Veeam Backup 11 0 User Guide Vsphere

Veeam Backup & Replication
Version 11
User Guide for VMware vSphere
February, 2021
© 2021 Veeam Software.
All rights reserved. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or
translated into any language in any form by any means, without written permission from Veeam Software
(Veeam). The information contained in this document represents the current view of Veeam on the issue
discussed as of the date of publication and is subject to change without notice. Veeam shall not be liable for
technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein. Veeam makes no warranties, express or implied, in
this document. Veeam may have patents, patent applications, trademark, copyright, or other intellectual
property rights covering the subject matter of this document. All other trademarks mentioned herein are the
property of their respective owners. Except as expressly provided in any written license agreement from Veeam,
the furnishing of this document does not give you any license to these patents, trademarks, copyrights, or other
intellectual property.
NOTE:
Read the End User Software License Agreement before using the accompanying software programs. Using
any part of the software indicates that you accept the terms of the End User Software License Agreement.
2 | Veeam Backup & Replication | User Guide for VMware vSphere

Contents
CONTACTING VEEAM SOFTWARE ................................................................................................................. 18
ABOUT THIS DOCUMENT ............................................................................................................................. 19
ABOUT VEEAM BACKUP & REPLICATION ...................................................................................................... 20
PLANNING AND PREPARATION .................................................................................................................... 22
Platform Support ..................................................................................................................................... 23
System Requirements............................................................................................................................... 27
Required Permissions .............................................................................................................................. 50
Used Ports ...............................................................................................................................................67
Trusted Root Certificates..........................................................................................................................97
Naming Conventions ............................................................................................................................... 98
Security Considerations ........................................................................................................................... 99
Kerberos Authentication for Guest OS Processing .................................................................................. 101
LICENSING ................................................................................................................................................ 105
Types of Licenses .................................................................................................................................. 108
Obtaining and Renewing License ........................................................................................................... 109
Installing License .................................................................................................................................... 111
Merging Licenses ................................................................................................................................... 114
Viewing License Information .................................................................................................................. 116
Revoking License.................................................................................................................................... 119
Removing License .................................................................................................................................. 120
Exceeding License Limit ......................................................................................................................... 123
License Expiration .................................................................................................................................. 125
Updating License.................................................................................................................................... 127
Updating License Manually .......................................................................................................... 128
Updating License Automatically ................................................................................................... 130
Automatic License Usage Reporting ....................................................................................................... 133
GETTING TO KNOW VEEAM BACKUP & REPLICATION ...................................................................................134
Veeam Backup & Replication UI .............................................................................................................. 135
Main Menu ................................................................................................................................... 136
Navigation Pane ........................................................................................................................... 137
Ribbon and Tabs ........................................................................................................................... 138
Views ........................................................................................................................................... 139
Working Area ............................................................................................................................... 141
Job Filter...................................................................................................................................... 142
Changing Color Theme ................................................................................................................. 145
Job Priorities .......................................................................................................................................... 146

DEPLOYMENT ............................................................................................................................................ 147
Installing Veeam Backup & Replication ................................................................................................... 148
Before You Begin ......................................................................................................................... 149
Step 1. Start Setup Wizard ............................................................................................................ 150
Step 2. Read and Accept License Agreement ................................................................................. 151
Step 3. Provide License File .......................................................................................................... 152
Step 4. Review Components and Select Installation Folder .......................................................... 153
Step 5. Install Missing Software ................................................................................................... 155
Step 6. Specify Service Account Settings ...................................................................................... 156
Step 7. Select Microsoft SQL Server .............................................................................................. 157
Step 8. Specify Service Ports ........................................................................................................ 158
Step 9. Specify Data Locations ..................................................................................................... 159
Step 10. Verify Installation Settings ............................................................................................ 160
Step 11. Begin Installation ............................................................................................................ 162
Step 12. Install Available Patches ................................................................................................. 163
Upgrading to Veeam Backup & Replication 11 ......................................................................................... 164
Uninstalling Veeam Backup & Replication .............................................................................................. 167
Installing Veeam Backup & Replication Console ..................................................................................... 168
Before You Begin ......................................................................................................................... 169
Step 1. Start Setup Wizard ............................................................................................................ 170
Step 2. Read and Accept License Agreement ................................................................................. 171
Step 3. Install Missing Software ................................................................................................... 172
Step 4. Specify Installation Settings ............................................................................................. 173
Step 5. Specify Installation Path ................................................................................................... 174
Step 6. Begin Installation ............................................................................................................. 175
Installing Veeam Backup & Replication in Unattended Mode .................................................................. 176
Before You Begin ......................................................................................................................... 178
Installation Command-Line Syntax ............................................................................................... 179
BACKUP INFRASTRUCTURE ........................................................................................................................ 204
Backup Infrastructure Components ....................................................................................................... 205
Backup Server ............................................................................................................................. 206
Backup & Replication Console ...................................................................................................... 222
Virtualization Servers and Hosts ................................................................................................... 225
Backup Proxy ............................................................................................................................... 257
File Proxy ..................................................................................................................................... 281
VMware CDP Proxy...................................................................................................................... 282
Cache Repository ........................................................................................................................ 292
Backup Repository .......................................................................................................................293
External Repository ...................................................................................................................... 416

Scale-Out Backup Repository ...................................................................................................... 447
Guest Interaction Proxy ................................................................................................................ 517
Gateway Server ........................................................................................................................... 520
Mount Server ............................................................................................................................... 523
Veeam vPower NFS Service .......................................................................................................... 525
WAN Accelerators ........................................................................................................................ 527
Log Shipping Servers ................................................................................................................... 528
Tape Servers ................................................................................................................................529
NDMP Servers ............................................................................................................................. 530
Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager .............................................................................................. 531
Deployment Scenarios ............................................................................................................................ 532
Simple Deployment ...................................................................................................................... 533
Advanced Deployment ................................................................................................................. 534
Distributed Deployment ...............................................................................................................536
Resource Scheduling .............................................................................................................................. 537
Limitation of Concurrent Tasks .....................................................................................................538
Limitation of Read and Write Data Rates for Backup Repositories ................................................. 541
Network Traffic Management ....................................................................................................... 542
Performance Bottlenecks ............................................................................................................ 550
Locations ............................................................................................................................................... 552
Creating and Assigning Locations to Infrastructure Objects .......................................................... 555
Editing Locations ......................................................................................................................... 557
Deleting Locations .......................................................................................................................558
Exporting and Importing Locations List ........................................................................................559
Veeam Backup & Replication Settings ................................................................................................... 560
Specifying I/O Settings ................................................................................................................. 561
Configuring Security Settings ...................................................................................................... 564
Specifying Email Notification Settings .......................................................................................... 575
Specifying SNMP Settings ............................................................................................................ 579
Specifying Other Notification Settings ..........................................................................................583
Specifying Session History Settings ............................................................................................. 586
Roles and Users ...................................................................................................................................... 587
Update Notification ............................................................................................................................... 589
Installing Updates ....................................................................................................................... 590
Server Components Upgrade .................................................................................................................. 591
Logging .................................................................................................................................................. 593
Exporting Logs ............................................................................................................................ 594
Configuration Backup and Restore ........................................................................................................ 599
Configuration Backup .................................................................................................................. 600

Restoring Configuration Database ............................................................................................... 607
Migrating Configuration Database ................................................................................................623
BACKUP .................................................................................................................................................... 626
About Backup ......................................................................................................................................... 627
How Backup Works...................................................................................................................... 628
Backup Architecture .................................................................................................................... 630
Backup Chain................................................................................................................................633
Changed Block Tracking .............................................................................................................. 665
Data Compression and Deduplication .......................................................................................... 667
Data Exclusion ............................................................................................................................ 670
VMware Tools Quiescence ............................................................................................................ 681
Guest Processing ......................................................................................................................... 685
Microsoft SQL Server Log Backup ................................................................................................ 699
Oracle Log Backup ...................................................................................................................... 709
Backup Job Scheduling................................................................................................................. 718
Health Check for Backup Files ...................................................................................................... 725
Compact of Full Backup File ........................................................................................................ 730
Resume on Disconnect ................................................................................................................. 732
Snapshot Hunter .......................................................................................................................... 733
Creating Backup Jobs ............................................................................................................................. 735
Before You Begin ......................................................................................................................... 736
Step 1. Launch New Backup Job Wizard ........................................................................................ 738
Step 2. Specify Job Name and Description .................................................................................... 739
Step 3. Select VMs to Back Up ..................................................................................................... 740
Step 4. Exclude Objects from Backup Job ..................................................................................... 742
Step 5. Define VM Backup Order................................................................................................... 745
Step 6. Specify Backup Storage Settings ..................................................................................... 746
Step 7. Configure Long-Term Retention ...................................................................................... 748
Step 8. Specify Advanced Backup Settings .................................................................................. 750
Step 9. Specify Secondary Target ................................................................................................. 761
Step 10. Specify Guest Processing Settings .................................................................................. 762
Step 11. Define Job Schedule ........................................................................................................ 773
Step 12. Finish Working with Wizard ............................................................................................. 775
Performing Active Full Backup ............................................................................................................... 776
Quick Backup ......................................................................................................................................... 777
Retention Policy for Quick Backups .............................................................................................. 778
Performing Quick Backup ............................................................................................................. 779
Importing Backups Manually ................................................................................................................. 780
Importing Encrypted Backups ......................................................................................................782

Importing Transaction Logs .......................................................................................................... 783
Importing Backup Files from Scale-Out Backup Repositories ....................................................... 784
Exporting Backups ................................................................................................................................. 785
Performing Export....................................................................................................................... 786
Viewing Session Statistics ............................................................................................................ 793
Managing Backups ................................................................................................................................. 795
Viewing Properties ...................................................................................................................... 796
Removing from Configuration ...................................................................................................... 797
Deleting Backups from Disk......................................................................................................... 798
Deleting Backups from Object Storage ........................................................................................800
Removing Missing Restore Points ................................................................................................ 801
Managing Jobs ...................................................................................................................................... 804
Editing Job Settings .................................................................................................................... 805
Cloning Jobs ............................................................................................................................... 806
Disabling and Removing Jobs ...................................................................................................... 807
Starting and Stopping Jobs ......................................................................................................... 808
Starting and Stopping Transaction Log Backup Jobs .................................................................... 810
Reconfiguring Jobs with Microsoft SQL Server VMs ...................................................................... 812
Reporting ............................................................................................................................................... 813
Viewing Real-Time Statistics ........................................................................................................ 814
Viewing Job Session Results ......................................................................................................... 817
Viewing Job and Job Session Reports ........................................................................................... 818
REPLICATION ............................................................................................................................................ 819
About Replication.................................................................................................................................. 820
How Replication Works ................................................................................................................ 821
Replication Architecture .............................................................................................................. 823
Replication Chain .........................................................................................................................827
Changed Block Tracking .............................................................................................................. 828
Advanced Replication Technologies ............................................................................................ 829
Network Mapping and Re-IP........................................................................................................ 834
Creating Replication Jobs .......................................................................................................................835
Before You Begin ........................................................................................................................ 836
Step 1. Launch New Replication Job Wizard .................................................................................. 837
Step 2. Specify Job Name and Description ................................................................................... 838
Step 3. Select VMs to Replicate ................................................................................................... 839
Step 4. Specify Data Source......................................................................................................... 840
Step 5. Exclude Objects from Replication Job ............................................................................... 841
Step 6. Define VM Replication Order ........................................................................................... 844
Step 7. Specify Replica Destination.............................................................................................. 845

Step 8. Create Network Map Table .............................................................................................. 848
Step 9. Configure Re-IP Rules ..................................................................................................... 849
Step 10. Specify Replication Job Settings ..................................................................................... 851
Step 11. Specify Advanced Replica Settings ................................................................................. 852
Step 12. Specify Data Transfer Settings ....................................................................................... 859
Step 13. Define Seeding and Mapping Settings ............................................................................. 861
Step 14. Specify Guest Processing Settings.................................................................................. 864
Step 15. Define Job Schedule .......................................................................................................872
Step 16. Finish Working with Wizard ............................................................................................ 874
Managing Replicas ................................................................................................................................. 875
Viewing Replica Properties .......................................................................................................... 876
Rescanning Replicas ..................................................................................................................... 877
Removing from Configuration ..................................................................................................... 878
Deleting from Disk ...................................................................................................................... 879
Replica Failover and Failback................................................................................................................. 880
Replica Failover ............................................................................................................................ 881
Permanent Failover ..................................................................................................................... 888
Failover Plan ............................................................................................................................... 890
Planned Failover ......................................................................................................................... 901
Undo Failover .............................................................................................................................. 908
Replica Failback ........................................................................................................................... 911
Commit Failback .......................................................................................................................... 929
Undo Failback .............................................................................................................................. 931
CONTINUOUS DATA PROTECTION (CDP) ..................................................................................................... 933
Requirements and Limitations ............................................................................................................... 934
Backup Infrastructure for CDP ................................................................................................................935
How CDP Works ..................................................................................................................................... 937
CDP Replication Chain ................................................................................................................. 940
Retention Policies ....................................................................................................................... 942
Guaranteed Delivery.................................................................................................................... 944
Replica Seeding and Mapping ...................................................................................................... 945
Installing I/O Filter ................................................................................................................................ 948
Step 1. Launch I/O Filter Management Wizard ............................................................................. 949
Step 2. Select Clusters................................................................................................................. 950
Step 3. Apply Filter Settings ......................................................................................................... 951
Step 4. Finish Working with Wizard ..............................................................................................952
Upgrading and Uninstalling I/O Filter .....................................................................................................953
Creating CDP Policies .............................................................................................................................955
Before You Begin ........................................................................................................................ 956

Step 1. Launch New CDP Policy Wizard ......................................................................................... 957
Step 2. Specify Policy Name and Advanced Settings .................................................................... 958
Step 3. Select VMs to Replicate ................................................................................................... 959
Step 4. Exclude Objects................................................................................................................ 961
Step 5. Define VM Processing Order ............................................................................................ 963
Step 6. Select Replica Destination ............................................................................................... 964
Step 7. Configure Network Mapping ............................................................................................ 966
Step 8. Configure Re-IP Rules ..................................................................................................... 967
Step 9. Configure Seeding and Mapping ...................................................................................... 969
Step 10. Specify Data Transfer and Replica Settings ..................................................................... 971
Step 11. Specify Notification Settings ........................................................................................... 973
Step 12. Specify Replica Schedule ................................................................................................. 975
Step 13. Specify Guest Processing Settings ................................................................................... 977
Creating Replica Seeds .......................................................................................................................... 986
Managing CDP Policies .......................................................................................................................... 987
Editing Policies............................................................................................................................ 988
Disabling and Deleting Policies ................................................................................................... 989
Managing CDP Replicas ......................................................................................................................... 990
Viewing Replica Properties ........................................................................................................... 991
Removing Replicas from Configuration ........................................................................................ 992
Deleting Replicas from Disk......................................................................................................... 993
Failover and Failback for CDP ................................................................................................................ 994
Failover ....................................................................................................................................... 997
Failover Plans ............................................................................................................................ 1003
Permanent Failover ................................................................................................................... 1004
Failover Undo ............................................................................................................................ 1006
Failback ......................................................................................................................................1007
Failback Commit......................................................................................................................... 1024
Failback Undo ............................................................................................................................ 1026
VEEAMZIP ................................................................................................................................................1027
Creating VeeamZIP Backups .................................................................................................................1028
BACKUP COPY ......................................................................................................................................... 1030
About Backup Copy .............................................................................................................................. 1031
How Backup Copy Works ............................................................................................................ 1032
Backup Copy Architecture .......................................................................................................... 1034
Backup Copy Modes ................................................................................................................... 1036
Backup Copy Intervals ................................................................................................................ 1038
Restore Point Selection .............................................................................................................. 1041

Transformation Processes .......................................................................................................... 1042
Backup Copy Window ................................................................................................................. 1043
Retention Policy for Backup Copy Jobs ....................................................................................... 1045
Health Check for Backup Files .................................................................................................... 1059
Compact of Full Backup File ....................................................................................................... 1061
Backup Copy Job Mapping.......................................................................................................... 1062
Active Full Backup Copies.......................................................................................................... 1064
Automatic Job Retries ................................................................................................................ 1065
Creating Backup Copy Jobs for VMs and Physical Machines .................................................................. 1067
Before You Begin ...................................................................................................................... 1068
Step 1. Launch New Backup Copy Job Wizard ............................................................................ 1069
Step 2. Specify Job Name and Copy Mode .................................................................................. 1071
Step 3. Select Workloads to Process ........................................................................................... 1072
Step 4. Exclude Objects from Backup Copy Job .......................................................................... 1075
Step 5. Select Source Backup Repositories ................................................................................. 1076
Step 6. Define Processing Order ................................................................................................. 1077
Step 7. Define Backup Copy Target............................................................................................. 1078
Step 8. Map Backup File ............................................................................................................ 1080
Step 9. Specify Advanced Settings .............................................................................................1082
Step 10. Specify Data Path Settings ........................................................................................... 1090
Step 11. Define Backup Copy Window ......................................................................................... 1092
Step 12. Finish Working with Wizard ........................................................................................... 1093
Creating Backup Copy Jobs for HPE StoreOnce Repositories................................................................ 1094
Before You Begin ....................................................................................................................... 1095
Step 1. Launch New Backup Copy Job Wizard ............................................................................ 1096
Step 2. Specify Job Name and Description .................................................................................. 1097
Step 3. Select Source and Target Repositories ........................................................................... 1098
Step 4. Specify Advanced Settings ............................................................................................. 1100
Step 5. Define Backup Copy Window .......................................................................................... 1104
Creating Backup Copy Jobs for Oracle and SAP HANA Databases.......................................................... 1106
Linking Backup Jobs to Backup Copy Jobs ............................................................................................ 1107
Managing Backups ............................................................................................................................... 1109
Viewing Backup Properties .......................................................................................................... 1110
Removing Backups from Target Repositories ................................................................................ 1111
Removing Missing Restore Points ................................................................................................ 1113
Reporting .............................................................................................................................................. 1116
Managing Jobs ...................................................................................................................................... 1117
Editing Backup Copy Jobs ........................................................................................................... 1118

Starting Backup Copy Jobs Manually .......................................................................................... 1120
Creating Active Full Backups ....................................................................................................... 1122
Disabling and Removing Jobs ...................................................................................................... 1123
VM COPY .................................................................................................................................................. 1124
Copying VMs ......................................................................................................................................... 1125
Before You Begin ....................................................................................................................... 1126
Step 1. Launch VM Copy Job Wizard ............................................................................................ 1127
Step 3. Select VMs to Copy ......................................................................................................... 1129
Step 4. Exclude Objects from VM Copy Job ................................................................................ 1130
Step 5. Specify Copy Destination ................................................................................................. 1133
Step 6. Specify Guest Processing Settings ................................................................................... 1135
Step 7. Define Job Schedule ........................................................................................................1142
FILE COPY ................................................................................................................................................ 1145
Creating File Copy Jobs ........................................................................................................................ 1146
Before You Begin ........................................................................................................................ 1147
Step 1. Launch New File Copy Job Wizard ................................................................................... 1148
Step 3. Select Files and Folders to Be Copied ............................................................................. 1150
Step 4. Select Destination for Copying ........................................................................................ 1151
Step 5. Define Job Schedule ........................................................................................................ 1152
Step 6. Finish Working with Wizard .............................................................................................1154
Copying Files and Folders Manually....................................................................................................... 1155
Managing Folders .................................................................................................................................. 1157
Editing and Deleting Files .................................................................................................................... 1158
QUICK MIGRATION ................................................................................................................................... 1159
Quick Migration Architecture ................................................................................................................. 1161
Migrating VMs ...................................................................................................................................... 1162
Before You Begin ........................................................................................................................1163
Step 1. Launch Quick Migration Wizard ....................................................................................... 1164
Step 2. Select VMs to Relocate ....................................................................................................1165
Step 3. Specify VM Destination ................................................................................................... 1166
Step 4. Select Infrastructure Components for Data Transfer ....................................................... 1168
Migrating First Class Disks (FCDs).......................................................................................................... 1171
Before You Begin ........................................................................................................................ 1172
Step 1. Launch FCD Quick Migration Wizard ................................................................................. 1173
Step 2. Select FCDs to Migrate .................................................................................................... 1174

Step 3. Specify FCD Destination .................................................................................................. 1175
Step 4. Finish Working with Wizard ............................................................................................. 1176
RECOVERY VERIFICATION ..........................................................................................................................1177
SureBackup ........................................................................................................................................... 1178
How SureBackup Works ............................................................................................................... 1179
Backup Recovery Verification Tests ............................................................................................ 1180
Application Group ...................................................................................................................... 1186
Virtual Lab .................................................................................................................................. 1197
SureBackup Job ........................................................................................................................... 1221
XML Files with VM Roles Description.......................................................................................... 1245
Manual Recovery Verification ..................................................................................................... 1248
SureReplica .......................................................................................................................................... 1249
How SureReplica Works .............................................................................................................. 1250
Replica Recovery Verification Tests ............................................................................................ 1252
Application Group ...................................................................................................................... 1253
Virtual Lab Configuration ........................................................................................................... 1254
SureBackup Job for VM Replicas................................................................................................. 1259
ON-DEMAND SANDBOX ............................................................................................................................ 1262
On-Demand Sandbox for Storage Snapshots ........................................................................................ 1263
Mixed Scenarios ................................................................................................................................... 1265
Configuring On-Demand Sandbox ........................................................................................................ 1266
DATA RECOVERY ..................................................................................................................................... 1268
Instant VM Recovery ............................................................................................................................ 1269
Performing Instant VM Recovery of Workloads to VMware vSphere VMs ..................................... 1271
Performing Instant VM Recovery of Workloads to Hyper-V VMs ................................................. 1293
Instant VM Disk Recovery ...................................................................................................................... 1311
Performing Instant VM Disk Recovery ......................................................................................... 1313
Performing Instant First Class Disk (FCD) Recovery .................................................................... 1325
Entire VM Restore ................................................................................................................................ 1338
Quick Rollback ........................................................................................................................... 1339
Restoring Entire VM ................................................................................................................... 1340
VM Files Restore .................................................................................................................................. 1359
Restoring VM Files ..................................................................................................................... 1360
Virtual Disks Restore ............................................................................................................................ 1367
Restoring Virtual Disks ............................................................................................................... 1368
Disk Export ........................................................................................................................................... 1377
Exporting Disks .......................................................................................................................... 1378
Guest OS File Recovery ........................................................................................................................ 1387
Restore from FAT, NTFS or ReFS ................................................................................................ 1388

Restore from Linux, Unix and Other File Systems ...................................................................... 1404
Restore from Other File Systems ................................................................................................ 1420
Viewing File Restore Session Statistics ........................................................................................1421
Application Items Restore .................................................................................................................... 1422
Using Veeam Explorer for Microsoft Active Directory ................................................................. 1423
Using Veeam Explorer for Microsoft Exchange ........................................................................... 1424
Using Veeam Explorer for Microsoft SharePoint ......................................................................... 1425
Using Veeam Explorer for Microsoft OneDrive for Business ........................................................ 1426
Using Veeam Explorer for Microsoft SQL Server ......................................................................... 1427
Using Veeam Explorer for Oracle ................................................................................................ 1428
RESTORE TO MICROSOFT AZURE ............................................................................................................. 1429
How Restore to Microsoft Azure Works ................................................................................................. 1431
Restore Workflow ................................................................................................................................ 1434
Configuring Initial Settings ................................................................................................................... 1435
Adding Microsoft Azure Accounts............................................................................................... 1436
Adding Microsoft Azure Stack Accounts ..................................................................................... 1442
Creating Custom Role for Azure Account .................................................................................... 1446
Configuring Helper Appliances ................................................................................................... 1448
Configuring Azure Proxies .......................................................................................................... 1454
Removing Azure Proxies ............................................................................................................. 1464
Restoring Machines .............................................................................................................................. 1465
Before You Begin .......................................................................................................................1466
Step 1. Launch Restore to Azure Wizard......................................................................................1468
Step 2. Select Machine and Restore Point ...................................................................................1469
Step 3. Select Subscription and Location ..................................................................................... 1471
Step 4. Specify VM Size .............................................................................................................. 1472
Step 5. Specify VM Name and Resource Group ........................................................................... 1475
Step 6. Select Virtual Network ................................................................................................... 1477
Step 7. Specify Secure Restore Settings ...................................................................................... 1479
Step 8. Specify Restore Reason ................................................................................................. 1480
Step 9. Start Restore Process ..................................................................................................... 1481
Generation 2 VM Support ..................................................................................................................... 1482
RESTORE TO AMAZON EC2 ...................................................................................................................... 1483
How Restore to Amazon EC2 Works ..................................................................................................... 1484
AWS IAM User Permissions ...................................................................................................................1486
Restoring Machines ..............................................................................................................................1488
Before You Begin .......................................................................................................................1489
Step 1. Launch Restore to Amazon EC2 Wizard .......................................................................... 1490
Step 2. Select Machine and Restore Point ................................................................................... 1491

Step 3. Specify Credentials and Region Settings ......................................................................... 1493
Step 4. Specify Instance Name ................................................................................................... 1495
Step 5. Specify Instance Type ..................................................................................................... 1497
Step 6. Select Amazon VPC ....................................................................................................... 1500
Step 7. Specify Secure Restore Settings ...................................................................................... 1501
Step 8. Specify Proxy Appliance ................................................................................................. 1502
Step 9. Specify Restore Reason .................................................................................................. 1504
Step 10. Start Restore Process.................................................................................................... 1505
SECURE RESTORE .................................................................................................................................... 1506
How Secure Restore Works................................................................................................................... 1508
Antivirus XML Configuration File .......................................................................................................... 1509
Viewing Malware Scan Results ..............................................................................................................1516
STAGED RESTORE..................................................................................................................................... 1517
VCLOUD DIRECTOR SUPPORT ................................................................................................................... 1519
Viewing vCloud Director VMs ............................................................................................................... 1520
Backup and Restore of vApps ................................................................................................................ 1521
Backup of vCloud Director VMs ............................................................................................................ 1522
Data to Back Up ......................................................................................................................... 1523
vCD Backup Jobs ........................................................................................................................ 1525
Performing Backup of vCloud Director VMs ................................................................................ 1526
Creating VeeamZIP Files for vCloud Director VMs....................................................................... 1528
vCloud Director Replication .................................................................................................................. 1529
Creating vCD Replication Job ..................................................................................................... 1530
Managing vCD Replicas .............................................................................................................. 1565
Failover and Failback .................................................................................................................. 1569
Restore of vCloud Director VMs ........................................................................................................... 1595
Restoring Regular and Standalone VMs to vCloud Director ......................................................... 1596
Restoring Linked Clone VMs to vCloud Director.......................................................................... 1597
Performing Instant VM Recovery for VMs ................................................................................... 1599
Restoring vCloud vApps ............................................................................................................. 1612
Restoring VMs into vCloud vApp ................................................................................................ 1625
Restoring Entire VMs into vSphere Infrastructure ....................................................................... 1638
Restoring VM Files ..................................................................................................................... 1639
Restoring VM Hard Disks ........................................................................................................... 1640
Restoring VM Guest OS Files ...................................................................................................... 1641
VMWARE CLOUD ON AWS SUPPORT......................................................................................................... 1642
WAN ACCELERATION ............................................................................................................................... 1646
Global Data Deduplication.................................................................................................................... 1647
WAN Accelerators ................................................................................................................................1648

How WAN Acceleration Works .................................................................................................... 1650
WAN Global Cache ..................................................................................................................... 1652
WAN Accelerator Sizing .............................................................................................................. 1658
Adding WAN Accelerators .......................................................................................................... 1663
Removing WAN Accelerators ....................................................................................................... 1671
Data Block Verification ......................................................................................................................... 1672
Data Transport on WAN Disconnect ...................................................................................................... 1673
DATA ENCRYPTION...................................................................................................................................1674
Encryption Standards ........................................................................................................................... 1676
Encryption Algorithms ......................................................................................................................... 1677
Encryption Keys ......................................................................................................................... 1678
How Data Encryption Works ....................................................................................................... 1683
How Data Decryption Works....................................................................................................... 1685
How Decryption Without Password Works .................................................................................. 1687
Encrypted Objects ............................................................................................................................... 1689
Backup Job Encryption .............................................................................................................. 1690
Backup Copy Job Encryption ...................................................................................................... 1692
VeeamZIP Encryption ................................................................................................................. 1695
Tape Encryption .........................................................................................................................1696
Encryption Best Practices .....................................................................................................................1699
Restoring Data from Encrypted Backups .............................................................................................. 1701
Decrypting Data with Password .................................................................................................. 1702
Decrypting Data Without Password ............................................................................................ 1703
Restoring Encrypted Data from Tapes .................................................................................................. 1709
Decrypting Tapes with Password ................................................................................................ 1710
Decrypting Tapes Without Password ........................................................................................... 1712
NAS BACKUP SUPPORT ............................................................................................................................. 1718
How File Share Backup Works .............................................................................................................. 1722
Adding File Share ................................................................................................................................. 1728
Adding Managed Server File Share ............................................................................................. 1729
Adding Enterprise Storage System as NAS Filer .......................................................................... 1736
Adding NFS File Share ................................................................................................................ 1742
Adding SMB File Share ................................................................................................................ 1751
Adding File Proxy .................................................................................................................................. 1761
Step 1. Launch New Backup Proxy Wizard ................................................................................... 1762
Step 2. Choose Microsoft Windows Server .................................................................................. 1763
Step 3. Configure Traffic Rules ................................................................................................... 1764
Step 4. Review Components to Install ........................................................................................ 1765
Step 5. Apply File Proxy Settings ................................................................................................ 1766

Creating File Share Backup Jobs ........................................................................................................... 1768
Before You Begin ....................................................................................................................... 1769
Step 1. Launch New File Backup Job Wizard ............................................................................... 1770
Step 2. Specify Job Name and Description ................................................................................... 1771
Step 3. Select Files and Folders to Back Up .................................................................................1772
Step 4. Define Target Backup Storage Settings .......................................................................... 1776
Step 5. Specify Advanced Backup Settings ................................................................................. 1778
Step 6. Specify Secondary Repository......................................................................................... 1785
Step 7. Define Job Schedule ....................................................................................................... 1787
Starting New Backup Chain .................................................................................................................. 1790
Performing Health Check for File Share Backup Files ............................................................................. 1791
Viewing File Share Backup Properties ................................................................................................... 1792
Converting Backups from Non-Root to Root Shared Folders................................................................. 1793
Converting Backups from SMB or NFS Shares to NAS Filer Shares......................................................... 1794
File Share Data Recovery ...................................................................................................................... 1795
Performing Instant File Share Recovery ...................................................................................... 1796
Restoring Entire File Share ........................................................................................................ 1804
Rolling Back to a Point in Time ................................................................................................... 1810
Restoring Specific Files and Folders ........................................................................................... 1814
Restoring Backup Files from Archive Repository ......................................................................... 1824
INTEGRATION WITH VEEAM BACKUP FOR AWS ........................................................................................ 1826
INTEGRATION WITH VEEAM BACKUP FOR MICROSOFT AZURE ................................................................... 1827
INTEGRATION WITH VEEAM BACKUP FOR NUTANIX AHV .......................................................................... 1828
VEEAM AGENT MANAGEMENT ................................................................................................................. 1829
VEEAM CLOUD CONNECT ........................................................................................................................ 1830
ADVANCED VMWARE VSPHERE FEATURES ................................................................................................ 1831
VM Tags ............................................................................................................................................... 1832
Encrypted VMs ..................................................................................................................................... 1834
Storage Profiles.................................................................................................................................... 1836
VEEAM BACKUP & REPLICATION UTILITIES ................................................................................................ 1837
Extract Utility....................................................................................................................................... 1838
Using Extract Utility in GUI ......................................................................................................... 1839
Using Extract Utility in Interactive Mode ................................................................................... 1840
Using Extract Utility from Command Line ................................................................................... 1841
Veeam.Backup.DBConfig.exe Utility ..................................................................................................... 1844
Using Veeam.Backup.DBConfig.exe Utility ................................................................................. 1845
Veeam Backup Validator....................................................................................................................... 1851

Working with Veeam Backup Validator ....................................................................................... 1852
Validating Content of Backup File .............................................................................................. 1853

Contacting Veeam Software
At Veeam Software we value feedback from our customers. It is important not only to help you quickly with your
technical issues, but it is our mission to listen to your input and build products that incorporate your
suggestions.
Customer Support
Should you have a technical concern, suggestion or question, visit the Veeam Customer Support Portal at
www.veeam.com/support.html to open a case, search our knowledge base, reference documentation, manage
your license or obtain the latest product release.
Company Contacts
For the most up-to-date information about company contacts and offices location, visit
www.veeam.com/contacts.html.
Online Support
If you have any questions about Veeam products, you can use the following resources:
• Full documentation set: www.veeam.com/documentation-guides-datasheets.html
• Veeam R&D Forums at forums.veeam.com

About This Document
This user guide provides information about main features, installation and use of Veeam Backup & Replication in
VMware vSphere environments. The document applies to version 11 and all subsequent versions until it is
replaced with a new edition.
Intended Audience
The user guide is intended for anyone who wants to use Veeam Backup & Replication. It is primarily aimed at
VMware administrators, consultants, analysts and any other IT professionals using the product.

About Veeam Backup & Replication
Veeam Backup & Replication is a comprehensive data protection and disaster recovery solution. With
Veeam Backup & Replication, you can create image-level backups of virtual, physical, cloud machines and
restore from them. Technology used in the product optimizes data transfer and resource consumption, which
helps to minimize storage costs and the recovery time in case of a disaster.
Veeam Backup & Replication provides a centralized console for administering backup/restore/replication
operations in all supported platforms (virtual, physical, cloud). Also, the console allows you to automate and
schedule routine data protection operations and integrate with solutions for alerting and generating compliance
reports.
This section contains an overview of Veeam Backup & Replication and solutions integrated with it.
Main Features
Main functionality of Veeam Backup & Replication includes:
• Backup: creating image-level backups of virtual, physical, cloud machines and backups of NAS share files.
• Restore: performing restore from backup files to the original or a new location.
• Replication: creating an exact copy of a VM and maintaining the copy in sync with the original VM.
• Continuous Data Protection (CDP): replication technology that helps you protect mission-critical VMs and
reach recovery point objective (RPO) up to seconds.
• Backup Copy: copying backup files to a secondary repository.
• Storage Systems Support: backing up and restoring VMs using capabilities of native snapshots created on
storage systems.
• Tape Devices Support: storing copies of backups in tape devices.
• Recovery Verification: testing VM backups and replicas before recovery.
Protected Objects
With Veeam Backup & Replication, you can back up and restore the following objects:
• Virtual machines:
o VMware vSphere VMs
o Microsoft Hyper-V VMs
o Nutanix AHV VMs (requires an additional plug-in)
• Cloud VMs:
o AWS EC2 instances
o Microsoft Azure VMs
• NAS share files. For details, see NAS Backup Support.

• Physical machines. To back up machines running Windows, Linux or Mac operating systems,
Veeam Backup & Replication uses backup agents installed on each computer. Veeam Backup & Replication
operates as a centralized control center for deploying and managing Veeam Agent for Microsoft Windows,
Veeam Agent for Linux and Veeam Agent for Mac. For details, see the Veeam Agent Management Guide.
Also, you can use standalone backup agents and integrate them with Veeam Backup & Replication: Veeam
Agent for Oracle Solaris and Veeam Agent for IBM AIX.
Protected Applications
Native functionality of Veeam Backup & Replication allows you to create application-consistent backups for:
• Microsoft SQL Server
• Oracle Database
• Active Directory
• Microsoft Exchange
• Microsoft OneDrive
• Microsoft SharePoint
Also, you can install the following additional tools:
• Veeam Backup for Microsoft Office 365: for full protection of Microsoft Office applications.
• Veeam Plug-ins for Enterprise Applications: for integration of Veeam Backup & Replication with Oracle
RMAN and SAP HANA Backint.
Management and Reporting

Veeam Backup & Replication integrates with a set of solutions that provide reporting and management
capabilities for enterprise environments:
• Veeam ONE: a solution that enables real-time monitoring, business documentation and management
reporting for Veeam Backup & Replication, VMware vSphere and Microsoft Hyper-V.
• Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager: a management and reporting component that allows you to manage
multiple Veeam Backup & Replication installations from a single web console.
• Management Pack for Veeam Backup & Replication: a component that integrates
Veeam Backup & Replication infrastructure, services and jobs into Microsoft System Center Operations
Manager.
• Veeam Availability Orchestrator: a solution that orchestrates disaster recovery processes in VMware
vSphere environments, supports one-click recovery for critical applications and sites, and provides
features for documentation and testing.
Service Providers
If you are a service provider, you can use Veeam Service Provider Console to deliver Veeam-powered Backup-as-
a-Service (BaaS) and Disaster Recovery-as-a-Service (DRaaS) services to your customers.

Planning and Preparation
Before you install Veeam Backup & Replication, you must make sure that the virtual environment and machines
that you plan to use as backup infrastructure components meet product hardware recommendations and system
requirements.

Platform Support
Veeam Backup & Replication provides support for the following versions of the VMware vSphere platform.
Virtual Infrastructure
Specification Requirement
• vSphere 7.0 (up to 7.0 U1)

Platform
• vSphere 6.x
• vSphere 5.5
• VMware Cloud on AWS
• VMware Cloud on Dell EMC
• ESXi 7.0 (up to 7.0 U1)

Hypervisor
• ESXi 6.x
• ESXi 5.5
Free ESXi is not supported. Veeam Backup & Replication leverages vSphere and
vStorage APIs that are disabled by VMware in free ESXi.
• vCenter Server 7.0 (optional) (up to 7.0 U1)

Management
Server • vCenter Server 6.x (optional)
(optional)
• vCenter Server 5.5 (optional)
Veeam Continuous Data Protection (CDP)

The following infrastructure requirements only apply when Veeam CDP replication is used:
• Minimum ESXi version required is 6.5 U2.
• Minimum 16GB RAM is required for source and target ESXi hosts.
• vCenter Server is required. Standalone ESXi hosts are not supported.
• Backup server, CDP proxies, vCenter Server and ESXi hosts must be able to resolve each other’s DNS
names.
For more information on Veeam CDP, its requirements and limitations, see Continuous Data Protection (CDP).

VMs
• All types and versions of virtual hardware are supported, including 62 TB VMDK.
Virtual Hardware
• Virtual machines with virtual NVDIMM devices, with virtual disks engaged in SCSI
bus sharing or residing on PMem datastores are not supported for host-based
backup, because VMware does not support snapshotting such VMs. To protect
such VMs, use agent-based backup.
• RDM virtual disks in physical mode, independent disks, and disks connected
through in-guest iSCSI initiator are not supported for host-based backup, and are
skipped from processing automatically. If backup of these disks is required, use
agent-based backup.
Network shares and mount points targeted to 3rd party storage devices are also
skipped as these volumes/disks are not visible in the VM configuration file.
• All operating systems supported by VMware.

OS
• Guest processing (which includes application-aware processing and indexing) is
supported for Microsoft Windows 2008/Windows Vista or later except Nano
Server, due to the absence of VSS framework.
• VMware Tools (optional, recommended). VMware Tools are required for the
Software
following operations: application-aware processing, file-level restore from
Microsoft Windows guest OS and SureBackup testing functions.
• Open VM Tools (OVT, optional). Open VM Tools are a set of services and modules
used by VMware for interaction with VMs running Linux or other VMware
supported Unix-like guest operating systems.
• All latest OS service packs and patches (required for application-aware
processing).
vCloud Director
vCloud Director vCloud Director 9.5–10.2 (9.7 or later for replication functionality)

OS Supported File Systems
• FAT, FAT32
Microsoft Windows
• NTFS
• ReFS (ReFS is supported only if Veeam Backup & Replication is installed on
Microsoft Windows Server 2012 or later).
Windows file-level restore to original location is supported for Microsoft Windows

2008/Windows Vista or later except Nano Server.
• ext2, ext3, ext4

Linux
• ReiserFS
• JFS
• XFS
• Btrfs
DRBD (Distributed Replicated Block Devices) are not supported.
BSD UFS, UFS2
Mac HFS, HFS+ (volumes up to 2 TB)
Micro Focus OES File-level restore is supported for Micro Focus Open Enterprise Server (Micro Focus
OES). Micro Focus NetWare is not supported (Veeam Backup & Replication may fail to
detect NSS volumes).
AD-enabled NSS volumes on Open Enterprise Server 2015 are supported. Restore of
NSS file/folder permissions is not supported.
Note: Starting from Veeam Backup & Replication 9.5 Update 4a, restore of NSS trustee
rights on files/folders is supported.
• UFS
Solaris
• ZFS (except any pool versions of Oracle Solaris)
The FLR appliance uses module ZFSonLinux version 0.7.0. For this reason,
Veeam Backup & Replication supports only those versions of pools and features that
are available in ZFSonLinux version 0.7.0.
Consider the following:
• You cannot restore pipes and other file system objects. File-level restore supports recovery of files and
folders only.
• [For Microsoft Windows workloads] You can restore files from basic disks and dynamic disks (including
simple, mirrored and striped volumes).
• [For Linux workloads] You can restore files from basic disks, Linux LVM (Logical Volume Manager) and ZFS
pools. Encrypted LVM volumes are not supported.

NAS Backup Support
Veeam Backup & Replication supports backup of file shares from the following sources:
• Microsoft Windows- or Linux-managed server
• Enterprise NAS systems: NetApp Data ONTAP, Lenovo ThinkSystem DM Series, Dell EMC Isilon
• NFS file shares
• SMB file shares
Consider the following requirements and limitations:
• Only 64-bit versions of operating systems are supported for Microsoft Windows- or Linux-managed server
file share.
• NFS file share must run NFS protocol version 3 or 4.1.
• Anonymous or AD/Kerberos authentication is not supported for access to file shares through NFS.
In NFS settings of the source file share, you must explicitly specify what servers will have access to the file
share.
• SMB file share must run on SMB version 1.x, 2.x or 3.x.
• To support the VSS for SMB File Shares feature, make sure that requirements listed in this Veeam KB
article are met.
• To correctly back up SACL (Ownership) files and folders from the SMB file share and restore them:
a. When you are specifying access settings for the SMB file share, select the This share requires access
credentials check box.
b. Make sure that the account you use to access the file share is either added to the Backup Operators
group or has the SeBackupPrivilege and SeRestorePrivilege privileges in Windows Server on the file
share.
For more information on NAS backup, see NAS Backup Support.
Network
Domain names of all managed servers added to the Veeam backup infrastructure and machines you want to back
up must be resolvable into IPv4 addresses.

System Requirements
Make sure that servers that you plan to use as backup infrastructure components meet the system requirements
listed below.
• Backup server
• Veeam Backup & Replication console
• Backup proxy server
• VMware CDP proxy server
• File proxy server
• Backup repository server
• Cache repository
• Tape server
• WAN accelerator
• Backup target
• Veeam CDP source and target
• Tape
• Storage integration
• Gateway server
• Mount server
• Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager
• Supported applications
• Veeam explorers
Limitations and Recommendations

Coexistence with Mission-Critical Production Servers
We do not recommend to install Veeam Backup & Replication and its components on mission-critical machines in
the production environment such as vCenter Server, Domain Controller, Microsoft Exchange Server, Small
Business Server/ Windows Server Essentials and so on. If possible, install Veeam Backup & Replication and its
components on dedicated machines. Backup infrastructure component roles can be co-installed.
Microsoft Windows Server Core

You can assign roles of a backup proxy, backup repository, WAN accelerator, Veeam Cloud Connect
infrastructure components and tape infrastructure components to machines running Microsoft Windows Server
Core.
Mind that you cannot install Veeam Backup & Replication and Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager on a machine
running Microsoft Windows Server Core.

Domain Member
The machine on which you plan to install Veeam Backup & Replication does not necessarily need to be a domain
member. However, if you plan to restore Microsoft Exchange items from the Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager
UI, you must install Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager on the domain member server from the Microsoft Active
Directory forest in which Microsoft Exchange mailboxes are located.
All-in-One Installations
For all-in-one installations, you can subtract 2 GB of memory resources from each but one role. These 2 GB are
allotted to the OS itself, assuming each component is installed on the dedicated server.
NAS Backup
We recommend to allocate 4 GB RAM for each of the following NAS backup components: backup repository, file
proxy, cache repository. For all-in-one installations, make sure you allocate enough memory resources for all
components at the same server.
Backup Server
Hardware CPU: x86-64 processor (minimum 4 cores recommended).
Memory: 4 GB RAM plus 500 MB RAM for each concurrent job. Memory
consumption varies according to the number of VMs in the job, size of VM metadata,
size of production infrastructure, and so on.
Additionally, for users with tape installations (for file to tape jobs processing more
than 1,000,000 files):
• 1.5 GB RAM for file to tape backup for each 1,000,000 files
• 2.6 GB RAM for file restore for each 1,000,000 files
• 1.3 GB RAM for catalog jobs for each 1,000,000 files
Disk Space: 5 GB1 for product installation and 4.5 GB for Microsoft .NET Framework
4.7.2 installation. 10 GB per 100 VM for guest file system catalog folder (persistent
data). Additional free disk space for Instant VM Recovery cache folder (non-
persistent data, at least 100 GB recommended).
Network: 1 Gbps or faster for on-site backup and replication, and 1 Mbps or faster
for offsite backup and replication. High latency and reasonably unstable WAN links
are supported.
1
Here and throughout this document GB is considered as 2^30 bytes, TB as 2^40 bytes.

OS Only 64-bit version of the following operating systems are supported1:

• Microsoft Windows Server 2019
• Microsoft Windows Server 2012 R2
• Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1
• Microsoft Windows 10 (from version 1803 to version 20H2)
• Microsoft Windows 8.1
• Microsoft Windows 7 SP1
1
Running Veeam backup server or any of Veeam backup infrastructure components on Insider
versions of Microsoft Windows OS (both Client and Server) is not supported.
Software During setup, the system configuration check is performed to determine if all
prerequisite software is available on the machine where you plan to install
Veeam Backup & Replication. If some of the required software components are
missing, the setup wizard will offer you to install missing software automatically.
This refers to:
• Microsoft .NET Framework 4.7.2
• Microsoft Windows Installer 4.5
• Microsoft PowerShell 5.1
• Microsoft SQL Server Management Objects
• Microsoft SQL Server System CLR Types
• Microsoft Report Viewer Redistributable 2015
• Microsoft Universal C Runtime
The following software must be installed manually:

• Firefox, Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, or Microsoft Internet Explorer 11.0
or later.

SQL Database Local or remote installation of the following versions of Microsoft SQL Server:
• Microsoft SQL Server 2019
• Microsoft SQL Server 2016 (Microsoft SQL Server 2016 SP2 Express Edition is
included in the setup)1
• Microsoft SQL Server 2012 (Microsoft SQL Server 2012 SP4 Express Edition is
included in the setup)2
• Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2
All editions of Microsoft SQL Server are supported. The usage of Microsoft SQL
Server Express Edition is limited by the database size up to 10 Gb. If you plan to
have larger databases, use other editions of Microsoft SQL Server.
Veeam Backup & Replication and Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager configuration
databases can be deployed in Microsoft SQL AlwaysOn Availability Groups. For more
information, see this Veeam KB article.
1
For machines running Microsoft Windows Server 2012 or later.
2
For machines running Microsoft Windows 7 or Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2.
Mind the following:
• If you plan to back up VMs running Microsoft Windows Server 2012 R2 or later, and Data Deduplication is
enabled for some VM volumes, it is recommended that you deploy the Veeam Backup & Replication
console and mount server on a machine running same or later version of Microsoft Windows Server with
Data Deduplication feature enabled. Otherwise, some types of restore operations for these VMs (such as
Microsoft Windows File-Level Recovery) may fail.
• Due to its limitations, Microsoft SQL Server Express Edition can only be used for evaluation purposes or in
case of a small-scale production environment. For environments with a lot of VMs, it is necessary to install
a fully functional commercial version of Microsoft SQL Server.
For more information, see Backup Server.

Veeam Backup & Replication Console
Hardware CPU: x86-64 processor.
Memory: 2 GB RAM
Disk Space: 500 MB for product installation and 4.5 GB for Microsoft .NET
Framework 4.7.2 installation.
Network: 1 Mbps connection to the backup server. High latency and low bandwidth
impact user interface responsiveness.
OS Only 64-bit version of the following operating systems are supported:

• Microsoft .NET Framework 4.7.2 (included in the setup)

Software
• Windows Installer 4.5 (included in the setup)
• Microsoft PowerShell 5.1 (included in the setup)
• Firefox, Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge or Microsoft Internet Explorer 11.0 or
later
For more information, see Backup & Replication Console.

Backup Proxy Server
Hardware CPU: x86-64 processor with minimum of 2 cores (vCPUs), plus 1 core (vCPU) for
each additional concurrent task. Using faster processors improves data processing
performance. For more information, see Limitation of Concurrent Tasks.
Memory: 2 GB RAM plus 200 MB for each concurrent task. Using faster memory
(DDR3/DDR4) improves data processing performance.
Disk Space: 300 MB plus 50 MB for each concurrent task.
for off-site backup and replication. High latency and reasonably unstable WAN links
are supported.

OS 64-bit versions of the following Microsoft Windows operating systems are

supported:
• Microsoft Windows Server Semi-Annual Channel (from version 1803 to version
20H2)
64-bit versions of the following Linux distributions are supported1. Note that bash
shell, SSH, and Perl are required. Check the full list of required Perl modules in this
Veeam KB article.
• CentOS 7–8.3, CentOS Stream
• Debian 9.0–10.8
• Fedora 30–33
• openSUSE Leap 15.2, Tumbleweed
• Oracle Linux 6 (UEK3) to 8.3 (UEK R6)
• Oracle Linux 6 to 8.3 (RHCK)
• RHEL 6.0–8.3
• SLES 11 SP4, 12 SP1–SP5, 15 SP0–SP2
• Ubuntu: 14.04 LTS, 16.04 LTS, 18.04 LTS, 19.10, 20.04 LTS
1
Linux distributions are not supported for file proxy.
To check compatibility for storage integration, see the system requirements provided by the
storage system vendor.
For more information on the backup proxy, its requirements and limitations, see Backup Proxy.
IMPORTANT
To protect VMs running on ESXi 5.5 and newer with Microsoft Windows, you must deploy backup proxies
on machines running a 64-bit version of Microsoft Windows. VDDK 5.5 and newer does not support 32-bit
versions of Microsoft Windows.

VMware CDP Proxy Server
The following table shows the minimum system requirements for a VMware CDP proxy.
Hardware CPU : x86-64 processor with minimum of 8 cores (vCPUs). Using multi-core
processors improves data processing performance and allows for more tasks to be
processed concurrently.
Memory: 16 GB RAM. Using more memory allows for longer peak write I/O periods
before a CDP policy switches to the disk-based write I/O cache. Using faster memory
improves data processing performance.
Disk Space: 300 MB plus disk-based write I/O cache (non-persistent data, at least
50 GB recommended). Larger cache allows for longer network downtime periods
before a CDP policy switches to the CBT mode.
Network: 1 Gbps or faster.

supported:
20H2)
For more information on the VMware CDP proxy, see VMware CDP Proxy.

File Proxy Server
Hardware CPU: x86-64 processor (minimum 2 cores or vCPUs). Using multi-core processors
improves data processing performance and allows for more tasks to be processed
concurrently.
Memory: 4 GB RAM for each concurrent task. Using faster memory (DDR3/DDR4)
improves data processing performance.
Disk Space: 300 MB.
Network: High latency and reasonably unstable WAN links are supported.

supported:
20H2)
File proxies running Microsoft Windows Server 2012 R2 or later support the VSS for
SMB File Shares feature. To use it, make sure that all requirements listed in this
Veeam KB article are met.
For more information on the file proxy, see File Proxy in NAS Backup Support.

Backup Repository Server
These requirements also apply to mount servers (if separate from the repository server), gateway servers for file
share and deduplicating appliance-based repositories, and cache repository servers (64-bit OS only).
Hardware CPU: x86 processor (x86-64 recommended).
Memory: 4 GB RAM, plus up to 2 GB RAM (32-bit OS) or up to 4 GB RAM (64-bit OS)

for each concurrently processed machine or file share. For more information, see
Limitation of Concurrent Tasks.
are supported.

OS Both 32-bit and 64-bit (recommended) versions of the following operating systems
are supported:
20H2)
In addition, both 32-bit and 64-bit (recommended) versions of the following Linux
distributions are supported:
• CentOS 7 to 8.3
• CentOS Stream
• Debian 9.0 to 10.8
• Fedora 30 to 33
• RHEL 6.0 to 8.3
• openSUSE Leap 15.2, Tumbleweed
• Oracle Linux 6 (UEK3) to 8.3 (UEK R6)
• Oracle Linux 6 to 8.3 (RHCK)
• SLES 11 SP4, 12 SP1-SP5, 15 SP0-SP2
• Ubuntu 14.04 LTS, 16.04 LTS, 18.04 LTS, 19.10, 20.04 LTS
Bash shell, SSH and Perl are required. Check the full list of required Perl modules in
this Veeam KB article.
64-bit edition of Linux must be able to run 32-bit programs. Pure 64-bit Linux
editions are not supported (Perl installation must support 32-bit variables).
For advanced XFS integration, only the following 64-bit Linux distributions are
supported:
• CentOS 8.2 and 8.3
• Debian 10.x
• RHEL 8.2 or later
• SLES 15 SP2
• Ubuntu 18.04 LTS and 20.04 LTS
For other distributions, XFS integration support is experimental, with kernel version
5.4 or later recommended. For more information, see this Veeam KB article.

For more information, see Backup Repository.
NOTE
If you plan to use a Microsoft Windows backup repository with Data Deduplication, make sure that you set
up the Microsoft Windows server correctly. For more information, see this Veeam KB article.
Cache Repository
The following storage types can be used as a cache repository for NAS backup:
• Direct attached storage. You can add virtual and physical servers as cache repositories:
o Microsoft Windows server (only 64-bit versions are supported).
o Linux server (only 64-bit versions are supported).
• Network attached storage. You can add SMB (CIFS) Share or NFS Share as a cache repository.
For system requirements of backup repository servers that can be used as a cache repository, see Backup
Repository Server.
For more information on the cache repository, see Cache Repository in NAS Backup Support.
Tape Server
Hardware CPU: x86 processor (x86-64 recommended).
Memory: 2 GB RAM plus 200MB for each concurrent task. Depending on the source
of tape jobs, different entities are considered tasks: for machine backup to tape, a
task covers a source job or a source chain if tape paralleling is enabled; for file
backup to tape, a task covers an entire server or a file share. Restoring VMs directly
from tape requires 400MB of RAM per 1TB of virtual disk size. Additionally (for file
to tape jobs processing more than 1,000,000 files):
o 800 MB RAM for file to tape backup for each 1,000,000 files
o 800 MB RAM catalog jobs for each 1,000,000 files
Disk Space: 300 MB, plus 10 GB for temporary data storage for backup and restore
operations.
Network: 1 Gbps or faster.

OS Both 32-bit and 64-bit (recommended) versions of the following operating systems
are supported:
o Microsoft Windows Server Semi-Annual Channel (from version 1803 to version
20H2)
o Microsoft Windows Server 2019
o Microsoft Windows Server 2012 R2
o Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1
o Microsoft Windows 10 (from version 1803 to version 20H2)
o Microsoft Windows 8.1
o Microsoft Windows 7 SP1
WAN Accelerator
Hardware CPU: x86-64 processor. Using multi-core processors improves data processing
performance, and is highly recommended on WAN links faster than 10 Mbps.
Memory: 8 GB RAM. Using faster memory (DDR3/DDR4) improves data processing

performance.
Disk Space: Disk space requirements depend on the WAN Accelerator role. Source
WAN Accelerator requires 20 GB per 1 TB of source data to store digests of data
blocks of source VM disks. Disk space consumption is dynamic and changes as
unique VMs are added to (or removed from) jobs with WAN Acceleration enabled.
Target WAN Accelerator requires global cache size as defined by user (fixed
amount). Disk space is reserved immediately upon selecting the WAN Accelerator as
a target one in any job. For more information, see WAN Accelerator Sizing.
are supported.

OS Only 64-bit versions of the following operating systems are supported:

20H2)
For more information, see WAN Accelerators.
NOTE
Global cache is not leveraged by source WAN accelerators, or by WAN accelerators operating in the High
bandwidth mode, so it does not need to be allocated and populated in such cases.
Backup Target
Backups can be performed to the following disk-based storage:
• Local (internal) storage of the backup repository server.
• Direct Attached Storage (DAS) connected to the backup repository server, including external
USB/eSATA drives, USB pass through and raw device mapping (RDM) volumes.
• Storage Area Network (SAN). Backup repository server must be connected into the SAN fabric through
hardware or virtual HBA, or software iSCSI initiator.
• Network Attached Storage (NAS) able to present its capacity as NFS share (protocol version 3.0 and 4.1
only) or SMB/CIFS share (any protocol version). Using SMB protocol for non-continuously available (CA)
file shares is not recommended for reliability reasons. NFS shares are supported both for direct
operation and when mounted to a Linux repository server.
• Dell EMC Data Domain (DD OS version 6.1 to 7.3) with DDBoost license. Both Ethernet and Fibre
Channel (FC) connectivity is supported.
• ExaGrid (firmware version 5.0.0 or later).
• HPE StoreOnce (firmware version 3.15.1 or later) with Catalyst license. Both Ethernet and Fibre Channel
(FC) connectivity is supported. HPE Cloud Volumes Backup is supported.
• Quantum and OEM partners (DXi software 3.4.0 or later). Supported Quantum DXi systems include
DXi4700 (NAS configuration), DXi4700 (multi-protocol configuration), DXi 4800, DXi 6900, DXi
6900-S, DXi 9000. FIPS-compliant operations mode requires DXi software 4.0 or later.

Once backups are created, they can be copied (for redundancy) or offloaded (for long-term retention) to one of
the following hot object storage types using the scale-out backup repository Capacity Tier:
• Amazon S3 (including AWS Snowball Edge)
• Google Cloud Storage
• IBM Cloud Object Storage
• Microsoft Azure Blob Storage (including Microsoft Azure Data Box)
• Any S3-compatible object storage (on-premises appliance, or cloud storage provider)
Once backups are copied or offloaded to Amazon S3 or Microsoft Azure Blob Storage, they can be further
archived to one of the following respective cold object storage classes using the scale-out backup repository
Archive Tier:
• Amazon S3 Glacier
• Amazon S3 Glacier Deep Archive
• Microsoft Azure Blob Storage Archive Tier
For the full list of partner-tested solutions including primary backup storage solutions, S3-compatible object
storage solutions and offline storage solutions, see this Veeam page.
For information on NAS backup target, see Backup, Archive, Secondary Repositories in NAS Backup Support.
Veeam CDP Source and Target

The following source and target datastores are supported for Veeam CDP:
• NFS on file storage
• VMFS on block storage
• VMFS on internal ESXi storage
• VSAN (I/O journal size is limited to 254GB per VM)
• VVOL (I/O journal size is limited to 4GB per VM)
Support for hyper-converged infrastructure (HCI) appliances other than VSAN is pending validation by Veeam.
System requirements will be updated based on the testing results.
Tape
Hardware LTO3 or later tape libraries (including VTL) and standalone drives are supported.
Tape device must be directly attached to the backup server, to a tape server via SAS,
FC or iSCSI interface. Note that VMware does not support connecting tape libraries
to ESXi for VM pass-through.

o Tape devices without device-specific, vendor-supplied OEM drivers for

Software
Windows installed will appear in Windows Device Manager as Unknown or
Generic and require enabling native SCSI commands mode.
o If multiple driver installation modes are available for your tape device, use the
one that allows for multiple open handles from a host to a drive to exist at the
same time. Usually, such drivers are referred to as “non-exclusive”.
o No other backup server must be interacting with the tape device.
Storage Integration
Backup from Storage Snapshots and Veeam Explorer for Storage Snapshots are supported for the following
storage devices:
Cisco HyperFlex (HX-Series/SpringPath)

• NFS connectivity only
• HyperFlex 2.0 or later (Backup from Storage Snapshots, Full Integration mode)
• Basic authentication is not supported for SSO users in HyperFlex starting from version 3.0
DataCore SANsymphony
• Fibre Channel (FC) or iSCSI connectivity
• DataCore SANsymphony 10.0 PSP10 or later
Dell EMC Isilon

• NFS or CIFS connectivity
• OneFS 8.1.2 – 9.1
Dell EMC SC Series (formerly Compellent)

• Storage Center OS 7.4.2 or later
• FluidFS volumes and Live Volumes are not supported
Dell EMC VNX, VNX2, VNXe and Unity XT/Unity

• NFS, Fibre Channel (FC) or iSCSI connectivity
• Dell EMC Unity XT/Unity, VNXe OE versions 3.x up to 5.0
Fujitsu ETERNUS AF/DX series


• ETERNUS AF series: AF250 S2, AF650 S2, AF150 S3, AF250 S3, AF650 S3
• ETERNUS DX series: DX60 S4, DX100 S4, DX200 S4, DX500 S4, DX600 S4, DX8900 S4, DX60 S5,
DX100 S5, DX200 S5, DX500 S5, DX600 S5, DX900 S5
• Storage firmware version:
o ETERNUS AF S2 and DX S4 series (except DX8900 S4): V10L88-1000 or later
o ETERNUS AF S3 and DX S5 series, DX8900 S4: V11L30-5000 or later
HPE 3PAR StoreServ

• 3PAR OS versions 3.2.2 up to 3.3.1 MU5
• WSAPI 1.5
• iSCSI VLAN tags are supported
• Virtual Domains are supported
HPE Primera
• Fibre Channel (FC) connectivity only
• OS versions 4.x
• Virtual Domains are supported
HPE Nimble Storage AF-Series, HF-Series and CS-Series

• Nimble OS 2.3 or later
• HPE Nimble synchronous replication is not supported
HPE StoreVirtual (formerly LeftHand / P4000 series) and StoreVirtual VSA

• iSCSI connectivity only
• LeftHand OS versions 9.5 up to 12.8
• HPE SV3200 (LeftHand OS version 13) is not supported
Huawei OceanStor
• Huawei OceanStor V3 and F V3 Series with software version V300R006 or later
• Huawei OceanStor Dorado V3 Series with software version V300R001 or later
• Huawei OceanStor Dorado V6 Series with software version 6.0 or later
• Huawei OceanStor V5 and F V5 Series with software version V500R007 or later
• Huawei OceanStor V6 with software version 6.0 or later

IBM FlashSystem (StorWize), IBM SVC, Lenovo Storage V Series
• IBM Spectrum Virtualize OS 7.6 or later
INFINIDAT Infinibox F-series

• InfiniBox 3.0 or later
You must add to the backup infrastructure only one of the two InfiniBox storage arrays for which Active/Active
Replication is configured, or exclude the replicating volumes on one of these arrays from rescan. For details on
how to exclude volumes from rescan, see Rescanning Storage Systems.
NetApp FAS/AFF, FlexArray (V-Series), ONTAP Edge/Select/Cloud VSA and FAS OEM
(Fujitsu ETERNUS HX/AX, IBM N series and Lenovo DM series)
• NFS, Fibre Channel or iSCSI connectivity
• ONTAP 7-mode versions 8.2 up to 8.2.5
• ONTAP cluster-mode versions 8.3 up to 9.8
• MetroCluster is supported
• ONTAP features application-aware data management and SVM-DR are not supported
• NetApp Synchronous SnapMirror is not supported
NetApp SolidFire/HCI
• iSCSI connectivity
• NetApp SolidFire support requires Element OS 9.0 or later
• NetApp HCI support requires Element OS 10.0 or later
Pure Storage FlashArray

• Purity 4.8 or later
• Purity ActiveCluster is supported. Direct access to a single proxy server from both storage arrays in the
cluster is required.
• Replicated volume snapshots on the target array are supported. For details, see this Veeam KB article.
Tintri IntelliFlash (formerly Western Digital IntelliFlash, Tegile)

• Tintri IntelliFlash 3.9.2, 3.10.1 or later

Gateway Server
Platform Physical or virtual machine
OS Both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of the following operating systems are supported:
20H2)
For more information, see Gateway Server.
Mount Server
On the mount server machine, Veeam Backup & Replication installs the Veeam Mount Service. The Veeam
Mount Service requires Microsoft .NET Framework 4.7.2. If Microsoft .NET Framework 4.7.2 is not installed on
the machine, Veeam Backup & Replication will install it automatically. For more information, see Mount Server.
If you plan to restore VM guest OS files from VMs running Microsoft Windows ReFS, you must install
Veeam Backup & Replication components on machines running specific OS versions. For more information, see
Veeam Backup & Replication Console.
[For Microsoft Windows 2008R2/7] Make sure that you have SHA-2 code signing support installed. Normally,
this component is included in Microsoft Windows updates. For more information, see Microsoft Docs.
Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager Server

The machine where you plan to install Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager must meet the requirements listed in
the System Requirements section of the Enterprise Manager User Guide.

Supported Applications
You can create transactionally consistent backups or replicas of VMs that run the following applications.
Application Requirement
Microsoft Active Veeam Backup & Replication supports domain controller backup for the following
Directory operating systems:
20H2)
Minimum supported domain and forest functional level is Windows 2008.
Microsoft Exchange The following versions of Microsoft Exchange are supported:

o Microsoft Exchange 2019
o Microsoft Exchange 2013 SP1
o Microsoft Exchange 2010 SP1, SP2, or SP3
Microsoft SharePoint The following versions of Microsoft SharePoint Server (virtualized either on VMware
or Hyper-V platform) are supported:
o Microsoft SharePoint 2019
All editions are supported (Foundation, Standard, Enterprise).

Microsoft SQL Server The following versions of Microsoft SQL Server are supported (for application-aware
processing and transaction log backup):
o Microsoft SQL Server 2019 (only for Windows)
o Microsoft SQL Server 2017 (only for Windows)
o Microsoft SQL Server 2016 SP2
o Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 SP3
All editions of Microsoft SQL Server are supported.
The database whose logs you want to back up must use the Full or Bulk-logged
recovery model. In this case, all changes of the Microsoft SQL Server state will be
written to transaction logs, and you will be able to replay transaction logs to restore
the Microsoft SQL Server. You can use the Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio
to switch to one of these models. For more information, see Microsoft Docs.
Oracle on Windows Veeam Backup & Replication supports backup of the following Oracle Database
OS versions:
o Oracle Database 11g Release 2
For supported operating systems, see Oracle documentation.

o Oracle Database 12c Release 1


o Oracle Database 18c


Oracle on Linux OS Veeam Backup & Replication supports backup of the following Oracle Database
versions:
o Oracle Database 11g Release 2




Oracle Database Consider the following:

configuration
o Automatic Storage Management (ASM) is supported for Oracle 11g and later;
requires ASMlib present.
o Oracle Real Application Clusters (RAC) are not supported within the image-
level backup functionality. Use Veeam Plug-in for Oracle RMAN. For details,
see the Veeam Plug-in for Oracle RMAN section of the Veeam Plug-ins for
Enterprise Applications User Guide.
o Oracle Database Express Edition is supported for Windows-based machines
only.
o Configurations with different versions of Oracle Database deployed on the
same server are not supported. Use Veeam Plug-in for Oracle RMAN. For
details, see the Veeam Plug-in for Oracle RMAN section of the Veeam Plug-ins
for Enterprise Applications User Guide.
o To create Oracle database backups, all Oracle servers that use Data Guard
must be added to the backup job.
o The database must be in the ARCHIVELOG mode.
o You can use Veeam Plug-in for Oracle RMAN to integrate RMAN with
Veeam Backup & Replication repositories. For details, see the Veeam Plug-in
for Oracle RMAN section of the Veeam Plug-ins for Enterprise Applications
User Guide.
NOTE
Consider that 32-bit Oracle running on 64-bit operating systems and Oracle XE on Linux are not supported.

Veeam Explorers
• Veeam Explorer for Microsoft Active Directory
• Veeam Explorer for Microsoft Exchange
• Veeam Explorer for Microsoft SharePoint
• Veeam Explorer for Microsoft SQL
• Veeam Explorer for Oracle

Required Permissions
Make sure the user accounts that you plan to use have permissions described in the following sections:
• Installing and Using Veeam Backup & Replication
• Using Virtualization Servers and Hosts
• Performing Guest Processing
• Using Object Storage Repositories
o Amazon S3 Object Storage Permissions
o Google Cloud Object Storage Permissions
o Amazon S3 Glacier Object Storage Permissions
o Azure Archive Object Storage Permissions
• Permissions for Integration with Storage Systems
o NetApp Data ONTAP/Lenovo Thinksystem DM Permissions
o Universal Storage API Integrated Systems Permissions
Installing and Using Veeam Backup & Replication

The accounts used for installing and using Veeam Backup & Replication must have the following permissions.
Account Required Permission
Setup Account The account used for product installation must have the local Administrator
permissions on the target machine.
Veeam Backup & Replication The account used to start the Veeam Backup & Replication console must have
Console Permissions the local Administrator permissions on the machine where the console is
installed.
To perform file-level restore for Microsoft Windows VMs, the account must
have the following permissions and privileges:
• Local Administrator permissions to start the
Veeam Backup & Replication console
• SeBackupPrivilege and SeRestorePrivilege to connect to the Veeam
backup server and start the restore process
In most environments, SeBackupPrivilege and SeRestorePrivilege are assigned

to user accounts added to the Administrators group. For more information,
see Microsoft Docs.
Accounts that are members of the Protected Users Active Directory group
cannot be used to access the backup server remotely over the
Veeam Backup & Replication console. For more information, see Microsoft
Docs.

Account Required Permission
Veeam Backup Service The account used to run the Veeam Backup Service must be a LocalSystem
Account account or must have the local Administrator permissions on the backup
server.
Microsoft SQL Server You require different sets of Microsoft SQL permissions in the following cases:
(where the configuration
• Installation (remote or local): current account needs CREATE ANY
database is stored)
DATABASE permission on the SQL server level. After database creation
this account automatically gets a db_owner role and can perform all
operations with the database. If the current account does not have this
permission, a Database Administrator may create an empty database in
advance and grant the db_owner role to the account that will be used
for installing Veeam Backup & Replication.
• Upgrade: current account should have sufficient permissions for that
database. To grant these permissions through role assignment, it is
recommended that you use the account with db_owner role.
• Operation: the account used to run Veeam Backup Service requires
db_datareader and db_datawriter roles as well as permissions to execute
stored procedures for the configuration database on the Microsoft SQL
Server. Alternatively, you can assign db_owner role for this database to
the service account.
Using Virtualization Servers and Hosts

The following are required permissions to work with virtualization servers and hosts during data protection
tasks.
Role Required Permission
Source/Target Host Root permissions on the ESXi host.
If the vCenter Server is added to the backup infrastructure, an account that has
administrative permissions is required.
You can either grant the Administrator role to the account or configure granular
vCenter Server permissions for certain Veeam Backup & Replication operations in the
VMware vSphere environment. For more information, see the Required Permissions
Reference.
Linux Backup Root or equivalent permissions.

Repository
SMB Backup Write permission on the target folder and share.

Repository

Performing Guest Processing
To use guest OS processing (application-aware processing, pre-freeze and post-thaw scripts, transaction log
processing, guest file indexing and file exclusions), make sure to configure your accounts according to the
requirements listed in this section. For more information on guest processing, see Guest Processing.
All user accounts used for guest processing must have the following permissions:
• Logon as a batch job granted
• Deny logon as a batch job not set
Other permissions depend on applications that you back up. You can find permissions for backup operations in
the following table. For restore operation permissions, see Required Permissions sections in the Veeam
Explorers User Guide.
Application Required Permission
Microsoft SQL To back up Microsoft SQL Server data, the following roles must be assigned:
Server
• Administrator role on the target VM.
• Sysadmin role on the target Microsoft SQL Server.
If you need to provide minimal permissions, the account must be assigned the
following roles and permissions:
• SQL Server instance-level role: public and dbcreator.
• Database-level roles: db_backupoperator, db_denydatareader, public; for system
databases (master, model, msdb) — db_backupoperator, db_datareader, public;
for system database (msdb) — db_datawriter.
• Securables: view any definition, view server state.
Microsoft Active To back up Microsoft Active Directory data, the account must be a member of the
Directory Domain Admins group.
Microsoft To back up Microsoft Exchange data, the account must have the local Administrator
Exchange permissions on the machine where Microsoft Exchange is installed.

Application Required Permission
Oracle The account specified at the Specify Guest Processing Settings step must be
configured as follows:
• For a Windows-based VM, the account must be a member of both the Local
Administrator group and the ORA_DBA group (if OS authentication is used). In
addition, if ASM is used, then such an account must be a member of the
ORA_ASMADMIN group (for Oracle 12 and higher).
• For a Linux-based VM, the account must be a Linux user elevated to root.
To back up Oracle databases, make sure the account specified on the Oracle tab has
been granted SYSDBA privileges. You can use either the same account that was
specified at the Specify Guest Processing Settings step if such an account is a member
of the ORA_DBA group for a Windows-based VM and OSASM, OSDBA and OINSTALL
groups for a Linux-based VM, or you can use, for example, the SYS Oracle account or
any other Oracle account that has been granted SYSDBA privileges.
Microsoft To back up Microsoft SharePoint server, the account must be assigned the Farm
SharePoint Administrator role.
To back up Microsoft SQL databases of the Microsoft SharePoint Server, the account
must have the same privileges as that of Veeam Explorer for Microsoft SQL Server.
Consider the following general requirements when choosing a user account:
• [For guest OS file indexing] For Windows-based workloads, choose an account that has administrator
privileges. For Linux-based workloads, choose an account of a root user or user elevated to root.
• If Veeam Backup & Replication has to perform networkless guest processing over VMware VIX/vSphere
Web Services, check that UAC is disabled on VM guest OS and the specified account has local
Administrator permissions in addition to the permissions listed in the table. For more information on how
to disable UAC, see this Veeam KB article.
• When using Active Directory accounts, make sure to provide an account in the DOMAIN\Username format.
• When using local user accounts, make sure to provide an account in the Username or HOST\Username
format.
• To process a Domain Controller server, make sure that you are using an account that is a member of the
DOMAIN\Administrators group.
• To back up a Read-Only Domain controller, a delegated RODC administrator account is sufficient. For more
information, see this Microsoft article.
Using Object Storage Repositories

Amazon S3 Object Storage Permissions
• Make sure the account you are using has access to Amazon buckets and folders.

• The ListAllMyBuckets permission is not required if you specify the bucket name explicitly at the Bucket
step of the New object storage repository wizard.
The following are required permissions to use Amazon S3 object storage with immutability disabled.
{
"s3:ListBucket",
"s3:GetBucketLocation",
"s3:GetObject",
"s3:PutObject",
"s3:DeleteObject",
"s3:ListAllMyBuckets",
"s3:HeadBucket"
"s3:GetBucketVersioning",
"s3:GetBucketObjectLockConfiguration"
}
The following are required permissions to use Amazon S3 object storage with immutability enabled. For more
information on immutability, see Immutability.
{
"s3:ListBucket",
"s3:GetObject",
"s3:PutObject",
"s3:DeleteObject",
"s3:HeadBucket",
"s3:GetBucketObjectLockConfiguration",
"s3:ListBucketVersions",
"s3:GetObjectVersion",
"s3:GetObjectRetention",
"s3:GetObjectLegalHold",
"s3:PutObjectRetention",
"s3:PutObjectLegalHold",
"s3:DeleteObjectVersion"
}
For examples, see this Veeam KB article. For more information on permissions, see this Amazon article.
Google Cloud Object Storage Permissions
NOTE
The Owner IAM role does not necessarily grant the permissions required for working with Google Cloud
Storage.
The following are required permissions to use Google Cloud object storage.
{
"storage.buckets.get",
"storage.buckets.list",
"storage.objects.create",

"storage.objects.delete",
"storage.objects.get",
"storage.objects.list"
}

Amazon S3 Glacier Storage Permissions
The following are required permissions to use Amazon S3 Glacier object storage with immutability disabled.

{
"Version": "2012-10-17",
"Statement": [
{
"Sid": "VisualEditor0",
"Effect": "Allow",
"Action": [
"ec2:DescribeInstances",
"ec2:CreateKeyPair",
"ec2:DescribeVolumesModifications",
"s3:CreateBucket",
"iam:CreateRole",
"iam:PutRolePolicy",
"ec2:DescribeSnapshots",
"ec2:DeleteVolume",
"ec2:StartInstances",
"s3:PutLifecycleConfiguration",
"ec2:DescribeVolumes",
"ec2:DescribeAccountAttributes",
"s3:DeleteObject",
"ec2:DescribeKeyPairs",
"iam:GetRole",
"ec2:ModifyVolume",
"ec2:CreateTags",
"ec2:RunInstances",
"ec2:StopInstances",
"ec2:CreateVolume",
"s3:ListMultipartUploadParts",
"s3:PutObject",
"s3:GetObject",
"ec2:DescribeSubnets",
"ec2:DeleteKeyPair",
"s3:DeleteObjectVersion",
"s3:RestoreObject",
"ec2:DescribeDhcpOptions",
"s3:ListBucket",
"ec2:DescribeVpcAttribute",
"s3:AbortMultipartUpload",
"ec2:DescribeNetworkInterfaces",
"ec2:DescribeAvailabilityZones",
"iam:DeleteRolePolicy",
"ec2:ModifyInstanceAttribute",
"ec2:CreateVpc",
"ec2:CreateSubnet",
"ec2:CreateRouteTable",
"ec2:CreateRoute",
"ec2:CreateInternetGateway",
"ec2:AttachInternetGateway",
"ec2:AssociateRouteTable",

"ec2:ModifyVpcAttribute",
"ec2:DescribeSecurityGroups",
"ec2:DescribeVpcs",
"ec2:CreateSecurityGroup",
"ec2:DeleteSecurityGroup",
"ec2:AuthorizeSecurityGroupIngress",
"ec2:AuthorizeSecurityGroupEgress",
"ec2:RevokeSecurityGroupIngress",
"ec2:RevokeSecurityGroupEgress",
"ec2:CreateTags",
"s3:DeleteBucket",
"s3:ListBucketMultipartUploads",
"ec2:TerminateInstances",
"ec2:CancelConversionTask",
"ec2:DescribeImages",
"ec2:DescribeVpcs",
"ec2:CancelImportTask",
"ec2:DescribeConversionTasks"
],
"Resource": "*"
}
]
}

The following are required permissions to use Amazon S3 object storage with immutability enabled. For more
information on immutability, see Immutability.

{
"Version": "2012-10-17",
"Statement": [
{
"Sid": "VisualEditor0",
"Effect": "Allow",
"Action": [
"ec2:AuthorizeSecurityGroupIngress",
"iam:CreateRole",
"s3:CreateBucket",
"ec2:AttachInternetGateway",
"ec2:AssociateRouteTable",
"s3:GetBucketObjectLockConfiguration",
"ec2:DeleteVolume",
"ec2:CreateRoute",
"ec2:CreateInternetGateway",
"ec2:RevokeSecurityGroupEgress",
"s3:PutLifecycleConfiguration",
"s3:DeleteObject",
"iam:GetRole",
"ec2:ModifyVolume",
"ec2:CreateTags",
"ec2:CreateRouteTable",
"ec2:RunInstances",
"ec2:CreateVolume",
"s3:ListMultipartUploadParts",
"ec2:RevokeSecurityGroupIngress",
"s3:PutObject",
"s3:GetObject",
"ec2:CreateSubnet",
"s3:DeleteObjectVersion",
"s3:RestoreObject",
"ec2:CreateVpc",
"s3:ListBucket",
"s3:AbortMultipartUpload",

"ec2:CreateSecurityGroup",
"ec2:ModifyVpcAttribute",
"s3:DeleteBucket",
"ec2:AuthorizeSecurityGroupEgress",
"s3:ListBucketMultipartUploads",
"ec2:DescribeVpcs",
"ec2:DeleteSecurityGroup",
"ec2:DescribeConversionTasks"
],
"Resource": "*"
}
]
}

Azure Archive Object Storage Permissions
The following are required permissions to use Azure Archive object storage.

"properties": {
"roleName": "CUSTOM_ROLE_MINIMAL_PERMISSIONS",
"description": "CUSTOM_ROLE_MINIMAL_PERMISSIONS",
"assignableScopes": [
"/subscriptions/280921a2-220d-45c9-92dd-82b6d5a3a78f"
],
"permissions": [
{
"actions": [
"Microsoft.Authorization/*/read",
"Microsoft.Compute/availabilitySets/*",
"Microsoft.Compute/locations/*",
"Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines/*",
"Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachineScaleSets/*",
"Microsoft.DevTestLab/schedules/*",
"Microsoft.Insights/alertRules/*",
"Microsoft.Network/applicationGateways/backendAddressPools/j
oin/action",
"Microsoft.Network/loadBalancers/backendAddressPools/join/ac
tion",
"Microsoft.Network/loadBalancers/inboundNatPools/join/action
",
"Microsoft.Network/loadBalancers/inboundNatRules/join/action
",
"Microsoft.Network/loadBalancers/probes/join/action",
"Microsoft.Network/loadBalancers/read",
"Microsoft.Network/locations/*",
"Microsoft.Network/networkInterfaces/*",
"Microsoft.Network/networkSecurityGroups/join/action",
"Microsoft.Network/networkSecurityGroups/read",
"Microsoft.Network/publicIPAddresses/join/action",
"Microsoft.Network/publicIPAddresses/read",
"Microsoft.Network/virtualNetworks/read",
"Microsoft.Network/virtualNetworks/write",
"Microsoft.Network/virtualNetworks/subnets/join/action",
"Microsoft.RecoveryServices/locations/*",
"Microsoft.RecoveryServices/Vaults/backupFabrics/protectionC
ontainers/protectedItems/*/read",
ontainers/protectedItems/read",
ontainers/protectedItems/write",
"Microsoft.RecoveryServices/Vaults/backupFabrics/backupProte
ctionIntent/write",
"Microsoft.RecoveryServices/Vaults/backupPolicies/read",
"Microsoft.RecoveryServices/Vaults/backupPolicies/write",
"Microsoft.RecoveryServices/Vaults/read",
"Microsoft.RecoveryServices/Vaults/usages/read",
"Microsoft.RecoveryServices/Vaults/write",
"Microsoft.ResourceHealth/availabilityStatuses/read",
"Microsoft.Resources/deployments/*",
"Microsoft.Resources/subscriptions/resourceGroups/read",
"Microsoft.Storage/storageAccounts/listKeys/action",
"Microsoft.Storage/storageAccounts/read",

"Microsoft.Support/*",
"Microsoft.Network/publicIPAddresses/write",
"Microsoft.Network/publicIPAddresses/delete",
"Microsoft.Network/networkSecurityGroups/write",
"Microsoft.Network/networkSecurityGroups/delete",
"Microsoft.Resources/checkResourceName/action",
"Microsoft.Resources/subscriptions/resourceGroups/write",
"Microsoft.Resources/subscriptions/locations/read"
],
"notActions": [],
"dataActions": [],
"notDataActions": []
}
]
}
}
Permissions for Integration with Storage Systems

To perform data protection and disaster recovery operations with storage snapshots, the account used to
connect to a storage system must have necessary permissions.
NetApp Data ONTAP/Lenovo Thinksystem DM Permissions

The account used to connect to a NetApp Data ONTAP/Lenovo Thinksystem DM storage system must have the
following permissions:
7-Mode
• login-http-admin
• api-system-*
• api-license-* (api-license-list-info)
• api-volume-*
• api-net-*
• api-options-*
• api-vfiler-*
• api-qtree-*
• api-nfs-*
• api-snapshot-*
• api-lun-*
• api-iscsi-*
• api-feature-*
• api-registry-*

• cli-options
• api-fcp-*
• api-file-*
• api-igroup-*
• api-clone-*
• api-snapvault-*
• api-snapmirror-*
• api-cf-*
cDot
Command/Directory Access/Query Level
DEFAULT readonly
cluster readonly
metrocluster readonly
fcp readonly
file readonly
igroup all
iscsi all
network readonly
node readonly
security readonly
security login readonly
set readonly
snapmirror all

Command/Directory Access/Query Level
system readonly
version readonly
qtree readonly
lun all
nfs all
snapshot all
volume all
vserver all
Universal Storage API Integrated Systems Permissions

The account used to connect to a Universal Storage API integrated system must be assigned a necessary role in
the storage system console and/or have a set of necessary permissions.
• For Fujitsu ETERNUS, the account must be assigned the Software role.
• For NetApp SolidFire/HCI, the account must have the following permissions:
o Volumes
o Cluster Admins
• For Western Digital IntelliFlash, the account must be assigned the Veeam Admin Role.
• For DataCore, the account must have the following permissions:
o General
o Port
o Host
o Virtual disk
o Snapshot
o Physical disk
For storage systems not mentioned above, the account must have Administrator role.

Used Ports
On backup infrastructure components, Veeam Backup & Replication automatically creates firewall rules for the
required ports. These rules allow communication between the components.
IMPORTANT
Some Linux distributions require firewall and/or security rules to be created manually. For details, see this
Veeam KB article.
You can find the full list of the ports below.
Backup Server Connections

The following table describes network ports that must be opened to ensure proper communication of the
backup server with backup infrastructure components.
From To Protocol Port Notes
Virtualization Servers
Backup vCenter Server HTTPS 443 Default port used for connections to
server TCP vCenter Server.
If you use vCloud Director, make sure

you open port 443 on underlying
vCenter Servers.
HTTPS 10443 Port used for communication with

TCP vCenter Server.
This port is not required for VMware

Cloud on AWS.

ESXi server HTTPS 443 Default port used for connections to

TCP ESXi host.
[For VMware vSphere earlier than 6.5]
Not required if vCenter connection is
used. In VMware vSphere versions 6.5
and later, port 443 is required by
VMware web services.
Note: When you configure firewalls,

consider opening port 443 on ESXi
hosts even if you add vCenter Server
to the backup infrastructure. Port 443
may be required for backup and
restore without vCenter Server, for
example, if you back up a VM that
hosts vCenter Server and restore it
when vCenter Server is down.

Cloud on AWS.
TCP 902 Port used for data transfer to ESXi

host.

Cloud on AWS.
TCP 22 Port used as a control channel (only

for jobs that use an ESXi target with
the console agent enabled).

Cloud on AWS.
vCloud Director HTTPS 443 Default port used for connections to

TCP vCloud Director.
Other Servers
Backup Microsoft SQL Server TCP 1433 Port used for communication with
server hosting the Microsoft SQL Server on which the
Veeam Backup & Replication Veeam Backup & Replication
configuration database configuration database is deployed (if
you use a Microsoft SQL Server
default instance).
Additional ports may need to be open

depending on your configuration. For
more information, see Microsoft Docs.

DNS server with UDP 53 Port used for communication with the
forward/reverse name DNS Server.
resolution of all backup
servers
Veeam Update Notification TCP 80 Default port used to download

Server (dev.veeam.com) information about available updates
from the Veeam Update Notification
Server over the Internet.
Veeam License Update TCP 443 Default port used for license auto-
Server update.
(vbr.butler.veeam.com,
autolk.veeam.com)
Backup Server
Backup Backup server TCP 9501 Port used locally on the backup server
server for communication between Veeam
Broker Service and Veeam services
and components.
Remote Access
Management Backup server TCP 3389 Default port used by the Remote
client PC Desktop Services. If you use third-
(remote party solutions to connect to the
access) backup server, other ports may need
to be open.
The following table describes network ports that must be opened to ensure proper communication with the
Veeam Backup & Replication console installed remotely.
Veeam Backup & Replication Backup TCP 9392 Port used by the
Console server Veeam Backup & Replication console
to connect to the backup server.
TCP 10003 Port used by the

Veeam Backup & Replication console
to connect to the backup server only
when managing the Veeam Cloud
Connect infrastructure.

TCP 9396 Port used by the

Veeam.Backup.UIService process for
managing database connections.
Veeam Backup & Replication Mount TCP 2500 to Default range of ports used as data
Console server (if 3300* transmission channels. For every TCP
the mount connection that a job uses, one port
server is from this range is assigned.
not
located
on the
console)
* This range of ports applies to newly installed Veeam Backup & Replication starting from version 10.0, without upgrade
from previous versions. If you have upgraded from an earlier version of the product, the range of ports from 2500 to 5000
applies to the already added components.
Microsoft Windows Server Connections

The following table describes network ports that must be opened to ensure proper communication with
Microsoft Windows servers.
Each Microsoft Windows server that is a backup infrastructure component or a machine for which you enable
application-aware processing must have these ports opened. If you want to use the server as a backup
infrastructure component, you must also open ports that the component role requires.
For example, if you assign the role of a backup proxy to your Microsoft Windows server, you must open ports
listed below and also ports listed in the Backup Proxy Connections section.
The Microsoft Windows server that acts as an SMB file share requires only network ports listed below. The
Microsoft Windows server that acts as an NFS file share requires network ports listed below and also ports listed
in the NFS Repository Connections.
Backup server Microsoft TCP 135, Ports required for deploying

Windows UDP 137 to 139, Veeam Backup & Replication components.
server 445
Backup proxy TCP 6160 Default port used by the Veeam Installer
Service.
Backup TCP 2500 to Default range of ports used as data

repository 3300* transmission channels and for collecting
log files.
For every TCP connection that a job uses,

one port from this range is assigned.

Gateway TCP 6161 [For Microsoft Windows servers running

server the vPower NFS Service] Default port
used by the Veeam vPower NFS Service.
Mount server TCP 6162 Default port used by the Veeam Data
Mover Service.
WAN TCP 49152 to Dynamic port range. For more

accelerator 65535 information, see this Microsoft KB article.
(for Microsoft
Windows
Tape server 2008 and
newer)
* This range of ports applies to newly installed Veeam Backup & Replication starting from version 10.0, without
upgrade from previous versions. If you have upgraded from an earlier version of the product, the range of ports
from 2500 to 5000 applies to the already added components.
Linux Server Connections

The following table describes network ports that must be opened to ensure proper communication with Linux
servers.
Each Linux server that is a backup infrastructure component or a machine for which you enable application-
aware processing must have these ports opened. If you want to use the server as a backup infrastructure
component, you must also open ports that the component role requires.
For example, if you assign the role of a backup repository to your Linux server, you must open ports listed below
and also ports listed in the Backup Repository Connections section.
The Linux server that acts as an SMB file share requires only network ports listed below. The Linux server that
acts as an NFS file share requires network ports listed below and also ports listed in the NFS Repository
Connections.
Backup server Linux server TCP 22 Port used as a control channel from the
console to the target Linux host.
TCP 2500 to Default range of ports used as data

3300* transmission channels. For every TCP
connection that a job uses, one port from
this range is assigned.
Linux server Backup server TCP 2500 to Default range of ports used as data

Backup Proxy Connections

The following table describes network ports that must be opened to ensure proper communication of backup
proxies with other backup components. File proxies in NAS backup use the same network ports as backup
proxies.
Backup server Backup proxy Backup proxy can be a Microsoft Windows or Linux server. Depending on
which server you use, the ports listed in Microsoft Windows Server
Connections or Linux Server Connections must be opened.
Communication with Backup Server
Backup server File proxy TCP 6210 Default port used by the Veeam Backup
VSS Integration Service for taking a VSS
snapshot during the SMB file share
backup.
Communication with VMware Servers
Backup proxy vCenter HTTPS 443 Default VMware web service port that can
Server be customized in vCenter settings.
ESXi server TCP 902 Default VMware port used for data
transfer.

Cloud on AWS.
HTTPS 443 Default VMware web service port that can

be customized in ESXi host settings. Not
required if vCenter connection is used.

Cloud on AWS.
Communication with Backup Repositories
Backup proxy Microsoft TCP 49152 to Dynamic port range. For more
Windows 65535 information, see this Microsoft KB article.
server (for Microsoft
Windows
2008 and
newer)

Shared folder TCP 135, Ports used as a transmission channel from

SMB (CIFS) UDP 137 to 139, a backup proxy to the target SMB (CIFS)
share 445 share.
Traffic goes between a backup proxy and

SMB (CIFS) share only if a gateway server
is not specified explicitly in SMB (CIFS)
backup repository settings (the Automatic
selection option is used).
If a gateway server is specified explicitly,

traffic goes between a gateway server
and SMB (CIFS) share. For more
information about required ports, see the
Gateway server > Shared folder line
below in this table.
Gateway TCP 49152 to Dynamic port range. For more

server 65535 information, see this Microsoft KB article.
(for Microsoft
Windows
2008 and
newer)
Gateway Shared folder TCP 135, Ports used as a transmission channel from
server SMB (CIFS) UDP 137 to 139, a gateway server to the target SMB (CIFS)
(if a gateway share 445 share.
server is
specified
explicitly in
SMB (CIFS)
backup
repository
settings)
Communication with Backup Proxies
Backup proxy Backup proxy TCP 2500 to Default range of ports used as
3300* transmission channels for replication jobs.
* This range of ports applies to newly installed Veeam Backup & Replication starting from version 10.0, without
upgrade from previous versions. If you have upgraded from an earlier version of the product, the range of ports
from 2500 to 5000 applies to the already added components.

Backup Repository Connections
The following table describes network ports that must be opened to ensure proper communication with backup
repositories. Cache repositories in NAS backup use the same network ports as backup repositories.
Backup proxy Microsoft Ports listed in Microsoft Windows Server Connections must be opened.
Windows
server
performing
the role of
the backup
repository
Backup proxy Linux server Ports listed in Linux Server Connections must be opened.
performing
the role of
the backup
repository
Backup Backup proxy TCP 2500 to Default range of ports used as

repository 3300* transmission channels for replication jobs.
Source Target TCP 2500 to Default range of ports used as

backup backup 3300* transmission channels for backup copy
repository repository jobs. For every TCP connection that a job
uses, one port from this range is assigned.
Ports 2500 to 3300 are used for backup
copy jobs that do not utilize WAN
accelerators. If the backup copy job
utilizes WAN accelerators, make sure that
ports specific for WAN accelerators are
open.
Microsoft Backup TCP 2500 to Default range of ports used as

Windows repository 3300* transmission channels during Instant VM
server gateway Recovery, SureBackup or Linux file-level
running server recovery.
vPower NFS working with
Service backup For every TCP connection that a job uses,
repository one port from this range is assigned.

NFS Repository Connections
The following table describes network ports that must be opened to ensure proper communication with NFS
shares added as backup repositories.
NFS backup Gateway server TCP 2049 Default NFS port.

repository (Microsoft UDP
Windows/Linux)
TCP 111 Port used for rpcbind service.

