Veeam infrastructure appliance (with iscsi)

[BostjanUNIJA]

Hi.
Building lab environment.
The idea is to see if current Windows VBR customers could be migrated to (Linux) Veeam appliance model.

I have came accros that Veeam infrastructure appliance (with iscsi) is an option to install but I am missing some additional documentation on this topic.

Maybe a dumb question, but does "VeeamSoftwareAppliance_13.0.1.1071_20251217.iso" and installation in "Veeam infrastructure appliance (with iscsi)" mode allows appliance to connect to ISCSI targets, or is this appliance a target itself (expecting having local drives on it)?

[david.domask]

Hi Bostjan,

Not dumb at all, see the User Guide page here, I think it will explain most of it.

The "with iSCSI & NVMe/TCP" is meant for VMware backup proxies, so you would use it for Backup from Storage Snapshot.

The table here shows you the options for transport modes a bit more clearly.

[BostjanUNIJA]

Thank you for your reply.
I have read the article you have provided.
So basically with linux appliance you are limited of not being able to connect to iscsi targets?

I've read other posts on the forum that one way (a workaround) to go is to setup its own linux server which has iscsi connection for example to nas Lun's. But I thought that Veeam infrastructure appliance (with iscsi&nvme) would be allowing exactly that. I guess I was wrong.

I'm trying to resolve scenarios where current customer has three repositorites:
Windows VBR
1. Primary backup repo: iscsi to nas LUN
2. Secondary backup repo: cloud immutable solution
3. Third backup repo: air gapped aka tapes

I am exploring options on appliance if it will be suitable for all three backup repositorites mentioned above, but I guess option 1 (iscsi to NAS LUN) will be hard to achieve with Veeam appliance, true?

[david.domask]

Happy to help Bostjan, and yes it seems correct at this moment, the Infrastructure Appliance probably isn't suitable for your needs here especially since currently the Veeam Appliances cannot be used as Tape Servers.

Go with a self-managed linux server in my opinion, it will meet your needs best.

[BostjanUNIJA]

David thanks.
Is there any list what Linux distros (Veeam approved) can be used?
RockyLinux, Debian, Ubuntu?

[david.domask]

System Requirements page and check for each role.

Rocky, Debian, and Ubuntu are all pretty safe bets, just confirm the version in the System Requirements page.

[BostjanUNIJA]

David thank you.

[RubinCompServ]

David thanks.
Is there any list what Linux distros (Veeam approved) can be used?
RockyLinux, Debian, Ubuntu?

I use Rocky for nearly all of my iSCSI servers and I've had no problems with it. I use Ubuntu for a couple and, other than having to modify my installation scripts, that's been solid as well.

[BostjanUNIJA]

Thank you for all your replies. I would like to cover one more scenario and I don't know if it's possible in Veeam Linux Appliance mode. Some customers are currently (for offsite purpose) rotating external disk drives for backup copy scenario.
Is this scenario still supported in Linux environment combining with Veeam?

Current specific (windows) scenario that I would like to compare with Veeam Appliance options:

* Hyper-v server (where this rotated external disk drives are physically attached).
* VBR (Windows) installed as a virtual machine on Hyper-V server
* Physically attached external usb disk drives represented to VBR VM as local drives and used as backup copy repository. And then rotating n-numbers of those disks to store backup copies.

Can something similiar be achieved on Linux level or a no go?

[david.domask]

Hi Bostjan,

* Physically attached external usb disk drives represented to VBR VM as local drives and used as backup copy repository. And then rotating n-numbers of those disks to store backup copies.

For the Software Appliance, extending storage / attaching USB devices currently isn't possible. 13.1 will add flexibility on the appliance internal storage management, but USB is blocked by the security guidelines.

Consider adding it as a repository on the Hyper-V host itself where the rotated drive is physically attached.

[BostjanUNIJA]

Hi.
Thank you reply.
Will try different scenarios and report.

[cherzyk]

The "with iSCSI & NVMe/TCP" is meant for VMware backup proxies, so you would use it for Backup from Storage Snapshot.

