Feature request: Community Edition: Allow "Enable backup from storage snapshots"

[Tecbil]

This is a feature request to allow the "Enable backup from storage snapshots" option into the Community Edition of Veeam B&R.

Since VMware has released their ESXi on ARM flings project a while ago, me and my friends are using it for homelab purposes on several Raspberry Pis heavily:
https://flings.vmware.com/esxi-arm-edition

This includes also the backup of those VMs via Veeam Backup & Replication. Which somehow brings up a lot of VM freezing problems when local storage SSDs via USB are being used on those Raspberry Pi based ESXi hosts.
After a lot of troubleshooting, by using an enterprise license for testing purposes, we found out that all freezing issues do not occur when "Enable backup from storage snapshots" on Veeam B&R is enabled, but as we are only homelabbers we obviously do not want to spend a lot of money for licensing reasons so this is a kind request for considering to make this option available in the Community Edition of Veeam B&R too.

Thank you very much,

a homelabber crew

[PetrM]

Hello,

We don't have such plans so far but thanks for the feedback. I would suggest to research VM freezing issues deeper, maybe there would be another workaround.

Thanks!

[Regnor]

In order to use storage snapshots you would have to use a supported storage system. This makes me wondering why and how the storage snapshots solve your problem.

[rennerstefan]

As mentioned in the previous post Backup from storage snapshot will not even work in your case as there is not USB connected SSD storage that supports those kind of features.
If you have a supported storage (please find the supported systems here: https://helpcenter.veeam.com/docs/backu ... e-systems-) and want to use it you may want to apply for a NFR key in case you also own a good blog site or you are part of one of the listed requirements here: https://www.veeam.com/blog/how-to-get-free-nfr-key.html

[vmtech123]

You require a SAN with storage snapshot capabilities to do this.

I find it hard to believe you are achieving this on a PI.

That being said, Storage snapshots do eliminate the snapshots growing and help with VM stun.

In a homelab, most of the time you will not have so much activity or I/O that the VM will grow that much during a backup. (In most cases, I have seen some pretty insane homelabs)

I'd keep troubleshooting this. As far as VM stun goes, I found it only effects really latency sensitive databases for myself. Most VM's don't even bat an eye. If you have your VM's receive stun for a significant amount of time, it is more likely an issue with that USB drive not being able to consolidate the snapshot quick enough.

Even backing up from a storage snapshot still takes a VMware snapshot. It then takes the storage snapshot and removes the VMware snapshot. The only difference is it doesn't wait until the backup is complete stopping it from growing.