UDP
NFS backup Gateway server TCP mountd_port Dynamic port used for mountd service.
repository (Microsoft UDP Can be assigned statically.
(for Windows/Linux)
repositories
supporting TCP statd_port Dynamic port used for statd service. Can
NFS protocol UDP be assigned statically.
version 3)
TCP lockd_port Dynamic TCP port used for lockd service.
Can be assigned statically.
UDP lockd_port Dynamic UDP port used for lockd service.

Can be assigned statically.
Microsoft NFS repository Ports listed in Microsoft Windows Server Connections must be opened.
Windows
server
performing
the role of
the gateway
server
Linux server NFS repository Ports listed in Linux Server Connections must be opened.
performing
the role of
the gateway
server
Gateway NFS repository TCP 111, 2049 Standard NFS ports used as a
server UDP transmission channel from the gateway
(specified in server to the target NFS share.
the NFS
repository
settings)

Object Storage Repository Connections
The following table describes network ports and endpoints that must be opened to ensure proper
communication with object storage repositories.
From To Protocol Port/Endpoint Notes
Gateway Amazon S3 TCP 443 Used to

server Object communicate with
Storage Amazon S3 Object
HTTPS Cloud endpoints: Storage.
• *.amazonaws.com (for both
Consider that
Global and Government regions) certificate
• *.amazonaws.com.cn (for China verification
endpoints (CRL URLs
region)
and OCSP servers)
are subject to
A complete list of connection endpoints
change. The actual
can be found in this Amazon article.
list of addresses can
Certificate verification endpoints: be found in the
certificate itself.
• *.amazontrust.com
TCP 443

Microsoft HTTPS Cloud endpoints: Used to

Azure communicate with
• xxx.blob.core.windows.net (for
Object Microsoft Azure
Storage Global region) Object Storage.
• xxx.blob.core.chinacloudapi.cn
Consider the
(for China region) following:
• xxx.blob.core.cloudapi.de (for • The <xxx> part
Germany region) of the address
• xxx.blob.core.usgovcloudapi.net must be
(for Government region) replaced with
your actual
Certificate verification endpoints:
storage
• ocsp.digicert.com account URL,
• ocsp.msocsp.com which can be
• *.d-trust.net found in the
Azure
management
portal.
• Certificate
verification
endpoints
(CRL URLs and
OCSP servers)
are subject to
change. The
actual list of
addresses can
be found in
the certificate
itself.
• The *.d-
trust.net
endpoint is
used for the
Germany
region only.
IBM Cloud TCP/HTTPS Customizable and depends on device Used to

Object configuration communicate with
Storage IBM Cloud Object
Storage.

S3 TCP/HTTPS Customizable and depends on device Used to

Compatible configuration communicate with
Object S3 Compatible
Storage Object Storage.
For more information, see Object Storage Repository.
Dell EMC Data Domain System Connections
Backup server Dell EMC TCP 111 Port used to assign a random port for the
or Data Domain mountd service used by NFS and
Gateway DDBOOST. Mountd service port can be
server statically assigned.
TCP 2049 Main port used by NFS. Can be modified

using the ‘nfs set server-port’ command.
Command requires SE mode.
TCP 2052 Main port used by NFS MOUNTD. Can be

modified using the 'nfs set mountd-port'
command in SE mode.
Backup server Gateway Ports listed in Gateway Server Connections must be opened.
server
For more information, see Dell EMC Documents.
HPE StoreOnce Connections
Backup server HPE TCP 9387 Default command port used for
or StoreOnce communication with HPE StoreOnce.
Gateway
server
9388 Default data port used for communication
with HPE StoreOnce.
Backup server Gateway Ports listed in Gateway Server Connections must be opened.
server

Gateway Server Connections
The following table describes network ports that must be opened to ensure proper communication with
gateway servers.
Backup server Microsoft Ports listed in Microsoft Windows Server Connections must be opened.
Windows
server
performing
the role of
the gateway
server
Backup server Linux server Ports listed in Linux Server Connections must be opened.
performing
the role of
the gateway
server (if a
gateway
server is
specified
explicitly in
NFS backup
repository
settings)
Gateway Shared folder TCP 135, Ports used as a transmission channel from
server SMB (CIFS) UDP 137 to 139, a gateway server to the target SMB (CIFS)
(if a gateway share 445 share.
server is
specified
explicitly in
SMB (CIFS)
backup
repository
settings)
Mount Server Connections

The following table describes network ports that must be opened to ensure proper communication with mount
servers.
Backup server Mount Mount server is a Microsoft Windows server, and it requires the
server ports listed in Microsoft Windows Server Connections to be
opened.

TCP 6170 Port used for communication with a

local or remote Mount Service.
Mount server Backup TCP 9401 Port used for communication with the
(or machine running the server Veeam Backup Service.
Veeam Backup & Replication
console)
Mount server Backup TCP 2500 to Default range of ports used for
(or machine running the repository 3300* communication with a backup
Veeam Backup & Replication repository.
console)
Mount server Helper TCP 22 Default SSH port used as a control

appliance channel.
TCP 2500 to Default range of ports used for

2600 communicating with the appliance.
Mount server VM guest Ports listed in VM Guest OS Connections must be opened.

OS
Microsoft Windows Server Running vPower NFS Service

Connections
Backup server Microsoft TCP 6160 Default port used by the Veeam Installer
Windows Service.
server
running
vPower NFS TCP 6161 Default port used by the Veeam vPower
Service NFS Service.
ESXi host Microsoft TCP 111 Standard port used by the port mapper
Windows UDP service.

server
running TCP 1058+ or Default mount port. The number of port
vPower NFS UDP 1063+ depends on where the vPower NFS
Service Service is located:
• 1058+: If the vPower NFS Service is
located on the backup server.
• 1063+: If the vPower NFS Service is
located on a separate Microsoft
Windows machine.
If port 1058/1063 is occupied, the

succeeding port numbers will be used.
TCP 2049+ Standard NFS port. If port 2049 is

UDP occupied, the succeeding port numbers
will be used.
Backup Microsoft TCP 2500 to Default range of ports used as

repositoryor Windows 3300* transmission channels during Instant VM
Gateway server Recovery, SureBackup or Linux file-level
serverworking running recovery.
with backup vPower NFS
repository Service For every TCP connection that a job uses,
Proxy Appliance (Multi-OS FLR) Connections
Backup server Helper TCP 22 Port used as a communication channel

appliance from the backup server to the proxy
appliance in the multi-OS file-level
recovery process.

VM guest OS TCP 2500 to Default range of ports used as data


Helper VM guest OS TCP 22 Port used as a communication channel

appliance from the proxy appliance to the Linux
guest OS during multi-OS file-level
recovery process.
TCP 20 [If FTP option is used] Default port used

for data transfer.

VM guest OS Helper TCP 22 Port used as a communication channel

appliance from the proxy appliance to Linux guest
OS during multi-OS file-level recovery
process.
TCP 21 [If FTP option is used] Default port used

for protocol control messages.
Helper Backup TCP 2500 to Default range of ports used as data

appliance repository 3300* transmission channels. For every TCP
SureReplica Recovery Verification Connections
Backup vCenter HTTPS TCP 443 Default port used for connections to
server Server vCenter Server.
ESXi server HTTPS TCP 443 Default port used for connections to ESXi
host.
Not required if vCenter connection is
used.

TCP 22 Port used as a control channel (only for

jobs that use an ESXi target with the
console agent enabled).
Proxy TCP 443 Port used for communication with the

appliance proxy appliance in the virtual lab.
22 Port used for communication with the

proxy appliance in the virtual lab.
Applications — — Application-specific ports to perform

on VMs in the port probing test. For example, to verify
virtual lab a DC, Veeam Backup & Replication probes
port 389 for a response.
Internet- VMs in the HTTP 8080 Port used to let VMs in the virtual lab
facing proxy virtual lab access the Internet.
server
WAN Accelerator Connections

The following table describes network ports that must be opened to ensure proper communication between
WAN accelerators used in backup copy jobs and replication jobs.
Backup server WAN WAN accelerator is a Microsoft Windows server, and it requires the ports
accelerator listed in Microsoft Windows Server Connections to be opened.
(source and
target)
TCP 6160 Default port used by the Veeam Installer
Service.
TCP 6162 Default port used by the Veeam Data

Mover Service.
TCP 6164 Controlling port for RPC calls.
WAN Backup TCP 2500 to Default range of ports used by the Veeam
accelerator repository 3300* Data Mover Service for transferring files
(source and (source and of a small size such as NVRAM, VMX,
target) target) VMXF, GuestIndexData.zip and others. A
port from the range is selected
dynamically.

WAN WAN TCP 6164 Controlling port for RPC calls.

accelerator accelerator
TCP 6165 Default port used for data transfer

between WAN accelerators. Ensure this
port is open in firewall between sites
where WAN accelerators are deployed.
Tape Server Connections

The following table describes network ports that must be opened to ensure proper communication with tape
servers.
Backup server Tape server Tape server is a Microsoft Windows server, and it requires the ports listed in
Microsoft Windows Server Connections to be opened.
TCP 6166 Controlling port for RPC calls.

Tape server Backup Tape server is a Microsoft Windows server, and it requires the ports listed in
repository, Microsoft Windows Server Connections to be opened.
gateway
server or
proxy server

NDMP Server Connections
The following table describes network ports that must be opened to ensure proper communication with NDMP
servers.
Gateway NDMP server NDMP 10000 Port used for data transfer between the
server components.
Dell EMC VNX(e) Storage Connections
Backup server VNX File SSH 22 Default command port used for
communication with VNX File over SSH.
VNX Block HTTPS 443 Default port used for communication with
Dell EMC VNX Block.
VNXe HTTPS 443 Default port used for communication with

Dell EMC VNXe and sending REST API
calls.
Backup proxy VNX Block TCP 3260 Default iSCSI target port.
VNXe
VNX File TCP, UDP 2049, 111 Standard NFS ports. Port 111 is used by
the port mapper service.
VNXe
HPE 3PAR StoreServ Storage Connections
Backup server HPE 3PAR HTTP 8008 Default port used for communication with
StoreServ HPE 3PAR StoreServ over HTTP.
storage
system
HTTPS 8080 Default port used for communication with
HPE 3PAR StoreServ over HTTPS.

SSH 22 Default command port used for

communication with HPE 3PAR StoreServ
over SSH.
Backup proxy HPE 3PAR TCP 3260 Default iSCSI target port.
StoreServ
storage
system
HPE Lefthand Storage Connections
Backup server HPE Lefthand SSH 16022 Default command port used for
storage communication with HPE Lefthand.
system
Backup proxy HPE Lefthand TCP 3260 Default iSCSI target port.
storage
system
HPE Nimble Storage Connections
Backup server HPE Nimble TCP 5392 Default command port used for
storage communication with HPE Nimble (used
system for Nimble OS 2.3 and later).
Backup proxy HPE Nimble TCP 3260 Default iSCSI target port.
storage
system

IBM Spectrum Virtualize Storage Connections
Backup server IBM Spectrum SSH 22 Default command port used for
Virtualize communication with IBM Spectrum
storage Virtualize over SSH.
system
Backup proxy IBM Spectrum TCP 3260 Default iSCSI target port.
Virtualize
storage
system
NetApp Data ONTAP Storage Connections
Backup server NetApp Data HTTP 80 Default command port used for
ONTAP communication with NetApp Data ONTAP
storage over HTTP.
system
HTTPS 443 Default command port used for

communication with NetApp Data ONTAP
over HTTPS.
Backup proxy NetApp Data TCP, UDP 2049, 111 Standard NFS ports. Port 111 is used by
ONTAP the port mapper service.
storage
system
TCP 3260 Default iSCSI target port.
Universal Storage API Integrated System Connections

The following tables describe network ports that must be opened to ensure proper communication with
Universal Storage API integrated systems:
• DataCore SANsymphony
• Dell EMC SC Series
• Fujitsu ETERNUS DX/AF Connections
• Huawei OceanStor Connections
• INFINIDAT InfiniBox Connections
• NetApp SolidFire/HCI Connections

• Pure Storage FlashArray Connections
• Tintri IntelliFlash (formerly Western Digital, Tegile)
DataCore SANsymphony Connections
Backup DataCore HTTPS 443 Default command port used for

server SANsymphony storage communication with DataCore
system SANsymphony over HTTPS.
Backup DataCore TCP 3260 Default iSCSI target port.

proxy SANsymphony storage
system
Dell EMC SC Series
Backup server Dell EMC SC HTTPS 3033 Default command port used for
Series storage communication with Dell EMC SC Series
system over HTTPS.
Backup proxy Dell EMC SC TCP 3260 Default iSCSI target port.
Series storage
system
Fujitsu ETERNUS DX/AF Connections
Backup server Fujitsu SSH 22 Default command port used for

ETERNUS communication with Fujitsu ETERNUS
DX/AF DX/AF over SSH.
storage
system
Backup proxy Fujitsu TCP 3260 Default iSCSI target port.

ETERNUS
DX/AF
storage
system

INFINIDAT InfiniBox Connections
Backup server INFINIDAT HTTPS 443 Default command port used for
InfiniBox communication with INFINIDAT InfiniBox
storage over HTTPS.
system
Backup proxy INFINIDAT TCP 3260 Default iSCSI target port.

InfiniBox
storage
system
Huawei OceanStor Connections
Backup server Huawei HTTPS 8080 Default port used for communication with
OceanStor Huawei OceanStor over HTTPS.
storage
system
Backup proxy Huawei TCP 3260 Default iSCSI target port.

OceanStor
storage
system
NetApp SolidFire/HCI Connections
Backup server NetApp HTTPS 443 Default command port used for
SolidFire/HCI communication with NetApp
storage SolidFire/HCI over HTTPS.
system
Backup proxy NetApp TCP 3260 Default iSCSI target port.

SolidFire/HCI
storage
system

Pure Storage FlashArray Connections
Backup server Pure Storage HTTPS 443 Default command port used for
FlashArray communication with Pure Storage
system FlashArray over HTTPS.
Backup proxy Pure Storage TCP 3260 Default iSCSI target port.
FlashArray
system
Tintri IntelliFlash (formerly Western Digital, Tegile)
Backup server Tintri HTTPS 443 Default command port used for
IntelliFlash communication with Tintri IntelliFlash
system over HTTPS.
Backup proxy Tintri TCP 3260 Default iSCSI target port.

IntelliFlash
system
Tintri TCP, UDP 2049, 111 Standard NFS ports. Port 111 is used by
IntelliFlash the port mapper service.
system
VM Guest OS Connections
Connections with Non-Persistent Runtime Components
backup server with the non-persistent runtime components deployed inside the VM guest OS for application-
aware processing and indexing.
Backup server Linux VM TCP 22 Default SSH port used as a control channel.
guest OS
TCP 6190 Port used for communication with the guest

interaction proxy.

Guest TCP 6290 Port used as a control channel for

interaction communication with the guest interaction
proxy proxy.
TCP, UDP 137 to 139, Ports used as a transmission channel.

445
Guest ESXi server TCP 443 Default port used for connections to ESXi
interaction host.
proxy [For VMware vSphere earlier than 6.5] Not
required if vCenter connection is used. In
VMware vSphere versions 6.5 and later, port
443 is required by VMware web services.
Guest Microsoft TCP, UDP 135, Ports required to deploy the runtime
interaction Windows 137 to 139, coordination process on the VM guest OS.
proxy VM guest 445
or OS
Mount server
TCP 49152 to Dynamic port range used by the runtime
65535 (for process deployed inside the VM for guest
Microsoft OS interaction (when working over the
Windows network, not over VIX API).1
2008 and
newer) For more information, see this Microsoft KB
article.
TCP 6167, [For Microsoft SQL logs shipping] Port used

2500 to by the runtime process on the VM guest OS
33002 from which Microsoft SQL logs are
collected.
Linux VM TCP 22 Default SSH port used as a control channel.

guest OS
TCP 2500 to Default range of ports used as transmission

33002 channels during Linux file-level recovery
and for Oracle log backup.

1
If you use default Microsoft Windows firewall settings, you do not need to configure dynamic RPC ports: during setup,
Veeam Backup & Replication automatically creates a firewall rule for the runtime process. If you use firewall settings other
than default ones or application-aware processing fails with the "RPC function call failed" error, you need to configure
dynamic RPC ports. For more information on how to configure RPC dynamic port allocation to work with firewalls, see this
Microsoft KB article.
2
This range of ports applies to newly installed Veeam Backup & Replication starting from version 10.0, without upgrade

Connections with Persistent Agent Components
backup server with the persistent agent components deployed inside the VM guest OS for application-aware
processing and indexing.
Guest VM guest TCP 6160, 11731 Default port and failover port used by the
interaction OS Veeam Installer Service.
proxy
or
Mount server TCP 6167 Port used by the Veeam Log Shipping
Service to collect and transfer logs.
TCP 6173 Ports used by the Veeam Guest Helper for

2500 guest OS processing.
Veeam U-AIR Connections

The following table describes network ports that must be opened to ensure proper communication of U-AIR
wizards with other components.
U-AIR wizards Veeam TCP 9394 Default port used for communication with
Backup Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager. Can
Enterprise be customized during Veeam Backup
Manager Enterprise Manager installation.
Azure Proxy Connections
Backup Azure proxy TCP 443 Default management and data transport
server/ port required for communication with the
Backup Azure proxy. The port must be opened on
repository the backup server and backup repository
storing VM backups.
The default port is 443, but you can

change it in the settings of the Azure
Proxy. For details, see Specify Credentials
and Transport Port

Azure Stack Connections
Backup server Azure Stack HTTPS 443, 30024 Default management and data transport
port required for communication with the
Azure Stack.
Proxy Appliance Connections (Restore to Amazon EC2)
Backup Proxy TCP 22 Port used as a communication channel to

server/Backup appliance the proxy appliance in the restore to
Repository Amazon EC2 process.
TCP 443 Default redirector port. You can change

the port in proxy appliance settings. For
details, see Specify Proxy Appliance.
Microsoft Active Directory Domain Controller Connections

During Application Item Restore
backup server with the Microsoft Active Directory VM during application-item restore.
Backup server Microsoft TCP 135 Port required for communication between
Active the domain controller and backup server.
Directory VM
guest OS
TCP, 389 LDAP connections.
UDP
TCP 636, 3268, LDAP connections.

3269
TCP 49152 to Dynamic port range used by the runtime

65535 (for coordination process deployed inside the
Microsoft VM guest OS for application-aware
Windows processing (when working over the
2008 and network, not over VIX API).* For more
newer) information, see this Microsoft KB article.

* If you use default Microsoft Windows firewall settings, you do not need to configure dynamic RPC ports: during setup,
Veeam Backup & Replication automatically creates a firewall rule for the runtime process. If you use firewall settings other
than default ones or application-aware processing fails with the “RPC function call failed” error, you need to configure
dynamic RPC ports. For more information on how to configure RPC dynamic port allocation to work with firewalls, see this
Microsoft KB article.
Microsoft Exchange Server Connections During Application

Item Restore
Veeam backup server with the Microsoft Exchange Server system during application-item restore.
Backup server Microsoft TCP 80, 443 WebDAV connections.

Exchange
2003/2007
CAS Server
Microsoft TCP 443 Microsoft Exchange Web Services

Exchange Connections.
2010/2013
CAS Server
Microsoft SQL Server Connections During Application Item

Restore
backup server with the VM guest OS system during application-item restore.
Backup server Microsoft TCP 1433, Port used for communication with the
SQL VM guest 1434 and Microsoft SQL Server installed inside the
OS other VM.
Port numbers depends on configuration

of your Microsoft SQL server. For more
information, see Microsoft Docs.

SMTP Server Connections
backup server with the SMTP server.
Backup server SMTP server TCP 25 Port used by the SMTP server.
Port 25 is most commonly used but the

actual port number depends on
configuration of your environment.
Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager Connections

Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager Connections
Veeam Explorers Connections

• Veeam Explorer for Microsoft Active Directory Connections
• Veeam Explorer for Microsoft Exchange Connections
• Veeam Explorer for Microsoft SharePoint Connections
• Veeam Explorer for Microsoft SQL Server Connections
• Veeam Explorer for Oracle Connections
Veeam Cloud Connect Connections

Veeam Cloud Connect Connections
Veeam Agent for Microsoft Windows Connections

• Connections for Veeam Agent for Microsoft Windows Operating in Managed Mode
• Connections for Veeam Agent for Microsoft Windows Operating in Standalone Mode
Veeam Agent for Linux Connections

• Connections for Veeam Agent for Linux Operating in Managed Mode
• Connections for Veeam Agent for Linux Operating in Standalone Mode
Veeam Plug-ins for Enterprise Applications Connections

• Veeam Plug-in for SAP HANA Connections
• Veeam Plug-in for Oracle RMAN Connections

Internet Connections
If you use an HTTP(S) proxy server to access the Internet, make sure that WinHTTP settings are properly
configured on Microsoft Windows machines with Veeam backup infrastructure components. For information on
how to configure WinHTTP settings, see Microsoft Docs.
NOTE
Tenants cannot access Veeam Cloud Connect infrastructure components through HTTP(S) proxy servers.
For information on supported protocols for Veeam Cloud Connect, see the Used Ports section in the Veeam
Cloud Connect Guide.

Trusted Root Certificates
There are several root certificates necessary for the Veeam Backup & Replication to operate correctly.
In most cases, these certificates are already installed on Microsoft Windows machines. Some Microsoft Windows
installations do not contain needed root certificates authority as trusted root certificates, or have non-current
certificates. This may happen on servers with locked down security settings, or servers with no internet access
or if the latest updates are not installed.
Removal of these certificates from the backup server may limit the functionality of Veeam Backup & Replication
or may cause it to fail.
Make sure the following root certificates are installed on the backup server:
• https://www.digicert.com/CACerts/DigiCertAssuredIDRootCA.crt (DigiCert Assured ID Root CA)
• http://secure.globalsign.com/cacert/gscodesigng3ocsp.crt (GlobalSign CodeSigning CA - G3)
• https://www.digicert.com/CACerts/DigiCertHighAssuranceEVRootCA.crt (DigiCert High Assurance EV Root

CA)
• https://www.digicert.com/CACerts/DigiCertEVCodeSigningCA-SHA2.crt (DigiCert EV Code Signing CA -

SHA2)
• https://support.globalsign.com/customer/portal/articles/1426602-globalsign-root-certificates (install R1,

R2, and R3 certificates)
If your backup server does not have internet access, download certificate files from another computer.

Naming Conventions
Do not use Microsoft Windows reserved names for names of the backup server, managed servers, backup
repositories, jobs, tenants and other objects created in Veeam Backup & Replication: CON, PRN, AUX, NUL,
COM1, COM2, COM3, COM4, COM5, COM6, COM7, COM8, COM9, LPT1, LPT2, LPT3, LPT4, LPT5, LPT6, LPT7,
LPT8 and LPT9. If you use a reserved name, Veeam Backup & Replication may not work as expected. For more
information on naming conventions in Microsoft Windows, see Microsoft Docs.

Security Considerations
When you set up the backup infrastructure, one thing that you must not overlook is security. The backup
infrastructure can be potentially used as a backdoor to gain access to your systems and data.
This section includes a number of recommendations that will help you prevent potential security issues and
reduce the risk of compromising sensitive data.
General Considerations
Ensure timely guest OS updates on backup infrastructure servers. Install the latest updates and patches on
backup infrastructure servers to minimize the risk of exploiting guest OS vulnerabilities by attackers.
Backups and Replicas

A potential source of vulnerability is the backup or replica itself. To secure data stored in backups and replicas,
consider the following recommendations:
• Ensure physical security of target servers. Check that only authorized personnel have access to the room
where your target servers (backup repositories and hosts) reside.
• Restrict user access to backups and replicas. Check that only authorized users have permissions to access
backups and replicas on target servers.
• Encrypt data in backups. Use Veeam Backup & Replication built-in encryption to protect data in backups.
To guarantee security of data in backups, follow Encryption Best Practices.
Data Communication Channel

Backup data can be intercepted in-transit, when it is communicated from source to target over a network. To
secure the communication channel for backup traffic, consider the following recommendations:
• Isolate backup traffic. Use an isolated network to transport data between backup infrastructure
components — backup server, backup proxies, repositories and so on.
• Encrypt network traffic. By default, Veeam Backup & Replication encrypts network traffic travelling
between public networks. To ensure secure communication of sensitive data within the boundaries of the
same network, you can also encrypt backup traffic in private networks. For details, see Enabling Network
Data Encryption.
Internet Access for Backup Servers

Some Veeam Backup & Replication functionality requires that backup servers have outbound Internet access.
For example, to enable product update check, automatic license update and license usage reporting, a backup
server must be connected to the Internet and be able to send requests to servers on the Internet.
However, inbound connectivity to backup servers from the Internet must not be allowed. If you want to manage
backup servers remotely over the Internet, you can deploy the Veeam Backup & Replication console on a jump
server. Service providers who want to manage backup servers remotely can use the Veeam Backup Remote
Access functionality. For more information, see the Using Remote Access Console section in the Veeam Cloud
Connect Guide.

The account used for RDP access must not have local Administrator privileges on the jump server, and you must
never use the saved credentials functionality for RDP access or any other remote console connections. To
restrict users from saving RDP credentials, you can use Group Policies. For more information, see Experts
Exchange.
Credentials
An attacker who gained high-privilege access to backup infrastructure servers can get credentials of user
accounts and compromise other systems in your environment.
Particularly, backup proxies must be considered the target for compromise. During backup, proxies obtain from
the backup server credentials required to access virtual infrastructure servers. A person having administrator
privileges on a backup proxy can intercept the credentials and use them to access the virtual infrastructure.
One of the most possible causes of a credential theft are missing guest OS updates and use of outdated
authentication protocols. To mitigate risks, consider the following recommendations:
• Choose strong encryption algorithms for SSH. To communicate with Linux servers deployed as part of the
backup infrastructure, Veeam Backup & Replication uses SSH. Make sure that for the SSH tunnel you use a
strong and proven encryption algorithm, with sufficient key length. Ensure that private keys are kept in a
highly secure place, and cannot be uncovered by a 3rd party.
• Avoid using password authentication to connect to remote servers over SSH. Using key-based SSH
authentication is generally considered more secure than using password authentication and is not
vulnerable to MITM attacks.
Veeam Backup & Replication Database

Another security concern you must consider is protecting the Veeam Backup & Replication configuration
database. The database stores credentials of user accounts required to connect to virtual servers and other
systems in the backup infrastructure. All passwords stored in the database are encrypted. However, a user with
administrator privileges on the backup server can decrypt the passwords, which presents a potential threat.
To secure the Veeam Backup & Replication configuration database, consider the following recommendations:
• Restrict user access to the database. Check that only authorized users can access the backup server and
the server that hosts the Veeam Backup & Replication configuration database (if the database runs on a
remote server).
• Encrypt data in configuration backups. Enable data encryption for configuration backup to secure sensitive
data stored in the configuration database. For details, see Creating Encrypted Configuration Backups.
Veeam Cloud Connect

Veeam Cloud Connect secures communication between the provider side and tenant side with TLS. If an attacker
obtains a provider’s private key, backup traffic can be eavesdropped and decrypted. The attacker can also use
the certificate to impersonate the provider (man-in-the middle attack).
Veeam Cloud Connect providers must consider the following recommendations:
Keep the certificate in a secure place. Make sure that the TLS certificate is kept in a highly secure place and
cannot be uncovered by a 3rd party.
Kerberos Authentication for Guest OS
Processing
Starting from version 9.5 Update 4, Veeam Backup & Replication supports Kerberos authentication for guest OS
processing of VMware vSphere VMs. However NTLM authentication is still required for communication between
Veeam backup infrastructure servers (backup server, backup proxies, backup repositories, guest interaction
proxies, log shipping servers, mount servers).
To back up or replicate VMware vSphere VMs where Kerberos is used, you must make sure that NTLM traffic is
allowed in Veeam backup infrastructure machines. To do this, you must configure Active Directory group
policies as shown below or in a similar way.
Configuring Active Directory Group Policies

If you want to back up or replicate VMs where Kerberos protocol is used, you must make sure that NTLM traffic
is allowed in the Veeam backup infrastructure machines. You can add all Veeam infrastructure servers to a
separate Active Directory organizational unit and create a GPO that allows NTLM traffic for this unit.
To allow NTLM traffic in Veeam infrastructure servers, do the following:
1. On the domain controller server or management workstation, open the Active Directory Users and
Computers MMC snap-in.
2. Create a new Active Directory organizational unit and move all Veeam infrastructure servers to the
organizational unit.
3. Open Group Policy Management and create a new GPO for the organizational unit with Veeam
infrastructure servers.
4. Right-click the created GPO and select Edit.
5. In the infrastructure tree of the Group Policy Management Editor interface, go to Policies/Windows
Settings/Security Settings/Local Policies/Security Options.
6. In the Security Options folder, go to properties of the following two policies and change the policy setting
to Allow all:
o Network Security: Restrict NTLM: Incoming NTLM traffic
o Network Security: Restrict NTLM: Outgoing traffic to remote servers
After you configure group policies for NTLM traffic, Veeam backup infrastructure servers will be able to
authenticate to each other using NTLM, while the servers will use Kerberos to authenticate to guest OS of VMs.
Licensing
To work with Veeam Backup & Replication, you must obtain a license key and install it on the backup server. If
you do not install the license key, the product will operate in the Veeam Backup & Replication Community (free)
Edition. For more information, see Veeam Backup & Replication Community Edition.
Veeam licenses Veeam Backup & Replication in two ways: per instance and per socket.
You can use both instance and socket licenses. For more information, see Merging Licenses.
Instance Licensing
Veeam Backup & Replication can be licensed by the number of instances. Instances are units (or tokens) that you
can use to protect your virtual, physical or cloud-based workloads. For more information, see Veeam Licensing
Policy.
You must obtain a license with the total number of instances for workloads that you plan to protect in
Veeam Backup & Replication.
Workloads that have been processed in the past 31 days are considered protected. Every protected workload
consumes instances from the license scope. The number of instances that a workload requires depends on the
workload type and product edition.
This licensing model allows you to obtain a license with a certain number of instances without knowing in
advance what types of workloads you plan to protect. When a need arises, you can revoke instances from a
protected workload, and reuse them to protect other workloads regardless of the workload type.
Veeam Backup & Replication keeps track of instances consumed by protected workloads. If the number of
consumed instances exceeds the license limit, Veeam Backup & Replication displays a warning when you open
the Veeam Backup & Replication console. For more information, see Exceeding License Limit.
Mind the following:
• VM templates are regarded as protected VMs and consume license instances.
• VMs and NAS shares processed with backup copy and tape jobs are not regarded as protected VMs and
NAS shares and do not consume license instances. These types of jobs provide an additional protection
level for VMs and NAS shares that are already protected with backup jobs.
• VMs processed by snapshot-only jobs are regarded as protected VMs and consume license instances.
Veeam Backup & Replication will revoke instances from these VMs if you re-add a storage array to the
backup infrastructure.
• For NAS share backup, there are the following peculiarities in calculating the number of license instances
to consume:
o If the NAS share is protected by more than one backup job, to calculate the size of the protected
amount of data Veeam Backup & Replication multiplies the size of the NAS share source by the
number of jobs.
For example, if a 270 GB NAS share is protected by two NAS backup jobs,
the protected amount of data is multiplied by two:
270 GB x 2 = 540 GB
o The first 250 GB in the protected amount of data does not consume license instances.
Veeam Backup & Replication deducts this 250 GB from the protected amount of data to calculate
what amount of data consumes license instances.
For example, if the protected amount of data for the NAS share is 540 G
B, Veeam Backup & Replication deducts 250 GB from this amount:
540 GB - 250 GB = 290 GB
The free protected amount is calculated separately for each of the file shares added in the inventory.
For example, you have a single NAS device, but you add two of its share
d folders to the inventory as separate file shares: File Share 1 (540 G
B) and File Share 2 (750 GB). In this case, Veeam Backup & Replication
deducts free 250 GB from the protected amount of data for each of these
shared folders separately:
File share 1: 540 GB - 250 GB = 290 GB
File share 2: 750 GB - 250 GB = 500 GB
o Veeam Backup & Replication rounds the protected amount of data for each NAS share up to 250 GB.
B, Veeam Backup & Replication rounds it up to 500 GB.
o One license instance covers 250 GB of the protected amount of data.
B after rounding, Veeam Backup & Replication divides this amount by 250
GB to calculate the number of instances to consume:
500 GB / 250 GB = 2 license instances
o Veeam Backup & Replication calculates the protected amount of data for each NAS during every NAS
backup job run and keeps the result for 30 days. To calculate the number of license instances to
consume for the NAS share protection, Veeam Backup & Replication takes the largest protected
amount of data within the last 30 days.
If the size of the NAS share reduces and does not increase, after 30 days Veeam Backup & Replication
recalculates the protected amount of data and automatically revokes the excessively consumed
license instances. You can manually revoke the licenses without waiting for 30 days, as described in
Revoking License. During the next NAS backup job run, Veeam Backup & Replication will recalculate
the license instance consumption as of the current date.
For example, there is a NAS share with the protected amount of data 490
GB. Veeam Backup & Replication runs the file share backup job and after
deducting the free 250 GB and rounding the amount it calculates that it
will consume one license instance for protecting this NAS share:
490 GB - 250 GB = 240 GB ~ 250 GB = 1 license instance
Two days later, the size of the NAS share increases to 510 GB. Veeam Ba
ckup & Replication runs the file share backup job and recalculates the
number of license instances to consume based on the increased size of t
he NAS share:
510 GB - 250 GB = 260 GB ~ 500 GB = 2 license instances
Two days later, the size of the NAS share decreases back to 490 GB and
does not increase any more. Although the protected amount of data decre
ases, for the next 30 days Veeam Backup & Replication uses value 510 GB
as a basis to calculate the consumption of license instances.
30 days later, Veeam Backup & Replication runs the file share backup jo
b and recalculates the number of instances to consume taking into accou
nt that the largest protected amount of data within the last 30 days is
490 GB. After that, protection of the NAS share starts consuming 1 inst
ance again.
o To calculate the total number of license instances to consume for NAS backup support,
Veeam Backup & Replication calculates the number of instances required for the protection of each
separate NAS share and then sums these numbers.
Socket Licensing
With the socket licensing model, Veeam Backup & Replication is licensed by the number of CPU sockets on
protected hosts. For more information, see Veeam Licensing Policy.
A license is required for every occupied motherboard socket as reported by the hypervisor API.
License is required only for source hosts — hosts on which VMs that you back up or replicate reside. Target hosts
(for replication and migration jobs) do not need to be licensed.
NOTE:
If you use a socket license that was obtained for an earlier version of Veeam Backup & Replication, Veeam
Software adds up to 6 instances free of charge to your license scope. You can use these instances to
protect any type of supported workloads except VMware and Hyper-V VMs — they are covered by the
licensed CPU sockets on virtualization hosts.
If the number of licensed sockets is less than 6, you can use the number of instances that equals the
number of licensed sockets. For example, if the number of licensed sockets is 5, you can use 5 instances. If
the number of licensed sockets is 100, you can use 6 instances.
Types of Licenses
Veeam Software offers the following types of licenses for Veeam Backup & Replication:
Paid Licenses
• Subscription license — license that expires at the end of the subscription term. The Subscription license
term is normally 1-3 years from the date of license issue.
• Perpetual license — permanent license. The support and maintenance period included with the license is
specified in months or years. Typically, one year of basic support and maintenance is included with the
Perpetual license.
• Rental license — license with the license expiration date set according to the chosen rental program
(normally 1-12 months from the date of license issue). The Rental license can be automatically updated
upon expiration.
Rental licenses are provided to Veeam Cloud & Service Provides (VCSPs) only. For more information, see
the Rental License section in the Veeam Cloud Connect Guide.
Free Licenses
• Evaluation license — license used for product evaluation. The Evaluation license is valid for 30 days from
the moment of product download.
• NFR license — license used for product demonstration, training and education. The person to whom the
license is provided agrees that the license is not for resell or commercial use.
• Promo license — license that grants additional instances. You can install it only on top of an existing
Perpetual or Subscription license (primary license). The primary license can have any units (only sockets,
only instances, or both). Number of additional instances and duration of promo period are decided by a
sales representative.
Obtaining and Renewing License
You can obtain an Evaluation or paid license for the product when you download the product from the Veeam
website.
Obtaining Paid License

To obtain a paid license, refer to the Veeam Backup & Replication Pricing page.
To obtain a Perpetual Instance license, find a reseller.
Obtaining Evaluation License

To obtain an Evaluation license:
1. Sign in to Veeam.
2. On the Download Veeam products page, click the product link.
3. In the Get trial key section, click the Request Trial Key link to download the Evaluation license.
Renewing License
To renew your maintenance plan, contact Veeam Renewals Team at renewals@veeam.com.
If you have a Perpetual or Subscription license, you can also renew your license contract online.
To renew the license:
1. From the main menu, select License.
2. In the License Information window, click Renew.
Veeam Backup & Replication will forward you to the Renewals page of Veeam website, where you can select
your new maintenance plan. When your contract is renewed, you will have to update your license.
Keep in mind that the Renew option is subject to restrictions. If online renewal is not possible for your account,
you will be redirected to the Renewal Request page. There you will be able to submit a request for Veeam
Renewals Team.
Installing License
When you install Veeam Backup & Replication, you are asked to specify a path to the license file. If you do not
specify a path to the license file, Veeam Backup & Replication will run in the Veeam Backup & Replication
Community (free) Edition. For more information, see Veeam Backup & Replication Community Edition.
You can install or change the license after product installation:
2. In the License Information window, click Install.
3. Browse to the LIC file and click Open.
Licenses in Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager

If backup servers are connected to Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager, Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager
collects information about all licenses installed on backup servers. When Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager
replicates databases from backup servers, it also synchronizes license data: checks if the license installed on the
backup server coincides with the license installed on the Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager server. If the
licenses do not coincide, the license on the backup server is automatically replaced with the license installed on
the Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager server.
Merging Licenses
Merging licenses is an option for customers who have a Perpetual Socket license. If you have a Perpetual Socket
license, and want to also protect, for example, your cloud or physical workloads, or work with Veeam plug-ins,
you can obtain an instance license and merge it with the socket license.
Under the merged license, the following workloads are processed per socket:
• VMs
• Veeam Plug-ins if the application servers are added to Veeam Backup & Replication
• Veeam Agents if the machines are added to Veeam Backup & Replication.
Other workloads are processed per instance.
License Types Available for Merging

You can merge licenses of the following types:
• Perpetual Socket license and Subscription Instance license
• Perpetual Socket license and Perpetual Instance license.
License Packages Available for Merging

You can merge licenses of the following packages:
Type of license Essentials Backup Suite ONE

Socket Socket Socket Socket
Starter
Instance
✕ ✕ ✕ ✕
Essentials
Instance
✕ ✕ ✕ ✕
Backup
Instance
✓ ✓ ✓ ✕
Suite
Instance
✓ ✓ ✓ ✕
ONE
Instance
✕ ✕ ✕ ✕
Support Terms in Merged Licenses

If the licenses that you want to merge have different support expiration date, the merged license will take the
support that expires first.
Merging Licenses
Before you merge licenses, check the following prerequisites:
• The license type and package allow merging.
• The company names are identical in both licenses. Company name check is case sensitive.
To merge licenses, install a new license over the already installed license. For more information, see Installing
License.
Note that if the license types do not allow merging, the newly installed license will replace the previous license.
Viewing License Information
You can view details of the installed license in the License Information window.
To open the License Information window, from the main menu select License.
The following details are available for the current license:
• Status — license status (Valid, Invalid, Expired, Not Installed, Warning, Error).
• Type — license type (Perpetual, Subscription, Rental, Evaluation, NFR, Free).
• Edition — license edition (Community, Standard, Enterprise, Enterprise Plus).
• Support ID — support ID required for contacting Veeam Support.
• Licensed to — name of a person or organization to which the license was issued.
• Cloud Connect Provider — shows if you can use Veeam Backup & Replication to offer cloud repository as a
service and disaster recovery as a service to your customers (Enterprise, Yes, No). For more information on
Veeam Cloud Connect, see Veeam Cloud Connect Guide.
• Package1 — Veeam license pack: Essentials, Backup, Suite, ONE.
• Sockets — number of sockets that you can use to protect workloads.
• Instances — number of instances that you can use to protect workloads.
• Promo instances — number of additional instances granted by Promo license.
• Expiration date — date when the license expires.
• Support expiration date — date when the support expires. Valid for Perpetual Socket and Perpetual
Instance licenses.
• Promo expiration date — date when the Promo license expires.
• Total instances including promo — number of all available instances, regular and promo added up.
• Capacity — protected front end capacity (in TiB) for NAS backup.
1
Starting from version 11, the Starter pack license is replaced with Essentials pack. If you were using Starter pack
license, you will need either to agree to update the license during the VBR upgrade to version 11 or to download
the Essential pack license file from Veeam Customer portal and install it manually.
To enable automatic license update, select the Update license automatically (enabled usage reporting) check
box. For more information, see Updating License Automatically.
Viewing Information on Sockets

With socket licenses, Veeam Backup & Replication applies a license to the virtualization host on which the
processed VMs reside.
To view to which objects the license is currently applied, open the Sockets tab.
Viewing Information on Instances

With instance licenses, Veeam Backup & Replication applies a license to a protected workload. The number of
license instances that a protected workload consumes depends on the workload type and product edition. For
details, see Veeam Licensing Policy.
To view to which objects the license is currently applied, open the Instances tab.
By default, Veeam Backup & Replication allows Veeam Agents to connect to the Veeam backup server and
consume instances in the license. If you do not want Veeam Agents to consume instances, clear the Allow
unlicensed agents to consume instances check box. For more information on Veeam Agents licensing, see
Veeam Agent Management Guide.
Revoking License
You can revoke licenses from protected workloads or licensed hosts, and re-apply them to other objects that
you plan to protect. License revoking can be helpful, for example, if a licensed host goes out of service or you
do not want to protect some workloads anymore.
NOTE
If you manually revoke license instances allocated for a NAS share source, the next run of the NAS backup
job, which protects this file share, will trigger the recalculation of the NAS share protected size and
reallocation of license instances that Veeam Backup & Replication will consume.
To revoke a license, do the following:
2. In the License Information window:
o For protected workloads, open the Instances tab and click Manage.
o For licensed hosts, open the Sockets tab and click Manage.
3. In the displayed window, select a protected workload or a licensed host and click Revoke.
Veeam Backup & Replication will revoke the license from the selected object, and the license will be freed
for other objects in the backup infrastructure.
Removing License
You can remove the installed license. When you remove a license, Veeam Backup & Replication will switch to the
Veeam Backup & Replication Community Edition. For more information, see Veeam Backup & Replication
Community Edition.
You can also remove a part of merged license. If you do so, Veeam Backup & Replication will operate under the
other part of the merged license. For more information, see Merging Licenses.
To remove a Promo license, remove the license on top of which it was installed.
To remove a license, do the following:
2. In the License Information window, click Remove.
If you have both socket and instance licenses, you will be asked which license you want to remove.
3. Select the license you want to remove and confirm the removal.
Exceeding License Limit
For Subscription Instance licenses and Rental Instance licenses, Veeam Backup & Replication allows you to
protect more workloads than covered by the number of instances specified in the license. An increase in the
number of protected workloads is allowed throughout the duration of the contract (license key).
NOTE
Mind that the licensing of the NAS backup feature does not allow any exceeded licensing coverage.
The license limit can be exceeded by a number of instances, or a percentage of the total number of instances
specified in the license (depends on which number is greater). The exceeding limit varies according to the
license type.
License Type Exceeding Limit Description
Perpetual Not allowed Workloads that are exceeding the license limit
license are not processed.
Subscription Up to 5 instances (or 5% of the total All protected workloads are processed normally,
license instance count) Veeam Backup & Replication does not display a
warning message.
5–10 instances (or 5%–10% of the All protected workloads are processed normally.
total instance count)
Once a week when you open the
Veeam Backup & Replication console, a warning
message is displayed notifying that you are out
of compliance with the Veeam Licensing Policy.
Over 10 instances (or 10% of the Workloads that are exceeding the license limit
total instance count) beyond 10 instances (or 10% of the total
instance count) are not processed.
Every time you open the

Veeam Backup & Replication console, a warning
message is displayed notifying that you are out
of compliance with the Veeam Licensing Policy.
Rental license See the Rental License section in the Veeam Cloud Connect Guide.
For example, you have a Subscription license with 500 instances to protect your workloads. According to the
table above, you are allowed to use up to 10 instances or 10% of the total instance count (whichever number is
greater) over the license limit. As the number of instances in your license is 500, you are allowed to use
additional 50 instances (50 makes 10% of 500, and 50 is greater than 10). Consider the following:
• Until the license limit is not exceeded by more than 5% of the total instance count (up to 25 instances),
Veeam Backup & Replication processes all protected workloads with no restrictions.
• When the license limit is exceeded by 5%–10% (25.01 to 50 instances), Veeam Backup & Replication
processes protected workloads, and displays a warning message once a week when you open the
Veeam Backup & Replication console. In the message, Veeam Backup & Replication provides information
on the number of exceeded instances and the number of instances by which the license can be further
exceeded.
• If the license limit is exceeded by more than 10% (50.01 instances and more),
Veeam Backup & Replication does not process the workloads exceeding the limit, and displays a warning
message every time you open the Veeam Backup & Replication console. In the message,
Veeam Backup & Replication provides information on the number of instances by which the license is
exceeded.
When the license limit is exceeded, the logs will include the number of instances necessary to finish the job
successfully.
License Expiration
When the license expires, Veeam Backup & Replication behaves in the following way depending on the license
type:
• Evaluation and NFR licenses: Veeam Backup & Replication will stop processing workloads.
• Paid licenses: Veeam Backup & Replication will switch to the grace period.
• Promo license: Veeam Backup & Replication will remove the granted instances and stop processing
workloads for them. Promo license does not have a grace period. Upon expiration of the primary license,
the promo license will also expire, regardless of its own expiration date.
Perpetual Socket and Perpetual Instance licenses do not expire. However, such licenses have support expiration
date. Veeam Backup & Replication will inform you about the support expiration date.
Grace Period
To ensure a smooth license update and provide sufficient time to install a new license file,
Veeam Backup & Replication offers a grace period. Grace period is available for paid licenses.
During the grace period, you can perform all types of data protection and disaster recovery operations.
However, Veeam Backup & Replication will inform you about the license expiration when you open the
Veeam Backup & Replication console. The license status in the License Information window will appear as
Expired.
You must update your license before the end of the grace period. If you do not update the license,
Veeam Backup & Replication stops processing workloads. All existing jobs fail with the Error status. However,
you will be able to restore machine data from existing backups.
Grace Period Duration

Before the license expires, Veeam Backup & Replication notifies you about soon license expiration.
The number of days for notification and grace period depends on the type of license:
License Type License Expiration Notification Grace Period
Subscription 30 days 30 days
Perpetual n/a
14 days before Support expiration date
Instance
Perpetual n/a
14 days before Support expiration date
Socket
Rental 7 days 60 days
Evaluation 30 days 0 days
License Type License Expiration Notification Grace Period
NFR 30 days 0 days
Promo 7 days n/a
Switching to Veeam Backup & Replication Community Edition

If you do not want to renew your license, you can switch to the free product version named
Veeam Backup & Replication Community (free) Edition. For more information, see Veeam Backup & Replication
Community Edition.
To do so, remove your license. For details, see Removing License.
Expiration of Merged Licenses

If you merged licenses with different expiration dates, the merged license will expire on the date that is closer.
For example, if you merged a Perpetual license and a Subscription license, the expiration date will be inherited
from the Subscription license.
In such case, you can update your Subscription license or continue using the Perpetual license. To continue using
the Perpetual license, remove the Subscription license. For more information, see Removing License.
Updating License
To be able to use all data protection and disaster recovery features, you must update your license upon expiry.
There are two methods to update the license in Veeam Backup & Replication:
• Update the license manually
• Update the license automatically
Updating License Manually
You can update the license manually on demand. When you update the license manually,
Veeam Backup & Replication connects to the Veeam License Update Server, downloads a new license from it (if
the license is available) and installs it on the backup server.
The new license key differs from the previously installed license key in the license expiration date or support
expiration date. If you have obtained a license for a greater number of instances, counters in the new license
also display the new number of license instances.
To update the license:
2. In the License Information window, click Update Now.
Statistics on the manual license update process is available under the System node in the History view. You can
double-click the License key auto-update job to examine session details for the license update operation.
Manual License Update Results

Manual license update can complete with the following results:
• Operation is successful. A new license key is successfully generated, downloaded and installed on the
backup server or Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager server.
• A new license is not required. The currently installed license key does not need to be updated.
• The Veeam License Update Server has failed to generate a new license. Such situation can occur due to
some error on the Veeam License Update Server side.
• Veeam Backup & Replication has received an invalid answer. Such situation can occur due to connectivity
issues between the Veeam License Update Server and Veeam Backup & Replication.
• Licensing by the contract has been terminated. In such situation, Veeam Backup & Replication
automatically disables automatic license update on the backup server or Veeam Backup Enterprise
Manager server.
Updating License Automatically
You can instruct Veeam Backup & Replication to automatically update the license installed on the backup server
or Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager server. With automatic license update, you do not need to download and
install the license manually each time when you purchase the license extension. If the automatic update option
is enabled, Veeam Backup & Replication proactively communicates with the Veeam License Update Server to
obtain and install a new license before the current license expires.
Requirements and Limitations for Automatic License Update

• Automatic license update is not available in the Veeam Backup & Replication Community Edition.
• Only licenses that contain a real contract number in the Support ID can be updated with the Update
license key automatically option.
• If you are managing backup servers with Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager, all license management tasks
must be performed in the Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager console. Automatic update settings
configured in Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager override automatic update settings configured in
For example, if the automatic update option is enabled in Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager but disabled
in Veeam Backup & Replication, automatic update will be performed anyway. For more information, see
the Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager User Guide.
NOTE:
Veeam Backup & Replication does not automatically update an existing per-VM or socket license that was
obtained for an earlier version of the product to a new instance license.
To overcome this issue, after you upgrade to Veeam Backup & Replication 11, you must obtain in the Veeam
Customer Support Portal a new instance license and install it on the backup server manually.
How Automated License Update Works

To update installed licenses automatically, Veeam Backup & Replication performs the following actions:
1. After you enable automatic license update, Veeam Backup & Replication starts sending requests to the
Veeam License Update Server on the web (autolk.veeam.com) and checks if a new license key is available.
Veeam Backup & Replication sends requests once a week. Communication with the Veeam License Update
Server is performed over the HTTPS protocol.
2. Seven days before the expiration date of the current license, Veeam Backup & Replication starts sending
requests once a day.
3. When a new license key becomes available, Veeam Backup & Replication automatically downloads it and
installs on the backup server or Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager server.
The new license key differs from the previously installed license key in the license expiration date and support
expiration date. If you have obtained a license for a greater number of instances, counters in the new license
also display the new number of license instances.
Automatic License Update Results
Automatic license update can complete with the following results:
• Operation is successful. A new license key is successfully generated, downloaded and installed on the
backup server or Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager server.
• A new license is not required. The currently installed license key does not need to be updated.
• The Veeam License Update Server has failed to generate a new license. Such situation can occur due to
some error on the Veeam License Update Server side.
• Veeam Backup & Replication has received an invalid answer. Such situation can occur due to connectivity
issues between the Veeam License Update Server and Veeam Backup & Replication.
• Licensing by the contract has been terminated. In such situation, Veeam Backup & Replication
automatically disables automatic license update on the backup server or Veeam Backup Enterprise
Manager server.
Automatic Update Retries

If Veeam Backup & Replication fails to update the license, it displays a notification in the session report and
sends an email notification to users specified in the global email settings (if global email settings are configured
on the backup server). You can resolve the issue, while Veeam Backup & Replication will keep retrying to update
the license.
Veeam Backup & Replication retries to update the license key in the following way:
• If Veeam Backup & Replication fails to establish a connection to the Veeam License Update Server, retry
takes place every 60 min.
• If Veeam Backup & Replication establishes a connection but you are receiving the “General license key
generation error has occurred” message, the retry takes place every 24 hours.
The retry period ends one month after the license expiration date or the support expiration date (whichever is
earlier). The retry period is equal to the number of days in the month of license expiration. For example, if the
license expires in January, the retry period will be 31 day; if the license expires in April, the retry period will be
30 days.
If the retry period is over but the new license has not been installed, the automatic update feature is
automatically disabled.
For more information about error cases, see Appendix A. License Update Session Data.
Enabling Automatic License Update

By default, automatic license update is disabled. To enable automatic license update:
2. In the License Information window, select the Update license automatically (enabled usage reporting)
check box.
During the installation of a Subscription or Rental license, you will see a pop-up dialog window with a
suggestion to enable automatic license update.
Statistics on the automatic license update process is available under the System node in the History view. You
can double-click the License key auto-update job to examine session details for the scheduled or ad-hoc
automatic license update.
NOTE:
[For Rental, Subscription, Perpetual licenses] Enabling license auto update activates Automatic License
Usage Reporting.
Automatic License Usage Reporting
When license auto update is enabled for Rental, Subscription, Perpetual licenses, Veeam Backup & Replication
performs automatic license usage reporting.
As part of reporting, Veeam Backup & Replication collects statistics on the current license usage and sends it
periodically to the Veeam License Update Server. The report provides information about the contract ID,
product installation ID, and the maximum number of licensed objects that were managed by
Veeam Backup & Replication over the past week (high watermark). The reporting process runs in the background
mode, once a week at a random time and day.
The type of reported objects is defined by the product and the installed license. The report can include
information about VMs, workstations or servers protected with Veeam backup agents, and so on.
The collected data does not include information on the usage of Veeam Backup & Replication by any individual
person identifiable for Veeam, or any data protected by Veeam Backup & Replication.
The collected data allows our back-end system to automatically approve your monthly usage reports as long as
they do not deviate from the high watermark value significantly. This helps to keep our report processing costs
low, thus allowing us to maintain low rental prices for our solution. Veeam may also use collected data for any
other internal business purposes it deems appropriate, including (but not limited to) evaluation, improvement
and optimization of Veeam licensing models.
By enabling license auto update you agree with collection, transmission and use of the reporting data. You must
not enable license auto update in case you do not agree with such collection, transmission and use.
Getting to Know Veeam Backup &
Replication
After you install Veeam Backup & Replication, you can get familiar with the product UI, learn about job
priorities.
• Veeam Backup & Replication UI
• Job Priorities
Veeam Backup & Replication UI
The user interface of Veeam Backup & Replication is designed to let you quickly find commands that you need
and perform data protection and disaster recovery tasks.
• Main Menu
• Navigation Pane
• Ribbon and Tabs
• Views
• Working Area
• Job Filter
• Changing Color Theme
TIP:
To open online help, press [F1] in any Veeam Backup & Replication wizard or window. You will be
redirected to the corresponding section of the user guide.
Main Menu
The main menu in Veeam Backup & Replication contains commands related to general application settings. You
can perform the following operations using the main menu:
• Upgrade backup infrastructure components
• Manage credentials
• Manage cloud credentials
• Manage passwords
• Configure application settings
• Set up user roles
• Configure network traffic rules
• Perform configuration backup and restore
• Start PuTTy and Microsoft PowerShell consoles, and open a remote desktop connection to the backup
server
• Change color theme
• Work with licenses
• View Veeam Backup & Replication help and export program logs
• Exit Veeam Backup & Replication
Navigation Pane
The navigation pane, located on the left of the window, provides centralized navigation and lets you easily
access Veeam Backup & Replication items organized in views.
The navigation pane consists of two areas:
• The upper pane, or the inventory pane, displays a hierarchy or list of items relevant for a specific view.
Items displayed in the inventory pane differ depending on the active view. For example, in the Backup
Infrastructure view, the inventory pane displays a list of backup infrastructure components —
virtualization servers, backup proxies, backup repositories and so on. In the Inventory view, the inventory
pane displays a list of servers added to the backup infrastructure.
• The lower pane contains a set of buttons that let you switch between views. For more information on
views and how to show/hide a view button, see Views.
Ribbon and Tabs
Operation commands in Veeam Backup & Replication are organized in logical groups and displayed under tabs
on the ribbon. The ribbon is displayed at the top of the main application window.
On the ribbon, the following tabs are displayed:
• The Home tab provides quick access to the most common operations. It lets you configure different types
of jobs, perform restore and import operations. This tab is always available, no matter which view is
currently active.
• Other tabs contain commands specific for certain items and appear when these items are selected. For
example, if you open the Home view and select a backup job in the working area, the Job tab containing
buttons for operations with jobs will appear on the ribbon. If you open the Files view and select a file or
folder, the File Tools tab containing buttons for operations with files will appear on the ribbon.
TIP:
Commands for operations with items in Veeam Backup & Replication are also available from the shortcut
menu.
You can minimize the ribbon. To do so, right-click anywhere on the ribbon and select Minimize the Ribbon. To
restore the ribbon, right-click on the minimized ribbon and clear the Minimize the Ribbon option.
Views
Veeam Backup & Replication displays its items in views. When you click the button of a specific view in the
navigation pane, the view content is displayed in the working area of Veeam Backup & Replication.
Veeam Backup & Replication offers the following views:
• The Home view is intended for work with jobs. It also displays a list of created backups and replicas that
can be used for various restore operations, and provides statistics for recently performed jobs. For more
information about job statistics, see Reporting.
• The Inventory view displays the inventory of the virtual infrastructure. The inventory can be presented
from different perspectives: Computer, Storage, VM Folders, VM Tags and vCloud. You can use this view
to work with VMs, and VM containers or groups.
• The Backup Infrastructure view displays a list of backup infrastructure components: servers, hosts, backup
proxies, backup repositories and so on. You can use this view for backup infrastructure setup — here you
can configure backup infrastructure components that will be used for data protection and disaster
recovery tasks.
• The Storage Infrastructure view displays a list of storage systems, volumes and snapshots. You can use
this view to restore VM data from storage snapshots.
• The Tape Infrastructure view displays a hierarchy of tape libraries connected to the tape server. You can
use this view to archive data to tapes and restore data from tapes.
• The Cloud Connect Infrastructure view displays components of the Veeam Cloud Connect infrastructure.
This view can be used by SP to manage TLS certificates, configure cloud gateways and create accounts for
users who plan to work with cloud resources.
• The Files view displays a file tree of servers added to the backup infrastructure. You can use this view for
file copying operations.
• The History view displays statistics on operations performed with Veeam Backup & Replication.
In some situations, some views may not be displayed. Mind the following:
• Right after installation, Veeam Backup & Replication displays only Backup Infrastructure and History
views. To display other views, you must add at least one server or virtualization host to the backup
infrastructure.
• Right after installation, Veeam Backup & Replication does not save changes that you make to the
navigation pane or views: for example, if you resize panes, display or hide specific views. After you restart
the Veeam Backup & Replication console, the main window settings are back to default ones. To save
these settings, you must add at least one server or virtualization host to the backup infrastructure.
• To display the Cloud Connect Infrastructure view, you must install a valid license that supports the Veeam
Cloud Connect functionality.
You can hide views that you do not plan to use. For example, if you do not use tapes for data archiving, you can
hide the Tape Infrastructure view.
To hide a view:
1. Click the arrow icon ( ) at the bottom of the navigation pane.
2. Click the view in the list.
Working Area
The working area of Veeam Backup & Replication displays a list of items relating to a specific view.
The working area looks different depending on the view that is currently active. For example, if you open the
History view, the working area will display a list of job sessions and restore tasks performed with
Veeam Backup & Replication. If you open the Inventory view, the working area will display a list of VMs that
reside on servers connected to Veeam Backup & Replication.
Every item is described with a set of properties that are presented as column headers. You can click column
headers to sort items by a specific property. For example, to sort VMs by the amount of provisioned storage
space, click the Provisioned Size header.
To hide or display properties, right-click a column header and, in the opened menu, clear or select check boxes
near property names.
Job Filter
A job filter allows you to filter jobs by different parameters. For example, you can create a filter that will show
only VM backup copy jobs.
Creating Job Filters

To create a filter, do the following:
1. Open the Home view.
2. In the inventory pane, select the Jobs node.
3. At the top of the working area, click the All jobs filter.
4. Select Add new.
5. In the Add View window, specify a filter name. The name must be up to 200 characters long.
6. If you want to add this view for convenience under the Jobs node in the inventory pane, select the Add
this view to the job management tree check box.
7. In the Workload section, select workloads which jobs must process:
o Application — Veeam Backup & Replication will show Veeam Plug-in jobs and jobs in which SQL
transaction log backup or Oracle archive log backup is enabled.
o Cloud VM — Veeam Backup & Replication will show jobs that process VMs stored in clouds.
o File — Veeam Backup & Replication will show jobs that process files.
o Server — Veeam Backup & Replication will show Veeam Agent jobs that process servers. For more
information on processed computer types, see Selecting Protected Computer Type.
o Workstation — Veeam Backup & Replication will show Veeam Agent jobs that process workstations.
For more information on processed computer types, see Selecting Protected Computer Type.
o VM — Veeam Backup & Replication will show jobs that process VMs.
8. In the Job type section, select job types:
o Backup — backup jobs. For example, VM backup jobs or file share backup jobs.
o Backup copy — backup copy jobs. For example, VM backup copy jobs or file share backup copy jobs.
o Copy — copy jobs. For example, file copy jobs or VM copy jobs.
o Replication — replication jobs.
o SureBackup — SureBackup jobs.
o Tape — tape jobs. For example, backup to tape jobs or file to tape jobs.
9. In the Last result section, select statuses with which jobs must finish: Success, Warning or Failed.
Jobs that that have never started are considered as Failed.
10. In the Status section, select states of jobs: Running, Inactive or Disabled.
Backup copy jobs in the Idle state are considered Inactive.
11. If you want to show jobs with manually set High priority flag, select the High priority job check box. For
more information on job priorities, see Job Priorities.
12. If you want to show jobs that were inactive for some period of time, select the Last run is over N days ago
check box and specify the period in days.
13. If you want to show jobs whose names include specific keywords, select the Job name includes check box
and enter keywords.
To show jobs that include any of the specified keywords, separate these keywords by a semicolon without
a space. For example, if you enter "Backup Job;Daily", Veeam Backup & Replication will show all jobs that
include "Backup Job" or "Daily" keywords in their names.
NOTE:
Only the user who creates filters can access them — that is, other users cannot use these filters.
Editing and Deleting Job Filters

To edit or delete a job filter, do the following:
2. In the inventory pane, select the Jobs node.
3. At the top of the working area, click the filter icon.
4. Hover the mouse over a job that you want to edit or delete.
5. Click the ellipsis button.
6. Select Edit view or Delete view.
Changing Color Theme
By default, Veeam Backup & Replication uses a ‘Veeam Green’ color theme for the UI. If necessary, you can
change the color theme. Changing the color theme can be helpful, for example, if you connect to different
backup servers from one remote machine on which the Veeam Backup & Replication console is installed. In this
case, you will be able to easily differentiate with which backup server you are currently working.
To change the color theme for Veeam Backup & Replication:
1. From the main menu, select Color Theme.
2. Choose one of color themes: Grass Green, Veeam Green, Marine Blue, Ocean Graphite.
NOTE:
Color theme settings are applicable for a specific combination of a backup server and user account. For
example, the color theme is initially set to the default one. You log on to the Veeam Backup & Replication
console under some user account and change the color theme to Marine Blue. If you log on to the same
backup server under the same account next time, the color theme will be set to Marine Blue. If you log on
to the same backup server under another account, Veeam Backup & Replication will use the color theme
that was previously set for this account — that is, the default color theme.
Job Priorities
Resources in the backup infrastructure are limited. To make sure that the most crucial jobs are the first to get
free resources to provide the reliable data protection, Veeam Backup & Replication uses the system of priorities
to allocate resources to different jobs.
The resource scheduler within Veeam Backup & Replication uses several stages to prioritize jobs and provide
free resources to them:
1. Type — at the first stage, the resource scheduler identifies the priority of the jobs awaiting free resources
based on their type:
a. Backup restore jobs — these jobs have the highest priority (800) and are the first to get free system
resources.
b. Continuous data protection jobs — these jobs have priority (700).
c. SnapshotDeleter jobs — these jobs have priority (600).
d. Quick backup jobs — these jobs have priority (500).
e. High priority jobs — jobs with the enabled High priority option have priority (400). You can enable the
High priority option for the following jobs: backup jobs, replication jobs, agent jobs managed by
backup server, file share backup jobs.
f. Regular backup and replication jobs — these jobs have priority (300).
g. Backup copy jobs — these jobs have priority (200).
h. Archive jobs — these jobs have the lowest priority (100) and are the last to get free system resources.
2. Priority — at the second stage, the resource scheduler identifies the priority of the jobs within each type
group from the first stage based on their startup type:
a. Scheduled VSS proxy jobs — the jobs with the configured job schedule and using a VSS proxy have the
highest priority (40) within the group and are the first to get free system resources.
b. Scheduled jobs — the jobs with the configured job schedule have priority (30) within the group.
c. Manually started VSS proxy jobs — the manually started jobs using a VSS proxy have priority (20)
within the group.
d. Manually started jobs — the manually started jobs have the lowest priority (10) within the group and
are the last to get free system resources.
3. Start time — if the jobs have the same type and priority, resources are first allocated to jobs that were
started earlier.
You can check the job type and priority of a certain job in service logs. For more information on logs, see
Logging.
Deployment
To start working with Veeam Backup & Replication, you must configure a backup server — install
Veeam Backup & Replication on a machine that meets the system requirements. To do this, you can use the
setup wizard or install the product in the unattended mode.
When you install Veeam Backup & Replication, the Veeam Backup & Replication console is automatically
installed on the backup server. If you want to access Veeam Backup & Replication remotely, you can install the
Veeam Backup & Replication console on a dedicated machine.
Installing Veeam Backup & Replication
Before you install Veeam Backup & Replication, check prerequisites. Then use the Veeam Backup & Replication
setup wizard to install the product.
Before You Begin
Before you install Veeam Backup & Replication, check the following prerequisites:
• A machine on which you plan to install Veeam Backup & Replication must meet the system requirements.
For more information, see System Requirements.
• A user account that you plan to use for installation must have sufficient permissions. For more
information, see Required Permissions.
• Backup infrastructure components communicate with each other over specific ports. These ports must be
open. For more information, see Used Ports.
• Veeam Backup & Replication requires Microsoft SQL Server deployed either locally on the backup server or
remotely. If Microsoft SQL Server is not installed, the Veeam Backup & Replication setup will install it
locally on the backup server. For more information, see System Requirements.
If Microsoft SQL Server is installed by the previous product version, Veeam Backup & Replication will
connect to the existing configuration database, upgrade it (if necessary) and use it for work.
• You must remove Veeam Backup & Replication components of versions that are not supported by the
upgrade procedure from the target machine. You may also need to remove earlier versions of other Veeam
products and components.
Step 1. Start Setup Wizard
To start the setup wizard:
1. Download the latest version of the Veeam Backup & Replication installation image from the Download
Veeam Products page.
2. Mount the installation image to the machine on which you plan to install Veeam Backup & Replication or
burn the image file to a flash drive or other removable storage device. If you plan to install
Veeam Backup & Replication on a VM, use built-in tools of the virtualization management software to
mount the installation image to the VM.
To extract the content of the ISO, you can also use the latest versions of utilities that can properly extract
data from ISOs of large size and can properly work with long file paths.
3. After you mount the image or insert the disk, Autorun will open a splash screen with installation options.
If Autorun is not available or disabled, run the Setup.exe file from the image or disk.
4. In the Veeam Backup & Replication section of the splash screen, click Install.
IMPORTANT!
It is strongly recommended that you install Veeam Backup & Replication using Autorun or the Setup.exe
file. If you run other installation files from the ISO folders, you may miss some components that need to be
installed, and Veeam Backup & Replication may not work as expected.
Step 2. Read and Accept License Agreement
At the License Agreement step of the wizard, you must accept the license agreement for Veeam and 3rd party
components that Veeam incorporates. If you do not accept the license agreement, you will not be able to pass
to next step of the setup wizard.
1. Read the license agreement.

To view the license agreement for 3rd party components, click View.
2. Select the I accept the terms of the Veeam license agreement check box.
3. Select the I accept the terms of the 3rd party components license agreement check box.
Step 3. Provide License File
At the Provide License step of the wizard, you must specify what license for Veeam Backup & Replication you
want to install. For more information, see Licensing.
If a valid license is already installed on the machine, the setup wizard will inform you about it. In this case, you
can skip the Provide License step and move to the next step of the wizard.
If you do not install a license, the product will operate in the Veeam Backup & Replication Community (free)
Edition. For more information, see Veeam Backup & Replication Community Edition.
To install a license:
1. Next to the License file for Veeam Backup & Replication field, click Browse.
2. Select a valid license file for Veeam Backup & Replication.
Step 4. Review Components and Select
Installation Folder
At the Program Features step of the wizard, you can check what components the setup wizard will install on the
machine and choose the installation folder.
The setup wizard installs the following components:
• Veeam Backup & Replication
• Veeam Backup Catalog (component responsible for storing VM guest OS indexing data)
• Veeam Backup & Replication Console
The setup wizard also installs the following components in the background:
• Veeam Explorer for Microsoft SQL Server
• Veeam Explorer for Microsoft OneDrive for Business
• Veeam Backup PowerShell Snap-In
• Veeam Distribution Server

The distribution server is an architecture component in the Veeam Agent management infrastructure used
for deployment of Veeam Agent setup files to protected computers. For more information, see the Veeam
Agent Management Infrastructure section in the Veeam Agent Management Guide.
These components do not require additional licenses. They are integrated with Veeam Backup & Replication.
To choose the installation folder:
1. On the right of the Install to field, click Browse.
2. In the Browse for Folder window, select the installation folder for the product. The default installation
folder is C:\Program Files\Veeam\Backup and Replication\.
Step 5. Install Missing Software
At the System Configuration Check step of the wizard, the setup wizard checks if all prerequisite software is
installed on the machine. If required software components are missing, the setup wizard will offer you to install
them.
You can install missing components automatically or manually.
• To install missing components automatically, click Install. The setup wizard will not interrupt the
installation process and install the missing components during the current work session.
• To install missing components manually:
a. Click Cancel and exit the setup wizard.
b. Install and enable the necessary components manually on the machine.
c. Start the setup wizard again, pass to the System Configuration Check step of the wizard and click Re-
run to repeat the verification.
NOTE:
If all required components are already installed on the machine, the System Configuration Check step will
be skipped.
Step 6. Specify Service Account Settings
The Service Account step of the wizard is available if you have selected to configure installation settings
manually.
You can select an account under which you want to run the Veeam Backup Service:
• LOCAL SYSTEM account (recommended, used by default)
• Another user account
The user name of the account must be specified in the DOMAIN\USERNAME format.
The user account must have the following rights and permissions:
• The account must be a member of the Administrators group on the machine where
Veeam Backup & Replication is installed.
• The account must have db_owner rights for the configuration database.
Veeam Backup & Replication automatically grants the Log on as service right to the specified user account.
Step 7. Select Microsoft SQL Server
The SQL Server Instance step of the wizard is available if you have selected to configure installation settings
manually.
You can select a Microsoft SQL Server on which you want to deploy the configuration database, and choose the
authentication mode.
1. Select a Microsoft SQL Server:
o If a Microsoft SQL Server is not installed locally or remotely, select the Install new instance of SQL
Server option. The setup will install Microsoft SQL Server locally on the backup server:
 For machines running Microsoft Windows 7 or Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2, the setup will
install Microsoft SQL Server 2012 SP4 Express Edition.
 For machines running Microsoft Windows Server 2012 or later, the setup will install Microsoft
SQL Server 2016 SP1 Express Edition.
o If a Microsoft SQL Server is already installed locally or remotely, select the Use existing instance of
SQL Server option. Enter the instance name in the HOSTNAME\INSTANCE format. In the Database
field, specify a name for the Veeam Backup & Replication configuration database.
2. Select an authentication mode to connect to the Microsoft SQL Server instance: Microsoft Windows
authentication or SQL Server authentication. If you select the SQL Server authentication, enter credentials
for the Microsoft SQL Server account.
If the configuration database already exists on the Microsoft SQL Server (for example, it was created by a
previous installation of Veeam Backup & Replication), the setup wizard will notify about it. To connect to the
detected database, click Yes. If necessary, Veeam Backup & Replication will automatically upgrade the database
to the latest version.
Step 8. Specify Service Ports
The Port Configuration step of the wizard is available if you have selected to configure installation settings
manually.
You can customize port number values that will be used for communication between backup infrastructure
components:
• Catalog service port. The catalog service port is used by the Veeam Guest Catalog Service to replicate
catalog data from backup servers to Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager. By default, port 9393 is used.
• Veeam Backup Service port. The service port is used by Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager to collect data
from backup servers. In addition to it, the Veeam Backup & Replication console uses this service port to
connect to the backup server. By default, port 9392 is used.
• Secure connections port. The secure connections port is used by the mount server to communicate with
the backup server. By default, port 9401 is used.
• RESTful API service port. The RESTful API service port is used to communicate with the
Veeam Backup & Replication RESTful API. By default, port 9419 is used.
Step 9. Specify Data Locations
The Data Locations step of the wizard is available if you have selected to configure installation settings
manually.
You can specify where the write cache and indexing data must be stored.
1. [For VMware environments] In the Instant recovery write cache section, specify a path to the IR cache
folder. The IR cache folder stores the write cache for machines that are started from backups during
recovery verification or restore operations. Make sure that you have at least 10 GB of free disk space to
store the write cache.
By default, the setup wizard creates the IR cache folder on a volume with the maximum amount of free
space, for example, C:\ProgramData\Veeam\Backup\IRCache.
You do not need to configure this data location for Microsoft Hyper-V environments.
2. In the Guest file system catalog section, specify a path to the folder where index files must be stored.
By default, the setup wizard creates the VBRCatalog folder on a volume with the maximum amount of free
space, for example: C:\VBRCatalog.
Step 10. Verify Installation Settings
At the Ready to Install step of the wizard, you can verify Veeam Backup & Replication installation settings and,
if required, go back to configuration steps and adjust settings.
By default, the setup wizard installs Veeam Backup & Replication with the following settings:
• Installation folder: C:\Program Files\Veeam\Backup and Replication.
• Write cache folder: the IRCache folder on a volume with the maximum amount of free space, for example,
C:\ProgramData\Veeam\Backup\IRCache.
The IR cache folder stores the write cache for machines that are started from backups during recovery
verification or restore operations. Make sure that you have at least 10 GB of free disk space to store the
write cache.
• Guest catalog folder: the VBRCatalog folder on a volume with the maximum amount of free space, for
example, C:\VBRCatalog.
The guest catalog folder stores indexing data for VM guest OS files. Indexing data is required for browsing
and searching for VM guest OS files inside backups and performing 1-click restore.
• Catalog service port: 9393. The catalog service port is used by the Veeam Guest Catalog Service to
replicate catalog data from backup servers to Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager.
• Service account: LOCAL SYSTEM. The service account is the account under which the Veeam Backup
Service runs.
• Service port: 9392. The service port is used by Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager to collect data from
backup servers. In addition to it, the Veeam Backup & Replication console uses this service port to connect
to the backup server.
• Secure connections port: 9401. The secure connections port is used by the mount server to communicate
with the backup server.
• RESTful API service port: 9419. The RESTful API service port is used to communicate with the
Veeam Backup & Replication RESTful API.
• SQL Server: LOCALHOST\VEEAMSQL2012 or LOCALHOST\VEEAMSQL2016. During installation, the

Veeam Backup & Replication setup installs a new instance of Microsoft SQL Server locally on the backup
server:
o For machines running Microsoft Windows 7 or Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2, the setup installs
Microsoft SQL Server 2012 SP4 Express Edition.
o For machines running Microsoft Windows Server 2012 or later, the setup installs Microsoft SQL Server
2016 SP2 Express Edition.
• Database name: VeeamBackup. Veeam Backup & Replication deploys the Veeam Backup & Replication
configuration database on the locally installed instance of Microsoft SQL Server.
To use displayed installation settings, click Install. The installation process will begin.
To adjust installation settings, click Back to return to the required installation configuration step and change
settings.
To automatically check for Veeam Backup & Replication updates, select the Check for updates once the product
is installed and periodically check box.
Step 11. Begin Installation
The Ready to Install step of the wizard is available if you have selected to configure installation settings
manually.
You can review installation settings and start the installation process.
1. If you want Veeam Backup & Replication to periodically check and notify you about product updates,
select the Check for updates once the product is installed and periodically check box.
2. Click Install to begin the installation.
3. Wait for the installation process to complete and click Finish to exit the setup wizard.
Step 12. Install Available Patches
It is recommended that you periodically check for Veeam Backup & Replication patches and updates and install
them when they are available. Installation of updates and patches lets you make sure that you use the latest
version of the product and use its functionality to the full.
You can check for product updates manually or configure Veeam Backup & Replication to automatically notify
you about available updates and patches. For more information, see Specifying Other Notification Settings.
TIP:
When you install updates for Veeam Backup & Replication, in the update wizard, select the Update remote
components automatically check box. Veeam Backup & Replication will automatically update its
components on all servers added to the backup infrastructure. For more information, see Server
Components Upgrade.
Upgrading to Veeam Backup & Replication
11
To perform upgrade of Veeam Backup & Replication to version 11, you must be running version 9.5 Update 4b
(build 9.5.4.2866) or later on the supported operating system (refer to the System Requirements section of this
document). To upgrade from previous versions, contact Veeam Customer Support.
Upgrade Checklist
Check the following prerequisites before you upgrade Veeam Backup & Replication:
1. Veeam Backup & Replication 11 uses the same license file format introduced with version 10, so you can
use your existing version 10 license file to install version 11 or any future versions. Your support contract
must be active as of the date when the product version you are installing was built.
2. Are you using Veeam Backup Starter? This edition has been discontinued, so Veeam Backup & Replication
11 will not accept such a license file. Please download a replacement license file from the Customer Portal
before upgrading.
3. Are you using Cloud Connect? If yes, check with your Cloud Connect service provider if they have already
upgraded their system to at least the version you are upgrading to.
4. Are you using Veeam Availability Orchestrator 3.0 or earlier? Veeam Backup & Replication 11 is not
compatible with these versions. Upgrade to Veeam Availability Orchestrator 4.0 before upgrading to
Veeam Backup & Replication 11.
5. Are you using Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager? If yes, start the upgrade procedure from this
component. Note that Enterprise Manager 11 supports backup servers version 9.5 Update 4b or later, so
you can potentially run both old and new product versions side by side if required.
6. Are you using Veeam ONE to monitor your backup infrastructure? If yes, upgrade it next. Veeam ONE
supports monitoring of backup servers with version 9.5 Update 4b or later.
7. Check if the backup server to be upgraded is installed on the supported operating system version
according to System Requirements. If it is not, create a configuration backup, install
Veeam Backup & Replication 11 on the supported OS first, then restore the configuration backup created
earlier. For information on how to perform the migration, see this Veeam KB article.
8. Make sure that other servers that you plan to use as backup infrastructure components meet the system
requirements listed in the System Requirements section of this document.
9. Make sure that the virtual environment you are going to protect with Veeam Backup & Replication meets
the requirements listed in the Platform Support section of this document.
10. Ensure there are no active processes, such as any running jobs and restore sessions. We recommend that
you do not stop running jobs and let them complete successfully. Disable any periodic and backup copy
jobs, so that they do not start during the upgrade.
Additional considerations for upgrading from version 9.5 Update 4b:
1. Are you using an instance license to protect some of your vSphere or Hyper-V VMs with agent-based
backup jobs in presence of a socket license? As an enforcement of the Veeam Licensing Policy, starting
from version 10 hosts, where such VMs are running, will consume socket licenses. This may result in your
agent-based backup jobs failing after the upgrade due to insufficient socket licenses. Before upgrading to
version 11, review the Licensing section of the What’s New in Veeam Backup & Replication 10 document
for the detailed description of all changes that happened with version 10 release.
2. The Veeam Backup & Replication 11 setup wizard will offer to download your version 11 license
automatically. This requires uploading your currently installed license to Veeam servers. If your backup
server has no Internet connection, or if you prefer not to have your license uploaded, or in case of license
upgrade issues – download your license from the Customer Portal manually. Note that you must have an
active maintenance agreement at the time when you access the portal.
Performing Upgrade
To upgrade Veeam Backup & Replication to version 11, perform the following steps:
1. Make sure you have checked all the prerequisites listed in the Upgrade Checklist.
2. Download the latest version of the Veeam Backup & Replication ISO from the Veeam Backup & Replication
Download page.
3. Make sure the latest run for all existing jobs has completed successfully. Rerun the failed jobs.
4. Ensure there are no running jobs, restore sessions, Instant VM Recovery sessions and SureBackup jobs. We
recommend that you do not stop running jobs and let them complete successfully. Disable any periodic
and backup copy jobs temporarily to prevent them from starting during the upgrade.
5. Mount the product ISO and use autorun, or run the Setup.exe file.
6. Click the Upgrade tile to launch the upgrade wizard.
7. Follow the same steps as described in the Installing Veeam Backup & Replication section. Be sure to select
the same SQL database and instance that was used by the previous product version.
At the Ready to Install step of the upgrade wizard, select the Update remote components automatically
check box to automatically upgrade Veeam Backup & Replication components on all servers added to the
backup infrastructure. For more information, see Server Components Upgrade.
8. Wait for the setup program to perform the upgrade.
9. If you use remote backup consoles, upgrade them manually using the product ISO file. Unfortunately,
automatic upgrade is not supported this time due to the major version number change.
10. Download and install the latest available update from the Veeam Updates page.
11. Open the Veeam Backup & Replication console. If necessary, the automated upgrade wizard will
automatically appear, prompting you to upgrade the product components running on remote servers.
Follow the wizard to complete the upgrade process.
12. If some remote servers are unavailable at the time of upgrade, you can run the upgrade wizard at any time
later from the main product menu, or by closing and re-opening the Veeam Backup & Replication console.
Note that the out-of-date product components cannot be used by jobs until they are updated to the
backup server version.
13. If you are using the Virtual Labs functionality, please open settings of each Virtual Lab, and click through
the wizard to redeploy each virtual lab with the new proxy appliance version.
14. If you are using Linux servers for your backup infrastructure components, the upgrade process will
automatically deploy the new persistent data mover only to Linux servers with the VMware Backup Proxy
role. To deploy it on other Linux servers, click through the Linux server properties, or use Set-VBRLinux
PowerShell cmdlet to mass-deploy. Until you do this, those Linux servers will continue using the legacy
run-time data mover to avoid issues with backup repository not meeting the persistent data mover
requirements.
15. Enable any scheduled jobs that you have disabled before the upgrade.
Note that immediately after the upgrade, the backup server performance may decrease. This happens due to the
maintenance job that optimizes the configuration database. The process may take up to an hour depending on
the database size.
IMPORTANT!
You must upgrade Veeam components on all remote servers with which the backup server communicates
during data protection and disaster recovery tasks. If you do not upgrade components on remote servers,
Veeam Backup & Replication jobs will fail. For more information, see Server Components Upgrade.
Unattended Upgrade
To correctly upgrade Veeam Backup & Replication in the unattended mode, perform the following steps:
1. Uninstall the previous version of the product.
2. Install a newer version of the product in the unattended mode. You must connect to the configuration
database that was used by the previous product version.
For information on how to install Veeam Backup & Replication in the unattended mode, see Installing
Veeam Backup & Replication in Unattended Mode.
Uninstalling Veeam Backup & Replication
To uninstall Veeam Backup & Replication:
1. From the Start menu, select Control Panel > Programs and Features.
2. In the programs list, right-click Veeam Backup & Replication and select Uninstall. If you have Veeam
Backup Enterprise Manager installed on this machine, Veeam Backup & Replication will uninstall both
components. Wait for the process to complete.
3. If the program list contains additional Veeam Backup & Replication components, right-click the remaining
components and select Uninstall.
The Veeam Backup & Replication configuration database is not removed during the uninstall process. All
configuration data stored in the database remains as well.
Installing Veeam Backup & Replication
Console
By default, the Veeam Backup & Replication console is installed on the backup server automatically when you
install Veeam Backup & Replication. You do not need to install the console manually.
However, in addition to the default console, you can install the Veeam Backup & Replication console on a
dedicated machine to access the backup server remotely. You can install as many remote consoles as you need.
For more information, see Backup & Replication Console.
Before you install the Veeam Backup & Replication console, check prerequisites. Then use the
Veeam Backup & Replication Console Setup wizard to install the console.
Before You Begin
Before you install the Veeam Backup & Replication console, check the following prerequisites:
• The Veeam Backup & Replication console must be of the same version as Veeam Backup & Replication
installed on the backup server.
• A machine on which you plan to install the Veeam Backup & Replication console must meet the system
requirements. For more information, see System Requirements.
• A user account that you plan to use for installation must have sufficient permissions. For more
information, see Required Permissions.
• Backup infrastructure components communicate with each other over specific ports. These ports must be
open. For more information, see Used Ports.
Step 1. Start Setup Wizard
To start the setup wizard:
1. Download the latest version of the Veeam Backup & Replication installation image from
www.veeam.com/downloads.html.
2. Use disk image emulation software to mount the installation image to the machine where you plan to
install Veeam Backup & Replication or burn the image file to a flash drive or other removable storage
device. If you plan to install Veeam Backup & Replication on a VM, use built-in tools of the virtualization
management software to mount the installation image to the VM.
To extract the content of the ISO, you can also use the latest versions of utilities that can properly extract
data from ISOs of large size and can properly work with long file paths.
3. After you mount the image or insert the disk, Autorun will open a splash screen with installation options.
If Autorun is not available or disabled, run the Setup.exe file from the image or disk.
4. On the splash screen, click Veeam Backup & Replication Console.
IMPORTANT!
It is strongly recommended that you install the Veeam Backup & Replication console using Autorun or the
Setup.exe file. If you run other installation files from the ISO folders, you may miss some components that
need to be installed, and Veeam Backup & Replication may not work as expected.
Step 2. Read and Accept License Agreement
At the License Agreement step of the wizard, you must accept the license agreement for Veeam and 3rd party
components that Veeam incorporates. If you do not accept the license agreement, you will not be able to pass
to next step of the setup wizard.
1. Read the license agreement.

To view the license agreement for 3rd party components, click View.
2. Select the I accept the terms of the Veeam license agreement check box.
3. Select the I accept the terms of the 3rd party components license agreement check box.
4. Click Next.
Step 3. Install Missing Software
At the System Configuration Check step of the wizard, the setup wizard checks if all prerequisite software is
installed on the machine. If required software components are missing, the setup wizard will offer you to install
them.
You can install missing components automatically or manually.
• To install missing components automatically, click Install. The setup wizard will not interrupt the
installation process and install the missing components in the work current session.
• To install missing components manually:
a. Click Cancel and exit the setup wizard.
b. Install and enable the necessary components manually on the machine.
c. Start the setup wizard again, pass to the System Configuration Check step of the wizard and click Re-
run to repeat the verification.
Step 4. Specify Installation Settings
At the Default Configuration step of the wizard, you can select to install the Veeam Backup & Replication
console with default installation settings or specify custom installation settings.
By default, the setup wizard installs the Veeam Backup & Replication console with the following settings:
installation folder — C:\Program Files\Veeam\Backup and Replication.
To use default installation settings:
1. Leave the Let me specify different settings check box not selected.
2. Click Install. The installation process will begin.
To specify custom installation settings, select the Let me specify different settings check box. The setup wizard
will include additional steps that will let you configure installation settings.
Step 5. Specify Installation Path
The Installation Path step of the wizard is available if you have selected to configure installation settings
manually.
At the Installation Path step of the wizard, you can choose the installation folder for the
Veeam Backup & Replication console.
1. On the right of the Install Veeam Backup & Replication Console to the following folder field, click Browse.
2. In the Browse for Folder window, select the installation folder for the product. The default folder is
C:\Program Files\Veeam\Backup and Replication\.
Step 6. Begin Installation
The Ready to Install step of the wizard is available if you have selected to configure installation settings
manually.
At the Ready to Install step of the wizard, you can review the installation settings and start the installation
process.
1. Click Install to begin the installation.
2. Wait for the installation process to complete and click Finish to exit the setup wizard.
Installing Veeam Backup & Replication in
Unattended Mode
You can install Veeam Backup & Replication in the unattended mode using the command line interface. The
unattended installation mode does not require user interaction. You can use it to automate the installation
process in large deployments.
Installation Order
Veeam Backup & Replication components must be installed in the order specified below. The order depends on
the type of server that you plan to deploy: backup server or Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager server.
Backup Server
If you want to deploy the backup server (server running Veeam Backup & Replication), you must install
components in the following order:
1. Veeam Backup Catalog
2. Veeam Backup & Replication Server
3. Veeam Explorers:
o Veeam Explorer for Active Directory
o Veeam Explorer for Exchange
o Veeam Explorer for Oracle
o Veeam Explorer for SharePoint and Veeam Explorer for Microsoft OneDrive for Business
o Veeam Explorer for Microsoft SQL
4. [Optional] If you are planning to use the Agent Management feature, install the following components
(depending on the management OS):
o Redistributable package for Veeam Agent for Microsoft Windows
o Redistributable package for Veeam Agent for Linux
o Redistributable package for Veeam Agent for Mac
For more information about Veeam Agents, see the Veeam Agent Management Guide.

If you want to deploy the Veeam Backup & Replication console, you must install the
Veeam Backup & Replication console component.
Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager Server

If you want to deploy the Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager server (server running Veeam Backup Enterprise
Manager), you must install components in the following order:
1. Veeam Backup Catalog
2. Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager
Veeam Cloud Connect Portal

If you want to deploy Veeam Cloud Connect Portal, you must install components in the following order:
1. Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager
2. Veeam Cloud Connect Portal
Before You Begin
Before you start unattended installation, perform the following steps:
1. [For backup server] Manually install the SQL server and software components required for the backup
server operation. For more information, see Backup Server in System Requirements.
2. [For Veeam Explorers] Make sure that the version of a Veeam Explorer that you plan to install matches the
version of the Veeam Backup & Replication console on the target machine.
3. [For Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager server] Manually install Microsoft SQL Server and software
components required for the operation of the Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager server. For more
information, see the System Requirements section of the Enterprise Manager User Guide.
4. Download the Veeam Backup & Replication installation image from the Veeam website. You can burn the
downloaded image to a flash drive or mount the image to the target machine using disk image emulation
software.
5. Log on to the target machine under the account that has the local Administrator permissions on the
machine. For more information, see Required Permissions.
6. Obtain a license file. The license file is required for Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager installation and is
optional for Veeam Backup & Replication installation. If you do not specify a path to the license file during
Veeam Backup & Replication installation, Veeam Backup & Replication will operate in the Community
Edition mode.
Installation Command-Line Syntax
You can install the following Veeam Backup & Replication components in the unattended mode:
• Veeam Backup Catalog
• Veeam Backup & Replication Server
• Veeam Backup & Replication Console
• Veeam Explorer for Microsoft SQL Server
• Veeam Explorer for Microsoft SharePoint and Veeam Explorer for Microsoft OneDrive for Business
• Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager
• Veeam Cloud Connect Portal
Veeam Backup Catalog

To install Veeam Backup Catalog, use a command with the following syntax:
msiexec.exe [/L*v "<path_to_log>"] /qn /i "<path_to_msi>" ACCEPT_THIRDPARTY_LIC

ENSES="1" [INSTALLDIR="<path_to_installdir >"][VM_CATALOGPATH="<path_to_catalog
_shared_folder>"][VBRC_SERVICE_USER="<Veeam_Guest_Catalog_Service_account>"][VB
RC_SERVICE_PASSWORD="<Veeam_Guest_Catalog_Service_account_password>"] [VBRC_SER
VICE_PORT="<Veeam_Guest_Catalog_Service_port>"]
The command has the following parameters:
Paramet Requir
Option Description
er ed
Creates an installation log file with the verbose output.
Specify a full path to the log file as the parameter value.

