actions:

1. Having to reinstall the software
2. Rely on another team in our department to recover the SQL Server before we can recover Veeam

I'm not oppossed to the Config Backup if it's the proven and supported method and is quicker and easier to recover from than replicating an all-in-one Veeam Server.

Chris

[bhwong]

I think the easiest and safest method to backup Veaam Backup Server itself as a VM is to shutdown this VM and clone a copy with vCenter.

[foggy]

I've thought about this, however we really want to avoid two actions:

1. Having to reinstall the software
2. Rely on another team in our department to recover the SQL Server before we can recover Veeam

In this case the procedure you've described in your initial post looks like the way to go. I wanted to point you to the configuration backup just in case you missed this feature while developing your DR strategy.

[Starman]

This is what I do, its simple.

I do not assign storage to my Veeam VM. I point it to network storage. This way my Veeam VM sticks around 100 gigs (50 gigs used). Then I use VMware replication to replicate the Veeam VM to another storage location (in my environment, I'm using SRM so I replicate it to my protection datacenter site). But VMware replication is easy to set up and free with most licenses to use.

but, I sure would like Veeam to add an option for "backing up this server".

[jamerson]

Dear All,
i am testing Veeam for emergency Failover, ony my ESXI i have 4 VM,
Domain Controller, exchange server,File Server, and Veeam Server
on the Veeam Server i have two basic disks 0 and 1,
disk 0 is the OS and disk 1 is for the backup (1TB)
the job's backup i have are just to back up the 3 VMS DC, EX, FS
let says the Veeam server is dead, and i need to reformate the disk 0 to have fresh OS and after i have to install Veeam backup and Replications,
how can i configure the Veeam to re-read the backup data?

[jamerson]

Where does Veeam save the jobs files? can we just like export the settings?
do we still need the SQL to be backed up even if we have the jobs saved on a different Disk?

[foggy]

Julien, information about jobs (as well as other Veeam Backup & Replication settings) is stored in Veeam B&R database. To export the jobs configuration data, please use the configuration backup functionality already mentioned in this topic several times before. It is available in the main Veeam B&R menu (top-left corner) by selecting the Configuration Backup command. Explicit instructions, as well as, generic description of this functionality can be found in the corresponding user guide section (p.309).

[tomas.olsen]

Where does Veeam save the jobs files? can we just like export the settings?
do we still need the SQL to be backed up even if we have the jobs saved on a different Disk?

The jobs are stored in the SQL database. if you run your SQL server on disk 0 and do a SQL dump to disk 1 you can easily reinstall new veeam backup server, attach the old disk 1, restore the SQL database. But in your case with this few servers, a new fresh installation might not create much extra work for you.

If you install a fresh veeam backup server, just add disk 1 and create the repository pointing to disk 1. Veeam will ask to scan for backups and it will find all your restore points so that you can do restore. but you will have to create a new backup job and start over. When you have built up enough generations, you can easily delete the old backup files from Veeam.

[foggy]

But still, exporting and importing Veeam B&R configuration is much more easier.

[flavor4real]

Well ... As example. I have 2 Veeam Servers.

Veeam Server (A), backs itself up but pushes the self backup (VBK file) to a repository on Veeam Server (B). In scenario where Veeam Server (A) needs to be restored, I use Veeam Server (B) and import the backup file and restore Veeam Server (A). I use Veeam Server (B) also to backup templates.

I did not user Veeam Server (B) to backup my my main Veeam Server because every time after the backup completed, it dismounted the C:\ drive on Veeam Server (A). There was no solution for it and it should not happen (per tech support). Therefore I came up with this solution. My Main Veeam Server (A) can die and I can lose all attached drives but since my self-backup job pushes the VBK's to another location, I can restore from there with out issues.

+ the configuration backup is also pushed to the other location.

[beovax]

Is it possible to configure a replica of the Veeam management server to a DR site using the Veeam Replica option? Looking to create a DR site and the Veeam backup management server is a virtual machine and using physical servers as proxies for the backup workload. If the primary site goes down I want to have a replica of the Veeam management server at the DR site that can be activated with the job information without having to have a 2nd Veeam server installed where I have to import the jobs from the repository.

Or would I need to use vSphere replication for this purpose rather than Veeam replicate itself?

[foggy]

Hello! Please review the topic you've been merged into for considerations regarding protecting Veeam B&R management server and feel free to ask any additional questions.

[veremin]

Or would I need to use vSphere replication for this purpose rather than Veeam replicate itself?

In fact, Veeam can backup/replicate itself. Though, please be aware that if this machine is also used as a default virtual proxy, CBT will not be utilized; thus, the replication cycle of this VM might take some time.

From my perspective, you’d better deploy additional instance of VB&R in your DR site and make it responsible for replication jobs. Thus, should disaster happen (your primary site goes down, for instance), special operations like Failover, Failback can be smoothly started from there.

Hope this helps.
Thanks.

[andymcknight]

Hi Guys,

We're using 6.5 for Backups but I would like to add Replication to an offsite location as part of our DR strategy but I'm unsure about how exactly this will hang together. Our current setup is:

Site1 - Main Site, holds 40 or so VMs in a three host VMware environment. These are servers for use at Site1 (such as local fileservers) and all other sites that we have (such as web servers and email). Site1 has Veeam installed for backups.
Site2 - Remote site, has it's own VMware environment with servers only for local users. Site2 has a separate instance of Veeam installed for backups.

What I'd like to do is replicate one or two Tier 1 servers from Site1 to Site2 for DR. The documentation I've read suggests having a Veeam Proxy Service running on both sites and setting up a Replication job on Site1's Veeam install. My question is, if I lose Site1 entirely, not just the server that's being replicated, how do I bring up the Replica in Site2? Say we lose the data centre at Site1, or the internet connection at Site1, and I don't have Veeam available at Site1 to initiate the failover?

Is there a way I can configure this so that if I lose Site1 entirely, I can use the existing, separate Veeam install at Site2 to failover the replica?

[foggy]

Hello, Andrew. I've merged your post into existing topic that will give you some thoughts on the way to go in how to protect Veeam B&R server. Among best practices is making Veeam B&R installed in your DR site responsible for replication jobs to be able to failover and failback in case of disaster.

[gunit86]

Hi, I have 3 virtual machine where 1 of the Vm is the veeam server itself. The backup repository is a Q-nap ISCSI storage used only for veeam backup. Can the Veeam server configured to backup its own virtual machine. Is there any disadvantage or issue if we do this? Thanks

Niven

[foggy]

Niven, you've been merged into existing thread discussing similar question, please kindly look through it for details and feel free to ask any additional questions. Thanks.