SureBackup Virtual Lab Design for Multiple Network Segments

[rin]

Hello Team,

I would like to confirm the recommended Virtual Lab configuration for SureBackup.
Assume I have an environment with three separate network segments:

- Segment A (VM A, VM B)
- Segment B (VM C)
- Segment C (VM D)

I do not plan to verify all segments simultaneously.
Instead, I plan to create separate SureBackup jobs and validate one segment at a time on different schedules.

In this scenario:

• 1: Is a single Virtual Lab with a single Isolated Network sufficient if only one segment is tested during each SureBackup job execution?

• 2: Or is it still required/recommended to configure separate Isolated Networks for all three segments?

• 3: If multiple Isolated Networks are required, could you explain the technical reason for that requirement even when only one segment is validated at a time?

Could you please clarify the recommended design and any related product limitations or best practices?

Best Regards,
Rin

[Mildur]

Hi Rin,

Yes, if all virtual machines you want to test within a single SureBackup job are in the same subnet, you can use a Virtual Lab with a single isolated network (Basic single-host).

A Virtual Lab with multiple hosts (Advanced single-host) is required if you want to test VMs from different subnets within the same SureBackup job.
One example would be a domain controller and DNS server in Subnet A, and an Exchange server in Subnet B. Since Exchange relies on domain controller and DNS connectivity, VMs from both subnets must be started in the Virtual Lab for the test to complete successfully.

We have it documented in our Help Center:

Veeam Backup & Replication offers two networking modes for the virtual lab in which VMs from backups can be verified:

Basic single-host. This networking mode is recommended if all VMs that you plan to verify, VMs from the application group and the backup server are located in the same production network. In this case, Veeam Backup & Replication will automatically define all networking settings for the virtual lab.
Advanced single-host. This networking mode is recommended if VMs that you plan to verify and VMs from the application group are located in different networks. In this case, you will have to manually define settings for isolated networks in the virtual lab.

A third option is Advanced Multi-Host. But this requires distributed switches in vSphere (DVS).

Best,
Fabian