A setup log file created during the previous installation is
*v
/L No cleared.
logfile
Example: /L*v
"C:\ProgramData\Veeam\Setup\Temp\Logs\Cata
log.txt"
/q n Yes Sets the user interface level to “no”, which means no

user interaction is needed during installation.
Paramet Requir
Option Description
er ed
Installs Veeam Backup Catalog. Specify a full path to the

setup setup file as the parameter value.
/i Yes
file Example: /i
"C:\Veeam\VeeamBackupCatalog64.msi"
Specifies if you want to accept the license agreement for

3rd party components that Veeam incorporates. Specify
ACCEPT_THIRDPARTY_LICE 1 to accept the license agreement and proceed with
0/1 Yes
NSES installation.
Example: ACCEPT_THIRDPARTY_LICENSES="1"
Installs the component to the specified location.
By default, Veeam Backup & Replication uses the

Backup Catalog subfolder in the C:\Program
INSTALLDIR path No Files\Veeam\Backup and Replication\ folder.
Example: INSTALLDIR="C:\Catalog\"
The component will be installed to the
C:\Catalog\Backup Catalog folder.
Specifies a path to the catalog folder where index files

must be stored.
By default, Veeam Backup & Replication creates the

VBRCatalog folder on a volume with the maximum
VM_CATALOGPATH path No
amount of free space, for example C:\VBRCatalog.
Example: VM_CATALOGPATH="C:\Backup\"
Index files will be stored to the
C:\Backup\VBRCatalog folder.
Specifies a user account under which the Veeam Guest

Catalog Service will run. The account must have full
control NTFS permissions on the VBRCatalog folder
where index files are stored.
If you do not specify this parameter, the Veeam Guest

VBRC_SERVICE_USER user No Catalog Service will run under the LocalSystem account.
Together with the VBRC_SERVICE_USER parameter, you

must specify the VBRC_SERVICE_PASSWORD parameter.
Example:
VBRC_SERVICE_USER="BACKUPSERVER\Administra
tor"
Paramet Requir
Option Description
er ed
This parameter must be used if you have specified the

VBRC_SERVICE_USER parameter.
VBRC_SERVICE_ passwor
No Specifies a password for the account under which the
PASSWORD d
Veeam Guest Catalog Service will run.
Example: VBRC_SERVICE_PASSWORD="1234"
Specifies a TCP port that will be used by the Veeam

Guest Catalog Service. By default, port number 9393 is
VBRC_SERVICE_PORT port No used.
Example: VBRC_SERVICE_PORT="9393"
Example
Suppose you want to install Veeam Backup Catalog with the following configuration:
• No user interaction
• Path to the MSI file: E:\Veeam\VeeamBackupCatalog64.msi
• Installation folder: default
• Catalog folder: default
• Service user account: VEEAM\Administrator
• Service user account password: 1243
• TCP communication port: 9391
The command to install Veeam Backup Catalog with such configuration will have the following parameters:
msiexec.exe /qn /i "E:\Veeam\VeeamBackupCatalog64.msi" ACCEPT_THIRDPARTY_LICENS

ES="1" VBRC_SERVICE_USER="VEEAM\Administrator" VBRC_SERVICE_PASSWORD="1234" VBR
C_SERVICE_PORT="9391"
Veeam Backup & Replication Server
To install the Veeam Backup & Replication server, use a command with the following syntax:
msiexec.exe [/L*v "<path_to_log>"] /qn /i "<path_to_msi>" ACCEPTEULA="yes" ACCE

PT_THIRDPARTY_LICENSES="1" [INSTALLDIR="<path_to_installdir >"] [VBR_LICENSE_FI
LE="<path_to_license_file>"] [VBR_SERVICE_USER="<Veeam_B&R_Service_account>"] [
VBR_SERVICE_PASSWORD="<Veeam_B&R_Service_account_password>"] [VBR_SERVICE_PORT=
"<Veeam_B&R_Service_port>"] [VBR_SECURE_CONNECTIONS_PORT="<SSL_port>"] [VBR_SQL
SERVER_SERVER="<SQL_server>"] [VBR_SQLSERVER_DATABASE="<database_name>"][VBR_SQ
LSERVER_AUTHENTICATION="0"] [VBR_SQLSERVER_USERNAME="<SQL_auth_username>"] [VBR
_SQLSERVER_PASSWORD="<SQL_auth_password>"] [VBR_IRCACHE="<path_to_instant_recov
ery_cache_folder>"] [VBR_CHECK_UPDATES="1"][VBR_AUTO_UPGRADE="yes"]
Option Parameter Requir Description

ed
/L *v logfile No Creates an installation log file with the verbose output.

cleared.
Example: /L*v
"C:\ProgramData\Veeam\Setup\Temp\Logs\Backu
p.txt"
/q n Yes Sets the user interface level to “no”, which means no user
interaction is needed during installation.
/i setup file Yes Installs the Veeam Backup & Replication server. Specify a
full path to the setup file as the parameter value.
Example: /i "C:\Veeam\Server.x64.msi"
ACCEPTEULA yes/no Yes Specifies if you want to accept the Veeam license
agreement. Specify yes to accept the license agreement
and proceed with installation.
Example: ACCEPTEULA="yes"
ACCEPT_THIRDPARTY_LI 0/1 Yes Specifies if you want to accept the license agreement for
CENSES 3rd party components that Veeam incorporates. Specify 1
to accept the license agreement and proceed with
installation.
ed
INSTALLDIR path No Installs the component to the specified location. By

default, Veeam Backup & Replication uses the Backup
subfolder of the C:\Program Files\Veeam\Backup
and Replication\ folder.
Example: INSTALLDIR="C:\Backup\"
C:\Backup\Backup folder.
VBR_LICENSE_FILE license No Specifies a full path to the license file. If you do not
path specify this parameter, Veeam Backup & Replication will
operate in the Community Edition mode.
Example:
VBR_LICENSE_FILE="C:\Users\Administrator\De
sktop\enterprise -
veeam_backup_trial_0_30.lic"
VBR_SERVICE_USER user No Specifies the account under which the Veeam Backup
Service will run. The account must have full control NTFS
permissions on the VBRCatalog folder where index files
are stored and the Database owner rights for the
configuration database on the Microsoft SQL Server
where the configuration database is deployed.
If you do not specify this parameter, the Veeam Backup

Service will run under the LocalSystem account.
Together with the VBR_SERVICE_USER parameter, you

must specify the VBR_SERVICE_PASSWORD parameter.
Example:
VBR_SERVICE_USER="BACKUPSERVER\Administrato
r"
VBR_SERVICE_PASSWOR password No This parameter must be used if you have specified the
D VBR_SERVICE_USER parameter.
Specifies a password for the account under which the

Veeam Backup Service will run.
Example: VBR_SERVICE_PASSWORD="1234"
VBR_SERVICE_PORT port No Specifies a TCP port that will be used by the Veeam
Backup Service.
By default, the port number 9392 is used.
Example: VBR_SERVICE_PORT="9395"
ed
VBR_SECURE_CONNECTI port No Specifies a port used for communication between the

ONS_PORT mount server and the backup server. By default, port
9401 is used.
Example: VBR_SECURE_CONNECTIONS_PORT="9402"
VBR_SQLSERVER_SERVER SQL No Specifies a Microsoft SQL server and instance on which

server\inst the configuration database will be deployed.
ance
(local)\VEEAMSQL2012 server for machines running
Microsoft Windows 7 or Microsoft Windows Server 2008
R2, and (local)\VEEAMSQL2016 for machines running
Microsoft Windows Server 2012 or later.
Example:
VBR_SQLSERVER_SERVER="BACKUPSERVER\VEEAMSQL
2016_MY"
VBR_SQLSERVER_DATAB database No Specifies a name for the configuration database.

ASE
By default, the configuration database is deployed with
the VeeamBackup name.
Example:
VBR_SQLSERVER_DATABASE="VeeamBackup"
VBR_SQLSERVER_ 0/1 No Specifies if you want to use the SQL Server authentication
AUTHENTICATION mode to connect to the Microsoft SQL Server where the
Veeam Backup & Replication configuration database is
deployed.
Specify 1 if you want to use the SQL Server

authentication mode. If you do not specify this
parameter, Veeam Backup & Replication will connect to
the Microsoft SQL Server in the Microsoft Windows
authentication mode (default value is 0).
Together with this parameter, you must specify the

following parameters: VBR_SQLSERVER_USERNAME and
VBR_SQLSERVER_PASSWORD.
Example: VBR_SQLSERVER_AUTHENTICATION="1"
VBR_SQLSERVER_ user No This parameter must be used if you have specified the
USERNAME VBR_SQLSERVER_AUTHENTICATION parameter.
Specifies a LoginID to connect to the Microsoft SQL

Server in the SQL Server authentication mode.
Example: VBR_SQLSERVER_USERNAME="sa"
ed
VBR_SQLSERVER_ password No This parameter must be used if you have specified the
PASSWORD VBR_SQLSERVER_AUTHENTICATION parameter.
Specifies a password to connect to the Microsoft SQL

Example: VBR_SQLSERVER_PASSWORD="1234"
VBR_IRCACHE path No Specifies the folder to which the instant recovery cache
will be stored. By default, Veeam Backup & Replication
uses the folder on a volume with the maximum amount of
free space, for example,
C:\ProgramData\Veeam\Backup\IRCache\.
Example:
VBR_IRCACHE="C:\ProgramData\Veeam\Backup\IR
Cache2\"
VBR_CHECK_UPDATES 0/1 No Specifies if you want Veeam Backup & Replication to

automatically check for new product patches and
versions.
Specify 0 if you do not want to check for updates. If you

do not specify this parameter,
Veeam Backup & Replication will automatically check for
updates (default value is 1).
Example: VBR_CHECK_UPDATES="0"
VBR_AUTO_UPGRADE yes/no No Specifies if you want Veeam Backup & Replication to

automatically upgrade existing components in the backup
infrastructure. Veeam Backup & Replication performs
automatic upgrade after the Veeam Backup Service is
started on the backup server.
Specify yes to enable automatic upgrade.
Example: VBR_AUTO_UPGRADE="yes"
Example
Suppose you want to install Veeam Backup & Replication with the following configuration:
• Installation log location: C:\logs\log1.txt
• Path to the MSI file: E:\Veeam\Server.x64.msi
• Installation folder: D:\Program Files\Veeam
• License file location: C:\License\veeam_license.lic
• Service port: default
• TLS port: default
• Configuration database and database name: default
• Path to the instant recovery cache folder: D:\IRCache
The command to install Veeam Backup & Replication with such configuration will have the following
parameters:
msiexec.exe /L*v "C:\logs\log1.txt" /qn /i "E:\Veeam\Server.x64.msi" ACCEPTEULA

="yes" ACCEPT_THIRDPARTY_LICENSES="1" INSTALLDIR="D:\Program Files\Veeam" VBR_L
ICENSE_FILE="C:\License\veeam_license.lic" VBR_SERVICE_USER="VEEAM\Administrato
r" VBR_SERVICE_PASSWORD="1234" VBR_IRCACHE="D:\IRCache"

To install the Veeam Backup & Replication console, use a command with the following syntax:

PT_THIRDPARTY_LICENSES="1" [INSTALLDIR="<path_to_installdir >"]
Option Paramet Requir Description

er ed
/L *v No Creates an installation log file with the verbose output.

logfile
cleared.
Example: /L*v
"C:\ProgramData\Veeam\Setup\Temp\Logs\Cons
ole.txt"

er ed
/i setup Yes Installs the Veeam Backup & Replication console.

file
Specify a full path to the setup file as the parameter
value.
Example: /i "C:\Veeam\Shell.x64.msi"
ACCEPT_THIRDPARTY_LICE 0/1 Yes Specifies if you want to accept the license agreement for
NSES 3rd party components that Veeam incorporates. Specify
1 to accept the license agreement and proceed with
installation.
INSTALLDIR path No Installs the component to the specified location.

Console subfolder of the C:\Program
Files\Veeam\Backup and Replication\ folder.
C:\Backup\Console folder.
Example
Suppose you want to install the Veeam Backup & Replication console with the following configuration:
• Path to the MSI file: E:\Veeam\Shell.x64.msi
• Installation folder: C:\Backup
The command to install the Veeam Backup & Replication console with such configuration will have the following
parameters:
msiexec.exe /L*v "C:\logs\log1.txt" /qn /i "E:\Veeam\Shell.x64.msi" ACCEPTEULA=

"yes" ACCEPT_THIRDPARTY_LICENSES="1" INSTALLDIR="C:\Backup\"
Veeam Explorer for Microsoft Active Directory
To install Veeam Explorer for Microsoft Active Directory, use a command with the following syntax:
msiexec.exe [/L*v "<path_to_log>"] /qn /i "<path_to_msi>" ACCEPT_EULA="1" ACCEP

T_THIRDPARTY_LICENSES="1"

er ed

logfile
cleared.
Example: /L*v
"C:\ProgramData\Veeam\Setup\Temp\Logs\VEAD
.txt"

/i setup Yes Installs Veeam Explorer for Microsoft Active Directory.

file
value.
Example: /i
"C:\Explorers\VeeamExplorerforActiveDirect
ory.msi"
ACCEPT_EULA 0/1 Yes Specifies if you want to accept the Veeam license
agreement. Specify 1 to accept the license agreement
Example: ACCEPT_EULA="1"
ACCEPT_THIRDPARTY_LICE 0/1 Yes Specifies if you want to accept the license agreement for
NSES 3rd party components that Veeam incorporates. Specify
1 to accept the license agreement and proceed with
installation.
Veeam Explorer for Microsoft Exchange
To install Veeam Explorer for Microsoft Exchange, use a command with the following syntax:

Option Paramet Require Description

er d
/L *v logfile No Creates an installation log file with the verbose

output.
Specify a full path to the log file as the parameter

value. A setup log file created during the previous
installation is cleared.
Example: /L*v
"C:\ProgramData\Veeam\Setup\Temp\Logs\VEX
.txt"

/i setup Yes Installs Veeam Explorer for Microsoft Exchange.

file
value.
Example: /i
"C:\Explorers\VeeamExplorerforExchange.ms
i"
ACCEPT_THIRDPARTY_LICEN 0/1 Yes Specifies if you want to accept the license agreement
SES for 3rd party components that Veeam incorporates.
Specify 1 to accept the license agreement and proceed
with installation.
Veeam Explorer for Oracle
To install Veeam Explorer for Oracle, use a command with the following syntax:


er d

output.

Example: /L*v
"C:\ProgramData\Veeam\Setup\Temp\Logs\VEO
.txt"

/i setup Yes Installs Veeam Explorer for Oracle.

file
value.
Example: /i
"C:\Explorers\VeeamExplorerforOracle.msi"
with installation.
Veeam Explorer for Microsoft SharePoint and Veeam Explorer
for Microsoft OneDrive for Business
Veeam Explorer for Microsoft SharePoint is installed together with Veeam Explorer for Microsoft OneDrive for
Business from the same setup file.
To install Veeam Explorer for Microsoft SharePoint and Veeam Explorer for Microsoft OneDrive for Business, use
a command with the following syntax:


er d

logfile
Example: /L*v
"C:\ProgramData\Veeam\Setup\Temp\Logs\VES
P.txt"

/i setup Yes Installs Veeam Explorer for Microsoft SharePoint and

file Veeam Explorer for Microsoft OneDrive for Business.

value.
Veeam Backup & Replication installs both Veeam
Explorer for Microsoft SharePoint and Veeam Explorer
for Microsoft OneDrive for Business from the same
setup file.
Example: /i
"C:\Explorers\VeeamExplorerforSharePoint.
msi"
er d
ACCEPT_THIRDPARTY_LICE 0/1 Yes Specifies if you want to accept the license agreement
NSES for 3rd party components that Veeam incorporates.
with installation.
Veeam Explorer for Microsoft SQL Server

To install Veeam Explorer for Microsoft SQL Server, use a command with the following syntax:


er d

logfile
Example: /L*v
"C:\ProgramData\Veeam\Setup\Temp\Logs\VES
QL.txt"

/i setup Yes Installs Veeam Explorer for Microsoft SQL Server.

file
value.
Example: /i
"C:\Explorers\VeeamExplorerforSQL.msi"
er d
ACCEPT_THIRDPARTY_LICE 0/1 Yes Specifies if you want to accept the license agreement
NSES for 3rd party components that Veeam incorporates.
with installation.
Redistributable Package for Veeam Agent for Microsoft

Windows
To install the redistributable package for Veeam Agent for Microsoft Windows, use a command with the
following syntax:
msiexec.exe [/L*v "<path_to_log>"] /qn /i "<path_to_msi>" ACCEPTEULA="1" ACCEPT

_THIRDPARTY_LICENSES="1"

er d

output.

Example: /L*v
"C:\ProgramData\Veeam\Setup\Temp\Logs\VAW
.txt"

/i setup Yes Installs the redistributable package for Veeam Agent

file for Microsoft Windows.

value.
Example: /i "F:\Packages\VAWRedist.msi"
er d
ACCEPTEULA 0/1 Yes Specifies if you want to accept the Veeam license
Example: ACCEPTEULA="1"
with installation.
Redistributable Package for Veeam Agent for Linux

To install the redistributable package for Veeam Agent for Linux, use a command with the following syntax:


er d

output.

Example: /L*v
"C:\ProgramData\Veeam\Setup\Temp\Logs\VAL
.txt"


file for Linux.

value.
Example: /i "F:\Packages\VALRedist.msi"
er d
with installation.
Redistributable Package for Veeam Agent for Mac

To install the redistributable package for Veeam Agent for Mac, use a command with the following syntax:


er d

output.

Example: /L*v
"C:\ProgramData\Veeam\Setup\Temp\Logs\VAM
.txt"


file for Mac.

value.
Example: /i "F:\Packages\VAMRedist.msi"
er d
with installation.
Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager

To install Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager, use a command with the following syntax:

PT_THIRDPARTY_LICENSES="1" [INSTALLDIR="<path_to_installdir >"] VBREM_LICENSE_F
ILE="<path_to_license_file>" [VBREM_SERVICE_USER="<Veeam_EM_Service_account>"][
VBREM_SERVICE_PASSWORD="<Veeam_EM_Service_account_password>"] [VBREM_SERVICE_PO
RT="<Veeam_EM_Service_port>"]
[VBREM_SQLSERVER_SERVER="<SQL_server>"] [VBREM_SQLSERVER_DATABASE="<database_na
me>"][VBREM_SQLSERVER_AUTHENTICATION="0"] [VBREM_SQLSERVER_USERNAME="<SQL_auth_
username>"] [VBREM_SQLSERVER_PASSWORD="<SQL_auth_password>"] [VBREM_TCPPORT="<T
CP_port_for_web_site>"] [VBREM_SSLPORT="<SSL_port_for_web_site>”]>"] [VBREM_THU
MBPRINT="<certificate_hash>"] [VBREM_RESTAPISVC_PORT="<TCP_port_for_RestApi_ser
vice>"] [VBREM_RESTAPISVC_SSLPORT="<SSL_port_for_RestApi_service>"][VBREM_CHECK
_UPDATES="1"]

ed
/L *v logfile No Creates an installation log file with the verbose output.
Specify a full path to the log file as the parameter value. A

setup log file created during the previous installation is
cleared.
Example: /L*v
"C:\ProgramData\Veeam\Setup\Temp\Logs\EM.txt
"
ed
/i setup file Yes Installs Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager.
Specify a full path to the setup file as the parameter value.
Example: /i
"C:\Veeam\EnterpriseManager\BackupWeb_x64.ms
i"
ACCEPT_THIRDPARTY_ 0/1 Yes Specifies if you want to accept the license agreement for
LICENSES 3rd party components that Veeam incorporates. Specify 1
installation.

Enterprise Manager subfolder of the C:\Program
Files\Veeam\ folder.
C:\Backup\Enterprise Manager folder.
VBREM_LICENSE_FILE license Yes Specifies a full path to the license file.

path
Example:
VBREM_LICENSE_FILE="C:\Users\Administrator\D
esktop\enterprise -
veeam_backup_trial_0_30.lic"
ed
VBREM_SERVICE_USER user No Specifies the account under which the Veeam Backup
Enterprise Manager Service will run. The account must have
full control NTFS permissions on the VBRCatalog folder
where index files are stored and the Database owner rights
for the Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager configuration
database on the Microsoft SQL Server that you plan to use.
If you do not specify this parameter, the Veeam Backup

Enterprise Manager Service will run under the LocalSystem
account.
Together with the VBREM_SERVICE_USER parameter, you

must specify the VBREM_SERVICE_PASSWORD parameter.
Example:
VBRC_SERVICE_USER="BACKUPSERVER\Administrato
r"
VBREM_SERVICE_PASS password No Specifies a password for the account under which the
WORD Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager Service will run.
Example: VBREM_SERVICE_PASSWORD="1234"
VBREM_SERVICE_PORT Port No Specifies a TCP port that will be used by the Veeam Backup
Enterprise Manager Service.
Example: VBREM_SERVICE_PORT ="9394"
VBREM_SQLSERVER_SE SQL No Specifies a Microsoft SQL Server and instance on which the
RVER server\inst Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager configuration database
ance will be deployed.

(local)\VEEAMSQL2012 server for machines running
Microsoft Windows 7 or Microsoft Windows Server 2008
R2, and (local)\VEEAMSQL2016 for machines running
Microsoft Windows Server 2012 or later.
Example:
VBREM_SQLSERVER_SERVER="BACKUPSERVER\VEEAMSQ
L2012_MY"
ed
VBREM_SQLSERVER_D database No Specifies a name of the Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager

ATABASE database.
By default, the database is deployed with the

VeeamBackupReporting name.
Example:
VBREM_SQLSERVER_DATABASE="VeeamBackupReporti
ng01"
VBREM_SQLSERVER_ 0/1 No Specifies if you want to use the Microsoft SQL Server
AUTHENTICATION authentication mode to connect to the Microsoft SQL
Server where the Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager is
deployed.
Set this parameter to 1 if you want to use the SQL Server

authentication mode. If you do not specify this parameter,
Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager will connect to the
Microsoft SQL Server in the Microsoft Windows
authentication mode (default value is 0).
Together with this parameter, you must specify the

following parameters: VBREM_SQLSERVER_USERNAME and
VBREM_SQLSERVER_PASSWORD.
Example: VBREM_SQLSERVER_AUTHENTICATION="1"
VBREM_SQLSERVER_US user No This parameter must be used if you have specified the
ERNAME VBREM_SQLSERVER_AUTHENTICATION parameter.
Specifies a LoginID to connect to the Microsoft SQL Server

in the SQL Server authentication mode.
Example: VBREM_SQLSERVER_USERNAME="sa"
VBREM_SQLSERVER_PA password No This parameter must be used if you have specified the
SSWORD VBR_SQLSERVER_AUTHENTICATION parameter.
Specifies a password to connect to the Microsoft SQL

Example: VBREM_SQLSERVER_USERNAME="1234"
VBREM_TCPPORT port No Specifies a TCP port that will be used by the Veeam Backup
Enterprise Manager website.
Example: VBREM_TCPPORT="9080"
ed
VBREM_SSLPORT port No Specifies a port that will be used by the Veeam Backup
Enterprise Manager website.
Example: VBREM_SSLPORT="9443"
VBREM_THUMBPRINT hash No Specifies the certificate to be used by Veeam Backup

Enterprise Manager Service and Veeam RESTful API Service.
If this parameter is not specified, a new certificate will be
generated by openssl.exe.
Example:
VBREM_THUMBPRINT="0677d0b8f27caccc966b15d807
b41a101587b488"
VBREM_RESTAPISVC_P port No Specifies a TCP port that will be used by the Veeam Backup
ORT Enterprise Manager RESTful API Service.
Example: VBREM_RESTAPISVC_PORT="9399"
VBREM_RESTAPISVC_S port No Specifies a port that will be used by the Veeam RESTful API
SLPORT Service.
Example: VBREM_RESTAPISVC_SSLPORT="9398"
VBREM_CONFIG_SCHA 0/1 No Specifies if the TLS 1.2 protocol will be used for secure
NNEL communication with the Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager
website.
VBREM_CHECK_UPDAT 0/1 No Specifies if you want Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager to

ES automatically check for new product patches and versions.
Specify 0 if you do not want to check for updates. If you do

not specify this parameter, Veeam Backup Enterprise
Manager will automatically check for updates (default
value is 1).
Example: VBREM_CHECK_UPDATES="0"
Example
Suppose you want to install Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager with the following settings:
• Installation log location: C:\logs\log1.txt
• Path to the MSI file: E:\Veeam\EnterpriseManager\BackupWeb_x64.msi
• Installation folder: D:\Program Files\Veeam
• License file location: C:\License\veeam_license.lic
• Service port: default
• Microsoft SQL Server database: BACKUPSERVER\VEEAMSQL2012_MY
• Database name: VeeamReporting01
• TCP and TLS ports: default
• Certificate: default
• TCP port for RESTful API: 9396
• TLS port for RESTful API: 9397
• No check for updates
The command to install Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager with such configuration will have the following
parameters:
msiexec.exe /L*v "C:\logs\log1.txt" /qn /i "E:\Veeam\EnterpriseManager\BackupWe

b_x64.msi" ACCEPTEULA="yes" ACCEPT_THIRDPARTY_LICENSES="1" INSTALLDIR="D:\Progr
am Files\Veeam" VBREM_LICENSE_FILE="C:\License\veeam_license.lic" VBREM_SERVICE
_USER="VEEAM\Administrator" VBREM_SERVICE_PASSWORD="1234" VBREM_SQLSERVER_SERVE
R="BACKUPSERVER\VEEAMSQL2012_MY" VBREM_SQLSERVER_DATABASE="VeeamReporting01" VB
REM_RESTAPISVC_PORT="9396" VBREM_CHECK_UPDATES="0"
Veeam Cloud Connect Portal

Veeam Cloud Connect Portal requires Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager of the same version to be installed on
the target machine.
To install Veeam Cloud Connect Portal, use a command with the following syntax:

PT_THIRDPARTY_LICENSES="1" [INSTALLDIR="<path_to_installdir >"] VBCP_SSLPORT="<
SSL_port">

er ed

logfile Specify a full path to the log file as the parameter value. A
setup log file created during the previous installation is
cleared.
Example: /L*v
"C:\ProgramData\Veeam\Setup\Temp\Logs\CloudP
ortal.txt"
/i setup Yes Installs the Veeam Cloud Connect Portal. Specify a full
file path to the setup file as the parameter value.
Example: /i "C:\Cloud
portal\BackupCloudPortal_x64.msi"
ACCEPT_THIRDPARTY_LIC 0/1 Yes Specifies if you want to accept the license agreement for
ENSES 3rd party components that Veeam incorporates. Specify 1
installation.

CloudPortal subfolder of the C:\Program
Files\Veeam\Backup and Replication\ folder.
Example: INSTALLDIR="C:\Backup\".
C:\Backup\CloudPortal folder
VBCP_SSLPORT port No Specifies a port that will be used by the Veeam Cloud
Connect Portal website.
Example: VBREM_SSLPORT="7443"
Example
Suppose you want to install Veeam Cloud Connect Portal with the following configuration:
• Path to the MSI file: E:\Cloud portal\BackupCloudPortal_x64.msi
• Installation folder: C:\Backup
• TLS port: default
The command to install Veeam Cloud Connect Portal with such configuration will have the following
parameters:
msiexec.exe /qn /L*v "C:\logs\log1.txt" /qn /i "E:\Cloud portal\BackupCloudPort

al_x64.msi" ACCEPTEULA="yes" ACCEPT_THIRDPARTY_LICENSES="1" INSTALLDIR="C:\Back
up\"
Backup Infrastructure
Veeam Backup & Replication is a modular solution that lets you build a scalable backup infrastructure for
environments of different sizes and configuration. The installation package of Veeam Backup & Replication
includes a set of components that you can use to configure the backup infrastructure. Some components are
mandatory and provide core functionality; some components are optional and can be installed to provide
additional functionality for your business and deployment needs. You can co-install Veeam Backup & Replication
components on the same machine, physical or virtual, or you can set them up separately for a more scalable
approach.
Backup Infrastructure Components
The Veeam backup infrastructure comprises a set of components. Some components can be deployed with the
help of the setup file. Other components can be deployed using the Veeam Backup & Replication console.
Backup Server
The backup server is a Windows-based physical or virtual machine on which Veeam Backup & Replication is
installed. It is the core component in the backup infrastructure that fills the role of the “configuration and
control center”. The backup server performs all types of administrative activities:
• Coordinates backup, replication, recovery verification and restore tasks
• Controls job scheduling and resource allocation
• Is used to set up and manage backup infrastructure components as well as specify global settings for the
backup infrastructure
In addition to its primary functions, a newly deployed backup server also performs the roles of the default
backup proxy and the backup repository (it manages data handling and data storing tasks).
Backup Server Services and Components

The backup server uses the following services and components:
• Veeam Backup Service is a Windows service that coordinates all operations performed by
Veeam Backup & Replication such as backup, replication, recovery verification and restore tasks. The
Veeam Backup Service runs under the LocalSystem account or account that has the local Administrator
permissions on the backup server.
• Veeam Broker Service interacts with the virtual infrastructure to collect and cache the virtual
infrastructure topology. Jobs and tasks query information about the virtual infrastructure topology from
the broker service, which accelerates job and task performance.
• Veeam Guest Catalog Service manages guest OS file system indexing for VMs and replicates system index
data files to enable search through guest OS files. Index data is stored in the Veeam Backup Catalog — a
folder on the backup server. The Veeam Guest Catalog Service running on the backup server works in
conjunction with search components installed on Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager and (optionally) a
dedicated Microsoft Search Server.
• Mount Service mounts backups and replicas for file-level access, browsing the VM guest file system and
restoring VM guest OS files and application items to the original location.
• Backup Proxy Services. In addition to dedicated services, the backup server runs a set of Data Mover
Services. For details, see Backup Proxy.
• Veeam CDP Coordinator Service communicates with vCenter, assigns continuous data protection (CDP)
tasks and manages the infrastructure components involved in CDP. For more information on CDP, see
Continuous Data Protection (CDP).
• Veeam Backup & Replication Configuration Database stores data about the backup infrastructure, jobs,
sessions and so on. The database instance can be located on a SQL Server installed either locally (on the
same machine where the backup server is running) or remotely. For more information, see the following
guidelines: Veeam Backup & Replication Best Practices.
Veeam Backup & Replication maintains the configuration database. Veeam Backup & Replication runs the
DatabaseMaintenance system job once a week and when the Veeam Backup Service is restarted. The job
updates the database internal statistics, defragments indexes and clears unused data. For details, see the
Job.DatabaseMaintenance log file in the %ProgramData%\Veeam\Backup folder.
• Veeam Backup & Replication Console provides the application user interface and allows user access to the
application's functionality.
• Veeam Backup PowerShell Snap-In is an extension for Microsoft Windows PowerShell 2.0 or later. Veeam
Backup PowerShell adds a set of cmdlets to allow users to perform backup, replication and recovery tasks
through the command-line interface of PowerShell or run custom scripts to fully automate operation of
Credentials Manager
You can use the Credentials Manager to create and maintain a list of credentials records that you plan to use to
connect to components in the backup infrastructure.
The Credentials Manager lets you create the following types of credentials records:
• Standard account
• Linux account (user name and password)
• Linux private key (Identity/Pubkey)
Standard Accounts
You can create a credentials record for an account that you plan to use to connect to a Microsoft Windows
server, a VM running Microsoft Windows OS or a storage system.
To create a new standard credentials record:
1. From the main menu, select Manage Credentials.
2. Click Add > Standard account.
3. In the Username field, enter a user name for the account that you want to add. You can also click Browse
to select an existing user account.
4. In the Password field, enter a password for the account that you want to add. To view the entered
password, click and hold the eye icon on the right of the field.
5. In the Description field, enter a description for the created credentials record. As there can be a number of
similar account names, for example, Administrator, it is recommended that you provide a meaningful
unique description for the credentials record so that you can distinguish it in the list. The description is
shown in brackets, following the user name.
Linux Accounts (User Name and Password)

You can create a credentials record for the account that you plan to use to connect to a Linux server or VM
running Linux OS.
To create a new credentials record with a user name and password for a Linux server:
2. Click Add > Linux account.
3. In the Username field, enter a user name for the account that you plan to add.
4. In the Password field, enter a password for the account that you want to add. To view the entered
password, click and hold the eye icon on the right of the field.
5. In the SSH port field, specify the SSH port over which you want to connect to a Linux server. By default,
port 22 is used.
6. If you specify data for a non-root account that does not have root permissions on a Linux server, you can
use the Non-root account section to grant sudo rights to this account.
a. To provide a non-root user with root account privileges, select the Elevate specified account to root
check box.
b. To add the user account to sudoers file, select the Add account to the sudoers file automatically
check box. In the Root password field, enter the password for the root account.
If you do not enable this option, you will have to manually add the user account to the sudoers file.
c. When registering a Linux server, you have an option to failover to using the su command for distros
where the sudo command is not available.
To enable the failover, select the Use "su" if "sudo" fails check box and in the Root password field,
enter the password for the root account.
similar account names, for example, Root, it is recommended that you provide a meaningful unique
description for the credentials record so that you can distinguish it in the list. The description is shown in
brackets, following the user name.
IMPORTANT!
• You can create a separate user account intended for work with Veeam Backup & Replication on a
Linux-based VM, grant root privileges to this account and specify settings of this account in the
Credentials Manager. It is recommended that you avoid additional commands output for this user
(like messages echoed from within ~/.bashrc or command traces before execution) because they may
affect Linux VM processing.
• Cases when root password is required to elevate account rights to root using sudo are no longer
supported.
Linux Private Keys (Identity/Pubkey)

You can log on to a Linux server or VM running Linux OS using the Identity/Pubkey authentication method. The
Identity/Pubkey authentication method helps protect against malicious applications like keyloggers,
strengthens the security level and simplifies launch of automated tasks.
To use the Identity/Pubkey authentication method, you must generate a pair of keys — a public key and private
key:
• Public key is stored on Linux servers to which you plan to connect from the backup server. The key is kept
in a special authorized_keys file containing a list of public keys.
• Private key is stored on the client machine — backup server. The private key is protected with a
passphrase. Even if the private key is intercepted, the eavesdropper will have to provide the passphrase to
unlock the key and use it.
For authentication on a Linux server, the client must prove that it has the private key matching the public key
stored on the Linux server. To do this, the client generates a cryptogram using the private key and passes this
cryptogram to the Linux server. If the client uses the "correct" private key for the cryptogram, the Linux server
can easily decrypt the cryptogram with a matching public key.
Veeam Backup & Replication has the following limitations for the Identity/Pubkey authentication method:
• Veeam Backup & Replication does not support keys that are stored as binary data, for example, in a file of
DER format.
• Veeam Backup & Replication supports only keys whose passphrase is encrypted with algorithms supported
by PuTTY:
o AES (Rijndael): 128-bit, 192-bit and 256-bit CBC or CTR (SSH-2 only)
o Blowfish: 128-bit CBC
o Triple-DES: 168-bit CBC
• If you choose to use VMware VIX/vSphere Web Services, Veeam Backup & Replication does not support
usage of public keys for guest processing on Linux guest servers.
To add a credentials record using the Identity/Pubkey authentication method:
1. Generate a pair of keys using a key generation utility, for example, ssh-keygen.
2. Place the public key on a Linux server. To do this, add the public key to the authorized_keys file in the
.ssh/ directory in the home directory on the Linux server.
3. Place the private key in some folder on the backup server or in a network shared folder.
4. In Veeam Backup & Replication, from the main menu select Manage Credentials.
5. Click Add > Linux private key.
6. In the Username field, specify a user name for the created credentials record.
7. In the Password field, specify the password for the user account. The password is required in all cases
except when you use root or a user with enabled NOPASSWD:ALL setting in /etc/sudoers.
8. In the Private key field, enter a path to the private key or click Browse to select a private key.
9. In the Passphrase field, specify a passphrase for the private key on the backup server. To view the entered
passphrase, click and hold the eye icon on the right of the field.
10. In the SSH port field, specify a number of the SSH port that you plan to use to connect to a Linux server.
By default, port 22 is used.
11. If you specify data for a non-root account that does not have root permissions on a Linux server, you can
use the Non-root account section to grant sudo rights to this account.
a. To provide a non-root user with root account privileges, select the Elevate specified account to root
check box.
b. To add the user account to sudoers file, select the Add account to the sudoers file automatically
check box. In the Root password field, enter the password for the root account.
If you do not enable this option, you will have to manually add the user account to the sudoers file.
c. When registering a Linux server, you have an option to failover to using the su command for distros
where the sudo command is not available.
To enable the failover, select the Use "su" if "sudo" fails check box and in the Root password field,
enter the password for the root account.
similar account names, for example, Root, it is recommended that you supply a meaningful unique
description for the credentials record so that you can distinguish it in the list. The description is shown in
brackets, following the user name.
IMPORTANT!
Cases when root password is required to elevate account rights to root using sudo are no longer supported.
Editing and Deleting Credentials Records

You can edit or delete credentials records that you have created.
To edit a credentials record:
2. Select the credentials record in the list and click Edit.
3. If the credentials record is already used for any component in the backup infrastructure,
Veeam Backup & Replication will display a warning. Click Yes to confirm your intention.
4. Edit settings of the credentials record as required.
To delete a credentials record:
2. Select the credentials record in the list and click Remove. You cannot delete a record that is already used
for any component in the backup infrastructure.
NOTE:
The Credentials Manager contains 3 system credentials records:
• A credentials record for the Veeam FLR appliance

• A credentials record for the tenant-side network extension appliance
• A credentials record for Microsoft Azure helper appliance.
You cannot delete these credentials records. However, you can edit them: change a password and record
description.
Cloud Credentials Manager

You can use the Cloud Credentials Manager to create and maintain a list of credentials records that you plan to
use to connect to cloud services.
The Cloud Credentials Manager lets you create the following types of credentials records:
• Veeam Cloud Connect Accounts
• Access Keys for AWS Users
• Microsoft Azure Storage Accounts
• Microsoft Azure Compute Accounts
Veeam Cloud Connect Accounts

You can add a credentials record for a tenant account — an account that you plan to use to connect to a service
provider (SP).
Before you add a credentials record, the SP must register a tenant account on the SP Veeam backup server.
Tenants without accounts cannot connect to the SP and use Veeam Cloud Connect resources. For more
information, see the Registering Tenant Accounts section in the Veeam Cloud Connect Guide.
To create a credentials record for a tenant account:
1. From the main menu, select Manage Cloud Credentials.
2. Click Add > Veeam Cloud Connect service provider account.
3. In the Username field, enter a user name for the account that the SP has provided to you.
NOTE:
If the SP used vCloud Director to allocate replication resources to you, you must enter a user name
for the vCloud Director tenant account in the following format: Organization\Username. For
example: TechCompanyOrg\Administrator.
4. In the Password field, enter a password for the account that the SP has provided to you. To view the
entered password, click and hold the eye icon on the right of the field.
5. In the Description field, enter a description for the created credentials record.
Access Keys for AWS Users

You can create a record for credentials that you plan to use to connect to AWS.
To access AWS resources, you can use Identity and Access Management (IAM) user credentials or AWS account
root user credentials. However, AWS recommends that you use the IAM user credentials. For details, see the
AWS Account Root User Credentials vs. IAM User Credentials section in the AWS General Reference. The
permissions that you must provide to the user are listed in the Required Permissions section.
Since Veeam Backup & Replication uses AWS CLI commands to perform operations in AWS, instead of a user
name and password you must specify an AWS access key. AWS access keys are long-term user credentials that
consists of two parts: an access key ID and a secret access key. For details, see the Managing Access Keys for
IAM Users section in the AWS IAM User Guide.
To create a credentials record:
2. Click Add > Amazon AWS access key.
3. In the Access key field, enter an access key ID.
4. In the Secret key field, enter a secret access key. To view the entered secret key, click and hold the eye
icon on the right of the field.
5. In the Description field, enter a description for the created credentials record.
IMPORTANT!
It is recommended that the user whose credentials you plan to use to connect to AWS S3 has administrative
permissions — access to all AWS S3 actions and resources.
Microsoft Azure Storage Accounts

You can create a credentials record for an account that you plan to use to connect to Microsoft Azure Blob
storage.
The following types of storage accounts are supported.
Storage account Supported Supported Supported access tiers

type services performance
tiers
General-purpose Blob (block Standard Cool: for infrequently accessed data.

V2 blobs only)
Hot: for frequently accessed data.
BlobStorage Archive: for rarely accessed data. Сan be set only

on blob-level. Supported in Archive Tier object
storage systems.
Veeam Backup & Replication will use the access

tier you select as the default one.
General-purpose V1 Blob (block Standard N/A

blobs only)
BlockBlobStorage Blob (block Premium N/A

blobs only)
For more information about the types of storage accounts in Azure, see Microsoft Docs.
To create a record for a Microsoft Azure storage account:
2. Click Add > Microsoft Azure storage account.
3. In the Account field, enter the storage account name.
4. In the Shared key field, enter the storage account shared key. To view the entered key, click and hold the
eye icon on the right of the field.
5. In the Description field, enter an optional description for the credentials record.
TIP:
If you do not have a Microsoft Azure storage account, you can create it in the Azure portal, as described in
the Azure Storage Documentation.
Microsoft Azure Compute Accounts

You can create a credentials record for accounts that will be used for restore to Microsoft Azure.
To create a record for a Microsoft Azure or Microsoft Azure Stack account:
2. Click Add > Microsoft Azure compute account.
3. Follow the steps of the Initial Configuration wizard as described in Adding Microsoft Azure Accounts or
Adding Microsoft Azure Stack Accounts sections.
Google Cloud Accounts

You can create a credentials record for accounts that will be used for restore to Google Cloud.
To create a record for a Google Cloud account:
2. Click Add > Google Cloud access key.
3. In the Access key field, enter the storage access key.
4. In the Secret key field, enter the storage account secret key. To view the entered key, click and hold the
eye icon on the right of the field.
5. In the Description field, enter an optional description for the credentials record.
Editing and Deleting Credentials Records

You can edit or delete existing cloud credentials records.
To edit a credentials record:
2. Select the credentials record in the list and click Edit.
3. Edit settings of the credentials record as required.
To delete a credentials record:
2. Select the credentials record in the list and click Remove. You cannot delete a record that is already used
for any component in the backup infrastructure.
TIP:
You can use the Cloud Credentials Manager to change the password for a tenant account provided by the
SP. For more information, see the Changing Password for Tenant Account section in the Veeam Cloud
Connect Guide.
Password Manager
You can use the Password Manager to create and maintain a list of passwords that you plan to use for data
encryption. Password management can be helpful in the following situations:
• You want to create new passwords. You can use one password per job or share the same password
between several jobs on the backup server.
• You want to edit an existing password, for example, change its hint, or delete a password.
TIP:
Periodical change of passwords is a security best practice. You can create new passwords as often as you
need based on your company security needs and regulatory requirements.
Creating Passwords
You can use the Password Manager to create one or more passwords.
To create a new password:
1. From the main menu, select Manage Passwords. Alternatively, you can use job properties to create a new
password:
a. Open the Home view.
b. In the inventory pane, select Jobs.
c. In the working area, right-click the backup or backup copy job and select Edit.
d. At the Storage step of the wizard (for backup job) or Target step of the wizard (for backup copy job),
click Advanced.
e. Click the Storage tab.
f. In the Encryption section of the Advanced Setting window, select the Enable backup file encryption
check box and click the Manage passwords link.
Veeam Backup & Replication will open the Password Manager.
2. In the Password Manager, click Add.
3. In the Hint field, specify a hint for the created password. It is recommended that you provide a meaningful
hint that will help you recall the password. The password hint is displayed when you import an encrypted
file on the backup server and access this file.
4. In the Password field, enter a password. To view the entered password, click and hold the eye icon on the
right of the field.
IMPORTANT!
Always save a copy of the password you create in a secure place. If you lose the password, you will not be
able to restore it.
Editing Passwords
You can edit passwords you have created using the Password Manager.
To edit a password:
1. From the main menu, select Manage passwords. Alternatively, you can use job properties to edit the
password:
click Advanced.
2. In the Password Manager, select the password and click Edit.
3. Edit the password data: hint and password, as required.
Deleting Passwords
You can delete passwords using the Password Manager.
You cannot remove a password that is currently used by any job on the backup server. To remove such
password, you first need to delete a reference to this password in the job settings.
To delete a password:
1. From the main menu, select Manage passwords. Alternatively, you can use job properties to delete
passwords:
click Advanced.
2. In the Password Manager, select the password and click Remove.
Backup & Replication Console
The Veeam Backup & Replication console is a client-side component that provides access to the backup server.
The console allows you to log in to Veeam Backup & Replication and perform all kinds of data protection and
disaster recovery operations on the backup server.
The console does not have a direct access to the backup infrastructure components and configuration database.
Such data as user credentials, passwords, roles and permissions are stored on the backup server side. To access
this data, the console needs to connect to the backup server and query this information periodically during the
work session.
To make users work as uninterrupted as possible, the remote console maintains the session for 5 minutes if the
connection is lost. If the connection is re-established within this period, you can continue working without re-
logging to the console.
Backup & Replication Console Deployment

The console is installed locally on the backup server by default. You can also use it in a standalone mode —
install the console on a dedicated machine and access Veeam Backup & Replication remotely over the network.
You can install as many remote consoles as you need so that multiple users can access
Veeam Backup & Replication simultaneously. Veeam Backup & Replication prevents concurrent modifications on
the backup server. If several users are working with Veeam Backup & Replication at the same time, the user who
saves the changes first has the priority. Other users will be prompted to reload the wizard or window to get the
most recent information about the changes in the configuration database.
If you have multiple backup servers in the infrastructure, you can connect to any of them from the same
console. For convenience, you can save several shortcuts for these connections.
IMPORTANT!
You cannot use the same console to connect to backup servers with different versions of
Veeam Backup & Replication. Mind this if you have more than one backup server in your backup
environment, and these backup servers run different versions of Veeam Backup & Replication. For example,
if one of your backup servers run version 9.5 Update 3, and another backup server runs version 9.5 Update
4, you will need to use 2 separate consoles for connecting to these servers.
The console supports automatic update. Every time you connect to the backup server locally or remotely, the
console checks for updates. If the backup server has a patch or updates installed, the console will be updated
automatically.
Mind the following:
• Upgrade to another Veeam Backup & Replication major product version is not supported. If you upgrade
Veeam Backup & Replication to another major version, you must upgrade the console to the same version
manually. Automatic upgrade is not supported for Preview, Beta or RTM versions of
• Downgrade of the console is not supported. If the console is of a higher version than the backup server
(for example, you have upgraded the console manually), the connection to the server will fail.
If other Veeam Backup & Replication components, such as Veeam Cloud Connect Portal or Veeam Backup
Enterprise Manager, are installed on the machine where the console runs, these components will also be
upgraded.
Backup & Replication Console Components
When you install a remote console on a machine, Veeam Backup & Replication installs the following
components:
• Veeam Backup PowerShell Snap-In
• Veeam Explorer for Microsoft SQL
• Veeam Explorer for Microsoft OneDrive for Business
• Mount server
Backup & Replication Console User Access Rights

To log in to Veeam Backup & Replication using the console, the user must be added to the Local Users group on
the backup server or a group of domain users who have access to the backup server. The user can perform the
scope of operations permitted by his or her role in Veeam Backup & Replication. For more information, see
Assigning Roles to Users.
Requirements for Backup & Replication Console

A machine on which you install the Veeam Backup & Replication console must meet the following requirements:
• The machine must meet the system requirements. For more information, see System Requirements.
• The remote console can be installed on a Microsoft Windows machine (physical or virtual).
• If you install the console remotely, you can deploy it behind NAT. However, the backup server must be
outside NAT. The opposite type of deployment is not supported: if the backup server is deployed behind
NAT and the remote console is deployed outside NAT, you will not be able to connect to the backup
server.
Limitations for Backup & Replication Console

The Veeam Backup & Replication console has the following limitations:
• You cannot perform restore from the configuration backup using the remote console.
• The machines on which the remote console is installed are not added to the list of managed servers
automatically. For this reason, you cannot perform some operations, for example, import backup files that
reside on the remote console machine or assign roles of backup infrastructure components to this
machine. To perform these operations, you must add the remote console machine as a managed server to
Veeam Backup & Replication. For more information, see Managing Servers.
Logging on to Veeam Backup & Replication
To log on to Veeam Backup & Replication, you must open the Veeam Backup & Replication console and specify
connection settings to access the backup server.
1. To open the Veeam Backup & Replication console, do one of the following:
o Double-click the console icon on the desktop.
o From the Microsoft Windows Start menu, select All Programs > Veeam > Veeam Backup & Replication
Console.
o Use the Microsoft Windows search to find the Veeam Backup & Replication Console program on the
computer.
2. In the Server field, type the name or IP address of the backup server or select it from the list of recent
connections. By default, the console connects to the backup server installed locally — localhost.
3. In the Port field, enter the port over which you want to connect to the backup server. The port number is
set at the Port Configuration step of the setup wizard for Veeam Backup & Replication. By default, port
9392 is used.
4. In the Username and Password fields, enter credentials of the user account that you want to use to
connect to the backup server. The user account must be added to the Local Users group on the backup
server or a group of domain users who have access to the backup server.
You can also select the Use Windows session authentication check box. In this case, you will log on to
Veeam Backup & Replication using the account under which you are currently logged on to Microsoft
Windows.
5. To create a shortcut for the connection, click Save shortcut. You can create as many shortcuts as you need.
NOTE:
If you create a shortcut for a connection, the credentials for this connection will be stored in the Windows
Credentials Manager. The credentials are saved after the first successful logon.
Virtualization Servers and Hosts
You can add the following types of servers and hosts to the backup infrastructure:
• VMware vSphere Server
• VMware vCloud Director
• Microsoft Windows Server
• Linux Server
You can add physical machines and VMs to the backup infrastructure and assign different roles to them. The
table below describes which roles can be assigned to the different types of servers.
Server Type Source Host Target Host Backup Proxy Backup

Repository
VMware vSphere Server

(standalone ESXi host or vCenter
Server)
VMware vCloud Director
Microsoft Windows server
Linux server
NOTE:
You can also add the following servers:
• Hyper-V servers. For more information on how to add servers, see the Adding Microsoft Hyper-V
Servers section in the Veeam Backup & Replication User Guide for Microsoft Hyper-V.
• Veeam Backup for AWS servers. For more information on how to add servers, see the Deployment
and Configuration section in the Integration with Veeam Backup for AWS Guide.
• Veeam Backup for Microsoft Azure servers. For more information on how to add servers, see the
Deployment and Configuration section in the Integration with Veeam Backup for Microsoft Azure
Guide.
• Nutanix AHV clusters. For more information on how to add clusters, see the Deployment section in
the Veeam Backup for Nutanix AHV User Guide.
Related Topics
• Veeam Data Mover Service
• Rescanning Servers
• Editing Server Settings
• Removing Servers
Adding VMware vSphere Servers
You must add to the backup infrastructure VMware vSphere servers that you plan to use as source and target for
backup, replication and other activities.
You can add vCenter Servers and ESXi hosts. If an ESXi host is managed by a vCenter Server, it is recommended
that you add the vCenter Server, not a standalone ESXi host. If you move VMs between ESXi hosts managed by
the vCenter Server, you will not have to re-configure jobs in Veeam Backup & Replication.
Veeam Backup & Replication will automatically locate migrated VMs and continue processing them as usual.
To add a VMware vSphere server, use the New VMware Server wizard.
Step 1. Launch New VMware Server Wizard
To launch the New VMware Server wizard, do one of the following:
• Open the Backup Infrastructure view. In the inventory pane, select the Managed Servers node and click
Add Server on the ribbon or right-click the Managed Servers node and select Add Server. In the Add Server
window, click VMware vSphere > vSphere.
• Open the Inventory view, in the inventory pane select the VMware vSphere node and click Add Server on
the ribbon. You can also right-click the VMware vSphere node and select Add Server.
Step 2. Specify Server Name or Address
At the Name step of the wizard, specify an address and description for the VMware vSphere server.
1. Enter a full DNS name or IP address of the vCenter Server or standalone ESXi host.
If you add a VMware Cloud on AWS vCenter Server, use its Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN). Make
sure the name you specify ends with <vmc.vmware.com>.
2. Provide a description for future reference. The default description contains information about the user
who added the server, date and time when the server was added.
Step 3. Specify Credentials
At the Credentials step of the wizard, specify credentials and port settings for the VMware vSphere server.
1. From the Credentials list, select credentials with the required permissions. For more information, see
Required Permissions.
If you have not set up credentials beforehand, click the Manage accounts link or click Add on the right to
add the credentials. For more information, see Managing Credentials.
2. By default, Veeam Backup & Replication uses port 443 to communicate with vCenter Servers and ESXi
hosts. If a connection with the vCenter Server or ESXi host over this port cannot be established, you can
customize the port number in vCenter Server/ESXi host settings and specify the new port number in the
Port field.
3. When you add a vCenter Server or ESXi host, Veeam Backup & Replication saves to the configuration
database a thumbprint of the TLS certificate installed on the vCenter Server or ESXi host. During every
subsequent connection to the server, Veeam Backup & Replication uses the saved thumbprint to verify the
server identity and avoid the man-in-the-middle attack. For details on managing TLS Certificates, see TLS
Certificates.
If the certificate installed on the server is not trusted, Veeam Backup & Replication displays a warning.
o To view detailed information about the certificate, click View.
o If you trust the server, click Continue.
o If you do not trust the server, click Cancel. Veeam Backup & Replication will display an error message,
and you will not be able to connect to the server.
NOTE:
If you update the certificate on the server, you must acknowledge the new certificate in the server
connection settings. To do this, in the Backup Infrastructure view open the server settings, pass through
the Edit Server wizard and click Trust to acknowledge the key.
Step 4. Finish Working with Wizard
At the Summary step of the wizard, complete the procedure of VMware vSphere server adding.
1. Review details of the VMware vSphere server.
2. Click Finish to exit the wizard.
Adding VMware vCloud Director

To work with vApps and VMs managed by vCloud Director, you must add vCloud Director to the backup
infrastructure.
When you add vCloud Director to the backup infrastructure, the vCloud Director hierarchy is displayed under the
vCloud Director node in the Inventory view. You can work with VMs managed by vCloud Director directly in the
To add the vCloud Director server, use the New VMware vCloud Director wizard.
Step 1. Launch New VMware vCloud Director Server Wizard
To launch the New VMware vCloud Director Server wizard, do the following:
1. Open the Backup Infrastructure view.
2. In the inventory pane, right-click the Managed Servers node and select Add Server. Alternatively, you can
click Add Server on the ribbon.
3. In the Add Server window, click VMware vSphere > vCloud Director.
At the Name step of the wizard, specify connection settings for vCloud Director. If the vCloud Director
infrastructure comprises several cells, you can specify connection settings for any cell in the vCloud Director
hierarchy.
1. In the DNS name or IP address field, enter a full DNS name or IP address of the vCloud Director server or
any cell in the vCloud Director infrastructure.
2. In the URL field, enter a URL of the vCloud Director server. By default, Veeam Backup & Replication uses
the following URL: https://<vcdservername>:443,
where <vcdservername> is the name or IP address of the vCloud Director server that you have specified
in the field above and 443 is the default port for communication with vCloud Director.
3. In the Description field, provide a description for future reference. The default description contains
information about the user who added the server, date and time when the server was added.
Step 3. Specify VMware vCloud Director Credentials
At the Credentials step of the wizard, specify credentials to connect to vCloud Director.
From the Credentials list, select credentials for the account that has system administrator privileges on vCloud
Director (you cannot use the organization administrator account to add vCloud Director). If you have not set up
credentials beforehand, click the Manage accounts link at the bottom of the list or click Add on the right to add
the credentials. For more information, see Managing Credentials.
Step 4. Specify Credentials for Underlying vCenter Servers
At the vCenter Servers step of the wizard, specify credentials for every vCenter Server added to vCloud Director.
If the vCenter Server is already added to the backup infrastructure, you do not need to specify credentials for it
once again. Veeam Backup & Replication will automatically detect the credentials you provided when adding
this vCenter Server and use them.
1. From the vCenter servers list, select a vCenter Server.
2. Click Account on the right and select credentials to connect to the vCenter Server. By default,
Veeam Backup & Replication uses the same credentials that you have specified for vCloud Director at the
previous step of the wizard.
If you have not set up the credentials beforehand, click the Manage accounts link at the bottom of the list
or click Add on the right to add the credentials. For more information, see Managing Credentials.
3. Veeam Backup & Replication automatically detects a port used to communicate with the vCenter Server. If
necessary, you can change the connection port for the vCenter Server. Click vCenter on the right and
adjust the port number.
4. When you add a vCenter Server, Veeam Backup & Replication saves a thumbprint of the TLS certificate
installed on the vCenter Server to the configuration database. During every subsequent connection to the
server, Veeam Backup & Replication uses the saved thumbprint to verify the server identity and avoid the
man-in-the-middle attack. For details on managing TLS Certificates, see TLS Certificates.
If the certificate installed on the server is not trusted, Veeam Backup & Replication displays a warning.
o To view detailed information about the certificate, click View.
o If you trust the server, click Continue.
o If you do not trust the server, click Cancel. Veeam Backup & Replication will display an error message,
and you will not be able to connect to the server.
5. Repeat steps 1-3 for all vCenter Servers added to vCloud Director.
NOTE:
After you update the certificate on the server, you must acknowledge the new certificate in the server
connection settings. To do this, in the Backup Infrastructure view open the server settings, pass through
the Edit Server wizard and click Trust to acknowledge the key.
At the Apply step of the wizard, complete the procedure of vCloud Director adding.
1. Review details of vCloud Director.
2. Click Next, and then click Finish to exit the wizard.
If vCenter Servers underlying vCloud Director are already added to the backup infrastructure, they will not be
added for the second time. Veeam Backup & Replication will create associations with the vCenter Servers and
display them in the vCloud Director hierarchy.
Adding Microsoft Windows Servers

You must add to the backup infrastructure Microsoft Windows servers that you plan to use as backup
infrastructure components and servers that you plan to use for various types of restore operations.
Before you add a Microsoft Windows server, check prerequisites. Then use the New Windows Server wizard to
add the server.
Before You Begin

Before you add a Microsoft Windows server to the backup infrastructure, check network connection settings of
this server.
• File and printer sharing must be enabled in network connection settings of the added Microsoft Windows
server. On every connected Microsoft Windows server, Veeam Backup & Replication deploys two
components:
o Veeam Installer Service
o Veeam Data Mover Service
If file and printer sharing is not enabled, Veeam Backup & Replication will fail to deploy these
components.
Step 1. Launch New Windows Server Wizard
To launch the New Windows Server wizard, do one of the following:
• Open the Backup Infrastructure or Files view, in the inventory pane select the Microsoft Windows node
and click Add Server on the ribbon.
• Open the Backup Infrastructure view. In the inventory pane, select the Managed Servers node and click
Add Server on the ribbon or right-click the Managed Servers node and select Add Server. In the Add Server
window, select Microsoft Windows.
At the Name step of the wizard, specify an address and description for the Microsoft Windows server.
1. Enter a full DNS name or IP address of the Microsoft Windows server.
Step 3. Specify Credentials
At the Credentials step of the wizard, specify credentials for the Microsoft Windows server.
1. From the Credentials list, select credentials for the account that has administrator privileges on the
Microsoft Windows server. If you have not set up credentials beforehand, click the Manage accounts link
or click Add on the right to add the credentials. For more information, see Managing Credentials.
Veeam Backup & Replication will use the provided credentials to deploy its components on the added
server.
2. To customize network ports used by Veeam Backup & Replication components, click Ports. For default
ports used by the Veeam Backup & Replication components, see Used Ports.
If necessary, adjust port numbers.
1. In the Data transfer options section of the Network Settings window, specify connection settings for file
copy operations. Provide a range of ports that will be used as transmission channels between the source
server and target server (one port per task). By default, Veeam Backup & Replication uses port range
2500-3300.
If the virtual environment is not large and data traffic will not be significant, you can specify a smaller
range of ports, for example, 2500-2510 to run 10 concurrent tasks at the same time. Keep in mind that
Veeam Backup & Replication processes each VM disk as a separate task.
3. If the Microsoft Windows server is deployed outside NAT, in the Preferred TCP connection role section
select the Run server on this side check box. In the NAT scenario, the outside client cannot initiate a
connection to the server on the NAT network. As a result, services that require initiation of the connection
from outside can be disrupted. With this option selected, you will be able to overcome this limitation and
initiate a ‘server-client’ connection — that is, a connection in the direction of the Microsoft Windows
server.
Step 4. Review Components
At the Review step of the wizard, review what Veeam Backup & Replication components are already installed on
the server and what components will be installed.
1. Review the components.
2. Click Apply to add the Microsoft Windows server to the backup infrastructure.
At the Apply step of the wizard, complete the procedure of Microsoft Windows server adding.
1. Review details of the Microsoft Windows server.
2. Click Next, then click Finish to exit the wizard.
Adding Linux Servers

You must add to the backup infrastructure Linux servers that you plan to use as backup repositories and servers
that you plan to use for various types of restore operations.
Before you add a Linux server, check prerequisites. Then use the New Linux Server wizard to add the server.
Before You Begin

Before you add a Linux server to the Veeam Backup & Replication infrastructure, check the following
prerequisites:
If you add a server using single-use credentials, it will not be available through SSH connection.
Linux Firewalls
When you add a Linux server to the backup infrastructure, Veeam Backup & Replication automatically opens
ports used by the Veeam Data Mover Service on the Linux server. By default, the ports are opened in all active
firewalld zones. If your firewall is configured for different zones, and you want to minimize security holes, you
can configure Veeam Backup & Replication to open the ports only for certain zones. To do this, perform the
following:
1. On the Linux host, create the /etc/VeeamNetConfig file and define the following parameter:
FirewalldZones=zone_name_1, zone_name_2
where zone_name_1, zone_name_2 is a list of zone names where the ports must be open.
Veeam Backup & Replication will skip the zones that are not in this list.
2. Add the Linux server to the Veeam Backup & Replication infrastructure.
3. After you add the Linux server, you must also specify the required zones for the Veeam Data Mover
Service.
Open the /opt/veeam/transport/VeeamTransportConfig file with a text editor and add the
following line:
NOTE
Mind the following:
• Generally, Veeam Backup & Replication automatically open ports for most of the popular firewalls
(iptables, ufw, firewall-cmd). However, if for some reason the ports are not opened, you can open
the ports manually. You can also specify these ports at the SSH Connection step of the New Linux
Server wizard. Note that ports are opened dynamically: if 10 concurrent jobs are running,
Veeam Backup & Replication opens ports 2500-2510.
• Veeam Backup & Replication opens the port 2500 in all zones even if you have specified the required
zones in the configuration files.
Step 1. Launch New Linux Server Wizard
To launch the New Linux Server wizard, do one of the following:
2. In the inventory pane, right-click the Managed Servers node and select Add Server. Alternatively, you can
click Add Server on the ribbon.
3. In the Add Server window, select Linux.
At the Name step of the wizard, specify an address and description for the Linux server.
1. Enter a full DNS name or IP address of the Linux server.
Step 3. Specify Credentials and SSH Settings
At the SSH Connection step of the wizard, specify credentials for the Linux server and additional SSH connection
settings.
1. From the Credentials list, select credentials for the account that has administrator privileges on the Linux
server. You can select a credentials record that uses the password authentication method or credentials
record that uses the Identity/Pubkey authentication method.
To use Linux hardened repository, click Add and select Single-use credentials for hardened repository.
Veeam Backup & Replication does not store these credentials. They are used only for deploying Veeam
Data Mover Service to the host. These credentials reduce the rights for the Veeam Data Mover Service.
Single-use, or temporary, credentials is a recommended option for Linux hardened repository, but you can
also use persistent credentials. In this case, the rights for the transport service will be reduced at the
Configure Backup Repository Settings step of the Adding Backup Repository wizard.
NOTE
If you add a Linux server with single-use credentials, the folder with the repository must be accessible for
accounts with user permissions (and not only root).
2. To configure advanced SSH settings, click Advanced. This option becomes available after you have entered
your credentials.
a. In the Service console connection section, specify an SSH timeout. By default, the SSH timeout is set
to 20000 ms. If a task targeted at the Linux server is inactive after the specified timeout,
Veeam Backup & Replication will automatically terminate the task.
b. In the Data transfer options section, specify connection settings for file copy operations. Provide a
range of ports that will be used as transmission channels between the source host and target host
(one port per task). By default, Veeam Backup & Replication uses port range 2500-3300. If the virtual
environment is not large and data traffic will not be significant, you can specify a smaller range of
ports, for example, 2500-2510 to run 10 concurrent jobs at the same time.
Port 6162 is opened by default. It is a port used by Veeam Data Mover Service.
NOTE
If you want to open these ports only for certain firewalld zones, you can specify the required
zones in the configuration files. For instructions, see the Before You Begin section.
c. If the Linux server is deployed outside NAT, in the Preferred TCP connection role section select the
Run server on this side check box. In the NAT scenario, the outside client cannot initiate a connection
to the server on the NAT network. As a result, services that require initiation of the connection from
outside can be disrupted. With this option selected, you will be able to overcome this limitation and
initiate a ‘server-client’ connection — that is, a connection in the direction of the Linux server.
3. When you add a Linux server, Veeam Backup & Replication saves a fingerprint of the Linux host SSH key to
the configuration database. During every subsequent connection to the server,
Veeam Backup & Replication uses the saved fingerprint to verify the server identity and avoid the man-in-
the-middle attack.
To let you identify the server, Veeam Backup & Replication displays the SSH key fingerprint:
o If you trust the server and want to connect to it, click Yes.
o If you do not trust the server, click No. Veeam Backup & Replication will display an error message, and
you will not be able to connect to the server.
NOTE
If you update the SSH key on the server, you must acknowledge the new key in the server connection
settings. To do this, in the Backup Infrastructure view open the server settings, pass through the Edit
Server wizard and click Trust to acknowledge the new key.
the server and what components will be installed.
2. Click Apply to add the Linux server to the backup infrastructure.
At the Summary step of the wizard, complete the procedure of Linux server adding.
1. Review details of the Linux server.
2. Click Next, then click Finish to exit the wizard.
Veeam Data Mover Service

Veeam Data Mover Service is a component that gives access to a host by enabling Veeam Data Movers – agents
that are responsible for VM data processing and transfer.
When you add a Microsoft Windows or Linux server, Veeam Backup & Replication can install Veeam Data Mover
Service automatically. Several limitations apply; see below.
If you do not wish Veeam Backup & Replication to install Veeam Data Mover Service, the user account specified
for the server must not have root or elevated to root permission.
NOTE
In Veeam Backup & Replication 11, Veeam Data Mover Service is required by Linux backup proxies. When
you upgrade to this version, Linux hosts with proxy role will require update during which Veeam Data
Mover Service will be installed. Linux hosts that did not have the proxy role will not require update and will
be available through SSH connection. If you wish to install Veeam Data Mover Service on such host, right-
click on your Linux host, select Properties and follow the steps of Edit Linux Server wizard.
Requirements and Limitations for Veeam Data Mover Service
• For Linux servers:
o Linux host version must be 64-bit.
o Veeam Backup & Replication will not deploy Veeam Data Mover Service on deduplicating storage
appliances.
o If you want Veeam Backup & Replication to install Veeam Data Mover Service, the user account
specified for the server must have root or elevated to root permission.
Otherwise, Veeam Data Mover Service will not be installed, but the host will still be available through
SSH connection. In this case, Linux repository will not host the Veeam Data Mover permanently. When
a task addresses a Linux repository, Veeam Backup & Replication will deploy and start the Veeam Data
Mover on the backup repository.
o When you add a Linux host using single-use credentials, the user account still must have root or
elevated to root permission in order for Veeam Data Mover Service to be installed.
• For Microsoft Hyper-V and Microsoft Windows servers: file and printer sharing must be enabled in network
connection settings of the added server.
Rescanning Servers
In some cases, you may need to rescan hosts or servers in the backup infrastructure. The rescan operation may
be required if you have added or removed new disks and volumes to/from the host or server and want to display
actual information in Veeam Backup & Replication. During the rescan operation, Veeam Backup & Replication
retrieves information about disks and volumes that are currently connected to a host or server and stores this
information to the configuration database.
Veeam Backup & Replication automatically performs a rescan operation every 4 hours. You can also start the
rescan operation manually:
2. In the inventory pane, select Managed servers.
3. In the working area, select the server or host and click Rescan on the ribbon. Alternatively, you can right-
click the server or host and select Rescan.
Editing Server Settings

To edit settings of a server in the backup infrastructure:
3. In the working area, select the server and click Edit Server on the ribbon or right-click the server and
select Properties.
4. You will follow the same steps as you have followed when adding the server. Edit server settings as
required.
Removing Servers
If you do not plan to use some server anymore, you can remove it from the backup infrastructure.
You cannot remove a server that has any dependencies. For example, you cannot remove a server that is
referenced by a backup or replication job, performs the role of a backup proxy or backup repository. To remove
such server, you will need to delete all referencing jobs and roles first.
When you remove a server that is used as a target host or backup repository, backup files and replica files are
not removed from disk. You can easily import these files later to Veeam Backup & Replication if needed.
NOTE:
When you remove vCloud Director from the backup infrastructure, vCenter Servers added to vCloud
Director are not removed. To remove the vCenter Server, in the inventory pane expand the vCenter Servers
node, right-click the vCenter Server and select Remove.
You cannot remove vCenter Servers added to vCloud Director until the vCloud Director server is removed
from the backup infrastructure.
To remove a server from the backup infrastructure:
3. In the working area, select the server and click Remove Server on the ribbon or right-click the server and
select Remove.
Backup Proxy
A backup proxy is an architecture component that sits between the backup server and other components of the
backup infrastructure. While the backup server administers tasks, the proxy processes jobs and delivers backup
traffic.
Basic backup proxy tasks include the following:
• Retrieving VM data from the production storage
• Compressing
• Deduplicating
• Encrypting
• Sending it to the backup repository (for example, if you run a backup job) or another backup proxy (for
example, if you run a replication job)
Backup Proxy Transport Modes

Depending on your backup architecture, a backup proxy can use one of the following data transport modes:
• Direct storage access
• Virtual appliance
• Network
If the VM disks are located on the storage system and the storage system is added to the
Veeam Backup & Replication console, the backup proxy can also use the Backup from Storage Snapshots mode.
You can explicitly select the transport mode or let Veeam Backup & Replication automatically choose the mode.
For details, see Transport Modes and Configuring Backup Proxy for Storage Snapshots.
Backup Proxy Deployment

By default, the role of the proxy is assigned to the backup server itself. However, this is sufficient only for small
installations with low traffic load. For large installations, it is recommended to deploy dedicated backup proxies.
To optimize performance of several concurrent jobs, you can use several backup proxies. In this case,
Veeam Backup & Replication will distribute the backup workload between available backup proxies. You can
deploy backup proxies both in the primary site and in remote sites.
To deploy a proxy, you need to add a Windows-based or Linux-based server to Veeam Backup & Replication and
assign the role of the backup proxy to the added server. For requirements and limitations that backup proxies
have, see Requirements and Limitations for Backup Proxies.
Backup Proxy Services and Components

Backup proxies run light-weight services that take a few seconds to deploy. Deployment is fully automated.
Veeam Backup & Replication installs the following components and services:
• Veeam Installer Service is an auxiliary service that is installed and started on any Windows server once it is
added to the list of managed servers in the Veeam Backup & Replication console. This service analyzes the
system, installs and upgrades necessary components and services depending on the role selected for the
server.
• Veeam Data Mover is a component that performs data processing tasks on behalf of
Veeam Backup & Replication, such as retrieving source VM data, performing data deduplication and
compression, and storing backed-up data on the target storage.
In This Section
• Requirements and Limitations for Backup Proxies
• Transport Modes
• Adding VMware Backup Proxies
• Editing Backup Proxy Settings
• Disabling and Removing Backup Proxies
Requirements and Limitations for Backup Proxies

Before you assign the role of a backup proxy, check the following prerequisites and limitations.
Connection to Storage
The following list shows possible connections between the machine and storage that keeps backups of this
machine. The first connection is the most efficient, the last one is the least efficient.
• A machine used as the backup proxy should have direct access to the storage on which VMs reside or the
storage where VM data is written. This way, the backup proxy will retrieve data directly from the datastore
bypassing LAN.
• The backup proxy can be a VM with HotAdd access to VM disks on the datastore. This type of proxy also
enables LAN-free data transfer between the host and the backup proxy.
• If neither of the above scenarios is possible, you can assign the role of the backup proxy to a machine
whose network is located closer to the source or the target storage to which the proxy will connect. In this
case, VM data will be transported over LAN using the NBD protocol.
General Requirements and Limitations

• The role of a backup proxy can be assigned to the following machines:
o Physical or virtual Microsoft Windows machine
o Physical or virtual Linux machine
• You must add the machine to the Veeam Backup & Replication console as a managed server.
• If you back up proxies that use the Virtual appliance (Hot-Add) mode to process VM data, the change
block tracking mechanism (CBT) will be disabled. For more information on CBT, see Changed Block
Tracking.
Requirements and Limitations for Linux Backup Proxy

In addition to the general requirements and limitations, the following ones apply to Linux backup proxies:
• Linux backup proxies require Veeam Data Mover Service.
Therefore, the user account that you specify for the Linux server must be a root user or user elevated to
root. For more information, see Veeam Data Mover Service.
• Linux backup proxies require SSH connection.

Therefore, you cannot assign the role of a backup proxy to a Linux server added with single-use
credentials. For more information, see Requirements and Limitations for Veeam Data Mover Service and
Specify Credentials and SSH Settings step of the Adding Linux Servers wizard.
• The disk.EnableUUID parameter of the Linux server must be set to the TRUE value in the VMware
vSphere client.
• Linux backup proxies cannot be used with VMware Cloud on AWS. This is because VDDK settings required
by VMware cannot be enabled on Linux backup proxies.
• Linux backup proxies that use virtual appliance (Hot-Add) transport mode do not support the VM copy
scenario.
• For integration with storage systems: Linux backup proxies do not support the NFS protocol.
• Linux backup proxies cannot be used for guest interaction.
Transport Modes
A transport mode is a method that is used by the Veeam Data Mover to retrieve VM data from the source and
write VM data to the target. Job efficiency and time required for job completion greatly depend on the transport
mode.
For data retrieval, Veeam Backup & Replication offers the following modes (starting from the most efficient):
• Direct storage access
• Virtual Appliance (HotAdd)
• Network
The Veeam Data Mover responsible for data retrieval runs on a backup proxy. Correspondingly, the transport
mode can be defined in the settings of the backup proxy that performs the job.
When you configure backup proxy settings, you can manually select a transport mode, or let
Veeam Backup & Replication select the most appropriate mode automatically. If you use automatic mode
selection, Veeam Backup & Replication will scan backup proxy configuration and its connection to the VMware
vSphere infrastructure to choose the optimal transport mode. If several transport modes are available for the
same backup proxy, Veeam Backup & Replication will choose the mode in the following order: Direct storage
access > Virtual appliance > Network.
The selected transport mode is used for data retrieval. For writing data to the target,
Veeam Backup & Replication picks the transport mode automatically, based on the configuration of the backup
proxy and transport mode limitations.
Veeam Backup & Replication leverages VMware vStorage APIs for Data Protection (VADP) for all transport
modes except for backup from storage snapshots, the direct NFS transport mode and the virtual appliance
transport mode. VADP can be used for VMware vSphere starting from version 4.
Applicability and efficiency of each transport mode primarily depends on the type of datastore used by the
source host — local or shared, and on the backup proxy type — physical or virtual. The table below shows
recommendations for installing the backup proxy, depending on the storage type and desired transport mode.
Production Storage Type Direct Storage Access Virtual Appliance Network Mode
Fiber Channel (FC) SAN Install a backup proxy on Install a backup proxy on This mode is not
a physical server with a a VM running on an ESXi recommended on 1 Gb
direct FC access to the host connected to the Ethernet but works well
SAN. storage device. with 10 Gb Ethernet.
Install a backup proxy on

iSCSI SAN Install a backup proxy on any machine on the
a physical or virtual storage network.
machine.
NFS Storage
vSAN Not supported. Install a backup proxy on

a VM running on an ESXi
host connected to the
VSAN storage device.
VVol Install a backup proxy on

a VM running on an ESXi
host connected to the
VVol storage.
Local Storage Install a backup proxy on

a VM on every ESXi host.
NOTE:
If you use VMware Cloud on AWS, the only available transport mode is Virtual
appliance. We recommend you install a backup proxy on a VM running on an
ESXi host connected to the VSAN storage device.
Direct Storage Access

In the Direct storage access mode, Veeam Backup & Replication reads/writes data directly from/to the storage
system where VM data or backups are located. This mode comprises two transport modes:
• Direct SAN access
• Direct NFS access
Direct SAN Access

The Direct SAN access transport mode is recommended for VMs whose disks are located on shared VMFS SAN
LUNs that are connected to ESXi hosts over FC, FCoE, iSCSI, and on shared SAS storage.
In the Direct SAN access transport mode, Veeam Backup & Replication leverages VMware VADP to transport VM
data directly from and to FC, FCoE and iSCSI storage over the SAN. VM data travels over the SAN, bypassing
ESXi hosts and the LAN. The Direct SAN access transport method provides the fastest data transfer speed and
produces no load on the production network.
The Direct SAN access transport mode can be used for all operations where the backup proxy is engaged:
• Backup
• Replication
• VM copy
• Quick migration
• Entire VM restore
• VM disk restore
• Replica failback
Requirements for the Direct SAN Access Mode

To use the Direct SAN access transport mode, make sure that the following requirements are met:
• It is strongly recommended that you assign the role of a backup proxy working in the Direct SAN access
mode to a physical machine. If you assign this role to a VM, the backup proxy performance may not be
optimal.
• A backup proxy using the Direct SAN access transport mode must have a direct access to the production
storage using a hardware or software HBA. If a direct SAN connection is not configured or not available
when a job or task starts, the job or task will fail.
• SAN storage volumes presented as VMware datastores must be exposed to the OS of the backup proxy
that works in the Direct SAN access transport mode.
The volumes must be visible in Disk Management but must not be initialized by the OS. Otherwise, the
VMFS filesystem will be overwritten with NTFS, and volumes will become unrecognizable by ESXi hosts.
To prevent volumes initialization, Veeam Backup & Replication automatically sets the SAN Policy within
each proxy to Offline Shared.
• [For restore operations] A backup proxy must have write access to LUNs where VM disks are located.
Limitations for the Direct SAN Access Mode

• The Direct SAN access transport mode can be used to restore only thick VM disks.
• You cannot use the Direct SAN access mode in the following cases:
o For VMs residing on vSAN. You can use Virtual appliance and Network transport modes to process
such VMs. For details on vSAN restrictions, see VDDK 5.5 Release Notes.
o If at least one VM disk is located on a VVol.
o For Veeam Cloud Connect Replication because in this scenario Veeam Backup & Replication always
creates VM replicas with thin disks.
o For incremental restore due to VMware limitations. Either disable CBT for VM virtual disks for the
duration of the restore process or select another transport mode for incremental restore.
• Veeam Backup & Replication uses the Direct SAN access transport mode to read and write VM data only
during the first session of the replication job. During subsequent replication job sessions,
Veeam Backup & Replication will use the Virtual appliance or Network transport mode on the target side.
The source side proxy will keep reading VM data from the source datastore in the Direct SAN access
transport mode.
Veeam Backup & Replication writes VM data to the target datastore in the Direct SAN access transport
mode only if disks of a VM replica are thick-provisioned. If disks are thin-provisioned,
Veeam Backup & Replication will write VM data in the Network or Virtual appliance mode. By default,
Veeam Backup & Replication replicates VM disks in the thin format. To write VM data to the target
datastore in the Direct SAN access transport mode, select to convert VM disks to the thick format at the
Destination step of the replication job wizard.
• IDE and SATA disks can be processed in the Direct SAN access transport mode.
Data Backup in Direct SAN Access Mode

To retrieve VM data blocks from a SAN LUN during backup, the backup proxy uses metadata about the layout of
VM disks on the SAN.
Data backup in the Direct SAN access transport mode includes the following steps:
1. The backup proxy sends a request to the ESXi host to locate the necessary VM on the datastore.
2. The ESXi host locates the VM.
3. Veeam Backup & Replication triggers VMware vSphere to create a VM snapshot.
4. The ESXi host retrieves metadata about the layout of VM disks on the storage (physical addresses of data
blocks).
5. The ESXi host sends metadata to the backup proxy.
6. The backup proxy uses metadata to copy VM data blocks directly from the source storage over the SAN.
7. The backup proxy processes copied data blocks and sends them to the target.
Data Restore in Direct SAN Access Mode
The Direct SAN access transport mode can be used to restore VMs with thick disks. To restore VMs with thin
disks, you can use the Virtual appliance or Network mode.
If you plan to process VMs that have both thin and thick disks, you can enable the Direct SAN access mode.
However, Veeam Backup & Replication will use the Network transport mode to restore disks of these VMs. If you
want to use Direct SAN access mode, restore all VM disks as thick.
Data restore in the Direct SAN access transport mode includes the following steps:
1. The backup proxy retrieves data blocks from the backup repository or a datastore in the target site.
2. The backup proxy sends a request to the ESXi host in the source site to restore data to a necessary
datastore.
3. The ESXi host in the source site allocates space on the datastore.
4. Data blocks are written to the datastore.
Direct NFS Access

The Direct NFS access is a recommended transport mode for VMs whose disks are located on NFS datastores.
The Direct NFS access mode provides an alternative to the Network mode. When Veeam Backup & Replication
processes VM data in the Network mode, it uses VMware VDDK to communicate with the ESXi host. This
produces additional load on the ESXi host.
In the Direct NFS access mode, Veeam Backup & Replication bypasses the ESXi host and reads/writes data
directly from/to NFS datastores. To do this, Veeam Backup & Replication deploys its native NFS client on the
backup proxy and uses it for VM data transport. VM data still travels over LAN but there is no load on the ESXi
host.
The Direct NFS access mode can be used for all operations where the backup proxy is engaged:
• Backup
• Replication
• Quick migration
• VM copy
• VM disk restore
Requirements for the Direct NFS Access Mode

• Direct NFS access mode can be used in VMware vSphere environments running NFS version 3 and 4.1.
• The backup proxy used for VM data processing must have access to the NFS datastores where VM disks are
located. For more information, see Backup Proxy for Direct NFS Access Mode.
• If NFS volumes are mounted on the ESXi host under names, not IP addresses, the volume names must be
resolved by DNS from the backup proxy.
Limitations for Direct NFS Access Mode

• Veeam Backup & Replication cannot parse delta disks in the Direct NFS access mode. For this reason, the
Direct NFS access mode has the following limitations:
o The Direct NFS access mode cannot be used for VMs that have at least one snapshot.
o Veeam Backup & Replication uses the Direct NFS transport mode to read and write VM data only
during the first session of the replication job. During subsequent replication job sessions, the VM
replica will already have one or more snapshots. For this reason, Veeam Backup & Replication will use
another transport mode to write VM data to the datastore on the target side. The source side proxy
will keep reading VM data from the source datastore in the Direct NFS transport mode.
• If you enable the Enable VMware tools quiescence option in the job settings, Veeam Backup & Replication
will not use the Direct NFS transport mode to process running Microsoft Windows VMs that have VMware
Tools installed. The Direct NFS transport mode is not used because during VM quiescence VMware creates
a snapshot with two delta disks per virtual disk.
• If a VM has some disks that cannot be processed in the Direct NFS access mode,
Veeam Backup & Replication processes these VM disks in the Network transport mode.
Backup Proxy for Direct NFS Access Mode

Veeam Backup & Replication deploys its NFS agent on every backup proxy when you assign the backup proxy
role to a Microsoft Windows server (physical or virtual). To instruct the backup proxy to use the Direct NFS
access mode, you must choose the Automatic selection or Direct storage access option in the backup proxy
settings.
To read and write data in the Direct NFS transport mode, the backup proxy must meet the following
requirements:
1. The backup proxy must have access to the NFS datastore.
2. The backup proxy must have ReadOnly/Write permissions and root access to the NFS datastore.
Backup Proxy Selection
Veeam Backup & Replication selects backup proxies working in the Direct NFS access transport mode by the
following rules:
• If you instruct Veeam Backup & Replication to select a backup proxy automatically for a job or task,
Veeam Backup & Replication picks a backup proxy with the minimum number of hops to the NFS
datastore. If there are several backup proxies with the equal number of hops in the backup infrastructure,
Veeam Backup & Replication picks the least busy backup proxy in the backup infrastructure.
If all backup proxies with the minimum number of hops are busy at the moment,
Veeam Backup & Replication waits until these backup proxies are free. Veeam Backup & Replication does
not pick a backup proxy that has a greater number of hops to the NFS datastore and works in the Direct
NFS access or Virtual appliance transport mode.
• If you select one or more backup proxies explicitly for a job or task, Veeam Backup & Replication does not
regard the number of hops to the NFS datastore. Veeam Backup & Replication picks the least busy backup
proxy working in the Direct NFS access transport mode.
If all backup proxies working in the Direct NFS access transport mode are busy,
Veeam Backup & Replication waits until these backup proxies are free. Veeam Backup & Replication does
not pick a backup proxy working in the Virtual appliance transport mode.
To detect the number of hops from a backup proxy to the NFS datastore, Veeam Backup & Replication uses the
host discovery process. During host discovery, Veeam Backup & Replication obtains information about the
number of hops, checks to which NFS datastores the backup proxy has access and what permissions the backup
proxy has on NFS datastores.
The host discovery process rescans all Microsoft Windows machines to which the backup proxy role is assigned.
The process starts automatically every 4 hours. Host discovery is also triggered when you change the transport
mode settings and choose to use the Direct storage access for the backup proxy.
If necessary, you can start the host discovery process manually. To do this, perform the Rescan operation for a
machine to which the backup proxy role is assigned.
Data Backup in Direct NFS Access Mode

Data backup in the Direct NFS access transport mode is performed in the following way:
1. The backup proxy sends a request to the ESXi host to locate a VM on the NFS datastore.
4. The ESXi host retrieves metadata about the layout of VM disks on the storage (physical addresses of data
blocks).
5. The ESXi host sends metadata to the backup proxy.
6. The backup proxy uses metadata to copy VM data blocks directly from the NFS datastore over LAN.
7. The backup proxy processes copied data blocks and sends them to the target over LAN.
Data Restore in Direct NFS Access Mode

Data restore in the Direct NFS access transport mode is performed in the following way:
1. The backup proxy retrieves data blocks from the backup repository or a datastore in the target site.
2. The backup proxy sends a request to the ESXi host to restore data to an NFS datastore.
3. The ESXi host allocates space on the NFS datastore.
4. Data blocks obtained from the backup proxy are written to the NFS datastore over LAN.
Virtual Appliance (HotAdd)
The Virtual appliance mode is not so efficient as the Direct storage access mode but provides better
performance than the Network mode. The Virtual appliance mode is recommended if the role of a backup proxy
is assigned to a VM.
In the Virtual appliance mode, Veeam Backup & Replication uses the VMware SCSI HotAdd capability that allows
attaching devices to a VM while the VM is running. During backup, replication or restore disks of the processed
VM are attached to the backup proxy. VM data is retrieved or written directly from/to the datastore, instead of
going through the network.
The Virtual appliance transport mode can be used for all operations where the backup proxy is engaged:
• Backup
• Replication
• VM copy
• Quick migration
• VM disk restore
Requirements for the Virtual Appliance mode

To use the Virtual appliance transport mode, make sure that the following requirements are met:
• The role of a backup proxy must be assigned to a VM.
• The backup proxy and processed VMs must reside in the same datacenter.
• The ESXi host on which the backup proxy is deployed must have access to the datastore hosting disks of
VMs that you plan to process.
• [For NFS 3.0] If you plan to process VMs that store disks on the NFS datastore, you must configure
Veeam Backup & Replication to use the proxy on the same host as VMs. This is required due to an issue
described in this VMware KB article. For more information on how to configure the proxy, see this Veeam
KB article.
As an alternative, you can use ESXi 6.0 or higher and NFS 4.1.
• The backup server and backup proxy must have the latest version of VMware Tools installed.
• SCSI 0:X controller must be present on a backup proxy. In the opposite case, VM data processing in the
Virtual appliance transport mode will fail.
Limitations for the Virtual Appliance mode

• If a backup proxy used to process a source VM resides on a VMFS 3 datastore, it must be formatted with
proper block size to be able to mount the largest virtual disk of hot-added VMs:
o 1 MB block size — 256 GB maximum file size
This limitation does not apply to VMFS-5 volumes that always have 1 MB file block size.
• For vSphere 5.5 and later the maximum supported VMDK size is 62 TB.
• [For Microsoft Windows proxy] Before running a data protection task, Veeam Backup & Replication
disables the volume automount feature.
• Backup and restore of IDE disks in the Virtual appliance mode is not supported.
• Backup and restore of SATA disks in the Virtual appliance mode is supported if you use VMware vSphere
6.0 and later.
Data Backup and Restore in Virtual Appliance Mode

The process of data retrieval in the Virtual appliance transport mode includes the following steps:
1. The backup server sends a request to the ESXi host to locate the necessary VM on the datastore.
4. VM disks are attached (hot-added) to the backup proxy.
5. Veeam Backup & Replication reads data directly from disks attached to the backup proxy.
6. When the VM processing is complete, VM disks are detached from the backup proxy and the VM snapshot
is deleted.
The process of data restore in the Virtual appliance mode works in a similar manner. VM disks from the backup
are attached to the backup proxy and Veeam Backup & Replication transports VM data to the target datastore.
After the restore process is finished, VM disks are detached from the backup proxy.
ESXi host interacts with VMware Cloud on AWS through VMware vCenter. Veeam Backup & Replication performs
backup through the networkless Virtual appliance (HotAdd) mode.
Virtual Appliance Mode for VMs on VSAN

To transport data of VMs residing on VSAN in the Virtual appliance mode, you must assign the backup proxy role
to a VM.
The backup proxy VM must meet the following requirements:
• The backup proxy VM must reside on any of ESXi hosts connected to a VSAN cluster.
Veeam Backup & Replication will retrieve data of processed VMs over the I/O stack of the ESXi host on
which the backup proxy is deployed.
• Disks of the backup proxy VM must reside on the VSAN datastore.
If you have several backup proxies on ESXi hosts in the VSAN cluster, Veeam Backup & Replication chooses the
most appropriate backup proxy to reduce the backup traffic on the VSAN cluster network. To choose a backup
proxy, Veeam Backup & Replication checks HDDs directly attached to every ESXi host and calculates the amount
of VM data on these HDDs. The preference is given to the ESXi host that has a direct access to an HDD with the
maximum amount of VM data. This approach helps reduce workload on the ESXi I/O stack during data transport.
NOTE:
Even if disks of a VM are located on a host where the backup proxy is deployed, VSAN traffic may still be
observed between hosts in the cluster. This behavior depends on the VSAN cluster itself and cannot be
modified in Veeam Backup & Replication.
Network Mode
The Network mode can be used with any infrastructure configuration. In this mode, data is retrieved through the
ESXi host over LAN using the Network Block Device protocol (NBD).
The Network mode has low data transfer speed over LAN. To take the load off the LAN,
Veeam Backup & Replication provides two alternative modes: Direct Storage Access and Virtual Appliance.
However, the Network mode is the only applicable mode when the backup proxy role is assigned to a physical
machine and the host uses local storage. Also, the Network mode can be the best choice if you have a large
virtual environment with hundreds of small VMs, with 10 Gb Ethernet networks and with a small change rate.
The process of data retrieval in Network mode includes the following steps:
1. The backup proxy sends a request to the ESXi host on which the processed VM is registered to locate the
VM on the datastore.
2. The ESXi host locates the processed VM on the datastore.
3. Veeam Backup & Replication instructs VMware vSphere to create a VMware vSphere VM snapshot, copies
VM data blocks from the source storage and sends them to the backup proxy over LAN.
Note that the real data transfer speed may be significantly less than the available speed. This is because
the backup proxy and the ESXi host communicate over the ESXi management network.
4. The backup proxy sends the data to target.
Veeam Backup & Replication processes VM disks in parallel. If VM disks are located on different storage types
(for example, on the SAN and local storage), Veeam Backup & Replication uses different transport modes to
process VM disks. In such scenario, it is strongly recommended that you select the Failover to network mode if
primary mode fails, or is unavailable option when configuring the mode settings for the backup proxy.
Failover to Network Mode

You can instruct Veeam Backup & Replication to switch to the Network transport mode and transfer VM data
over LAN if the primary transport mode — Direct storage access or Virtual appliance — fails during the job
session. This option is enabled by default to ensure that jobs and tasks can be completed successfully in any
situation.
Note that data transport over LAN puts additional load on your production network and may potentially affect
performance if you accomplish data protection and disaster recovery tasks in business hours.
Adding VMware Backup Proxies

You can configure one or more backup proxies in the backup infrastructure.
Before adding a backup proxy, check prerequisites. Then use the New VMware Proxy wizard.
Step 1. Launch New VMware Proxy Wizard
To launch the New VMware Proxy wizard, do either of the following:
• Open the Backup Infrastructure view, in the inventory pane select the Backup Proxies node, click Add
Proxy on the ribbon and select VMware.
• Open the Backup Infrastructure view, in the inventory pane right-click the Backup Proxies node and select
Add VMware Backup Proxy.
Step 2. Choose Server
At the Server step of the wizard, specify server settings for the backup proxy:
1. From the Choose server list, select a Microsoft Windows or Linux server to which you want to assign the
backup proxy role.
If the server is not added to the backup infrastructure, click Add New to open the Add Server wizard. For
more information, see Adding Microsoft Windows Servers or Adding Linux Servers.
NOTE:
If a user account specified for the Linux server does not have root or elevated to root permission,
Veeam Backup & Replication will direct you to the Edit Linux Server wizard. In this wizard, you can
change the user account.
2. In the Proxy description field, provide a description. The default description contains information about
the user who added the backup proxy, date and time when the backup proxy was added.
3. By default, Veeam Backup & Replication analyzes the backup proxy configuration, defines to which
datastores it has access and automatically selects the best transport mode depending on the type of
connection between the backup proxy and datastores.
For Microsoft Windows backup proxy, you can manually select the data transport mode. Click Choose on
the right of the Transport mode field. In the opened window, select one of the following modes: Direct
storage access, Virtual appliance or Network. For more information, see Transport Modes.
4. In the Options section of the Transport Mode window, specify additional options for the selected
transport mode:
o [For the Direct storage access and Virtual appliance transport modes] If the primary transport mode
fails during the job session, Veeam Backup & Replication will automatically fail over to the Network
transport mode. To disable failover, clear the Failover to network mode if primary mode fails, or is
unavailable check box.
o [For the Network mode] You can choose to transfer VM data over an encrypted TLS connection. To do
this, select the Enable host to proxy traffic encryption in Network mode (NBDSSL) check box. Traffic
encryption puts more stress on the CPU of an ESXi host but ensures secure data transfer.
NOTE:
In some cases, the backup proxy may not be able to use some transport modes due to known
limitations. For more information, see Transport Modes.
5. In the Connected datastores field, specify datastores to which the backup proxy has a direct SAN or NFS
connection. By default, Veeam Backup & Replication automatically detects all datastores that the backup
proxy can access.
You can set up the list of datastores if you want the backup proxy to work with specific datastores. Click
Choose on the right of the Connected datastores field, choose Manual selection and add datastores with
which the backup proxy must work in the Direct storage access mode.
6. In the Max concurrent tasks field, specify the number of tasks that the backup proxy must handle in
parallel. If this value is exceeded, the backup proxy will not start a new task until one of current tasks
finishes.
Veeam Backup & Replication creates one task per every VM disk. The recommended number of concurrent
tasks is calculated automatically based on available resources. Backup proxies with multi-core CPUs can
handle more concurrent tasks. For example, for a 4-core CPU, it is recommended that you specify
maximum 4 concurrent tasks, for an 8-core CPU — 8 concurrent tasks. When defining the number of
concurrent tasks, keep in mind network traffic throughput in the virtual infrastructure.
7. Click Next.
Step 3. Select Proxy VM
The additional Proxy VM step will appear in the following cases:
• If the disk.EnableUUID parameter is not set for the selected Linux server. In this case, select this Linux
server once again at the Proxy VM step. After that, Veeam Backup & Replication will need to reboot the
server to set the disk.EnableUUID parameter to TRUE.
• If Veeam Backup & Replication cannot identify the selected VM: for example, there are two VMs with the
same BIOS UUID or BIOS UUID is not specified. In this case, choose the VM from the backup infrastructure
at the Proxy VM step.
To select a VM:
a. At the Proxy VM step of the wizard, click the Browse button.
b. In the Select Virtual Machine window, select a VM.
Step 4. Configure Traffic Rules
At the Traffic Rules step of the wizard, configure network traffic rules. These rules help you throttle and encrypt
traffic transferred between backup infrastructure components. For more information, see Configuring Network
Traffic Rules.
The list of network traffic rules contains only the rules that are applicable to the backup proxy: its IP address
falls into the IP range of the rule.
To view rule settings:
1. Select a rule in the list.
2. Click View on the right of the rule list.
You can also modify network traffic settings:
1. Click Manage network traffic rules link at the bottom of the wizard.
2. In the opened window, you will see all global network traffic rules.
3. Select the rule that you want to modify and click Edit.
Step 5. Apply Backup Proxy Settings
At the Apply step of the wizard, wait for the backup proxy to be added to the backup infrastructure. Then click
Next.
At the Summary step of the wizard, check that the backup proxy is added. Then click Finish to exit the wizard.
Editing Backup Proxy Settings

