Feature Request/Bug Fix: Veeam Agent for Windows v13 fails MSSQL cluster backup with non-local service account

[AZHARI]

#Case reference: 08134932

Hi Veeam Product Management,
We're a VCSP partner requesting a fix for a confirmed defect in Veeam Agent for Microsoft Windows (VAW) v13 affecting backups of Microsoft SQL Server failover clusters configured with a non-local (domain) service account.

Issue summary:
After upgrading VAW to v13 on an MS SQL cluster node, backup jobs began failing. The cluster's SQL Server service is configured to run under a domain (non-local system) account, which had worked without issue on VAW 6.3.2.x.

Case reference: 08134932

Confirmed root cause:
Veeam Support (T2) reproduced the issue in their own test environment and confirmed that VAW v13 has a defect specifically affecting MS SQL clusters running under non-local system accounts. This is not an isolated environment/config issue on our end — it's a reproducible product regression.

Current workaround:
The only supported resolution provided so far is downgrading VAW from v13 back to v6.3.2.x. This is not sustainable for us as a long-term posture — it means staying on a legacy agent version indefinitely and losing access to v13 features/fixes for this workload.

Business impact:
This affects production MS SQL cluster backup coverage for our environment, and any other VCSP/customer running MS SQL clusters with domain service accounts on v13 is likely exposed to the same gap. We'd like this tracked and prioritized as a defect fix in an upcoming v13 update, rather than left as a permanent downgrade requirement.

Ask:
Could Product Management confirm this is on the roadmap for a fix, and provide any visibility into timeline?

[Mildur]

Hi AZHARI

We're a VCSP partner requesting a fix for a confirmed defect

Confirmed root cause:
Veeam Support (T2) reproduced the issue in their own test environment and confirmed that VAW v13 has a defect specifically affecting MS SQL clusters running under non-local system accounts. This is not an isolated environment/config issue on our end — it's a reproducible product regression.

I will talk to support management. If Support has confirmed this as an issue with v13, then a private fix (hotfix) should be requested through the support case. Private fixes are provided only through an active Support case, not via the Veeam R&D Forums.
But if it's known and documented behavior starting in v13, then we will log this as a feature request.

Best,
Fabian

[Mildur]

Hi AZHARI,

I checked your support case again.
Our support engineer mentioned in the case that "Veeam Agent for Microsoft Windows Service" is not running under the “LOCAL SYSTEM” account. However, in this topic you wrote that the issue is about "cluster's SQL Server service is configured to run under a domain (non-local system) account".
Can you please confirm which one is correct?

If it's Veeam Agent, then yes, this is an unsupported configuration.
The statement about running Veeam Agent under a custom account has been there since the first versions. Therefore, we cannot handle this as a bug to fix — it’s a feature request to allow custom accounts (depending on the scenario):

E.g. Veeam Agent v2 (Help Center v2)
E.g. Veeam Agent v6 (Help Center v6)
E.g. Veeam Agent v13 (Help Center v13)

NOTE The account under which Veeam Agent for Microsoft Windows Service runs should not be changed. Configurations with custom account are not supported.

There likely won’t be a fast solution, since we’ve had this behavior for more than ten years now and this is the first request to "allow custom accounts" I’m aware of.

Best,
Fabian