Object storage repository migration

[fleodux]

Hello,

We currently have a SOBR with a local performance tier on a storage array, a S3 Infrequent Access as capacity tier and a S3 Glacier as archive tier on a Veeam server 12.3.2
We are changing our backup infrastructure, with new repositories and we are planning to use Veeam Sofwtare Appliance on latest version.
Can we import our old capacity tier and archive tier as standalone repositories only for restore purposes ?
Does it work even if the major version is not the same ?
Is there a way to prevent someone to target these repos with a new job ?

Kind regards

[vnikiforov]

Hello,

Yes, that should work.

1. On the new appliance, add both buckets as object storage repositories (do not put them into a SOBR), then use the Import Backups option. It exists exactly for this scenario and covers capacity tier as well as archive tier backups. Have the encryption password ready. Restores from the Glacier bucket require data retrieval first.
2. Veeam Backup & Replication provides backward compatibility: backups created with previous product versions can be restored with later ones. It only works in that direction, so connect the buckets to the appliance after the old server has stopped offloading to them and do not plan to attach them back to the 12.3.2 server afterwards.
3. The import itself gives you this: as long as backups remain imported, the repository cannot be selected as a job target or SOBR extent (someone would have to detach the imported backups first). Since 13.1 you can also add an immutable object storage repository in read-only mode, in which case the appliance never writes to it at all.