You can edit settings of backup proxies you have configured.
To edit backup proxy settings:
2. In the inventory pane, select the Backup Proxies node.
3. In the working area, select the backup proxy and click Edit Proxy on the ribbon or right-click the backup
proxy and select Properties.
4. Edit backup proxy settings as required.
Disabling and Removing Backup Proxies

You can temporarily disable a backup proxy or remove it from the backup infrastructure.
Disabling Backup Proxies

When you disable a backup proxy, Veeam Backup & Replication does not use this backup proxy for any jobs
configured on the backup server. Backup proxy disabling can be helpful if you instruct
Veeam Backup & Replication to automatically select backup proxies for jobs and do not want
Veeam Backup & Replication to use specific backup proxies.
You can disable all backup proxies, including the default backup proxy installed on the backup server. Do not
disable all backup proxies at once. Otherwise, Veeam Backup & Replication will not be able to perform backup,
replication and restore operations that use backup proxies.
To disable a backup proxy:
3. In the working area, select the backup proxy and click Disable Proxy on the ribbon or right-click the
backup proxy and select Disable proxy.
You can enable a disabled backup proxy at any time:
3. In the working area, select the backup proxy and click Disable Proxy on the ribbon once again or right-click
the backup proxy and select Disable proxy.
Removing Backup Proxies
You can permanently remove a backup proxy from the backup infrastructure. When you remove a backup proxy,
Veeam Backup & Replication unassigns the backup proxy role from the server, and this server is no longer used
as a backup proxy. The actual server remains in the backup infrastructure.
You can remove all backup proxies, including the default backup proxy installed on the backup server. Do not
remove all backup proxies at once. Otherwise, Veeam Backup & Replication will not be able to perform backup,
replication and restore operations that use backup proxies.
You cannot remove a backup proxy that is explicitly selected in any backup, replication or VM copy job. To
remove such backup proxy, you first need to delete a reference to this backup proxy in the job settings.
To remove a backup proxy:
3. In the working area, select the backup proxy and click Remove Proxy on the ribbon or right-click the
backup proxy and select Remove.
File Proxy
A file proxy is a special type of backup proxy that operates as a data mover and transfers data from the source
file share to the backup repository. For more information about file proxy, see NAS Backup Support.
VMware CDP Proxy
A VMware CDP proxy is a component that operates as a data mover and transfers data between the source and
target hosts. Basically, VMware CDP proxy performs the following tasks:
• Receives VM data from the production storage
• Aggregates changed data
• Prepares data for short-term restore points
• Compresses and deduplicates data
• Encrypts and decrypts data
• Sendins data to the storage in the disaster recovery site or another VMware CDP proxy
VMware CDP Proxy Deployment

You can assign the role of a VMware CDP proxy to any Windows-managed virtual or physical server added to
your Veeam Backup & Replication infrastructure. For information on how to add a server, see Adding Microsoft
Windows Servers. For information on how to assign the VMware CDP proxy role, see Adding VMware CDP
Proxies.
We recommend you to configure at least two VMware CDP proxies: one (source proxy) in the production site and
one (target proxy) in the disaster recovery site. To optimize performance of several concurrent tasks, you can
use several VMware CDP proxies in each site. In this case, Veeam Backup & Replication will distribute the restore
workload between available file proxies on per-task basis, taking into account proxy connectivity and their
current load. For more information on which proxies are considered the most appropriate for continuous data
protection, see How CDP Works.
Design your system in such a way that one VMware CDP proxy is used only as a source or only as target proxy.
For example, if you have cross cluster or cross host replication (from ESXi 1 to ESXi 2, and from ESXi 2 to ESXi 1),
it is better to have four VMware CDP proxies: one source proxy and one target proxy for data flow from ESXi 1 to
ESXi 2, and one source proxy and one target proxy for data flow from ESXi 2 to ESXi 1.
NOTE
If you deploy VMware CDP proxies on virtual machines, we recommend you to locate source proxies on the
source host, target proxies on the target host.
VMware CDP Proxy Services and Components

VMware CDP proxies run light-weight services that take a few seconds to deploy. Deployment is fully
automated. Veeam Backup & Replication installs the following components and services:
• Veeam CDP Proxy Service manages all CDP activities such as data aggregation, data compression and
decompression, data transfer and other.
• Veeam Installer Service is an auxiliary service that is installed and started on any Windows server once it is
added to the list of managed servers in the Veeam Backup & Replication console. This service analyzes the
system, installs and upgrades necessary components and services depending on the role selected for the
server.
• Veeam Backup Transport Service handles traffic sent during failback.
VMware CDP Proxy Cache

By default, VMware CDP proxies store the received data into RAM. If a VMware CDP proxy gets overloaded and
the memory runs out, the proxy starts storing data into the cache. Data is deleted from the cache or memory
only after the proxy gets a notification that the target host has successfully saved data sent by the proxy.
If the cache gets full and there is no "free" VMware CDP proxy, Veeam Backup & Replication will stop the CDP
process. CDP will be resumed only after a new or "free" proxy appears, or after the proxy cache gets free space.
From the technical point of view, the cache is a folder on a VMware CDP proxy. We recommend you to allocate
at least 10 GB or 1 GB per each VM disk if you plan to protect more than 10 disks in one CDP policy. Also, the
longer RPO you set in a CDP policy, the larger cache you may need.
Requirements for VMware CDP Proxy
Before you assign the role of a backup proxy, check the following requirements:
• For system requirements, see System Requirements for VMware CDP Proxy Server.
• A VMware CDP proxy must be a Windows-managed virtual or physical server.
• [For VMware CDP proxies deployed on physical servers] Fast network between hosts and VMware CDP
proxies is required.
Adding VMware CDP Proxies

You must add to the backup infrastructure VMware CDP proxies that you plan to use for continuous data
protection of VMs.
To add a VMware CDP proxy, use the New VMware CDP Proxy wizard.
Step 1. Launch New VMware Proxy Wizard
To launch the New VMware CDP Proxy wizard, do one of the following:
• Open the Backup Infrastructure view. In the inventory pane, right-click the Backup Proxies node and select
Add Veeam CDP Proxy.
• Open the Backup Infrastructure view. In the inventory pane, select the Backup Proxies node. On the
ribbon, click Add Proxy > VMware CDP.
Step 2. Select Server and Traffic Ports
At the Server step of the wizard, select a server which you want to use as the VMware CDP proxy, specify
description and ports that will be used for communication:
1. From the Choose server drop-down list, select a physical or virtual Microsoft Windows server to which you
want to assign the VMware CDP proxy role.
If you have not added a server to the backup infrastructure, click Add New to open the Add Server wizard,
and follow the instructions from the Adding Microsoft Windows Servers section.
2. In the Proxy description field, provide a description for future reference.
3. In the CDP daemon traffic port field, specify a port that the source and target host will use to
communicate with the VMware CDP proxy.
The range of available ports is 30332–30339.
4. In the CDP proxy traffic port field, specify a port that the proxy will use to communicate with other
VMware CDP proxies.
The range of available ports is 30332–30339.
IMPORTANT
You must specify different values in the CDP daemon traffic port and CDP proxy traffic port fields.
Step 3. Configure Cache
At the Cache step of the wizard, specify the path to a folder where cached data will be stored and how much
space can be used for storing the cache. We recommend you to allocate at least 10 GB or 1 GB per each
replicated disk if you plan to replicate more than 10 disks in one CDP policy.
For more information on the cache, see VMware CDP Proxy Cache.
Step 4. Configure Network Traffic Rules
At the Traffic Rules step of the wizard, configure network traffic rules. These rules help you reduce, throttle and
encrypt traffic sent between backup infrastructure components. For more information, see Network Traffic
Management.
The list of network traffic rules contains only the rules that are applicable to the VMware CDP proxy — this
means that the proxy IP address falls into the IP range of a rule.
To change network traffic settings:
1. Click the Manage network traffic rules link.
2. To edit or remove a rule, select the required rule and click Edit or Remove.
3. To add a rule, click Add and follow the instructions from the Configuring Network Traffic Rules section.
4. To choose networks over which Veeam Backup & Replication will send data between backup infrastructure
components, click Networks. Then follow the instructions in steps 3–6 in the Specifying Preferred
Networks section.
Step 5. Review Settings and Install Components
At the Review step of the wizard, review components which are already installed on the server and which will be
installed. Click Apply to start installation of missing components.
Step 6. Apply Proxy Settings
At the Apply step of the wizard, wait till Veeam Backup & Replication installs and configures all the required
components. Click Next to complete the procedure of the VMware CDP proxy role assignment.
At the Summary step of the wizard, review details of the server added as the VMware CDP proxy and click Finish
to exit the wizard.
Cache Repository
A cache repository is a storage location where Veeam Backup & Replication keeps temporary cached metadata
for the data backed up by the file share backup jobs. For more information about cache repository, see NAS
Backup Support.
Backup Repository
A backup repository is a storage location where Veeam keeps backup files, VM copies and metadata for
replicated VMs. To configure a backup repository, you can use the following storage types:
• Direct attached storage. You can add virtual and physical servers as backup repositories:
o Microsoft Windows server
o Linux server
• Network attached storage. You can add the following network shares as backup repositories:
o SMB (CIFS) share
o NFS share
• Deduplicating storage appliances. You can add the following deduplicating storage appliances as backup
repositories:
o Dell EMC Data Domain
o ExaGrid
o HPE StoreOnce
o Quantum DXi
• Object storage. You can use cloud storage services as backup repositories. For details, see Object Storage
Repository.
NOTE:
Do not configure multiple backup repositories pointing to the same location or using the same path.
Related Topics
• Scale-Out Backup Repository
• External Repository
Microsoft Windows Server

You can use a Microsoft Windows server with local or directly attached storage as a backup repository. The
storage can be a local disk, directly attached disk-based storage (such as a USB hard drive), or iSCSI/FC SAN LUN
in case the server is connected into the SAN fabric.
Microsoft Windows Repository Deployment

To communicate with a Microsoft Windows-based repository, Veeam Backup & Replication uses two Data Mover
Services that are responsible for data processing and transfer:
• Veeam Data Mover on a backup proxy
• Veeam Data Mover on the Microsoft Windows repository
When any job addresses the backup repository, the Data Mover Service on the backup proxy establishes a
connection with the Data Mover Service on the backup repository, enabling efficient data transfer over LAN or
WAN.
The Data Mover is installed automatically when you add a server to Veeam Backup & Replication as a managed
server.
vPower NFS Server

Windows repositories can be configured to function as vPower NFS Servers. In this case,
Veeam Backup & Replication will run the Veeam vPower NFS Service directly in the backup repository (namely,
on the managing Windows server to which storage is attached) and provide ESXi hosts with transparent access
to backed-up VM images stored on the backup repository. For more information, see Veeam vPower NFS
Service.
Requirements for Microsoft Windows Server Based

Repositories
A machine performing the role of a repository must meet the following requirements:
• The role of the repository can be assigned to a Microsoft Windows machine (physical or virtual).
• If you want to use Fast Clone in the Microsoft Windows backup repository, the machine must also meet
requirements listed in the Fast Clone section.
Linux Server
You can add Linux server with local, directly attached storage or mounted NFS as a backup repository. The
storage can be a local disk, directly attached disk-based storage (such as a USB hard drive), NFS share, or
iSCSI/FC SAN LUN in case the server is connected into the SAN fabric.
Linux repository provides the immutability option. For more information, see Hardened (Immutable) Repository.
Linux Backup Repository Deployment
To communicate with a Linux-based repository, Veeam Backup & Replication uses two Data Movers that are
responsible for data processing and transfer:
• Veeam Data Mover on the backup proxy
• Veeam Data Mover on the Linux backup repository
For more information about Veeam Data Movers communication with Linux-based server, see Veeam Data
Mover Service.
The Data Mover establishes a connection with the source-side Data Mover Service on the backup proxy, enabling
efficient data transfer over LAN or WAN.
Requirements for Linux Backup Repositories

A machine performing the role of a repository must meet the following requirements:
• The role of the repository can be assigned to a Linux machine (physical or virtual).
• If Veeam Data Mover Service is not deployed, Veeam Backup & Replication uses the SSH protocol to
communicate with Linux backup repositories and requires the SCP utility in Linux repositories. Make sure
that the SSH daemon is properly configured and SCP utility is available on the Linux host.
• If you want to use Fast Clone in the Linux backup repository, the machine must also meet requirements
listed in the Fast Clone section.
For requirements and limitations for Linux immutable repository, see Hardened (Immutable) Repository.
SMB (CIFS) Share

You can use SMB (CIFS) shares as backup repositories.
SMB Backup Repository Deployment
To communicate with an SMB backup repository, Veeam Backup & Replication uses two Data Mover Services
that are responsible for data processing and transfer:
• Veeam Data Mover on the gateway server
An SMB share cannot host Veeam Data Movers. For this reason, to communicate with the SMB share, you need
to deploy a gateway server. Veeam Backup & Replication will automatically deploy a Veeam Data Mover on this
gateway server. For more information, see Gateway Server.
When any job addresses the SMB backup repository, the Data Mover Service on the gateway server establishes a
connection with the Data Mover Service on the backup proxy, enabling efficient data transfer over LAN or WAN.
If you plan to move VM data to an offsite SMB repository over a WAN link, it is recommended that you deploy an
additional gateway server in the remote site, closer to the SMB repository.
Requirements for SMB Backup Repositories

A machine performing the role of an SMB repository must meet the following requirements:
• The role of the repository can be assigned to a Microsoft Windows machine (physical or virtual).
NFS Share
You can use NFS shares as backup repositories.
NFS Backup Repository Deployment

To communicate with an NFS backup repository, Veeam Backup & Replication uses two Data Mover Services that
are responsible for data processing and transfer:
An NFS share cannot host Veeam Data Movers. For this reason, to communicate with the NFS share, you need to
deploy a gateway server. Veeam Backup & Replication will automatically deploy a Veeam Data Mover on this
gateway server. For more information, see Gateway Server.
When any job addresses the NFS backup repository, the Data Mover Service on the gateway server establishes a
If you plan to move VM data to an offsite NFS repository over a WAN link, it is recommended that you deploy an
additional gateway server in the remote site, closer to the NFS repository.
Requirements and Limitations for NFS Backup Repositories

A machine performing the role of an NFS repository must meet the following requirements:
• The role of the NFS repository can be assigned to a Microsoft Windows or Linux machine (physical or
virtual) or to NAS storage supporting NFS protocol.
• The NFS repository must present read and write access rights to the gateway.
Mind that Veeam Backup & Replication does not support multipathing for NFS repository.
Requirements for NFS Gateway Server

A machine performing the role of an NFS gateway server must meet the following requirements:
• The role of the gateway server can be assigned to a Microsoft Windows or Linux machine (physical or
virtual).
• [For automatic gateway selection] The backup server must have read and write access in the NFS
repository.
• [For automatic gateway selection] If you configure automatic gateway selection for NFS repository,
Veeam Backup & Replication may use the same machines as gateways for the repository and as proxies for
backup jobs. Make sure that the backup proxies meet the following requirements:
o If you explicitly choose backup proxies for backup jobs, provide read and write access rights to all
proxies chosen for backup jobs that are targeted to the NFS repository.
o If you configure automatic proxy selection for backup jobs, provide read and write access rights to all
proxies in the Veeam Backup & Replication infrastructure.
o If backup jobs that are targeted to the NFS repository use Linux proxies, check that the NFS client
package is installed on the Linux proxy server.
Requirements and Limitations for Linux Gateway Server

In addition to the general requirements, the Linux gateway server must meet the following requirements:
• The Linux gateway server must have NFS client package installed.
• The credentials to authenticate with the Linux gateway server must have root or elevated to root
permission.
• Veeam Backup & Replication uses the highest NFS protocol version supported by the gateway and the
repository.
Note that the suffix indicating the NFS version in the NFS share properties may not be displayed correctly,
this is a known issue.
TIP:
If the NFS protocol version has changed (for example, if you updated the NFS share), click through the Edit
Backup Repository wizard to update the information in Veeam Backup & Replication.
Hardened (Immutable) Repository

Hardened backup repository is a backup repository with an option for switching on immutability. Immutability
protects your data from loss as a result of malware activity by temporarily prohibiting the deletion of data. It
can be switched on while adding a backup repository, at the Configure Backup Repository Settings step of the
wizard.
NOTE
Currently, only Linux repository provides the immutability option.
The backup files become immutable for the period indicated at the Configure Backup Repository Settings step of
the adding backup repository wizard. To learn more about the immutability settings for Linux, see How
Immutability for Linux Works.
Supported Job Types

Hardened repository supports backup files created with the following types of jobs:
• Backup jobs and backup copy jobs
o VMware
o Hyper-V
o Windows
o Linux
o MAC
o AIX
o Solaris
• Backup copy jobs from external repositories (Veeam Backup for Azure, AWS and Google)
• Veeam Agent backup
• vCloud Director
• VeeamZIP backup
• Standalone full backup
• Nutanix AHV
IMPORTANT
Other types of jobs, including NAS backup, log shipping, RMAN/SAP HANA/SAP on Oracle backup, and so
on, can also be targeted to the hardened repository, but then it will act as a simple repository: the
immutability option will not apply to the backup files created with such jobs.
Requirements and Limitations for Hardened Repository

All the requirements and limitations for Linux backup repository apply to Linux hardened repository. In addition,
the following considerations and limitations apply:
• Immutability retention overrides job retention: if the job retention period is shorter than the immutability
period, Veeam Backup & Replication will not delete the backup files when the retention period is over, but
only when the immutability period expires.
• If immutability is switched on, you will not be able to delete immutable backup files manually.
• For backup copy jobs, set up GFS retention policy. Otherwise, you will not be able to use the immutability
feature. For more information, see Long-Term Retention Policy (GFS).
• To use the immutability feature, select forward incremental backup chain with active full backup or
synthetic full backup when configuring the jobs.
• Hardened repository requires Veeam Data Mover Service. For security purposes, the rights of Veeam Data
Mover Service are reduced: SSH Connection is necessary only for deployment of Veeam Data Mover
Service to the Linux host. For more information, see Specify Credentials and SSH Settings.
• Due to Veeam Data Mover Service requirements, Linux host version must be 64-bit.
• When configuring a hardened repository, you can use either persistent or single-use credentials. For more
information, see Specify Credentials and SSH Settings.
If you use single-use credentials, the host where immutable repository resides cannot have any other role:
you cannot add it as a proxy, a NAS server, etc.
If you use persistent credentials, the host where immutable repository resides cannot have the proxy role,
and some roles may be unavailable.
• Linux host file system must support extended attributes modified by chattr and setfattr. For more
information, see these Linux articles: lsattr, attr .
• You cannot place both hardened repositories and classic repositories on one Linux server.
How Immutability for Linux Works
The count of the immutability period indicated in the backup repository settings starts from the moment the
last restore point in the active chain is created. The immutability period is extended only for the active backup
chain.
Example
The full backup file of the active backup chain was created on January 12. The first increment was created on
January 13. The second and last increment was created on January 14.
The immutability period indicated at the backup repository settings is 10 days.
The backup files will be immutable until January 24: date of the last restore point creation (January 14) + 10
days.
Standard backup files

Immutability period for each standard backup file in the active backup chain is set according to the backup
repository settings (7 days by default).
GFS backup files

If the backup repository is part of scale-out backup repository with capacity tier added, immutability period for
full backup files with GFS retention policy is set according to the backup repository setting.
Otherwise, the following periods will be compared: immutability period set for the backup repository and the
GFS backup file lifetime. Immutability period for full backup files with GFS retention policy will equal the
longest of these periods.
Example
The backup repository immutability period is 10 days. The GFS backup file lifetime is 3 years. The backup file will
be immutable for 3 years.
The increments from this full backup file will be immutable for 10 days from the moment of the last increment
creation.
Deduplicating Storage Appliances

You can add deduplicating storage appliances as backup repositories.
In This Section
• Dell EMC Data Domain
• ExaGrid
• HPE StoreOnce
• Quantum DXi
Dell EMC Data Domain
You can use Dell EMC Data Domain storage systems with Data Domain Boost (DD Boost) as backup repositories.
To support the DD Boost technology, Veeam Backup & Replication leverages the following Dell EMC Data
Domain components:
• DD Boost library. The DD Boost library is a component of the Dell EMC Data Domain system. The DD Boost
library is embedded into the Veeam Data Mover Service setup. When you add a Microsoft Windows server
to the backup infrastructure, the DD Boost Library is automatically installed on the added server together
with the Data Mover Service.
• DD Boost server. The DD Boost server is a target-side component. The DD Boost server runs on the OS of
the Dell EMC Data Domain storage system.
Dell EMC Data Domain Deployment

To communicate with Dell EMC Data Domain, Veeam Backup & Replication uses two Data Mover Services that
are responsible for data processing and transfer:
The Dell EMC Data Domain storage cannot host Veeam Data Mover Service. For this reason, to communicate
with the Dell EMC Data Domain storage, you need to deploy a gateway server. Veeam Backup & Replication will
automatically deploy a Veeam Data Mover on this gateway server. For more information, see Gateway Server.
When any job addresses the backup repository, the Data Mover Service on the gateway server establishes a
You define what gateway server to use when you assign a backup repository role to Dell EMC Data Domain. You
can define the gateway server explicitly or instruct Veeam Backup & Replication to select it automatically.
IMPORTANT!
For Dell EMC Data Domain storage systems working over Fibre Channel, you must explicitly define the
gateway server that will communicate with Dell EMC Data Domain. As a gateway server, you must use a
Microsoft Windows server that is added to the backup infrastructure and has access to Dell EMC Data
Domain over Fibre Channel.
Supported Protocols
Veeam Backup & Replication supports Dell EMC Data Domain storage systems working over the following
protocols:
• TCP/IP protocol: Veeam Backup & Replication communicates with the Dell EMC Data Domain server by
sending commands over the network.
• Fibre Channel protocol: Veeam Backup & Replication communicates with the Dell EMC Data Domain Fibre
Channel server by sending SCSI commands over Fibre Channel.
Limitations for Dell EMC Data Domain

If you plan to use Dell EMC Data Domain as a backup repository, mind the following limitations:
• Use of Dell EMC Data Domain with DD Boost does not guarantee improvement of job performance. It
reduces the load on the network and improves the network throughput.
• NFS services must be enabled on Dell EMC Data Domain. Otherwise, Veeam Backup & Replication will not
be able to access the storage system.
• Dell EMC Data Domain does not support the reverse incremental backup method.
• You cannot use Dell EMC Data Domain backup repositories as sources or targets for file copy jobs.
• When you create a backup job targeted at an Dell EMC Data Domain backup repository,
Veeam Backup & Replication will offer you to switch to optimized job settings and use the 4 MB size of
data block for VM data processing. It is recommended that you use optimized job settings. Large data
blocks produce a smaller metadata table that requires less memory and CPU resources to process.
• The length of forward incremental and forever forward incremental backup chains (chains that contain one
full backup and a set of subsequent incremental backups) cannot be greater than 60 restore points. To
overcome this limitation, schedule full backups (active or synthetic) to split the backup chain into shorter
series. For example, to perform backups at 30-minute intervals 24 hours a day, you must schedule
synthetic fulls every day. In this scenario, intervals immediately after midnight may be skipped due to
duration of synthetic processing. For more information, see How Synthetic Full Backup Works.
• If you connect to an Dell EMC Data Domain backup repository over Fibre Channel, you must explicitly
define a gateway server to communicate with Dell EMC Data Domain. As a gateway server, you must use a
Microsoft Windows server that is added to the backup infrastructure and has access to the Dell EMC Data
Domain backup repository over Fibre Channel.
• During backup repository rescan, Veeam Backup & Replication detects if the hard stream limit is set for a
storage unit, and displays this information in backup repository rescan statistics. If the hard stream limit is
exceeded when Veeam Backup & Replication runs tasks against the backup repository,
Veeam Backup & Replication will fail to create new I/O streams.
For more information and recommendations on working with Dell EMC Data Domain, see this Veeam KB article.
Dell EMC Data Domain Supported Features

The DD Boost technology offers a set of features for advanced data processing. Veeam Backup & Replication
supports the following features:
• Distributed Segment Processing
• Advanced Load Balancing and Link Failover
• Virtual Synthetics
In addition to these technologies, Veeam Backup & Replication supports in-flight data encryption and per
storage unit streams.
NOTE:
You cannot configure Managed File Replication using Veeam Backup & Replication. However, you can
import and map backups replicated between Data Domain storage systems to backup, backup copy or
replication jobs, or perform restore operations from such backups.
Distributed Segment Processing

Distributed Segment Processing lets Dell EMC Data Domain 'distribute' the deduplication process and perform a
part of data deduplication operations on the backup proxy side.
Without Distributed Segment Processing, Dell EMC Data Domain performs deduplication on the Dell EMC Data
Domain storage system. The backup proxy sends unfiltered data blocks to Dell EMC Data Domain over the
network. Data segmentation, filtering and compression operations are performed on the target side, before data
is written to disk.
With Distributed Segment Processing, operations on data segmentation, filtering and compression are
performed on the backup proxy side. The backup proxy sends only unique data blocks to Dell EMC Data Domain.
As a result, the load on the network reduces and the network throughput improves.
Advanced Load Balancing and Link Failover

Advanced Load Balancing and Link Failover allow you to balance data transfer load and route VM data traffic to
a working link in case of network outage problems.
Without Advanced Load Balancing, every backup server connects to Data Domain on a dedicated Ethernet link.
Such configuration does not provide an ability to balance the data transfer load across the links. If a network
error occurs during the data transfer process, the backup job fails and needs to be restarted.
Advanced Load Balancing allows you to aggregate several Ethernet links into one interface group. As a result,
Dell EMC Data Domain automatically balances the traffic load coming from several backup servers united in one
group. If some link in the group goes down, Dell EMC Data Domain automatically performs link failover, and the
backup traffic is routed to a working link.
Virtual Synthetics
Veeam Backup & Replication supports Virtual Synthetic Fulls by Dell EMC Data Domain. Virtual Synthetic Fulls
let you synthesize a full backup on the target backup storage without physically copying data from source
datastores. To construct a full backup file, Dell EMC Data Domain uses pointers to existing data segments on the
target backup storage. Virtual Synthetic Fulls reduce the workload on the network and backup infrastructure
components and increase the backup job performance.
In-Flight Data Encryption

Veeam Backup & Replication supports in-flight encryption introduced in Dell EMC Data Domain Boost 3.0. If
necessary, you can enable data encryption at the backup repository level. Veeam Backup & Replication will
leverage the Dell EMC Data Domain technology to encrypt data transported between the DD Boost library and
Data Domain system.
Per Storage Unit Streams
Veeam Backup & Replication supports per storage unit streams on Dell EMC Data Domain. The maximum
number of parallel tasks that can be targeted at the backup repository (the Limit maximum concurrent tasks to
N setting) is applied to the storage unit, not the whole Dell EMC Data Domain system.
Supported Protocols
Veeam Backup & Replication supports Dell EMC Data Domain storage systems working over the following
protocols:
• TCP/IP protocol: Veeam Backup & Replication communicates with the Dell EMC Data Domain server by
sending commands over the network.
• Fibre Channel protocol: Veeam Backup & Replication communicates with the Dell EMC Data Domain Fibre
Channel server by sending SCSI commands over Fibre Channel.
Accelerated Restore of Entire VM

To speed up entire VM restore on Dell EMC Data Domain, Veeam Backup & Replication uses the mechanism of
sequential data reading from backups and parallel VM disks restore.
Dell EMC Data Domain storage systems are optimized for sequential I/O operations. However, data blocks of VM
disks in backup files are stored not sequentially, but in the random order. If data blocks of VM disks are read at
random, the restore performance from backups on Dell EMC Data Domain degrades.
To accelerate the restore process, Veeam Backup & Replication creates a map of data blocks in backup files. It
uses the created map to read data blocks of VM disks from backup files sequentially, as they reside on disk.
Veeam Backup & Replication writes data blocks to target in the order in which they come from the target Veeam
Data Mover, restoring several VM disks in parallel.
This accelerated restore mechanism is enabled by default, and is used for the entire VM restore scenario.
NOTE:
To further accelerate the process of entire VM restore, Veeam Backup & Replication reads VM data from
Dell EMC Data Domain in multiple threads.
How Accelerated Restore Works

Entire VM restore from backups on Dell EMC Data Domain is performed in the following way:
1. Veeam Backup & Replication opens all backup files in the backup chain, reads metadata from these backup
files and caches this metadata on the backup proxy that is assigned for the restore task.
2. Veeam Backup & Replication uses the cached metadata to build a map of data blocks. The map contains
references to VM data blocks, sorted by VM disks.
3. Every VM disks is processed in a separate task. For every task, Veeam Backup & Replication starts a
separate Veeam Data Mover on the backup proxy.
Veeam Data Movers read data blocks of VM disks from the backup repository sequentially, as these blocks
reside on disk, and put read data blocks to the buffer on the backup proxy.
4. Data blocks are written to target in the order in which they come from the target Veeam Data Mover.
Backup Proxy for Accelerated Restore

Veeam Backup & Replication restores all disks of a VM through one backup proxy. If you instruct
Veeam Backup & Replication to select a backup proxy for the restore task automatically, it picks the least loaded
backup proxy in the backup infrastructure. If you assign a backup proxy explicitly, Veeam Backup & Replication
uses the selected backup proxy.
For every VM disk, Veeam Backup & Replication starts a separate Veeam Data Mover on the backup proxy. For
example, if you restore a VM with 10 disks, Veeam Backup & Replication starts 10 Veeam Data Movers on the
backup proxy.
The backup proxy assigned for the entire VM restore task must have enough RAM resources to be able to restore
VM disks in parallel. For every VM disk, 200 MB of RAM is required. The total amount of required RAM resources
is calculated by the following formula:
Total amount of RAM = Number of VM disks * 200 MB
Before starting the restore process, Veeam Backup & Replication checks the amount of RAM resources on the
backup proxy. If the backup proxy does not have enough RAM resources, Veeam Backup & Replication displays a
warning in the job session details and automatically fails over to a regular VM disks processing mode (data of
VM disks is read at random and VM disks are restored sequentially).
Limitations for Accelerated Restore

The accelerated restore of entire VM has the following limitations:
• Accelerated restore works on Dell EMC Data Domain systems with DD Boost.
• If you restore a VM with dynamically expanding disks, the restore process may be slow.
• If you restore a VM using the Network transport mode, the number of VM disks restored in parallel cannot
exceed the number of allowed connections to an ESXi host.
• If Dell EMC Data Domain is added as an extent to a scale-out backup repository, you must set the backup
file placement policy to Locality. If the backup file placement policy is set to Performance, parallel VM
disk restore will be disabled.
ExaGrid
You can use ExaGrid appliances as backup repositories.
Adaptive Deduplication
ExaGrid uses adaptive deduplication. Data deduplication is performed on the target storage system. After VM
data is written to disk, ExaGrid analyses bytes in the newly transferred data portions. ExaGrid compares versions
of data over time and stores only the differences to disk.
ExaGrid deduplicates data at the storage level. Identical data is detected throughout the whole storage system,
which increases the deduplication ratio.
ExaGrid Deployment
To communicate with ExaGrid, Veeam Backup & Replication uses two Data Mover Services that are responsible
for data processing and transfer:
• Veeam Data Mover on the ExaGrid appliance
ExaGrid does not host the Veeam Data Mover permanently. When any task addresses an ExaGrid storage,
Veeam Backup & Replication deploys and starts the Veeam Data Mover on the ExaGrid appliance.
The Data Mover Service establishes a connection with the Data Mover Service on the backup proxy, enabling
Requirements and Recommendations for ExaGrid

To perform backup to ExaGrid appliances, it is recommended to configure backup repositories and jobs in the
following way:
Backup repositories
Configure ExaGrid backup repositories in the following way:
1. Create at least one share on each ExaGrid appliance. Enable the ExaGrid-Veeam Accelerated Data Mover
transport option for the created share. Leave default compression and deduplication settings for the
share.
NOTE:
When adding credentials for ExaGrid, use only lower case symbols for the user name.
2. In Veeam Backup & Replication, perform the following actions:
a. Configure ExaGrid backup repositories and point them at the created shares on each ExaGrid
appliance. Set the Limit maximum concurrent tasks to N option to 10 tasks. This limit can be tuned up
or down with assistance from ExaGrid Customer Support.
When you add ExaGrid servers to the Veeam backup infrastructure, and you use the UPN format for an
Active Directory account user name (for example, john.doe@domain.local), make sure you enter the
user name in lowercase letters only.
b. Add ExaGrid backup repositories as extents to a scale-out backup repository.
Backup Jobs
Configure backup jobs in the following way:
1. Backup job settings:
a. Use the forward incremental backup method.
b. Enable synthetic full backups and schedule them to run on a weekly basis.
c. Enable active full backups and schedule them to run on a monthly basis.
2. Backup target: Assign backup jobs to the scale-out backup repository with ExaGrid appliances as extents.
NOTE:
Do not create multiple backup repositories directed at the same folder/path on the same device.
For more information and recommendations on working with ExaGrid, see this Veeam KB article.
HPE StoreOnce
You can use HPE StoreOnce storage appliances as backup repositories.
To work with HPE StoreOnce, Veeam Backup & Replication leverages the HPE StoreOnce Catalyst technology
and two HPE StoreOnce components:
• HPE StoreOnce Catalyst agent. The HPE StoreOnce Catalyst agent is a component of the HPE StoreOnce
Catalyst software. The HPE StoreOnce Catalyst agent is embedded into the Veeam Data Mover Service
setup. When you add a Microsoft Windows server to the backup infrastructure, the HPE
StoreOnce Catalyst agent is automatically installed on the added server together with the Data Mover
Service.
• HPE StoreOnce appliance. The HPE StoreOnce appliance is an HPE StoreOnce storage system on which
Catalyst stores are created.
HPE StoreOnce Deployment
To communicate with HPE StoreOnce, Veeam Backup & Replication uses two Data Mover Services that are
The HPE StoreOnce storage cannot host Veeam Data Mover Service. For this reason, to communicate with the
HPE StoreOnce storage, you need to deploy a gateway server. Veeam Backup & Replication will automatically
deploy a Veeam Data Mover on this gateway server. For more information, see Gateway Server. For
communicating with the HPE StoreOnce storage appliances, the gateway server must run a 64-bit Microsoft
Windows version.
When any job addresses the backup repository, the Data Mover Service on the gateway server establishes a
The gateway server is selected when you assign a backup repository role to the HPE StoreOnce appliance. You
can define the gateway server explicitly or instruct Veeam Backup & Replication to select it automatically.
TIP:
For work with HPE StoreOnce, Veeam Backup & Replication uses the Catalyst agent installed on the
gateway server. If you want to reduce the load on the network between the source and target side, assign
the gateway server role to a machine on the source side, closer to the backup proxy.
Limitations for HPE StoreOnce

If you plan to use HPE StoreOnce as a backup repository for NAS backup, mind that the vendor recommends to
use the repository of this type to store up to 1,000,000 backup files per storage system including different
versions of files and not more than 10 TB of backup data.
If you plan to use HPE StoreOnce as a backup repository for Veeam Plug-in for Oracle RMAN or Veeam Plug-in
for SAP HANA, the total number of stored files (data and metadata) must not exceed 1,000,000 per storage
system.
If you plan to use HPE StoreOnce as a backup repository for VM backup, mind the following limitations.
Limitations apply only if you use HPE StoreOnce in the integration mode, not the shared folder mode.
• When you create a backup job targeted at HPE StoreOnce, Veeam Backup & Replication will offer you to
switch to optimized job settings and use the 4 MB size of data block for VM data processing. It is
recommended that you use optimized job settings. Large data blocks produce a smaller metadata table
that requires less memory and CPU resources to process.
• The HPE StoreOnce backup repository always works in the Use per-VM backup files mode. For more
information, see Per-VM Backup Files.
• HPE StoreOnce does not support the reverse incremental backup method.
• HPE StoreOnce does not support the forever forward incremental backup method. When creating a
backup job, you must enable synthetic and/or active full backups. Otherwise, you will not be able to
create a backup job.
• The HPE StoreOnce backup repository does not support the Defragment and compact full backup file
option (for backup and backup copy jobs).
• You cannot use HPE StoreOnce backup repositories as sources or targets for file copy jobs.
• You cannot copy backup files (VBK, VIB and VRB) manually to the HPE StoreOnce backup repository. To
copy such files, use backup copy jobs.
• You cannot use the HPE StoreOnce backup repository as a cloud repository.
• Considering possible bandwidth and latency constraints, Veeam recommends inline with the HPE
guidelines the usage of HPE Cloud Volumes Backups as a secondary target repository, meaning that it is
ideally used as a target for Backup Copy jobs with enabled HPE Catalyst Copy.
NOTE
Due to the limit on the number of concurrently opened files on HPE Cloud Volumes Backup, the
maximum length of backup chains (chains that contain one full backup and a set of subsequent
incremental backups) on HPE Cloud Volumes Backup repositories is limited by 32.
• HPE StoreOnce has a limit on the number of concurrently opened files. Due to this limit, the maximum
length of backup chains (chains that contain one full backup and a set of subsequent incremental backups)
on HPE StoreOnce is also limited and depends on the particular storage model (see the following table).
Product Maximum number of restore points per backup chain
VSA
VSA Gen3 7
7 to 14 (for version 4.1.1 varies depending on the amount of available

VSA Gen4
memory)
Proliant Gen7
6200 14 (per node)
Product Maximum number of restore points per backup chain
Proliant Gen8
2700 7
2900 14
4500 14
4700 14
4900 28
6500 28 (per node)
Proliant Gen9
3100 7
3500 14
5100 21
5500 35
6600 42 (per node)
Proliant Gen10
3620 14
3640 14
5200 28
5250 28
5650 42
Several Backup Repositories on HPE StoreOnce
You can configure several backup repositories on one HPE StoreOnce appliance and associate them with
different gateway servers.
Mind the following:
• If you configure several backup repositories on HPE StoreOnce and add them as extents to a scale-out
backup repository, make sure that all backup files from one backup chain are stored on one extent. If
backup files from one backup chain are stored to different extents, the performance of transformation
processes will be lower. For more information about transformation performance, see this Veeam blog
post.
• HPE StoreOnce has a limit on the number of opened files that applies to the whole appliance. Tasks
targeted at different backup repositories on HPE StoreOnce and run in parallel will equally share this limit.
• For HPE StoreOnce working over Fibre Channel, there is a limitation on the number of connections from
one host. If you connect several backup repositories to one gateway, backup repositories will compete for
connections.
• Deduplication on HPE StoreOnce works within the limits of one object store.
• If your VMs contain similar data, it is recommended to create backup repositories on a single HPE
StoreOnce Catalyst Store. This minimizes backup job duration and reduces disk space used for backups.
For details, see this Veeam KB article.
For more information and recommendations on working with HPE StoreOnce, see this Veeam KB article.
Operational Modes
Depending on the storage configuration and type of the backup target, HPE StoreOnce can work in the
following modes:
• Source-side deduplication
• Target-side deduplication
• Shared folder mode
Source-Side Data Deduplication

HPE StoreOnce performs source-side deduplication if the backup target meets the following requirements:
• You have a Catalyst license installed on HPE StoreOnce.
• You use a Catalyst store as a backup repository.
• The Catalyst store is configured to work in the Low Bandwidth mode (Primary Transfer Policy).
• The HPE StoreOnce Catalyst is added to the backup repository as a deduplicating storage appliance, not as
a shared folder.
To deduplicate data on the source side, HPE StoreOnce uses the HPE StoreOnce Catalyst agent. The HPE
StoreOnce Catalyst agent is a component of the HPE StoreOnce Catalyst software. It is installed on the gateway
server communicating with the HPE StoreOnce appliance.
HPE StoreOnce deduplicates data on the source side, before writing it to target:
1. During the backup job session, HPE StoreOnce analyzes data incoming to the HPE StoreOnce appliance in
chunks and computes a hash value for every data chunk. Hash values are stored in an index on disk.
2. The HPE StoreOnce Catalyst agent calculates hash values for data chunks in a new data flow and sends
these hash values to target.
3. HPE StoreOnce identifies which data blocks are already saved on disk and communicates this information
to the HPE StoreOnce Catalyst agent. The HPE StoreOnce Catalyst agent sends only unique data blocks to
target.
As a result, the load on the network reduces, the backup job performance improves, and you can save on disk
space.
Target-Side Data Deduplication

HPE StoreOnce performs target-side deduplication if the backup target is configured in the following way:
• For a Catalyst store:
o The Catalyst store works in the High Bandwidth mode (Primary Transfer Policy is set to High
Bandwidth).
o The Catalyst license is installed on the HPE StoreOnce (required).
o The Catalyst store is added to the backup repository as a deduplicating storage appliance, not as a
shared folder.
• For a CIFS store:
o The Catalyst license is not required.
o The CIFS store is added as a shared folder backup repository to the backup infrastructure.
For more information about working with CIFS stores, see Shared Folder Mode.
HPE StoreOnce deduplicates data on the target side, after the data is transported to HPE StoreOnce:
1. HPE StoreOnce analyzes data incoming to the HPE StoreOnce appliance in chunks and creates a hash value
for every data chunk. Hash values are stored in an index on the target side.
2. HPE StoreOnce analyzes VM data transported to target and replaces identical data chunks with references
to data chunks that are already saved on disk.
As a result, only new data chunks are written to disk, which helps save on disk space.
Shared Folder Mode
If you do not have an HPE StoreOnce Catalyst license, you can add the HPE StoreOnce appliance as a shared
folder backup repository. In this mode, HPE StoreOnce will perform target-side deduplication.
If you work with HPE StoreOnce in the shared folder mode, the performance of backup jobs and transformation
processes is lower (in comparison with the integration mode, when HPE StoreOnce is added as a deduplicating
storage appliance).
HPE StoreOnce Supported Features

The HPE StoreOnce Catalyst technology offers a set of features for advanced data processing.
Veeam Backup & Replication supports the following features:
Synthetic Full Backups

HPE StoreOnce Catalyst improves synthetic full backup file creation and transformation performance. When
Veeam Backup & Replication creates or transforms a synthetic full backup, HPE StoreOnce does not physically
copy data between the existing backup chain and the target full backup file. Instead, it performs a metadata-
only operation — updates pointers to existing data blocks on the storage device. As a result, the operation
completes much faster. This mechanism helps improve performance of primary backup jobs and backup copy
jobs that are scheduled to create periodic archive full backups (GFS).
Accelerated vPower-Enabled Operations

If HPE StoreOnce Catalyst is integrated with Veeam Backup & Replication, it allows to benefit from improved
performance of vPower-enabled operations — Instant VM Recovery, SureBackup and On-Demand Sandbox —
from backups residing on HPE StoreOnce. To get the maximum vPower performance, HPE StoreOnce must be
running firmware version 3.15.1 or later.
Accelerated Data Recovery

Integration with HPE StoreOnce improves data recovery performance for different restore scenarios: Instant VM
Recovery, file-level recovery and application items recovery with Veeam Explorers.
WAN-based Catalyst Store Support

Veeam Backup & Replication provides advanced support for WAN-based HPE Catalyst stores. If a WAN
connection to HPE StoreOnce is weak, you can instruct Veeam Backup & Replication to compress VM data and
calculate checksums for data blocks going from the source side to HPE StoreOnce.
HPE StoreOnce Replication

HPE StoreOnce replication improves copying data between two HPE StoreOnce backup repositories. For more
information on copying, see Creating Backup Copy Jobs for HPE StoreOnce Repositories.
Supported Protocols
Veeam Backup & Replication supports HPE StoreOnce storage systems working over the following protocols:
• TCP/IP protocol: Veeam Backup & Replication communicates with the HPE StoreOnce appliance by
sending commands over the LAN.
• Fibre Channel protocol: Veeam Backup & Replication communicates with the HPE StoreOnce appliance by
sending SCSI commands over Fibre Channel.
Data processing over Fibre Channel (FC) connectivity enables local area network-free backup to HP
StoreOnce, eliminates the load from backup activities and increases availability of LAN resources to
production workloads.
Quantum DXi
You can use Quantum DXi appliances as backup repositories.
Quantum DXi Deduplication

Quantum DXi appliances use Quantum’s patented data deduplication technology. During backup data transfer,
Quantum analyses blocks in a data stream. Instead of copying redundant data blocks Quantum uses reference
pointers to existing blocks on the storage device.
Quantum DXi Deployment

To communicate with Quantum DXi, Veeam Backup & Replication uses two Data Mover Services that are
• Veeam Data Mover on the Quantum DXi appliance
Quantum DXi does not host the Veeam Data Mover permanently. When any task addresses a Quantum DXi
storage, Veeam Backup & Replication deploys and starts the Veeam Data Mover on the Quantum DXi system.
The Data Mover Service establishes a connection with the Data Mover Service on the backup proxy, enabling
For more information and recommendations on working with Quantum DXi, see this Veeam KB article.
Backup Repositories with Rotated Drives
A backup repository can use rotated drives. Rotated drives can be detachable USB or eSATA hard drives. This
scenario can be helpful if you want to store backups on several external hard drives that you plan to regularly
move between different locations.
To use rotated drives, you must enable the This repository is backed by rotated hard drives option in the
advanced settings of the backup repository. When this option is enabled, Veeam Backup & Replication
recognizes the backup target as a backup repository with rotated drives and uses a specific algorithm to make
sure that the backup chain created on these drives is not broken.
Limitations for Backup Repositories with Rotated Drives

Backup repositories with rotated drives have the following limitations:
• On one managed server, you must create only one repository with rotated drives.
• You cannot store archive full backups (GFS backups) created with backup jobs or backup copy jobs in
backup repositories with rotated drives.
• You cannot store per-VM backup files in backup repositories with rotated drives.
• You cannot rescan backup repositories with rotated drives.
• Scale-out backup repositories do not support rotated drives. If you enable the This repository is backed by
rotated hard drives setting on an extent, Veeam Backup & Replication will ignore this setting and will work
with such repository as with a standard extent.
• Repositories with rotated drives are not supported as primary backup repositories, archive repositories,
and secondary target repositories for NAS backup.
How Repository with Rotated Drives Works
Microsoft Windows Backup Repository

A job targeted at a backup repository with rotated drives is performed in the following way.
For backup jobs:
1. Veeam Backup & Replication creates a regular backup chain on the currently attached drive.
2. When a new job session starts, Veeam Backup & Replication checks if the backup chain on the currently
attached drive is consistent. The consistent backup chain must contain a full backup and all incremental
backups that have been produced by the job. This requirement applies to all types of backup chains:
forever forward incremental, forward incremental and reverse incremental.
If external drives have been swapped, and the full backup or any incremental backups are missing from
the currently attached drive, Veeam Backup & Replication starts the backup chain anew. It creates a new
full backup file on the drive, and this full backup is used as a starting point for subsequent incremental
backups.
3. [For external drives attached to Microsoft Windows servers] Veeam Backup & Replication checks the
retention policy set for the job. If some backup files in the backup chain are outdated,
Veeam Backup & Replication removes them from the backup chain.
4. When you swap drives again, Veeam Backup & Replication checks the backup chain for consistency and
creates a new full backup.
NOTE:
When you specify retention settings for a backup job targeted at a backup repository with rotated drives,
you must define the total number of restore points that you want to retain on all drives in the set. For
example, if you set retention to 14, the job will keep the total of 14 restore points across all drives.
For backup copy jobs:
1. Veeam Backup & Replication creates a regular backup chain on the currently attached drive.
2. When you swap drives, and the attached drive is empty, Veeam Backup & Replication creates a full backup
on it. If there is a backup chain on the drive, Veeam Backup & Replication creates a new incremental
backup and adds it to the backup chain. The latest incremental backup existing in the backup chain is used
as a starting point for the new incremental backup.
3. [For external drives attached to Microsoft Windows servers] Veeam Backup & Replication checks the
retention policy set for the job. If some backup files in the backup chain are outdated,
Veeam Backup & Replication removes them from the backup chain.
NOTE:
When you specify retention settings for a backup copy job targeted at a backup repository with rotated
drives, you must define the number of restore points per drive. For example, if you set retention to 7, the
job will keep 7 restore points on every drive in the set.
Drive Detection
Drive letters for external drives may change when you add new volumes or storage hardware such as CD-ROM
on the server. In Microsoft Windows backup repositories, Veeam Backup & Replication can keep track of drives
and detect them even if the drive letter changes.
To detect a drive correctly, Veeam Backup & Replication must have a record about it in the configuration
database. Consider the following requirements:
• When you insert a drive for the first time, the drive is not registered in the configuration database. Such
drive must have the same letter as the one specified in the Path to folder field in backup repository
settings. For more information, see Configuring Path and Load Control Settings.
If the drive has some other letter, Veeam Backup & Replication will not be able to detect and use it.
• When you insert a drive that has already been used and has some restore points on it, the drive is already
registered in the configuration database. Veeam Backup & Replication will be able to detect and use it,
even if the drive letter changes.
Linux and Shared Folder Backup Repository

If you use a Linux server or a shared folder as a backup repository with rotated drives,
Veeam Backup & Replication employs a “cropped” mechanism of work with rotated drives.
Veeam Backup & Replication keeps information only about the latest backup chain in the configuration
database. Information about previous backup chains is removed from the database. For this reason, the
retention policy set for the job may not work as expected.
A job targeted at a backup repository with rotated drives is performed in the following way:
1. During the first run of the job, Veeam Backup & Replication creates a regular backup full backup on the
drive that is attached to the backup repository server.
2. During the next job session, Veeam Backup & Replication checks if the current backup chain on the
attached drive is consistent. The consistent backup chain must contain a full backup and all incremental
backups subsequent to it. This requirement applies to all types of backup chains: forever forward
incremental, forward incremental and reverse incremental.
o If the current backup chain is consistent, Veeam Backup & Replication adds a new restore point to the
backup chain.
o If external drives have been swapped, and the current backup chain is not consistent,
Veeam Backup & Replication always starts a new backup chain (even if restore points from previous
backup chains are available on the attached drive). Veeam Backup & Replication creates a new full
backup file on the drive, and this full backup is used as a starting point for subsequent incremental
backups.
As soon as Veeam Backup & Replication starts a new backup chain on the drive, it removes
information about restore points from previous backup chains from the configuration database.
Backup files corresponding to these previous restore points are not deleted, they remain on disk. This
happens because Veeam Backup & Replication applies the retention policy only to the current backup
chain, not to previous backup chains.
Adding Backup Repositories with Rotated Drives
To add a backup repository with rotated drives:
1. Attach one of external drives from the set to a Microsoft Windows or Linux server. The server must be
added to the backup infrastructure. For more information on how to add a server, see Virtualization
Servers and Hosts.
You can also attach the external hard drive to the backup server itself. In this case, the VM traffic will path
through the backup server, which will produce additional workload on it.
2. Launch the Add New Backup Repository wizard.
3. At the Server step of the wizard, select the server to which the drive is attached.
4. At the Repository step of the wizard, in the Path to folder field, specify a path to the folder where backup
files must be stored.
IMPORTANT!
Later, when you attach another external hard drive to the server for the first time, this drive must
have the same drive letter as specified in the Path to folder field. For more information, see Drive
Detection.
5. Click the Advanced button and select the This repository is backed by rotated hard drives check box.
6. Configure other settings of the backup repository as required and finish working with the wizard.
Object Storage Repository

An object storage repository is a repository intended for long-term data storage and based on either a cloud
solution or an S3 compatible storage solution.
Veeam Backup & Replication supports the following types of object storage repositories:
• Amazon S3, Amazon S3 Glacier and AWS Snowball Edge
• S3 compatible
• Google Cloud
• IBM Cloud
• Microsoft Azure Blob, Azure Archive and Azure Data Box
Object storage repositories can be used in the following ways:
• In Scale-Out Backup Repository as a part of Capacity Tier. Capacity tier of scale-out backup repository
allows to offload existing backup data directly to cloud-based object storage such as Amazon S3,
Microsoft Azure Blob Storage and IBM Cloud Object Storage, or using on-premises S3 compatible devices.
For more information, see Capacity Tier.
• As target archive repositories for NAS Backup.
Considerations and Limitations
This section lists considerations and known limitations for object storage repositories.
General Considerations and Limitations

• Make sure to open required ports to communicate with object storage repositories in advance, as
described in Used Ports.
• Object storage gateway appliances that are used to store backup data in filer (CIFS/NFS) or block device
mode (iSCSI/FC/SAS) are not supported if the backup data is offloaded to object storage and is no longer
stored directly on the appliance.
Such gateway appliances are only supported in the following cases:
o All of the backup data is stored on the appliance altogether (that is, all of the backup chains are
stored on the appliance as a whole and not scattered across multiple devices) and only additional
copies of the backup data are transported to object storage.
o These appliances emulate a tape system (VTL) as an access protocol for Veeam Backup & Replication.
• Data in object storage bucket/container must be managed solely by Veeam Backup & Replication,
including retention and data management. Enabling lifecycle rules is not supported, and may result in
backup and restore failures.
• Use one bucket per scale-out backup repository to reduce metadata. Creating folders for multiple scale-
out backup repositories within a bucket slows down processing, as metadata operations within the object
storage are handled per bucket.
• If a backup chain contains backup files that are marked as corrupted by Health Check, then such corrupted
files, as well as all subsequent files that go after the corrupted one are never offloaded. In such a scenario,
offload is only possible starting from the full backup file that succeeds the backup chain with corrupted
backups.
• Different object storage repositories mapped to the same cloud folder can be used for storing both the
Capacity Tier backups and the NAS backups.
IMPORTANT!
The same object storage repository (mapped to the same cloud folder) must not be used across
multiple Veeam Backup & Replication servers for the same purposes as it leads to unpredictable
system behavior and data loss.
For the same reason, two object storage repositories mapped to the same cloud folder must not be
added to different scale-out backup repositories within one Veeam Backup & Replication server.
• Within a scale-out backup repository, the mount server of a performance extent will act as a gateway
server of the capacity extent if all of the following is true:
a. You use SMB share/NFS share/deduplicating storage appliances as performance extents of your scale-
out backup repository.
b. You have chosen Automatic selection for the gateway server at the Specify Shared Folder Settings
step of the New backup repository wizard.
c. For the object storage that you use as the capacity extent, you have not selected the Use the
following gateway server check box at the Specify Object Storage Account step of the New object
storage repository wizard.
Limitations for Amazon and S3 Compatible Object Storage
• Make sure the S3 Compatible device you are adding supports AWS v4 signature. For more information
about authentication requests, see this Amazon article.
• When adding Amazon S3 object storage, only the Standard, Standard-IA and One Zone-IA storage classes
are supported. For more information about Amazon S3 storage classes, see this Amazon article.
Limitations for Microsoft Azure Object Storage

• For Microsoft Azure Blob Storage, Veeam Backup & Replication supports specific types of storage
accounts and tiers. For more information, see Microsoft Azure Storage Accounts.
• Currently, Veeam Backup & Replication does not support the Versioning feature for Microsoft Azure object
storage. If you plan to use an account with blob versioning enabled, keep in mind this may result in extra
costs for storing objects that have been removed by the retention policy.
Limitations for Google Cloud Object Storage

• Currently, Veeam Backup & Replication does not support the Object Versioning and Bucket Lock features
for Google Cloud object storage.
IMPORTANT!
Enabling either any or both of these features on the bucket may result in unpredictable system
behavior and data loss, as well as in extra costs for storing objects that have been removed by the
retention policy.
For more information, see these Google articles: Object Versioning, Bucket Lock.
Limitations for IBM Cloud Object Storage

• For IBM Cloud Object Storage on-premise, Veeam Backup & Replication supports versions starting from
3.15.0.44.
Considerations and Limitations for Immutability

• When enabling Object Lock on an S3 bucket, use the None option for the object lock configuration mode.
IMPORTANT!
Using Governance or Compliance default retention may result in unpredictable system behavior and
data loss.
Note that Veeam Backup & Replication will automatically use Compliance object lock mode for each
uploaded object.
For more information, see this Amazon article.
• If you plan to use the immutability feature with the existing S3 bucket containing backups created by 9.5
Update 4, keep in mind that both Versioning and Object Lock must be enabled on the bucket
simultaneously and immediately before enabling the immutability feature. Any other approach will lead to
backup offload failures and inability to correctly interact with backups in the bucket.
• The immutability feature is applicable only to the Capacity Tier backups. It does not support the NAS
backups.
• Immutable data is preserved as described in Block Generation.
Adding Object Storage Repositories

You can add the following types of object storage repositories:
• S3 Compatible Object Storage
• Amazon S3 Object Storage, Amazon S3 Glacier Storage and AWS Snowball Edge
• Google Cloud Object Storage
• Microsoft Azure Object Storage, Microsoft Azure Archive Storage and Data Box
Adding S3 Compatible Object Storage

S3 Compatible storage is any device that conforms to the Amazon S3 protocol.
Before you add an S3 Compatible object storage to the backup infrastructure, check prerequisites. After that,
use the New Object Repository wizard.
Step 1. Launch New Object Repository Wizard
To launch the New Object Repository wizard, do one of the following:
• Open the Backup Infrastructure view. In the inventory pane select the Backup Repositories node and click
Add Repository on the ribbon. In the Add Backup Repository dialog, select Object Storage > S3
Compatible.
• Open the Backup Infrastructure view. In the inventory pane right-click the Backup Repositories node and
select Add Backup Repository. In the Add Backup Repository dialog, select Object Storage > S3
Compatible.
Step 2. Specify Object Storage Name
At the Name step of the wizard, specify a name and description for the object storage repository:
• In the Name filed, specify a name for the new object storage repository.
• In the Description filed, enter an optional description. The default description contains information about
the user who added the object storage repository, date and time when the object storage repository was
added.
If you wish to limit the maximum number of tasks that can be processed at once, select the Limit concurrent
tasks to N check box.
Step 3. Specify Object Storage Account
At the Account step of the wizard, specify the connection settings:
1. In the Service point field, specify an endpoint address of your S3 Compatible object storage.
2. In the Region field, specify a region.
3. From the Credentials drop-down list, select user credentials to access your S3 Compatible object storage.
If you already have a credentials record that was configured in advance, select it from the drop-down list.
Otherwise, click Add and provide your access and secret keys, as described in Access Keys for AWS Users.
You can also click the Manage cloud accounts link to add, edit or remove a credentials record.
To use a gateway server, select the Use the following gateway server check box and choose an appropriate
server from the list. You may want to use a gateway server, for example, if your organization has NAT or
different types of firewalls and your access to the internet is limited.
You can select any Microsoft Windows or Linux server that is added to your backup infrastructure and has
internet connection. For more information on how to add such a server to your environment, see Adding
Microsoft Windows Servers and Adding Linux Servers respectively. By default, the role of a gateway server is
assigned to the machine where Veeam Backup & Replication is installed.
If you choose not to use a gateway server, make sure that all scale-out repository extents have direct internet
access.
Step 4. Specify Object Storage Settings
At the Bucket step of the wizard, specify the bucket and folder that will be used to store data:
1. From the Bucket drop-down list, select a bucket.

Make sure that the bucket where you want to store your backup data was created in advance.
2. In the Select Folder field, select a cloud folder to which you want to map your object storage repository.
To select a folder, click Browse and either select an existing folder or create a new one by clicking New
Folder.
To define a soft limit for your object storage consumption that can be exceeded temporarily, select the Limit
object storage consumption to check box and provide the value in TB or PB.
To prohibit deletion of blocks of data from object storage, select the Make recent backups immutable for check
box and specify the immutability period. For more information about immutability, see Immutability.
At the Summary step of the wizard, complete the object storage repository configuration:
1. Review details of the object storage repository.
Adding Amazon S3 Object Storage, Amazon S3 Glacier Storage and AWS Snowball
Edge
Before you add an Amazon S3 storage, Amazon Glacier or Amazon Snowball Edge to the backup infrastructure,
check prerequisites. After that, use the New Object Repository wizard.
Add Repository on the ribbon. In the Add Backup Repository dialog, select Object Storage > Amazon S3.
select Add Backup Repository. In the Add Backup Repository dialog, select Object Storage > Amazon S3.
Step 2. Select Amazon S3 Storage Type
At the Amazon S3 step of the wizard, select one of the following storage types:
• Amazon S3 Storage
• Amazon S3 Glacier Storage
• AWS Snowball Edge Storage
Adding Amazon S3 Storage

For more information about Amazon S3 object storage, see this Amazon article.
To add Amazon S3 object storage, do the following:
1. Specify Object Storage Name
2. Specify Object Storage Account
3. Specify Object Storage Settings
4. Finish Working with Wizard
added.
1. From the Credentials drop-down list, select user credentials to access your Amazon S3 object storage.
The user account must have permissions listed in Required Permissions.
2. From the AWS region drop-down list, select the AWS region where the Amazon S3 bucket is located.
access.
At the Bucket step of the wizard, specify Amazon S3 bucket and folder that will be used to store data:
1. From the Data center region drop-down list, select a region.

3. In the Folder field, select a cloud folder to which you want to map your object storage repository.
Folder.
IMPORTANT!
Veeam Backup & Replication supports specific storage classes. For more information, see Considerations
and Limitations.
To prohibit deletion of blocks of data from object storage, select the Make recent backups immutable for check
box and specify the immutability period. For more information about immutability, see Immutability.
If you plan to access your backup data in an infrequent manner, select the Use infrequent access storage class
check box to mark each block as Standard IA (Standard Infrequent Access). To enable Amazon S3 One Zone-
Infrequent Access, select the Store backups in a single availability zone only check box. For more information,
see this Amazon article.
Adding Amazon S3 Glacier Storage

Veeam Backup & Replication uses Amazon S3 Glacier object storage with Amazon S3 service. For more
information about Amazon S3 storage classes that you can use for this object storage repository, see this
Amazon article.
You can only use this repository as an archive extent of the scale-out backup repository. For more information,
see Archive Tier.
To add Amazon S3 Glacier object storage, do the following:
4. Specify Proxy Appliance
added.
1. From the Credentials drop-down list, select user credentials to access your Amazon S3 object storage.
2. From the AWS region drop-down list, select the geographical location of the Amazon data center.
access.
1. From the Data center drop-down list, the AWS region where the Amazon S3 bucket is located.
2. From the Bucket drop-down list, select a bucket where you want to store your backup data.
Make sure that the bucket was created in advance.
3. In the Folder field, select a cloud folder to which you want to map your object storage repository and
which will be used to store data.
Folder.
To prohibit deletion of blocks of data from object storage, select the Make backups immutable for the entire
duration of their retention policy check box. The immutability period will be equal to the retention period (if
any) of the data blocks. All the types of files that are eligible for archive storage can be made immutable. For
more information on the immutability feature and the retention policy for each file type, see Immutability for
Archive Tier.
Keep in mind that in order to use immutability, you need to enable the Object Lock and Versioning features on
your S3 bucket at the time when you create the bucket. For more information, see Preparing to Use
Immutability.
If you plan to access your backup data in an infrequent manner, on average once or twice in a year, select the
Use Glacier Deep Archive for backups with the retention policy over 180 days check box. For more information
on Amazon storage classes, see this Amazon article. For more information on Amazon Glacier Deep Archive, see
this Amazon article.
Step 4. Specify Proxy Appliance
At the Proxy Appliance step of the wizard, you can specify the proxy appliance settings. A proxy appliance is an
auxiliary instance that is necessary for transferring the data from Amazon S3 to Amazon S3 Glacier. You can
specify proxy appliance settings in one of the following ways:
• Use the default settings. In that case, Veeam Backup & Replication will select the necessary settings from
those available in your account, or will create for you new settings for the EC2 instance type, Amazon VPC,
subnet, security group and redirector port.
• Specify the settings manually:
a. Click Customize.
b. From the EC2 instance type drop-down list, select the instance type for the proxy appliance. The EC2
instance type affects the speed and the cost of the backup files import to the object storage
(specifically, the Archive Tier of a scale-out backup repository). For information on instance types, see
this Amazon article.
c. From the Amazon VPC drop-down list, select the Amazon VPC where Veeam Backup & Replication will
launch the target instance. For information on the Amazon VPC, see this Amazon article.
d. From the Subnet drop-down list, select the subnet for the proxy appliance.
e. From the Security group drop-down list, select a security group that will be associated with the proxy
appliance. For information on security groups for Amazon VPC, see this Amazon article.
f. In the Redirector port field, specify the TCP port that Veeam Backup & Replication will use to route
requests between the proxy appliance and backup infrastructure components.
g. Click OK to finish configuring the settings.
At the Summary step of the wizard, complete the procedure of object storage repository configuration:
Adding AWS Snowball Edge Storage

AWS Snowball Edge is a physical device that is requested for a short period of time from Amazon. It can be
temporarily attached to your Veeam Backup & Replication backup infrastructure and used as an object storage.
For more information about ordering AWS Snowball Edge and preparing to use it, see this Amazon article.
This device might become useful when you need to offload a large number of backup files that are occupying a
lot of storage space on your extents, as offloading data to the AWS Snowball Edge device might occur a lot
faster that transferring the same amount of data directly to Amazon object storage.
Once you have offloaded backups to AWS Snowball Edge, you need to ship the device back to Amazon for
further data synchronization with your storage account, as described in Seeding Backups to AWS Snowball Edge
Storage.
IMPORTANT
To eliminate any risk of data loss in case the device is damaged during the shipping, we recommend to
copy your backup files to AWS Snowball Edge instead of moving them, and to keep them in your local
infrastructure until the device is delivered and your data is safely transferred into your storage account.
NOTE
For information on FIPS status of AWS Snowball Edge Storage, see Amazon official updates.
To add AWS Snowball Edge storage, do the following:
added.
1. In the Service point field, specify a service point address of your AWS Snowball Edge device.
2. In the Region field, type "snow".
3. From the Credentials drop-down list, select user credentials to access your AWS Snowball Edge storage.
access.

2. In the Folder field, select a cloud folder to which you want to map your object storage repository.
Folder.
Adding Google Cloud Object Storage

For more information about Google Cloud Object Storage, see this Google article.
Before you add a Google Cloud object storage to the backup infrastructure, check prerequisites. After that, use
the New Object Repository wizard.
• Open the Backup Infrastructure view. In the inventory pane, select the Backup Repositories node and click
Add Repository on the ribbon. In the Add Backup Repository dialog, select Object Storage > Google Cloud
Storage.
• Open the Backup Infrastructure view. In the inventory pane, right-click the Backup Repositories node and
select Add Backup Repository. In the Add Backup Repository dialog, select Object Storage > Google Cloud
Storage.
added.
At the Account step of the wizard, specify credentials and port settings for the VMware vSphere server: from
the Credentials drop-down list, select user credentials to access your Google Cloud object storage.
Otherwise, click Add and provide your access and secret keys, as described in Cloud Credentials Manager. You
can also click the Manage cloud accounts link to add, edit or remove a credentials record.
access.
1. In the Data center region drop-down list, select a region.
2. In the Bucket drop-down list, select a bucket.

Folder.
If you plan to access your backup data rarely, on average once per month or less, select the Use nearline storage
class check box. For more information about Google Cloud storage classes, see this Google article.
Adding IBM Cloud Object Storage

For more information about IBM Cloud object storage, see this IBM article.
Before you add an IBM Cloud object storage to the backup infrastructure, check prerequisites. After that, use
the New Object Repository wizard.
Add Repository on the ribbon. In the Add Backup Repository dialog, select Object Storage > IBM Cloud
Object Storage.
select Add Backup Repository. In the Add Backup Repository dialog, select Object Storage > IBM Cloud
Object Storage.
added.
1. In the Service point field, specify a service point address of your IBM cloud object storage.
2. In the Region field, specify a region.
3. From the Credentials drop-down list, select user credentials to access your IBM cloud object storage.
If you already have a credentials record that was configured in advance, select such a record from the
drop-down list. Otherwise, click Add and provide your access and secret keys, as described in Cloud
Credentials Manager. You can also click the Manage cloud accounts link to add, edit or remove a
credentials record.
access.

Folder.
NOTE:
The Make recent backups immutable for check box is currently unavailable for IBM Cloud Object Storage,
since IBM does not currently support S3 Object Lock feature required for the immutability.
Adding Microsoft Azure Object Storage, Microsoft Azure Archive Storage and Data Box
Before you add a Microsoft Azure Blob storage, Azure Archive storage or Azure Data Box to the backup
infrastructure, check prerequisites. After that, use the New Object Repository wizard.
Add Repository on the ribbon. In the Add Backup Repository dialog, select Object Storage > Microsoft
Azure Blob Storage.
select Add Backup Repository. In the Add Backup Repository dialog, select Object Storage > Microsoft
Azure Blob Storage.
Step 2. Select Azure Storage Type
At the Microsoft Azure Blob Storage step of the wizard, select one of the following storage types:
• Azure Blob Storage
• Azure Archive Storage
• Azure Data Box
Adding Azure Blob Storage

For more information about Azure blob storage, see this Microsoft article.
To add Microsoft Azure blob storage, do the following:
added.
1. From the Credentials drop-down list, select user credentials to access your Azure Blob storage.
drop-down list. Otherwise, click Add and provide your account name and a shared key, as described in
Microsoft Azure Storage Accounts. You can also click the Manage cloud accounts link to add, edit or
remove a credentials record.
2. From the Region drop-down list, select an Azure region.
access.
At the Container step of the wizard, specify the container and folder that will be used to store data:
1. From the Container drop-down list, select a container.

Make sure that the container where you want to store your backup data was created in advance.
NOTE:
The default Root container is not supported. For more information about this container, see this Microsoft
article.
Folder.
Adding Azure Archive Storage

This repository can be used only as an archive extent of the scale-out backup repository.
For more information about Azure Archive storage, see this Microsoft article.
To add Azure Archive storage, do the following:
4. Specify Proxy Appliance
added.
Otherwise, click Add and provide your account name and a shared key, as described in Microsoft Azure
Storage Accounts. You can also click the Manage cloud accounts link to add, edit or remove a credentials
record.
NOTE
Veeam Backup & Replication archive tier feature does not support Microsoft Azure Stack accounts.
2. From the Region drop-down list, select an Azure region.
access.

Make sure that the container where you want to store your backup data was created in advance.
2. In the Folder field, select a cloud folder to which you want to map your object storage repository and
which will be used to store data.
Folder.
At the Proxy Appliance step of the wizard, you can specify proxy appliance settings. A proxy appliance is an
auxiliary instance that is necessary for transferring data from Azure Blob storage to Azure Archive storage.
To configure and set up a proxy appliance, you must add a Microsoft Azure account to
Veeam Backup & Replication. For that, do the following:
1. From the Subscription drop-down list, select your Microsoft Azure subscription credentials. If you have
not set up credentials beforehand, click Add. You will be prompted to the Adding Microsoft Azure
Accounts wizard. Follow the wizard to add your account. Before adding your Microsoft Azure account,
check the prerequisites.
2. You can use the default settings or customize the proxy appliance. To specify proxy appliance settings, do
the following:
a. Click Customize.
b. From the Size drop-down list, select the size of the appliance.
c. From the Resource group drop-down list, select a resource group that will be associated with the
proxy appliance.
d. From the Virtual network drop-down list, select a network to which the helper appliance must be
connected.
e. From the Subnet drop-down list, select the subnet for the proxy appliance.
f. In the Redirector port field, specify the port that Veeam Backup & Replication will use to route
requests between the proxy appliance and backup infrastructure components.
g. Click OK.
1. Review the details of the object storage repository.
Adding Azure Data Box Storage

Azure Data Box is a physical device that is requested for a short period of time from Microsoft and which can be
used as object storage that can be temporarily attached to your Veeam Backup & Replication backup
infrastructure. For more information about ordering Azure Data Box and preparing to use it, see this Microsoft
article.
This device might become useful when you need to offload a large number of backup files that are occupying a
lot of storage space on your extents, as offloading data to the Azure Data Box device occurs a lot faster that
transferring the same amount of data directly to Azure object storage.
Once you have offloaded backups to Azure Data Box, you need to ship the device back to Microsoft for further
data synchronization with your Azure storage account, as described in Seeding Backups to Azure Blob Storage.
IMPORTANT
To eliminate any risk of data loss in case the device is damaged during the shipping, we recommend to
copy your backup files to Azure Data Box Storage instead of moving them, and to keep them in your local
infrastructure until the device is delivered and your data is safely transferred into your storage account.
NOTE:
Consider that Veeam Backup & Replication supports Azure Data Box devices that are capable of
reading/writing data using REST API only; the Azure Data Box Disk type is not supported.
For information about other limitations for Microsoft Azure Data Box storage, see this Microsoft article.
To add Microsoft Azure Data Box storage, do the following:
1. Perform the steps described in the Before You Begin section.
Before You Begin

Before you add Microsoft Azure Data Box to the Veeam Backup & Replication backup infrastructure, complete
the following steps:
• Configure Name Resolutions
• Download and Install SSL Certificate
Configuring Name Resolutions

To resolve a DNS name of your Azure Data Box device, make sure to add the following DNS addresses to the
HOST file that is located on both the Veeam Backup & Replication server and the gateway server (if any
additional gateway server is used):
• <ip_address> <mydataboxno>.microsoftdatabox.com
• <ip_address> <storageaccountname>.blob.<mydataboxno>.microsoftdatabox.com
For more information on how to learn the values for <ip_address>, <mydataboxno> and <storageaccountname>,
see this Microsoft article.
As an <ip_address>, use any of the IP-addresses listed under the Data N section. You can also use the address
specified under the MGMT section, but due to its slow connection rate (limited to 1 GbE), using such an address
is not recommended.
The following is an example of the HOST file.
NOTE:
• Make sure to configure name resolutions on each server that might be used as a gateway.
• Alternatively, you can create a microsoftdatabox.com DNS zone with corresponding records on your
DNS server if you prefer not to modify the HOST file.
Downloading and Installing SSL Certificate

To establish a secure connection to the Azure Data Box device, make sure to download and import an SSL
certificate and install it on both the Veeam Backup & Replication server and the gateway server (if any additional
gateway server is used).
For more information on how to download an SSL certificate, see this Microsoft article.
When installing a certificate, do the following:
1. In the Certificate Import Wizard dialog, select Local Machine.
2. In the Certificate Store step, select Place all certificates in the following store and click Browse.
3. Select Trusted Root Certification Authorities.
Configuring registry settings

For information how to configure registry settings for Microsoft Azure Data Box device, see this Veeam KB
article.
Sizing Gateway Server
Consider that Veeam Backup & Replication supports Azure Data Box devices that are capable of reading/writing
data via REST API only; the Azure Data Box Disk type is not supported.
As with any other object storage, REST API performance depends on scale. As Azure Data Box is a single
endpoint, the individual throughput of this REST API may be limited. The block size used in
Veeam Backup & Replication capacity tier for object storage offload matches that of the source job. The default
object size would be a compressed 1MB block, resulting in objects of around 512KB in size.
The speed of data offload to Azure Data Box devices may reach about 300 MB/s. To achieve this speed, we
recommend using a separate gateway server with 8 CPU cores.
added.
1. In the Service endpoint field, specify a service endpoint address of your Azure Data Box device.
2. From the Credentials drop-down list, select user credentials to access your Azure Data Box storage.
drop-down list. Otherwise, click Add and provide your access and secret keys, as described in Cloud
Credentials Manager. You can also click the Manage cloud accounts link to add, edit or remove a
credentials record.
For more information on where to find connection parameters of your Azure Data Box device, see Getting Data
Box Connection Parameters.
server from the list. Consider using Windows-based server as a gateway. For more information on how to add
such a server to your environment, see Adding Microsoft Windows Servers. By default, the role of a gateway
server is assigned to the machine where Veeam Backup & Replication is installed.
Getting Data Box Connection Parameters

To find connection parameters of your Azure Data Box device, do the following:
1. Open the Microsoft Azure Data Box portal.
2. In the navigation pane, click Connect and Copy.
3. Under the Access Settings column of the storage account that you want to use, click REST and in the
Access storage account and upload data dialog, copy the following:
a. Under Storage Account Name, copy the Azure storage account name.
b. Under Key, copy the storage account key.
c. Under Blob Service Endpoint, copy the service endpoint address that starts exactly after the blob
word.
For example, if the complete service endpoint address is
https://qadataboxstoracc03.blob.ZTS18510049.microsoftdatabox.com, then you will need to copy
everything that starts from ZTS only. That is, ZTS18510049.microsoftdatabox.com. Make sure not to
copy the last slash ("/") symbol.

To create a container, use Microsoft Azure Storage Explorer. For more information on how to connect to
the Azure Data Box device using Microsoft Azure Storage Explorer, see this Microsoft article.
Folder.
Managing Object Storage Repositories

You can manage your object storage repositories in various ways: edit settings of an object storage repository,
switch it to Maintenance or Seal mode or remove an object storage repository.
Editing Settings of Object Storage Repository

After you have added an object storage repository, you may want to edit its settings.
To edit object storage settings, do the following:
2. In the inventory pane, select Backup Repositories.
3. In the working area, select an object storage repository and click Edit Repository on the ribbon or right-
click an object storage repository and select Properties.
4. Follow the steps of the Edit Object Storage Repository wizard and edit settings as required.
Mind that some settings cannot be modified and will remain disabled while being edited.
Switching to Maintenance Mode

Maintenance mode imposes limitations on usage of object storage repositories, as described in Maintenance
Mode Limitations.
An object storage repository can be put into both the maintenance and seal modes at the same time. When both
modes are applied, limitations of maintenance mode override limitations of seal mode.
To put an object storage repository into maintenance mode, do the following:
2. In the inventory pane, select the Backup Repositories node.
3. In the working area, select an object storage repository and click Maintenance mode on the ribbon or
right-click an object storage repository and select Maintenance mode.
To switch back to normal, repeat steps 1 and 2, and at the step 3, click the Maintenance mode button once
again or clear the Maintenance mode check box.
Maintenance Mode Limitations

The following table lists limitations that are imposed right after the object storage repository was put into
maintenance mode.
Activity Restriction Level Related Topic
Moving to object storage. Moving Inactive

Backup Chains to
Object Storage
Copying to object storage. Copying Backups to

Object Storage
Downloading from object Downloading Data

storage. from Object Storage
Moving to capacity tier Moving to Capacity

(manual operation). Tier
Copy to performance tier Copying to

(manual operation). Performance Tier
Restore from offloaded Data Restore

backups.
Export as .vbk from Exporting Backups

offloaded backups.
Removal of backups from Removing from

configuration. Configuration
Retention policies. Synchronization is skipped for backup chains located Retention Policy
in object storage repositories. Obsolete restore
points will only be removed from backup chains on
the extents.
Removal of backups or Removing Backups

VMs created with the Per- from Object Storage
VM method. Repository
Scale-out backup Synchronization is skipped for object storage Rescanning Scale-Out

repository rescan. repositories. Repositories
Evacuation of storage Evacuating Backups

along with indexes from from Performance
on-premise extents. Tiers
Switching to Seal Mode

Veeam Backup & Replication allows you to put an object storage repository into Seal mode.
Sealing up object storage gives you the ability to gradually remove data located in such storage by applying a
retention policy. You can use this feature to gracefully stop using some of your object storage as backup
repositories and exclude them from the scale-out backup repository configuration altogether.
When sealing up object storage, Veeam Backup & Replication restricts any further data transfer to such a sealed
storage and allows only operations listed in Seal Mode Limitations.
All restore points that exceed the specified retention period will be continuously removed from the sealed
object storage, as described in Retention Policy.
• An object storage repository can be put into seal mode only if it is a member of the scale-out backup
repository.
If an object storage repository was not added as part of any of your scale-out backup repositories, the Seal
Extent option will not be available.
• An object storage repository can be put into both maintenance and seal modes at the same time.
When both modes are applied, limitations of maintenance mode override limitations of seal mode.
To put an object storage repository into seal mode, do the following:
3. In the working area, select an object storage repository and click Seal Extent on the ribbon or right-click
an object storage repository and select Seal extent.
To switch back to normal, repeat steps 1 and 2, and at the step 3, click the Sealed button once again or
clear the Sealed check box.
Seal Mode Limitations

The following table lists limitations that are imposed right after the object storage repository was put into seal
mode.
Moving Inactive Backup Chains to

Moving to object storage.
Object Storage
Copying to object storage. Copying Backups to Object Storage
Downloading Data from Object

Downloading from object storage.
Storage
Moving to capacity tier (manual operation). Moving to Capacity Tier
Copy to performance tier (manual operation). Copying to Performance Tier
Restore from offloaded backups. Data Restore
Export as .vbk from offloaded backups. Exporting Backups
Removal of backups from configuration. Removing from Configuration
Retention policies. Retention Policy
Removal of backups or VMs created with the Removing Backups from Object
Per-VM method. Storage Repository
Removal of a VM from a single storage. Deleting from Disk
Scale-out backup repository rescan. . Rescanning Scale-Out Repositories
Evacuation of storage along with indexes from Evacuating Backups from

on-premise extents. Performance Tiers
Removing Object Storage Repository

You can remove any object storage repository from the application scope if you no longer need it.
• An object storage repository cannot be removed if it is part of a scale-out backup repository.

To remove such a repository, you must first exclude an object storage repository from the scale-out
backup repository configuration, as described in Excluding Capacity Tier from Scale-Out Repositories.
• An object storage repository cannot be removed if backups located in this repository was imported, as
described in Importing Backups.
To remove such a repository, you must first detach object storage, as described in Detaching Object
Storage.
• When an object storage repository is being removed from the environment, the actual offloaded data
remains completely unaffected.
To learn how to remove data, see Removing Backups from Object Storage Repository.
To remove an object storage repository, do the following:
3. In the working area, select an object storage repository and click Remove Repository on the ribbon or
right-click an object storage repository and select Remove.
Managing Object Storage Backups

You can manage your object storage backups in various ways: import, detach or remove object storage backups
or seed them to Azure Blob Storage.
Importing Object Storage Backups

Veeam Backup & Replication allows you to import backups located in object storage repositories into the
Veeam Backup & Replication console so that you can perform disaster recovery operations in case the
configuration of the scale-out backup repository was permanently lost and is unavailable.
• The Import Backups option is available only if object storage is not part of a scale-out backup repository.
• Before you start importing backups, make sure to add an object storage repository that stores data you
want to import.
• If you have imported backups from an object storage repository, you will not be able to select this
repository as a capacity extent at the Add Capacity Tier step.
• The Import Backups option is applicable only to the Capacity Tier backups. It does not support the NAS
backups.
To import backups, do the following:
1. Launch Import Wizard
2. Specify Password
3. Wait for Import
Step 1. Launch Import Wizard
To launch the Import Backup wizard, do either of the following:
• Open the Backup Infrastructure view, in the inventory pane select the Backup Repositories node and in the
preview pane, right-click object storage that contains backups that you want to import and select Import
backups.
• Open the Backup Infrastructure view, in the inventory pane select the Backup Repositories node, in the
preview pane, select object storage that contains backups that you want to import and select Import
Backups.
Step 2. Specify Password
At the Password step of the wizard, in the Password field, specify the password that was used to encrypt data
during offload or copy sessions.
This step is only available when importing encrypted backups.
Step 3. Wait for Import
At the Import step of the wizard, wait until Veeam Backup & Replication prepares a temporary database to
which information about backups will be added upon import.
At the Summary step of the wizard:
1. Review details of the import operation.
2. Click Finish to run a Configuration Database Resynchronize session.

During this session, all existing backups will be imported into the Veeam Backup & Replication console.
Viewing Imported Backups

To view imported backups, do the following:
2. In the navigation pane, select the Backups > Object Storage (Imported) node.
3. In the preview pane, review imported backups.
Detaching Object Storage Backups

You can detach imported object storage after you have finished working with it. After object storage is
detached, the imported backups become unavailable.
To detach imported object storage, do the following:
2. In the navigation pane. select the Backup Repositories node.
3. In the preview pane, select object storage the backups of which have been imported and click Detach
Repository on the toolbar or right-click object storage and select Detach Repository.
Seeding Backups to Azure Blob Storage

After you have completed moving backup data to the Azure Data Box device, you need to ship this device back
to Microsoft so that this data can be synchronized with your Azure storage account.
To prepare Azure Data Box for shipping, do the following:
1. Put an object storage repository that is associated with the Azure Data Box device into Maintenance mode,
as described in Switching to Maintenance Mode.
2. Perform the steps described in this Microsoft article.
After mailing the device, wait until it is accepted by Microsoft and notification of successful data upload to your
Azure storage account is received. After that, do the following:
1. Add an Azure blob storage, as described in Adding Azure BLOB Storage.
2. In the Capacity Tier step, change your Azure Data Box object storage to Azure blob storage that you have
created in the previous step.
3. Confirm importing backups from Azure blob storage and wait for the synchronization job to complete.
4. Remove Azure Data Box object storage from the Veeam Backup & Replication backup infrastructure, as
described in Removing Object Storage Repository.
Seeding Backups to AWS Snowball Edge Storage

After you have completed moving backup data to the AWS Snowball Edge device, you need to ship this device
back to Amazon so that this data can be synchronized with your storage account. For more information about
returning AWS Snowball Edge, see this Amazon article.
To prepare AWS Snowball Edge for shipping, put the object storage repository that is associated with the AWS
Snowball Edge device into Maintenance mode, as described in Switching to Maintenance Mode. You can learn in
more detail about preparing AWS Snowball Edge for shipping in this Amazon article.
After mailing the device, wait until it is accepted by Amazon and notification of successful data upload to your
storage account is received (if you subscribed for such notification). After that, do the following:
1. Add an Amazon S3 storage, as described in Adding Amazon S3 Storage. At the Specify Object Storage
Settings step, select the same bucket and folder that you have selected for your AWS Snowball Edge
device.
2. Open the Edit Scale-out Backup Repository wizard, as described in Editing Settings of Scale-Out Backup
Repositories. In the Capacity Tier step, change your AWS Snowball Edge object storage to Amazon S3
storage that you have created in the previous step. Save the new setting.
3. Remove the AWS Snowball Edge object storage from the Veeam Backup & Replication backup
infrastructure, as described in Removing Object Storage Repository.
Adding Backup Repositories

This section describes how to add direct attached storage, network attached storage, and deduplicating storage
appliances as backup repositories.
For information on how to add object storage repositories, see Adding Object Storage Repositories.
Before you add a backup repository, check prerequisites. Then use the New Backup Repository wizard to add the
backup repository.
Before You Begin

Before you configure a backup repository, check the following prerequisites.

• Dell EMC Data Domain must meet software and/or hardware requirements. For more information, see
System Requirements.
• The DD Boost license must be installed on the Dell EMC Data Domain system, DD Boost must be enabled
and configured.
• The gateway server that you plan to use for work with Dell EMC Data Domain must be added to the
If the Dell EMC Data Domain storage system does not meet these requirements, you can add it as a SMB (CIFS)
folder. In this case, Veeam Backup & Replication will not use the DD Boost technology to work with Dell EMC
Data Domain. For more information, see Dell EMC Data Domain.
ExaGrid
• ExaGrid must meet software and/or hardware requirements. For more information, see System
Requirements.
• To use ExaGrid as a backup repository, you must configure an ExaGrid share in a proper way in ExaGrid
Manager. For more information, see the ExaGrid documentation.
• When you add ExaGrid servers to the Veeam backup infrastructure, and you use the UPN format for an
Active Directory account user name (for example, john.doe@domain.local), make sure you enter the user
name in lowercase letters only.
HPE StoreOnce
• HPE StoreOnce must meet software and/or hardware requirements. For more information, see System
Requirements.
• The HPE StoreOnce Catalyst license must be installed on the HPE StoreOnce system.
• You must use a Catalyst store as a backup target.
• The gateway server that you plan to use for work with HPE StoreOnce system must be added to the
• The client account that you plan to use to connect to HPE StoreOnce must have access permissions on the
Catalyst store where backup data will be kept.
If the HPE StoreOnce storage system does not meet these requirements, you can add it as a shared folder. In
this case, Veeam Backup & Replication will perform target-side deduplication. For more information, see HPE
StoreOnce.
Quantum DXi
• Quantum DXi must meet software and/or hardware requirements. For more information, see System
Requirements.
• To use Quantum DXi as a backup repository, you must configure a Quantum DXi share in a proper way. For
more information, see Quantum DXi documentation.
Storage Appliances
• Storage appliances that are used to store backup data in filer (CIFS/NFS) or block device mode
(iSCSI/FC/SAS) are not supported if the backup data is offloaded to tapes and is no longer stored directly
on the filer/block device (Hierarchical Storage Management with Tape tier).
To offload data to tapes, make sure that:
o All of the backup data is stored on the appliance altogether (that is, all of the backup chains are
stored on the appliance as a whole and not scattered across multiple devices) and only copies are
stored on tapes.
o These appliances emulate a tape system (VTL) as an access protocol for Veeam Backup & Replication.
NOTE:
Consider reading the Considerations and Limitations section that describes prerequisites for object storage.
Step 1. Launch New Backup Repository Wizard
To launch the New Backup Repository wizard, do the following:
2. In the inventory pane, right-click the Backup Repositories node and select Add Backup Repository.
Alternatively, you can click Add Repository on the ribbon.
3. In the Add Backup Repository window, select the type of the backup repository you want to add.
The New Backup Repository wizard will guide you through steps for adding direct attached storage, network
attached storage, and deduplicating storage appliances as backup repositories.
For information on how to add object storage repositories, see Adding Object Storage Repositories.
Step 2. Specify Backup Repository Name and Description
At the Name step of the wizard, specify a name and description for the backup repository.
1. In the Name field, specify a name for the backup repository.
information about the user who added the backup repository, date and time when the backup repository
was added.
Step 3. Specify Server or Shared Folder Settings
Options that you can specify at the Server step of the wizard depend on the type of backup repository you are
adding.
In this section:
• Microsoft Windows or Linux Server
• SMB Share
• NFS Share
• ExaGrid or Quantum DXi
• HPE StoreOnce
Microsoft Windows or Linux Server

To configure settings for a Microsoft Windows or Linux server:
1. From the Repository server list, select a Microsoft Windows or Linux server that you want to use as a
backup repository. The Repository server list contains only those servers that are added to the backup
infrastructure. If the server is not added to the backup infrastructure yet, you can click Add New on the
right to open the New Windows Server or New Linux Server wizard.
Note that you cannot add ExaGrid or Quantum DXi servers as Linux backup repositories. ExaGrid and
Quantum DXi are integrated with Veeam Backup & Replication, and thus must be added as deduplicating
storage appliances.
2. Click Populate to see a list of disks connected to the server, their capacity and free space.
SMB Share
To configure settings for an SMB share:
1. In the Shared folder field, specify a UNC path to the SMB shared folder that you want to use as a backup
repository.
2. If you must specify user credentials to access the shared folder, select the This share requires access
credentials check box. From the Credentials list, select a credentials record for a user account that has Full
Control permissions on the shared folder. Note that the username must be in the down-level logon name
format. For example, DOMAIN\username or HOSTNAME\username.
If you have not set up credentials beforehand, click the Manage accounts link at the bottom of the list or
click Add on the right to add the credentials. For more information, see Managing Credentials.
3. In the Gateway server section, specify settings for the gateway server:
o If a network connection between the source datastore and backup repository is fast, choose
Automatic selection. In this case, Veeam Backup & Replication will automatically select a gateway
server.
o If you perform backup and replication over WAN or slow connections, choose The following server.
From the list below, select a Microsoft Windows server on the target site that you want to use as a
gateway server. The selected server must have a direct access to the SMB share and must be located
as close to the SMB share as possible.
In some cases, the automatic selection mechanism may cause problems as Veeam Backup & Replication may use
different gateway servers for different job sessions. For example, during one job session
Veeam Backup & Replication may use a 64-bit gateway server to create a backup file. If during the next job
session Veeam Backup & Replication uses a 32-bit gateway server, Veeam Backup & Replication will fail to open
the created backup file in the backup repository. To overcome this situation, you must explicitly define the
gateway server.
NFS Share
To configure settings for an NFS share:
1. In the Shared folder field, specify a path to the NFS shared folder that you want to use as a backup
repository.
o If a network connection between the source datastore and backup repository is fast, choose
Automatic selection. In this case, Veeam Backup & Replication will automatically select a gateway
server.
o If you perform backup and replication over WAN or slow connections, choose The following server.
From the list below, select a Microsoft Windows or a Linux server on the target site that you want to
use as a gateway server. The selected server must have a direct access to the NFS share and must be
located as close to the NFS share as possible.