The table here shows you the options for transport modes a bit more clearly.

Please let me chime in there.
I installed the VIA with iSCSI. But how do I configure the connection to the storage? The GUI does not show any options to configure iSCSI and I can't find any documentation about that either. Do I need to go to the CLI for that?

Thanks in advance.

[BostjanUNIJA]

Cherzyk if your idea is to represent an iscsi storage (for example iscsi to NAS LUN) i had to (in my lab) to setup a dedicated linux vm (i used latest ubunto distro), and then mounted iscsi target, formated to xfs and after that I have represented this linux to Veeam, and selected iscsi in that linux to be used as repository...

[cherzyk]

deleted

[cherzyk]

Cherzyk if your idea is to represent an iscsi storage (for example iscsi to NAS LUN) i had to (in my lab) to setup a dedicated linux vm (i used latest ubunto distro), and then mounted iscsi target, formated to xfs and after that I have represented this linux to Veeam, and selected iscsi in that linux to be used as repository...

That is what I currently do as well. Would love to use the appliance though and it seems that it is possible, given the install option.

[david.domask]

@cherzyk, your goal is to connect an iscsi storage to use as storage for a backup repository or your goal is to perform backup from storage snapshot over iscsi?

The option described is for backup from storage snapshot as noted in my previous post.

If you're looking for extended storage management capabilities when using the Infrastructure Appliance as a repository, we have plans to expand these capabilities in 13.1, so stay tuned.

[BostjanUNIJA]

13.1 "goodies"? Nice
Looking forward for that info when it will be released.
B

[marco.luvisi]

@cherzyk, your goal is to connect an iscsi storage to use as storage for a backup repository or your goal is to perform backup from storage snapshot over iscsi?

The option described is for backup from storage snapshot as noted in my previous post.

If you're looking for extended storage management capabilities when using the Infrastructure Appliance as a repository, we have plans to expand these capabilities in 13.1, so stay tuned.

Hi @david.domask today is out 13.1
Do you confirm possibility to add iscsi disk to VIA ?

[david.domask]

Hi Marco,

Yes, please see our What's New document under the General Improvements section.

[BostjanUNIJA]

I was waiting for 13.1 release to see if ISCSI will be included. Just read the news about general availability of 13.1 (tested so far VBR 13.1, havent tested appliance yet). Looking forward to test it. Would like to avoid having additional linux vm for ISCSI connection. Will read what's new (havent done it yet) for appliance.

[BostjanUNIJA]

Alright, so in my virtual lab I have installed 13.1 appliance and I see that in host management you are able to add iscsi target.
I have created a LUN on Nas Synology.
I have created ISCSI target to this LUN.
I have added a HOST and custom permissions to this LUN.
Unable to add this iscsi target to 13.1 Veeam appliance. I get an error: "No LUNs were discovered for the selected targets.".
If i reconfigure (since this is currently just a lab) permission to LUN, that I allow everyone to access it, I get the same error.
What am I missing here?

[BostjanUNIJA]

Ok, I have skipped this error as I saw on Synology level, that I see a successful connection from Veeam Apliance as an ISCSI target. Then I have added storage and was surprised that adding Veeam ISCSI Storage is now doing a thick and not in thin mode. It looks like that Veeam Appliance with adding storage is trying to allocated entire LUN space. Is this a expected behavior? I would prefer having thin provisioning. On large LUN's this will take a very long time to allocate entire space :/ And at the end I got: "The server took too long to respond. Refresh the web page to continue." error. I still see on Synology LUN background that it's increasing space usage on a 500GB test LUN.

[BostjanUNIJA]

Ok I have found that there is a Host Identifiers tab, so I can link the correct permissions. But still trying to figure it out why it's trying to allocate entire LUN space? Is this desired behavior? And why is timing out on Veeam level (The server took too long to respond. Refresh the web page to continue.), there should be some "keepalive" in a background. On other side I see activity on Nas Synology ISCSI Lun side (allocating space).