To configure settings for Dell EMC Data Domain:
1. Specify connection settings for Dell EMC Data Domain:
o If Dell EMC Data Domain works over TCP, in the Type in Data Domain server name field enter a full
DNS name or IP address of the Dell EMC Data Domain server.
o If Dell EMC Data Domain works over Fibre Channel, select the Use Fibre Channel (FC) connectivity
check box. In the Type in Data Domain server name field, enter a name of the Data Domain Fibre
Channel server. To get the Data Domain Fibre Channel server name, in Data Domain System Manager
open the Data Management > DD Boost > Fibre Channel tab.
2. In the Credentials field, specify credentials of the user account to connect to the Dell EMC Data Domain
server or Dell EMC Data Domain Fibre Channel server. If you have not set up credentials beforehand, click
the Manage accounts link at the bottom of the list or click Add on the right to add the credentials. For
more information, see Managing Credentials.
To connect to the Dell EMC Data Domain server, you must use credentials for the DD Boost User. To
specify the DD Boost User account settings, in Data Domain System Manager, open the Data Management
> DD Boost Settings tab.
3. To use in-flight encryption between the backup proxy and Dell EMC Data Domain, select the Enable
DDBoost encryption check box and choose the encryption level — Medium or High. The encryption option
works for Dell EMC Data Domain version 5.5 to 7.0.
o If a network connection between the source datastore and Dell EMC Data Domain appliance is fast,
choose Automatic selection. In this case, Veeam Backup & Replication will automatically select a
gateway server.
o If you perform backup over WAN or slow connections, choose The following server. From the list
below, select a Microsoft Windows server on the target site that you want to use as a gateway server.
The server must have a direct access to the Dell EMC Data Domain appliance and must be located as
close to the appliance as possible.
In some cases, the automatic selection mechanism may cause problems as Veeam Backup & Replication may use
different gateway servers for different job sessions. For example, during one job session
Veeam Backup & Replication may use a 64-bit gateway server to create a backup file. If during the next job
session Veeam Backup & Replication uses a 32-bit gateway server, Veeam Backup & Replication will fail to open
the created backup file in the backup repository. To overcome this situation, you can explicitly define the
gateway server.
IMPORTANT!
If you connect to Dell EMC Data Domain over Fibre Channel, you must explicitly define the gateway server
to communicate with Dell EMC Data Domain. The server you select must be added to the backup
infrastructure and must have access to the Dell EMC Data Domain appliance over Fibre Channel.
ExaGrid or Quantum DXi Deduplicating Appliance

To configure settings for ExaGrid or Quantum DXi deduplicating appliance:
1. From the Repository server list, select an appliance that you want to use as a backup repository. The
Repository server list contains only those servers that are added to the backup infrastructure. If the server
is not added to the backup infrastructure yet, you can click Add New to open the New Linux Server wizard.
For more information, see Managing Servers.
2. Click Populate to see the appliance capacity and available free space.
HPE StoreOnce Deduplicating Appliance

To configure settings for HPE StoreOnce:
1. In the Type in HPE StoreOnce server name field, enter a full DNS name or IP address of the HPE StoreOnce
appliance.
2. If HPE StoreOnce works over Fibre Channel, select the Use Fibre Channel (FC) connectivity check box.
3. In the Credentials field, specify credentials of the client account to connect to the HPE StoreOnce
appliance. If you have not set up credentials beforehand, click the Manage accounts link at the bottom of
the list or click Add on the right to add the credentials. For more information, see Managing Credentials.
The client account that you plan to use to connect to HPE StoreOnce must have access permissions on a
Catalyst store where backup data will be kept. To check the client account permissions, in the HPE
StoreOnce management console, select the Catalyst store and open the Permissions tab for it.
o If you want Veeam Backup & Replication to pick the gateway server automatically, choose Automatic
selection. In this case, Veeam Backup & Replication will automatically select a gateway server.
o If you want to define the gateway server explicitly, choose The following server. From the list below,
select a Microsoft Windows server that you want to use as a gateway server.
In some cases, the automatic selection mechanism may cause problems as Veeam Backup & Replication
may use different gateway servers for different job sessions. For example, during one job session
Veeam Backup & Replication may use a 64-bit gateway server to create a backup file. If during the next
job session Veeam Backup & Replication uses a 32-bit gateway server, Veeam Backup & Replication will
fail to open the created backup file in the backup repository. To overcome this situation, you can explicitly
define the gateway server.
IMPORTANT!
If you connect to HPE StoreOnce over Fibre Channel, you must explicitly define the gateway server to
communicate with HPE StoreOnce appliance. The server you select must be added to the backup
infrastructure and must have access to the HPE StoreOnce appliance over Fibre Channel.
5. If a WAN connection between the gateway server and the HPE StoreOnce appliance is weak, select the
Gateway server and StoreOnce are connected over WAN check box. Veeam Backup & Replication will
compress VM data transported from the gateway server to the HPE StoreOnce appliance, and calculate
checksums for data blocks going from the gateway server to the HPE StoreOnce appliance.
Step 4. Configure Backup Repository Settings
At the Repository step of the wizard, specify path and load control repository settings.
1. In the Location section, specify a path to the folder where backup files must be stored. Click Populate to
check capacity and available free space in the selected location.
o For Dell EMC Data Domain, click Browse and select a location from the list of available paths.
o For HPE StoreOnce, select a Catalyst store from the list.
2. [For Linux repository] Select the Use fast cloning on XFS volumes check box to enable copy-on-write
functionality. In terms of Veeam Backup & Replication, this functionality is known as Fast Clone. For more
information, see Fast Clone.
3. [For hardened repository] To prohibit deletion of blocks of data from the backup repository, select the
Make recent backups immutable for check box and specify the immutability period. For more information,
see Hardened (Immutable) Repository.
4. Use the Load control section to limit the number of concurrent tasks and data ingestion rate for the
backup repository. These settings will help you control the load on the backup repository and prevent
possible timeouts of storage I/O operations.
o Select the Limit maximum concurrent tasks check box and specify the maximum allowed number of
concurrent tasks for the backup repository. If this value is exceeded, Veeam Backup & Replication will
not start a new task until one of current tasks finishes. For more information, see Limiting the Number
of Concurrent Tasks.
o Select the Limit read and write data rates to check box and specify the maximum rate to restrict the
total speed of reading and writing data to the backup repository disk. For more information, see
Limiting Combined Data Rate for Backup Repositories.
NOTE:
The Limit read and write data rates to settings does not apply to health checks performed as
part of backup and backup copy jobs. Even if you limit read/write rate for a backup repository,
the health check will consume resources of the backup repository regardless of this setting.
Bear this limitation in mind when configuring basic and health check schedules for backup and
backup copy jobs.
5. Click Advanced to configure additional settings for the backup repository:
o For storage systems using a fixed block size, select the Align backup file data blocks check box.
Veeam Backup & Replication will align VM data saved to a backup file at a 4 KB block boundary. This
option provides better deduplication across backup files but can result in greater amount of unused
space on the storage device and a higher level of fragmentation.
o When you enable compression for a backup job, Veeam Backup & Replication compresses VM data at
the source side and then transports it to the target side. Writing compressed data to a deduplicating
storage appliance results in poor deduplication ratios as the number of matching blocks decreases. To
overcome this situation, select the Decompress backup data blocks before storing check box. If data
compression is enabled for a job, Veeam Backup & Replication will compress VM data on the source
side, transport it to the target side, decompress VM data on the target side and write raw VM data to
the storage device to achieve a higher deduplication ratio.
NOTE:
Veeam Backup & Replication does not compress VM data if encryption is enabled for a job, and
the Decompress backup data blocks before storing check box is selected in the settings of the
target backup repository. Therefore, in the job statistics, you may observe a higher amount of
transferred data (the Transferred counter) as compared to a job for which encryption is
disabled. For details on job statistics, see Viewing Real-Time Statistics.
o If you plan to use rotated drives for the backup repository, select the This repository is backed by
rotated hard drives check box. For more information, see Configuring Backup Repositories with
Rotated Drives.
o To create a separate backup file for every VM in the job, select the Use per-VM backup files check
box. This setting is recommended if you use a deduplicating storage appliance as a backup repository.
Veeam Backup & Replication will write VM data to the backup repository in several streams, which will
improve the backup job performance. However, in this case Veeam Backup & Replication will not
deduplicate data between VMs added to the job. For more information, see Per-VM Backup Files.
Settings for Deduplicating Storage Appliances

If you use a deduplicating storage appliance as a backup repository, Veeam Backup & Replication automatically
sets advanced settings to the following ones:

• The Align backup file data blocks option is disabled and cannot be changed.
• The Decompress backup data blocks before storing option is enabled.
• The This repository is backed by rotated hard drives option is disabled and cannot be changed.
• The Use per-VM backup files option is enabled.
ExaGrid
• The Align backup file data blocks option is disabled and must not be changed.
• The Decompress backup data blocks before storing option is disabled.
• Limit max concurrent tasks is equal to 10 (recommended).
Quantum DXi
HPE StoreOnce
• The Use per-VM backup files option is enabled and cannot be changed.
Step 5. Specify Mount Server Settings
At the Mount Server step of the wizard, specify settings for the mount server that you plan to use for file-level
and application items restore.
1. From the Mount Server list, select a server that you want to use as a mount server. The mount server is
required for file-level and application items restore. During the restore process,
Veeam Backup & Replication will mount the VM disks from the backup file residing in the backup
repository to the mount server. As a result, VM data will not have travel over the network, which will
reduce the load on the network and speed up the restore process. For more information, see Mount
Server.
The Mount Server list contains only Microsoft Windows servers that are added to the backup
infrastructure. If the server is not added to the backup infrastructure yet, click Add New on the right to
open the New Windows Server wizard. For more information, see Adding Microsoft Windows Servers.
2. In the Instant recovery write cache folder field, specify a folder that will be used for writing cache during
mount operations.
3. To make the backup repository accessible by the Veeam vPower NFS Service, select the Enable vPower
NFS service on the mount server check box. Veeam Backup & Replication will enable the vPower NFS
Service on the mount server you have selected.
4. To customize network ports used by the vPower NFS Service, click Ports. For information on ports used by
default, see Used Ports.
IMPORTANT!
Do not enable Microsoft Windows NFS services on the machine where you install the Veeam vPower NFS
Service. If Microsoft NFS services and Veeam vPower NFS Service are enabled on the same machine, both
services may fail to work correctly.
Step 6. Review Properties and Components
At the Review step of the wizard, review details of the backup repository and specify importing settings.
1. Review the backup repository settings and list of components that will be installed on the backup
repository server.
2. If the backup repository contains backups that were previously created with Veeam Backup & Replication,
select the Import existing backups automatically check box. Veeam Backup & Replication will scan the
backup repository to detect existing backup files and display them in the Veeam Backup & Replication
console under the Imported > Backups node.
3. If the backup repository contains guest file system index files that were previously created by
Veeam Backup & Replication, select the Import guest file system index check box. Index files will be
imported with backup files, and you will be able to search for guest OS files inside imported backups.
Step 7. Apply Backup Repository Settings
At the Apply step of the wizard, wait for Veeam Backup & Replication to install and configure all required
components. Then click Next to complete the procedure of adding the backup repository to the backup
infrastructure.
At the Summary step of the wizard, review details of the added backup repository. Then click Finish to exit the
wizard.
Managing Backup Repositories

You can manage your backup repositories and the data therein in various ways: edit settings of the backup
repositories, set up access permissions, rescan backup repositories or remove backup repositories.
In This Section
• Editing Settings of Backup Repositories
• Access Permissions
• Rescanning Backup Repositories
• Removing Backup Repositories
• Fast Clone
• Proxy Affinity
Editing Settings of Backup Repositories

You can edit settings of backup repositories that you have added to the backup infrastructure.
To edit settings of a backup repository:
3. In the working area, select the backup repository and click Edit Repository on the ribbon or right-click the
backup repository and select Properties.
4. Edit the backup repository settings as required. Mind that you cannot change the selected repository
server and path to the folder used for storing backups.
Access Permissions
You need to set up access permissions on backup repositories if you you want to store the following backups in
the backup repository:
• Backups of virtual and physical machines created with Veeam Agent for Microsoft Windows or Veeam
Agent for Linux
• Backups of Nutanix AHV virtual machines created with Veeam Backup for Nutanix AHV
• Backups of Oracle and SAP HANA databases created with Veeam Plug-ins for Enterprise Applications.
Access permissions are granted to security principals such as users and AD groups by the backup administrator
working with Veeam Backup & Replication. Users with granted access permissions can target Veeam Agent
backup jobs at this backup repository and perform restore from backups located in this backup repository.
NOTE:
If you plan to create backups in a Veeam backup repository with Veeam Agent backup jobs configured in
Veeam Backup & Replication, you do not need to grant access permissions on the backup repository to
users. In the Veeam Agent management scenario, to establish a connection between the backup server and
protected computers, Veeam Backup & Replication uses a TLS certificate. To learn more, see the
Configuring Security Settings section in the Veeam Agent Management Guide.
Right after installation, access permissions on the default backup repository are set to Allow to everyone for
testing and evaluation purposes. If necessary, you can change these settings.
After you create a new backup repository, access permissions on this repository are set to Deny to everyone. To
allow users to store backups in the backup repository, you must grant users with access permissions to this
repository.
To grant access permissions to a security principal:
1. In Veeam Backup & Replication, open the Backup Infrastructure view.
2. In the inventory pane, click one of the following nodes:
o The Backup Repositories node — if you want to grant access permissions on a regular backup
repository.
o The Scale-out Repositories node — if you want to grant access permissions on a scale-out backup
repository.
3. In the working area, select the necessary backup repository and click Set Access Permissions on the ribbon
or right-click the backup repository and select Access permissions. If you do not see the Set Access
Permissions button on the ribbon or the Access permissions command is not available in the shortcut
menu, press and hold the [CTRL] key, right-click the backup repository and select Access permissions.
4. In the Access Permissions window, specify to whom you want to grant access permissions on this backup
repository:
o Allow to everyone — select this option if you want all users to be able to store backups in this backup
repository. Setting access permissions to Everyone is equal to granting access rights to the Everyone
Microsoft Windows group (Anonymous users are excluded). Note, however, this scenario is
recommended for demo environments only.
o Allow to the following accounts or groups only — select this option if you want only specific users to
be able to store backups in this backup repository. Click Add to add the necessary users and groups to
the list.
5. If you want to encrypt Veeam Agent backup files stored in the backup repository, select the Encrypt
backups stored in this repository check box and choose the necessary password from the field below. If
you have not specified a password beforehand, click Add on the right or the Manage passwords link to add
a new password. Veeam Backup & Replication will encrypt files at the backup repository side using its
built-in encryption mechanism.
Rescanning Backup Repositories

You can rescan a backup repository configured in the backup infrastructure. Backup repository rescan may be
required, for example, if you have archived backups from a backup repository to tape and deleted backup files in
the backup repository. Or you have copied backups to the backup repository manually and want to work with
them in Veeam Backup & Replication.
During the rescan operation, Veeam Backup & Replication gathers information about backups that are currently
available in the backup repository and updates the list of backups in the configuration database. After the
rescan operation, backups that were not in this configuration database will be shown on the Home view in the
Backups > Disk (Imported) node. If backups are encrypted, they will be shown in the Backups > Disk (Encrypted)
node.
NOTE:
It is recommended that you stop or disable all jobs before performing the rescan.
Veeam Backup & Replication skips from scanning backups created by active jobs.
To rescan a backup repository:
3. In the working area, select the backup repository and click Rescan Repository on the ribbon or right-click
the backup repository and select Rescan repository.
Removing Backup Repositories

You can permanently remove a backup repository from the backup infrastructure. When you remove a backup
repository, Veeam Backup & Replication unassigns the backup repository role from the server and this server is
no longer used as a backup repository. The actual server remains in the backup infrastructure.
Veeam Backup & Replication does not remove backup files and other data stored in the backup repository. You
can re-connect the backup repository at any time and import backups from this backup repository to
You cannot remove a backup repository that is used by any job. To remove such backup repository, you first
need to delete a reference to this backup repository in the job settings.
To remove a backup repository:
3. In the working area, select the backup repository and click Remove Repository on the ribbon or right-click
the backup repository and select Remove.
Fast Clone
Fast Clone is the Veeam Backup & Replication technology that helps create quick file copies. Fast Clone
increases the speed of synthetic backup creation and transformation, reduces disk space requirements and
decreases the load on storage devices.
With this technology, Veeam Backup & Replication references existing data blocks on volumes instead of
copying data blocks between files. Data blocks are copied only when files are modified.
Veeam Backup & Replication supports Fast Clone for the following types of backup repositories:
• Linux server
• Microsoft Windows server
• SMB share
Depending on the repository type, Fast Clone uses different technologies and has different requirements and
limitations. For more information, see Fast Clone for Linux Repositories and Fast Clone for Microsoft Windows
and SMB Repositories.
Veeam Backup & Replication uses Fast Clone for the following operations:
• In backup jobs: merge of backup files, creation of synthetic full backups (including GFS backups),
transformation of reverse incremental backups and compact of full backup files.
• In backup copy jobs: merge of backup files, creation of GFS backups (synthetic method) and compact of
full backup files.
When Veeam Backup & Replication performs an operation with Fast Clone, it reports this information to the
session details of this operation.
Fast Clone for Linux Repositories

For Linux backup repositories, Fast Clone is based on the reflink technology.
Requirements for Linux Repositories

To use Fast Clone, Veeam Backup & Replication requires that Linux backup repositories meet the following
conditions:
• Linux distribution has the reflink kernel module.

Supported distributions: Ubuntu 18.04 or later. For other distributions, Fast Clone support is
experimental.
• File system is XFS.
• Cyclic redundancy check (CRC) is enabled.
• The minimum supported data block size is 1 KB. The maximum supported block size is 4KB.
Configuring a Linux Repository
To configure a Linux backup repository for work with Fast Clone, use the following XFS volume format string:
mkfs.xfs -b size=4096 -m reflink=1,crc=1 /dev/sda1
where:
• size=4096 sets file system block size to 4096 bytes,
• reflink=1 enables reflinking for the XFS instance (disabled by default),
• crc=1 enables checksums, required for reflink=1 (enabled by default).
Limitations
After you have moved backup chains to a Linux backup repository with Fast Clone support, you must create
active full backups for these chains to activate Fast Clone. You can also schedule the backup file compact
operation instead of active full backup.
Fast Clone for Microsoft Windows and SMB Repositories

For Microsoft Windows and SMB backup repositories, Fast Clone is based on block cloning technology of
Microsoft. For more information on block cloning, see Microsoft Docs.
By default, Veeam Backup & Replication uses Fast Clone for all Microsoft Windows and SMB backup repositories
that meet the requirements. You can disable this option with a registry key. For more information, contact
Veeam Customer Support.
Requirements for Microsoft Windows and SMB Repositories

Microsoft Windows Backup Repository
To use Fast Clone, Veeam Backup & Replication requires that Microsoft Windows backup repositories meet the
following conditions:
• OS is Microsoft Windows Server 2016 (and later) or Microsoft Windows 10 Pro for Workstations.
• File system is ReFS 3.1 (or later).
Shared Folder Backup Repository
To use Fast Clone, Veeam Backup & Replication requires that SMB backup repositories support
FSCTL_DUPLICATE_EXTENTS_TO_FILE and FSCTL_SET_INTEGRITY_INFORMATION. SMB shares configured on
Microsoft Windows machines must also support the SMB 3.1.1 protocol and the ReFS 3.1 (or later) file system.
Depending on the type of the performed job, Veeam Backup & Replication also imposes the following
requirements on backup infrastructure components.
Type of Job Requirements to backup infrastructure components
Backup job Protocol: SMB 3.1.1
OS: Microsoft Windows Server 2016 (and later) or Microsoft Windows 10 Pro for
Workstations on the following backup infrastructure components:
• If a gateway is selected manually: Gateway server.
• If a gateway is selected automatically: Mount server associated with the
backup repository, or backup server. For reverse incremental backup
chains, Microsoft Windows Server 2016 or Windows 10 Pro for
Workstations must additionally be installed on backup proxies assigned for
the job.
Backup copy job Protocol: SMB 3.1.1
OS: Microsoft Windows Server 2016 (and later) or Microsoft Windows 10 Pro for
Workstations on the following backup infrastructure components:
• If a gateway is selected manually: Gateway server.
• If a gateway is selected automatically:
[For direct data transport path] Mount server associated with the backup
repository, or backup server.
[For data transport path over WAN accelerators] Microsoft Windows Server
2016 (and later) or Microsoft Windows 10 Pro for Workstations on the
target WAN accelerator.
Limitations
The following limitations apply when Veeam Backup & Replication uses Fast Clone for Microsoft Windows or
SMB backup repositories:
• Veeam Backup & Replication does not use Fast Clone for backup repositories configured with
Veeam Backup & Replication 9.5 or an earlier version. After upgrade, such backup repositories will work as
backup repositories without Fast Clone support. To leverage Fast Clone, edit settings of such backup
repositories and complete the Edit Backup Repository wizard without changing settings.
• After you have enabled Fast Clone for existing repositories as described in the previous paragraph or have
moved backup chains to backup repositories with Fast Clone support, you must create active full backups
for backup chains stored in / moved to the repositories to activate Fast Clone. You can also schedule the
backup file compact operation instead of performing active full backup.
• Due to Microsoft limitations, all backup files in the backup chain must be stored on the same volume. For
more information, see Restrictions and Remarks at Microsoft Docs.
• Fast Clone requires that source and destination files are stored on the same ReFS volume. If you add a
backup repository with Fast Clone support as an extent to a scale-out backup repository, make sure that
you enable the Data Locality placement policy for this scale-out backup repository. If backup files are
stored on different extents, Fast Clone will not be used.
• Veeam Backup & Replication automatically aligns data blocks at a 4KB or 64 KB block boundary depending
on the volume configuration or SMB share used storage.
We recommend that you use ReFS volume formatted with 64 KB cluster size to provide better
performance with large data volumes.
• When you copy data from a ReFS volume to another location, the file system downloads cloned data
blocks. For this reason, copied data occupy more space in the target location than it used to occupy in the
source location. This can happen, for example, if you evacuate an extent that supports block cloning from
a scale-out backup repository and migrate VM backup data to another extent: copied data will require
more space than it originally took.
• If you plan to assign the role of a backup repository to Microsoft Windows Server 2016 version 1709 and
later or Microsoft Windows 10 Pro for Workstations, mind the following limitations:
o Fast Clone and Windows data deduplication cannot be used simultaneously. Thus, if you target a
backup job to a repository supporting Fast Clone and enable Windows data deduplication, the Fast
Clone technology will not be used for this job.
o If you target a backup job to a CIFS ReFS repository and enable Windows data deduplication, the job
will fail. Veeam Backup & Replication does not support such scenario.
Proxy Affinity
By default, Veeam Backup & Replication assigns backup proxies and repositories for jobs or tasks independently
of each other. If you need to bind backup proxies to specific backup repositories and use them together, you can
define proxy affinity settings. Proxy affinity determines what backup proxies are eligible to access a specific
backup repository and read/write data from/to this backup repository.
Proxy affinity lets you control assignment of resources in the backup infrastructure and reduce administration
overhead. For example, in case of a geographically distributed infrastructure, you can restrict a backup
repository in the local site from communicating with backup proxies in a remote site. Or you can configure proxy
affinity rules based on a connection speed between backup proxies and backup repositories.
Proxy affinity settings are specified at the level of a backup repository. By default, Veeam Backup & Replication
lets all backup proxies in the backup infrastructure access the backup repository. Using proxy affinity settings,
you can define a list of backup proxies that can access this backup repository.
Proxy affinity can be set up for the following types of backup repositories:
• Backup repositories
• Scale-out backup repositories
• Cloud repositories (proxy affinity settings are configured on the tenant side)
Proxy affinity rules are applied to the following types of jobs and tasks that engage backup proxies and
repositories:
• Backup jobs, including VMware vCloud backup and backup jobs from storage snapshots on primary and
target storage arrays
• VeeamZIP
• VM copy
• Hard disk restore
Proxy affinity rules are not applied to replication jobs.
Proxy affinity rules are not restrictive. You can think of affinity rules as a priority list. If backup proxies from the
proxy affinity list cannot be used for some reason, for example, these backup proxies are inaccessible,
Veeam Backup & Replication automatically fails over to the regular processing mode. It displays a warning in the
job or task session and picks the most appropriate backup proxy from the list of proxies selected for the job or
task.
When you target a job at a backup repository for which proxy affinity settings are configured, you must make
sure that you assign a backup proxy from the proxy affinity list for job or task processing. If you assign a backup
proxy that is not bound to this backup repository, Veeam Backup & Replication will display a warning. For job
processing, Veeam Backup & Replication will use the backup proxy that you define in the job settings, which
may result in degraded job performance.
Proxy Affinity for Scale-Out Backup Repositories

In case of a scale-out backup repository, you can configure proxy affinity settings at the extent level. Proxy
affinity settings cannot be configured at the scale-out backup repository level.
Extent selection rules have a higher priority than proxy affinity rules. Veeam Backup & Replication first selects
an extent and then picks a backup proxy according to the proxy affinity rules specified for this extent.
For example, you have 2 backup proxies: Backup Proxy 1 and Backup Proxy 2. You create a backup job and target
it at a scale-out backup repository configured in the following way:
• Scale-out backup repository policy is set to Data Locality.
• Scale-out backup repository has 2 extents: Extent 1 has 100 GB of free space and is bound to Backup
Proxy 1; Extent 2 has 1 TB of free space and is bound to Backup Proxy 2.
In the backup job settings, you define that Backup Proxy 1 must be used for job processing.
When you run the backup job, Veeam Backup & Replication will store backup files to Extent 2 since it has more
free space. For job processing, it will pick Backup Proxy 1 and will display a message in the job statistics that
requirements of proxy affinity rules cannot be met.
In case of restore from a scale-out backup repository, backup files may be located on different extents. In this
case, Veeam Backup & Replication picks a backup proxy according to the following priority rules (starting from
the most preferable one):
1. Backup proxy is added to the affinity list for all extents.
2. Backup proxy is added to the affinity list for the extent where the full backup file is stored.
3. Backup proxy is added to the affinity list for at least one extent.
Specifying Proxy Affinity Settings

For every backup repository, you can configure proxy affinity settings — define a list of backup proxies that can
work with this backup repository. Proxy affinity binds backup proxies to specific backup repositories. When
transporting data to/from the backup repository, Veeam Backup & Replication picks a backup proxy from the
proxy affinity list rather than backup proxies specified in job or task settings.
To configure a proxy affinity list for a backup repository:
3. In the working area, select the backup repository and click Proxy Affinity on the ribbon or right-click the
backup repository and select Proxy affinity.
4. In the Proxy Affinity window, select Prefer the following backup proxies for this repository and select
check boxes next to the backup proxies that you want to bind to the backup repository.
External Repository
An external repository is a read-only repository. You can use Veeam Backup & Replication to copy, import and/or
restore backups created by Veeam Backup for AWS, Veeam Backup for Microsoft Azure and Veeam Backup for
Google from external to on-premises repositories. This way, you can perform data migration between cloud, on-
premises and virtual infrastructures.
Veeam Backup & Replication supports the following types of external repositories:
• Amazon S3
• Azure Blob
• Google Cloud
To start working with backups created by Veeam Backup for AWS, Veeam Backup for Microsoft Azure and
Veeam Backup for Google, you must add a repository that contains backups of Amazon EC2 instances, Azure
VMs or Google Cloud instances to the Veeam Backup & Replication infrastructure as an external repository.
After that, you can perform the following operations:
• Copy backups to on-premises repositories
• Restore EC2 instances and Azure VMs to AWS
• Restore EC2 instances and Azure VMs to Microsoft Azure
• Restore guest OS files and folders
• Export disks of EC2 instances and Azure VMs
• Govern retention policies
• Perform Instant VM Recovery
NOTE:
• During the process of copying backups, or restore to Amazon EC2 or Microsoft Azure, data of EC2
instances and Azure VMs may migrate from one geographic location to another. In this case,
Veeam Backup & Replication displays a warning and stores a record about data migration to job or
task session details. For more information, see Locations.
• You cannot use an external repository as a target for backup or backup copy jobs.
How External Repository Works

Continue with this section to learn more on how external repositories work.
Ownership
Ownership defines what entity can own an Amazon S3 or Azure Blob storage repository at a time.
How Does Taking Ownership Occur

After Veeam Backup for AWS or Veeam Backup for Microsoft Azure has finished its initial backup job session, it
becomes the rightful owner of both a storage repository and backup files in that repository.
Taking ownership of such a repository along with its backup files by the Veeam Backup & Replication client
consists of the following consecutive steps:
• Step 1. Taking ownership of a repository.

Reclaiming ownership of a repository occurs every time a client adds object storage as an external
repository to the Veeam Backup & Replication console.
• Step 2. Taking ownership of backup files in the repository.

Becoming an owner of backup files in object storage is only possible after Veeam Backup for AWS or
Veeam Backup for Microsoft Azure launches the backup job session which is referring to backups you are
trying to take ownership of (i.e. backup files that are located in the repository you have added at the step
one).
During its session, Veeam Backup for AWS or Veeam Backup for Microsoft Azure verifies the owner of a
repository and if it finds out that the owner has been changed, it changes the owner of each backup file in
that repository by creating a new checkpoint that refers to a new rightful owner. Such a checkpoint will be
used during subsequent sessions of a backup job to repeat owner verification.
It is possible, however, that after you add an external repository, you never launch the associated backup job
again. In such a scenario, Veeam Backup & Replication will not be able to manage retention policies, but you will
still be able to restore external repository data, remove backups from external repositories and perform backup
copy.
Taking Ownership by Another Veeam Backup & Replication

Client
Ownership of a repository along with its backup files can only be granted to one Veeam Backup & Replication
client at a time.
Therefore, if a client A adds an external repository that has previously been added by the client B, the client B
completely loses its ownership privileges.
Losing privileges means that the client B will no longer be able to manage retention policies. All the previously
created backup copy jobs and restore sessions will be failing.
Ownership, however, can easily be reclaimed by re-adding the same object storage anew.
Cache
Veeam Backup & Replication caches data that is being retrieved from external repositories every time a backup
copy job or restore session is performed.
Such an approach helps not only to reduce the number of cost-expensive operations incurred by AWS or
Microsoft Azure, but also decrease the amount of traffic being sent over the network.
• Cache is created on a gateway server while the following activities are being processed:
o Backup copy jobs.
o Restore sessions.
• Cache is not created upon the addition of an external repository to the Veeam Backup & Replication
console.
• Cache consists of metadata of blocks being retrieved from external repositories.
• Cache is written to:
o On a Windows-based gateway server: C:\ProgramData\Veeam\ExternalCache
o On a Linux-based gateway server: /var/veeam/ExternalCache
• Cache is reused and updated during each subsequent execution of a backup copy job or restore session.
• Cache size limit is 10GB. Once reached, Veeam will purge obsolete cache by 20% preserving most
frequently used parts. Purging is done by the maintenance job.
• Cache is removed in the following cases:
o An external repository has been removed from the Veeam Backup & Replication console.
o The gateway server has been changed in the settings of the external repository configuration.
o The backup file has been removed from the external repository.
o During the maintenance job session.
• Cache can be removed manually without affecting the backup infrastructure in any negative way.
Encryption
Backups that reside in Amazon S3 buckets and Azure Blob storage can be encrypted by Veeam Backup for AWS
and Veeam Backup for Microsoft Azure. Moreover, password for such encrypted backups may change on a daily
basis. For example, there is a backup chain in Amazon S3 bucket that consists of 10 restore points, each of which
was encrypted with different password. Therefore, there are 10 different passwords in total that have been
used.
To be able to decrypt each restore point in such a backup chain without having to provide each previously used
password separately, Veeam Backup & Replication implements the ability of backward hierarchical decryption.
Backward hierarchical decryption requires you to provide only the latest password so that all the previously
created restore points can be decrypted as well. For example, there are three restore points: A, B, and C. The
point A was encrypted with password 1, B with password 2, and C with password 3. Therefore, you will only
need to know the password of the C point to decrypt points C, B, and A.
If you plan to perform data recovery operations with encrypted backups, you must provide a password for these
backups in the New External Repository wizard:
• [For Veeam Backup for AWS] At the Bucket step of the wizard.
• [For Veeam Backup for Microsoft Azure] At the Container step of the wizard.
Managing Retention Policy

A retention policy is set in the backup policy settings of Veeam Backup for AWS and Veeam Backup for
Microsoft Azure and defines the number of restore points to keep in repositories.
Retention policies are initially managed by Veeam Backup for AWS or Veeam Backup for Microsoft Azureuntil a
Veeam Backup & Replication client reclaims ownership of a repository and all the backup files in such a
repository.
Once ownership is reclaimed, Veeam Backup for AWS or Veeam Backup for Microsoft Azureceases to govern
retention policies and the Veeam Backup & Replication client becomes responsible for removing obsolete
restore points from repositories.
The restore points that fall under the retention policy will be removed upon the next successful session of the
maintenance job.
When a Veeam Backup & Replication client removes an external repository from its scope, it relinquishes its
ownership which then goes directly to Veeam Backup for AWS or Veeam Backup for Microsoft Azureuntil
another Veeam Backup & Replication client reclaims it anew and so forth.
IMPORTANT!
A retention policy can only be applied by the Veeam Backup & Replication client that is the rightful owner
of an Amazon S3 object storage repository and its backup files.
Maintenance Job
The maintenance job is a system job that is executed automatically every 24 hours.
The maintenance job does the following:
• Purges obsolete restore points that fall under the retention policy.
To be able to purge obsolete restore points from external repositories due to the retention policy
threshold, a Veeam Backup & Replication client must be the owner of a repository and its backup files.
• Purges cache by 20% of the size limit. By default, the size limit is 10GB.
• Saves its session results to the configuration database.

The session results can be found in the History view under the System node.
Adding External Repositories

You can add the following types of external repositories:
• External Amazon S3 Storage
• External Azure Blob Storage
• External Google Cloud Storage
Adding External Amazon S3 Storage

To add an Amazon S3 storage as an external repository, do the following:
1. Launch the New External Repository wizard
2. Specify a repository name and description
3. Specify a cloud account
4. Specify a cloud storage details
5. Wait for the repository to be added to the infrastructure
6. Finish working with the wizard
NOTE:
If you installed AWS Plug-in for Veeam Backup & Replication, and the Veeam Backup for AWS appliance is
present in the Veeam Backup & Replication infrastructure, see instructions in the Adding S3 Repositories
section in the AWS Plug-in for Veeam Backup & Replication Guide.
Step 1. Launch New External Repository Wizard
To launch the New Backup Repository wizard, do one of the following:
• Open the Backup Infrastructure view. In the inventory pane select the External Repositories node and click
Connect to Repository on the ribbon. At the Connect to External Repository window, select Veeam Backup
for AWS.
• Open the Backup Infrastructure view. In the inventory pane right-click the External Repositories node and
select Connect to... At the Connect to External Repository window, select Veeam Backup for AWS.
Step 2. Specify External Repository Name
At the Name step of the wizard, specify a name and description for the external repository.
1. In the Name field, enter a name for the external repository.
2. In the Description field, enter a description for future reference.

The default description contains information about the user who added the external repository, date and
time when the external repository was added.
Step 3. Specify Cloud Repository Account
At the Account step of the wizard, specify Amazon S3 connection settings:
1. From the Credentials drop-down list, select user credentials to access an Amazon S3 bucket with Amazon
EC2 instance backups.
If you have not set up credentials beforehand in the Cloud Credentials Manager, click the Manage cloud
accounts link or click Add on the right to add the necessary credentials.
2. From the Data center region drop-down list, select the AWS region where the Amazon S3 bucket is
located: Global, GovCloud (US), or China.
3. From the Gateway server drop-down list, select a gateway server that will be used to access the Amazon
S3 bucket. We recommend that you use a gateway server, for example, if your organization has NAT or
different types of firewalls and your access to the Internet is limited.
The gateway server caches data when you copy backups or perform restore operations. The gateway
server helps you decrease the amount of traffic being sent over the network and reduce data transfer
costs. For more information on caching data, see Cache.
By default, the role of a gateway server is assigned to the Veeam Backup & Replication server. If the
Veeam Backup & Replication server resides in a region that differs from the Amazon region where your
Amazon S3 bucket resides, choose a server that is located close to the bucket. You can choose any
Microsoft Windows or Linux server that is added to your Veeam Backup & Replication infrastructure and
has internet connection. Note that the server must be added to the infrastructure beforehand. For more
information on how to add a server, see the Adding Microsoft Windows Servers and Adding Linux Servers
sections.
NOTE
Mind the following:
• On the gateway server, Veeam Backup & Replication deploys the Veeam Data Mover Service
that handles traffic sent when you work with external repository data. If the Veeam Data
Mover Service becomes outdated, you must upgrade it as described in the Upgrading External
Repositories section.
• If you choose not to use a gateway server, make sure that all scale-out repository extents have
direct internet access.
Step 4. Specify Cloud Storage Details
At the Bucket step of the wizard, specify an Amazon S3 bucket and folder where Amazon EC2 instance backups
reside:
1. From the Data center region drop-down list, select an AWS region where the Amazon S3 bucket is located.
2. From the Bucket drop-down list, select the necessary Amazon S3 bucket where EC2 instance backups
reside.
3. Click Browse to select a folder in the Amazon S3 bucket where EC2 instance backups reside.
If you do not see the required folder, make sure that the repository you are trying to add is created on the
Veeam Backup for AWS server.
4. If the selected folder contains encrypted backups, select the Use this password for encrypted backups
check box and provide a password. If you skip this step for encrypted backups, such backups will be added
to the External Repository (Encrypted) node as described in the Viewing External Repository Data section.
For more information about encryption, see Encryption.
NOTE:
If another Veeam Backup & Replication client has already added the same folder, you will be prompted
whether to reclaim ownership of such a folder. For more information about ownership, see Ownership.
Step 5. Apply Settings
components. Then click Next to complete the procedure of adding the external repository to the backup
infrastructure.
At the Summary step of the wizard, review the external repository settings and click Finish.
Adding External Azure Blob Storage

To add an Microsoft Azure Blob storage as an external repository, do the following:
1. Launch the New External Repository wizard
2. Specify a repository name
3. Specify a cloud account
4. Select an Azure Blob container
5. Wait for the repository to be added to the infrastructure
6. Finish working with the wizard
To launch the New External Repository wizard, do one of the following:
for Microsoft Azure.
select Connect to... At the Connect to External Repository window, select Veeam Backup for Microsoft
Azure.
2. In the Description field, enter a description for future reference.

At the Account step of the wizard, specify settings for an account which will be used to connect to Azure Blob
storage:
2. From the Data center region drop-down list, select the region type: Azure Global, Azure Germany, Azure
China, Azure Government.
3. From the Gateway server drop-down list, select a gateway server that will be used to access Azure Blob
storage. We recommend that you use a gateway server, for example, if your organization has NAT or
different types of firewalls and your access to the Internet is limited.
The gateway server caches data when you copy backups or perform restore operations. The gateway
server helps you decrease the amount of traffic being sent over the network and reduce data transfer
costs. For more information on caching data, see Cache.
By default, the role of a gateway server is assigned to the Veeam Backup & Replication server. If the
Veeam Backup & Replication server resides in a region that differs from the Azure region where your Blob
storage resides, choose a server that is located close to the storage. You can choose any Microsoft
Windows or Linux server that is added to your Veeam Backup & Replication infrastructure and has internet
connection. Note that the server must be added to the infrastructure beforehand. For more information on
how to add a server, see the Adding Microsoft Windows Servers and Adding Linux Servers sections.
NOTE
Mind the following:
• On the gateway server, Veeam Backup & Replication deploys the Veeam Data Mover Service
that handles traffic sent when you work with external repository data. If the Veeam Data
Mover Service becomes outdated, you must upgrade it as described in the Upgrading External
Repositories section.
• If you choose not to use a gateway server, make sure that all scale-out repository extents have
direct internet access.
Step 4. Select Azure Blob Container
At the Container step of the wizard, specify Azure Blob storage container settings:
1. From the Container drop-down list, select a container that contains backups created with Veeam Backup
for Microsoft Azure.
2. Click Browse to select a folder that contains backups created with Veeam Backup for Microsoft Azure.
If you do not see the required folder, make sure that the repository you are trying to add is created on the
Veeam Backup for Microsoft Azure server.
1. If the selected folder contains encrypted backups, select the Use this password for encrypted backups
check box and provide a password. If you skip this step for encrypted backups, such backups will be added
to the External Repository (Encrypted) node as described in the Viewing External Repository Data section.
NOTE:
components. Then click Next to complete the procedure of adding the external repository to the backup
infrastructure.
At the Summary step of the wizard, review the repository configuration settings and click Finish.
Adding External Google Cloud Storage

To add an external Google Cloud storage repository to the backup infrastructure, do the following:
1. Launch New External Repository Wizard
2. Specify External Repository Name and Description
3. Specify Cloud Repository Account
4. Specify Cloud Storage Details
5. Apply Settings
To launch the New External Repository wizard, do one of the following:
for Google Cloud.
select Connect to... At the Connect to External Repository window, select Veeam Backup for Google
Cloud.
2. In the Description field, enter an optional description.

At the Account step of the wizard, specify Google Cloud connection settings:
1. From the Credentials drop-down list, select user credentials to access a storage bucket with the backups.
2. From the Gateway server drop-down list, select a server that will be used to access the Google Cloud
storage.
internet connection. You may want to use a gateway server, for example, if your organization has NAT or
different types of firewalls and your access to the internet is limited. For more information on how to add
such a server to your environment, see Adding Microsoft Windows Servers and Adding Linux Servers
respectively. By default, the role of a gateway server is assigned to the machine where
On the gateway server, Veeam Backup & Replication deploys the Veeam Data Mover Service. The Veeam
Data Mover Service is responsible for handling ingress/egress requests that are sent to/from the gateway
server when you work with the external repository data in Veeam Backup & Replication. If the Veeam Data
Mover Service becomes outdated, you must upgrade it as described in the Upgrading External Repositories
section.
Gateway servers store cached data. For more information, see Cache.
Step 4. Specify Cloud Storage Details
At the Bucket step of the wizard, specify an Google Cloud bucket and folder where Google Cloud instance
backups reside:
1. From the Data center region drop-down list, select a region.
3. In the Select Folder field, select a cloud folder where the data will be stored.
Folder.
4. If the folder contains encrypted backups, select the Use this password for encrypted backups check box
and provide a password. If you skip this step for encrypted backups, Veeam Backup & Replication will add
such backups to the External Repository (Encrypted) node. For more information, see Viewing External
Repository Data.
NOTE:
At the Apply step of the wizard, wait until Veeam Backup & Replication applies settings and completes adding
the external repository. Then click Next.
At the Summary step of the wizard, review the external repository settings and click Finish.
Managing External Repositories

You can manage your external repositories in various ways: rescan external repositories to synchronize their
state with the state of an object storage, upgrade external repositories by uploading a new version of the
Veeam Data Mover Service to the gateway server, edit settings of the external repositories, or remove the
external repositories. For more information about these options, see the following sections.
Rescanning External Repositories

To synchronize the state of an external repository with the state of an object storage (Amazon S3 or Azure
Blob), you can use the rescan feature.
• By default, rescan is done automatically every 24 hours and synchronizes your external repository state
with that of object storage to fetch newly created restore points and other required metadata.
• Rescan is done automatically after you add an external repository to the backup infrastructure.
• Rescan session results are saved to the configuration database and can be found in the History view under
the System node.
To rescan external repositories manually:
2. In the inventory pane, click External Repositories.
3. Select a repository you want to rescan and click Rescan on the ribbon menu or right-click a repository and
select Rescan.
If you have more than one external repository added to the scope, you may want to rescan all the repositories
altogether. For that, right-click the root External Repositories node in the navigation pane and select Rescan.
Upgrading External Repositories

When you upgrade an external repository, a new version of the Veeam Data Mover Service is uploaded to the
gateway server. The Veeam Data Mover Service is responsible for handling ingress/egress requests that are sent
to/from the gateway server during working with the external repository data in Veeam Backup & Replication.
Upload of the Veeam Data Mover Service is done directly to a gateway server which you specify at the Account
step of the New External Repository wizard.
To upgrade an external repository:
3. Select a repository you want to upgrade and click Upgrade on the ribbon menu or right-click a repository
and select Upgrade.
Editing Settings of External Repositories

To edit settings of an external repository:
3. In the working area, select an external repository and click Edit Repository on the ribbon or right-click the
external repository and select Properties.
4. Follow the steps of the Edit External Repository wizard and edit settings as required.
Mind that some settings cannot be modified and will remain disabled during editing.
Removing External Repositories

You can remove an external repository from the backup infrastructure.
When you remove an external repository, Veeam Backup & Replication does the following:
• Removes the corresponding checkpoint in associated object storage to relinquish ownership (if any).
• Removes associated external repository records from the configuration database.
• Removes associated cache from the gateway server.
To remove an external repository:
3. In the working area, select an external repository and click Remove Repository on the ribbon or right-click
the external repository and select Remove.
Managing External Repository Data

You can manage the data in your external repositories in various ways:view the backups in your external
repositories, perform the following data protection and disaster recovery operations, or remove the backups
from the external repositories. For more information about these options, see the following sections.
Viewing External Repository Data

After you add an external repository to the backup infrastructure, you can view backups in External Repository
and External Repository (Encrypted) nodes of the Backups node in the Home view.
• In the External Repository node, Veeam Backup & Replication displays:
o Amazon EC2 instance backups that were encrypted by Veeam Backup for AWS or were decrypted at
the Bucket step of the New External Repository wizard.
o Microsoft Azure VMs that were encrypted by Veeam Backup for Microsoft Azure or were decrypted at
the Container step of the New External Repository wizard.
• In the External Repository (Encrypted) node, Veeam Backup & Replication displays:
o EC2 instance backups that were encrypted by Veeam Backup for AWS.
o Microsoft Azure VMs that were encrypted by Veeam Backup for Microsoft Azure.
To decrypt backups, select a backup policy that created the backups you want to decrypt, click Specify
Password on the ribbon, provide a password and click OK.
Removing Backups from External Repositories

If you want to remove backups from external repositories, you can use the Remove operation.
• Data will be removed from the Veeam Backup & Replication console, configuration database and
associated object storage repository.
• Data cannot be removed if the maintenance job is in progress.
• Data cannot be removed if at least one restore session of external repository data is in progress.
• Ownership is not required to remove data from external repositories.
To remove backups from an external repository, do the following:
2. In the inventory pane, expand the Backups node and click External Repository.
3. In the working area, select a backup, a separate instance or a VM in the backup and click Remove on the
ribbon.
Scale-Out Backup Repository
A scale-out backup repository is a repository system with horizontal scaling support for multi-tier storage of
data. The scale-out backup repository consists of one or more backup repositories called performance extents,
and can be expanded with an on-premises or cloud-based object repository called capacity extent. All the
storage devices and systems inside the scale-out backup repository are joined into a system, with their
capacities summarized.
NOTE
Scale-out backup repository is included in the Veeam Universal License. When using a legacy socket-based
license, Enterprise or higher edition is required.
If you configure a scale-out backup repository and then downgrade to the Standard license, you will not be
able to run jobs targeted at the scale-out backup repository. However, you will be able to perform restore
from the scale-out backup repository.
The main benefits of this feature are as follows:
• It provides a convenient way of managing the backup storage.
• The scale-out backup repository can be expanded at any moment: if the performance extents of your
scale-out backup repository run out of space, you can add a new performance extent to the existing scale-
out backup repository. For example, if backup data grows and the backup repository reaches the storage
limit, you can add a new storage system to the scale-out backup repository. The free space on this storage
system will be added to the capacity of the scale-out backup repository. As a result, you will not have to
move backups to a backup repository of a larger size.
• It supports any backup target supported by Veeam: Windows or Linux servers with local or DAS storage,
network shares, deduplicating storage appliances. All the features of any storage device or system are
preserved.
• It allows you to set up granular performance policy. For more information, see Backup File Placement.
• It provides practically unlimited cloud-based storage capacity: you can instruct

Veeam Backup & Replication to offload data from extents to the cloud for long-term storage. For details,
see Capacity Tier.
A scale-out backup repository can comprise different tiers, or logical levels of storage.
• Performance tier is the level used for the fast access to the data. It consists of one or more backup
repositories called performance extents.
For more information, see Performance Tier.
• Capacity tier is an additional level for storing data that needs to be accessed less frequently. However, you
still can restore your data directly from it. The capacity tier consists of one cloud-based or on-premises
object storage repository called capacity extent.
For more information, see Capacity Tier.
• Archive tier is an additional level for archive storage of infrequently accessed data. Applicable data from
the capacity tier can be transported to the archive tier. For restore from the archive tier, data must
undergo preparation process.
For more information, see Archive Tier.
A scale-out backup repository can be used for the following types of jobs and tasks:
• Backup jobs
• Backup copy jobs.

You can copy backups that reside in scale-out backup repositories and store backup copies in scale-out
backup repositories
• Veeam backups for Amazon and Azure (via backup copy jobs)
• VeeamZIP tasks
• Backup jobs created by Veeam Agent for Linux 2.0 or later
• Backup jobs created by Veeam Agent for Microsoft Windows 2.0 or later
• NAS backup jobs
• Backup jobs for Nutanix AHV
Backup files stored in the scale-out repository can be used for all types of restores, replication from backup and
backup copy jobs. You can verify such backups with SureBackup jobs. The scale-out backup repository can be
used as a staging backup repository for restore from tape media. Files restored from the tape media are placed
to the extents according to data placement policy configured for the scale-out backup repository. For more
information, see Backup File Placement.
To deploy a scale-out backup repository, you must configure one or more backup repositories and add them to a
scale-out backup repository as performance extents. You can mix backup repositories of different types in one
scale-out backup repository:
• Microsoft Windows backup repositories
• Linux backup repositories
• Shared folders
• Deduplicating storage appliances
For example, you can add a Microsoft Windows backup repository and deduplicating storage appliance to the
same scale-out backup repository.
Limitations for Scale-Out Backup Repositories

Scale-out backup repositories have the following limitations:
• You cannot use the scale-out backup repository as a target for the following types of jobs:
o Configuration backup job
o Replication jobs (including replica seeding)
o VM copy jobs
o Veeam Agent backup jobs created by Veeam Agent for Microsoft Windows 1.5 or earlier
o Veeam Agent backup jobs created by Veeam Agent for Linux 1.0 Update 1 or earlier.
• You cannot add a backup repository as a performance extent to the scale-out backup repository if any job
of unsupported type is targeted at this backup repository or if the backup repository contains data
produced by jobs of unsupported types (for example, replica metadata). To add such backup repository as
a performance extent, you must first target unsupported jobs to another backup repository and remove
the job data from the backup repository in question.
• Scale-out backup repositories do not support rotated drives. If you enable the This repository is backed by
rotated hard drives setting on an extent, Veeam Backup & Replication will ignore this setting and will work
with such repository as with a standard performance extent.
• If a backup repository is added as a performance extent to the scale-out backup repository, you cannot use
it as a regular backup repository. You cannot target jobs to this backup repository. Instead, you have to
target jobs to the configured scale-out backup repository.
• You cannot add a scale-out backup repository as a performance extent to another scale-out backup
repository.
• You cannot add a backup repository as a performance extent if this backup repository is already added as
an extent to another scale-out backup repository.
• You cannot add a backup repository as a performance extent if this backup repository is already used as a
backup destination by vCloud Director organizations.
• You cannot add a backup repository in which some activity is being performed (for example, a backup job
or restore task) as a performance extent to the scale-out backup repository.
• If you use Enterprise edition of Veeam Backup & Replication, you can create 2 scale-out backup
repositories.
For each scale-out backup repository, you can add 1 object storage repository as a capacity extent and 4
standard backup repositories as performance extents: 3 active, and 1 inactive (that is put to the
Maintenance mode). You can add inactive extents, for example, if any of active extents has no free space,
and you want to evacuate backup data from it.
If you add 4 performance extents and do not put any of them to the Maintenance mode, the jobs targeted
at the scale-out backup repository will fail.
Veeam Universal License and Enterprise Plus editions have no limitations on the number of scale-out
backup repositories or performance extents.
• The Extract and Backup Validator utilities do not work with backups stored in scale-out backup
repositories.
• To let Veeam Backup & Replication automatically import backups during rescan of a scale-out backup
repository, names of VBM files and paths to VBM files (starting from the backup repository root to VBM
files) must contain only allowed characters:
o Alphanumeric characters: a-zA-Z0-9
o Special characters: _-.+=@^
Names of VBM file and paths to VBM files must not contain spaces.
If a name of a VBM file or a path to a VBM file contains prohibited characters, Veeam Backup & Replication
will fail to import such backup during rescan of the scale-out backup repository. To import such backup,
you can replace prohibited characters with the underscore character, for example: C:\My
Repository\Backup_Job\Backup_Job.vbm. You do not need to rename backup files themselves.
• Veeam Backup & Replication does not split one backup file across multiple extents.
• You cannot assign the role of a cache repository for file share backup to a scale-out backup repository and
its extents. To learn more about cache repository, see NAS Backup Support.
• If a repository is being used as a cloud repository, you cannot add it as an extent of a scale-out backup
repository.
• [For Nutanix AHV VM backups] Due to specifics of backup jobs for AHV VMs, Veeam Backup for Nutanix
AHV always creates a separate backup chain for each VM added to a backup job. Thus, even if you unselect
the Use per-VM backup files check box in the advanced settings of a scale-out backup repository, backups
of multiple AHV VMs are not stored in a single backup file.
Immutability
Veeam Backup & Replication allows you to prohibit deletion of data from the extents of the scale-out backup
repository by making that data temporarily immutable. It is done for increased security: immutability protects
your data from loss as a result of attacks, malware activity or any other injurious actions.
You can enable the immutability feature for any tier of scale-out backup repository.
To learn how immutability works with performance tier of the scale-out backup repository, see Hardened
(Immutable) Repository.
To learn how immutability works with capacity tier of the scale-out backup repository, see Immutability for
Capacity Tier.
To learn how immutability works with archive tier of the scale-out backup repository, see Immutability for
Archive Tier.
Preparing to Use Immutability

In order to use immutability, you need to enable the Object Lock and Versioning features on your S3 bucket at
the time you create the bucket. Keep in mind that you can enable Object Lock only at the time of creating the
bucket.
For more information on enabling the Object Lock and Versioning features, see these Amazon articles: How do I
create an S3 Bucket? and How do I enable or suspend versioning for an S3 bucket?.
For considerations and limitations on immutability, see Considerations and Limitations.
Performance Tier
Performance tier of a scale-out backup repository is the level used for fast access to the data.
The performance tier of a scale-out backup repository can comprise one or more performance extents. A
performance extent is a backup repository (except an object storage repository) added to the scale-out backup
repository. The list of the performance extents is displayed at the Add Performance Extents step of the New
scale-out backup repository wizard.
On every performance extent, Veeam Backup & Replication creates the definition.erm file. This file contains a
description of the scale-out backup repository and information about its performance extents.
The backup repository added to the scale-out backup repository as a performance extent ceases to exist as an
individual backup repository.
When a backup repository is added as a performance extent, some of its original settings are kept, and some are
not. The following settings are kept, or inherited:
• Number of tasks that can be performed simultaneously
• Read and write data rate limit
• Data decompression settings
• Block alignment settings
The following settings are not inherited:
• Rotated drive settings. Rotated drive settings are ignored and cannot be configured at the level of the
scale-out backup repository.
• Per-VM backup file settings. Per-VM settings can be configured at the level of the scale-out backup
repository.
Limitations
The same limitations that are specific for certain types of backup repositories apply to the performance extents.
For example, if you add Dell EMC Data Domain as a performance extent to the scale-out backup repository, you
will not be able to create a backup chain longer than 60 points in this scale-out backup repository.
The performance extents of the scale-out backup repository should be located in the same site. Technically, you
can add to the scale-out backup repository the performance extents that reside in different sites. However, in
this case Veeam Backup & Replication will have to access VM backup files on storage devices in different
locations, and the backup performance will degrade.
Backup File Placement

Veeam Backup & Replication stores backup files on all performance extents of the scale-out backup repository.
When you configure a scale-out backup repository, you must set the backup file placement policy for it. The
backup file placement policy describes how backup files are distributed between extents. You can choose one of
two policies:
• Data locality
• Performance
You can also select an extent for backup file placement, which has its nuances if you set the Performance policy
for the scale-out backup repository:
• Extent Selection
• Extent Selection for Backup Repositories with Performance Policy
Keep in mind that in the beginning of the job session, Veeam Backup & Replication estimates how much space
the backup file requires and checks the amount of free space on extents. For details, see Backup Size Estimation.
The backup file placement policy is not strict. If the necessary extent is not accessible,
Veeam Backup & Replication will disregard the policy limitations and attempt to place the backup file to the
extent that has enough free space for the backup file.
For example, you have set the Performance policy for the scale-out backup repository and specified that full
backup files must be stored on Extent 1 and incremental backup files must be stored on Extent 2. If before an
incremental backup job session Extent 2 goes offline, the new incremental backup file will be placed to Extent 1.
NOTE:
Veeam Backup & Replication places backups of Microsoft SQL transaction logs and Oracle archived logs to
the extent configured for storing incremental backup files. If such extent is not accessible,
Veeam Backup & Replication will attempt to place log backups to any other extent that has enough free
space.
Data Locality
If you set the Data locality policy for a scale-out backup repository, all backup files that belong to the same
backup chain are stored on the same extent of the scale-out backup repository.
The Data locality policy does not put any limitations to backup chains. A new backup chain may be stored on the
same extent or another extent. For example, if you create an active full backup, Veeam Backup & Replication
may store the full backup file to another extent, and all dependent incremental backup files will be stored
together with this full backup file.
However, if you use a deduplicating storage appliance as an extent to the scale-out backup repository,
Veeam Backup & Replication will attempt to place a new full backup (active or synthetic) to the extent where
the full backup from the previous backup chain resides. Such behavior will help increase the data deduplication
ratio.
Performance
If you set the Performance policy for a scale-out backup repository, full backup files and incremental backup
files that belong to the same backup chain are stored on different extents of the scale-out backup repository. If
necessary, you can explicitly specify on which extents full backup files and incremental backup files must be
stored.
The Performance policy can improve performance of transformation processes if you use raw data devices as
extents. When Veeam Backup & Replication performs transformation, it needs to access a number of backup
files in the backup repository. If these files are located on different storage devices, the I/O load on the devices
hosting backup files will be lower.
If you set the Performance policy, you must make sure that the network connection between extents is fast and
reliable. You must also make sure all extents are online when the backup job, backup copy job or a restore task
starts. If any extent hosting backup files in the current backup chain is not available, the backup chain will be
broken, and Veeam Backup & Replication will not be able to complete the task. To avoid data loss in this
situation, you can enable the Perform full backup when required extent is offline option for the scale-out
backup repository. With this option enabled, Veeam Backup & Replication will create a full backup instead of
incremental backup if some files are missing from the backup chain.
Extent Selection
To select an extent for backup file placement, Veeam Backup & Replication checks the following conditions:
1. Availability of extents on which backup files reside. If some extent with backup files from the current
backup chain is not accessible, Veeam Backup & Replication will trigger a full backup instead of
incremental (if this option is enabled). For more information, see Adding Backup Repository Extents.
2. Backup placement policy set for the scale-out backup repository.
3. Load control settings — maximum number of tasks that the extent can process simultaneously.
4. Amount of free space available on the extent — the backup file is placed to the extent with the most
amount of free space.
5. Availability of files from the current backup chain — extents that host incremental backup files from the
current backup chain (or current VM) have a higher priority than extents that do not host such files.
Extent Selection for Backup Repositories with Performance Policy

If you set the Performance policy for the scale-out backup repository, Veeam Backup & Replication always
stores full backup files and incremental backup files that belong to the same backup chain on different extents.
To choose the extent to which a backup file can be stored, Veeam Backup & Replication applies this policy and
policies mentioned above.
For example, a scale-out backup repository has 2 extents that have 100 GB and 200 GB of free space. You set
the Performance policy for the scale-out backup repository and define that all types of backup files (full and
incremental) can be placed on both extents.
When a backup job runs, Veeam Backup & Replication picks the target extent in the following manner:
1. During the first job session, Veeam Backup & Replication checks to which extent a full backup file can be
stored. As both extents can host the full backup file, Veeam Backup & Replication checks which extent has
more free space, and picks the extent that has 200 GB of free space.
2. During incremental job session, Veeam Backup & Replication checks to which extent an incremental
backup file can be stored. As both extents can host the incremental backup file,
Veeam Backup & Replication picks the extent that does not store the full backup file — the extent that has
100 GB of free space.
Backup Size Estimation
At the beginning of the job session, Veeam Backup & Replication estimates how much space the backup file
requires and checks the amount of free space on extents. Veeam Backup & Replication assumes that the
following amount of space is required for backup files:
• The size of a full backup file is equal to 50% of source VM data.
• The size of an incremental backup file is equal to 10% of source VM data.

In case of reverse incremental backup chains, during incremental job sessions Veeam Backup & Replication
allocates 10% of source VM data on the extent where a rollback file is placed and additional 10% on the
extent where the full backup file resides.
This mechanism is also applied to backup files created with backup copy jobs.
Mind the following:
• On every extent of a scale-out backup repository, Veeam Backup & Replication reserves 1% of storage
space to guarantee correct update of backup metadata files (VBM) and success of merge operations.
• Make sure that you have enough free space on the extent where the full backup file resides.
Veeam Backup & Replication requires 10% of the size of the full backup file to perform merge operations
in the backup chain. If the disk space is low, merge operations may fail.
• Veeam Backup & Replication does not timely update the information about the amount of free space on
the extent, if several active tasks are targeted at this extent. For more information, see the Veeam KB2282
article.
Removing Performance Extents from Scale-Out Repositories

You can remove a performance extent from the scale-out backup repository, for example, if you do not want to
store backup files on the underlying storage anymore. When you remove a performance extent,
Veeam Backup & Replication puts the relevant backup repository to the Maintenance mode and unassigns the
performance extent role from it. The backup repository ceases to exist as a part of the scale-out backup
repository and becomes an individual backup repository.
If the performance extent contains backup files, it is strongly recommended that you perform the following
actions before you remove the extent:
1. Put the performance extent to the Maintenance Mode.
2. Evacuate backups from the extent. For more information, see Evacuating Backups from Performance
Extents.
In this case, backup files will be moved to other performance extents of the scale-out backup repository, and
the backup chain will remain consistent. If you do not evacuate backups from the performance extent, the
backup chain may get broken as some restore points will be missing from it.
To remove a performance extent from the scale-out backup repository:
2. In the inventory pane, click Scale-out Repositories.
3. In the working area, select the scale-out backup repository and click Edit Scale-out Repository on the
ribbon or right-click the scale-out backup repository and select Properties.
4. Move to the Performance tier step of the wizard.
5. In the Extents list, select the performance extent and click Remove.
If the performance extent contains backup files, Veeam Backup & Replication will suggest evacuating them. To
evacuate files, click No, close the wizard and evacuate backup files. For more information, see Evacuating
Backups from Performance Extents.
If you do not want to evacuate the backup files, click Yes and proceed with the wizard.
Capacity Tier
Capacity tier is an additional tier of storage that can be attached to a scale-out backup repository. Applicable
data from the scale-out backup repository performance extents can be transported to the capacity tier for long-
term storage.
This feature is most useful if:
• You are running out of storage space.
• Your organization policies allow you to store only a certain amount of data on your extents, while the
outdated data should be stored elsewhere.
• You seek to store data on several sites to ensure its safety in case of a disaster.
With capacity tier you can:
• Move inactive backup chains to the capacity extent, as described in Moving Backups to Capacity Tier and
Manually Moving Backups to Capacity Tier.
• Copy new backup files as soon as these files are created, as described in Copying Backups to Capacity Tier.
• Download data that was moved from the capacity extent back to the performance extents, as described in
Downloading Data from Capacity Tier.
• Restore your data. For more information, see Restore from Capacity Tier. In particular, you can promptly
restore data from capacity tier in case of disaster without creating a scale-out backup repository anew. For
more information about this feature, see Importing Object Storage Backups.
The capacity tier consists of only one capacity extent. The capacity extent can be either cloud-based object
storage repository or on-premises object storage repository, such as:
• S3-compatible object storage repository
• Amazon S3
• Microsoft Azure Blob Storage
• Microsoft Azure Data Box
• Google Cloud Object Storage
Before an object storage repository can be configured as a capacity extent, it must be added to
Veeam Backup & Replication. For more information, see Adding Object Storage Repositories.
The capacity extent is displayed in the scale-out backup repository wizard, on the Add Capacity Tier step.
For information on configuring capacity tier and synchronizing capacity tier data, see Add Capacity Tier.
NOTE:
Before you start using the capacity tier, make sure to check the pricing plans of your cloud storage provider
to avoid additional costs for offloading and downloading backup data.
Capacity Extent Structure

When data is being transferred to the capacity extent, Veeam Backup & Replication creates and maintains the
following structure of directories:
Directory Description Misc
<bucket_name> or A bucket or container name. N/A

<container_name> Buckets and containers must be created in advance.
Veeam/Archive/ Standard folders created by

<repository_folder_name> A repository folder that you create when adding a

new capacity extent.
<backup_id> Contains objects in a backup.
<objects_in_backup_id> An identifier of an object in a backup.

• If a backup was created using the Per-VM
method, then each VM will be placed to its
own directory.
• If a backup was created as a single storage,
then all the VMs will be placed to a unique
directory.
objs Contains meta information and other auxiliary data. These folders are
automatically removed
during data removal.
storages Contains a replicated version of offloaded backup
files with metadata that also remain on the source
extents.
blocks Contains offloaded data blocks created by the

offload session, as described in Data Transfer.
checkpoints Contains meta information about the state of

offloaded backup chains. Such meta information is
updated upon each successful offload session.
Encryption Contains required information to work with N/A

encrypted backups.
Immutability for Capacity Tier

To make the data immutable, Veeam Backup & Replication uses the Object Lock technology provided by Amazon
and some S3-Compatible providers. Once imposed, the object lock prohibits deletion of data from the capacity
extent until the immutability expiration date comes.
You can enable the immutability feature when adding or editing an Amazon S3 or S3 Compatible object storage
repository as a capacity extent, at the Bucket step of the Adding Amazon S3 Object Storage or Adding S3
Compatible Object Storage wizards. The immutability expiration date is specified at the same point.
The immutable data within the capacity extent cannot be subject to the following operations:
• Manual removal of data, as described in Removing Backups from Capacity Tier.
• Removal of data by the retention policy, as described in Retention Policy.
• Removal of data using any cloud service provider tools.
• Removal of data by the cloud service provider technical support department.
• Removal of data by the Remove deleted items data after option, as described in Maintenance Settings.
Block Generation
When you configure immutability for capacity tier, keep in mind that an additional period of up to 10 (by
default) days will be automatically added to the immutability expiration date. This period is called Block
Generation. For example, if you set your immutability period to 30 days, 10 days will be added, and total
immutability period will be up to 40 days.
Block Generation works in the following way. When the first data block (a full backup) arrives, its immutability
period is set to 30 + 10 = 40 days. The first full backup starts its generation, that will be appended with the
incremental backups. All the incremental backups within the generation (i.e. within the 10-days period) will
have the same immutability expiration date as the full backup. For instance, a data block that was offloaded on
day 9 will have the same immutability expiration date as a data block offloaded on day 1. Thus we ensure that
the immutability period for all the data blocks within a generation is no less than 30 days.
Consider this example: within one forward incremental backup chain, a full backup file can not be removed
before an incremental backup file. On the other hand, an incremental backup file makes no sense without
relevant full backup file. So the immutability period is extended for all data blocks in the backup chain.
The Block Generation period was introduced in order to reduce the number of requests to the capacity tier,
thereby saving traffic and reducing costs that might be incurred by your storage provider. With 10 days of
immutability automatically added, it means there is no need to extend the immutability period for the
incremental backups in forward chain and for the unchanged blocks of current full backups in reverse chain
offloaded within those 10 days. On the 11th day, though, the immutability period will have to be extended (in
order to ensure that the immutability period for all the data blocks within a generation is no less than 30 days).
The immutable blocks of data may be reused during the offload. Veeam Backup & Replication continues to keep
reused or dependent blocks of data locked by continuously assigning them to new generations, thereby
extending their immutability expiration period. This is valid both for forward and reverse incremental backup
chains.
The extension of immutability works differently in different cases, as follows:
Forward incremental backup chain
• New full backup file in the new generation:
o Immutability is extended for the data blocks that are being reused from the old backup chain,
o Immutability is set anew for the new blocks of the new full backup file.
• New incremental backup file in the new generation:
o Immutability is extended for all the data blocks from the current backup chain,
o Immutability is set anew for the new blocks of the latest incremental backup file.
Reverse incremental backup chain
• New full backup file in the new generation:
o Immutability is extended for the data blocks that are being reused from the previous full backup file,
o Immutability is set anew for the new blocks of the new full backup file.
• Current full backup file in the new generation:
o Immutability is extended for all the data blocks of this full backup file that are already stored in the
capacity tier,
o Immutability is set anew for the new blocks of this full backup file.
Managing Capacity Tier
You can manage your capacity tier and the offloaded data in the following ways:
• Download previously offloaded data from the capacity extent back to the performance extents.
• Migrate data to another capacity tier.
• Reduce the number of cost-based operations incurred by your cloud storage provider and decrease the
amount of traffic being sent over the network when moving or copying data to the capacity tier. For more
information, see Indexes.
• Configure the retention policy.
• Exclude the capacity extent from the scale-out backup repository scope.
Data Transfer
Veeam Backup & Replication offers the following opportunities of data transfer to and from the capacity extent:
• Copy policy: the backups are copied to the capacity extent automatically.
• Move policy: the inactive backup chains can be transferred to the capacity extent.
• Previously offloaded data can also be downloaded from the capacity tier back to the performance extents.
To manage data transfer to and from the capacity extent, Veeam Backup & Replication uses system sessions.
In This Section
• Copying Backups to Capacity Tier
• Backup Chain Detection
• Moving Backups to Capacity Tier
• Manually Moving Backups to Capacity Tier
• Removing Backups from Capacity Tier
• Downloading Data from Capacity Tier
• Viewing Capacity Tier Sessions Statistics
Copying Backups to Capacity Tier

Veeam Backup & Replication allows you to copy backups from the performance extents of your scale-out backup
repository to the capacity extent as soon as these backups are created.
To copy data to the capacity extent, Veeam Backup & Replication uses a copy session that is executed
automatically upon completion of a backup (or backup copy) job that is targeted to a scale-out backup
repository that was extended with the capacity extent.
A complete name of each copy session is built up of the backup (or backup copy) job name + the Offload postfix.
That is, if your backup (or backup copy) job name is Amazon, the copy session name will be Amazon Offload.
Before your data can be copied to the capacity tier, Veeam Backup & Replication performs the following
mandatory verifications and required actions:
• Verifies whether performance extents are available and have not been put into maintenance mode.
• Builds and maintains indexes to verify whether data that is being moved is unique and has not been
offloaded earlier.
Backup files with metadata are created, as described in Moving Backups to Capacity Tier.
Once the backup (or backup copy) job is complete, Veeam Backup & Replication initiates a new copy session
which simply extracts data blocks and metadata from each new backup file (.vbk, .vib, .vrb) created on any of
the performance extents of your scale-out backup repository and copies these blocks and metadata to the
capacity extent, thereby making an identical replica of your backup data.
Having such a replica gives you the ability to quickly restore data as of the latest state in case of trouble with
any backup files, any unexpected failure of any of your performance extents, or even of the entire scale-out
backup repository, as described in Restore Scenarios.
To enable data copy, make sure to select the Copy backups to object storage as soon as they are created option,
as described in Add Capacity Tier.
Combining Copy and Move Operations

You can combine both the Copy backups to object storage as soon as they are created option and the Move
backups to object storage as they age out of the operational restores window option. In such a scenario, a copy
session will be copying newly created backups right upon creation.
Once the backup chain becomes inactive (for example, sealed) and exceeds the operational restore window,
data blocks will be removed from each associated backup file in such an inactive backup chain and only
metadata will be preserved. Such a behavior mimics data movement, but instead of moving data that was
already copied, Veeam Backup & Replication simply purges associated data blocks from the performance
extents, thereby saving traffic and reducing costs that might be incurred by your storage provider for
performing read/write operations.
The following figure shows an example in which both options are enabled, suggesting that each backup file has
been copied to object storage upon its creation.
The backup chain on the left becomes inactive after a new full backup file is created and consists of one .vbk file
and five .vib files. Since only the first four backup files (represented as grey blocks) in this inactive backup chain
exceed the operational restore window, Veeam Backup & Replication removes blocks of data from these four
files only and leaves the other two .vib files (created on Thursday and Friday) as they are until the operational
restore window moves forward, and so on.
After copy is complete, the new Object Storage node appears in the Home view, under the Backups node and
shows backups that have been copied to the capacity extent.
NOTE:
The copy is not performed during prohibited hours specified in the scale-out backup repository backup
window configuration. You can configure the backup window at the Add Capacity Tier step of the New
Scale-out Backup Repository wizard.
Backup Chain Detection
Veeam Backup & Replication will transfer to the capacity extent only those restore points that belong to
inactive backup chains. To ensure a backup chain is inactive, Veeam Backup & Replication verifies its state. This
does not apply to the copy policy: all newly created restore points are copied immediately.
Inactive Backup Chain of a Backup Job

When a backup job runs for the first time, Veeam Backup & Replication creates an initial full backup file. It
contains complete information about the VMs that are being backed up. With each subsequent backup job
session, new incremental backup files are created. They contain only the changes that have occurred since the
last backup session.
For forward incremental backup method, the active backup chain is the one that has not yet been sealed with a
new full backup file.
To transform an active backup chain into inactive, a new active full (or synthetic full) backup file must be
created for this chain. This can be done either manually, as described in Performing Active Full Backup. Else, you
can configure a schedule according to which new active or synthetic full backups will be created automatically,
as described in Active Full Backup and Synthetic Full Backup.
Once a new full backup file is created and the offload session is being executed, Veeam Backup & Replication
collects all the restore points (full and incremental) that were created prior to the latest active full, verifies that
they belong to an inactive chain, and prepares them to be moved to the capacity extent. This process is called
detect. For more information, see Moving Backups to Capacity Tier.
Note that Veeam Backup & Replication will not transfer to the capacity tier the corrupted restore points and the
files dependent on those. For more information on the corrupted restore points, see Health Check for Backup
Files.
The same applies to the backup chains created with the reverse-incremental method. In this case, all the .vrb
files starting from the third restore point will be considered inactive automatically. Thus, you do not need to
create an active full (nor synthetic full) backup manually unless you want to offload all the restore points
including the most recent .vbk file and the first two .vrb files.
Consider the following examples:
• Four .vrb files are inactive and can be offloaded:
• Six .vrb files and a .vbk file belong to an inactive chain and can be offloaded:
NOTE:
Mind that a full backup file and the first two incremental backup files (that is, two .vrb files that
immediately follow the most recent .vbk file) will not be offloaded until another full backup file is created
successfully.
The structure of the backup chains can be different. That depends on whether your backups were created using
the per-VM method (for more information, see Per-VM Backup Files) or as a single storage, with all VMs placed
into a single file. The type of the backup chain structure does not affect the offload process.
For more information on how Veeam Backup & Replication creates and manages backup chains, see Backup
Chain.
Inactive Backup Chain of a Backup Copy Job

When offloading backup chains created by backup copy jobs, Veeam Backup & Replication will move only full
backup files that have a GFS flag.
To enable the GFS retention policy for the files, select the following check boxes at the Target step of the New
Backup Copy Job wizard:
• Keep the following restore points as full backups for archival purposes check box
• [Optional] Read the entire restore point from source backup instead of synthesizing it from increments.
For more information on how to configure a backup copy job and how the GFS retention works, see Creating
Backup Copy Jobs and GFS Retention Policy respectively.
Consider the following examples:
• A backup chain consists of two .vbk files and five .vib files created with the synthetic full method.
The weekly full backup file has a GFS flag (Weekly) assigned to it and can be offloaded to object storage.
The second full backup file cannot be offloaded until it is also assigned a GFS flag. It will happen after
another full backup file is created.
• A backup chain consists of three .vbk files and 11 .vib files created with the active full method.
In this case, the full backup file 1 does not have any GFS flag and will not be offloaded at all.
A full backup file 2 has a Weekly flag, so it can be offloaded to object storage. The full backup file 3 also
has a Weekly flag, but this file is active. It will not be offloaded until another full backup file is created.
NOTE:
The following types of backup files are never offloaded from backup chains created by backup copy jobs:
• Full backup files (.vbk) that have not been assigned any GFS flag.
• Incremental backup files (.vib).
Moving Backups to Capacity Tier

To collect backup files that belong to inactive backup chains from the performance extents and move them to
the capacity tier, Veeam Backup & Replication uses an offload session which is executed automatically every 4
hours.
A complete name of each offload session is built up of the scale-out backup repository name + the Offload
postfix. That is, if your scale-out backup repository name is Amazon, the offload session name will be Amazon
Offload.
The offload session manages the following:
• Validation Process
• Data Transfer
Validation Process
Before your data can safely be moved to the capacity tier, Veeam Backup & Replication performs the following
mandatory verifications and required actions:
• Verifies whether data that is about to be moved belongs to an inactive backup chain.
For more information, see Backup Chain Detection.
• Verifies whether performance extents are available and have not been put into maintenance mode.
Consider that data will not be offloaded from Linux-based performance extents that have internet access
through HTTP(S) proxy. All Linux-based performance extents configured in your scale-out backup
repository must have direct access to the internet.
• Verifies whether the capacity extent has not been put into maintenance or seal mode.
For more information, see Switching to Maintenance Mode and Switching to Seal Mode.
• Verifies whether configuration parameters that define how and when inactive backup chains must be
moved to the capacity extent are met.
Such parameters are configured as described in Add Capacity Tier.
• Builds and maintains indexes to verify whether data that is being moved is unique and has not been
offloaded earlier.
For more information, see Indexes.
• Synchronizes the backup chain state between the performance and capacity extents to maintain retention
policies.
For more information, see Retention Policy.
Data Transfer
After the validation process is complete, the SOBR Offload session does the following:
• Collects backup files that have passed verification.

Such verified backup files are collected from all the performance extents added to a scale-out backup
repository.
• Extracts data blocks from these files and moves these blocks to the capacity extent leaving the backup
files only with metadata (i.e. free of data blocks).
Such backup files (without data blocks) will remain on the performance extents and will also be replicated
to the capacity extent.
Having a copy of such dummy files on your performance extents allows you to:
o Download back to the performance extents the data that has been moved to the capacity extent, as
described in Downloading Data from Capacity Tier.
o Restore data back to production servers, to Azure or Amazon EC2 cloud platforms or to your virtual
machine, as described in Restore from Capacity Tier.
In this example, there is a scale-out backup repository and an object storage repository in the same scale-out
backup repository.
The performance extent A has an inactive backup chain consisting of one .vbk file and three .vib files, that is,
four restore points in total. Each of these files comprises metadata and the actual blocks of data. During the
offload session, Veeam Backup & Replication will collect the actual blocks of data from all the backup files (.vbk
and .vib) and offload these blocks to the object storage repository.
Each offloaded block might be of different size, which is defined during configuring storage optimization. The
offloaded blocks are placed to the blocks directory in your capacity extent.
Backup files with metadata (or dummy files) will be replicated to the capacity extent and will be placed to the
storages directory.
Such approach will be applied to all inactive backup chains that satisfy validation criteria.
After offload is complete, the new Object Storage node appears in the Home view, under the Backups node and
shows backups that have been moved to the capacity extent.
NOTE:
The offload is not performed during prohibited hours specified in the scale-out backup repository backup
window configuration. You can configure the backup window at the Add Capacity Tier step of the New
Scale-out Backup Repository wizard.
Offload Session Statistics
The offload session results are saved to the configuration database and available for viewing, as described in
Viewing Offload Job Session Results.
Manually Moving Backups to Capacity Tier

The Move to capacity tier option allows you to manually offload selected backup files to the capacity extent.
Consider that backup files you want to offload must belong to an inactive backup chain. For more information,
see Backup Chain Detection.
To move backup data to capacity tier, do the following:
2. In the inventory pane, select the Backups > Disk node.
3. In the working area, right-click a backup job and select Properties.
4. In the Properties window, right-click a backup file that you want to offload and select Move to capacity
tier.
Alternatively, you can use the Move to capacity tier control at the bottom.
5. Select either of the following options:
o For .vib/.vbk backup files:
 This backup and all dependent increments — to offload the selected backup along with its
increments or to remove the copied blocks of data from the selected backup and its increments.
o For .vbk backup files:
 This backup — to offload the selected full backup only or to remove the copied blocks of data
from such a full backup.
 This backup and all dependent increments — to offload the selected full backup along with its
increments or to remove the copied blocks of data from the selected backup and its increments.
Downloading Data from Capacity Tier

In Veeam Backup & Replication, you can manually download offloaded backups back to the performance
extents.
You can download one backup at a time using the Copy to Performance Tier option, or get all offloaded backups
in bulk using the Download feature. For more information, see below Downloading Single Backup Chain and
Downloading All Backups, respectively.
For more information on how data is downloaded, see How Downloading from Capacity Tier Works.
Downloading Single Backup Chain

To download previously offloaded backup data back to the performance extents, one backup at a time, do the
following:
2. In the inventory pane, select the Backups > Object Storage node.
3. In the working area, right-click a backup job and select Properties.
4. In the Properties window, right-click an offloaded backup file and select Copy to performance tier.
Alternatively, you can use the Copy to performance tier control at the bottom.
5. Select either of the following options:
o For .vib/.vbk backup files:
 This backup and all dependent increments — to copy the selected backup along with its
increments.
o For .vbk backup files:
 This backup — to copy the full backup only.
 This backup and all dependent increments — to copy the selected backup along with its
increments.
NOTE:
To remove copied blocks from the performance extents, use the Move to capacity tier option, as described
in Moving Inactive Backup Chains to Capacity Tier.
Downloading All Backups

To download all offloaded backups back to the performance extents, do the following:
2. In the inventory pane, select the Backups > Object Storage node.
3. On the toolbar, click Download or in the working area, right-click a backup job and select Download.
o If the latest backup chain is already present on your performance extent, you will be asked if you wish
to download all other backup files. Click Yes if you wish to do so or No to cancel the download.
o If the latest backup chain is not on your performance extent yet, you will be asked which backup files
you would like to download. Click All Backups to download all backup files or Latest Only to
download just the latest backup chain.
NOTE:
To remove downloaded data from the performance extents, use the Move to capacity tier option, as
described in Moving Inactive Backup Chains to Capacity Tier.
How Downloading from Capacity Tier Works

To download data from the capacity extent back to the performance extents, Veeam Backup & Replication uses
the SOBR download job.
The SOBR download job is triggered right after you select the Copy to performance tier option; it collects
offloaded blocks of data from the capacity extent and copies them back to the performance extents. For more
information, see Downloading from Capacity Tier.
• Before copying data blocks, Veeam Backup & Replication verifies whether any of such blocks exist on any
of the performance extents of your scale-out backup repository. If found, Veeam Backup & Replication will
reuse the existing blocks instead of downloading the exact same data from the capacity extent.
NOTE:
If the password in the backup job has been changed, in some cases Veeam Backup & Replication may
not be able to reuse the performance tier data in the course of the download.
• If a performance extent is unable to accommodate data being copied due to lack of free storage space,
Veeam Backup & Replication will find another extent in the associated scale-out backup repository that
has sufficient storage capacity to receive the data. If your scale-out backup repository has no performance
extents other than the one running out of space, the copy will not be possible.
• If you have removed any of the performance extents from a scale-out backup repository without
evacuating backup files with metadata, the copy will not be possible until the files with metadata are
downloaded back to the performance extents in the course of the rescan process. For more information on
the rescan process, see Rescanning Scale-Out Repositories.
Backup files with metadata are created as described in Moving Inactive Backup Chains to Capacity Tier.
• The SOBR download session results are saved to the configuration database and available for viewing, as
described in Viewing Download Job Session Results.
Viewing Capacity Tier Sessions Statistics

Continue with this section to learn more about:
• Viewing Offload Session Results
• Viewing Copy Session Results
• Viewing Download Session Results
Viewing Offload Session Results

To review offload session results, do the following:
1. Open the History view.
2. In the inventory pane, select the Storage management node.
3. In the working area, right-click an offload session and select Statistics.
For more information about moving inactive backup chains to capacity tier, see Moving Inactive Backup Chains
to Capacity Tier.
Veeam Backup & Replication displays offload job session statistics for the following counters:
• The Job progress bar shows percentage of the offload session completion.
• The Summary box shows general information about the offload session:
o Duration — duration of the offload session.
o Processing rate — average speed of VM data processing. This counter is a ratio between the amount of
data that has actually been read and the offload session duration.
o Bottleneck — bottleneck in the data transmission process. To learn more about bottlenecks, see
Performance Bottlenecks.
• The Data box shows information about processed data:
o Processed — total size of all VM disks processed by the offload session.
o Read — the amount of data read from the extents.
o Transferred — the amount of data transferred from the extents to object storage.
• The Status box shows information about the job results. This box informs how many tasks have completed
with the Success, Warning and Error statuses (1 task per 1 VM).
• The pane in the lower-left corner shows a list of objects processed by the offload session.
• The pane in the lower-right corner shows a list of operations performed during the session. To see a list of
operations for a specific object, click the object in the pane on the left. To see a list of operations for the
whole offload session, click anywhere on the blank area in the left pane.
Viewing Copy Session Results

To review copy session results, do the following:
3. In the working area, right-click a copy session and select Statistics.
For more information about moving inactive backup chains to capacity tier, see Moving Inactive Backup Chains
to Capacity Tier.
Veeam Backup & Replication displays offload job session statistics for the following counters:
• The Job progress bar shows percentage of the copy session completion.
• The Summary box shows general information about the copy session:
o Duration — duration of the copy session.
data that has actually been read and the offload session duration.
o Processed — total size of all VM disks processed by the copy session.
o Read — the amount of data read from the extents.
o Transferred — the amount of data transferred from the extents to object storage.
• The Status box shows information about the copy results. This box informs how many tasks have been
completed with the Success, Warning and Error statuses (1 task per 1 VM).
• The pane in the lower-left corner shows a list of objects processed by the copy session.
whole copy session, click anywhere on the blank area in the left pane.
Viewing Download Session Results

To review SOBR Download job session results, do the following:
3. In the working area, right-click a SOBR Download session and select Statistics.
For more information about the SOBR Download session, see How Downloading Data from Capacity Tier Works.
Veeam Backup & Replication displays SOBR Download job session statistics for the following counters:
• The Job progress bar shows percentage of the job completion.
• The Summary box shows general information about the job session:
o Duration — duration of the job session.
o Processing rate — average speed of data processing. This counter is a ratio between the amount of
data that has actually been read and the job session duration.
o Processed — total size of data blocks being downloaded from object storage repository plus blocks (if
any) being taken from the extents of your scale-out backup repository.
o Read — the amount of data read from both the object storage repository and extents of your scale-out
backup repository.
o Transferred — the amount of data downloaded from object storage.
with the Success, Warning and Error statuses.
• The pane in the lower-left corner shows a list of objects processed by the job.
whole job session, click anywhere on the blank area in the left pane.
Migrating Data To Another Capacity Tier

You can migrate your data between object storage repositories. After that you can add the new object storage
repository as a capacity extent instead the previous one.
The migration option may be useful if you want, for instance, switch your provider.
Such a migration can be done under the following scenarios:
• Migrating data between different cloud providers

To be used to migrate data from one object storage provider to another. For example, you may have been
using an Amazon S3 object storage repository for quite some time and decided to change it to Azure Blob
storage or any other storage provider.
• Migrating data between different buckets

To be used to migrate data between different buckets of the same cloud provider.
Migrating Data Between Different Cloud Providers

To migrate data located in an object storage repository between different cloud providers, do the following:
1. Download data from an object storage repository back to the performance extents, as described in
Downloading Data from Capacity Tier.
2. Add a new object storage repository to the Veeam Backup & Replication environment, as described in
Adding Object Storage Repositories.
3. Change an object storage repository to a new one that you have created at the previous step, as described
in Add Capacity Tier.
4. Copy or move your data to a new object storage repository, as described in Moving to Capacity Tier.
Migrating Data Between Different Buckets

To migrate data located in an object storage repository between different buckets of the same cloud provider,
do the following:
1. Use any available 3rd-party tool to copy cloud data to a different bucket of your cloud storage.
2. Add a new object storage repository to the Veeam Backup & Replication environment, as described in
Adding Object Storage Repositories.
3. Change the capacity extent to a new one that you have created at the previous step, as described in Add
Capacity Tier.
4. Synchronize your data, as described in Synchronizing Capacity Tier Data.
Keep in mind that you can copy cloud data only to a bucket without Versioning feature enabled. If you need to
migrate your data from a non-immutable bucket to an immutable one, use one of the following ways:
• Perform the scenario described in Migrating Data Between Different Cloud Providers.
• If your source bucket had Versioning feature enabled, сopy your data to a bucket without Versioning, then
manually enable Versioning and Object Lock features. Otherwise, you can enable these features on the
source bucket.
Use command line interface (CLI) to copy from an immutable bucket to a non-versioned one.
Indexes
To reduce the number of cost-based operations incurred by your cloud storage provider and to decrease the
amount of traffic being sent over the network when moving or copying data to object storage,
Veeam Backup & Replication uses indexes.
Index behavior is as follows:
• Indexes are created (or updated) during each offload or copy session and consist of hash values of blocks
that are being transferred to the capacity tier. These hashes are retrieved from meta information of your
backup files (.vbk, .vib, or .vrb).
• Indexes are stored in the ArchiveIndex directory that is located on the Performance Tier.
On each subsequent offload/copy session, Veeam Backup & Replication reuses these indexes to verify
whether new blocks that are about to be transferred to the capacity tier have not been offloaded earlier.
Verification is done by comparing existing indexes hashes with that of a block being transferred.
• For backups created using the per-VM method, indexes are built per backup chain and cannot have any
cross references to any other backup chains. For backups created as a single storage, indexes are built for
the whole backup.
• Indexes are updated every time a backup chain is modified.

For example, some data might have been removed due to the retention policy threshold, or you may have
removed it manually. Both scenarios will modify your indexes upon the next successful offload or copy
session to maintain consistency.
• Corrupted indexes can be rebuilt by using the Rescan feature, as described in Rescanning Scale-Out
Repositories.
Once an index is rebuilt, Veeam Backup & Replication will have to wait for 24 hours before it can offload
any data again. This is necessary to comply with the Eventual Consistency model of Amazon S3.
ArchiveIndex Directory Structure
When Veeam Backup & Replication creates indexes, it also creates and maintains the following directory
structure on each extent.
Directory Description
ArchiveIndex The root directory for keeping indexes.
<backup_id> Contains objects in a backup file.
<objects_in_backup_id> An identifier of an object in a backup file.

• If a backup was created using the per-VM method, then each VM will be
placed to its own directory.
• If a backup was created as a single storage, then all the VMs will be placed to
a unique directory.
stg_index Contains indexes of offloaded backup files (.vbk, .vib, or .vrb).
index_data.vbk Contains meta information on hash values stored in index files.
Retention Policy
Retention policy defines the number of restore points to keep on your performance extents and is configured in
the Specify Backup Storage Settings step of the backup job configuration wizard.
You can manage retention policies to remove obsolete restore points both from the performance extents and
the capacity tier.
The restore points that fall under the retention policy will be removed both from the performance and capacity
extents in the following manner:
• An earliest restore point will be removed from the backup chain on the associated extent.
• Data blocks that correspond to the restore point that is being removed will be purged from the capacity
extent upon the next offload or copy session.
Make sure that the capacity extent has not been put into maintenance mode, as this mode prevents
synchronization of the state of the backup chain in the performance tier with that of the capacity tier.
For more information about the move and copy offload sessions, see Moving Inactive Backup Chains to
Capacity Tier and Copying Backups to Capacity Tier respectively.
• Immutable blocks of data are removed after the immutability period is over.
When a retention policy encounters immutable copied/moved blocks of data, it removes such blocks from
the associated backup files on the extents only and then updates indexes, informing
Veeam Backup & Replication that these blocks no longer exist and must be removed from the capacity tier
once mutable.
For more information about immutability, see Immutability.
• Associated indexes will be updated for consistency purposes.

Excluding Capacity Extent from Scale-Out Repositories

You can exclude a capacity extent from the scale-out backup repository scope, for example, if you no longer
want to use any third party services to store your data.
Consider that after you exclude an object storage repository that is being used as a capacity extent and is storing
offloaded backup data, Veeam Backup & Replication automatically puts the excluded object storage repository
into maintenance mode. Once a repository is in maintenance mode, you will not be able to restore your data
from it. To switch back to normal, you will have to re-add that repository as a capacity extent and synchronize
existing backup chains with your performance extents. After the synchronization is complete, the existing
backups will become available as Imported. For more information, see Synchronizing Capacity Tier Data.
NOTE
If you have an archive extent in the same scale-out backup repository, it will also switch to maintenance
mode when you exclude a capacity extent.
To exclude a capacity extent from the scale-out backup repository scope, do the following:
3. In the working area, select a scale-out backup repository and click Edit Scale-out Repository on the ribbon,
or right-click a scale-out backup repository and select Properties.
4. Move to the Capacity tier step of the wizard.
5. Clear the Extend scale-out backup repository capacity with object storage check box.
You will be asked to confirm the action in the pop-up dialog. After that, the object storage repository will
be immediately put into maintenance mode.
Restore from Capacity Tier

You can restore your data directly from the capacity tier back to production servers or to Azure or Amazon EC2
cloud platforms. Capacity tier data recovery does not differ from that of a standard backup data recovery and
can be performed by using any of the following methods:
• Instant VM Recovery
• Entire VM Recovery
• VM Files Restore
• Virtual Disks Restore
• Guest OS File Recovery
• Instant VM Disk Recovery
• Application Items Restore
• Exporting Backups
Data recovery can also be done directly to Amazon EC2 or Microsoft Azure, as described in the Restore to
Amazon EC2 and Restore to Microsoft Azure sections, respectively.
Restore Scenarios
This section explains possible restore scenarios from the capacity tier.
Unavailability of Backup Files
If one of the offloaded backup files becomes unavailable on any of the extents in a scale-out backup repository,
you can restore it by doing the following:
1. Rescan a scale-out backup repository.

For more information on how to rescan a scale-out backup repository, see Rescanning Scale-Out
Repositories.
2. Copy data from the capacity tier to the performance tier.

For more information on how to copy data, see Copying to Performance Tier.
NOTE:
The performance or capacity extents must not be in Maintenance mode.
Unavailability of Extents
A performance extent in a scale-out backup repository may become unavailable or be in maintenance mode. To
restore data in such case, you can use any method described in Data Recovery.
For example, you are restoring a virtual machine consisting of three data blocks, of which two blocks reside on
the Extent 1 and another required block is stored on the Extent 2 which is unavailable. In such scenario,
Veeam Backup & Replication gets two blocks from the Extent 1 and another required block from the capacity
tier.
Unavailability of Scale-Out Backup Repository

To restore data if the entire scale-out backup repository is unavailable, you can use any method described in
Data Recovery.
If the entire scale-out backup repository becomes unavailable, Veeam Backup & Replication restores data from
the capacity tier only.
For example, both performance extents that store required backup files to restore a virtual machine are not
available. In such a scenario, Veeam Backup & Replication restores data from the capacity tier only.
Unavailability of Backup Server

To get access to backups in the capacity tier in case the entire configuration of the backup server becomes
corrupted and your scale-out backup repositories are no longer available, you can:
• Restore the configuration of the backup server from the configuration backup, as described in
Configuration Backup and Restore.
• Import backups from the capacity tier, as described in Importing Backups.
Archive Tier
Archive tier is an additional tier of storage that can be attached to a scale-out backup repository. Applicable
data from the capacity extent of the scale-out backup repository can be transported to the archive tier for
archive storage.
Storing archived data in archive tier is cheaper than in capacity tier. However, restoring data from archive tier is
longer and more expensive compared to capacity tier. Data must be prepared for restore from archive tier.
This feature is most useful in the following cases:
• You have a lot of rarely (no more than once a quarter) accessed data that has to be stored in archive.
• You want to save costs and/or space on storing archived data.
The archive tier consists of a single archive extent. One of the following cloud-based object storage repositories
providing "cold" data storage can be added as an archive extent:
• Amazon S3 Glacier
• Microsoft Azure Archive Blob Storage
Before an object storage repository can be configured as an archive extent, it must be added to
Veeam Backup & Replication backup infrastructure. For more information, see Adding Amazon S3 Glacier
Storage or Adding Azure Blob Storage Archive Tier.
You can add an archive extent to your scale-out backup repository and configure its settings on the Add Archive
Tier step of the New Scale-out Backup Repository wizard.
Archive Extent Structure
When data is being transferred to the archive extent, Veeam Backup & Replication creates and maintains the
following structure of directories:
<bucket_name> or A bucket or container name. N/A

<container_name> Buckets and containers must be created in advance.
Veeam/LongTerm/ Standard folders created by

<repository_folder_name> A repository folder that you create when adding a

new capacity extent.
<backup_id> Contains objects in a backup. These folders are

automatically removed
during data removal.
<objects_in_backup_id> An identifier of an object in a backup.
Objects Contains meta information and other auxiliary data.
Storages Contains a replicated version of offloaded backup

files with metadata.
BlobStore Contains data blobs created by the archiving

session, as described in Archive Tier Data Transfer.
Checkpoints Contains meta information about the state of

archived backup chains. Such meta information is
updated upon each successful archiving session.
Encryption Contains required information to work with N/A

encrypted backups.
Limitations for Archive Tier

Archive tier has the following limitations:
• Each type of repository that can be added as an archive extent is compatible only with corresponding type
of repository configured as a capacity extent:
a. To add Amazon S3 Glacier as an archive extent, select Amazon S3 repository in the capacity tier
settings. If you do not have an Amazon S3 repository as a capacity extent of your scale-out backup
repository, you must first configure it.
b. To add Microsoft Azure Archive storage as an archive extent, select Microsoft Azure Blob repository in
the capacity tier settings. If you do not have a Microsoft Azure Blob repository as a capacity extent of
your scale-out backup repository, you must first configure it.
For more information on configuring capacity extents, see Add Capacity Tier.
• Microsoft Azure Archive storage does not support immutability.
• The following types of backup files are suitable for archive storage:
o Backup files with GFS flags assigned
o VeeamZIP backup files
o Exported backup files
• You cannot transport backup files from performance tier directly to archive tier. Transportation to archive
tier is available only from capacity tier.
• Incremental backup files cannot be stored in the archive tier.
Immutability for Archive Tier

NOTE
Currently, the immutability feature is available only for Amazon S3 Glacier object storage repository.
Microsoft Azure Archive storage does not support immutability.
Veeam Backup & Replication allows you to prohibit deletion of data from the archive extent by making that data
temporarily immutable. It is done for increased security: immutability protects your data from loss as a result of
attacks, malware activity or any other injurious actions.
To make the data immutable, Veeam Backup & Replication uses the Object Lock technology provided by Amazon
and some S3-Compatible providers. Once imposed, the object lock prohibits deletion of data from the archive
extent until the immutability expiration date comes. Keep in mind that in order to use immutability, you need to
enable the Object Lock and Versioning features on your S3 bucket at the time you create the bucket. For more
information, see Preparing to Use Immutability.
You can enable the immutability feature when adding or editing an Amazon S3 Glacier object storage repository
as an archive extent, at the Bucket step of the Adding Amazon S3 Glacier Storage wizard.
When you enable immutability for archive tier, keep in mind that only the settings of the Amazon S3 Glacier
repository will be taken into account. The settings of the capacity tier repository and of the original data blocks
will be ignored.
For Amazon S3 Glacier, all the types of files that are suitabe for archive storage can be made immutable:
• Backup files with GFS flags assigned: in case GFS retention is extended in the backup job or backup copy
job settings, the immutability period for existing backup files will be prolonged at the end of the
"freezing" session. For more information about GFS retention policy, see Long-Term Retention Policy
(GFS).
• VeeamZIP backup files with specified retention (deletion date). For more information, see Creating
VeeamZIP Backups.
• Exported backup files with specified retention (deletion date). For more information, see Exporting
Backups.
The immutability period of a backup file will be equal to its retention period at the moment of archiving. If the
retention period is not specified for VeeamZIP backup files or exported backup files, such files will not be made
immutable.
Managing Archive Tier

You can manage your archive tier and the archived data in the following ways:
• Move outdated backups from the capacity extent to the archive extent.
• Delete outdated backup files.
• Exclude the archive extent from the scale-out backup repository scope.
Archive Tier Data Transfer

Outdated backup files from capacity tier can be moved to archive tier. After that, the transported files are
deleted from the capacity tier. They can stay in the performance tier or be deleted from there depending on the
data transfer policy of the scale-out backup repository:
• In case the copy policy is selected (the outdated backup files are copied from the performance tier to the
capacity tier), the original file stays in the performance tier.
• In case the move policy is selected (the outdated backup files are transferred from the performance tier to
the capacity tier), the original file disappears from the performance tier.
Data transfer policy Performance tier Capacity tier Archive tier
Copy Original file (nothing) Copy of the file
Move (nothing) (nothing) Copy of the file
Proxy Appliances
Data transfer from the capacity extent to the archive extent is done through proxy appliances — temporary
virtual machines. The template for all the proxy appliances is set up at the Proxy Appliance step of the Adding
Amazon S3 Glacier or Adding Azure Blob Archive wizard.
You can set up the size of the virtual machine and cloud resources where the proxy appliance will be created.
You can specify the proxy appliance settings manually, or use the default settings.
After the archiving job is finished, all the proxy appliances are automatically deleted. If the job ends
prematurely, the proxy appliances will be deleted as well. Also, any proxy appliance can be deleted if there are
no more tasks for it.
Archiving Job
The process of moving backup files to archive tier is called an archiving job. Archiving job takes place in a
separate job session. Archiving job launches periodically, under the same default schedule as the offload job
from performance tier to capacity tier.
New backup files are offloaded to archive tier and outdated ones are cleaned up during the same archiving
session. You can archive backup files if they meet all the following conditions:
• The type of backup file is appropriate. For details, see Limitations for Archive Tier.
• Backup files are completely offloaded to capacity tier, including rehydrated ones.
• Backup files have not been archived yet.
• Backup files belong to inactive backup chains.
• Backup files have been created N days ago according to Archive backup files older than N days setting of
the Add Archive Tier step of the wizard.
NOTE
If you set the value in the Archive backup files older than N days field to 0, the backup files will be
moved to archive tier during the nearest archiving session, and will no longer participate in the
capacity tier data deduplication.
• If you have selected the Archive backups only if the remaining retention time is above minimal storage
period check box of the Add Archive Tier step of the wizard:
a. for Amazon S3 Glacier: only backup files with retention period no less than 90 days.
b. for Microsoft Azure Archive Blob: only backup files with retention period no less than 180 days.
Backup files that meet all the following conditions will be cleaned up:
• Backup files that do not have corresponding original file on performance tier
• Backup files with expired or unspecified immutability period. For more information, see Immutability for
Archive Tier.
After the archiving job is completed, the transported files are deleted from capacity tier. It happens during the
next offload to capacity tier session.
NOTE
Archive tier data is not supported in the capacity tier migrating scenarios.
Cleanup Tasks
Cleanup tasks are tasks within archiving jobs. They are launched if there are only outdated backup files to delete
during a certain job session, and no new backup files are to be offloaded to the archive tier.
Cleanup tasks do not require proxy appliances.
Excluding Archive Extent from Scale-Out Backup Repository

You can exclude an archive extent from the scale-out backup repository scope, for example, if you no longer
want to use any third party services to store your data.
Consider that after you exclude an object storage repository that is being used as an archive extent and is
storing archived backup data, Veeam Backup & Replication automatically puts the excluded object storage
repository into maintenance mode. Once a repository is in maintenance mode, you will not be able to restore
your data from it. To switch back to normal, you will have to re-add that repository as an archive extent and
synchronize existing backup chains with data in this scale-out backup repository. After the synchronization is
complete, the existing backups will become available as Imported.
To exclude an archive extent from the scale-out backup repository scope, do the following:
3. In the working area, select a scale-out backup repository and click Edit Scale-out Repository on the ribbon,
or right-click a scale-out backup repository and select Properties.
4. Move to the Archive tier step of the wizard.
5. Clear the Archive GFS full backups to object storage check box.
You will be asked to confirm the action in the pop-up dialog. After that, the object storage repository will
be immediately put into maintenance mode.
Restore from Archive Tier

You cannot restore data from the archive storage at any given time. First, you have to receive a temporary
access to the data. This way, the process of restore from archive tier consists of two consecutive parts:
1. Data retrieval
2. Restoring retrieved data
For more information, see the above-mentioned articles.
Data Retrieval
Data retrieval is the process of receiving temporary access to archived data, so that it can be restored.
If you launch restore job when retrieval job is not over yet, the restore job will be pending until the retrieval job
is complete.
When the retrieval job is complete, the retrieved data will be available for a certain period of time, during which
you can restore it to the capacity tier. You can extend the availability period.
The process of retrieving data from archive tier takes course in a separate job session. It is completed when a
restore point is available for reading and restore.
For information on how to launch the retrieval job, see Retrieving Backup Files.
Retrieval cost varies depending on the desired speed of the process and on the targeted period of the data
accessibility. See below the options for different vendors.
Retrieval Options for Amazon S3 Glacier

Amazon provides the following options for data retrieval. The indicated time is approximate. For more
information, see this Amazon article.
• Expedited: the most expensive method. Retrieval takes 1-5 minutes.

Keep in mind that this option will be unavailable for data stored in Glacier Deep Archive class.
A backup file can be stored in Glacier Deep Archive if the following conditions are met:
a. The Use Glacier Deep Archive for backups with the retention policy over 180 days check box was
selected on the Specify Object Storage Settings step of the Adding Amazon S3 Glacier wizard.
b. The backup file retention period is 180 days or more.
c. If the Store archived backups as standalone fulls check box was not selected on the Add Archive Tier
step of the New Scale-Out Backup Repository wizard, that is, the reuse of the data blocks was
allowed, all the backup files in the chain after the one stored in Deep Archive will be automatically
considered as belonging to Deep Archive as well.
• Standard: retrieval time 3-5 hours.
• Bulk: the least expensive method. Retrieval time 5-12 hours.
Expiration of the Retrieved Data for Amazon S3 Glacier

Estimated time of data expiration is calculated from the moment of the data retrieval launch. Required number
of days is added to that moment.
However, during the retrieval job Veeam Backup & Replication constantly requests the S3 API to move the
expiration time forward, until the job is completed and all the data blocks are ready.
For more information on calculating the estimated expiration time, see this Amazon article.
For information on how to extend the expiration time, see Extending Expiration Time.
Retrieval Options for Azure Archive Storage
Azure provides the following options for data retrieval. The indicated time is approximate. For more
information, see this Microsoft article.
• High Priority: most expensive method. Retrieval may take less than one hour.
• Standard Priority: least expensive method. Retrieval takes up to 15 hours.
Expiration of the Retrieved Data for Azure Archive Storage

Unlike Amazon S3 Glacier, Azure API does not temporarily change the storage class of a backup file from Archive
Tier to Hot. Instead, a temporary copy of a backup file is created in Hot storage class. Since the deletion of this
temporary copy is managed by Veeam Backup & Replication, the expiration time is quite accurate (within ten
minutes, which is the frequency of the deletion process).
For information on how to extend the expiration time, see Extending Expiration Time.
Related Topics
• Retrieving Backup Files
• Extending Expiration Time
Retrieving Backup Files

To start the retrieval of archived backup files, use the Retrieve Backup wizard.
Step 1. Launch New Retrieve Backup Wizard
To launch the retrieval job, do one of the following:
• Open the Home view. In the inventory pane select Archive. In the working area, select the backup job
whose files you want to retrieve and click Properties on the ribbon. In the Backup Properties window, click
on Retrieve to Capacity Tier.
• Open the Home view. In the inventory pane select Archive. In the working area, select the VM whose
guest OS files you want to restore and click Guest Files on the ribbon. In this case, you will proceed
immediately to the Select Restore Point step of the Virtual Machine Files Restore wizard. If this restore
point has not been retrieved yet, you will be prompted to launch the Retrieve Backup wizard.
Step 2. Select Retrieval Mode
At the Retrieval Mode step of the wizard, select the desired retrieval option. For information on the retrieval
modes for different archive storage options, see Data Retrieval.
Step 3. Select Availability Period
At the Availability Period step of the wizard, select the desired availability period of the retrieved backup files.
During that period you will be able to restore the data.
If you want to receive a notification that the availability period is about to end, select the Send a notification
email N hours before the published data expires check box and choose the desired time for the notification.
TIP
You will be able to extend that period if necessary. For information on how to extend backup files
availability, see Extending Data Availability.
Step 4. Finish Working with the Wizard
At the Summary step of the wizard, review the retrieval settings. Click Finish to exit the wizard.
Extending Data Availability

The availability period of the retrieved data can be prolonged:
• Manually. If the retrieval job still continues at the moment of manual extension, the new extension time is
automatically added to the job.
• Automatically. This happens in cases when the expiration time is close, but the restore process still
continues.
At the Select Availability Period step of the Retrieve Backup wizard, you can request a notification that the data
availability is about to expire. If you extend the expiration time, the notification will be postponed accordingly.
To extend the availability period, do the following:
• Open the Home view. In the inventory pane select Data Retrieval. In the working area, select the retrieved
backup file whose availability period you want to extend, and click Extend Availability on the ribbon. You
will be prompted to select the number of days you want to add to the availability expiration time.
• Open the Home view. In the inventory pane select Archive. In the working area, select the backup job for
whose retrieved files you want to extend availability and click Properties on the ribbon. In the Backup
Properties window, click on Extend Availability Period. You will be prompted to select the number of days
you want to add to current expiration time.
Restoring Retrieved Data

You can restore your retrieved data from the archive tier back to capacity tier. Retrieved data recovery does not
differ from standard backup data recovery and can be performed by using any of the following methods:
• Entire VM Recovery
• VM Files Restore
• Guest OS File Recovery
• Application Items Restore
• Exporting Backups
Data recovery can also be done directly to Amazon EC2 or Microsoft Azure, as described in the Restore to
Amazon EC2 and Restore to Microsoft Azure sections, respectively.
Adding Scale-Out Backup Repositories

Before you add a scale-out backup repository, check prerequisites. Then use the New Scale-out Backup
Repository wizard to configure the scale-out backup repository.
Before You Begin
Before you add a scale-out backup repository to the backup infrastructure, check the following prerequisites:
• Backup repositories that you plan to add as performance extents to the scale-out backup repository must
be added to the backup infrastructure. For more information, see Adding Backup Repositories.
• You must check limitations for scale-out backup repositories. For more information, see Limitations for
Scale-Out Backup Repositories.
Step 1. Launch New Scale-Out Backup Repository Wizard
To launch the New Scale-out Backup Repository wizard, do one of the following:
• Open the Backup Infrastructure view. In the inventory pane select Scale-out Repositories and click Add
Scale-out Repository on the ribbon.
• Open the Backup Infrastructure view. In the inventory pane right-click Scale-out Repositories and select
Add Scale-out Backup Repository.
Step 2. Specify Scale-Out Backup Repository Name
At the Name step of the wizard, specify a name and description for the scale-out backup repository.
1. In the Name field, specify a name for the scale-out backup repository.
information about the user who added the backup repository, date and time when the backup repository
was added.
Step 3. Add Performance Extents
At the Performance Tier step of the wizard, specify which backup repositories you want to add as performance
extents, and configure options for the scale-out backup repository.
1. On the right of the Extents list, click Add.
2. In the Extents window, select check boxes next to backup repositories that you want to add as
performance extents.
3. Click OK.
4. At the lower right corner of the Extents list, click Advanced.
5. Specify advanced options for the scale-out backup repository:
a. Select the Use per-VM backup files check box if you want to create a separate backup chain for every
VM in the job. With this option enabled, during one backup job session Veeam Backup & Replication
will produce a number of backup files — one per every VM, and will write these files to the backup
repository in multiple streams simultaneously. It is recommended that you enable this option to
achieve better storage and compute resource utilization, especially if you use as a backup repository a
deduplicating storage appliance that supports multiple write streams.
b. To preserve the consistency of backup chains in the scale-out backup repository, select the Perform
full backup when required extent is offline check box. If an extent that contains previous restore
points from the current backup chain gets offline, the backup chain will be broken.
Veeam Backup & Replication will not be able to add a new incremental backup file. With this option
enabled, Veeam Backup & Replication will create a full backup file instead of an incremental backup
file. If you enable this option, you must make sure that you have enough free space in the scale-out
backup repository to host a full backup file.
If a backup repository that you add as a performance extent is already used by jobs of supported type or there
are backups pointing at the backup repository (for example, independent backups created with VeeamZIP),
Veeam Backup & Replication will offer you to update a link to the backup repository in the job properties. Click
Yes to update the link and target the jobs and backups at the scale-out backup repository. If you click No, you
will not be able to pass to the next steps of the wizard.
Step 4. Specify Backup Placement Policy
At the Policy step of the wizard, specify how you want to store backup files on performance extents of the
scale-out backup repository.
1. Set the backup file placement policy for the scale-out backup repository:
o Select Data locality if you want to store backup files that belong to the same backup chain together.
In this case, a full backup file and subsequent incremental backup files will be stored to the same
performance extent of the scale-out backup repository. The new backup chain may be stored to the
same performance extent or to another performance extent (unless you use a deduplicating storage
appliance as a performance extent).
o Select Performance if you want to store full and incremental backup files to different performance
extents of the scale-out backup repository. If you set the Performance policy, you must make sure
that the network connection is fast and reliable so that Veeam Backup & Replication can access all
backup files from the backup chain.
For more information, see Backup File Placement.
2. If you select the Performance policy, you can restrict which types of backup files can be stored on a
specific performance extent. For example, if you have added three performance extents to the scale-out
backup repository, you may want to store full backup files on one extent and incremental backup files —
on the other two extents.
a. Click Customize.
b. In the Backup Placement Settings window, select a performance extent and click Edit.
c. Select a check box next to the type of backup files that you want to store on the extent: Full backup
files or Incremental backup files. By default, Veeam Backup & Replication can store both full and
incremental backup files on the same extent.
Step 5. Add Capacity Tier
At the Capacity Tier step of the wizard, select an object storage repository that you want to add as a capacity
extent and specify when to move and/or copy data.
• You can add only one capacity extent per scale-out backup repository.
• An object storage repository cannot be added as part of two or more different scale-out backup
repositories at the same time.
• If the selected object storage contains offloaded backup data, you will be offered to synchronize this data
with your performance extents.
For more information, see Synchronizing Capacity Tier Data.
• Object storage the backups of which have been imported cannot be selected.
For more information, see Importing Object Storage Backups.
To configure capacity tier, do the following:
1. Select the Extend scale-out backup repository capacity with object storage check box.
2. Select an object storage repository to which you want to offload your data.
Make sure that this storage has been added to your environment in advance. In case an object storage
repository has not been configured, click Add and follow the associated steps of the wizard, as described
in Adding Object Storage Repository.
3. Click Window and specify when it is allowed or prohibited to move or copy data to object storage.
4. Select the Copy backups to object storage as soon as they are created check box to copy new backups as
soon as they are created, as described in Copying Backups to Capacity Tier.
When selecting this option, you will be asked whether to copy all backup files that you might already have
on any of the performance extents, or only those that have been created recently.
If you select Latest, only backup files that belong to the last active backup chain will be copied from each
of the performance extents. If you select All, Veeam Backup & Replication will copy all backup files that
belong to all backup chains located on any of the specified extents.
5. Select the Move backups to object storage as they age out of the operational restores window check box
to move inactive backup chains to the capacity extent, as described in Moving Backups to Capacity Tier.
In the Move backup files older than X days field, specify the operational restore window to define a period
after which inactive backup chains on your performance extents would be considered outdated and,
therefore, should be moved to the capacity extent. Consider that "0" is an acceptable value, which you
can specify to offload inactive backup chains on the same day they are created.
To override behavior of moving old backups, click Override, select the Move oldest backup files sooner if
scale-out backup repository is reaching capacity check box and define a threshold in percent to force data
transfer if a scale-out backup repository has reached the specified threshold.
6. To offload data encrypted, select Encrypt data uploaded to object storage and provide a strong password.
With this option selected, the entire collection of blocks along with the metadata will be encrypted while
being offloaded.
If you have not created the password beforehand, click Add or use the Manage passwords link to specify a
new password.
TIP:
You can combine both the Copy backups to object storage as soon as they are created option and the Move
backups to object storage as they age out of the operational restores window option, as described in
Copying Backups to Capacity Tier.
Synchronizing Capacity Tier Data

When you add as a capacity extent an object storage repository that contains offloaded backup data, you will be
prompted to synchronize this data with the performance extents in the scale-out backup repository.
• An object storage repository can only be added as a capacity extent after existing data (if any) is
synchronized.
• During synchronization, Veeam Backup & Replication downloads backup files with metadata located in
object storage to the performance extents that are part of the scale-out backup repository that is being
added.
These files are created as described in Moving Backups to Capacity Tier.
• Extents to which backup data is going to be downloaded (synchronized), will be selected automatically,
depending on the available resources.
• The actual data blocks will not be downloaded and will continue to remain in object storage.
• When synchronizing encrypted storage, make sure to provide the same exact password with which the
data was encrypted.
After the synchronization is complete, the associated backup files located in object storage will become
available as Imported and will be displayed in the Home view, under the Object Storage (Imported) node in the
inventory pane.
Step 6. Add Archive Tier
At the Archive Tier step of the wizard, select an object storage repository that you want to add as an archive
extent and specify when to move and/or copy data.
• The Archive Tier step of the wizard will appear only if you have a compatible type of repository configured
as a capacity extent. For more information, see Limitations for Archive Tier.
• You can add only one archive extent per scale-out backup repository.
To configure the archive extent, do the following:
1. Select the Archive GFS full backups to object storage check box. In the drop-down list, select one of
available object storage repositories or click Add to add a new one.
2. In the Archive GFS backups older than N days field, specify the operational restore window to define a
period after which inactive backup chains on your capacity extent would be considered outdated and,
therefore, should be moved to the archive extent. Consider that "0" is an acceptable value, which you can
specify to archive inactive backup chains on the same day they are created.
You can use the default storage settings or specify them manually. For that, click Storage.
• Select the Store archived backups as standalone fulls check box to forbid reuse of the data blocks.
• Select the Archive backups only if the remaining retention time is above minimal storage period check box
to specify which data blocks can be transported to the archive tier.
When you add as an archive extent an object storage repository that contains offloaded backup data, you will be
prompted to synchronize existing backup chains with data in this scale-out backup repository. After the
synchronization is complete, the existing backups will become available as Imported and will be displayed in the
Home view, under the Archive (Imported) node in the inventory pane.
At the Summary step of the wizard, complete the procedure of scale-out backup repository configuration.
Wait for the scale-out backup repository to be added to the backup infrastructure. The process may take some
time.
1. Review details of the scale-out backup repository.
Managing Scale-Out Backup Repositories

You can manage your scale-out backup repositories and the data therein in various ways: edit settings of the
scale-out backup repository, rescan scale-out backup repositories automatically or manually, discover on which
performance extent of the scale-out backup repository a particular backup file is stored, extend scale-out
backup repository or remove certain performance extents from it, perform service actions or remove the scale-
out backup repository.
Editing Settings of Scale-Out Backup Repositories

You can edit settings of the scale-out backup repository, for example, if you want to change the backup file
placement policy or specify other advanced settings for the backup repository.
Mind the following:
• If you enable or disable the Use per-VM backup file option, Veeam Backup & Replication will apply new
settings after a new full backup file is created.
• If you enable or disable the Perform full backup when required extent is offline option,
Veeam Backup & Replication will apply the new settings starting from the next session of the job targeted
at this scale-out backup repository.
• If you change the backup file placement policy settings, Veeam Backup & Replication will apply the new
settings starting from the next session of the job targeted at this scale-out backup repository.
To change the scale-out backup repository settings:
3. In the working area, select the scale-out repository and click Edit Scale-out Repository on the ribbon or
right-click the scale-out backup repository and select Properties.
4. Follow the steps of the Edit Scale-out Backup Repository wizard and edit settings as required.
Rescanning Scale-Out Repositories

Veeam Backup & Replication periodically rescans scale-out backup repositories. During the rescan process, it
gets the following information:
• State of every performance extent added to the scale-out backup repository: online or offline.
• Status of Veeam Data Movers on extents: up-to-date or outdated.
• Space available in the scale-out backup repository.
The rescan operation is performed automatically by a rescan process that works permanently in the background.
The process is started every 24 hours. It can be also started when a new task session starts, and the Veeam
Backup Service requires information about the infrastructure to be refreshed.
In addition to the automated rescan process, you can manually start rescan of the scale-out backup repository.
Backup repository rescan may be helpful, for example, if you want to discover backup files that were manually
relocated from one performance extent to another one.
• Information about backup files location is updated only if you perform manual rescan of scale-out backup
repositories.
• Veeam Backup & Replication rescans scale-out backup repositories when you perform backup files import.
• To successfully rediscover relocated backups files created by backup copy jobs, make sure to disable these
jobs manually prior to rescanning.
For more information, see Disabling and Removing Jobs.
To start the rescan process:
2. In the inventory pane select Scale-out Repositories.
3. In the working area, select the scale-out repository and click Rescan Repository on the ribbon or right-
click the scale-out backup repository and select Rescan.
Discovering Backups in Scale-Out Backup Repositories

To discover on which performance extent of the scale-out backup repository a particular backup file is stored,
you can examine the job session statistics or check the backup properties.
To view the job session statistics:
2. In the inventory pane, click Backup under Jobs.
3. In the working area, right-click the job and select Statistics.
4. In the bottom left pane of the window, click the VM name. In the Action pane, locate the message: Using
N scale-out repository extent.
To view the backup properties:
2. In the inventory pane, select Disk under Backups.
3. In the working area, right-click the backup and select Properties.
4. Veeam Backup & Replication will display the extent where the backup file resides in the headline of the
Backup Properties window. To see the path to the backup file, right-click the job and select Copy path.
Backup State Indicators

These user interface icons indicate the states of the restore points in the scale-out backup repository.
Icon State
Full restore point; on performance tier only
Full restore point; on performance tier and offloaded to capacity tier
Full restore point; on capacity tier only
Full restore point; on capacity tier and partially downloaded to performance tier
(This can happen when download to the performance tier fails)
Incremental restore point; on performance tier only
Incremental restore point; on performance tier and offloaded to capacity tier
Incremental restore point; on capacity tier only
Icon State
Incremental restore point; on capacity tier and partially downloaded to performance tier
Rollback restore point; on performance tier only
Rollback restore point; on performance tier and offloaded to capacity tier
Rollback restore point; on capacity tier only
Rollback restore point; on capacity tier and partially downloaded to performance tier
Extending Scale-Out Repositories

You can add a backup repository as a performance extent to the scale-out backup repository at any time. For
example, the scale-out backup repository may run low on space, and you will need to add storage capacity to it.
To add a backup repository as an extent to the scale-out backup repository:
3. In the working area, select the scale-out repository and click Edit Scale-out Repository on the ribbon or
right-click the backup repository and select Properties.
4. Move to the Performance tier step of the wizard.
5. Click Add.
6. In the Extents window, select a check box next to the backup repository that you want to add as a
performance extent to the scale-out backup repository.
If a backup repository that you add as a performance extent is already used by jobs of supported type or
there are backups pointing at the backup repository (for example, independent backups created with
VeeamZIP), Veeam Backup & Replication will offer you to update a link to the backup repository in the job
properties. Click Yes to update the link and target the jobs and backups at the scale-out backup
repository. If you click No, you will not be able to pass to the next steps of the wizard.
7. Pass through the next wizard steps and finish working with the wizard. The new performance extent will
be added to the scale-out backup repository.
NOTE:
After you add a backup repository to the scale-out backup repository as a performance extent, you will not
be able to use it as an individual backup repository.
Service Actions with Scale-Out Backup Repositories

In some cases, you may want to perform service actions with extents of the scale-out backup repository. For
example, you need to upgrade the backup repository server and add more memory to it. Or you want to replace
a storage device backing the extent and need to relocate backup files.
You can perform service actions with extents of scale-out backup repositories:
• Switching to Maintenance Mode
• Evacuating Backups from Extents
Switching to Maintenance Mode
Maintenance Mode
Veeam Backup & Replication allows you to put any of the performance extents of your scale-out backup
repository into Maintenance mode. You can use this mode if you need to perform service actions, such as
upgrading a performance extent or installing a patch on it. Putting a performance extent into maintenance
mode is mandatory to evacuate backups, as described in Evacuating Backups from Extents.
An extent in the Maintenance mode operates with the limited functionality:
• Veeam Backup & Replication does not start new tasks targeted at this performance extent.
• You cannot restore VM data from backup files residing on the performance extent. You also cannot restore
VM data from backup files residing on other performance extents if a part of the backup chain resides on
the extent in the Maintenance mode.
When you switch the Maintenance mode, Veeam Backup & Replication launches the Repository Maintenance job.
The Repository Maintenance job checks the status of jobs and tasks targeted at the extent and puts the extent
to one of the following modes:
• If no tasks using the performance extent are currently running, the job puts the extent to the Maintenance
mode immediately.
• If the performance extent is busy with any task, for example, a backup job, the job puts the extent to the
Maintenance pending state and waits for the task to complete. When the task is complete, the extent is
put to the Maintenance mode.
To put a performance extent into maintenance mode:
2. In the inventory pane, select the scale-out backup repository under Scale-out Repositories.
3. In the working area, select the extent and click Maintenance Mode on the ribbon or right-click the extent
and select Maintenance mode.
To exit maintenance mode, select the extent and click Maintenance Mode on the ribbon or right-click it and
select Maintenance mode once again.
Evacuating Backups from Performance Extents

If you want to remove a performance extent from the scale-out backup repository, you first need to evacuate
backups from this extent. When you evacuate backups, Veeam Backup & Replication moves backup files from
the performance extent in question to other performance extents that belong to the same scale-out backup
repository.
You must put the performance extent to the Maintenance mode before you evacuate backups from it. For more
information, see Switching to Maintenance Mode.
To evacuate backup files from a performance extent:
1. [Recommended] Stop and disable jobs targeted at the performance extent from which you plan to
evacuate backups.
3. In the inventory pane, select the scale-out backup repository under Scale-out Repositories.
4. In the working area, select the performance extent and click Evacuate Backups on the ribbon or right-click
the extent and select Evacuate backups.
5. If you have disabled jobs, enable them.
When selecting the target performance extent for evacuated files, Veeam Backup & Replication attempts to
keep to the backup placement settings specified for remaining extents. For example, you have 3 performance
extents in the scale-out backup repository with the following backup file placement settings:
• On Extent 1, full backup files are stored.
• On Performance Extents 2 and 3, incremental backup files are stored.
If you evacuate backup files from Performance Extent 2, Veeam Backup & Replication will relocate them to
Performance Extent 3.
After you evacuate backups, you can proceed to removing the performance extent from the scale-out backup
repository. For more information, see Removing Performance Extents from Scale-Out Repositories.
Switching to Seal Mode

Veeam Backup & Replication allows you to put any of the performance extents of your scale-out backup
repository into Seal mode.
Sealing up performance extents gives you the ability to gradually remove data located on these extents by
applying a retention policy. You can use this feature to gracefully stop using some of your performance extents
and exclude them from the scale-out backup repository configuration.
When sealing up a performance extent, Veeam Backup & Replication restricts any further data saving to such a
sealed extent and allows only read operations such as restore, merge and remove.
All backup jobs that are targeted to a scale-out backup repository with the sealed performance extents that
store active backup chains will be forced to create a new active full backup on the next run. The new active full
will be saved to another available performance extent in the scale-out backup repository scope, thereby forming
a new active backup chain. The extent to which the new active full is going to be saved is chosen automatically
by Veeam Backup & Replication, depending on the available resources.
All restore points that exceed the specified retention period will be continuously removed from the sealed
performance extents on each subsequent backup session.
• A performance extent can be put into both the maintenance and seal modes at the same time.
When both modes are applied, maintenance mode overrides seal mode.
• When putting a performance extent into seal mode, you will still be able to restore, merge and remove
data without exiting this mode.
To put a performance extent into seal mode:
2. In the inventory pane, select the scale-out backup repository under the Scale-out Repositories node.
3. In the working area, select a performance extent and click Seal Mode on the ribbon or right-click an extent
and select Seal mode.
Receiving Scale-Out Backup Repository Reports

Veeam Backup & Replication is capable of sending reports that contain information about processing results of
your scale-out backup repositories data.
• Reports are sent only after you have enabled and configured email notifications, as described in
Configuring Global Email Notification Settings.
• Reports are sent daily at time specified in global notification settings.
• Reports are sent for all notification types selected in global notification settings, such as Success, Warning
and Failure.
• The title of a report is built up of "Scale-out Backup Repository" + a repository name. That said, if your
scale-out backup repository name is Amazon, then the report title would be Scale-out Backup Repository
Amazon.
Each report is divided into sections and contains the following information:
• Performance Tier (upper-left) section:
o Used Space. Shows the used disk space of your scale-out backup repository.
o Capacity. Shows the total storage capacity of your scale-out backup repository.
• Capacity Tier (upper-right) section:
o Used Space. Shows the occupied storage space in your object storage repository.
o Space Limit. Shows the space limit (if any). A space limit is specified when adding a new object
storage repository, as described in Adding Object Storage Repositories.
• Performance Tier (middle) section:
o Extent. Shows extents of a scale-out backup repository.
o Capacity. Shows the total storage capacities of your performance extents.
o Used Space. Shows the amount of disk space used on your extents.
o Status. Shows the status of each extent, as described in Description of Report Statuses.
• Capacity Tier (lower) section:
o Extent. Shows the name of the capacity extent.
o Space Limit. Shows the space limit (if any).
o Used Space. Shows the occupied storage space in your capacity extent.
o Status. Shows the status of the capacity extent, as described in Description of Report Statuses.
If an automatic offload job session exits with any status other than Success, you will see the
associated status message in this field. For more information about the offload job, see Moving
Inactive Backup Chains to Object Storage.
Description of Report Statuses

The following table lists possible combinations of Warning and Error messages shown under the Status column
of a report.
If none of the conditions listed in the Extent state column is true, then the report status will be shown as
Success.
Extent type Extent state Status message Report type
Performance Maintenance mode Maintenance Warning

tier mode
Extent type Extent state Status message Report type
Threshold limit exceeded. Threshold is specified in Reaching Warning

the Backup storage section, as described in Specifying capacity
Other Notification Settings.
Unavailable Offline Error
Capacity tier Maintenance mode Maintenance Warning

mode
Space limit exceeded. Space limit is specified when Out of capacity Error
adding a new object storage repository, as described
in Adding Object Storage Repositories.
Unavailable Offline Error
Threshold limit exceeded. Threshold is specified in Reaching Warning

the Backup storage section, as described in Specifying capacity
Other Notification Settings.
Report Examples
Success Reports
The following figure shows an example of a report consisting of two performance extents (Backup Volume 01
and Backup Volume 02); both share 253.3 GB of storage capacity, of which 52.4 GB is occupied.
Both extents have OK status, which means that neither extent was put into maintenance mode, nor has any of
these performance extents exceeded the allowed threshold limit.
This report also includes the Capacity Tier section consisting of a capacity extent with no Space Limit applied.
This capacity extent stores 29.6 GB of data and has the OK status.
Warning Reports
The figure below demonstrates a report with the Warning status.
As per example, the Backup Volume 01 performance extent has been put into maintenance mode, and the
Backup Volume 02 performance extent has exceeded the allowed threshold both of which have caused a report
to be generated with the Warning status.
Error Reports
In the figure below a report has been generated with the Error status caused by the Amazon S3 Object Storage
performance extent which has exceeded its allowed space limit.
Removing Backups from Capacity or Archive Tier

To remove moved or copied backups from capacity or archive extent, use the Delete from disk feature, as
described in Deleting Backups from Object Storage Repositories.
• When removing offloaded backup files from the backup chain that was created with the Per-VM method,
the associated blocks of data will be removed from the capacity or archive extent altogether.
For more information about Per-VM backups, see Per-VM Backup Files.
• When removing offloaded backup files from the backup chain that was created as a single storage backup
file, then nothing will be removed until either of the following occurs:
o All the VMs were removed from the backup.
o The backup itself was removed.
• Immutable backups cannot be removed.

For more information, see Immutability.
• If the capacity or archive extent has been put into maintenance mode, the removal of data from such a
repository is not be possible until it is switched back to normal.
For more information, see Switching to Maintenance Mode.
• [For capacity tier] When backup is removed from the capacity extent, associated indexes will be removed
as well.
• During data removal, not only will blocks be removed, but also the entire folder structure starting from
the repository folder (<backup_id>) will be completely purged.
For more information on how Veeam stores data in the capacity extent, see Capacity Extent Structure.
• If backup files with metadata that are located on your extents have been removed locally in any way other
than by using the Deleting from Disk feature, Veeam will not be able to synchronize the backup chain
state with that of the capacity or archive extent. Therefore, the offloaded blocks of data will continue to
remain in cloud storage. To remove such blocks, use your cloud platform abilities.
Removing Scale-Out Backup Repositories

You can remove the scale-out backup repository at any time. When you remove the scale-out backup repository,
Veeam Backup & Replication unassigns the performance extent role from all the backup repositories configured
into it, and they become individual backup repositories. Backup files are not removed from backup repositories
— they remain on the disk.
You cannot remove a scale-out backup repository at which at least one job is currently targeted. First, you need
to target jobs to another backup repository in the backup infrastructure.
To remove a scale-out backup repository:
3. In the working area, select the scale-out repository and click Remove Repository on the ribbon or right-
click the backup repository and select Remove.
Guest Interaction Proxy
The guest interaction proxy is a backup infrastructure component that sits between the backup server and
processed VM. This component is needed if the backup or replication jobs perform the following processing of
VMs:
• Application-aware processing
• Guest file system indexing
• Transaction logs processing
To interact with the VM guest OS, Veeam Backup & Replication needs either to install non-persistent runtime
components or use (if necessary, install) persistent agent components in each VM. The task of deploying these
components in a VM is performed by the guest interaction proxy. For more information on the components, see
Non-Persistent Runtime Components and Persistent Agent Components.
The guest interaction proxy allows you to communicate with the VM guest OS even if the backup server and
processed VM run in different networks.
IMPORTANT!
The guest interaction proxy deploys the non-persistent runtime components or persistent agent
components only in Microsoft Windows VMs. In VMs with another guest OS, the non-persistent runtime
components or persistent agent components are deployed by the backup server.
Guest Interaction Proxy Deployment

You can use multiple guest interaction proxies to improve performance. Multiple guest interaction proxies will
deploy non-persistent runtime components or persistent agent components in VMs faster compared to the
same operation performed by one guest interaction proxy.
In a backup infrastructure with multiple remote sites, you can deploy a guest interaction proxy in each site. This
can reduce load on the backup server and produce less traffic between the backup server and remote site.
Requirements for Guest Interaction Proxy

The guest interaction proxy functionality is available in the Enterprise and Enterprise Plus editions of
A machine performing the role of a guest interaction proxy must meet the following requirements:
• The role of a guest interaction proxy can be assigned to a Microsoft Windows server (physical or virtual).
• Guest interaction proxy must have either a LAN or VIX connection to the VM that will be processed. You
do not have to set up both connections — only one connection is required. For more information about
setting up a connection to the VM, see this Veeam KB article.
The guest interaction proxy role can be performed by any machine that meets the requirements, including
backup proxy, backup repository, WAN accelerator or backup server.
Guest Interaction Proxy Selection

When you add a Microsoft Windows machine to the backup infrastructure, Veeam Backup & Replication deploys
the Data Mover Service on it. The Data Mover Service includes the components responsible for deployment of
non-persistent runtime components or persistent agent components during guest OS interaction.
To assign a guest interaction proxy for the job, you must select a Microsoft Windows machine that will perform
the role of the guest interaction proxy at the Guest Processing step of the backup or replication job wizard. You
can assign the guest interaction proxy manually, or let Veeam Backup & Replication do it automatically.
Veeam Backup & Replication uses the following priority rules to select the guest interaction proxy:
1. A machine in the same network as the protected VM that does not perform the backup server role.
2. A machine in the same network as the protected VM that performs the backup server role.
3. A machine in another network that does not perform the backup server role.
4. A machine in another network that performs the backup server role.
If Veeam Backup & Replication finds several available machines of equal priority, it selects the less loaded
machine. The load is defined by the number of tasks that the machine already performs.
Failover from Guest Interaction Proxy to Backup Server
If the guest interaction proxy fails to connect to a Microsoft Windows VM, the guest interaction proxy will not
be able to access the VM and deploy non-persistent runtime components or persistent agent components in it.
In this case, the backup server will take over the role of guest interaction proxy and deploy the non-persistent
runtime components or persistent agent components in the VM.
Gateway Server
A gateway server is an auxiliary backup infrastructure component that “bridges” the backup server and backup
repository. The gateway server is required if you deploy the following types of backup repositories in the backup
infrastructure:
• Shared folder backup repositories
• Dell EMC Data Domain deduplicating storage appliance
• HPE StoreOnce deduplicating storage appliance
Such backup repositories cannot host Data Mover Services — Veeam components that establish a connection
between a backup proxy and backup repository (in case of backup jobs) or between backup repositories (in case
of backup copy jobs). To overcome this limitation, Veeam Backup & Replication uses gateway servers.
In the backup infrastructure, a gateway server hosts the target Veeam Data Mover. Veeam Backup & Replication
establishes a connection between the source Veeam Data Mover and target Veeam Data Mover, and transports
data from/to backup repositories through gateway servers.
Gateway Servers Deployment

The role of a gateway server can be assigned to a Microsoft Windows machine added to the backup
infrastructure. To configure a gateway server, you must first add a machine that you plan to use as a gateway
server to the backup infrastructure using the New Windows Server wizard. After that, you must go through the
Add New Backup Repository wizard and define gateway server settings. You can select a gateway server
explicitly or instruct Veeam Backup & Replication to select it automatically.
If you select a gateway server explicitly, Veeam Backup & Replication uses the selected machine as a gateway
server and performs synthetic operations on it. The machine to which you assign the role of a gateway server
must be located as close to the backup repository as possible. However, if you use a deduplicating storage
appliance with source-side data deduplication, it is reasonable to assign the role of a gateway server to a
machine that is located closer to the backup proxy. This will help you reduce the amount of traffic traveling over
the network. For more information, see Dell EMC Data Domain and HPE StoreOnce.
If you instruct Veeam Backup & Replication to select the gateway server
automatically, Veeam Backup & Replication uses the following backup infrastructure components:
Type of job Component used as gateway server Component used as gateway server for
synthetic operations
Backup job Backup proxy that was assigned the first to Synthetic operations are performed on
process VM data for a backup job.* the mount server associated with the
backup repository. If the mount server
is not accessible,
Veeam Backup & Replication fails over
• Direct data path: mount server

Backup copy job Synthetic operations are performed on
associated with the backup repository. the mount server associated with the
If the mount server is not accessible, backup repository. If the mount server
Veeam Backup & Replication fails over is not accessible,
• Over WAN accelerators: source and/or
These rules are applied to the direct
target WAN accelerator (depending on
data path and processing over WAN
the shared folder backup repository accelerators.
location).
Tape job If there is a direct connection between a Synthetic operations are performed on
backup repository and tape device, the role the mount server associated with the
of a gateway server is assigned to the tape backup repository. If the mount server
server. is not accessible,
Otherwise, the role of a gateway server is to the backup server.
assigned to the backup server.
Veeam Agent Backup server Synthetic operations are performed on

backup job the backup server.
Restore operations Backup proxy used for a restore operation* —
Replication from Target backup proxy assigned for a —

backup replication operation*
* If the backup proxy is a Linux machine, the role of the gateway server is assigned to the mount server associated with the
backup repository. If the mount server is not accessible, Veeam Backup & Replication fails over to the backup server.
When you enable automatic gateway selection, Veeam Backup & Replication may use one or several gateway
servers to process VMs in backup jobs. The number of gateway servers depends on the backup repository
settings:
• If the Use per-VM backup files option is disabled, Veeam Backup & Replication selects one gateway server
for the whole backup repository.
• If the Use per-VM backup files option is enabled, Veeam Backup & Replication selects a gateway server
per every VM in the job.
For example, a backup job processes 2 VMs. The job is targeted at a backup repository for which the Use per-VM
backup files option is enabled. In this case, Veeam Backup & Replication will detect which backup proxies were
used to process VMs in the job. If VMs were processed with 2 different backup proxies,
Veeam Backup & Replication will assign the role of gateway servers to these backup proxies. If VMs were
processed with the same backup proxy, Veeam Backup & Replication will assign the role of a gateway server to
this backup proxy, and will use it for both VMs in the job.
For scale-out backup repositories, Veeam Backup & Replication uses one gateway server per every extent. The
rules of gateway server selection are described above.
Requirements for Gateway Servers

A machine that performs the role of a gateway server must meet the following requirements:
• The gateway server can run on a physical or virtual machine.
• The gateway server can run on a Microsoft Windows machine.
• The machine must have access to the backup repository — shared folder, Dell EMC Data Domain or HPE
StoreOnce.
Limitations for Gateway Servers

The following limitations apply to a machine that performs the role of a gateway server:
• For deduplicating storage appliances working over Fibre Channel, you must explicitly select a gateway
server that will communicate with the appliance. As a gateway server, you must use a Microsoft Windows
machine that is added to the backup infrastructure and has access to the appliance over Fibre Channel.
• For HPE StoreOnce deduplicating storage appliances, you must assign the role of a gateway server to a
64-bit machine.
Related Topics
• Backup Repository
• Scale-Out Backup Repository
• HPE StoreOnce
• Specifying Server or Shared Folder Settings
Mount Server
The mount server is required if you restore VM guest OS files and application items to the original location or
perform secure restore. The mount server lets you route VM traffic by an optimal way, reduce load on the
network and speed up the restore process.
When you perform file-level, application item or secure restore, Veeam Backup & Replication needs to mount
the content of the backup file to a staging server (or the original VM for restore to the Microsoft SQL Server and
Oracle VMs). Once the VM backup is mounted, Veeam Backup & Replication copies files or items to their
destination through this mount server or VM. For more information about possible mount points, see File-Level
Restore Scenarios.
The staging server must be located in the same site as the backup repository where backup files are stored. In
this case, you will be able to keep the VM traffic in one site. If the staging server is located in some other site,
the data will need to travel across the network between the sites.
Mount Server Deployment

The mount server is created for every backup repository and is associated with it. When you configure a backup
repository, you define which server you want to use as a mount server for this backup repository. By default,
Veeam Backup & Replication assigns the mount server role to the following machines:
• Backup repository. For Microsoft Windows backup repositories, the mount server role is assigned to the
backup repository server itself.
• Veeam backup server. For Linux, shared folder backup repositories and deduplicating storage appliances,
the mount server role is assigned to the Veeam backup server.
• Veeam Backup & Replication console. The mount server role is also assigned to a machine on which the
Veeam Backup & Replication console is installed. Note that this type of mount server is not registered in
the Veeam Backup & Replication configuration database.
For scale-out backup repositories, you must define the mount server for every extent.
If you do not want to use default mount servers, you can assign the mount server role to any 64-bit Microsoft
Windows machine in the backup infrastructure. It is recommended that you configure at least one mount server
in each site and associate this mount server with the backup repository residing in this site. The mount server
and backup repository must be located as close to each other as possible.
NOTE:
For cloud repositories and hosts that store replicas or backups from storage snapshots, the mount server
role is assigned to the Veeam backup server. For such repositories, you cannot assign the mount server role
to a different machine.
Mount Servers Services and Components

On the mount server machine, Veeam Backup & Replication installs the Veeam Mount Service. The Veeam
Mount Service requires Microsoft .NET Framework 4.7.2. If Microsoft .NET Framework 4.7.2 is not installed on
the machine, Veeam Backup & Replication will install it automatically.
Requirements for Mount Servers

A machine that performs the role of a mount server must meet the following requirements:
• You can assign the role of a mount server to a Microsoft Windows machine.
• You can assign the role of a mount server to a 64-bit machine.
• The mount server must have access to the backup repository with which it is associated and to the original
VM (VM to which you restore files or application items). For restore from storage snapshots, the mount
server must also have access to the ESXi host on which the temporary VM is registered.
Veeam vPower NFS Service
The vPower technology enables the following features:
• Recovery verification
• Staged restore
• Universal Application-Item Recovery (U-AIR)
• Multi-OS file-level restore
The key construct of the vPower technology is the vPower NFS Service. The vPower NFS Service is a Microsoft
Windows service that runs on a Microsoft Windows machine and enables this machine to act as an NFS server.
On the vPower NFS server, Veeam Backup & Replication creates a special directory — the vPower NFS datastore.
When you start a VM or a VM disk from a backup, Veeam Backup & Replication "publishes" VMDK files of the VM
from the backup on the vPower NFS datastore. Technically, Veeam Backup & Replication emulates the presence
of VMDK files on the vPower NFS datastore — the VMDK files themselves are still located in the backup file in
the backup repository.
The vPower NFS datastore is then mounted to the ESXi host. As a result, the ESXi host can "see" backed-up VM
images with the help of the vPower NFS datastore and work with them as with regular VMDK files. The
emulated VMDK files function as pointers to the real VMDK files in the backup in the backup repository.
IMPORTANT!
Veeam vPower NFS datastores are service datastores that can be used for vPower operations only. You
cannot use them as regular VMware vSphere datastores — for example, you cannot place files of replicated
VMs on such datastores.
vPower NFS Server Location

If you store backups on a Microsoft Windows backup repository, it is strongly recommended that you enable the
vPower NFS server on this backup repository. In this case, Veeam Backup & Replication will be able to set up a
direct connection between the backup repository and ESXi to which the vPower NFS datastore is mounted.
The Veeam vPower NFS Service can also run on any Microsoft Windows server in the backup infrastructure,
including the backup server itself. However, in this case the recovery verification performance may decrease.
The connection between the ESXi host and backup repository will be split into two parts:
1. From ESXi host to the vPower NFS server
2. From the vPower NFS server to the backup repository
vPower-Specific Settings
To establish a connection between the ESXi host and vPower NFS server, you must make sure that the ESXi host
has a proper network interface configuration and can access the vPower NFS server.
NOTE:
Veeam Backup & Replication uses IP address authorization to restrict access to the vPower NFS server. By
default, the vPower NFS server can be accessed only by the ESXi host that provisioned the vPower NFS
datastore. However, you can disable this option with a registry key. For more information, contact Veeam
Customer Support.
When connecting to the vPower NFS server, the ESXi host uses a VMkernel interface. For this reason, the ESXi
host must have a VMkernel interface. Otherwise, Veeam Backup & Replication will fail to mount the vPower NFS
datastore on the ESXi host.
WAN Accelerators
WAN accelerators are dedicated components that Veeam Backup & Replication uses for WAN acceleration. WAN
accelerators are responsible for global data caching and data deduplication. For more information, see WAN
Acceleration.
Log Shipping Servers
Log shipping servers are dedicated components that Veeam Backup & Replication uses for backup of Microsoft
SQL Server transaction logs and Oracle archive logs. For more information, see Microsoft SQL Server Logs
Backup and Oracle Logs Backup.
Tape Servers
Tape servers are dedicated components responsible for transferring data between data source and tape device.
For more information, see the Tape Devices Support Guide.
NDMP Servers
If your NAS device supports the NDMP protocol, you can back up data from it to tape. To do this, you need to
add the NAS device as an NDMP server. For more information, see the Tape Devices Support Guide.
Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager
Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager is an optional component intended for distributed enterprise environments
with multiple backup servers. Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager federates backup servers and offers a
consolidated view of these servers through a web browser interface. You can centrally control and manage all
jobs through a single "pane of glass", edit and clone jobs, monitor job state and get reporting data across all
backup servers. Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager also enables you to search for VM guest OS files in all
current and archived backups across your backup infrastructure, and restore these files in one click.
Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager Deployment

Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager can be installed on a physical or virtual machine. You can deploy it on the
backup server or use a dedicated machine.
Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager Services and Components

Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager uses the following services and components:
• Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager Service coordinates all operations of Veeam Backup Enterprise
Manager, aggregates data from multiple backup servers and provides control over these servers.
• Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager Configuration Database is used by Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager
for storing data. The database instance can be located on a SQL Server installed either locally (on the
same machine as Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager Server) or remotely.
• Veeam Guest Catalog Service replicates and consolidates VM guest OS file system indexing data from
backup servers added to Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager. Index data is stored in Veeam Backup
Enterprise Manager Catalog (a folder on the Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager Server) and is used to
search for VM guest OS files in backups created by Veeam Backup & Replication.
Deployment Scenarios
Veeam Backup & Replication can be used in virtual environments of any size and complexity. The architecture of
the solution supports onsite and offsite data protection, operations across remote sites and geographically
dispersed locations. Veeam Backup & Replication provides flexible scalability and easily adapts to the needs of
your virtual environment.
Before you install Veeam Backup & Replication, familiarize yourself with common deployment scenarios and
carefully plan your backup infrastructure layout.
Simple Deployment
The simple deployment scenario is good for small virtual environments or the purpose of the
Veeam Backup & Replication evaluation. In this scenario, Veeam Backup & Replication and all services needed
for data protection tasks are installed on a single Windows-based machine.
NOTE:
If you decide to use the simple deployment scenario, it is recommended that you install
Veeam Backup & Replication on a VM. This will enable you to use the Virtual appliance transport mode and,
as a result, LAN-free data transfer. For details, see Transport Modes.
The machine where Veeam Backup & Replication is installed performs the following roles:
• Backup server that coordinates all jobs, controls their scheduling and performs other administrative
activities.
• Default backup proxy that handles job processing and transfers backup traffic.
• Default backup repository where backup files are stored. During installation, Veeam Backup & Replication
checks volumes of the machine on which you install the product and identifies a volume with the greatest
amount of free disk space. On this volume, Veeam Backup & Replication creates the Backup folder that is
used as the default backup repository.
• Mount server that is needed for restoring of VM guest OS files.
• Guest interaction proxy that is needed for application-aware processing, guest file system indexing and
transaction log processing.
Veeam Backup & Replication is ready for use right after the installation. The only thing you must do is add
VMware vSphere servers that you plan to use as source and target for backup, replication and other activities.
For details, see Adding VMware vSphere Servers.
The drawback of a simple deployment scenario is that all data is handled and stored on the backup server. For
medium-sized or large-scale environments, the capacity of a single backup server may not be enough. To take
the load off the backup server and balance it throughout your backup infrastructure, we recommend that you
use the advanced deployment scenario. For details, see Advanced Deployment.
Advanced Deployment
In large-scale virtual environments with a large number of jobs, the load on the backup server is heavy. In this
case, it is recommended that you use the advanced deployment scenario that moves the backup workload to
dedicated backup infrastructure components. The backup server here functions as a "manager" for deploying
and maintaining backup infrastructure components.
The advanced deployment includes the following components:
• Virtual infrastructure servers — VMware vSphere hosts used as source and target for backup, replication
and VM copy.
• Backup server — a configuration and control center of the backup infrastructure.
• Backup proxy — a “data mover” component used to retrieve VM data from the source datastore, process it
and deliver to the target.
• Backup repository — a location used to store backup files, VM copies and auxiliary replica files.
• Dedicated mount servers — component required for VM guest OS files and application items restore to the
original location.
• Dedicated guest interaction proxies — components used to deploy the non-persistent runtime components
or persistent agent components in Microsoft Windows VMs.
With the advanced deployment scenario, you can easily meet your current and future data protection
requirements. You can expand your backup infrastructure horizontally in a matter of minutes to match the
amount of data you want to process and available network throughput. Instead of growing the number of
backup servers or constantly tuning job scheduling, you can install multiple backup infrastructure components
and distribute the backup workload among them. The installation process is fully automated, which simplifies
deployment and maintenance of the backup infrastructure in your virtual environment.
In virtual environments with several proxies, Veeam Backup & Replication dynamically distributes backup traffic
among these proxies. A job can be explicitly mapped to a specific proxy. Alternatively, you can let
Veeam Backup & Replication choose the most suitable proxy. In this case, Veeam Backup & Replication will
check settings of available proxies and select the most appropriate one for the job. The proxy server to be used
should have access to the source and target hosts as well as to the backup repository to which files will be
written.
The advanced deployment scenario can be a good choice for backing up and replicating offsite. You can deploy a
backup proxy in the production site and another one in the disaster recovery (DR) site, closer to the backup
repository. When a job is performed, backup proxies on both sides establish a stable connection, so this
architecture also allows for efficient transport of data over a slow network connection or WAN.
To regulate backup load, you can specify the maximum number of concurrent tasks per proxy and set up
throttling rules to limit proxy bandwidth. The maximum number of concurrent tasks can also be specified for a
backup repository in addition to the value of the combined data rate for it.
Another advantage of the advanced deployment scenario is that it contributes to high availability — jobs can
migrate between proxies if one of them becomes overloaded or unavailable.
Distributed Deployment
The distributed deployment scenario is recommended for large geographically dispersed virtual environments
with multiple backup servers installed across different sites. These backup servers are federated under Veeam
Backup Enterprise Manager — an optional component that provides centralized management and reporting for
these servers through a web interface.
Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager collects data from backup servers and enables you to run backup and
replication jobs across the entire backup infrastructure through a single "pane of glass", edit them and clone
jobs using a single job as a template. It also provides reporting data for various areas (for example, all jobs
performed within the last 24 hours or 7 days, all VMs engaged in these jobs and so on). Using indexing data
consolidated on one server, Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager provides advanced capabilities to search for VM
guest OS files in VM backups created on all backup servers (even if they are stored in backup repositories on
different sites), and recover them in a single click. Search for VM guest OS files is enabled through Veeam
Backup Enterprise Manager itself.
With flexible delegation options and security roles, IT administrators can delegate the necessary file restore or
VM restore rights to authorized personnel in the organization – for example, allow database administrators to
restore Oracle or SQL server VMs.
If you use Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager in your backup infrastructure, you do not need to install licenses
on every backup server you deploy. Instead, you can install one license on the Veeam Backup Enterprise
Manager server and it will be applied to all servers across your backup infrastructure. This approach simplifies
tracking license usage and license updates across multiple backup servers.
In addition, VMware administrators will benefit from Veeam plug-in for vSphere Web Client that can be installed
using Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager. They can analyze cumulative information on used and available
storage space view and statistics on processed VMs, review success, warning, failure counts for all jobs, easily
identify unprotected VMs and perform capacity planning for repositories, all directly from vSphere.
Resource Scheduling
Veeam Backup & Replication has the built-in mechanism of resource scheduling. Resource scheduling lets
Veeam Backup & Replication automatically define what backup infrastructure resources are required for data
protection and disaster recovery jobs and tasks, select optimal resources and assign them for the jobs and tasks.
Resource scheduling is performed by the Veeam Backup Service running on the backup server. When a job or
task starts, it communicates with the service and informs it about the resources it needs. The service analyzes
job settings, parameters specified for backup infrastructure components, current load on the components, and
automatically allocates optimal resources to the job.
For resource scheduling, Veeam Backup Service uses the following settings and features:
• Limitation of Concurrent Tasks
• Limitation of Read and Write Data Rates for Backup Repositories
• Network Traffic Management
• Performance Bottlenecks
Limitation of Concurrent Tasks
When you start a data protection or disaster recovery job, Veeam Backup & Replication analyzes the list of VMs
added to the job, and creates a separate task for every disk of every VM to be processed.
Veeam Backup & Replication then defines what backup infrastructure components must be used for the job,
checks what backup infrastructure components are currently available, and assigns necessary components to
process the created job tasks.
Backup infrastructure components typically process several tasks at the same time. You can limit the number of
tasks that backup infrastructure components must process concurrently. Task limitations helps you balance the
workload across the backup infrastructure and avoid performance bottlenecks.
Veeam Backup & Replication lets you limit the number of concurrent tasks for the following backup
infrastructure components:
• Backup proxies
• Backup repositories
NOTE:
Task limits set for backup infrastructure components influence the job performance. For example, you add
a VM with 4 disks to a job and assign a backup proxy that can process maximum 2 tasks concurrently for
the job. In this case, Veeam Backup & Replication will create 4 tasks (1 task per each VM disk) and start
processing 2 tasks in parallel. The other 2 tasks will be pending.
How Task Limitation Works

Task limiting is performed by the Veeam Backup Service. The Veeam Backup Service is aware of all backup
proxies and backup repositories in the backup infrastructure, and task limitation settings configured for them.
When a job starts, it informs the Veeam Backup Service about the list of tasks created for the job, and backup
infrastructure resources that must be used for the job. The Veeam Backup Service detects the number of tasks
that required backup infrastructure components are currently processing, and analyzes the number of allowed
tasks for these components. If the number of currently processed tasks has reached the allowed limit, the
backup infrastructure component will not start processing a new task until one of the currently running tasks
finishes.
Task Limitation for Backup Proxies

To limit the number of concurrent tasks on a backup proxy, you must define the Max concurrent tasks setting
for the backup proxy.
The maximum number of concurrent tasks depends on the number of CPU cores available on the backup proxy.
It is strongly recommended that you define task limitation settings using the following rule: 1 task = 1 CPU core.
For example, if a backup proxy has 4 CPU cores, it is recommended that you limit the number of concurrent
tasks for this backup proxy to 4.
Task Limitation for Backup Repositories

To limit the number of concurrent tasks in a backup repository, you must enable the Limit maximum concurrent
tasks to <N> option on the backup repository and define the necessary task limit.
The maximum number of concurrent tasks depends on the number of CPU cores available in the backup
repository. It is strongly recommended that you define task limitation settings using the following rule: 1 task =
1 CPU core.
It is recommended to configure 2 GB RAM per core. In case of shared folder backup repositories, the same
amount of resources is required for gateway servers.
Synthetic operations performed in the backup repository (such as synthetic full backup, backup files merge and
transformation) are also regarded as tasks. The number of tasks performed during these operations depends on
the type of backup chains stored on the backup repository:
• For regular backup chains, Veeam Backup & Replication creates 1 task per job.
• For per-VM backup chains, Veeam Backup & Replication creates 1 task per every VM chain (that is, every
VM added to the job).
If you use backup repositories for backup copy jobs, you must also consider tasks for read operations.
NOTE:
When you limit the number of tasks for the backup repository, bear in mind the storage throughput. If the
storage system is not able to keep up with the number of tasks that you have assigned, it will be the
limiting factor. It is recommended that you test components and resources of the backup infrastructure to
define the workload that they can handle.
Task Limitation for Components with Several Roles

One machine can perform several roles. For example, you can assign roles of the backup proxy and backup
repository to the same machine, or use a backup proxy as a gateway server for a shared folder backup
repository. In such situation, you must make sure that the backup infrastructure component is able to process
the cumulative number of tasks specified for different roles.
Limitation of Read and Write Data Rates for
Backup Repositories
Veeam Backup & Replication can limit the speed with which Veeam Backup & Replication must read and write
data to/from the backup repository. The data read and write speed is controlled with the Limit read and write
data rates to <N> MB/s option that you can enable in backup repository settings.
The Veeam Backup Service is aware of read and write data rate settings configured for all backup repositories in
the backup infrastructure. When a job targeted at a backup repository starts, the Veeam Backup Service informs
the Veeam Data Mover running on this backup repository about the allowed read/write speed set for this
repository so that the Veeam Data Mover can limit the read/write speed to the specified value.
If the backup repository is used by a number of tasks simultaneously, Veeam Backup & Replication splits the
allowed read/write speed rate between these tasks equally. Note that the specified limit defines the allowed
read speed and the allowed write speed at the same time.
For example, you set the Limit read and write data rates to option to 8 MB/s and start two backup jobs. Each job
processes 1 VM with 1 VM disk. In this case, Veeam Backup & Replication will create 2 tasks and target them at
the backup repository. The data write rate will be split between these 2 tasks equally: 4 MB/s for one task and 4
MB/s for the other task.
If at this moment you start some job reading data from the same backup repository, for example, a backup copy
job processing 1 VM with 1 disk, Veeam Backup & Replication will assign the read speed rate equal to 8 MB/s to
this job. If you start 2 backup copy jobs at the same time (each processing 1 VM with 1 disk),
Veeam Backup & Replication will split the read speed rate between these 2 jobs equally: 4 MB/s for one backup
copy job and 4 MB/s for the other backup copy job.
Network Traffic Management
Data protection requires large amount of data to be transferred through networks. This may cause heavy
network loads.
Veeam Backup & Replication offers the following capabilities to reduce the load:
• Configuring Network Traffic Rules
• Managing Upload Streams
• Specifying Preferred Networks
Configuring Network Traffic Rules

Network traffic rules control traffic transferred between backup infrastructure components. These rules allow
you to do the following:
• Throttle network traffic
• Encrypt transferred data
The rules apply only to the backup infrastructure components, so you do not have to change your network
infrastructure.
How Network Rules Work

Each network rule contains IP address ranges for source and target components. When a job starts,
Veeam Backup & Replication checks the rules against the components involved in the job. If the IP addresses of
the components fall into the IP address ranges of a rule, the rule applies.
For example, 192.168.0.1–192.168.0.255 is the source range, and 172.16.0.1–172.16.0.255 is the target range.
192.168.0.12 is the IP address of one component, and 172.16.0.31 is the IP address of another component. Both
IP addresses fall into the ranges, so the rule will apply.
Note that the rules are reversible. The rule from the example will also apply to the specified components if you
swap the ranges: make 192.168.0.1–192.168.0.255 the target range and 172.16.0.1–172.16.0.255 the source
range.
TIP:
You can define a rule for specific components. For this, specify a single IP address in the source range and
in the target range.
Creating Network Rules

You must create network rules at the backup server level. For details, see Enabling Traffic Throttling and
Enabling Data Encryption.
Veeam Backup & Replication has a predefined rule for traffic transferred between public networks. For more
information, see Adjusting Internet Rule.
TIP:
If you created a rule for a backup proxy, you can check whether it applies. For this, open the Traffic Rules
step of the backup proxy wizard. The rule must be in the list of rules.
Enabling Traffic Throttling

Traffic throttling setting in a network rule allows you to limit the impact of Veeam Backup & Replication tasks
on network performance. Traffic throttling prevents jobs from utilizing the entire bandwidth available in your
environment and makes sure that other network operations get enough traffic.
IMPORTANT!
Traffic throttling does not apply to restore tasks.
When several jobs that fall into the same network rule run simultaneously, Veeam Backup & Replication equally
splits the throttled traffic between them. For example, if two jobs run at a time, each job gets half of the
throttled traffic. Once one job finishes, the other gets the entire bandwidth allowed by the rule.
NOTE:
Mind the following:
• It is recommended that you throttle network traffic if you perform offsite backup or replicate VMs to
a DR site over slow WAN links.
• Traffic throttling rules apply to the transfer of virtual disks. Do not be surprised if you see bandwidth
usage peaks at the beginning of the job: that may be caused by transferring other VM files.
Infrastructure Components
Traffic can be throttled only between the backup infrastructure components on which Veeam Data Movers are
deployed. These components differ depending on a data protection scenario. The following table shows this
dependency.
Scenario Components
Backup to a Microsoft Windows or Linux Backup proxy and backup repository

backup repository*
Backup to an SMB share, Dell EMC Data Backup proxy and gateway server
Domain and HPE StoreOnce*
CDP Source and target VMware CDP proxies.
VM copy Backup proxy and backup repository
Backup copy* Source and target backup repositories, gateway servers or

WAN accelerators (if they are involved in the backup copy
process)
Replication Source and target backup proxies or WAN accelerators (if

they are involved in the replication process)
Backup to tape* Backup repository and tape server
SOBR data offload Gateway server and Amazon S3/Azure object storage
* Veeam Backup & Replication throttles traffic between the listed components also if backups are created with Veeam Agent
for Microsoft Windows or Veeam Agent for Linux operating in the standalone or managed mode.
Configuring Traffic Throttling

To configure traffic throttling settings in a rule:
1. From the main menu, select Network Traffic Rules.
2. In the Global Network Traffic Rules window, click Add.
3. In the Name field, specify a name for the rule.
4. In the Source IP address range section, specify a range of IP addresses for the backup infrastructure
components on the source side.
5. In the Target IP address range section, specify a range of IP addresses for the backup infrastructure
components on the target side.
6. Select the Throttle network traffic to check box.
7. In the Throttle network traffic to field, specify the maximum speed that must be used to transfer data
from source to target.
8. In the section below the Throttle network traffic to field, specify the time interval during which the speed
must be limited. You can throttle the traffic all the time or at specific time intervals, for example, during
business hours.
Several Rules with Traffic Throttling

If you create several rules with the same ranges of IP addresses, make sure that time intervals of the rules do
not overlap. For example, to manage network traffic during business and non-business hours, you can create the
rules as shown below. These rules have the same ranges of IP addresses.
• Rule 1. Speed limit: 1 Mbps; time interval: Monday through Friday from 7 AM to 7 PM.
• Rule 2. Speed limit: 10 Mbps; time interval: Saturday through Sunday from 7 AM to 7 PM.
With such rules, Veeam Backup & Replication will limit the speed up to 1 Mbps during business hours and up to
10 Mbps during non-business hours.
If several rules have the same target/source IP address range but different speed limits, the lowest limit is used.
For example, if you configure the following rules:
• Rule 1. Source IP range: 192.168.0.1–192.168.0.30; target IP range: 192.168.0.1–192.168.0.255; speed

limit: 4 Mbps.
• Rule 2. Source IP range: 192.168.0.1–192.168.0.255; target IP range: 192.168.0.1–192.168.0.255; speed

limit: 1 Mbps.
In this case, Veeam Backup & Replication will use the lowest speed limit — 1 Mbps.
This rule also applies if traffic is throttled by Veeam Backup & Replication and also Veeam Agent for Microsoft
Windows. For more information on how to throttle traffic by Veeam Agent for Microsoft Windows, see the
Veeam Agent Management Guide and Veeam Agent for Microsoft Windows User Guide.
Enabling Data Encryption

Network rules also allow you to encrypt transferred data. Data transferred through public networks is encrypted
by default. For details, see Adjusting Internet Rule.
To create a network rule with data encryption:
2. In the Name field, specify a name for the rule.
3. In the Global Network Traffic Rules window, click Add.
4. In the Source IP address range section, specify a range of IP addresses for backup infrastructure
components on the source side.
5. In the Target IP address range section, specify a range of IP addresses for backup infrastructure
components on the target side.
6. Select the Encrypt network traffic check box.
Related Topics
Data Encryption
Adjusting Internet Rule

The Internet rule is a predefined network rule. This rule manages traffic transferred through public networks —
all networks whose IP ranges differ from 10.0.0.0/8, 172.16.0.0/12 and 192.168.0.0/16. The Internet rule also
encrypts traffic for such networks. You cannot delete the Internet rule — you can only adjust or turn it off.
To turn off the Internet rule, clear the Throttle network traffic to and Encrypt network traffic check boxes.
To adjust the rule:
2. In the Global Network Traffic Rules window, select Internet from the list and click Edit.
3. In the Edit Network Traffic Rule window:
o To disable encryption, clear the Encrypt network traffic check box.
o To enable network traffic throttling, select the Throttle network traffic to check box. For details, see
Enabling Traffic Throttling.
Managing Upload Streams

By default, Veeam Backup & Replication uses multithreaded data transfer for every job session. VM data going
from source to target is transferred over 5 TCP/IP connections. However, if you schedule several jobs to run at
the same time, load on the network may be heavy. If the network capacity is not sufficient to support multiple
data transfer connections, you can disable multithreaded data transfer or change the number of TCP/IP
connections.
To change the number of connections:
2. In the Global Network Traffic Rules window, specify new data transfer settings:
o To disable multithreaded data transfer, clear the Use multiple upload streams per job check box.
Veeam Backup & Replication will use only one TCP/IP transfer connection for every job session.
o To change the number of TCP/IP connections, leave the Use multiple upload streams per job check
selected and specify the necessary number of connections in the field on the right.
NOTE
Mind the following:
• Veeam Backup & Replication performs a CRC check for the TCP traffic going between the source and
the target. When you perform backup, replication or VM copy operations,
Veeam Backup & Replication calculates checksums for data blocks going from the source. On the
target, it re-calculates checksums for received data blocks and compares them to the checksums
created on the source. If the CRC check fails, Veeam Backup & Replication automatically re-sends
data blocks without any impact on the job.
• [For Veeam Plug-ins for Enterprise Applications] The multithreaded data transfer setting does not
affect backup jobs created by Veeam Plug-in for Oracle RMAN/SAP HANA/SAP on Oracle. To
configure multiple channels for backup and restore operations for these plug-ins, see the Veeam
Plug-ins for Enterprise Applications Guide.
Specifying Preferred Networks

You can choose networks over which Veeam Backup & Replication must transport data when you perform data
protection and disaster recovery tasks. This option can be helpful if you have a non-production network and
want to route data traffic over this network instead of the production one.
Preferred network rule applies only to traffic between the following backup infrastructure components:
• Backup server
• WAN accelerator1
• Gateway server2
• Backup proxy
• Backup repository
• Log shipping server
• Tape server
• Storage system (backup from storage snapshots scenario)3
• Veeam Agent
1
The rule applies only to traffic between the source and target WAN accelerators.
2
The rule does not apply to traffic between the gateway server and backup repository. For the list of backup repositories
with which the gateway server communicates, see Gateway Server.
3
The rule does not apply when backing up from Cisco HyperFlex systems or when the transport mode is Direct storage
access.
To define networks for data transfer, you must create a list of preferred networks. When
Veeam Backup & Replication needs to transfer data, it uses networks from this list. If a connection over
preferred networks cannot be established for some reason, Veeam Backup & Replication will automatically fail
over to the production network.
To set a network priority list:
2. In the Global Network Traffic Rules window, click Networks.
3. In the Preferred Networks window, select the Prefer the following networks for backup and replication
traffic check box.
4. Click Add.
5. Specify a network address using a CIDR notation or a network mask and click Add.
6. Repeat steps 4-5 for all networks that you want to add.
Performance Bottlenecks
As any backup application handles a great amount of data, it is important to make sure the data flow is efficient
and all resources engaged in the backup process are optimally used. Veeam Backup & Replication provides
advanced statistics about the data flow efficiency and lets you identify bottlenecks in the data transmission
process.
Veeam Backup & Replication processes VM data in cycles. Every cycle includes a number of stages:
1. Reading VM data blocks from the source
2. Processing VM data on the backup proxy
3. Transporting data over the network
4. Writing data to the target
When one data processing cycle is over, the next cycle begins. VM data therefore goes over the “data pipe”.
To evaluate the data pipe efficiency, Veeam Backup & Replication analyzes performance of all components in
the data flow working as the cohesive system, and evaluates key factors on the source and target sides.
Veeam Backup & Replication checks the following points in the data pipe:
1. Source — source disk reader component responsible for retrieving data from the source storage.
2. Proxy — backup proxy component responsible for processing VM data.
3. Source WAN accelerator — WAN accelerator deployed on the source side. Used for backup copy and
replication jobs working through WAN accelerators.
4. Network — network queue writer component responsible for getting processed VM data from the backup
proxy and sending it over the network to the backup repository or another backup proxy.
5. Target WAN Accelerator — WAN accelerator deployed on the target side. Used for backup copy and
replication jobs working through WAN accelerators.
6. Target — target disk writer component (backup storage or replica datastore).
The resource usage level for these points is evaluated in percent. This percent rate defines the amount of time
for which components are busy during the job. An efficient data flow assumes that there is no latency at any
point of the data pipe, and all its components work for approximately equal amount of time.
If any of the components operates inefficiently, there may appear a bottleneck in the data path. The insufficient
component will work 100% of time while the others will be idling, waiting for data to be transferred. As a
result, the whole data flow will slow down to the level of the slowest point in the data path, and the overall
time of data processing will increase.
To identify a bottleneck in the data path, Veeam Backup & Replication detects the component with the
maximum workload: that is, the component that works for the most time of the job. For example, you use a low-
speed storage device as the backup repository. Even if VM data is retrieved from the SAN storage on the source
side and transported over a high-speed link, VM data flow will still be impaired at the backup repository. The
backup repository will be trying to consume transferred data at the rate that exceeds its capacity, and the other
components will stay idle. As a result, the backup repository will be working 100% of job time, while other
components may be employed, for example, for 60% only. In terms of Veeam Backup & Replication, such data
path will be considered insufficient.
The bottleneck statistics for a job is displayed in the job session data. The bottleneck statistics does not
necessarily mean that you have a problem in your backup infrastructure. It informs you about the weakest
component in the data path. However, if you feel that the job performance is low, you may try taking some
measures to get rid of the bottleneck. For example, in the case described above, you can limit the number of
concurrent tasks for the backup repository.
Throttling as Bottleneck
In addition to main points in the data pipe, Veeam Backup & Replication may report throttling as a bottleneck.
This can happen in the following cases:
• If you limit the read and write data rates for a backup repository, a backup repository may become a
bottleneck. Veeam Backup & Replication will report Throttling in the bottleneck statistics.
• If you set up network throttling rules, network may become a bottleneck. Veeam Backup & Replication
will report Throttling in the bottleneck statistics.
Locations
To control data migration in the virtual infrastructure, Veeam Backup & Replication introduces a notion of
location. A location defines a geographic region, or country, in which an infrastructure object resides. You can
create a list of locations, and assign to backup infrastructure objects information about locations to which they
belong.
Veeam Backup & Replication allows you to assign information about locations to the following infrastructure
objects:
• Virtual infrastructure objects: vCenter Servers, datacenters, clusters and hosts.
• Backup infrastructure objects: backup repositories, external repositories, scale-out backup repositories,
tape libraries and tape vaults.
• Agent management objects: protection groups.
• Veeam Cloud Connect for service providers: cloud repositories and hardware plans.
Information about infrastructure objects location is stored in the Veeam Backup & Replication configuration
database. When VM data in the virtual infrastructure migrate from one location to another,
Veeam Backup & Replication displays a warning and stores a record about data migration to job or task session
details. In addition to it, Veeam Backup & Replication logs this information to Microsoft Windows event logs. For
example, if you back up VMs from a host that resides in Germany to a backup repository that resides in Australia,
Veeam Backup & Replication will display a warning that VM data changes its location in the backup job wizard,
display information about data migration in the backup job session details and log it to Microsoft Windows event
logs.
Veeam Backup & Replication displays information about VM data migration in statistics for the following types
of jobs:
• Backup jobs — Veeam Backup & Replication compares the location of the source host on which VMs are
registered with the location of the target backup repository or cloud repository.
• Backup copy jobs — Veeam Backup & Replication compares the location of the source host with the
location of the target host.
• VeeamZIP tasks (except the cases when you select to store the VeeamZIP file in a local or shared folder) —
Veeam Backup & Replication compares the location of the source host on which VMs are registered with
the location of the target backup repository.
• Replication jobs — Veeam Backup & Replication compares the location of the source host on which VMs are
registered with the location of the target host.
• Replica failback tasks — Veeam Backup & Replication compares the location of the source host with the
location of the host to which the VM is restored.
• VM copy jobs — Veeam Backup & Replication compares the location of the source host on which VMs are
registered with the location of the target backup repository or target host.
• Quick migration tasks — Veeam Backup & Replication compares the location of the source host on which
VMs are registered with the location of the target host.
• Entire VM restore tasks — Veeam Backup & Replication compares the location of the source host with the
location of the host to which VMs are restored.
• External repository tasks:
o Backup copy jobs: Veeam Backup & Replication compares the location of the source external
repository with the location of the target backup repository.
o Restore to Amazon EC2: Veeam Backup & Replication compares the geographic region of the backed-
up Amazon EC2 instance with the geographic region of the target EC2 instance.
o Restore to Microsoft Azure: Veeam Backup & Replication always displays a warning about VM data
migration when restore to Microsoft Azure is performed from external repositories.
• SureBackup jobs — Veeam Backup & Replication compares the source location with the target location.
The target location is always a host on which the virtual lab is registered. The source location may be one
of the following:
o If a VM is added to the application group, Veeam Backup & Replication compares the host on which
the VM is registered (or was registered at the moment of backup) with the target location.
o If a VM is added to the SureBackup job from the linked job, Veeam Backup & Replication compares the
backup repository on which the backup file resides with the target location.
• Tape tasks:
o Backup to tape jobs: In backup to tape jobs, Veeam Backup & Replication compares the location of the
source job or repository with the location of the tape library in the target media pool. If the media
pool spans multiple tape libraries, Veeam Backup & Replication analyzes locations of all libraries in
the media pool.
o Vaults: If a tape job exports offline backups to a vault, Veeam Backup & Replication compares the
location of the source job or repository with the location of the vault. I a GFS tape job exports tapes to
multiple vaults, Veeam Backup & Replication analyzes all vaults configured for target media pools of
the GFS tape job.
o Media pools: Veeam Backup & Replication compares locations of all tape libraries added to the media
pool. If the media pool exports tapes to a vault, Veeam Backup & Replication analyzes all vaults
configured for the media pool.
Limitations for Locations

For SureReplica jobs, Veeam Backup & Replication does not compare information about source and target hosts
location.
Veeam Backup & Replication does not display a warning about VM data migration for file copy jobs.
Creating and Assigning Locations to
Infrastructure Objects
You can create a list of locations in Veeam Backup & Replication and assign locations to infrastructure objects. If
you assign a location to root infrastructure host (SCVMM), it will be applied to all child hosts (clusters and HV
Hosts). You can also assign the location to a child host.
To create a location:
1. In the Inventory or Backup Infrastructure view, right-click the infrastructure object and select Location >
Manage locations.
2. In the Manage Locations window, click Add.
3. In the Name field, enter a name of the location.
To assign a location to an infrastructure object, in the Inventory or Backup Infrastructure view, right-click the
infrastructure object and select Location > <Location name>. If the location is not in the list, select Location >
Manage Locations and add the location to the list.
NOTE:
When assigning a location to a scale-out backup repository, the location will be global for all extents. If
you add an extent whose location differs from the global location, it will be changed in favor of the
location of the scale-out repository.
Editing Locations
You can edit a location in the locations list, for example, if you want to change the location name.
To edit a location:
Manage locations.
2. In the Manage Locations window, select the location and click Edit.
3. In the Name field, change the location name as required.
Deleting Locations
You can delete a location from the locations list, for example, if you no longer host infrastructure objects in this
location.
To delete a location:
Manage locations.
2. In the Manage Locations window, select the location and click Delete. If the location is currently assigned
to some infrastructure objects, Veeam Backup & Replication will display a warning with the list of objects
that belong to this location. Click Yes to confirm the location deletion.
Exporting and Importing Locations List
You can export and import the list of locations to/from a file of XML format.
The import and export functionality facilitates the process of locations creation and maintenance. For example,
if you need to set up the same list of locations throughout the whole backup infrastructure, you can create a list
of locations on one backup server manually, export this list to an XML file, and then import the list on other
backup servers and machines running the Veeam Backup & Replication console.
TIP:
If you delete and recreate a location, Veeam Backup & Replication will create an object with a new ID in the
database and consider it as a new location. Thus, to preserve the uniqueness of the location, use the
location export/import operations.
To export the locations list:
1. In the Inventory or Backup Infrastructure view, right-click an infrastructure object and select Location >
Manage locations.
2. In the Manage Locations window, click Export and specify a name of the XML file to which the locations
list must be exported.
To import the locations list:
1. In the Inventory or Backup Infrastructure view, right-click an infrastructure object and select Location >
Manage locations.
2. In the Manage Locations window, click Import and browse to the XML file from which the locations list
must be imported.
Veeam Backup & Replication Settings
You can set up general settings for Veeam Backup & Replication. General settings are applied to all jobs, backup
infrastructure components and other objects managed by the backup server.
Specifying I/O Settings
You can specify data processing settings.
Mind the following:
• The Enable storage latency control option is available in the Enterprise and Enterprise Plus editions of
• The Set custom thresholds on individual datastores option is available in Veeam Backup & Replication
Enterprise Plus edition only.
• The Enable storage latency control option is not supported for vVOLs/vSAN storage.
To specify data processing settings:
1. From the main menu, select General Options.
2. Click the I/O Control tab.
3. To control the I/O load on the production storage where VMs reside, select the Enable storage latency
control check box. When you enable storage latency control, Veeam Backup & Replication monitors
storage read latency on production datastores during data protection and disaster recovery activities. To
monitor the storage latency, Veeam Backup & Replication uses real-time metrics from the hypervisor
where VMs reside. By default, metrics from the hypervisor are collected every 20 seconds. These settings
are inherited from VMware vSphere.
Specify two thresholds:
a. In the Stop assigning new tasks to datastore at field, specify the I/O latency limit at which
Veeam Backup & Replication must not assign new tasks targeted at the datastore.
b. In the Throttle I/O of existing tasks at field, specify the I/O latency limit at which
Veeam Backup & Replication must decrease the speed of data retrieval or writing to/from the
datastore. When the I/O latency for this datastore reaches this value, the Veeam Data Mover working
with this datastore will slow down data retrieval or writing.
The value in the Stop assigning new tasks to datastore at field cannot be greater than the value in the
Throttle I/O of existing tasks at field.
NOTE:
If you enable the storage latency control option, Veeam Backup & Replication starts processing VM disks
residing on the same datastore with a 40-60 second time offset. This offset helps
Veeam Backup & Replication evaluate the current I/O load on the datastore. For example, if you launch a
job processing a VM with two disks, Veeam Backup & Replication will start processing the first VM disk,
wait for 40-60 seconds to evaluate the I/O workload on the datastore, and then start processing the
second VM disk.
Keep in mind this behavior. If you schedule jobs that process multiple VM disks residing on the same
datastore to start at the same time, the jobs performance will degrade.
You can set the I/O latency limit for every storage in the virtual infrastructure separately.
To set the I/O latency limit for every storage separately:
2. Click the I/O Control tab.
3. Click Configure.
4. Click Add > Datastore, select the necessary datastore and click OK to add it to the storage list.
5. Select the added datastores in the list and click Edit.
6. Specify the I/O thresholds for the datastores as described above.
Configuring Security Settings
In the Security tab, you can configure the following:
• TLS Certificates
Configure a TLS certificate to establish secure communication between the backup server and the VMware
vSphere server or storage systems.
• Linux Hosts Authentication
Enable the fingerprint check for Linux machines to protect connection from man-in-the-middle attacks.
• Audit Logs Location

Select a folder for storing audit logs.
TLS Certificates
When you configure the Veeam Backup & Replication infrastructure, you can specify what TLS certificate must
be used to establish a secure connection between the backup server and the VMware vSphere server or storage
systems. Veeam Backup & Replication offers the following options for TLS certificates:
• You can choose to keep the default self-signed TLS certificate generated by Veeam Backup & Replication
at the process of upgrading to a new version of Veeam Backup & Replication.
• You can use Veeam Backup & Replication to generate a new self-signed TLS certificate. To learn more, see
Generating Self-Signed Certificates.
• You can select an existing TLS certificate from the certificates store. To learn more, see Importing
Certificates from Certificate Store.
• You can import a TLS certificate from a file in the PFX format. To learn more, see Importing Certificates
from PFX Files.
NOTE:
If you plan to use a certificate issued by your own CA, make sure that the certificate meets the following
requirements:
1. The following Key Usage extensions are enabled in the certificate: Digital Signature, Certificate
Signing, Off-line CRL Signing, CRL Signing.
2. The Key Type in the certificate is set to Exchange.
Generating Self-Signed Certificates

You can use Veeam Backup & Replication to generate a self-signed certificate for authenticating parties in the
Veeam Backup & Replication infrastructure.
To generate TLS certificates, Veeam Backup & Replication employs the RSA Full cryptographic service provider
by Microsoft Windows installed on the Veeam backup server. The created TLS certificate is saved to the Shared
certificate store. The following types of users can access the generated TLS certificate:
• User who created the TLS certificate
• LocalSystem user account
• Administrators group
If you use a self-signed TLS certificate generated by Veeam Backup & Replication, you do not need to take any
additional actions to deploy the TLS certificate on a protected computer. When Veeam Backup & Replication
discovers a VMware vSphere server or a storage system, a matching TLS certificate with a public key is installed
on the protected computer automatically. During discovery, Veeam Installer Service deployed on the protected
computer retrieves the TLS certificate with a public key from the backup server and installs a TLS certificate with
a public key on the protected computer.
NOTE:
When you generate a self-signed TLS certificate with Veeam Backup & Replication, you cannot include
several aliases to the certificate and specify a custom value in the Subject field. The Subject field value is
taken from the Veeam Backup & Replication license installed on the Veeam backup server.
To generate a self-signed TLS certificate:
2. Click the Security tab.
3. In the Security tab, click Install.
4. At the Certificate Type step of the wizard, select Generate new certificate.
5. At the Generate Certificate step of the wizard, specify a friendly name for the created self-signed TLS
certificate.
6. At the Summary step of the wizard, review the certificate properties. Use the Copy to clipboard link to
copy and save information about the generated TLS certificate. You will be able to use the copied
information to verify the TLS certificate with the certificate thumbprint.
7. Click Finish. Veeam Backup & Replication will save the generated certificate in the Shared certificate store
on the Veeam backup server.
Importing Certificates from Certificate Store

If your organization has a TLS certificate signed by a CA and the TLS certificate is located in the Microsoft
Windows Certificate store, you can use this certificate for authenticating parties in the
To select a certificate from the Microsoft Windows Certificate store:
4. At the Certificate Type step of the wizard, choose Select certificate from the Certificate Store.
5. At the Pick Certificate step of the wizard, select a TLS certificate that you want to use. You can select only
certificates that contain both a public key and a private key. Certificates without private keys are not
displayed in the list.
6. At the Summary step of the wizard, review the certificate properties.
7. Click Finish to apply the certificate.
Importing Certificates from PFX Files

You can import a TLS certificate in the following situations:
• Your organization uses a TLS certificate signed by a CA and you have a copy of this certificate in a file of
PFX format.
• You have generated a self-signed TLS certificate in the PFX format with a third-party tool and you want to
import it to Veeam Backup & Replication.
IMPORTANT!
Mind the following:
• The TLS certificate must pass validation on the Veeam backup server. In the opposite case, you will
not be able to import the TLS certificate.
• If a PFX file contains a certificate chain, only the end entity certificate will be imported.
To import a TLS certificate from a PFX file:
4. At the Certificate Type step of the wizard, choose Import certificate from a file.
5. At the Import Certificate step of the wizard, specify a path to the PXF file.
6. If the PFX file is protected with a password, specify the password in the field below.
7. At the Summary step of the wizard, review the certificate properties. Use the Copy to clipboard link to
copy and save information about the TLS certificate. You can use the copied information on a protected
computer to verify the TLS certificate with the certificate thumbprint.
8. Click Finish to apply the certificate.
Linux Host Authentication

In the Linux hosts authentication section of the Veeam Backup & Replication settings, you can specify SSH
fingerprint verification settings for protected Linux machines.
You can select one of the following options:
• Add all discovered hosts to the list automatically — with this option enabled, Veeam Backup & Replication
allows all added Linux VMs and Linux servers to connect to the backup server.
• Add unknown hosts to the list manually (more secure) — with this option enabled, only the following
Linux machines can connect to the backup server:
o Protected machines that have already established a connection to the backup server and have their
fingerprints stored in the Veeam Backup & Replication database.
Veeam Backup & Replication displays the number of trusted machines in the Trusted hosts field. To
export the list of trusted machines to the known_hosts file, click Export and specify a path to the
folder to save the file.
o Protected machines specified in the known_hosts file imported to Veeam Backup & Replication. To
import the known_hosts file, click Import and specify a path to the folder where the file resides.
Machines that do not meet the above-mentioned conditions cannot connect to the Veeam backup
server and download Veeam Agent for Linux installation packages during discovery. Also, guest OS
processing of untrusted VMs will fail.
Veeam Backup & Replication displays these computers under the Untrusted node in the inventory. To
start managing an untrusted computer, you need to validate its fingerprint manually in the
Veeam Backup & Replication console. To learn more, see Validating SSH Fingerprints.
Validating SSH Fingerprints

Veeam Backup & Replication treats fingerprints of Linux VMs and Linux hosts differently:
• Validating SSH Fingerprints of Linux VMs
• Validating SSH Fingerprints of Linux Hosts
Validating SSH Fingerprints of Linux VMs

When you enable the Add unknown hosts to the list manually (more secure) option in
Veeam Backup & Replication settings, Linux-based machines whose fingerprints are not stored in the
Veeam Backup & Replication database or the known_hosts file become unable to communicate to the Veeam
backup server. During discovery, Veeam Backup & Replication puts such machines to the Untrusted node. To
start managing an untrusted computer, you need to validate its fingerprint manually in the
To validate the SSH fingerprint:
1. Open the Inventory view.
2. In the inventory pane, expand the Virtual Infrastructure node and click Untrusted.
3. In the working area, Veeam Backup & Replication will display a list of machines whose fingerprints need to
be validated. Check fingerprints of the machines in the list and validate them in one of the following ways:
o To validate fingerprints of all untrusted machines at once, select the Untrusted node in the inventory
pane and click Trust All on the ribbon. Alternatively, you can right-click the Untrusted node and select
Trust all.
o To validate a fingerprint of a specific computer in the list, select the necessary computer in the
working area and click Trust on the ribbon. Alternatively, you can right-click the computer and select
Trust.
Validating SSH Fingerprints of Linux Hosts
If the SSH public key fingerprint of a Linux host is changed, Veeam Backup & Replication places this host in the
Unavailable folder. To be able to use this server, do the following:
1. In the Backup Infrastructure view, expand the Managed Servers node and select Unavailable.
2. Right-click the Linux server and select Properties.
3. In the SSH Connection step of the Edit Linux Server wizard, click Apply.
4. In the pop-up dialogue window, click Yes to confirm that you trust this server.
5. Click Finish to close the wizard.
Audit Logs Location

Veeam Backup & Replication provides logging of performed activities, such as data protection and disaster
recovery tasks: for example, the list of files restored during File-Level Restore sessions. The results of the audit
of such activities are stored in form of .csv files that are called audit logs. For more information about log files,
see Logging.
At Audit Logs Location field you can select folder where the audit logs will be stored. By default, log files are
stored in the following folder: %ProgramData%\Veeam\Backup\Audit. You can also select a CIFS folder.
If you use a CIFS folder, the service account that is used for Veeam Backup Service on the machine with
Veeam Backup & Replication must have access to that CIFS folder. By default, this is Local System account, so
you will need to grant write access to VBR Server Active Directory computer account.
Specifying Email Notification Settings
You can receive email notifications with results on jobs performed on the backup server.
To receive email notifications, you must perform the following tasks:
• Configure global email notification settings in Veeam Backup & Replication
• Configure job notification settings
TIP:
To receive email notification about all jobs performed on the backup server in one email, configure email
notification settings in Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager.
Configuring Global Email Notification Settings

To configure global email notification settings:
2. Open the E-mail Settings tab.
3. Select the Enable e-mail notifications check box.
4. In the SMTP server field, enter a full DNS name or IP address of the SMTP server that will be used for
sending email notifications.
5. Click the Advanced button to specify user credentials and connection options:
a. Specify the port number and connection timeout for the SMTP server.
b. To use a secure connection for email operations, select the Connect using SSL check box.
c. If you need to connect to the SMTP server using a specific account, select the This SMTP server
requires authentication check box and select the necessary credentials from the Log on as list. If you
have not set up credentials beforehand, click the Manage accounts link or click Add on the right to
add credentials. For more information, see Managing Credentials.
6. In the From field, specify an email from which email notifications must be sent.
7. In the To field, specify the recipient addresses. Use a semicolon to separate multiple addresses. Recipients
specified in this field will receive notification about every job managed by the backup server. You can
leave the field empty if required.
For every particular job, you can specify additional recipients. For more information, see Configuring Job
Notification Settings.
NOTE:
If you specify the same email recipient in both job notification and global notification settings,
Veeam Backup & Replication will send two separate notifications to this recipient in the following
cases:
• If a subject for the email message specified in job notification and global notification settings is
different.
• If a list of email recipients specified in job notification and global notification settings is
different.
8. In the Subject field, specify a subject for the sent message. You can use the following variables in the
subject:
a. %Time% — completion time
b. %JobName%
c. %JobResult%
d. %ObjectCount% — number of VMs in the job
e. %Issues% — number of VMs in the job that have been processed with the Warning or Failed status
9. In the Send daily reports at field, specify at what time Veeam Backup & Replication will send daily email
reports.
Daily reports are generated for different purposes throughout Veeam Backup & Replication:
o Reports about processing results of scale-out repository data.
For more information, see Receiving Scale-Out Backup Repository Reports.
o Reports about processing results of backup copy jobs.
For more information, see Notification Settings in Creating Backup Copy Jobs for VMs and Physical
Machines.
o Reports about processing results of backup copy jobs for transaction log backups.
For more information about transaction log backups, see Microsoft SQL Server Logs Backup.
o Reports about backups of virtual and physical machines created with Veeam Agent for Microsoft
Windows or Veeam Agent for Linux in the Managed by Agent mode.
o Reports with statistics for rescan job sessions performed for protection groups of virtual and physical
machines created with Veeam Agent for Microsoft Windows or Veeam Agent for Linux.
o Reports about processing results of backup copy jobs for backups of Oracle RMAN and SAP HANA
databases created with Veeam Plug-ins for Enterprise Applications.
NOTE:
Settings configured for a certain report override global notification settings.
10. In the Notify on group, select the Success, Warning and/or Failure check boxes to receive email
notification if a job is run successfully, not successfully or with a warning.
11. Select the Suppress notifications until the last retry check box to receive a notification about the final job
status. If you do not enable this option, Veeam Backup & Replication will send one notification per every
job retry.
12. Veeam Backup & Replication allows sending a test email to check if all settings have been configured
correctly. To send a test email, click Test Message.
Configuring Job Notification Settings

To configure job notification settings:
1. Open advanced settings of the job.
2. On the Notifications tab, select the Send email notifications to the following recipients check box.
3. In the field below, enter an email address to which a notification must be sent. You can enter several email
addresses separated with a semicolon.
NOTE:
If you specify the same email recipient in both job notification and global notification settings,
Veeam Backup & Replication will send two separate notifications to this recipient in the following cases:
• If a subject for the email message specified in job notification and global notification settings is
different.
• If a list of email recipients specified in job notification and global notification settings is different.
4. You can choose to use global notification settings for the job or specify custom notification settings.
o To receive a typical notification for the job, select Use global notification settings. In this case,
Veeam Backup & Replication will apply to the job global email notification settings specified for the
backup server. For more information, see Configuring Global Email Notification Settings.
o To configure a custom notification for the job, select Use custom notification settings and specify
notification settings as required.
Specifying SNMP Settings
You can receive SNMP traps with results on jobs performed on the backup server. You can use SNMP traps to
feed data to other monitoring systems such as CA Unicenter, BMC Patrol, IBM Tivoli or HPE OpenView. SNMP
traps can be sent to 5 different destinations.
Veeam Backup & Replication supports SNMP versions 1 and 2.
To receive SNMP traps, you must perform the following tasks:
• Configure global SNMP settings
• Configure SNMP service properties
• Configure SNMP settings for jobs
Configuring Global SNMP Settings

To configure global SNMP settings:
2. Click the SNMP Settings tab.
3. In the Receiver field, specify an IP address of the SNMP recipient.
4. In the field on the right, enter the port number to be used.
5. In the Community String field, enter the community identifier.
Configuring SNMP Service Properties
To configure SNMP service properties on recipient computers:
1. Install a standard Microsoft SNMP agent from the Microsoft Windows distribution on the computer.
2. From the Start menu, select Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Services.
3. Double-click SNMP Service to open the SNMP Service Properties window.
4. Click the Traps tab.
5. Add the public string to the Community name list and name of the necessary host to the Trap destinations
list.
7. Make sure the Send authentication trap check box is selected.
8. Add the public string to the Accepted community names list.
9. Select the Accept SNMP packets from any host check box.
10. Click OK to save changes.
Configuring SNMP Settings for Jobs

To receive SNMP traps with results of a specific job:
1. Open advanced settings of the job.
2. On the Notifications tab, select the Send SNMP notifications for this job check box.
Specifying Other Notification Settings
You can configure Veeam Backup & Replication to automatically notify you about the following events:
• Low disk space
• Support contract expiration
• New product versions, available updates and patches
Low Disk Space Notification

When you run a job, Veeam Backup & Replication checks disk space in the target backup repository and
production storage. If the disk space is below a specific value, Veeam Backup & Replication will display a
warning message in the job session details.
To specify the disk space threshold:
2. Click the Notifications tab.
3. In the Backup storage and Production datastores sections, select the Warn me when free disk space is
below <N> % options and specify a desired disk space threshold.
4. In the Production datastores section, select the Skip VMs when free disk is below <N> % option and
specify a desired disk space threshold. When the threshold is reached, Veeam Backup & Replication will
terminate backup and replication jobs working with production datastores before VM snapshots are taken.
Such behaviour helps ensure that production datastores do not run out of space.
Veeam Backup & Replication also terminates jobs if the amount of free space on the datastore is below 2
GB. You can change this threshold limit with registry keys. For more information, contact Veeam Customer
Support.
Support Contract Expiration Notification
By default, Veeam Backup & Replication informs email recipients specified in global notification settings about
the support expiration date in every email notification. Veeam Backup & Replication starts sending such
notifications 14 days before the expiration date. Expiration information is also shown on the splash screen and
on the License Information window (to display the License Information window, select Help > License from the
main menu).
To stop receiving notifications about support contract expiration:
3. Clear the Enable notifications about support contract expiration check box.
New Product Versions

Veeam Backup & Replication automatically checks and notifies you about new product versions and patches
available on the Veeam website. For more information, see Update Notification.
You can disable update notifications. However, it is recommended that you leave the update notifications
enabled not to miss critical updates and patches.
To stop receiving the notifications:
3. Clear the Check for product and hypervisor updates periodically check box.
IMPORTANT!
Make sure that the backup server is connected to the Internet. In the opposite case, you will not be able to
receive the notifications about updates and patches.
Specifying Session History Settings
You can specify session history settings for jobs performed on the backup server.
2. Click the History tab.
3. In the Sessions section, configure how many sessions you want to display in the Sessions list of the History
view:
o Select Show all sessions if you want to show all sessions.
o Select Show only last sessions if you want to show a limited number of sessions. In the field, also
specify the total number of sessions that you want to display.
4. In the Session history retention section, configure for how long you want to keep session information in
the database:
o Select Keep all sessions if you do not want to delete sessions.
o Select Keep only last weeks if you want to keep sessions for a limited period of time. In the field, also
specify this period in weeks.
Roles and Users
You can assign one of the following roles to users or groups of users who plan to work with
Veeam Backup & Replication:
• Veeam Restore Operator
• Veeam Backup Viewer
• Veeam Backup Operator
• Veeam Backup Administrator
• Veeam Tape Operator
A role assigned to the user defines the user activity scope: what operations in Veeam Backup & Replication the
user can perform. Role security settings affect the following operations:
• Starting and stopping jobs
• Performing restore operations
Users having different roles can perform a different set of operations:
Role Operations
Veeam Restore Operator Can perform restore operations using existing backups and replicas. Mind
that during restore, Veeam Restore Operator can overwrite existing
instances: VMs during VM restore, disks during disk restore and files during
file-level restore.
Veeam Backup Viewer Has the “read-only” access to Veeam Backup & Replication. Can view
existing jobs and review the job session details.
Veeam Backup Operator Can start and stop existing jobs, export backups and create VeeamZip
backups.
Veeam Backup Administrator Can perform all administrative activities in Veeam Backup & Replication.
Veeam Tape Operator Can manage tapes and perform the following operations: tape inventory,
tape export, tape eject, tape catalog, inventory library, catalog library,
rescan library, import tapes, eject tape from drive.
You can assign several roles to the same user. For example, if the user must be able to start jobs and perform
restore operations, you can assign the Veeam Backup Operator and Veeam Restore Operator roles to this user.
Mind the following:
• The user account under which the Veeam Backup Service runs must have the Veeam Backup Administrator
role. By default, during installation the Veeam Backup Administrator role is assigned to users in the
Administrators group. If you change the default settings, make sure that you assign the Veeam Backup
Administrator role to the necessary user account. It is recommended to assign the Veeam Backup
Administrator role to the user account explicitly rather than the group to which the user belongs.
• Built-in administrator accounts (Domain\Administrator and Machine\Administrator) always have full
access in Veeam Backup & Replication, even if you exclude them from all Veeam Backup & Replication
roles.
To assign a role to the user or user group:
1. From the main menu, select Users and Roles.
2. Click Add.
3. In the User or group field, enter a name of a user or user group in the DOMAIN\USERNAME format.
4. From the Role list, select the necessary role to be assigned.
Update Notification
Veeam Backup & Replication automatically notifies you about updates that must or can be installed to enhance
your work experience with the product. Update notifications eliminate the risk of using out-of-date components
in the backup infrastructure or missing critical updates that can have a negative impact on data protection and
disaster recovery tasks.
Veeam Backup & Replication notifies about the product updates: new patches and product versions.
The update notifications are enabled by default. If you do not want to get notified about available updates, you
can disable them. For more information, see Specifying Other Notification Settings.
However, it is recommended that you leave update notifications enabled not to miss critical updates and
patches.
How Update Notification Works

To check for updates, Veeam Backup & Replication uses a special XML file on the Veeam Update Notification
Server (dev.veeam.com). The XML file contains information about the most up-to-date product version and
patches.
Veeam Backup & Replication downloads an XML file from the Veeam Update Notification Server once a week. It
also collects information about the installed product. The collected information is compared with the
information in the downloaded file. If new product versions, patches and updates are available,
Veeam Backup & Replication informs you about them.
NOTE:
Make sure that the backup server is connected to the Internet and update notification is enabled in
Veeam Backup & Replication options. In the opposite case, update notification will not function.
Installing Updates
Veeam Backup & Replication uses update notifications to inform you about new versions of
Veeam Backup & Replication, new product patches.
When a new version of Veeam Backup & Replication or a new product patch becomes available on the website,
Veeam Backup & Replication displays an icon in the system tray. An icon is displayed once a week.
To install a product update, double-click the Veeam Backup & Replication icon in the system tray.
Veeam Backup & Replication will open a KB webpage with the update description and links to the installation
archive of the new product version or new patch.
Server Components Upgrade
Every time you launch the Veeam Backup & Replication console, Veeam Backup & Replication automatically
checks if Veeam Backup & Replication components installed on managed servers are up to date. If a later version
of components is available, Veeam Backup & Replication displays the Components Update window and prompts
you to upgrade components on managed servers. Components upgrade may be necessary, for example, after
you have upgraded Veeam Backup & Replication.
You can manually check if components upgrade is required. To do this, select Upgrade from the main menu. If
components on all managed servers are up to date, the menu item will be disabled.
To upgrade components on managed servers:
1. In the Components Update window, select a server and click Details. Veeam Backup & Replication will
display the current and latest available versions for installed components.
2. In the Components Update window, select check boxes next to servers for which you want to upgrade
components and click Next.
You can update components on every managed server separately. If components installed on the server require
upgrade, Veeam Backup & Replication displays a warning icon next to the server.
To update components for a managed server:
2. In the inventory pane, click Managed servers.
3. In the working area, select the server and click Upgrade on the ribbon.
Alternatively, you can open the Infrastructure view, in the inventory pane select Managed servers, in the
working area right-click the server and select Upgrade.
Logging
Veeam Backup & Replication provides detailed logging of performed activities data protection and disaster
recovery tasks.
On the backup server, log files are stored in the following folder: %ProgramData%\Veeam\Backup.
Veeam Backup & Replication keeps a separate log file for each of its components: Veeam Shell, Veeam Backup
Service, Veeam Guest Catalog Service, Veeam vPower NFS Service, Veeam Installer, Veeam Data Mover and
performed jobs.
In addition to logs stored on the backup server, log files are also stored on all servers added to the backup
infrastructure:
• On Linux servers and ESXi hosts, logs are stored in the following directory: /var/log/VeeamBackup/ or
/tmp/VeeamBackup
• On Microsoft Windows servers, logs are stored in the following directory:

%ProgramData%\Veeam\Backup
You can collect log files from the backup server and servers managed by Veeam Backup & Replication using the
Export Logs wizard.
TIP
You can change default log files settings. For more information, see this Veeam KB article.
Exporting Logs
You can use log files to submit a support ticket. It is recommended that you send all log files when submitting a
support ticket to ensure that overall and comprehensive information is provided to Veeam Support Team.
To aggregate all log files in the same location, use the Export Logs wizard. To launch the wizard, from the main
menu select Help > Support Information.
Step 1. Select Virtual Infrastructure Scope
At the Scope step of the wizard, define the scope for logs export. You can export logs for the following objects:
• Specific jobs on the backup server
• Specific VMs in the virtual environment
• Specific components in the backup infrastructure
NOTE
If you export logs from the Veeam Backup & Replication console, the exported logs will be copied to the
machine where the console is installed. The log archive will also contain logs from the console machine.
Step 2. Specify Time Interval
At the Date Range step of the wizard, define the time interval for which logs must be collected. You can select
one of the following options:
• Collect logs for the last N days
• Collect logs for a specific period of time
• Collect all available logs
Step 3. Specify Destination Folder
At the Location step of the wizard, specify the destination folder to which the logs will be exported.
In the Path to folder field, specify a path to an archive with log files that will be created. By default, the archive
is placed to the C:\temp\logs folder on the backup server.
Step 4. Review Results
At the Export step of the wizard, Veeam Backup & Replication will collect specified logs and create a log
archive. Wait for the export process to complete, review the results and click the Open folder link to browse to
exported log files and log package.
Configuration Backup and Restore
You can back up and restore the configuration database that Veeam Backup & Replication uses.
During configuration backup, Veeam Backup & Replication exports data from the configuration database and
saves it to a backup file in the backup repository. If the backup server fails for some reason, you can re-install
the backup server and quickly restore its configuration from the configuration backup. You can also use
configuration backups to apply the configuration of one backup server to another backup server in the backup
infrastructure.
It is recommended that you regularly perform configuration backup for every backup server in the backup
infrastructure. Periodic configuration backups reduce the risk of data loss and minimize the administrative
overhead if any problem with backup servers occurs.
It is not recommended to back up the backup server configuration using backup jobs in
Veeam Backup & Replication. For backup, Veeam Backup & Replication uses VM snapshots. During snapshot
creation and commit, the VM freezes for some time, which can potentially lead to the following consequences:
• Disconnection from the configuration database. For more information, see the Veeam KB1681 article.
• Disconnection from remote Veeam Backup & Replication agents.
• Disconnection from network storage (for example, storage presented through iSCSI) and so on.
For this reason, you must always use the configuration backup functionality to back up and restore configuration
of the backup server.
Configuration Backup
By default, Veeam Backup & Replication is configured to create a configuration backup daily. You can change
the schedule or run the backup manually.
See the following topics:
• Scheduling Configuration Backups
• Configuring Notification Settings for Configuration Backups
• Running Configuration Backups Manually
• Creating Encrypted Configuration Backups
Configuration Backup Files

When you perform configuration backup, Veeam Backup & Replication retrieves data for the backup server from
the configuration database, writes this data into a set of XML files and archives these XML files to a backup file
of the BCO format.
Veeam Backup & Replication exports information about the following objects:
• Backup infrastructure components and objects: hosts, servers, backup proxies, repositories, WAN
accelerators and jobs, global settings configured on the backup server and so on.
• Backups: backups, replicas and backup copies created on the backup server.
• Sessions: job sessions performed on the backup server.
• Tapes: tape libraries connected to the backup server.
NOTE
If you use custom configuration registry keys, keep in mind that configuration backup will not apply to
them. You might want to back them up manually.
Configuration backup is job-driven. You can schedule it to run regularly or start it manually. You can choose the
backup repository in which the configuration backup must be stored and specify the necessary retention
settings.
NOTE
The configuration backup job creates a snapshot of the configuration database and retrieves data required
for successful restore from it. If the database size is large, the job may produce significant load on the
Microsoft SQL Server. Make sure that you schedule the configuration backup job for a period of low
operation intensity on the backup server.
Backup Repository Target

The resulting configuration backup file is stored in the \VeeamConfigBackup\%BackupServer% folder on
the default backup repository. However, for security’s sake, it is recommended that you do not store
configuration backups on the default backup repository or in any other folder on the backup server. In this case,
if the backup server fails, its configuration data will remain, and you will be able to recover the failed backup
server.
When you configure a new backup repository, Veeam Backup & Replication offers you to change the
configuration backup file location from the default backup repository to the new backup repository. Click Yes,
and Veeam Backup & Replication will automatically change the backup target in the configuration backup job
settings and will use this target in future.
Configuration backups that were created before the target change will remain in the default backup repository.
You can manually copy them to the new backup repository to have all restore points of the configuration backup
in one place.
IMPORTANT
You cannot store configuration backups in scale-out backup repositories.
Scheduling Configuration Backups

You can instruct Veeam Backup & Replication to perform configuration backup automatically by schedule.
IMPORTANT
If you plan to migrate configuration data to the database used by another backup server, stop all running
jobs and disable scheduled jobs before creating the configuration backup. In the opposite case, job sessions
may be failing after configuration restore. For more information, see Migrating Configuration Database.
To schedule a configuration backup:
1. From the main menu, select Configuration Backup.
2. Make sure that the Enable configuration backup to the following repository check box is selected.
3. From the Backup repository list, choose a backup repository on which the configuration backup must be
stored.
4. In the Restore points to keep field, specify the number of restore points that you want to maintain in the
backup repository.
5. Click Schedule next to the Perform backup on field and specify the time schedule according to which the
configuration backup must be created.
6. To create an encrypted backup, select the Enable backup file encryption check box. From the Password
field, select a password you want to use for encryption. If you have not created a password beforehand,
click Add or use the Manage passwords link to specify a new password. For more information, see Creating
Encrypted Configuration Backups.
Configuring Notification Settings for Configuration Backups

You can configure notifications for the configuration backup:
2. Click Notifications.
3. Select the Send SNMP notifications for this job check box if you want to receive SNMP traps when the job
completes successfully.
SNMP traps will be sent if you specify global SNMP settings in Veeam Backup & Replication and configure
software on recipient's machine to receive SNMP traps. For more information, see Specifying SNMP
Settings.
4. Select the Send email notifications to the following recipients check box if you want to receive
notifications about the job completion status by email. In the field below, specify recipient’s email
address. You can enter several addresses separated by a semicolon.
Email notifications will be sent if you configure global email notification settings in
Veeam Backup & Replication. For more information, see Configuring Global Email Notification Settings.
5. You can choose to use global notification settings or specify custom notification settings.
o To configure a custom notification for the job, select Use custom notification settings specified below
check box. You can specify the following notification settings:
i. In the Subject field, specify a notification subject. You can use the following variables in the
subject: %JobResult%, %JobName%, %Time% (completion time).
ii. Select the Notify on success, Notify on warning and/or Notify on error check boxes to receive
email notification if the job completes successfully, fails or completes with a warning.
Running Configuration Backups Manually

You can create a configuration backup manually when you need it, for example, if you want to capture a state of
the configuration database at a specific point in time.
IMPORTANT
If you plan to migrate configuration data to the database used by another backup server, stop all running
jobs and disable scheduled jobs before creating the configuration backup. In the opposite case, job sessions
may be failing after configuration restore. For more information, see Migrating Configuration Database.
To create a configuration backup manually:
2. Make sure that the Enable configuration backup to the following repository check box is selected.
3. From the Backup repository list, choose a backup repository on which the configuration backup must be
stored.
4. In the Restore points to keep field, specify the number of restore points that you want to maintain in the
backup repository.
5. To create an encrypted backup, select the Encrypt configuration backup check box. From the Password
field, select a password you want to use for encryption. If you have not created a password beforehand,
click Add or use the Manage passwords link to specify a new password. For more information, see Creating
Encrypted Configuration Backups.
6. Click Backup now.
Veeam Backup & Replication will back up the configuration database and store a new restore point to the
selected backup repository.
Creating Encrypted Configuration Backups

Veeam Backup & Replication requires that you encrypt the configuration backup if you have created at least one
password in the Password Manager on the backup server.
When you encrypt jobs or tapes with passwords, Veeam Backup & Replication creates a set of keys that are
employed in the encryption process. Some encryption keys, for example, storage keys and metakeys, are stored
in the configuration database. If a configuration backup was non-encrypted, data from it could be freely
restored on any backup server. Encryption keys saved to the configuration database and the content of
encrypted files might become accessible for unintended audience.
If the Password Manager contains at least one password, and you do not enable encryption for the configuration
backup, Veeam Backup & Replication disables configuration backup. To enable the configuration backup, you
must enable encryption in the configuration backup job settings.
After you enable the encryption option, Veeam Backup & Replication will create encrypted configuration
backups. Beside encryption keys, the created backups capture credential records specified in the Credentials
Manager. When you restore data from such backup, you will not have to enter passwords for credentials records
again (unless the passwords for credentials records have changed by the time of restore).
To encrypt the configuration backup:
2. Select the Encrypt configuration backup check box.
3. From the Password field, select a password you want to use for encryption. If you have not created a
password beforehand, click Add or use the Manage passwords link to specify a new password. For more
information, see Managing Passwords for Data Encryption.
Restoring Configuration Database
Restore of the configuration database is helpful in the following situations:
• The configuration database got corrupted and you want to recover data from the configuration backup.
• The Microsoft SQL Server on which the configuration database resides got corrupted, and you want to
deploy the configuration database on a new Microsoft SQL Server, and restore data from the configuration
backup to it.
• You want to roll back the configuration database to a specific point in time.
• You want to restore data to a new configuration database on the same Microsoft SQL server, for example,
for testing purposes.
You can restore a configuration backup on the same backup server where the backup was created or on another
backup server.
Before you start the restore process, check prerequisites. Then use the Veeam Backup & Replication
Configuration Restore wizard to restore the configuration database.
Before You Begin

Before you start the restore process, check the following prerequisites:
• Stop all jobs that are currently running. During restore of configuration, Veeam Backup & Replication
temporary stops the Veeam Backup Service and jobs.
• Save registry keys that you changed or created on the backup server. After restore, you will need to
recreate or change the keys manually because the configuration database does not store them.
• Check the version of the backup server. On the backup server running Veeam Backup & Replication 11, you
can restore configuration backups created with the following product versions: 10 and 9.5 Update 4b.
• Make sure that the certificate chain restored from a configuration backup will successfully pass validation
on the target backup server. This precaution is required if the following conditions are met:
a. You want to restore configuration database of a backup server used in the Veeam Agent management
scenario.
b. The backup server whose configuration database you want to restore uses a custom certificate issued
by a Certificate Authority instead of the default self-signed certificate to ensure a secure connection
in the Veeam Agent management infrastructure.
• If you plan to restore configuration data to the database on another Microsoft SQL Server, make sure the
account for using Veeam Backup & Replication has sufficient permissions. For more information, see
Required Permissions.
• [for Veeam Backup for Nutanix AHV users] After you restore the configuration database of
Veeam Backup & Replication, you must remove existing AHV backup proxies from
Veeam Backup & Replication infrastructure and connect to them again. Otherwise, these AHV backup
proxies will not be able to perform backup and restore due to missing authentication certificates. For
instructions on how to connect to an existing AHV backup proxy, see the Adding Nutanix AHV Backup
Proxy section in the Veeam Backup for Nutanix AHV User Guide.
IMPORTANT
You can start configuration restore only from the Veeam Backup & Replication console installed locally on
the backup server. You cannot start configuration restore from the console installed on a remote machine.
Step 1. Launch Configuration Database Restore Wizard
To launch the Veeam Backup and Replication Configuration Restore wizard, do either one of the following:
• From the main menu of the Veeam Backup & Replication console, select Configuration Backup. In the
Restore section, click Restore.
• In the Start menu of the backup server, click Configuration Restore.
• Use the Veeam.Backup.Configuration.Restore.exe file located in the installation folder on the

backup server. By default, the path to the folder is the following: %PROGRAMFILES%\Veeam\Backup
and Replication\Backup.
• [If the configuration backup is stored on the backup server] In Microsoft Windows Explorer, open the
folder where configuration backups are stored (by default,
Backup\VeeamConfigBackup\<BackupServerName> on the volume with most disk space on the
backup server) and double-click the necessary configuration backup file.
Step 2. Select Restore Mode
At the Restore Mode step of the wizard, choose a restore mode that you want to use.
• Select Restore if you want to restore data from the configuration backup to the database used by the
initial backup server.
In the Restore mode, Veeam Backup & Replication retrieves configuration data from the backup and stores
it to the target database. After that, Veeam Backup & Replication performs additional rescan of VM
replicas, backup repositories and tape libraries connected to the backup server. Rescan helps synchronize
potential changes between the backup infrastructure and restored database that took place from the
moment when the configuration backup was created till the present time. As a result, the target
configuration database will contain information about restore points that were created after the
configuration backup was taken, and this information is displayed in the Veeam Backup & Replication
console.
• Select Migrate if you want to restore data from the configuration backup to the database used by another
backup server.
In the Migrate mode, Veeam Backup & Replication retrieves configuration data from the backup and stores
it to the target database. No rescan operation is performed.
Step 3. Select Configuration Backup
At the Configuration Backup step of the wizard, select a configuration backup from which you want to restore
data.
1. From the Backup repository list, select a server or backup repository on which the configuration backup
file is located.
2. Click Browse next to the Backup file field and select the backup file.
If you select to restore configuration data from a backup in a remote backup repository, during restore
Veeam Backup & Replication will first copy the backup file to a temporary folder on the backup server. After you
finish the restore process and close the wizard, Veeam Backup & Replication will automatically delete the
configuration file from the temporary folder.
Step 4. Review Configuration Backup Parameters
At the Backup Contents step of the wizard, Veeam Backup & Replication will analyze the content of the selected
backup file and display the following settings:
• Backup file settings: settings of the configuration backup file itself.
• Product settings: version of Veeam Backup & Replication installed on the initial backup server and
configuration database version.
• List of catalogs: catalogs storing backup configuration data.
Review the displayed settings and click Next.
Step 5. Specify Password
The Password step of the wizard is available if you have enabled the encryption option in the configuration
backup properties.
Enter the password to decrypt configuration backup data:
1. Check the password hint to recall the password.
2. In the Password field, enter the password to decrypt the configuration backup file.
If you have forgotten or lost the password, click the I forgot the password link. For more information, see
Decrypting Data Without Password.
NOTE
If the backup server is not connected to Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager and does not have the
Enterprise or Enterprise Plus license installed, you will not see the I forgot the password link and will not
be able to restore configuration data without a password.
Step 6. Specify Target Database
At the Target Database step of the wizard, specify the target Microsoft SQL Server instance to which
configuration data must be restored.
1. In the Database name field, specify a name of the database to which configuration data must be restored.
By default, Veeam Backup & Replication uses the name of the initial database.
If you specify a name of the database that does not exist, Veeam Backup & Replication will create it on the
specified Microsoft SQL Server instance.
2. From the Server name list, select a Microsoft SQL Server instance on which the database is deployed or
must be deployed. In the list of Microsoft SQL Server instances, Veeam Backup & Replication displays all
servers from the network where the backup server resides. To update the list of servers, click Refresh on
the right.
3. In the Authentication section, select the authentication mode to connect to the target Microsoft SQL
Server instance: Windows Authentication or SQL authentication. If you select the SQL authentication
mode, specify credentials of the Microsoft SQL Server account that you want to use.
When you restore configuration to an existing database, the configuration restore process will delete the
current state of the database contents and replace it with the restored data. Veeam Backup & Replication will
display a warning. If you want to replace the contents, click Yes to confirm.
If you do not want to lose the current data, restore the configuration to a new database. To do this, click No to
the warning and specify a non-existing database name in the Database name field.
Step 7. Specify Restore Options
At the Restore Options step of the wizard, specify additional restore options.
1. In the Restore section, select what data you want to restore from the configuration backup.
Veeam Backup & Replication always restores configuration data for backup infrastructure components,
jobs and global settings specified at the level of the backup server. You can additionally restore the
following data:
o Backup and replica catalog: data about all backups and replicas registered on the backup server and
information about tapes to which backups were written and location of these tapes.
o Session history: data about all sessions performed on the backup server.
2. If you plan to use PowerShell on the restored backup server, select the Enable required PowerShell policy
for SCVMM check box. During restore, Veeam Backup & Replication will enable the PowerShell execution
policy and you will not have to enable it manually afterwards. Enabling this option is identical to running
the ‘Set-ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned' command on the backup server.
3. If you are restoring configuration data to the same database, select the Backup existing database before
configuration restore check box. This option will help you protect the current database from accidental
errors during the restore process. During restore, Veeam Backup & Replication will first back up the
current database using the native tools of Microsoft SQL Server. After that, Veeam Backup & Replication
will purge the current database and import data from the configuration backup to it. In such scenario, if an
error occurs during the restore process, you will be able to restore the current database from the
Microsoft SQL backup using Microsoft SQL Management Studio or SQL scripts.
The created Microsoft SQL database backup is named by the following pattern:
VeeamBackup<DatabaseName><date>.bak and stored to the default Microsoft SQL backups location, for
example: %ProgramFiles%\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL11.MSSQLSERVER\MSSQL\Backup\.
4. Click Restore. Veeam Backup & Replication will stop currently running jobs and
Veeam Backup & Replication services and will restore the database to the specified location.
Step 8. Review Restore Settings
At the Restore step of the wizard, Veeam Backup & Replication will display the progress on the restore process.
Wait for the restore process to complete and click Next.
If you have chosen to restore data in the Migrate mode and the configuration backup file does not meet the
Migrate mode requirements, Veeam Backup & Replication will display a warning and offer you to switch to the
Restore mode. The Restore mode requires more time but guarantees that information about all new restore
points will be available in the restored database.
• To switch to the Restore mode, in the warning window click Yes.
• To carry on data restore in the Migrate mode, in the warning window click No.
• To stop the restore process, in the warning window click Cancel.
For more information, see Migrating Configuration Database.
Step 9. Finalize Restore Process
After the restore process has finished, you may need to perform the following actions to finalize the
configuration database restore:
1. Specify credentials for backup infrastructure objects.
2. Specifying credentials for cloud services.
3. Perform components upgrade.
Specifying Credentials
At the Credentials step of the wizard, Veeam Backup & Replication displays a list of credentials records that
existed on the backup server at the time when the configuration backup was created. If by the time of restore
passwords for credentials records have changed, you can specify new values for these records.
IMPORTANT
If you have not enabled encryption for configuration backups, Veeam Backup & Replication will not restore
passwords for credentials records. You need to re-enter passwords for all credentials records to make sure
that backup infrastructure components and jobs work in a proper way after you complete configuration
restore.
To edit credentials records:
1. Select a record in the list and click Edit.
2. Edit settings of the record as required.
3. Repeat the procedure for all records in the list.
Specifying Cloud Credentials
At the Cloud Credentials step of the wizard, Veeam Backup & Replication displays a list of cloud credentials
records that existed on the backup server at the time when the configuration backup was created. If by the time
of restore passwords for cloud credentials records have changed, you can specify new values for these records.
IMPORTANT
• If you have not enabled encryption for configuration backups, Veeam Backup & Replication will not
restore passwords for cloud credentials records. You need to re-enter passwords for all cloud
credentials records to make sure that cloud services and jobs work in a proper way after you
complete configuration restore.
• You cannot edit credentials of Microsoft Azure compute accounts in the configuration restore wizard.
You can edit Microsoft Azure compute account credentials only after configuration restore in Cloud
Credentials Manager. For details, see Editing and Deleting Credentials Records.
To edit cloud credentials records:
1. Select a record in the list and click Edit.
2. Edit settings of the record as required.
3. Repeat the procedure for all records in the list.
Performing Components Upgrade

After the restore process is complete, Veeam Backup & Replication will check if services on backup
infrastructure components must be upgraded and display a list of outdated components.
To upgrade backup infrastructure components, select check boxes next to the necessary components and click
Next. If some component fails to upgrade, you can get back to a previous step of the wizard and repeat the
procedure or close the wizard and upgrade the components manually. For more information, see Server
Components Upgrade.
Step 10. Synchronize Backups and Tape Libraries
After the configuration database is restored, Veeam Backup & Replication can perform a synchronization
operation for backups and replicas created on the backup server and tape libraries connected to the backup
server.
• The synchronization operation for backups and replicas is performed if you are restoring a database from a
backup created with Veeam Backup & Replication in the Restore mode and you have selected to restore
data from the backup and replica catalog.
• The synchronization operation for tape libraries is performed if you are restoring a database from a backup
created with Veeam Backup & Replication in the Restore mode and you have selected to restore data from
the backup and replica catalog.
Wait for the synchronization operation to complete.
At the Summary step of the wizard, finalize the process of configuration data restore.
1. Review the restore process results.
2. If you want to start Veeam Backup & Replication after you finish working with the wizard, select the
Launch the Backup & Replication user interface check box.
NOTE
Mind the following:
• If you created custom registry keys or changed the existing ones on the backup server, you must
recreate or change the registry keys again.
• If you restore data from the configuration backup in the Restore mode, all jobs on the backup server
will be disabled after the restore process is complete. You need to enable them manually.
Migrating Configuration Database
Migration of the configuration database is helpful if you need to move the backup server and configuration
database to another location, for example, offsite. In this case, you can configure a backup server, deploy a
Microsoft SQL Server in the target location and then restore data from the configuration backup to a database
on this server. As a result, you will get a "replica" of the backup server without additional adjustments and fine-
tuning.
NOTE
It is recommended that you use Veeam Backup & Replication tools to create configuration backups and
migrate the configuration database. If you use native Microsoft SQL Server tools or others, after migration,
some information, such as secure configuration data, may not be accessible.
Before You Begin

Before you start the migration process, perform the following tasks:
• Prepare the target backup server.
Install Veeam Backup & Replication on the machine on which you plan to move your source backup server.
• Stop all running jobs and disable all scheduled jobs on the source backup server before you create the
configuration backup.
Do not start or enable any jobs. If you start a job before migration is completed,
Veeam Backup & Replication will produce a new restore point in the chain and update the chain metadata.
The created configuration backup will not contain information about this new restore point. When you
migrate data from the configuration backup to the database and start the job again,
Veeam Backup & Replication will fail to synchronize the chain metadata with data in the database. As a
result, the job will fail.
• Save registry keys that you changed or created on the backup server. After the migration, you will need to
recreate or change the keys manually because the configuration database does not store them.
Before migrating the configuration backup, Veeam Backup & Replication performs an additional check. If the
configuration backup does not meet the requirements, Veeam Backup & Replication will offer you to switch to
the Restore mode.
In the Restore mode, Veeam Backup & Replication will rescan VM replicas, backup repositories and tape libraries
connected to the backup server. The database will be updated to include information about new restore points,
and subsequent job sessions will work in a proper way.
Performing Migration
1. On the target backup server, from the main menu, select Configuration Backup.
2. In the Restore section, click Restore to launch the Configuration Database Restore wizard.
3. At the Restore Mode step of the wizard, select Migrate.
4. Complete the wizard as described in the Restoring Configuration Database section.
5. If you created custom registry keys or changed the existing ones on the previous backup server, you must
recreate or change the registry keys again manually on the target backup server.
NOTE
If you have local repositories, after migration to another VM they may be displayed as empty. In this case,
add them again and remap the jobs.
Backup
Veeam Backup & Replication produces image-level backups of VMs. It treats VMs as objects, not as a set of files.
When you back up VMs, Veeam Backup & Replication copies a VM image as a whole, at a block level. Image-level
backups can be used for different types of restore, including Instant VM Recovery, entire VM restore, VM file
recovery, file-level recovery and so on.
The backup technology is typically used for VMs with lower RTOs. When the primary VM fails, you need some
time to restore VM data from a compressed and deduplicated backup file.
About Backup
Veeam Backup & Replication is built for virtual environments. It operates at the virtualization layer and uses an
image-based approach for VM backup.
Veeam Backup & Replication does not install agent software inside the VM guest OS to retrieve VM data. To
back up VMs, it leverages VMware vSphere snapshot capabilities. When you back up a VM,
Veeam Backup & Replication requests VMware vSphere to create a VM snapshot. The VM snapshot can be
thought of as a cohesive point-in-time copy of a VM including its configuration, OS, applications, associated
data, system state and so on. Veeam Backup & Replication uses this point-in-time copy as a source of data for
backup.
Veeam Backup & Replication copies VM data from the source datastore at a block level. It retrieves VM data,
compresses and deduplicates it, and stores in backup files in the backup repository in Veeam proprietary format.
In Veeam Backup & Replication, backup is a job-driven process. To perform backup, you need to configure
backup jobs. A backup job is a configuration unit of the backup activity. The backup job defines when, what, how
and where to back up. One backup job can be used to process one or several VMs. You can instruct
Veeam Backup & Replication to run jobs automatically by schedule or start them manually.
The first backup job session always produces a full backup of the VM image. Subsequent backup job sessions are
incremental — Veeam Backup & Replication copies only those data blocks that have changed since the last
backup job session. To keep track of changed data blocks, Veeam Backup & Replication uses different
approaches. For more information, see Changed Block Tracking.
How Backup Works
Veeam Backup & Replication performs VM backup in the following way:
1. When a new backup job session starts, Veeam Backup & Replication starts the Veeam Backup Manager
process on the backup server. Veeam Backup Manager reads job settings from the configuration database
and creates a list of VM tasks to process. For every disk of VMs added to the job,
Veeam Backup & Replication creates a new task.
2. Veeam Backup Manager connects to the Veeam Backup Service. The Veeam Backup Service includes a
resource scheduling component that manages all tasks and resources in the backup infrastructure. The
resource scheduler checks what backup infrastructure resources are available, and assigns backup proxies
and backup repositories to process job tasks.
3. Veeam Backup Manager connects to Veeam Data Mover Services on the target repository and backup
proxy. The Veeam Data Mover Services, in their turn, start Veeam Data Movers. A new instance of Veeam
Data Mover is started for every task that the backup proxy is processing.
4. Veeam Backup Manager establishes a connection with Veeam Data Movers on the backup repository and
backup proxy, and sets a number of rules for data transfer, such as network traffic throttling rules and so
on.
5. Veeam Data Movers on the backup proxy and backup repository establish a connection with each other for
data transfer.
6. Veeam Backup Manager queries information about VMs and virtualization hosts from the Veeam Broker
Service.
7. If application-aware image processing is enabled for the job, Veeam Backup & Replication connects to VM
guest OSes, deploys non-persistent runtime components or, if necessary, persistent agent components on
VM guest OSes and performs in-guest processing tasks.
8. Veeam Backup & Replication requests vCenter Server or ESXi host to create a VM snapshot. VM disks are
put to the read-only state, and every virtual disk receives a delta file. All changes that the user makes to
the VM during backup are written to delta files.
9. The source Veeam Data Mover reads the VM data from the read-only VM disk and transfers the data to the
backup repository in one of transport modes. During incremental job sessions, the source Veeam Data
Mover uses CBT to retrieve only those data blocks that have changed since the previous job session. If CBT
is not available, the source Veeam Data Mover interacts with the target Veeam Data Mover on the backup
repository to obtain backup metadata, and uses this metadata to detect blocks that have changed since
the previous job session.
While transporting VM data, the source Veeam Data Mover performs additional processing. It filters out
zero data blocks, blocks of swap files and blocks of excluded VM guest OS files. The source Veeam Data
Mover compresses VM data and transports it to the target Veeam Data Mover.
10. After the backup proxy finishes reading VM data, Veeam Backup & Replication requests the vCenter Server
or ESXi host to commit the VM snapshot.
Backup Architecture
Veeam Backup & Replication uses the following components for the backup process:
• One or more source hosts with associated datastores
• One or more backup proxies
• [Optional] One or more guest interaction proxies
• [For shared folder backup repository] Gateway server
All backup infrastructure components engaged in the job make up a data pipe. The source host and backup
repository produce two terminal points for the data flow. Veeam Backup & Replication processes VM data in
multiple cycles, moving VM data over the data pipe block by block.
Veeam Backup & Replication collects VM data, transforms and transports it to target with the help of Veeam
Data Movers. Veeam Backup & Replication uses two-service architecture — one Veeam Data Mover controls
interaction with the source host, and the other one controls interaction with the backup repository. The Veeam
Data Movers communicate with each other and maintain a stable connection.
When a new backup session starts, Veeam Backup & Replication performs the following actions:
1. Veeam Backup & Replication deploys non-persistent runtime components or, if necessary, persistent
agent components on VM guest OSes using the guest interaction proxy (for Microsoft Windows VMs) or
backup server (for VMs with other OSes).
2. The target-side Veeam Data Mover obtains job instructions and communicates with the source-side Veeam
Data Mover to begin data collection.
3. The source-side Veeam Data Mover copies VM data from the source storage in one of transport modes.
During incremental job runs, the source-side Veeam Data Mover retrieves only those data blocks that have
changed since the previous job session.
While copying, the source-side Veeam Data Mover performs additional data processing. It filters out zero
data blocks, blocks of swap files and blocks of excluded VM guest OS files, compresses and deduplicates
VM data blocks and moves them to the target-side Data Mover Service.
4. The target-side Veeam Data Mover deduplicates similar blocks of data on the target side and writes the
result to the backup file in the backup repository.
Onsite Backup
To back up to a Microsoft Windows or Linux backup repository in the local site, you need to deploy a backup
proxy on a machine that has access to the source datastore, and point the backup job to this backup proxy. In
this scenario, the source-side Veeam Data Mover is started on the backup proxy, and the target-side Veeam
Data Mover is started on the Microsoft Windows or Linux repository. VM data is sent from the backup proxy to
the backup repository over the LAN.
To back up to a shared folder in the local site, you need to deploy a gateway server that has access to the shared
folder backup repository. You can assign the role of a gateway server to the backup server itself or any
Microsoft Windows machine added to the backup infrastructure.
You can use the same Microsoft Windows machine as the backup proxy and gateway server for SMB. In this
scenario, Veeam Backup & Replication starts the source-side and target-side Veeam Data Movers on the same
machine, and sends VM data from the backup proxy to the shared folder backup repository over the LAN.
Offsite Backup
The common requirement for offsite backup is that one Veeam Data Mover runs in the production site (closer to
the source datastore), and the other Veeam Data Mover runs in the remote site, closer to the backup repository.
During backup, Veeam Data Movers maintain a stable connection, which allows for uninterrupted operation over
the WAN or slow links.
To back up to a Microsoft Windows or Linux repository in the remote site, you need to deploy a backup proxy in
the production site, closer to the source datastore. In this scenario, the source-side Veeam Data Mover is started
on the backup proxy, and the target-side Veeam Data Mover is started on the Microsoft Windows or Linux
repository. VM data is sent from the backup proxy to the backup repository over the WAN.
To back up VMs to shared folder backup repository in the remote site, you must deploy a backup proxy in the
source site and a gateway server in the remote site. The shared folder backup repository must be pointed at the
target-side gateway server. During backup, the source-side Veeam Data Mover is started on the source backup
proxy in the production site, and the target-side Veeam Data Mover is started on the target gateway server in
the remote site. VM data is transferred between the backup proxy and gateway server over the WAN.
Backup Chain
Veeam Backup & Replication creates and maintains the following types of backup files:
• VBK — full backup files that store copies of full VM images.
• VIB or VRB — incremental backup files that store incremental changes of VM images.
• VBM — backup metadata files that store information about the backup job, VMs processed by the backup
job, number and structure of backup files, restore points, and so on. Metadata files facilitate import of
backups, backup mapping and other operations.
In addition to these file types, Veeam Backup & Replication can create the following files in the backup
repository:
• VSB — virtual synthetic backup files used for generation of virtual full backups on tapes. For more
information, see Virtual Full Backup.
• VLB, VSM and VLM — files that store Microsoft SQL Server transaction log data. For more information, see
Microsoft SQL Server Logs Backup.
• VLB, VOM and VLM — files that store Oracle archived log data. For more information, see Oracle Logs
Backup.
All backup files created by the backup job reside in a dedicated job folder in the backup repository. For example,
if you create a backup job with the DC Backup name, Veeam Backup & Replication will create the DC Backup
folder on the target backup repository and store all backup files produced with this job in this folder.
Backup files make up a backup chain. The backup chain consists of first full backup file, incremental backup files
and, additionally, backup metadata file. The number of backup files and how Veeam Backup & Replication orders
them in the chain depend on the chosen backup method. For details, see Backup Methods.
Full and incremental backup files correspond to restore points of backed-up VMs. You can think of restore
points as of "snapshots" of VM data at specific points in time. Restore points let you roll back VMs to the
necessary state.
To roll back a VM to a specific point in time, you need a chain of backup files: a full backup file plus a set of
incremental backup files dependent on this full backup file. If some file in the backup chain is missing, you will
not be able to roll back to the necessary state. For this reason, you must not delete separate backup files from
the backup repository manually. Instead, you must specify retention policy settings that will let you maintain
the desired number of backup files in the backup repository.
By default, during every backup job session Veeam Backup & Replication writes data of all VMs to the same
backup file. If necessary, you can instruct Veeam Backup & Replication to create per-VM backup chains — that is,
produce a separate backup chain for every VM added to the backup job. For details, see Per-VM Backup Files.
Backup Methods
Veeam Backup & Replication provides the following methods for creating backup chains:
• Forever forward incremental (FFI)

When the forever forward incremental (FFI) backup method is used, Veeam Backup & Replication creates a
backup chain that consists of the first full backup file (VBK) and a set of forward incremental backup files
(VIBs) following it.
This backup method helps you save space on the backup storage because Veeam Backup & Replication
stores only one full backup file and removes incremental backup files once the retention period is
exceeded. To meet retention policy settings, Veeam Backup & Replication injects data of an incremental
file into the full backup file before deleting the increment. Such transformations can lead to the
fragmentation of the full backup file, and you have to schedule the compact of full backup file operation.
This operation produces additional I/O load on the backup storage. Overall, the FFI method produces the
medium I/O impact on the storage compared to other backup methods.
Restore to the earliest restore point from backup files created using the FFI method is the fastest
compared to other methods because the first available restore point is always a full backup. Restore to
other restore points can be compared by speed with FI method.
For more information on the FFI backup method and how it works, see Forever Forward Incremental
Backup.
• Forward incremental (FI)

When the forward incremental (FI) backup method is used, Veeam Backup & Replication creates a backup
chain that consists of multiple full backup files (VBKs) and sets of forward incremental backup files (VIBs)
following each full backup file. Full backups can be created using synthetic full and/or active full method.
By doing regular full backups, the backup chain is split into shorter series. This lowers the chances of
losing the backup chain completely and makes this backup method the most reliable.
This backup method requires more storage space than other methods because the backup chains contains
multiple full backup files and sometimes Veeam Backup & Replication stores more restore points than
specified in the retention policy settings due to the specifics of the FI retention policy. For more
information on how backups are retained, see Forward Incremental Backup Retention Policy.
The FI backup method produces the lowest I/O impact on the backup storage. However, the impact on the
backup storage increases on days when synthetic full backups are scheduled, and impact on the
production storage increases on days when active full backups are scheduled.
Restore from backup files created using the FI method is the most optimal in time compared to other
methods (in cases when you you do not restore to the earliest or latest restore point). That is because the
backup chain is usually divided into short series of full backup files and incremental files and the
aggregation of the desired restore point does not take long time.
For more information on the FI backup method and how it works, see Forward Incremental Backup.
• Reverse incremental (RI)

When the reverse incremental (RI) backup method is used, Veeam Backup & Replication creates a backup
chain that consists of the full backup file (VBK) and a set of reverse incremental backup files (VRBs)
preceding it.
This backup method helps you save space on the backup storage because Veeam Backup & Replication
stores only one full backup file (if you do not schedule periodic full backups) and removes incremental
backup files once the retention period is exceeded. For more information on how backups are retained, see
Reverse Incremental Backup.
The RI method produces the heaviest I/O impact on the backup storage compared to other backup
methods. That is because during backup, Veeam Backup & Replication injects changed data blocks into the
full backup file and also creates reverse incremental backup files. Such transformations can lead to the
fragmentation of the full backup file, and you have to schedule the compact of full backup file operation.
This operation produces additional I/O load on the backup storage.
Restore to the latest restore point from backup files created using the RI method is the fastest compared
to other methods because the most recent restore point is always a full backup, and it gets updated after
every backup cycle. Restore to earlier restore points is slower than for other backup methods.
For more information on the RI backup method and how it works, see Reverse Incremental Backup.
Forever Forward Incremental Backup

The forever forward incremental backup method produces a backup chain that consists of the first full backup
file (VBK) and a set of forward incremental backup files (VIB) following it.
Veeam Backup & Replication creates a forever forward incremental backup chain in the following way:
1. During the first session of a backup job, Veeam Backup & Replication creates a full backup file in the
backup repository.
2. During subsequent backup job sessions, Veeam Backup & Replication copies only VM data blocks that have
changed since the last backup job session (full or incremental) and saves these blocks as an incremental
backup file in the backup chain.
3. After adding a new restore point to the backup chain, Veeam Backup & Replication checks the retention
policy for the job. If Veeam Backup & Replication detects an outdated restore point, it transforms the
backup chain to make room for the most recent restore point. For more information, see Forever Forward
Incremental Backup Retention Policy.
To use the forever forward incremental backup method, you must select the following options in the backup job
settings:
1. Select the Incremental backup mode.
2. Do not enable synthetic full backups and/or active full backups. If you enable synthetic and/or active full
backups, Veeam Backup & Replication will produce a forward incremental backup chain.
Forward Incremental Backup

The forward incremental backup method produces a backup chain that consists of the first full backup file (VBK)
and a set of forward incremental backup files (VIB) following it. Additionally, the forward incremental backup
chain contains synthetic full and/or active full backup files that “split” the backup chain into shorter series.
Veeam Backup & Replication creates a forward incremental backup chain in the following way:
1. During the first backup job session, Veeam Backup & Replication creates a full backup file in the backup
repository.
changed since the last backup job session (full or incremental) and saves these blocks as an incremental
3. On a day when the synthetic full or active full backup is scheduled, Veeam Backup & Replication creates a
full backup file and adds it to the backup chain. Incremental restore points produced after this full backup
file use it as a new starting point.
policy set for the job. If Veeam Backup & Replication detects an outdated restore point, it attempts to
remove this point from the backup chain. For more information, see Retention for Forward Incremental
Backup.
The forward incremental backup with synthetic full backup enabled is a default method for backup chain
creation. To use the forward incremental backup method, you can leave the default settings or select the
following options in the backup job settings:
1. Select the Incremental backup mode.
2. Enable synthetic full backups and/or active full backups. If the synthetic full backup and/or active full
backups are not enabled, Veeam Backup & Replication will produce a forever forward incremental backup
chain.
Reverse Incremental Backup

The reverse incremental backup method produces a backup chain that consists of the last full backup file (VBK)
and a set of reverse incremental backup files (VRB) preceding it.
Veeam Backup & Replication creates a reverse incremental backup chain in the following way:
1. During the first backup job session, Veeam Backup & Replication creates a full backup file in the backup
repository.
changed since the last backup job session. Veeam Backup & Replication “injects” copied data blocks into
the full backup file to rebuild it to the most recent state of the VM. Additionally,
Veeam Backup & Replication creates a reverse incremental backup file containing data blocks that are
replaced when the full backup file is rebuilt, and adds this reverse incremental backup file before the full
policy set for the job. If Veeam Backup & Replication detects an outdated restore point, it removes this
point from the backup chain. For more information, see Retention for Reverse Incremental Backup.
As a result, the most recent restore point in the backup chain is always a full backup, and it gets updated after
every successful backup job session.
The reverse incremental backup method lets you immediately restore a VM to the most recent state without
extra processing because the most recent restore point is a full backup file. If you need to restore a VM to a
particular point in time, Veeam Backup & Replication applies the required VRB files to the VBK file to get to the
required restore point.
To use the reverse incremental backup method, you must select the Reverse incremental option in the backup
job settings.
Switching Between Backup Methods

You can easily switch between backup methods. Veeam Backup & Replication does not transform the previously
created chain. Instead, it creates a new backup chain next to the existing one in the following manner:
• If you switch from the reverse incremental method to the forever forward incremental or forward
incremental method, Veeam Backup & Replication creates a set of incremental backup files next to the
reverse incremental chain. The full backup file in the reverse incremental chain is used as a starting point
for incremental backup files.
• If you switch from the forever forward incremental or forward incremental method to the reverse
incremental method, Veeam Backup & Replication first creates a full backup file next to incremental
backup files. During every new job session, Veeam Backup & Replication transforms this full backup file
and adds reverse incremental backup files to the backup chain.
• If you switch from the forever forward incremental method to the forward incremental method,
Veeam Backup & Replication creates synthetic full backups according to the specified schedule. Old
backup chain is deleted when the number of restore points in the new chain reach the retention limit.
• If you switch from the forward incremental method to the forever forward incremental method, synthetic
full backups are no longer created. When the number of restore points created since the last full backup
reach the retention limit, the old backup chain is deleted. Thereafter, with each restore point creation the
earliest increment file will merge with the full backup file.
Full Backup Methods
Veeam Backup & Replication provides the following methods for creation of full backup files:
• Active Full Backup

When you perform active full backup, Veeam Backup & Replication retrieves VM data from the source
datastore where the VM resides, compresses and deduplicates it and writes it to the VBK file in the backup
repository.
• Synthetic Full Backup

When you perform synthetic full backup, Veeam Backup & Replication does not retrieve VM data from the
source datastore. Instead, it synthesizes a full backup from data you already have in the backup
repository. Veeam Backup & Replication accesses the previous full backup file and a chain of subsequent
incremental backup files on the backup repository, consolidates VM data from these files and writes
consolidated data into a new full backup file. As a result, the created synthetic full backup file contains
the same data you would have if you created an active full backup.
TIP
You can perform both active and synthetic full backups. For more information on how to do that, see
Backup Settings.
Active Full Backup

In some cases, you need to regularly create a full backup. For example, your corporate backup policy may
require that you create a full backup on weekend and run incremental backup on work days. To let you conform
to these requirements, Veeam Backup & Replication lets you create active full backups.
The active full backup produces a full backup of a VM, just as if you run the backup job for the first time.
Veeam Backup & Replication retrieves data for the whole VM from the source, compresses and deduplicates it
and stores it to the full backup file — VBK.
The active full backup resets a backup chain. All incremental backup files use the latest active full backup file as
a new starting point. A previously used full backup file remains on disk until it is automatically deleted according
to the retention policy.
You can create active full backups manually or schedule a backup job to create active full backups periodically.
• To create an active full backup manually, use the Active Full command from the shortcut menu of a
corresponding backup job.
• To schedule active full backups, specify scheduling settings in the Advanced section of a corresponding
backup job. You can schedule active full backups to run weekly, for example, every Saturday, or monthly,
for example, every fourth Sunday of a month.
Active Full Backup Schedule

Veeam Backup & Replication automatically triggers a backup job to create an active full backup, even if a regular
backup job session is not scheduled on this day. The job session is started at the same time when the parent
backup job is scheduled. For example, if you schedule the parent backup job at 12:00 AM Sunday through
Friday, and schedule active full backup on Saturday, Veeam Backup & Replication will start a backup job session
that will produce an active full backup at 12:00 AM on Saturday.
If the parent backup job is not scheduled to run automatically or disabled, Veeam Backup & Replication will not
perform active full backup.
If a regular backup job is scheduled together with active full backup, Veeam Backup & Replication will produce
only one backup file — an active full backup that will contain the latest state of the source VM. An incremental
backup file that should have been created by the backup job schedule will not be added to the backup chain.
Veeam Backup & Replication creates an active full backup only once a day on which active full backup is
scheduled (unless you create a full backup manually). If you run the backup job again on the same
day, Veeam Backup & Replication will perform incremental backup in a regular manner.
Synthetic Full Backup

In some situations, running active full backups periodically may not be an option. Active full backups are
resource-intensive and consume considerable amount of network bandwidth. As an alternative, you can create
synthetic full backups.
In terms of data, the synthetic full backup is identical to a regular full backup. Synthetic full backup produces a
VBK file that contains data of the whole VM. The difference between active and synthetic full backup lies in the
way how VM data is retrieved:
• When you perform active full backup, Veeam Backup & Replication retrieves VM data from the source
datastore where the VM resides, compresses and deduplicates it and writes it to the VBK file in the backup
repository.
• When you perform synthetic full backup, Veeam Backup & Replication does not retrieve VM data from the
source datastore. Instead, it synthesizes a full backup from data you already have in the backup
repository. Veeam Backup & Replication accesses the previous full backup file and a chain of subsequent
incremental backup files on the backup repository, consolidates VM data from these files and writes
consolidated data into a new full backup file. As a result, the created synthetic full backup file contains
the same data you would have if you created an active full backup.
The synthetic full backup has a number of advantages:
• The synthetic full backup does not use network resources: it is created from backup files you already have
on disk.
• The synthetic full backup produces less load on the production environment: it is synthesized right on the
backup repository.
Veeam Backup & Replication treats synthetic full backups as regular full backups. As well as any other full
backup file, the synthetic full backup file resets the backup chain. All subsequent incremental backup files use
the synthetic full backup file as a new starting point. A previously used full backup file remains on disk until it is
automatically deleted according to the retention policy.
NOTE:
If you enable both synthetic and active full backups and schedule their creation on the same day, the
synthetic full backup is not created.
To create synthetic full backups, you must enable the Create synthetic full backups periodically option and
schedule creation of synthetic full backups on specific days in the backup job settings.
How Synthetic Full Backup Works

To create a synthetic full backup, Veeam Backup & Replication performs the following steps:
1. On a day when synthetic full backup is scheduled, Veeam Backup & Replication triggers a new backup job
session. During this session, Veeam Backup & Replication first performs incremental backup in a regular
manner and adds a new incremental backup file to the backup chain.
Veeam Backup & Replication retrieves VM data for this incremental backup file from the production
storage. Incremental backup helps Veeam Backup & Replication ensure that the synthetic full backup
includes the latest changes of the source VM in the production environment.
2. At the end of the backup job session, the Veeam Data Mover on the backup repository builds a new
synthetic full backup using backup files that are already available in the backup chain, including the newly
created incremental backup file.
3. When the synthetic full backup is created, the Veeam Data Mover on the backup repository deletes the
incremental backup file created at the beginning of the job session. As a result, you have a backup chain
that consists of a full backup file, set of incremental backup files and synthetic full backup file.
4. Every next job session creates a new incremental restore point starting from the synthetic full backup
until the day on which synthetic full backup is scheduled. On this day, Veeam Backup & Replication creates
a new synthetic full backup.
Synthetic Full Backup Schedule

Veeam Backup & Replication automatically triggers a backup job session to create a synthetic full backup, even
if a regular backup job session is not scheduled on this day. The job session is started at the same time when the
parent backup job is scheduled. For example, if you schedule the parent backup job at 12:00 AM Sunday through
Friday, and schedule synthetic full backup on Saturday, Veeam Backup & Replication will start a backup job
session that will produce a synthetic full backup at 12:00 AM on Saturday.
If a regular backup job is scheduled together with a synthetic full backup, Veeam Backup & Replication will
produce only one backup file — a synthetic full backup that will contain the latest state of the source VM. An
incremental backup file that should have been created by the backup job schedule will not be added to the
backup chain.
If an active full backup is scheduled together with a synthetic full backup, Veeam Backup & Replication will
create only the active full backup.
Veeam Backup & Replication creates a synthetic full backup only once a day on which synthetic full backup is
scheduled. If you run the backup job again on the same day, Veeam Backup & Replication will perform
incremental backup in a regular manner.
Short-Term Retention Policy

Every successful backup job session creates a new restore point that lets you roll back VM data to an earlier
point in time. To control the number of restore points in the backup chain, you must specify retention policy
settings. The retention policy defines how many restore points you want to retain on disk and thus how ‘far’ you
are able to roll back. After the allowed number of restore points is exceeded, Veeam Backup & Replication
automatically removes the earliest restore point from the backup chain.
To define the retention policy for a backup job, you must specify the necessary number of restore points or days
in the Retention policy field in the backup job settings. By default, Veeam Backup & Replication keeps 14 restore
points. In the Storage step of the New Backup Job wizard you can select the following units of retention policy.
• Restore points: Veeam Backup & Replication keeps the last N restore points, where N is the specified
number of restore points.
• Days: Veeam Backup & Replication keeps restore points created during the last N days, where N is the
specified number of days.
The daily retention policy can be helpful if you periodically create off-schedule backups. For example, you
create a daily backup job and you want to store retention points for 14 calendar days. If you select 14
restore points and manually create off-schedule backups, there will be several restore points in one day.
So, you will have retention points for less than 14 days. In this case, you can use the days option.
Mind the following for the daily retention policy:
o The minimum number of retained restore points is 3. This number does not depend on the number of
days set in the retention policy. For example, the retention policy is set to 5 days. You launch the job
after it was stopped for 10 days. Normally, Veeam Backup & Replication would delete all previous
restore points. However, due to the minimum number of retained restore points, you will still have at
least 3 restore points.
You can change the minimum number of retained restore points with a registry key. For more
information, contact Veeam Customer Support.
o If the backup job starts at the end of the day and finishes the next day, Veeam Backup & Replication
assumes that the restore point is created at the moment when the backup job started. However,
Veeam Backup & Replication starts counting retention policy days only after the backup job finishes
processing VMs.
o For the daily retention policy, Veeam Backup & Replication does not count restore points created on
the day the retention policy is run. For example, if you create a backup job on Monday, set daily
retention to 3 days, and create full backups daily. On Thursday, Veeam Backup & Replication will keep
restore points created during 4 days (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday). Restore points
created on Thursday will not be counted. On Friday, Veeam Backup & Replication will delete backup
files created on Monday, and keep restore points created during 4 days (Tuesday, Wednesday,
Thursday, and Friday). Note that the retention period may be longer depending on the specified
backup method.
When the specified number is exceeded, the earliest restore points will be removed from the backup chain or
merged with the next closest restore point. Veeam Backup & Replication handles restore points in different
ways for forever forward incremental, forward incremental and reverse incremental backup chains:
• Forever Forward Incremental Backup Retention Policy
• Retention for Forward Incremental Backup
• Retention for Reverse Incremental Backup
NOTE:
When the allowed number of restore points in the backup chain is exceeded, Veeam Backup & Replication
deletes the whole backup file, not separate VMs from it. For more information, see Removal of Restore
Points.
Forever Forward Incremental Backup Retention Policy

If the number of restore points in forever forward incremental backup chains exceeds retention policy settings,
Veeam Backup & Replication transforms the backup chain to make room for the most recent restore point. The
transformation process is performed in the following way:
1. Veeam Backup & Replication adds a new incremental backup file to the backup chain and detects that the
number of allowed restore points is exceeded.
2. Veeam Backup & Replication reuses empty data blocks in the full backup file to include changes of the
incremental backup file that follows the full backup. To do that, Veeam Backup & Replication injects data
blocks from the first incremental backup file in the chain into the full backup file. As a result, the full
backup file ‘moves’ one step forward in the backup chain.
NOTE:
If the forever forward incremental backup chain resides on a deduplicating storage appliance,
Veeam Backup & Replication does not reuse empty data blocks of the full backup file. Instead,
Veeam Backup & Replication appends data from the first incremental backup file in the chain to the full
backup file. As a result, the backup chain may consume more disk space on the appliance.
3. The first incremental backup file is removed from the backup chain as redundant. Its data has already been
injected into the full backup file, and the full backup file contains the same data as this incremental
backup file.
For example, you want to keep 7 restore points in the backup chain. The backup job starts on Sunday and runs
daily. In this case, Veeam Backup & Replication will create the backup chain in the following way:
1. During the first backup job session on Sunday, Veeam Backup & Replication creates the first restore point
— a full backup file.
2. Monday through Saturday Veeam Backup & Replication adds six incremental backup files to the backup
chain.
3. The next Sunday, Veeam Backup & Replication adds a new incremental backup file to the backup chain.
4. Veeam Backup & Replication detects that the number of allowed restore points is exceeded, and starts the
transformation process:
a. Veeam Backup & Replication merges data blocks from the incremental backup file created on Monday
into the full backup file created on Sunday. This way, the full backup file ‘moves’ one step forward —
from Sunday to Monday.
b. The incremental backup created on Monday becomes redundant and is removed from the backup
chain.
As a result, you have a chain of a full backup file as of Monday and six incremental backup files Tuesday through
Sunday.
Forward Incremental Backup Retention Policy

To be able to restore from a forward incremental backup, you need to have a full backup file and a chain of
subsequent incremental backup files on disk. If you delete a full backup file, the whole chain of incremental
backup files will become useless. In a similar manner, if you delete any incremental backup file before the point
to which you want to roll back, you won’t be able to restore VM data (since later incremental backup files
depend on earlier incremental backup files).
For this reason, if you select forward incremental backup method, in some days there will be more restore
points on disk than specified by retention policy settings. Veeam Backup & Replication will remove the full
backup chain only after the last incremental backup file in the chain becomes outdated.
For example, the retention policy is set to 3 restore points. The first full backup file is created on Sunday,
incremental backup files are created Monday through Saturday, and the second full backup is created on
Thursday. Although the retention policy is already breached on Wednesday, the first full backup is not deleted.
Without the full backup, backup chain would be useless, leaving you without any restore point at all.
Veeam Backup & Replication will wait for the second full backup file and 2 incremental backup files to be
created, and only then will delete the whole previous chain, which will happen on Saturday.
Reverse Incremental Backup Retention Policy
In case of reverse incremental backup, Veeam Backup & Replication immediately deletes the earliest reverse
incremental backup file as soon as it becomes outdated.
For example, you configure a backup job in the following way:
• The backup job starts on Sunday.
• The backup method is reverse incremental.
• Retention policy is set to 6 restore points.
Veeam Backup & Replication will start the backup job on Sunday. Monday through Friday, it will add new restore
points to the backup chain and rebuild the full backup file. On Saturday, Veeam Backup & Replication will add a
new restore point and remove the earliest reverse incremental backup file (VRB) from the backup chain.
Retention Policy for Deleted Items

In some situations, after you configure and run backup jobs in Veeam Backup & Replication, you may want to
change something in the virtual infrastructure or in the backup strategy. For example, you may remove some
machines from the virtual infrastructure or move them to another location. You may also exclude some
machines from jobs that have already run for some time.
Retention policy for deleted items functions differently depending on the per-VM backup file option. For
details, see Per-VM Backup Files.
• [If per-VM is enabled] When you enable retention policy for deleted items, Veeam Backup & Replication
will remove data for machines that are no longer processed by the backup job from the backup repository.
• [If per-VM is disabled] When you enable retention policy for deleted items, Veeam Backup & Replication
will remove the data about deleted items from the backup job and Veeam Backup & Replication database.
The stored blocks of deleted machines will remain in the repository. The stored blocks of deleted
machines will be removed only when the restore point retention limit is reached or by the compact full
backup file option.
Retention policy for deleted items data is set at the level of the backup job. You must enable the Remove
deleted items data after option in backup job settings and specify the period of time for which data for deleted
items must be retained in the backup repository.
Mind the following:
• You must use retention policy for deleted items data carefully. It is strongly recommended that you set
the retention policy to 3 days or more to prevent unwanted data loss.
• The Remove deleted items data after option lets you control data of deleted or excluded items. In
addition to it, Veeam Backup & Replication applies general retention policy rules to maintain the necessary
number of restore points in the backup chain. For more information, see Retention Policy.
How Retention Policy for Deleted Items Works

If you enable retention policy for deleted items data in backup job settings, Veeam Backup & Replication
performs the following actions:
1. If all machines in the job are processed with the Success status, at the end of the backup job session
Veeam Backup & Replication gets a list of machines in the backup.
2. For every machine in the backup, Veeam Backup & Replication checks the configuration database and gets
the date of the latest backup job session completed with the Success status.
3. Veeam Backup & Replication checks if any machine in the backup meets the following conditions:
o There are no successful backups for the machine for the last N days.
o There are no corrupted backups for the machine for the last N days.
Where N is the number of days specified in the Remove deleted items data after N days setting.
4. If both conditions are true for some machine, Veeam Backup & Replication removes data for this machine
from the backup. Note that if per-VM is disabled, it does not free up space in the backup repository. It
marks the space as available to be overwritten, and this space is removed during subsequent job sessions
or the full backup file compact operation.
Example 1
You create a backup job for 2 VMs and set the retention policy for deleted items to 5 days. The backup job runs
once a day for 7 times and processes VMs in the following way:
• VM 1 is successfully processed during all job sessions.
• VM 2 is successfully processed during the 1st and 2nd backup job sessions. Before the 3rd job session, VM 2 is
excluded from the job and is not processed by subsequent job sessions.
During the 8th job session, Veeam Backup & Replication will remove data for VM 2 from backups in the backup
repository since there are no successful and corrupted backups for VM 2 for the last 5 days.
Example 2
You create a backup job for 2 machines and set the retention policy for deleted machines to 5 days. The backup
job runs once a day for 7 times and processes machines in the following way:
• VM 1 is successfully processed during all job sessions.
• VM 2 is successfully processed during the 1st and 2nd backup job sessions. Starting from the 3rd job session,
VM 2 fails to be processed, for example, due power loss while machine data is transported.
During the 8th job session, Veeam Backup & Replication will not remove data for VM 2 from backups in the
backup repository. Even though there are no successfully created backups for VM 2 for the last 5 days,
Veeam Backup & Replication will detect that the configuration database contains information about corrupted
backups for VM 2 for the last 5 days.
Limitations for Retention Policy for Deleted Items

• [Per-VM is disabled] Retention policy for deleted items does not function if you enable synthetic full
backups and/or active full backup.
[Per-VM is enabled] Retention policy for deleted items functions without limitations.
• [For vCD backup jobs] To apply retention policy for deleted items, Veeam Backup & Replication checks
backups created for the vApp itself, not for a machine in this vApp. Thus, the retention policy is applied
only if the job stops creating backups for the entire vApp.
Removal of Restore Points

To keep up with the retention policy, Veeam Backup & Replication deletes the whole backup file from the
backup chain, not data for separate VMs from the backup file. In some situations a certain VM may have fewer
restore points than it is specified in retention policy settings. This can happen if a backup job processes a
number of VMs or VM containers (hosts, clusters, folders, resource pools, VirtualApps, datastores or tags), and
some VMs or VM containers fail to be processed during some job sessions.
Removal of Restore Points from Forward Incremental Chains
In case of a forward incremental backup chain, Veeam Backup & Replication does not remove a restore point
immediately. Instead, Veeam Backup & Replication waits for a new full backup (synthetic or active) to be
created and a new backup chain to be started. As soon as the last incremental restore point in the "old" backup
chain is marked as redundant, Veeam Backup & Replication removes the whole "old" backup chain from the
backup repository. For more information, see Retention for Incremental Backup.
For example, a backup job processes 2 VMs: VM 1 and VM 2. According to the retention policy settings, the
backup chain must contain 3 restore points. The backup job has already had 5 job sessions and VMs have been
processed in the following way:
• VM 1 has been successfully backed up 3 times and has 3 restore points
• VM 2 has failed to be processed in 2 job sessions and has 1 valid restore point
When Veeam Backup & Replication adds a new restore point to the backup chain, it will not remove the earliest
restore point. Veeam Backup & Replication will wait until a new full backup file and 2 incremental backup files
are added to the backup chain. After that, it will remove the whole outdated backup chain from the backup
repository. Restore points in the new backup chain, at the same time, may contain data for both VMs or for one
VM only: Veeam Backup & Replication regards backup files as restore points, not separate VMs in these files.
Removal of Restore Points from Reverse Incremental Chains

In case of a reverse incremental backup chain, Veeam Backup & Replication immediately deletes a redundant
restore point when the allowed number of restore points is exceeded. For more information, see Retention for
Reverse Incremental Backup.
For example, a backup job processes two VMs: VM 1 and VM 2. According to the retention policy settings, the
backup chain must contain 5 restore points. The backup job has already had 5 job sessions and VMs have been
processed in the following way:
• VM 1 has been successfully backed up 5 times and has 5 valid restore points
• VM 2 has failed to be processed in 2 job sessions and has 3 valid restore points
After that, Veeam Backup & Replication runs a new backup job session in which VM 1 and VM 2 are successfully
processed. When a new restore point is added to the chain, Veeam Backup & Replication removes the earliest
restore point because the number of restore points in the backup chain has exceeded 5. As a result, you will
have 5 restore points for VM 1 and 3 restore points for VM 2.
Long-Term Retention Policy (GFS)
The long-term or Grandfather-Father-Son (GFS) retention policy allows you to store backup files for long
periods of time — for weeks, months and even years. For this purpose, Veeam Backup & Replication does not
create any special new backup files — it uses backup files created while backup job runs and marks these
backups with specific GFS flags.
To mark a backup file for long-term retention, Veeam Backup & Replication can assign to the file the following
types of GFS flags: weekly (W), monthly (M) and yearly (Y). The types of GFS flags that
Veeam Backup & Replication assigns depend on the configured GFS retention policy settings.
IMPORTANT
GFS flags can be assigned only to full backup files created during the time period specified in GFS policy
settings.
As soon as Veeam Backup & Replication assigns a GFS flag to a full backup file, this backup file can no longer be
deleted or modified. Also, Veeam Backup & Replication does not apply short-term retention policy settings to
the full backup file — that is, Veeam Backup & Replication ignores the backup file when determining whether
the number of allowed backup files is exceeded.
When the specified retention period ends, Veeam Backup & Replication unassigns the GFS flag from the full
backup file. If the backup file does not have any other GFS flags assigned, it can be modified and deleted
according to the short-term retention policy.
Limitations
When planning to use GFS retention policy, mind the following limitations:
• GFS retention policy does not apply to reverse incremental backup chains.
• GFS retention policy applies to forever forward incremental backup chain only if you periodically create
full backups manually or using scheduled scripts. For more information on cmdlets that you can use in
scripts, see the Veeam PowerShell Reference.
• As Veeam Backup & Replication does not create new full backup files while applying the GFS retention
policy, you must configure your backup jobs in a way you do not lose any essential data due to an
insufficient number of full backup files. For example, if you configure monthly GFS retention, you need at
least one full backup file per month.
• If a GFS flag is assigned to a full backup file in an active backup chain, Veeam Backup & Replication is not
able to merge data from incremental backup files into the full backup file. For forever forward incremental
backup chain, this means, that the short-term retention policy does not apply.
• Veeam Backup & Replication assigns GFS flags only after you save GFS retention policy settings. This
means that GFS flags are assigned only to those backup files created after the configuration, while backup
files created earlier are not affected and previously assigned flags are not modified.
• You cannot store full backups to which GFS flags are assigned in backup repositories with rotated drives.
• Retention policy for deleted items does not apply to full backup files to which GFS flags are assigned.
Assignment of GFS Flags

When configuring GFS retention policy settings, you can choose a number of GFS flag types that
Veeam Backup & Replication will use to mark backup files for long-term retention. Depending on this number,
Veeam Backup & Replication will apply slightly different algorithms when assigning GFS flags:
• Algorithm for One Flag Type
• Algorithm for Multiple Flag Types
IMPORTANT!
If you reconfigure GFS retention policy and save it, the described algorithms start to work as for the first
time. This means that the previously assigned GFS flags are not considered when determining whether new
GFS flags must be assigned. The previously assigned flags are not modified and are deleted according to
the previous GFS retention policy.
Algorithm for One Flag Type

If you select only one type of GFS flags when configuring retention policy settings for a backup job,
Veeam Backup & Replication performs the following steps as soon as the job finishes:
• If the job finishes within the period when a new GFS flag must be assigned, Veeam Backup & Replication
checks whether the backup job has created a full backup file.
o Yes: If the GFS flag has already been assigned to another backup file during the scheduled period,
Veeam Backup & Replication does not assign another GFS flag to the backup file. If the GFS flag has
not been assigned, Veeam Backup & Replication assigns it.
o No: Veeam Backup & Replication waits for a full backup file to be created.
• If the job finishes outside the scheduled period, Veeam Backup & Replication checks whether the GFS flag
has already been assigned during the previous period.
o Yes: Veeam Backup & Replication does not assign a new GFS flag.
o No: Veeam Backup & Replication checks whether the backup job has created a full backup file.
 Yes: Veeam Backup & Replication assigns the GFS flag.
 No: Veeam Backup & Replication does not assign a new GFS flag.
Consider the following example. On Monday, you configure GFS policy settings of a backup job in a way weekly
GFS flags must be assigned every Wednesday. In this example, Veeam Backup & Replication will take the
following steps.
Example Description
1. Until Wednesday, Veeam Backup & Replication will not assign any GFS flags because the scheduled period
has not started yet.
2. On Wednesday, the backup job will produce an incremental backup file. Veeam Backup & Replication will
start waiting for a full backup file to be created since the scheduled period is now started.
3. On Thursday, the backup job will produce another incremental backup file, while
Veeam Backup & Replication will still be waiting for a full backup file.
4. On Friday, the backup job will produce a full backup file, and Veeam Backup & Replication will
immediately assign the weekly GFS flag to the backup file.
Algorithm for Multiple Flag Types

If you select multiple types of GFS flags when configuring retention policy settings for a backup job, GFS flags
depend on each other. Yearly flags (high level) depend on monthly flags, monthly flags depend on weekly flags,
weekly flags (low level) do not depend on any flags. This means that Veeam Backup & Replication can only
assign GFS flags of a higher level to backup files with GFS flags of a lower level — this mechanism helps you
save space in the backup repository.
IMPORTANT!
The described mechanism does not apply to a situation where you select only two types of GFS flags,
yearly and weekly. If you select these two types and do not select the monthly type,
Veeam Backup & Replication treats the case as if you select only one flag type. This means that flags of
each type are assigned according to the algorithm for one flag type.
Veeam Backup & Replication performs the following steps as soon as the job finishes. Note that GFS flags of
lower levels are processed before flags of higher levels.
• If the job finishes within the period when a new GFS flag must be assigned, Veeam Backup & Replication
checks whether the flag of a lower level must be assigned.
o Yes: If the GFS flag of a lower level has already been assigned to the backup file created by the job,
Veeam Backup & Replication assigns the GFS flag of the current level. If the GFS flag of a lower level
has not been assigned, Veeam Backup & Replication waits for the flag to be assigned.
 Yes: If the GFS flag of current level has already been assigned to another backup file during the
scheduled period, Veeam Backup & Replication does not assign the GFS flag of the current level
to the backup file. If the GFS flag has not been assigned, assigns it.
 No: Veeam Backup & Replication waits for a full backup file to be created.
• If the job finishes outside the scheduled period, Veeam Backup & Replication checks whether the GFS flag
of current level has already been assigned during the previous period.
o Yes: Veeam Backup & Replication does not assign any GFS flags.
 Yes: Veeam Backup & Replication assigns the flag of the current level.
 No: Veeam Backup & Replication does not assign any GFS flags.
Consider the following example. On Monday, you configure GFS policy settings of a backup job in a way weekly
GFS flags must be assigned every Wednesday and monthly GFS flags must be assigned every first week of a
month. In this example, Veeam Backup & Replication will take the following steps.
Example Description
1. On Monday, the backup job will produce an incremental backup file. Veeam Backup & Replication will start
waiting for a full backup file since the monthly scheduled period is now started.
2. On Tuesday, the backup job will produce a full backup file. Although Veeam Backup & Replication will still
be waiting for a full backup file, the full backup file with weekly GFS flag is required.
3. On Wednesday, the backup job will produce an incremental backup file.
4. On Thursday, the backup job will produce an incremental backup file. Veeam Backup & Replication will
start waiting for a full backup file to assign the weekly GFS flag to it since the weekly scheduled period is
now started.
5. On Friday, the backup job will produce a full backup file. Veeam Backup & Replication will immediately
assign the weekly GFS flag to the backup file. As the weekly GFS flag will have been assigned,
Veeam Backup & Replication will also assign the monthly GFS flag to the backup file.
Removal of GFS Flags
When configuring GFS retention policy settings, you can specify the retention period for each type of GFS flags.
After the specified retention period exceeds, Veeam Backup & Replication removes GFS flags.
The date when Veeam Backup & Replication can remove GFS flag is calculated by the following formulas:
• Weekly: date of GFS flag assignment + N * 7 days
• Monthly: date of GFS flag assignment + N months + 1 day
When calculating the date of GFS flag assignment + N months, Veeam Backup & Replication
increases the month ordinal number by N. If the calculated date does not exist,
Veeam Backup & Replication uses the last date of the calculated month.
• Yearly: date of GFS flag assignment + N years + 1 day
Where, N is the value specified in the Keep weekly/monthly/yearly full backups for field.
NOTE:
Veeam Backup & Replication removes GFS flags only during running backup job sessions. This means that if
the backup job does not run on the calculated date, Veeam Backup & Replication will remove the GFS flag
later during the next job session.
Consider the following example. At the beginning of January, you create a backup job whose GFS retention
policy settings are configured to assign monthly GFS flags. You want to keep backup files with monthly flags for
1 month and set the value of the Keep monthly full backups for field to 1. Veeam Backup & Replication will
perform the following steps to assign and remove the flags.
1. Veeam Backup & Replication will assign the monthly GFS flag on 1/31/2019.
2. To calculate the date when the monthly flag must be removed, the following formula is used: date of
GFS flag assignment + 1 month. This means that the flag must be removed on 2/31/2019.
However, this date does not exist since the last date of February is 2/28/2019. That is why
Veeam Backup & Replication will remove the GFS flag on 3/1/2019 (which is 2/28/2019 + 1 day).
Background Retention Job

Background retention job is a process that starts automatically every 24 hours and runs in the background. It
consists of two parts: deleted agent retention and background GFS retention.
Deleted Agent Retention

Deleted agent retention is a process that detects and deletes outdated backup files according to Veeam Agent
retention policy for outdated backups.
An outdated backup file is a backup file for which no new restore points were created and no new backup job
sessions were started within the last N days, where N is the retention period specified in the Veeam Agent
backup job settings.
For more information, see Retention Policy for Outdated Backups article in the Veeam Agent for Microsoft
Windows user guide and Maintenance Settings article (paragraph 4) in the Veeam Agent Management Guide.
Background GFS Retention

Background GFS retention applies to orphaned backup files that are no more processed by any jobs.
Veeam Backup & Replication shows such backup files under the Home > Backups > Orphaned node.
Background GFS retention process detects orphaned backup files and analyzes their retention period. If the
retention period for GFS flags of such backup files has expired, Veeam Backup & Replication removes GFS flags.
If the backup file does not have any other GFS flags assigned, Veeam Backup & Replication deletes it according
to the short-term retention policy.
For more information about GFS retention policy, see Long-Term Retention Policy (GFS).
Job and Backup File Types

Background retention job applies to backup files created with all the types of jobs that use GFS:
• Backup
• Backup copy
• Veeam Agent
• Veeam Agent management
Background retention job applies both to standard and orphaned backup files. It does not apply to imported
backup files.
Per-VM Backup Files
By default, backup jobs write VM data to the backup repository in one write stream, and store data of all VMs to
the same backup file. Such behavior can be non-optimal if the target storage device is able to write data in
multiple streams simultaneously. In this situation, the backup repository may become the bottleneck for the
data transfer, even though its resources will not be fully utilized.
You can instruct Veeam Backup & Replication to create per-VM backup files in the backup repository. In this
case, the backup job will use a separate write stream for every VM in the job, and store data of every VM to a
separate backup file. Resources of the storage device will be used more efficiently, and the job performance
may increase.
To create per-VM backup files, you must enable the Use per-VM backup files option at the level of the backup
repository. It is recommended that you enable this option for deduplicating storage appliances that support
multiple write streams. The option is also enabled for scale-out backup repositories by default.
It is recommended that you balance the number of tasks on backup proxies and backup repository to avoid the
situation where some backup infrastructure resources remain idle while others are overloaded.
NOTE:
It is not recommended that you disable the Limit maximum concurrent tasks to N option for backup
repositories with per-VM backup chains. In case of per-VM backup chains, synthetic operations (synthetic
full backup, backup files merge and transformation) work in parallel for every VM in the backup. The
number of parallel operations is limited by the number of concurrent tasks that can be performed on the
backup repository. If you disable the Limit maximum concurrent tasks to N option (which results in using an
unlimited number of slots), the load on the backup repository may be high.
Limitations for Per-VM Backup Files

• The Use per-VM backup files option cannot be enabled for backup repositories with rotated drives.
• If you enable the Use per-VM backup files option, data deduplication between VMs will not work. For
more information, see Data Compression and Deduplication.
• The Per-VM backup chains functionality is available in Veeam Backup & Replication Enterprise edition and
higher. If you configure backup repositories to produce per-VM backup chains and then install a license
that does not support this functionality, you must manually disable the Use per-VM backup files option for
backup repositories. Otherwise backup jobs targeted at these backup repositories will be failing.
Per-VM Backup Files Option for Existing Backup Repositories

You can enable or disable the Use per-VM backup files option for existing backup repositories at which backup
jobs are already targeted. The new setting will not have any effect on previously created backup files in the
backup repository. It will affect new backup files created after the setting is changed.
Veeam Backup & Replication applies the new setting starting from the next active full backup. You can create an
active full backup manually or wait for Veeam Backup & Replication to automatically create active full backup (if
active full backups are scheduled). Synthetic full backups do not affect the Use per-VM backup files setting.
Retention Policy for Per-VM Backup Files

If you enable the Use per-VM backup files option for the backup repository, Veeam Backup & Replication creates
a separate backup chain for every VM added to the job. Backup files are stored together in the folder of the
backup job in the backup repository. The job produces one metadata file. This file stores information about all
created backup files and backup chains.
Veeam Backup & Replication regards all backup files that are created during one backup job run as one restore
point. When Veeam Backup & Replication needs to remove earlier restore points by retention policy, it removes
backup files for all VMs that were created during one job run.
For example, you have added 3 VMs to the job, set the retention setting to 5 restore points and run the job 5
times. The job will produce 15 backup files, 5 per each VM in the job. On the 6th job run, the job will remove from
the backup chain 3 backup files — the earliest restore points for every VM.
If the job backs up some VMs during the job run and does not manage to back up others,
Veeam Backup & Replication will still regard that the restore point is valid. When the earliest restore point gets
outdated, Veeam Backup & Replication will remove backup files for all VMs at once, even though backup chains
for some VMs may contain fewer backup files than you expect.
The rules of restore points deletion for regular backup chains also apply to per-VM backup chains. For more
information, see Removing Restore Points from the Backup Chain.
For example, you have added 3 VMs to the job and set retention policy to 5. The backup job worked in the
following way:
1. During the first two job runs, Veeam Backup & Replication backed up all VMs.
2. During the 3rd and 4th job runs, VM 1 and VM 2 were successfully backed up, and VM 3 failed.
During the 6th job run, Veeam Backup & Replication will delete the earliest restore point for all VMs. As a result,
the VM 1 and VM 2 will have 5 restore points and VM3 will have 3 restore points.
Changed Block Tracking
To perform incremental backup, Veeam Backup & Replication needs to know what data blocks have changed
since the previous job session.
For VMware VMs with hardware version 7 and later, Veeam Backup & Replication employs a native VMware
vSphere feature — VMware vSphere Changed Block Tracking (CBT). Instead of scanning VMFS,
Veeam Backup & Replication queries CBT through VADP and gets the list of blocks that have changed since the
last job session. Use of CBT increases the speed and efficiency of block-level incremental backups.
Veeam Backup & Replication uses CBT for the following operations:
• Backup
• Replication
• VM disk restore
Veeam Backup & Replication enables CBT by default. If necessary, you can disable it in job settings.
NOTE:
CBT is disabled if you back up proxies that use Virtual appliance (HotAdd) mode to process VM data.
NOTE:
For VMs with virtual disks in thin format, Veeam Backup & Replication also uses CBT during active full
backup sessions to detect unallocated regions of virtual disks and skip them. For VMs with virtual disks on
NFS datastore, Veeam Backup & Replication uses CBT as well, but cannot leverage CBT on first full run (for
more information, see this KB article).
In some situations, Veeam Backup & Replication cannot leverage VMware vSphere CBT, for example, if VMs run
an earlier version of virtual hardware. If Veeam Backup & Replication cannot leverage VMware vSphere CBT, it
fails over to Veeam’s proprietary filtering mechanism. Instead of tracking changed blocks of data,
Veeam Backup & Replication filters out unchanged data blocks.
During VM processing, Veeam Backup & Replication consolidates virtual disk content, scans through the VM
image and calculates a checksum for every data block. Checksums are stored as metadata to backup files next to
VM data. When incremental backup is run, Veeam Backup & Replication opens all backup files in the chain of
previous full and incremental backups, reads metadata from these files and compares it with checksums
calculated for a VM in its current state. If a match is found (which means the block already exists in the backup),
the corresponding block is filtered out.
Data Compression and Deduplication
Veeam Backup & Replication provides mechanisms of data compression and deduplication. Data compression
and deduplication let you decrease traffic going over the network and disk space required for storing backup
files and VM replicas.
Data Compression
Data compression decreases the size of created backups but affects duration of the backup procedure.
Veeam Backup & Replication allows you to select one of the following compression levels:
• None compression level is recommended if you plan to store backup files and VM replica files on storage
devices that support hardware compression and deduplication.
• Dedupe-friendly is an optimized compression level for very low CPU usage. You can select this
compression level if you want to decrease the load on the backup proxy.
• Optimal is the recommended compression level. It provides the best ratio between size of the backup file
and time of the backup procedure.
• High compression level provides additional 10% compression ratio over the Optimal level at the cost of
about 10x higher CPU usage.
• Extreme compression provides the smallest size of the backup file but reduces the backup performance.
We recommend that you run backup proxies on computers with modern multi-core CPUs (6 cores
recommended) if you intend to use the extreme compression level.
NOTE:
If encryption is enabled for a job and the Decompress backup data blocks before storing check box is
selected in the settings of the target backup repository, Veeam Backup & Replication does not compress
VM data. Therefore, in the job statistics, you may observe a higher amount of transferred data (the
Transferred counter) as compared to a job for which encryption is disabled. For details on job statistics, see
Viewing Real-Time Statistics.
Changing Data Compression Settings

You can change data compression settings for existing backup jobs. After you change the settings, you will not
need to create new full backups to use new settings. Veeam Backup & Replication will automatically apply the
new compression level to the newly created backup files after you save the settings. Previously created backup
files will not be affected.
However, if you use the reverse incremental backup method, the newly created backup files will contain a
mixture of data blocks compressed at different levels. For example, you have a backup job that uses the reverse
incremental backup method and the Optimal level of compression. After several job sessions, you change the
compression level to High. In the reverse incremental backup chains, the full backup file is rebuilt with every job
session to include new data blocks. As a result, the full backup file will contain a mixture of data blocks: data
blocks compressed at the Optimal level and data blocks compressed at the High level. The same behavior
applies to synthetic full backups: synthetic full backups created after the compression level change will contain
a mixture of data blocks compressed at different levels.
If you want the newly created backup file to contain data blocks compressed at one level, you can create an
active full backup. Veeam Backup & Replication will retrieve data for the whole VM image from the production
infrastructure and compress it at the new compression level. All subsequent backup files in the backup chain
will also use the new compression level.
Deduplication
Data deduplication decreases the size of backup files. With data deduplication enabled,
Veeam Backup & Replication does not store to the resulting backup file identical data blocks and space that has
been pre-allocated but not used.
We recommend you enable data deduplication if your backup or replication jobs contain several VMs that have a
lot of free space on their logical disks or VMs that have similar data blocks — for example, VMs that were
created from the same template. However, note that data deduplication may decrease job performance.
Veeam Backup & Replication uses Veeam Data Movers to deduplicate VM data:
• Veeam Data Mover in the source side deduplicates VM data at the level of VM disks. Before the source-
side Veeam Data Mover starts processing a VM disk, it obtains digests for the previous restore point in the
backup chain from Veeam Data Mover in the target side. The source-side Veeam Data Mover consolidates
this information with CBT information from the hypervisor and filters VM disk data based on it. If some
data block exists in the previous restore point for this VM, the source-side Veeam Data Mover does not
transport this data block to the target. In addition to it, in case of thin disks the source-side Veeam Data
Mover skips unallocated space.
• Veeam Data Mover in the target side deduplicates VM data at the level of the backup file. It processes
data for all VM disks of all VMs in the job. The target-side Veeam Data Mover uses digests to detect
identical data blocks in transported data, and stores only unique data blocks to the resulting backup file.
You can change data deduplication settings for existing jobs. After you change the settings, you will not need to
create new full backups to enable/disable the deduplication. Veeam Backup & Replication will automatically
apply the change to the newly created backup files after you save the settings. Previously created backup files
will not be affected.
Storage Optimization
Veeam Backup & Replication uses data blocks of different size to process VMs. Data block size depends on the
type of storage you select as a backup target.
When you deduplicate a large backup file to small data blocks, Veeam Backup & Replication produces a very
large deduplication metadata table, which can potentially overgrow memory and CPU resources of your backup
repository. To optimize the job performance and data block size, you can choose one of the following options in
accordance with the size of your backup files.
Storage Block size Description

optimization option
Local target (large 4096 KB Recommended for backup files that are larger than 16 TB.
blocks)
This option will provide the lowest deduplication ratio and the
largest size of incremental backup files.
Local target 1024 KB Recommended for backup to SAN, DAS or local storage.
This option provides the fastest backup job performance but

reduces the deduplication ratio, because with larger data blocks it is
less likely to find identical blocks.
Storage Block size Description
optimization option
LAN target 512 KB Recommended for backup to NAS and onsite backup.
This option provides a better deduplication ratio and reduces the

size of a backup file because of reduced data block sizes.
WAN target 256 KB Recommended if you are planning to use WAN for offsite backup.
This option provides the maximum deduplication ratio and the

smallest size of backup files that allows you to reduce the amount
of traffic over WAN.
Changing Storage Optimization Settings

You can change storage optimization settings for existing jobs. New settings will not have any effect on
previously created backup files in the backup chain. They will be applied to new backup files created after the
settings were changed.
For Veeam Backup & Replication to apply the new settings, use the following instructions.
Backup Jobs
To apply new storage optimization settings in backup jobs, you must create an active full backup after you
change storage optimization settings. Veeam Backup & Replication will use the new block size for the active full
backup and subsequent backup files in the backup chain.
Backup Copy Jobs
To change data block size for backup copy jobs, you must perform the following actions:
1. Change data block size in settings of the initial backup job.
2. Create an active full backup with the initial backup job.
3. Create an active full backup with the backup copy job.
Data Exclusion
When you configure a backup or replication job, you can define what data you want to back up and replicate and
exclude data that you do not need. Data exclusion helps reduce the size of the VM backup or replica and
decrease the load on the network.
You can exclude data at the VM level and at the VM guest OS level.
At the VM level:
• VMs added as part of the container
• VM disks
• VM templates (only for backup)
At the VM guest OS level:
• Swap files on the VM guest OS
• Deleted file blocks on the VM guest OS (BitLooker)
• Files and folders on the VM guest OS
NOTE:
To reduce the size of the backup file, Veeam Backup & Replication automatically excludes VM log files from
processing.
VMs and VM Disks

When you configure a backup or replication job, you can exclude the following objects from processing:
• VMs added as a part of a VM container
• Individual VM disks
• [For backup jobs] VM templates
VMs as Part of Container

If you want to back up or replicate a VM container that holds several VMs but want to skip some VMs, you can
exclude specific VMs from the job processing. This option will help you reduce the size of the resulting backup
or replica and increase the job performance.
You can define which VMs you want to skip at the Virtual Machines step of the backup or replication job wizard.
Individual VM Disks
You can choose what VM disks you want to back up or replicate:
• All VM disks
• 0:0 disks (which are commonly the VM system disks)
• Specific IDE, SCSI or SATA disks
For example, you may want to back up or replicate only the system disk instead of creating a backup or replica
of a full VM. VM disks exclusion reduces the size of the backup or replica.
You can define which VM disks you want to back up or replicate at the Virtual Machines step of the backup or
replication job wizard. You can specify disk processing settings granularly for every VM in the job or for the
whole VM container. In the latter case, Veeam Backup & Replication will apply the configured rule to all VMs in
this container.
You can additionally instruct Veeam Backup & Replication to modify the configuration file of the VM. When you
start a VM from the backup or fail over to the VM replica, you will be able to use such VM immediately. You will
not have to edit its configuration file and remove excluded disks from it.
VM Templates
You can include VM templates in the backup. Backing up VM templates provides additional safety of your
production environment but requires additional space in the backup repository.
Veeam Backup & Replication allows you to include a VM template only in the full backup and omit it in
incremental backups. Note that Veeam Backup & Replication always uses the Network transport mode to copy
VM templates data.
You can define how Veeam Backup & Replication must process VM templates at the Virtual Machines steps of
the wizard.
Deleted File Blocks (BitLooker)

By default, Veeam Backup & Replication does not copy "dirty" data blocks to the target location. Dirty data
blocks are blocks marked as deleted after you remove them from the recycle bin. Omitting these blocks lets you
reduce the size of the VM backup or replica and increase the job performance.
If you do not want to exclude deleted file blocks from backups or replicas, you can disable the Exclude deleted
file blocks option in the backup or replication job settings.
NOTE:
If you enable or disable the Exclude deleted file blocks setting for the existing job,
Veeam Backup & Replication will apply the new setting from the next job session.
With this option enabled, Veeam Backup & Replication performs the following operations during the job session:
1. Veeam Backup & Replication accesses the MFT file on the VM guest OS to identify deleted file blocks, and
zeros out these blocks.
2. Veeam Backup & Replication processes and transports data blocks of the VM image in the following
manner:
o If a data block of the VM image contains only the deleted file blocks, Veeam Backup & Replication
does not read this data block from the source datastore.
o If a data block of the VM image contains zeroed out blocks and other data,
Veeam Backup & Replication copies this block to the target. Due to data compression, data blocks
that are marked as deleted are compressed, and the size of the resulting backup or replica file
reduces.
Limitations for Deleted File Blocks Exclusion
Veeam Backup & Replication can exclude deleted file blocks only on the VM guest OS with Microsoft NTFS.
Swap Files
You can instruct Veeam Backup & Replication to exclude pagefile.sys and hiberfil.sys files from backups or
replicas of Microsoft Windows VMs.
• hiberfil.sys is a system file created by the OS for correct work of the hibernate mode.
• pagefile.sys is a swap file. Swap files are dynamic in nature and can change intensively between job
sessions, even if a VM itself does not change much.
To exclude these files, you must enable the Exclude swap file blocks option in the job settings.
Veeam Backup & Replication will identify data blocks of these files and exclude them from processing. As a
result, the size of incremental backups and replicas will be smaller.
When you exclude pagefile.sys and hiberfil.sys files, Veeam Backup & Replication performs the following
operations during the job session:
1. Veeam Backup & Replication accesses the MFT file on the VM guest OS to identify data blocks of
pagefile.sys and hiberfil.sys files and zeros them out.
2. Veeam Backup & Replication processes and transports data blocks of the VM image in the following
manner:
o If a data block of the VM image contains only blocks of these files, Veeam Backup & Replication does
not copy this data block to the target.
o If a data block of the VM image contains blocks of these files and other data,
Veeam Backup & Replication copies this block to the target.
Limitations for Swap Files Exclusion

Veeam Backup & Replication can exclude blocks of pagefile.sys and hiberfil.sys files only on the VM guest OS
with Microsoft Windows NTFS.
VM Guest OS Files
If you do not want to back up or replicate some files and folders on the VM guest OS, you can exclude them
from the backup or replica. Files exclusion reduces the size of the backup or replica but may affect the job
performance.
You can specify file exclusion settings granularly for every VM in the job or for the whole VM container. In the
latter case, Veeam Backup & Replication will apply the configured rule to all VMs in this container.
To define which VM guest OS files must and must not be processed, you can use the following options:
• Disable file exclusion.
Veeam Backup & Replication will back up or replicate the whole content of the VM guest file system.
• Exclude specific files and folders from the backup or replica.

Veeam Backup & Replication will back up or replicate all files and folders except the specified ones.
• Include only specific files and folders in the backup or replica.

Veeam Backup & Replication will back up or replicate only the specified files and folders.
Defining File Exclusions and Inclusions

To define a list of exclusions or inclusions, you can use the following methods:
• Specify a full path to a folder on the VM guest OS, for example, C:\Documents\.
• Specify a full path to a file on the VM guest OS, for example: C:\Documents\MyReport.docx.
If a path is not full, Veeam Backup & Replication will expand it relatively the root directory on the
computer volume and attempt to detect such files on all computer volumes. For example, you have C, D
and E disks on the VM. In the list of exclusions, you specify Document.docx. Veeam Backup & Replication
will scan the whole file system and exclude the following files (if any): C:\Document.docx,
D:\Document.docx, E:\Document.docx. If there is a C:\MyDocuments\Document.docx file, it will
not be excluded — this file is not located in the root directory.
• Use environmental variables, for example, %TEMP%, %windir%.
Environment variables must be defined for the user account that you use to connect to the VM guest OS
and under which the non-persistent runtime components or persistent agent components are started. For
example, you connect to the VM guest OS under the Administrator account. If you want to use the
%windir% variable in the list of exclusions or inclusions, you must make sure that the %windir% variable
is added to the list of user variables for Administrator on the VM guest OS.
• Use file masks. You can use the following characters for masks:
o (*) — a substitution for one or more characters in the file name or path. Can be used for any sequence
of characters (including no characters). For example, *.pdf.
o (?) — a substitution of one character in the file name or path. For example, repor?.pdf
o (;) — mask separator, for example, report.*;reports.*.
In the table below, mask stands for any sequence of characters.
Mask format Affects paths/files
*mask* All paths that contain the given sequence.
mask* If the asterisk character (*) is not specified at the beginning of the mask,
the mask will be applied to all volumes on the VM guest OS, and
Veeam Backup & Replication will include/exclude files and folders in the
root folder on the volume: A:\mask*, B:\mask*, …, Z:\mask*.
<drive_letter>:\*mask* All paths on the specified volume that contain the given sequence.
*mask1*;*mask2*;*mask3* All paths that contain at least one of the given character sequences:
*mask1* or *mask2* or *mask3*.
IMPORTANT!
Be careful when using masks with double wildcard characters. If you specify masks of such type,
Veeam Backup & Replication will exclude all files and paths that contain the given mask. For example, if
you specify the *.doc* mask, Veeam Backup & Replication will exclude files like MyReport.docx,
Report.doc.txt and so on.
Requirements and Limitations for VM Guest OS File Exclusion
VM guest OS files exclusion has the following limitations:
• File exclusion works only on Microsoft Windows NTFS.
• File exclusion is available in the Enterprise and Enterprise Plus editions of Veeam Backup & Replication.
• To exclude VM guest OS files, Veeam Backup & Replication must be able to deploy the non-persistent
runtime components or use (in necessary, deploy) persistent agent components inside the VM. For this
reason, the VM must be running and accessible by an IP address or via the Installer Service on VM, and
credentials for application-aware processing must be valid.
• Veeam Backup & Replication supports both basic and dynamic disks. For the dynamic disks, simple type of
volumes is supported. Spanned, mirrored and striped volumes are not supported.
• It is not recommended that you use VM guest files exclusion in Microsoft Windows for volumes with
enabled Data Deduplication. If you decide to use VM guest files exclusion for such volumes and set up a
list of inclusions, you must add the System Volume Information folder to the list of inclusions.
• If you use file masks for file exclusion, Veeam Backup & Replication will scan the VM guest file system, and
thus the time of VM disk processing will increase.
• The number of entries in the list of exclusions or inclusions must not exceed a few hundreds. The number
of entries in the list influences the job performance — the more files are included or excluded from the
backup or replica, the more time Veeam Backup & Replication requires to process these files.
• It is recommended that you do not exclude system files without the necessity.
Veeam Backup & Replication does not perform any checks to verify the VM image integrity.
• Exclusion of small files (less than 2 KB in size) is ineffective and will not reduce the size of the backup or
replica significantly.
Exclusion Rules for VMs with Several Volumes

The VM guest file exclusion and inclusion functionality works at the volume level. Consider the following
situations:
Data exclusion
A VM has several volumes: C:\, D:\ and E:\. You want to exclude from the backup the Archive folder that is
present on all volumes of the VM. If you add the C:\Archive folder to the list of exclusions,
Veeam Backup & Replication will back up the following data:
• Whole content of the C:\ volume except the Archive folder
• Whole content of D:\ and E:\ volumes
To exclude the Archive folder from all volumes of the VM, you must add a relative path to the Archive folder
the list of exclusions: ..\Archive\.
Data inclusion
A VM has several volumes: C:\, D:\ and E:\. You want to include to the backup only the D:\Documents
folder. If you add the D:\Documents folder to the list of inclusions, Veeam Backup & Replication will back up
the following data:
• D:\Documents folder
• Whole content of C:\ and E:\ volumes
To include only the D:\Documents folder to the backup, you must add the D:\Documents folder to the list of
inclusions and, additionally, exclude unnecessary disks (that contain C:\ and E:\ volumes) at the Virtual
Machines step of the wizard. For more information, see Exclude Objects from Backup Job .
How VM Guest OS File Exclusion Works

When you exclude VM guest OS files from the backup or replica, Veeam Backup & Replication performs the
following operations:
1. Veeam Backup & Replication checks the job settings to identify what VM guest OS files must be excluded.
2. Veeam Backup & Replication opens the MFT file from the VM guest file system in the memory cache on
the backup proxy, and marks data blocks of excluded files as deleted.
3. When Veeam Backup & Replication copies VM data to the target, it reads data both from the VM snapshot
and memory cache on the backup proxy. On the target, Veeam Backup & Replication creates a "merged"
version of VM disks that do not contain excluded VM guest OS files. Due to data compression, data blocks
that are marked as deleted are compressed, and the size of the resulting backup or replica file reduces.
During the job session with file exclude, Veeam Backup & Replication makes changes to processed VM disks at
the NTFS level using the cache on the backup proxy. However, these changes are not visible to the CBT
mechanism. For this reason, Veeam Backup & Replication saves information about excluded data blocks in the
backup file and replica metadata. During the next job session with use of CBT, Veeam Backup & Replication
retrieves a list of data blocks that were excluded during the previous job session from the backup file or replica
metadata and analyzes what data needs to be processed during the current job session. To do this,
Veeam Backup & Replication regards the following data:
• Data blocks that are marked as new with CBT
• Data blocks that were excluded during the previous job session
• Data blocks that must be excluded during the current job session
VMware Tools Quiescence
When you back up or replicate a running VM, you need to quiesce or ‘freeze’ the VM to bring its file system and
application data to a consistent state. Data quiescence is crucial for highly-transactional applications. It helps
create transactionally consistent backups or replicas and guarantee safety of application data.
To create consistent backups and replicas for VMs that do not support Microsoft VSS (for example, Linux VMs),
enable VMware Tools quiescence in job settings. In this case, Veeam Backup & Replication uses the VMware
Tools to freeze the file system and application data on a VM before backup or replication.
VMware Tools also allow creating backups and replicas for Microsoft Windows-based VMs that support
Microsoft VSS. For this, VMware Tools use VMware VSS component. For details on the supported OSes and
quiescence features, see the VMware documentation.
However, to bring applications to a transactionally consistent state before freezing, you must use a pre-freeze
script. To bring applications to the initial state after freezing, use a post-freeze script. Store these scripts on the
backup server. When a backup or replica job starts, Veeam Backup & Replication uploads these scripts to the
appropriate folders on the VM guest OS. For more information, see Pre-Freeze and Post-Thaw Scripts.
By default, VMware Tools quiescence is disabled. You can enable it at the job level. Note that VMware Tools
quiescence will be enabled for all VMs added to the job.
Combined Approach
It is recommended to enable VMware Tools quiescence and application-aware processing when you add
Microsoft Windows and Linux VMs to the same job. In this case, all VMs will be processed in a transactionally
consistent manner — either with application-aware processing or VMware Tools quiescence.
In such a scenario, Veeam Backup & Replication processes VMs in the job in the following way:
1. Veeam Backup & Replication first attempts to use application-aware processing to prepare VMs for backup
or replication. If Veeam Backup & Replication manages to quiesce all VMs in the job with application-
aware processing, it does not use VMware Tools quiescence.
2. If some VMs cannot be quiesced with application-aware processing or application-aware processing is

disabled for some VMs in the job (the Disable application processing is set for VMs in the job settings),
Veeam Backup & Replication uses VMware Tools quiescence to prepare these VMs for backup or
replication.
To enable both technologies:
1. At the Storage step of the wizard (for backup) or Job Settings step of the wizard (for replication), click
Advanced.
2. On the vSphere tab of the Advanced Settings window, select Enable VMware Tools quiescence.
3. At the Guest Processing step of the wizard, select the Enable application-aware processing check box.
4. When you configure advanced option for individual VMs, select Try application processing, but ignore
failures. You can also select the Disable application processing option for VMs that you want to process
with VMware Tools quiescence.
NOTE:
If you enable application-aware processing and VMware Tools quiescence but do not select the Ignore
application processing failures option, Veeam Backup & Replication uses only application-aware processing
for the job.
Guest Processing
If you back up or replicate running VMs, you can enable guest processing options. Guest processing options are
advanced tasks that require Veeam Backup & Replication to communicate with the VM guest OS.
Veeam Backup & Replication offers the following guest processing options:
• Application-aware processing. You can create transactionally consistent backups and replicas of VMs that
run Microsoft Active Directory, Microsoft Exchange, Microsoft SharePoint, Microsoft SQL Server or Oracle.
The transactionally consistent backup guarantees proper recovery of these applications without data loss.
For information on system requirements for the applications, see System Requirements.
• Pre-freeze and post-thaw scripts. You can use pre-freeze and post-thaw scripts to quiesce VMs running
applications that do not support Microsoft VSS.
• Transaction log truncation. You can set the backup or replication job to truncate transaction logs on the
VM guest OS after the VM is successfully processed.
• Transaction logs backup for Microsoft SQL Server and Oracle. You can set up the backup job to back up
transaction logs from Microsoft SQL Server and Oracle VMs.
• VM guest file system indexing. You can set up the backup job to create a catalog of files and folders on the
VM guest OS. The catalog lets you search for VM guest OS files and 1-click restore in Veeam Backup
Enterprise Manager.
VM guest file system indexing is optional. If you do not enable this option in the backup job settings, you
will still be able to perform 1-click restore from the backup created with such backup job. For more
information, see the Preparing for File Browsing and Searching section in the Enterprise Manager User
Guide.
• VM guest OS files exclusion. You can exclude/include individual files and folders from/to backup or
replica.
NOTE:
If you plan to use Kerberos authentication for guest OS processing, mind the following:
• Networkless application-aware guest processing through VMware VIX/vSphere Web Services is not
supported for VMs with guest OS where NTLM is restricted.
• Backup infrastructure components (backup server, repositories, backup proxies, guest interaction
proxies, and other components) must correctly resolve FQDNs of guest operating systems.
• To process workloads where Kerberos is used, NTLM must be allowed in the backup infrastructure
components. For details, see Kerberos Authentication for Guest OS Processing.
Non-Persistent Runtime Components and Persistent Agent

Components
To perform guest processing tasks, Veeam Backup & Replication must use special components when protecting
VMs. These components can be either non-persistent runtime components or persistent agent components.
Non-Persistent Runtime Components
The runtime components are non-persistent. They are deployed on every VM added to the job when the job
starts. As soon as the job finishes, the components are removed. Use of the runtime components helps avoid
agent-related drawbacks such as pre-installing, troubleshooting and updating. This method is used for guest
processing by default. To enable it, make sure that you clear selection from the Use persistent guest agent
check box when specifying application-aware processing settings, for example, as described in Application-
Aware Processing for VM backup jobs.
When you do not select the Use persistent guest agent option, Veeam Backup & Replication performs
processing of the backup jobs with enabled guest processing according to the following algorithm.
NOTE
If the Use persistent guest agent option is disabled, but persistent agent components were previously
installed on the VM, Veeam Backup & Replication can use them for guest processing. In order to use non-
persistent runtime components, uninstall the persistent agent components from protected VMs.
Persistent Agent Components

If you want to perform guest processing in a highly secure way, you can install persistent agent components
(Guest Helper and Log Shipping Service) on protected VMs. Persistent agent components installed on protected
VMs require very limited and clearly defined ports to communicate with Veeam Backup & Replication. That
allows closing access to the VM administrative share (ADMIN$) and access to VM over VIX API/ vSphere Web
Services. For more information on ports required to provide guest processing via persistent agent components,
see Used Ports.
IMPORTANT
Mind that in order to use the persistent guest agent option, you must ensure that the Installer Service is
installed on the VM, for which you schedule guest processing.
The Installer Service can be installed in one of the following ways:
• Manual installation by running the MSI file located at C:\Program Files\Veeam\Backup and
Replication\Backup\Packages. You can also manually preinstall the required components located in
the same folder for future use. Or you can let the Installer Service install the components automatically
during the first run of the backup job with enabled guest processing of this VM by persistent agents.
• Remote installation by using a script.
• Remote installation via domain group policies.
• Automatic installation when adding the VM to the Veeam Backup & Replication infrastructure.
If the Installer Service is installed on the VM, for which you want to schedule guest processing, you can use
persistent guest agents for guest processing. To enable this method, select the Use persistent guest agent
check box when specifying application-aware processing settings, for example, as described in Application-
Aware Processing for VM backup jobs. In this case, if persistent guest agents are missing on the VM, they will be
installed by the Installer Service during the first run of the backup job.
When you select the Use persistent guest agent option, Veeam Backup & Replication performs processing of the
backup jobs with enabled guest processing according to the following algorithm.
Deployment of Non-Persistent Runtime Components or
Persistent Agent Components
Veeam Backup & Replication can deploy the non-persistent runtime components or persistent agent
components on VMs in two ways:
• For VMs running Microsoft Windows, the non-persistent runtime components or persistent agent
components are installed using guest interaction proxies. For more information, see Guest Interaction
Proxy.
• For VMs running OSes other than Microsoft Windows, for example, Linux, the non-persistent runtime
components are deployed from the backup server.
NOTE:
If there are no guest interaction proxies or guest interaction proxies fail for some reason,
Veeam Backup & Replication will deploy the non-persistent runtime components or persistent agent
components on Microsoft Windows VMs from the backup server.
When you start a job with guest processing tasks enabled, Veeam Backup & Replication performs the following
operations:
1. Veeam Backup & Replication defines the machines that will perform the guest interaction proxy role.
2. Veeam Backup & Replication detects what method it will use for guest processing: deploy the non-
persistent runtime components or persistent agent components.
Veeam Backup & Replication installs the non-persistent runtime components or persistent agent
components on VMs:
o [For Microsoft Windows VMs] The guest interaction proxy connects to VMs and installs the non-
persistent runtime components or persistent agent components on them.
o [For VMs running other OSes] The backup server connects to VMs and installs the non-persistent
runtime components on them.
3. The job session proceeds as usual.
4. [For the non-persistent runtime components] When the job session completes,
Veeam Backup & Replication deletes the non-persistent runtime components on VMs.
If a network connection breaks during the job session, Veeam Backup & Replication makes attempts to re-
establish the connection:
• If a network connection between the backup server/guest interaction proxy and VM guest OS breaks,
Veeam Backup & Replication makes one attempt to reconnect.
• If a network connection between the backup server and guest interaction proxy breaks,
Veeam Backup & Replication makes 10 attempts to reconnect.
If attempts are unsuccessful, guest processing tasks fail. The job proceeds with the scenario defined in the job
settings. For example, if you have instructed a backup job to try application processing but ignore failures,
Veeam Backup & Replication will not perform guest processing tasks but will proceed with the VM backup.
Application-Aware Processing
To create transactionally consistent backups or replicas of VMs that run Microsoft Active Directory, Microsoft
SQL Server, Microsoft SharePoint, Microsoft Exchange or Oracle, you must enable application-aware processing
in job settings.
Application-aware processing is the Veeam technology based on Microsoft VSS. Microsoft VSS is responsible for
quiescing applications on the VM and creating a consistent view of application data on the VM guest OS. Use of
Microsoft VSS ensures that there are no unfinished database transactions or incomplete application files when
Veeam Backup & Replication triggers the VM snapshot and starts copying VM data to the target. For more
information about Microsoft VSS, see Microsoft Docs.
Application-aware processing is supported for Microsoft Windows client versions starting from Windows Vista
and for server versions starting from Windows Server 2008. To use application-aware processing, you must
have VMware Tools and the latest updates installed on the VM guest OS.
IMPORTANT!
If a VM runs an application that does not support Microsoft VSS (there is no VSS writer for this particular
type of application, for example, MySQL), Veeam Backup & Replication will not be able to utilize Microsoft
VSS and application-aware processing for this VM. To process such VMs, you can use VMware Tools
quiescence with pre-freeze and post-thaw scripts. For more information, see VMware Tools Quiescence
and Pre-Freeze and Post-Thaw Scripts.
How Application-Aware Processing Works

If you enable application-aware processing in job settings, Veeam Backup & Replication performs the following
operations as a part of the backup or replication process:
1. Veeam Backup & Replication deploys the non-persistent runtime components or, if necessary, persistent
agent components on the VM and detects if the VM runs any of the supported applications.
2. Veeam Backup & Replication collects information about applications installed on VMs — this information is
required for VSS-aware restore.
VSS-aware restore is performed when the VM is started after you restore it from the backup or fail over to
a VM replica.
3. Veeam Backup & Replication prepares applications for VSS-aware restore.
4. Microsoft VSS communicates with applications and quiesces I/O activities at a specific point in time.
5. Veeam Backup & Replication acts as a VSS requestor and triggers a VM VSS snapshot.
6. Veeam Backup & Replication triggers a VMware vSphere snapshot of the VM.
7. Microsoft VSS resumes quiesced I/O activities on the VM guest OS.
9. If you have instructed Veeam Backup & Replication to truncate transaction logs,
Veeam Backup & Replication truncates transaction logs on the VM guest OS after the backup or replica are
successfully created.
Pre-Freeze and Post-Thaw Scripts

If you back up or replicate VMs running applications that do not support Microsoft VSS, you can instruct
Veeam Backup & Replication to run custom scripts for VMs. For example, the pre-freeze script may quiesce the
file system and application data on the VM guest OS to bring the VM to a consistent state before
Veeam Backup & Replication triggers a VM snapshot. After the VM snapshot is created, the post-thaw script may
bring the VM and applications to their initial state.
You can use pre-freeze and post-thaw scripts for the following types of jobs:
• Backup job
• Replication job
• VM copy job
Scripts must be created beforehand. You must specify paths to them in the job settings. Script execution
settings can be configured per VM or per container, depending on the objects included in the job.
When the job starts, Veeam Backup & Replication uploads scripts to the VM guest OS and executes them under
the account specified in the Guest OS credentials section of the job settings.
• Scripts for Microsoft Windows VMs are uploaded to \\<vmname>\admin$ over the network or VIX
API/vSphere Web Services, if Veeam Backup & Replication fails to connect to the VM guest OS over the
network. Scripts are executed from the C:\Windows directory.
• Scripts for Linux VMs are uploaded over SSH or VIX API/vSphere Web Services, if the SSH connection fails.
Scripts are executed from the /home/<username> directory of a user that you have specified in Guest OS
credentials.
The script is considered to be executed successfully if "0" is returned.
The default time period for script execution is 10 minutes. If the script fails to execute before the timeout
expires, Veeam Backup & Replication displays an error message in the job session and error or warning messages
issued during script execution.
Supported Script Formats

Pre-freeze and post-thaw scripts can be used for Microsoft Windows and Linux VMs.
• For Microsoft Windows VMs, Veeam Backup & Replication supports scripts in the EXE, BAT, CMD, WSF, JS,
VBS and PS1 file format.
• For Linux VMs, Veeam Backup & Replication supports scripts in the SH file format.
Limitations for Pre-Freeze and Post-Thaw Scripts

Veeam Backup & Replication has the following limitations for pre-freeze and post-thaw scripts:
• You cannot stop a job when the pre-freeze or post-thaw script is executed. If the script hangs up,
Veeam Backup & Replication waits for 10 minutes and terminates the job.
• If you want to run several scripts that depend on each other, you must upload them to the VM guest OS
manually. For example, you have script1.bat that sequentially starts script2.bat, script3.bat and
script4.bat. In this case, you must specify a path to script1.bat in the job properties and upload script2.bat,
script3.bat and script4.bat to the VM guest OS.
• It is not recommended to use the standard error (STDERR) stream for error output in Linux scripts.
Veeam Backup & Replication will fail to execute scripts with STDERR.
Transaction Log Truncation
If you back up or replicate virtualized database systems that use transaction logs, for example, Microsoft
Exchange or Microsoft SQL Server, you can instruct Veeam Backup & Replication to truncate transaction logs so
that logs do not overflow the storage space on the VM. Veeam Backup & Replication provides the following
options of transaction logs handling:
• Truncate logs
• Do not truncate logs
• Back up logs periodically
Truncate Logs
You can instruct Veeam Backup & Replication to truncate logs after a backup or VM replica is successfully
created. With this option selected, Veeam Backup & Replication behaves in the following way:
• If the job completes successfully, Veeam Backup & Replication produces a backup file or VM replica and
truncates transaction logs on the original VM. As a result, you have the backup file or replica that contains
a VM image at a specific point in time.
In this scenario, you can recover a database to the point in time when the backup file or replica was
created. As transaction logs on the VM are truncated, you cannot use them to get the restored database to
some point in time between job sessions.
• If the backup or replication job fails, Veeam Backup & Replication does not truncate transaction logs on
the VM. In this scenario, you can restore a VM from the most recent backup or replica restore point and
use database system tools to apply transaction logs and get the database system to the necessary point in
time after the restore point.
Do not Truncate Logs
You can choose not to truncate transaction logs on the VM. This option is recommended if together with
Veeam Backup & Replication you use another backup tool.
For example, you can use Veeam Backup & Replication to create a VM image backup and instruct the native
Microsoft SQL Server log backup job to back up transaction logs. If you truncate transaction logs with
Veeam Backup & Replication, the chain of transaction logs will be broken, and the Microsoft SQL Server log
backup job will not be able to produce a consistent log backup.
With this option selected, Veeam Backup & Replication produces a backup file or VM replica and does not trigger
transaction log truncation. As a result, you have a backup file or VM replica that contains a VM image captured
at a specific point in time, and transaction logs on the VM. You can use transaction logs to restore the VM to any
point in time between job sessions. To do this, you must recover the VM from the backup file or perform replica
failover and use database system tools to apply transaction logs and get the database system to the necessary
point in time.
Back Up Logs Periodically

This option can be used if you back up Microsoft SQL Server VMs and Oracle VMs.
You can choose to back up logs with Veeam Backup & Replication. For more information, see Microsoft SQL
Server Logs Backup and Oracle Logs Backup.
Support for Database Availability Groups (DAG)

Veeam Backup & Replication supports any configuration of DAGs, in particular, with all databases active on one
node, or with active databases on every node. Transaction logs will be truncated on all DAG members, no matter
whether Veeam Backup & Replication backs up an active or passive database.
For more information and recommendations on Microsoft Exchange Server backup, you can also refer to the
following:
• White Paper by Michael Van Horenbeeck on how to virtualize and protect Exchange 2016
• Veeam Knowledge Base article
Copy-Only Backup
Some organizations prefer to back up Microsoft SQL Server databases and transaction logs with native Microsoft
SQL Server tools or 3rd party backup tools. To restore database systems in a proper way, database
administrators must be sure that they have database backups and a sequence of transaction log backups
associated with these backups at hand.
If you use native Microsoft SQL Server tools or 3rd party backup tools and also want to back up Microsoft SQL
Server VMs with Veeam Backup & Replication, you must enable the Perform copy only option in the job settings.
The Perform copy only option indicates that a chain of database backups is created with native Microsoft SQL
Server means or by a 3rd party tool, and instructs Veeam to preserve this chain (backup history).
Veeam Backup & Replication backs up the Microsoft SQL Server VM using the VSS_BS_COPY method for snapshot
creation. The VSS_BT_COPY method produces a copy-only backup — the backup that is independent of the
existing chain of database backups and does not contain transaction logs data. As a result, the copy-only backup
does not change the log sequence number and transaction log backup time.
IMPORTANT!
Veeam Backup & Replication does not truncate transaction logs after copy-only backup. For this reason, if
you instruct the backup job to perform copy-only backup, you cannot specify transaction log handing
settings for this job.
VM Guest OS File Indexing

You can instruct Veeam Backup & Replication to create an index of files and folders on the VM guest OS during
backup. VM guest OS file indexing allows you to search for VM guest OS files inside VM backups and perform 1-
click restore in Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager.
VM guest OS file indexing is enabled at the job level. You can specify granular indexing settings for every VM in
the job.
NOTE:
VM guest OS file indexing is optional. If you do not enable this option in the backup job settings, you will
still be able to perform 1-click restore from the backup created with such backup job. For more
information, see the Preparing for File Browsing and Searching section in the Enterprise Manager User
Guide.
Mind, however, that if you do not enable indexing in the backup job, during 1-click restore from Linux and
other OS backups, Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager will not display symlinks to folders in the file system
browser.
Requirements and Limitations for VM Guest OS File Indexing

Consider the following requirements and limitations for VM guest OS file indexing:
• Veeam Backup & Replication supports file indexing for VMs running Microsoft Windows and Linux OS.
• [For Linux VMs] To perform guest OS file indexing, Veeam Backup & Replication requires several utilities
to be installed on the Linux VM: openssh, mlocate, gzip and tar. If these utilities are not found,
Veeam Backup & Replication will prompt you to deploy them on the VM guest OS.
Veeam Backup Catalog
For VM guest OS file indexing, Veeam Backup & Replication uses the Veeam Guest Catalog Service. In the
backup infrastructure, the Veeam Guest Catalog Service is installed on the Veeam backup server and Veeam
Backup Enterprise Manager server.
• The Veeam Guest Catalog Service on the Veeam backup server works as a local catalog service. It collects
indexing data for backup jobs and stores this data in the Veeam Backup Catalog folder.
By default, the indexing data is stored in the VBRCatalog folder on the backup server.
Veeam Backup & Replication creates the folder on a volume with the maximum amount of free space, for
example, C:\VBRCatalog.
• The Veeam Guest Catalog Service on Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager works as a global, federal catalog
service. It communicates with Veeam Guest Catalog Services on backup servers connected to Veeam
Backup Enterprise Manager and performs the following tasks:
o Replicates indexing data from backup servers to create a global catalog for the whole backup
infrastructure.
On the Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager server, the default folder for storing indexing data (the
VBRCatalog folder) is located on a volume with the maximum amount of free space.
o Maintains indexing data retention.
o Allows you to search for VM guest OS files in current and archived backup files.
How VM Guest OS File Indexing Works

When you run a backup job with the file indexing option enabled, Veeam Backup & Replication performs the
1. When the backup job starts, Veeam Backup & Replication connects to the VM whose file system must be
indexed and deploys non-persistent runtime components or connects to (if necessary, deploys) persistent
agent components inside this VM. These components are responsible for coordinating indexing activities
inside the VM.
2. The non-persistent runtime components or persistent agent components start indexing the VM file
system. The indexing procedure is carried out in parallel with the backup procedure. If indexing takes long,
Veeam Backup & Replication will not wait for the indexing procedure to complete. It will start copying VM
data and continue file indexing inside the VM. If you have enabled application-aware processing for the
VM, Veeam Backup & Replication performs indexing using the VSS snapshot, not the VM guest OS itself.
As a result, the created file index exactly reflects the state of the backed-up VM.
3. When file indexing is complete, the non-persistent runtime components or persistent agent components
collect indexing data and write it to the GuestIndexData.zip file. The GuestIndexData.zip file is stored to a
temporary folder on the backup server.
4. When the backup job completes, Veeam Backup & Replication notifies the local Veeam Guest Catalog
Service, and the service saves indexing data in the Veeam Catalog folder on the backup server.
5. During the next catalog replication session, the global Veeam Guest Catalog Service replicates data from
the backup server to the Veeam Catalog folder on the Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager server.
Persistent VSS Snapshots

During application-aware processing, Veeam Backup & Replication uses a VSS writer for a corresponding
application to freeze application data and bring it to a consistent state.
According to Microsoft limitations, applications cannot be kept frozen longer than for 60 seconds (20 seconds
for Microsoft Exchange). If the Microsoft VSS writer keeps application data frozen longer than this period, a VSS
processing timeout occurs, and Veeam Backup & Replication fails to create a transactionally consistent backup
of the VM. The VSS processing timeout is a common problem for highly transactional applications such as
Microsoft Exchange.
To overcome this limitation, Veeam Backup & Replication uses the persistent VSS snapshots technology for
backup of Microsoft Exchange VMs. If Microsoft Exchange has to be kept frozen for a longer period of time than
the allowed one, Veeam Backup & Replication automatically fails over to the persistent VSS snapshot
mechanism.
Backup of Microsoft Exchange VMs is performed in the following way:
1. Veeam Backup & Replication triggers the Microsoft VSS framework to prepare Microsoft Exchange on the
VM for backup.
2. The Microsoft VSS writer attempts to quiesce Microsoft Exchange.
3. If the Microsoft VSS writer fails to quiesce Microsoft Exchange within the allowed period of time, the
control is passed to the native Veeam VSS writer. The Veeam VSS writer holds the freeze operation for the
necessary amount of time.
4. After Microsoft Exchange data is brought to a consistent state, the control is passed to the Microsoft VSS
provider. The Microsoft VSS framework creates a persistent VSS snapshot for VM disks except the system
VM disk.
6. After the backup operation is complete, Veeam Backup & Replication triggers Microsoft VSS to remove the
persistent VSS snapshot on the production VM. The persistent VSS snapshot holding consistent
application data inside the created VM backup remains.
During entire VM restore, Veeam Backup & Replication recovers data from the backup and reverts VM disks to
the persistent VSS snapshot inside the backup. As a result, the Microsoft Exchange VM is restored from the
backup in a consistent state without data loss.
Limitations for Persistent VSS Snapshot Technology

Veeam Backup & Replication uses the persistent VSS snapshot technology if the VM meets the following
requirements:
• The VM runs Microsoft Exchange 2010, Microsoft Exchange 2013 or Microsoft Exchange 2016.
• The VM does not perform the role of a domain controller.
• Microsoft Exchange databases and log files are located on a non-system disk of the VM. During backup,
Veeam Backup & Replication does not trigger a persistent VSS snapshot for system VM disks. As a result,
system disks are restored in a crash-consistent, not transactionally consistent state.
Microsoft SQL Server Log Backup
To protect Microsoft SQL Server VMs, you can instruct the backup job to create image-level VM backups and
periodically back up database transaction logs. If Microsoft SQL Server fails, you can restore the Microsoft SQL
Server VM from the necessary restore point of the image-level backup. After that, you can use Veeam Explorer
for Microsoft SQL Server to apply transaction logs and get databases on the Microsoft SQL Server to the
necessary state between backups.
Transaction Log Backup Jobs

To back up transaction logs, you must create a backup job, add Microsoft SQL Server VMs to it and specify
advanced settings for transaction logs backup in the job settings. The resulting job will comprise two jobs:
• Parent backup job — the backup job that creates an image-level backup of the Microsoft SQL Server VM.
The parent backup job is named <job_name>, for example, DB Backup. You can configure the parent job in
the Veeam Backup & Replication console just like any other backup job.
• Child job — a transaction log backup job. To form a name of the child job, Veeam Backup & Replication
adds a suffix to the name of the parent backup job: <parent_job_name> + SQL Server Transaction Log
Backup, for example, DB Backup SQL Server Transaction Log Backup. Veeam Backup & Replication
automatically creates the child job if it detects a backup job that is scheduled to back up at least one
Microsoft SQL Server VM, and transaction log backup is enabled for this job. Session data of the
transaction log backup job is stored in the configuration database and displayed in the
The parent job runs in a regular manner — it starts by schedule or is started manually by the user. The
transaction log backup job is triggered by the parent backup job. This sequence ensures that the VM (and the
database) restore point is present when it comes to transaction log replay.
Sessions of Transaction Log Backup Jobs

The transaction log backup job runs permanently in the background, shipping transaction logs to the backup
repository at a specific time interval (by default, every 15 minutes). A sequence of time intervals between
sessions of the parent backup job makes up a session of the transaction log backup job.
The transaction log backup session starts and stops in the following way:
• The initial session starts when the parent backup job schedule is enabled. After that, the session starts
with every new session of the parent backup job.
• The session ends before the next session of the parent backup job or when this parent backup job is
disabled.
• When the session ends, Veeam Backup & Replication stops the non-persistent runtime components and
uninstalls them from the VM guest OS. When a new session starts, the runtime components are deployed
again.
How Microsoft SQL Server Log Backup Works

To perform transaction log backup, Veeam Backup & Replication installs the Veeam Guest SQL Log Shipper
runtime component on the VM guest OS.
The component works during the transaction log backup job session. It collects information about databases
that require transaction log backup. It also detects whether it is possible to ship logs directly to the backup
repository or Veeam Backup & Replication must use the log shipping server. When the transaction log backup
job session ends, the component is stopped and removed from the VM guest OS. When a new session starts, the
component is installed on the VM guest OS again.
The transaction log backup is performed in the following way:
1. Veeam Backup & Replication launches the parent backup job by schedule.
2. The parent backup job creates an image-level backup of a Microsoft SQL Server VM and stores it in backup
repository.
3. A new session of the transaction log backup starts. Veeam Backup & Replication accesses the VM (directly
or through the guest interaction proxy) and installs the runtime components for guest processing,
database information collection and transaction log handing on the VM guest OS.
4. Veeam Backup & Replication detects what databases currently exist on the Microsoft SQL Server and maps
this data with the information kept in the configuration database. This periodic mapping reveals the
databases for which Veeam Backup & Replication must process transaction logs during this time interval.
The runtime component backs up transaction log files and stores them as a *.bak file to a temporary folder
on the VM guest file system.
5. Veeam Backup & Replication transports transaction log backup copies from the temporary folder on the
Microsoft SQL Server VM to the backup repository, either directly or through the log shipping server, and
saves them as VLB files. As soon as copies of transaction log backups are saved to the backup repository,
transaction log backups in the temporary folder on the Microsoft SQL Server VM are removed.
The session of the transaction log backup job remains working until the next start of the parent backup job.
When a new session of the parent job starts, the transaction log backup job stops the current session and then
starts a new session, performing steps 1-5.
Transaction logs that for some reason were not processed during the log backup interval remain in the
temporary folder and are processed during the next log backup interval. To detect these remaining logs,
Veeam Backup & Replication enumerates log files in the temporary folder.
NOTE:
If a new session of the transaction log backup starts and the parent backup job has not created a new
restore point yet, the transaction log backup job will remain in the idle state, waiting for a new restore
point to be created.
Retention for Transaction Log Backups
Transaction log backups are stored in files of the proprietary Veeam format — VLB. Veeam Backup & Replication
keeps transaction log backups together with the VM image-level backup. The target location of VLB files
depend on the type of the backup repository:
• If you store the VM image-level backup in a backup repository, Veeam Backup & Replication writes
transaction log backups to the same folder where files of the image-level backup reside.
• If you store the VM image-level backup in a scale-out backup repository, Veeam Backup & Replication
writes transaction log backups to the extent where the latest incremental backup file of the VM image-
level backup is stored.
Veeam Backup & Replication removes transaction log backups by retention. You can choose one of the following
retention methods:
• Retain logs according to the image-level backup
• Retain logs for the specified number of days
Retain Logs with Image-Level Backup

By default, Veeam Backup & Replication retains transaction log backups together with the corresponding image-
level backup of the Microsoft SQL Server VM. When Veeam Backup & Replication removes a restore point of the
image-level backup from the backup chain, it also removes a chain of transaction logs relating to this image-
level backup.
This method allows you to have both the image-level backup and necessary transaction log backups at hand. If
you need to recover a database to some state, you can restore the Microsoft SQL Database from the necessary
restore point and perform transaction log replay to bring the database to the desired state.
Retain Logs for a Number of Days

You can instruct Veeam Backup & Replication to keep transaction logs only for a specific period of time. This
retention setting can be used, for example, if you want to save on storage space and plan to retain transaction
log backups for the last few days. In this case, you will be able to restore the database only to one of the most
recent states.
If you select this retention method, you must make sure that retention policies for the image-level backup and
transaction log backup are consistent. The restore point of the image-level backup must always be preserved. If
a backup of the database itself is missing, you will not be able to perform transaction log replay.

For every Microsoft SQL Server VM whose transaction logs you want to back up, Veeam Backup & Replication
defines how to ship logs to the backup repository. Transaction logs can be shipped in the following ways:
• If it is possible to establish a direct connection between the VM guest OS and backup repository, log files
will be shipped directly from the VM guest OS to the backup repository. This is the optimal method, as it
does not involve additional resources and puts less load on the VM guest OS.
• Otherwise, files will be shipped through log shipping servers. You can instruct
Veeam Backup & Replication to choose a log shipping server automatically from the list of available ones,
or to use a specific server.
Note that if direct connection is possible, files will be always transferred from VM guest to repository
directly (regardless of the configured log shipping server, as this server will not be involved). This
approach helps to optimize performance at file transfer.
A log shipping server is a Microsoft Windows server added to the backup infrastructure. You can explicitly define
what servers you want to use for log shipping or instruct Veeam Backup & Replication to automatically choose
an optimal log shipping server. Veeam Backup & Replication chooses the log shipping server based on two
criteria: possible data transfer methods and location of the Microsoft SQL Server VMs and log shipping server.
Data Transfer Methods

Log shipping servers can transport data in two ways:
• Over the network. In this scenario, Veeam Backup & Replication obtains files from the VM guest OS and
transfers them over the network.
To offload the VM guest OS, logs are created one by one (not simultaneously). One log creation request is
issued for every DB.
• Using VIX API/vSphere Web Services. In this scenario, Veeam Backup & Replication obtains transaction
logs from the VM guest OS over the VIX API/vSphere Web Services, bypassing the network. For each
Microsoft SQL Server instance one log creation request is created for all DBs (grouped by instance).
The default method is log shipping over the network.
Location of Log Shipping Server and VMs
When choosing a log shipping server for the job, Veeam Backup & Replication considers the location of the
Microsoft SQL Server VM and log shipping server. Veeam Backup & Replication uses the following priority rules
to select the log shipping server:
1. Log shipping server is located on the same ESXi host as the Microsoft SQL Server VM.
2. Log shipping server and Microsoft SQL Server VM are located in the same network.
3. Log shipping server and Microsoft SQL Server VM are located in different networks (the production
infrastructure is isolated from the backup infrastructure).
That is, when choosing a log shipping server, Veeam Backup & Replication will give the top priority to a
Microsoft Windows VM that is located on the same ESXi host as the Microsoft SQL Server VM and that has a
network connection to the Microsoft SQL Server VM.
Log shipping servers are assigned per job session. When a new job session starts, Veeam Backup & Replication
detects log shipping servers anew. Veeam Backup & Replication can also re-detect available servers during the
job session. If a log shipping server becomes unavailable for some reason, Veeam Backup & Replication will fail
over to another log shipping server.
IMPORTANT!
If you do not want to use some servers for transaction logs transport, you can manually define what server
Veeam Backup & Replication must use as a log shipping server in the job settings. It is recommended that
you assign the log shipping server role to a number of servers for availability purposes.
Transaction Log Backup Statistics
You can view the statistics of the transaction log backup job in the History view or in the Home view in
In the statistics window, you can examine the overall statistics for the transaction log backup job, as well as
view per-VM information.
In the upper part of the statistics window, Veeam Backup & Replication displays information about the
transaction log backup job for all VMs included in the parent backup job.
The Last period (all VMs) section contains statistics data for the selected session of the backup job.
In the Databases column, you can view the following information:
• Protected — number of databases that were backed up at least once during the last session
• Unprotected — number of databases that failed to be backed up during the last session
• Excluded — databases excluded from processing. Databases may be excluded for the following reasons:
o The database status is Offline.
o The database recovery model is set to Simple.
o The database is read-only.
o The database was deleted after the latest full backup.
o The AutoClose property is enabled for the database.
o The database was excluded from application-aware processing. For details, see this Veeam KB article.
o The database was excluded from SQL log backup processing. For details, see this Veeam KB article.
o The database belongs to vCenter Server. For details, see this Veeam KB article.
NOTE:
Unprotected databases do not comprise Excluded databases, as they have different reasons for being non-
processed.
In the RPO column, you can view the following information:
• SLA value — how many log backup intervals completed in time with successful log backup (calculated as
percentage of total number of intervals).
• Misses — how many intervals were missed (number of intervals).
• Max delay — difference between the configured log backup interval and time actually required for log
backup. If exceeded, a warning is issued.
In the Status column, the following information is displayed (per job): number of VMs processed successfully,
with warnings or with errors.
The Latest session section displays the following information for the latest log processing interval for the
selected VM:
• Duration — duration of log shipment from the VM guest OS to the backup repository since the current log
processing interval has started
• Bottleneck — operation with the greatest duration in the last completed interval. The operation may have
the following bottlenecks:
Display Name Slowing-down Operation
Log backup Saving BAK files to a temporary location on VM guest OS
Network Uploading log files to the log shipping server
Target Saving files to the target repository
• Read — amount of data read from the temporary folder on VM guest OS
• Transferred — amount of data transferred to the target repository
The Last period section displays the following statistics of log backups per VM for the latest session of the
transaction log backup job:
• The RPO column displays statistics on log processing interval (calculated as described above)
• The Sessions column includes statistics of log backups per VM, calculated as follows:
o Success — number of intervals when all database logs were backed up successfully
o Warning — number of sequential intervals with failed log processing (if not more than 4 intervals in a
sequence)
o Errors — number of sequential intervals with failed log processing (more than 4 intervals in a
sequence)
• The Duration column includes the following information:
o Average — average duration of log data transfer (through all intervals in the session)
o Max — maximal duration of log data transfer (through all intervals in the session)
o Sync interval — duration of periodic intervals specified for log backup in the parent job settings
(default is 15 min)
• The Log size column displays the following information:
o Average — average amount of data read from the VM guest OS through all intervals
o Max — maximal amount of data read from the VM guest OS over all 15-min intervals
o Total — total amount of data written to the backup repository
NOTE:
• Statistics on transaction log processing is updated periodically, simultaneously for the parent backup
job and transaction log backup job.
• For Always On Availability groups, Veeam Backup & Replication collects logs only from one node.
Thus, in reports, the status of database replicas will be the same for all nodes (Protected or
Excluded).
Log Files
At each start of the SQL Server backup job (parent), a new .VLB is created to store log backups in the repository:
• If the Use per-VM backup files option is selected for the repository, then Veeam Backup & Replication will
create a separate .VLB for each server processed by the job.
• If this option is cleared, then a single .VLB will be created for all servers processed by the job.
For example, if a job processes only one SQL Server, the repository will contain a number of .VLB files for it (a
so-called chain).
As described in the section above, during database log backup (child) job session, transaction log backup is
performed by native means of the SQL Server and stored as .BAK file to a temporary folder in the SQL Server VM
guest file system. Then Veeam Backup & Replication copies .BAK file to the current .VLB in the repository. When
the new parent job session starts, another .VLB is created, and the .BAK files that appear after that will be
stored there during the child job session. The resulting chain of .VLBs will look like shown below, depicted for a
single SQL Server VM1:
Total number of all LOG<N>.BAK files stored at the moment in all VLBs is reported as a number of restore
points for the child job that backs up database logs. So, in the example above, the log backup job for SQL Server
VM1 has created 8 restore points by the moment.
In the Veeam Backup & Replication console this number of restore points for the log backup job can be seen in
the Restore Points column of the preview pane.
Support for AlwaysOn Availability Groups

AlwaysOn Availability Groups allow you to increase fault tolerance between active and hot-standby databases
without involving shared physical disks, which is quite important for virtualization of Microsoft SQL Servers.
Veeam Backup & Replication supports AlwaysOn Availability Groups for virtualized Microsoft SQL Server 2012 or
later.
Image-level Backup of Microsoft SQL Server VMs

During image-level backup of a Microsoft SQL Server VM, Veeam Backup & Replication requests and analyzes
information about databases that are included in the AlwaysOn Availability Groups. Depending on the retrieved
information, Veeam Backup & Replication creates a VSS snapshot with or without COPY_ONLY flag. The
VSS_BS_COPY flag for VSS snapshot is triggered if the VM represents a secondary node for at least one
AlwaysOn Availability Group.
Veeam Backup & Replication also detects to what cluster the database belongs. If the backup job does not
include all VMs from the cluster, an information message will be issued.
Retrieved information is saved for further log identification.
Transaction Log Backup

Transaction log backup can be performed only for those databases that were successfully backed up, either on
the primary or on the secondary node of AlwaysOn Availability Group.
The transaction logs processing interval may be the same or may differ through VMs included in AlwaysOn
Availability Group. If the interval is different, Veeam Backup & Replication will use minimal value (by default, 15
minutes).
At each log processing interval, Veeam Backup & Replication chooses the AlwaysOn Availability Group node for
which transaction logs will be backed up.
Logs are backed up from one node of the AlwaysOn Availability Group. To become a subject for log backup, the
node must meet the following criteria:
• Required Veeam Backup & Replication components can be installed on this node (the VM must be
running).
• If there are any logs remaining in the temporary folder on the node of AlwaysOn Availability Group, this
means these logs were not backed up to the backup repository during the previous session of the
transaction log backup job, so this AlwaysOn Availability Group node must be processed first.
• Databases in the AlwaysOn Availability Groups for this node were successfully backed up for the last two
processing intervals.
• Veeam Backup & Replication can establish a network connection to the node or VIX connection, if a
connection over the network cannot be established
• The VM is in the list of preferred nodes for backup retrieved from the Microsoft SQL Server. If there are no
preferred nodes, any node can be chosen.
NOTE:
When you configure a backup job to process Distributed Availability Groups transaction logs, select either
primary or secondary distributed availability group. Otherwise, the log chain of the distributed group
databases might become inconsistent.
When you configure a backup job to back up transaction logs for other Distributed Availability Groups, use
the Perform copy only mode. See Application-Aware Processing to learn more about the copy only mode.
You can also use the exclude feature to prevent Guest-OS database from being processed. See Exclude
Objects from Backup Job to learn more on excluding objects. To read about distributed availability group
limitations, see Configure distributed availability group.
Oracle Log Backup
Veeam Backup & Replication supports backup of Oracle database archived logs and restore of Oracle databases.
Database archived logs are created by the Oracle system. The Oracle database can run in one of the following
logging modes:
• ARCHIVELOG turned on — logs are saved and can be used for recovery purposes.
• ARCHIVELOG turned off — no logs are saved. This mode is not recommended as it does not provide for
proper disaster recovery.
With ARCHIVELOG turned on, the Oracle system stores database archived logs to a certain location on the VM
guest OS, as specified by the database administrator. Veeam Backup & Replication allows you to set up the
following ways of log handling:
• Instruct the backup job to collect log files from the Oracle VM and ship them to the backup repository
where they are stored next to image-level backups of the Oracle VM.
• Skip log processing — log files remain untouched on the Oracle VM and are preserved within the image-
level backup.
If you enable application-aware processing for an Oracle VM, during the job session Veeam Backup & Replication
installs non-persistent runtime components or uses (if necessary, installs) persistent agent components on this
VM to collect information about the database and process archived logs according to job settings. Application-
specific settings are configured at the Guest Processing step of the backup job wizard — you can specify how
logs should be backed up and\or deleted for Oracle databases.
Requirements for Archived Log Backup

• Veeam Backup & Replication supports archived log backup and restore for Oracle database version 11 and
later. The Oracle database may run on a Microsoft Windows VM or Linux VM.
• Automatic Storage Management (ASM) is supported for Oracle 11 and later.
• Oracle Express Databases are supported if running on Microsoft Windows machines only.
• The database must run in the ARCHIVELOG mode.
Archived Log Backup Jobs

To back up archived logs, you must create a backup job, add Oracle VMs to it and specify advanced settings for
archived logs backup in the job settings. The resulting job will comprise two jobs:
• Parent backup job — the backup job that creates an image-level backup of the Oracle VM. The parent
backup job is named <job_name>, for example, Daily Job. You can configure the parent job in the
Veeam Backup & Replication console just like any other backup job.
• Child job — an archived log backup job. To form a name of the child job, Veeam Backup & Replication adds
a suffix to the name of the parent backup job: <parent_job_name> + Oracle Backup, for example, Daily Job
Oracle Backup. Veeam Backup & Replication automatically creates the child job if it detects a backup job
that is scheduled to back up at least one Oracle VM, and archived log backup is enabled for this job.
Session data of the archived log backup job is stored in the configuration database and displayed in the
The parent job runs in a regular manner — it starts by schedule or is started manually by the user. The archived
log backup job is triggered by the parent backup job. This sequence ensures that the VM (and the database)
restore point is present when you need to use archived logs to restore the database.
Sessions of Archived Log Backup Jobs

The archived log backup job runs permanently in the background, shipping archived logs to the backup
repository at a specific time interval (by default, every 15 minutes). A sequence of time intervals between
sessions of the parent backup job makes up a session of the archived log backup job.
The archived log backup session starts and stops in the following way:
• The initial session starts when the parent backup job schedule is enabled. After that, the session starts
with every new session of the parent backup job.
• The session ends before the next session of the parent backup job or when this parent backup job is
disabled.
• When the session ends, Veeam Backup & Replication stops the non-persistent runtime components and
uninstalls them from the VM guest OS. When a new session starts, the runtime components are deployed
again.
How Oracle Archived Log Backup Works

The archived log backup for Oracle VMs is performed in the following way:
1. Veeam Backup & Replication launches the parent backup job by schedule.
2. The parent backup job creates an image-level backup of the Oracle VM and stores this backup to the
backup repository.
3. A new session of the archived log backup starts. Veeam Backup & Replication accesses the VM guest OS to
perform guest processing, collect database information and handle archived log.
If Oracle runs on a Microsoft Windows server, Veeam Backup & Replication accesses the VM guest OS over
a guest interaction proxy. You can instruct Veeam Backup & Replication to select the guest interaction
proxy automatically or assign it explicitly.
By default, Veeam Backup & Replication accesses the VM guest OS over the network:
o For Linux VM guest OS — using SSH.
o For Microsoft Windows VM guest OS — using RPC.
If a network connection cannot be established, Veeam Backup & Replication accesses the VM guest OS
over VIX API/vSphere Web Services.
4. Veeam Backup & Replication deploys the non-persistent runtime components or uses (if necessary,
deploys) persistent agent components in the VM guest OS. The components scan the Oracle system and
collect information about databases whose logs must be processed, including:
o List of all databases
o Database state — a database is on or off, in which logging mode it runs
o Paths to all database files (configuration logs and so on) and other data required for backup
Veeam Backup & Replication also detects whether it is possible to store logs to the backup repository
through a direct access or a log shipping server is required.
The non-persistent runtime components or persistent agent components copy archived log files from the
log archive destination (set by the Oracle administrator) to a temporary folder on the VM guest file
system.
5. Veeam Backup & Replication maps information about the Oracle system collected at step 4 with
information kept in the configuration database. This periodic mapping helps reveal databases for which
Veeam Backup & Replication must ship archived logs to the backup repository during this time interval.
6. Archived log backup files are transferred from the temporary location on the Oracle VM to the backup
repository, either directly or through the log shipping server. The source-side Veeam Data Mover
compresses log data to be transferred according to its built-in settings. On the backup repository side,
data is compressed according to the parent backup job settings.
Archived logs that for some reason were not processed during the log backup interval remain in the temporary
folder and are processed during the next log backup interval. To detect these remaining logs,
Veeam Backup & Replication enumerates log files in the temporary folder.
NOTE:
If a new session of the archived log backup starts and the parent backup job has not created a new restore
point yet, the archived log backup job will remain in the idle state, waiting for a new restore point to be
created.
IMPORTANT!
Before backup, Veeam Backup & Replication shuts down databases in the NOARCHIVELOG mode. For
details, see the Backing Up a Database in NOARCHIVELOG Mode section in the Oracle Database Backup and
Recovery User Guide.
Retention for Archived Log Backup

Archived log backups are stored in files of the proprietary Veeam format — VLB. Veeam Backup & Replication
keeps archived log backups together with the VM image-level backup. The target location of VLB files depend
on the type of the backup repository:
• If you store the VM image-level backup in a backup repository, Veeam Backup & Replication writes
archived log backups to the same folder where files of the image-level backup reside.
• If you store the VM image-level backup in a scale-out backup repository, Veeam Backup & Replication
writes archived log backups to the extent where the latest incremental backup file of the VM image-level
backup is stored.
Veeam Backup & Replication removes archived log backups by retention. You can choose one of the following
retention methods:
• Retain logs according to the image-level backup
• Retain logs for the specified number of days
Retain Logs with Image-Level Backup

By default, Veeam Backup & Replication retains archived log backups together with the corresponding image-
level backup of the Oracle VM. When Veeam Backup & Replication removes a restore point of the image-level
backup from the backup chain, it also removes a chain of archived logs relating to this image-level backup.
This method allows you to have both the image-level backup and necessary archived log backups at hand. If you
need to recover a database to some state, you can restore the Oracle VM from the necessary restore point and
use archived logs to bring the database to the desired state.
Retain Logs for a Number of Days

You can instruct Veeam Backup & Replication to keep archived logs only for a specific period of time. This
retention setting can be used, for example, if you want to save on storage space and plan to retain archived log
backups for the last few days. In this case, you will be able to restore the database only to one of the most
recent states.
If you select this retention method, you must make sure that retention policies for the image-level backup and
archived log backup are consistent. The restore point of the image-level backup must always be preserved. If a
backup of the database itself is missing, you will not be able to use archived logs.

For every Oracle VM whose archived logs you want to back up, Veeam Backup & Replication defines how to ship
logs to the backup repository. Archived logs can be transported in the following ways:
• Directly from the VM guest OS to the backup repository. This method is recommended — it does not
involve additional resources and puts less load on the VM guest OS.
• Via log shipping servers. If it is not possible to establish a direct connection between the VM guest OS and
backup repository, you can configure Veeam Backup & Replication to use a log shipping server.
A log shipping server is a Microsoft Windows or Linux server added to the backup infrastructure. You can
explicitly define what servers you want to use for log shipping or instruct Veeam Backup & Replication to
automatically choose an optimal log shipping server. Veeam Backup & Replication chooses the log shipping
server based on two criteria: possible data transfer methods and location of the Oracle VM and log shipping
server.
Data Transfer Methods

Log shipping servers can transport data in two ways:
• Over the network. In this scenario, Veeam Backup & Replication obtains files from the VM guest OS and
transfers them over the network.
• Over VIX API/vSphere Web Services. In this scenario, Veeam Backup & Replication obtains archived logs
from the VM guest OS over the VIX API/vSphere Web Services, bypassing the network.
The default method is log shipping over the network.
Location of Log Shipping Server and VMs

When choosing a log shipping server for the job, Veeam Backup & Replication considers the location of the
Oracle VM and log shipping server. Veeam Backup & Replication uses the following priority rules to select the
log shipping server:
1. Log shipping server is located on the same ESXi host as the Oracle VM.
2. Log shipping server and Oracle VM are located in the same network.
3. Log shipping server and Oracle VM are located in different networks (the production infrastructure is
isolated from the backup infrastructure).
That is, when choosing a log shipping server, Veeam Backup & Replication will give the top priority to a VM that
is located on the same ESXi host as the Oracle VM and that has a network connection to the Oracle VM
Log shipping servers are assigned per job session. When a new job session starts, Veeam Backup & Replication
detects log shipping servers anew. Veeam Backup & Replication can also re-detect available servers during the
job session. If a log shipping server becomes unavailable for some reason, Veeam Backup & Replication will fail
over to another log shipping server.
IMPORTANT!
If you do not want to use some servers for archived logs transport, you can manually define what server
Veeam Backup & Replication must use as a log shipping server in the job settings. It is recommended that
you assign the log shipping server role to a number of servers for availability purposes.
Archived Log Backup Statistics

You can view the statistics of the archived log backup job in the History view or in the Home view
in Veeam Backup & Replication.
In the statistics window, you can examine the overall statistics for the archived log backup job, as well as view
per-VM information.
In the upper part of the statistics window, Veeam Backup & Replication displays information about the log
backup job for all VMs included in the parent backup job.
The Last period (all VMs) section contains statistics data for the selected session of the backup job.
In the Databases column, you can view the following information:
• Protected — number of databases that were backed up at least once during the last session
• Unprotected — number of databases that failed to be backed up during the last session
• Excluded— databases excluded from processing. Databases may be excluded for the following reasons:
ARCHIVELOG mode is turned off for the database (the database is in NOARCHIVELOG mode), database
was deleted after the latest full backup, or database was added to the list of exclusions.
NOTE:
Unprotected databases do not comprise Excluded databases, as they have different reasons for being non-
processed. See also this Veeam KB article for information on processing databases in NOARCHIVE mode.
In the RPO column, you can view the following information:
• SLA — how many log backup intervals completed in time with successful log backup (calculated as
percentage of total number of intervals).
• Misses — how many intervals failed to complete in time with successful log backup (number of intervals).
• Max delay — difference between the configured log backup interval and time actually required for log
backup. If exceeded, a warning is issued.
In the Status column, the following information is displayed (per job): number of VMs processed successfully,
with warnings or with errors.
The Latest session section displays the following information for the latest log processing interval for the
selected VM:
• Duration — duration of log shipment from the VM guest OS to the backup repository since the current log
processing interval has started
• Bottleneck — operation with the greatest duration in the last completed interval. The operation may have
the following bottlenecks:
Display Name Slowing-down Operation
Log backup Saving archived log files to a temporary location on VM guest OS (to work around, see
the Veeam KB article: this Veeam KB article)
Network Uploading log files to the log shipping server
Target Saving files to the target repository
• Read — amount of data read from the temporary folder on VM guest OS
• Transferred — amount of data transferred to the target repository
The Last period section displays the following statistics of log backups per VM for the latest session of the log
backup job:
• The RPO column displays statistics on log processing interval (calculated as described above)
• The Sessions column includes statistics of log backups per VM, calculated as follows:
o Success — number of intervals when all database logs were backed up successfully
o Warning — number of sequential intervals with failed log processing (if not more than 4 intervals in a
sequence)
o Errors — number of sequential intervals with failed log processing (more than 4 intervals in a
sequence)
• The Duration column includes the following information:
o Average — average duration of log data transfer (through all intervals in the session)
o Maximum — maximal duration of log data transfer (through all intervals in the session)
o Sync interval — duration of periodic intervals specified for log backup in the parent job settings
(default is 15 min)
• The Log size column displays the following information:
o Average — average amount of data read from the VM guest OS through all intervals
o Maximum — maximal amount of data read from the VM guest OS over all 15-min intervals
o Total — total amount of data written to the backup repository
The pane below shows all actions performed during the job run. To filter out actions with the certain status, use
the Errors, Warnings and Success buttons.
NOTE:
Statistics on archived log processing is updated periodically, simultaneously for the VM backup job (parent)
and archived log backup job (child job).
Log Files
At each start of the Oracle backup job ('parent'), a new .VLB is created to store log backups in the repository:
• If the Use per-VM backup files option is selected for the repository, then Veeam will create a separate
.VLB for each server processed by the job.
• If this option is cleared, then a single .VLB will be created for all servers processed by the job.
For example, if a job processes only one Oracle server, the repository will contain a number of .VLB files for it (a
so-called chain).
As described in the section above, during database log backup ('child') job session, log archiving is performed by
native means of the Oracle server. Archived logs are stored to a temporary folder on the Oracle VM guest file
system. Then Veeam copies archived log to the current .VLB in the repository. When the new 'parent' job session
starts, another .VLB is created, and the archived log files that appear after that will be stored there during the
'child' job session. The resulting chain of .VLBs will look like shown below, depicted for a single Oracle VM1:
Total number of all archived logs files stored at the moment in all VLBs is reported as a number of restore points
for the 'child' job that backs up database logs. So, in the example above, the log backup job for Oracle VM1 has
created 8 restore points by the moment.
Backup Job Scheduling
You can start backup jobs manually or schedule them to start automatically at specific time.
Veeam Backup & Replication lets you configure the following settings for the job:
• Scheduling settings
• Job retry settings
• Backup window settings
Automatic Startup Schedule

To run a job periodically without user intervention, you can schedule the job to start automatically. The Veeam
Backup Service running on the backup server continuously checks configuration settings of all jobs configured
on the backup server, and starts them according to their schedule.
Veeam Backup & Replication lets you configure the following scheduling settings for jobs:
• You can schedule jobs to run at specific time every day or on selected days
• You can schedule jobs to run periodically at specific time intervals
• You can schedule jobs to run continuously
• You can chain jobs
Jobs Started at Specific Time

You can schedule jobs to start at specific time daily, on specific week days or monthly on selected days.
This type of schedule requires that you define the exact time when the job must be started. For example, you
can configure the job to start daily at 10:00 PM or every first Sunday of the month at 12:00 AM.
Jobs Started at Specific Time Intervals

You can schedule jobs to start periodically throughout a day at a specific time interval. The time interval
between job sessions can be defined in minutes or hours. For example, you can configure a job to start every 30
minutes or every 2 hours.
For periodically run jobs, reference time is midnight (12:00 AM). Veeam Backup & Replication always starts
counting defined intervals from 12:00 AM, and the first job session will start at 12:00 AM. For example, if you
configure a job to run with a 4-hour interval, the job will start at 12:00 AM, 4:00 AM, 8:00 AM, 12:00 PM, 4:00
PM and so on.
If necessary, you can specify an offset for periodically run jobs. The offset is an exact time within an hour when
the job must start. For example, you can configure the job to start with a 4-hour interval and specify offset
equal to 15 minutes. In this case, the job will start at 12:15 AM, 4:15 AM, 8:15 AM, 12:15 PM, 4:15 PM and so on.
If a session of a periodically run job does not fit into the specified time interval and overlaps the next planned
job session, Veeam Backup & Replication starts the next backup job session at the nearest scheduled interval.
For example, you set up a job to run with a 4-hour interval. The first job session starts at 12:00 AM, takes 5
hours and completes at 5:00 AM. In this case, Veeam Backup & Replication will start a new job session at 8:00
AM.
Jobs Run Continuously

You can schedule the job to run continuously — that is, in a non-stop manner. A new session of a continuously
running job starts as soon as the previous job session completes. Continuously run jobs can help you implement
near-continuous data protection (near-CDP) for the most critical applications installed on VMs.
Chained Jobs
In the common practice, data protection jobs configured in the virtual environment start one after another:
when job A finishes, job B starts and so on. You can create a chain of jobs using scheduling settings. To do this,
you must define the start time for the first job in the chain. For other jobs in the chain, you must select the After
this job option and choose the preceding job from the list.
Job chaining is not limited to jobs of specific type only. You can create a chain of jobs of different types. For
example, you can:
1. Set a backup job as the first job in the chain.
2. Configure a SureBackup job and chain with the backup job. In this case, Veeam Backup & Replication will
automatically verify a backup file created with the backup job after the backup job completes.
NOTE:
If you start the initial job manually, Veeam Backup & Replication will offer you to start jobs chained to it as
well. Click Yes to start the whole job chain or No to start only the first job in the chain.
If you start the initial job manually and chain another job to it while the initial job is running, the chained
job will not start when the initial job completes.
Recommendations on Job Chaining
You should use job chaining wisely. Job chaining removes guesswork from job scheduling but has a number of
drawbacks:
• You cannot predict precisely how much time the initial job will require and when jobs chained to it will
start. Depending on the situation, the job schedule may shift, and some operations may even not be
performed as planned.
For example, you configure 2 jobs:
o Job 1 is scheduled to start at 10:00 PM daily and typically takes 1 hour.
o Job 2 is scheduled to start after Job 1 daily. Synthetic full backup is scheduled on Saturday.
Imagine that Job 1 starts on Saturday and runs for 2.5 hours instead of 1 hour. Job 2 will then start after
midnight on Sunday, and the synthetic full backup planned on Saturday will not be created.
• Errors in job sessions may cause the job schedule to shift. For example, if the initial job in the chain fails,
Veeam Backup & Replication will attempt to retry it, and the schedule for chained jobs will shift.
• Load on backup infrastructure resources may be not balanced. Some slots on backup proxies and backup
repositories may be available but will not be used since jobs are queued to run one by one. And if you use
a backup repository that supports multiple I/O streams, its resources will not be used efficiently.
Instead of job chaining, you can balance the load on backup infrastructure components. To do this, you must
limit the number of concurrent tasks on backup proxies and backup repositories. For more information, see
Limiting the Number of Concurrent Tasks.
Job Retry
You can instruct Veeam Backup & Replication to retry a job several times if the initial job pass fails. By default,
Veeam Backup & Replication automatically retries a failed job for 3 times within one job session. If necessary,
however, you can define a custom number of retries in the job settings.
Veeam Backup & Replication retries a job only if the previous job session has failed, and one or several VMs in
the job have not been processed. Veeam Backup & Replication does not perform a retry if a job session has
finished with the Success or Warning status. During the job retry, Veeam Backup & Replication processes only
those VMs that have failed.
IMPORTANT!
Veeam Backup & Replication does not perform automatic retry for jobs that were started or stopped
manually.
Veeam Backup & Replication always creates one backup file within one job session. If a job processes several
VMs and some of them fail to be processed during the first job pass, Veeam Backup & Replication will create a
backup file containing data for those VMs that have been successfully processed. During a job retry,
Veeam Backup & Replication will attempt to process failed VMs. In case of success, Veeam Backup & Replication
will write data of processed VMs to the backup file that was created at the initial job pass.
In some situations, Veeam Backup & Replication may fail to process VMs during all job retries. In this case, failed
VMs will be processed during the next job session. Their data will be written to the backup file created within
the current job session.
For example, you have configured a job for 2 VMs: VM 1 and VM 2. The job uses the forward incremental
method.
During the first job session, Veeam Backup & Replication successfully processed VM 1 and created a full backup
file for it. VM 2 has failed to be processed during all 3 job retries. In this case, Veeam Backup & Replication will
attempt to process the failed VM 2 within the next job session. Data for VM 2 will be written to the backup file
created within this job session, which will be an incremental backup. As a result, at the end of the second
backup job session, you will have 2 files:
• Full backup file containing a full restore point for VM 1
• Incremental backup file containing a full restore point for VM 2 and an incremental restore point for VM 1
Backup Window
If necessary, you can specify a backup window for jobs. The backup window is a period of time on week days
when jobs are permitted to run. If the job exceeds the allowed window, Veeam Backup & Replication will
automatically terminate it.
The backup window can be helpful if you do not want data protection jobs to produce unwanted overhead for
the production environment or do not want jobs to overlap production hours. In this case, you can define the
time interval during which the job must not run.
IMPORTANT!
The backup window affects only the data transport process and health check operations. Other
transformation processes can be performed in the target repository outside the backup window.
Backup Window for Periodically Run Jobs
If you define the backup window for a job that runs periodically at specific time intervals,
Veeam Backup & Replication will immediately start the job after the denied window is over. All subsequent
backup job sessions will be performed according to specified scheduling settings.
For example, you have configured a job to run with a 4-hour interval with an offset of 15 minutes. The allowed
backup window for the job is 7:00 PM to 8:00 AM. Veeam Backup & Replication will run this job in the following
way:
1. The first job session will start at 12:15 AM (since midnight is a reference time for periodically run jobs).
2. The next job session will start at 4:15 AM.
3. The job session at 8:15 AM will not be performed as it falls into the denied period of the backup window.
4. The next job session will start immediately after the denied period is over: at 7:15 PM.
5. After that, Veeam Backup & Replication will run the job by the defined schedule: at 8:15 PM, 12:15 AM and
so on.
Manual Start of Backup Jobs

You can start jobs manually if you need to capture VM data at a specific point in time and do not want to re-
configure job scheduling settings. For example, you can start a job to create a VM backup before you install new
software on a VM or enable a new feature.
When you start the job manually, Veeam Backup & Replication runs a regular job session that produces a new
restore point in the backup chain in the backup repository.
To start and stop jobs configured on the backup server, you can use the Start and Stop buttons on the ribbon or
corresponding commands in the shortcut menu.
Manual Stop of Backup Jobs

You can stop job execution at any moment of time. For example, you can stop a job if the job processes several
VMs but the workload appears to be greater than you expected. Or you can stop the job if there is not enough
time to finish the job session.
You can stop a job in 2 ways:
• You can stop the job immediately. In this scenario, Veeam Backup & Replication terminates the job session
and does not create a new restore point for VMs that are currently processed.
• You can stop the job gracefully. In this scenario, Veeam Backup & Replication creates a restore point for
the VMs that are currently processed and then terminates the job session.
Immediate Stop of Jobs

Immediate job stop terminates the job session instantly. The job finishes with the following results:
• VMs that Veeam Backup & Replication has succeeded to process by the time you stop the job will have
new restore points.
• VMs that Veeam Backup & Replication is currently processing and VMs that Veeam Backup & Replication
has not started to process will not have new restore points.
When you stop a job session immediately, Veeam Backup & Replication performs the following operations:
1. If a snapshot for a VM has already been created, Veeam Backup & Replication instructs VMware vSphere to
remove the snapshot.
2. Veeam Backup & Replication terminates all job processes and tasks. The job is finished with the Failed
error.
All restore points created with the previous job sessions remain untouched. You can use them for restore
operations.
Graceful Stop of Jobs

Graceful job stop instructs Veeam Backup & Replication that it must create restore points for VMs that are
currently being processed, and then terminate the job. The job finishes with the following results:
• VMs that Veeam Backup & Replication has succeeded to process and VMs that are being processed will
have new restore points.
• VMs that Veeam Backup & Replication has not started to process will not have new restore points.
You can use graceful job stop for the following types of jobs:
• Backup jobs
• VM copy jobs
• Replication jobs
You cannot use graceful job stop for the following types of jobs:
• File copy jobs
• Backup copy jobs
• Quick migration job (during quick migration, Veeam Backup & Replication processes all VMs in one task)
• Restore operations
VMs added to the job are processed in the order defined in job settings. Information about VMs that have
already been processed and VMs that are being processed is displayed in job details.
If you stop the job gracefully before Veeam Backup & Replication starts processing the first VM in the job, the
job will be finished with the Failed error. You will see the message Operation was canceled by user in job details.
Health Check for Backup Files
You can instruct Veeam Backup & Replication to periodically perform a health check for the latest restore point
in the backup chain. During the health check, Veeam Backup & Replication performs a CRC check for metadata
and a hash check for VM data blocks in the backup file to verify their integrity. The health check helps make sure
that the restore point is consistent, and you will be able to restore data from this restore point.
The health check can be performed for all types of backup chains:
• Forever forward incremental
• Forward incremental
• Reverse incremental backup chains
To run the health check periodically, you must enable the Perform backup files health check option in the
backup job settings and define the health check schedule. By default, the health check is performed on the last
Friday of every month. You can change the schedule and run the health check weekly or monthly on specific
days.
NOTE:
Veeam Backup & Replication performs the health check during the first job session on the day when the
health check is scheduled. If another job session runs on the same day, Veeam Backup & Replication will
not perform the health check during this job session. For example, if the job is scheduled to run several
times on Saturday, and the health check is scheduled on Saturday, the health check will only be performed
during the first backup job session on Saturday.
Verification Content
The health check always verifies only the latest restore point in the backup chain. In case of forever forward
incremental and forward incremental backup chains, if the latest restore point is incomplete, the health check
verifies the restore point preceding the latest one.
Bear in mind that the health check procedure verifies not the latest backup file in the backup chain, but the
latest restore point for a VM. The latest restore point corresponds to the state of the VM at the date and time
when the latest backup file for this VM was created. Data blocks that are required to "compose" the VM latest
state are typically spread out across several backup files in the backup chain. Therefore, to verify the latest state
of the VM, Veeam Backup & Replication must open several backup files in the backup chain and read data blocks
from these backup files. For this reason, the health check procedure may take long.
The health check verifies only those virtual disks of a VM that are available in the latest restore point. For
example, you added a VM with 3 virtual disks to a backup job. The VM was backed up Sunday through Tuesday.
On Wednesday, you removed 1 virtual disk, and Veeam Backup & Replication run the health check for the VM.
During the health check, Veeam Backup & Replication will verify only the 2 remaining virtual disks.
The health check verifies only those VMs that are available in the latest restore point. For example, you added 2
VMs to a backup job and run the job for some time. The health check verified 2 VMs. If you remove 1 VM from
the backup job, the next scheduled health check run will verify the latest unverified restore point for the
removed VM, and the latest restore point for the remaining VM. In future, the health check will verify only the
restore point for the remaining VM in the job.
Limitations for Health Check

• The health check is not performed during an active full backup job session started manually or
automatically by schedule.
• The health check is not performed for offloaded restore points. For more information, see Capacity Tier.
• [For per-VM backup chains] If you add a new VM to an existing backup job that has been run for some
time, Veeam Backup & Replication will perform the health check for it during the next incremental backup
job session for the added VM.
How Health Check Works

When Veeam Backup & Replication saves a new restore point to the backup repository, it calculates CRC values
for backup metadata and hash values for data blocks of VM disk in the backup file, and saves these values in the
metadata of the backup file, together with VM data. During the health check session,
Veeam Backup & Replication uses these values to make sure that a verified restore point is consistent.
NOTE:
If you perform health check for encrypted backup files, Veeam Backup & Replication will pass encryption
keys to the regular backup repository or cloud repository. For more information on encryption, see Data
Encryption.
Veeam Backup & Replication uses different mechanisms of health check for different types of backup chains:
• Forever forward incremental and forward incremental backup chains
• Reverse incremental backup chains
Forever Forward Incremental and Forward Incremental Backup Chains
The health check for forward incremental backup chains is performed in the following way:
1. At the end of the backup job session, Veeam Backup & Replication performs the health check. It calculates
CRC values for backup metadata and hash values for VM disks data blocks in the backup file and compares
them with the CRC and hash values that are already stored in the backup file.
During the health check, Veeam Backup & Replication verifies the latest restore point in the backup chain
(restore point created with the current backup job session — the session during which the health check is
performed). If the latest restore point in the backup chain is incomplete, Veeam Backup & Replication
checks the restore point preceding the latest one.
2. If the health check does not detect data corruption, the backup job session completes in a regular way.
If the health check detects corrupted data, Veeam Backup & Replication completes the backup job with
the Error status and starts the health check retry process. The health check retry starts as a separate
backup job session.
Depending on the revealed data corruption, Veeam Backup & Replication performs the following actions:
o If the health check has detected corrupted backup metadata in the full backup file,
Veeam Backup & Replication marks the backup chain starting from this full restore point as corrupted
in the configuration database. During the health check retry, Veeam Backup & Replication transports
data blocks of the whole VM image from the source datastore, creates a new full backup file in the
backup repository and saves transported data blocks to it.
o If the health check has detected corrupted backup metadata in the incremental backup file,
Veeam Backup & Replication removes information about this incremental restore point and
subsequent incremental restore points from the configuration database. During the health check
retry, Veeam Backup & Replication transports incremental data relatively the latest valid restore point
in the backup chain from the source datastore, creates a new incremental backup file in the backup
repository and saves transported data blocks to it.
o If the health check has detected corrupted VM disk blocks in the full or incremental backup file,
Veeam Backup & Replication marks the restore point that includes the corrupted data blocks and
subsequent incremental restore points as corrupted in the configuration database. During the health
check, Veeam Backup & Replication transports data blocks from the source datastore. In addition,
Veeam Backup & Replication transports data blocks that have changed since the backup job session
that has triggered the health check. Veeam Backup & Replication stores these data blocks to the
latest restore point that has been created with the current backup job session (session that has
triggered the health check retry).
Reverse Incremental Backup Chains
In case of reverse incremental backup chains, the health check always verifies only the latest restore point in the
backup chain, which is always a full backup file.
The health check is performed in the following way:
1. At the end of the backup job session, Veeam Backup & Replication verifies the full backup file.
Veeam Backup & Replication calculates CRC values for backup metadata and hash values for VM disks data
blocks in the full backup file, and compares them with the CRC and hash values that are already stored in
the full backup file.
2. If the health check does not detect data corruption, the backup job session completes in a regular way.
If the health check detects corrupted data, Veeam Backup & Replication completes the backup job with
the Error status and starts the health check retry process. The health check retry starts as a separate
backup job session.
Depending on the revealed data corruption, Veeam Backup & Replication performs the following actions:
o If the health check has detected corrupted backup metadata in the full backup file,
Veeam Backup & Replication marks the whole backup chain (full backup file and preceding reverse
incremental backup files) as corrupted in the configuration database. During the health check retry,
Veeam Backup & Replication transports data blocks of the whole VM image from the source datastore,
creates a new full backup file in the backup repository and saves transported data blocks to it.
o If the health check has detected corrupted VM disk blocks in the full backup file,
Veeam Backup & Replication marks the full backup file and preceding reverse incremental backup files
as corrupted in the configuration database. During the health check retry,
Veeam Backup & Replication transports data blocks from the source datastore. In addition,
Veeam Backup & Replication transports data blocks that have changed since the backup job session
that has triggered the health check. Veeam Backup & Replication stores these data blocks to the
existing full backup file in the backup repository. Corrupted data blocks that have been replaced with
data blocks from the source datastore are stored to an existing reverse incremental backup file
preceding the full backup file.
Health Check Retries

The health check itself is started during the backup job session or the job retry session if the backup job session
has failed. If attempts are not successful, Veeam Backup & Replication performs the health check during the last
job retry in any case.
If the health check detects corrupted data, Veeam Backup & Replication completes the backup job with the
Error status and starts the health check retry process. The health check retry starts as a separate backup job
session. During the health check retry, Veeam Backup & Replication attempts to transport data blocks for the
corrupted restore point from the source datastore.
For scheduled jobs, the number of health check retries is equal to the number of job retries specified in the job
settings. For jobs started manually, Veeam Backup & Replication performs 1 health check retry.
NOTE:
If Veeam Backup & Replication fails to fix the corrupted data during all health check retries, you must retry
the job manually. In this case, Veeam Backup & Replication will transport the required data blocks from the
source datastore to fix the latest restore point. If the latest restore point in the backup chain is incomplete,
Veeam Backup & Replication will attempt to fix the restore point preceding the latest one.
Compact of Full Backup File
If you use a forever forward incremental or reverse incremental backup method, the backup job constantly
transforms the full backup file in the backup chain to meet retention policy settings. The transformation
process, however, has a side effect. In the long run, the full backup file grows large and gets fragmented. The
file data occurs to be written to non-contiguous clusters on disk, and operations of reading and writing data
from and to the backup file slow down.
To resolve the fragmentation problem, you can instruct Veeam Backup & Replication to compact the full backup
file periodically. During the file compact operation, Veeam Backup & Replication creates a new empty file and
copies to it data blocks from the full backup file. As a result, the full backup file gets defragmented and the
speed of reading and writing from and to the file increases.
To compact the full backup file periodically, you must enable the Defragment and compact full backup file
option in the backup job settings and define the compact operation schedule. By default, the compact operation
is performed on the last Saturday of every month. You can change the compact operation schedule and instruct
Veeam Backup & Replication to perform it weekly or monthly on specific days.
Limitations for Full Backup File Compact

The full backup file compact has the following limitations:
• The Defragment and compact full backup file option works for forever forward incremental or reverse
incremental backup chains. For this reason, you must not schedule active or synthetic full backups.
Although you do not schedule active full backups for forever forward incremental or reverse incremental
backup chains, full backups can be created. For example, you can create them manually or
Veeam Backup & Replication can create them during the health check. On the day when active full backups
are triggered, Veeam Backup & Replication does not create compact full backups.
Veeam Backup & Replication will create them on another day during the backup job session.
• Veeam Backup & Replication does not compact full backup files that have been offloaded to cloud-based
object storage. For more information, see Capacity Tier.
• The backup repository must have enough space to store a file of the full backup size. During the compact
process, Veeam Backup & Replication creates auxiliary files that exist in the backup repository until the
end of the compact operation.
• [For per-VM backup chains] If you add a new VM to an existing backup job that has been run for some
time, Veeam Backup & Replication will perform the compact full operation for it during the next
incremental backup job session for the added VM.
• If you change the block size in backup job settings, Veeam Backup & Replication does not change the
block size in the compacted backup file till the next full backup. However, if you change compression
settings in backup job settings, during the next compact file operation Veeam Backup & Replication
changes the compression level for the compacted backup file.
Removal of Deleted VMs Data

During the compact operation, Veeam Backup & Replication does not copy all data blocks from the VBK file to
the newly created file. It copies only data blocks of VMs whose information is stored in the configuration
database. For example, if the VM is removed from the backup job, its data is not copied to the new full backup
file. This approach helps reduce the size of the full backup file and remove unnecessary data from it.
VM Data Take Out

If the full backup file contains data for a VM that has only one restore point and this restore point is older than 7
days, during the compact operation Veeam Backup & Replication will extract data for this VM from the full
backup file and write this data to a separate full backup file. Such backup will be displayed under the Backups >
Disk (imported) node in the Home view.
The mechanism works if the following conditions are met:
• The Remove deleted VMs data option is not enabled in the backup job settings.
• The Use per-VM backup files option is not enabled in backup repository settings.
Resume on Disconnect
Veeam Backup & Replication can handle a situation of an unstable network during backup, backup copy and
replication jobs. If a network connection drops for a short period of time during the data transport process,
Veeam Backup & Replication automatically resumes the dropped network connection. The data transfer process
starts from the point when the connection was lost. The resume on disconnect capability improves the reliability
of remote data transfer, reduces the backup window and minimizes the network load.
Veeam Backup & Replication automatically re-establishes a connection between the following backup
infrastructure components engaged in the data transfer process:
• Backup server
• Backup proxies
Resume on disconnect works only for dropped network connections. Veeam Backup & Replication attempts to
resume the connection with an interval of 15 seconds during 30 minutes. If the problem has any other nature,
Veeam Backup & Replication retries the job in a regular manner.
Veeam Backup & Replication does not create a new restore point on resume: VM data is written to the same
restore point that was created for the current job session. When resuming the data transfer process,
Veeam Backup & Replication regards VM disks, not the whole VM.
For example, a VM has two disks: disk A and disk B. Before the connection dropped,
Veeam Backup & Replication managed to transfer 20 GB of disk A and did not start transferring disk B. After the
connection is re-established, Veeam Backup & Replication will start transferring the data for disk A from the 20
GB point; data of the whole disk B will be transferred anew.
Snapshot Hunter
The Snapshot Hunter is a Veeam technology used to detect and remove orphaned snapshots that may remain
after backup or replication job sessions.
The Snapshot Hunter addresses the problem of “phantom” snapshots. Under some circumstances, VMware
vSphere can report a successful removal of a snapshot but the snapshot actually remains on the datastore.
Phantom snapshots can take substantial space on the datastore or impact VM performance. They can even cause
the production VMs to stop if the datastore runs out of free space.
To solve the problem of phantom snapshots, Veeam Backup & Replication starts the Snapshot Hunter during
each backup or replication job session. The Snapshot Hunter looks for snapshot files not registered in vSphere. If
there are no orphaned files, the Snapshot Hunter stops. If orphaned snapshot files are detected, the Snapshot
Hunter removes them in the background mode.
The Snapshot Hunter runs in jobs that use VMware VM snapshots:
• Backup jobs: regular backup and backup from storage snapshots
• Replication jobs (the source VM snapshot): regular replication, replication from storage snapshots
• VeeamZIP
NOTE:
During Snapshot Hunter analysis, Veeam Backup & Replication skips vCloud Director VMs.
How Snapshot Hunter Works

A temporary snapshot of the VM is taken and then removed during every backup or replication job session. To
remove the snapshot, Veeam Backup & Replication triggers the VMware snapshot consolidation mechanism that
includes two steps:
1. VMware vSphere removes the snapshot from the VM snapshots list.
2. VMware vSphere consolidates the data written to the delta file with the VM disks.
The problem occurs when the snapshot was removed successfully but the consolidation failed. This may happen,
for example, if the files appear to be locked when VMware vSphere attempts to consolidate the snapshot files.
In this case, the files remain on datastore.
The Snapshot Hunter is started as a separate process scheduled within every job session. The discovery of the
phantom snapshots does not affect the job: if the phantom snapshots are discovered, the Veeam Backup Service
schedules the snapshot consolidation, and the job runs in normal way.
Veeam Backup & Replication checks the datastore to discover orphaned snapshot files. To consolidate these
files with the VM disks, Veeam Backup & Replication calls a consolidation algorithm. The algorithm consists of
three steps, each representing a VMware method.
1. VMware Consolidate method

As a first attempt, Veeam Backup & Replication calls the VMware Snapshot Consolidate method. This
method is the same mechanism that VMware vSphere uses for VMs with the Needs Consolidation status.
2. Hard consolidation without quiesce
If the first attempt fails, Veeam Backup & Replication creates a new snapshot and calls the VMware Delete
all snapshots method. As a result, all VM snapshots and associated files are deleted. The snapshot is taken
without quiescing the VM.
3. Hard consolidation with quiesce

If the snapshot deletion still fails, Veeam Backup & Replication implies another VMware method that
creates a quiesced snapshot and then removes all VM snapshots.
NOTE:
Hard consolidation without quiesce and hard consolidation with quiesce are performed only if the VM does
not have any user snapshots. In case there are one or more user snapshots, these steps will not be
performed.
The 3-steps consolidation procedure is launched up to 4 times with a 4-hour interval.
In case all four attempts fail, Veeam Backup & Replication sends an e-mail notification informing that the user
needs to manually troubleshoot the problem. Note that you need to have the global email notifications option
enabled. For more information, see Specifying Email Notification Settings.
The Snapshot Hunter considers the backup window set for the job. If any of the attempts does not fit the
backup window, Veeam Backup & Replication will not perform the consolidation and send the e-mail
notification.
To view information on the Snapshot Hunter sessions, in the Veeam Backup & Replication console, open the
History view and select System in the inventory pane.
In case no consolidation attempt could fit the backup window, the warning appears in the job statistics.
Creating Backup Jobs
To back up VMs, you must configure a backup job. The backup job defines how, where and when to back up VM
data. One job can be used to process one or more VMs. Jobs can be started manually or scheduled to run
automatically at a specific time.
Before you create a backup job, check prerequisites. Then use the New Backup Job wizard to configure the
backup job.
Before You Begin
Before you create a backup job, check the following prerequisites:
• Backup infrastructure components that will take part in the backup process must be added to the backup
infrastructure and properly configured. These include ESXi hosts on which VMs are registered, backup
proxy and backup repository.
• The backup repository must have enough free space to store created backup files. To receive alerts about
low space in the backup repository, configure global notification settings. For more information, see
Specifying Other Notification Settings.
• For VM guest OS indexing on Linux-based VMs, a user account with root privileges on the VM is required.
It is recommended that you create a separate user account for work with Veeam Backup & Replication on
the Linux-based VM, grant root privileges to this account and specify settings of this account at the Guest
Processing step of the New Backup Job wizard.
• If you plan to map a backup job to a backup file that already exists in the backup repository, you must
perform the rescan operations for this backup repository. Otherwise, Veeam Backup & Replication will not
be able to recognize backup files in the backup repository. For more information, see Rescanning Backup
Repositories.
• If you plan to configure a secondary destination for the backup job, you can create a backup copy job or
backup to tape job beforehand. The backup copy job or backup to tape job can have an empty source, that
is, can be not linked to any backup job. For more information, see Creating Backup Copy Jobs and Creating
Backup to Tape Jobs.
• If you plan to use pre-job and post-job scripts and/or pre-freeze and post-thaw scripts, you must create
scripts before you configure the backup job.
• To back up Microsoft SQL transaction logs with Veeam Backup & Replication, you must make sure that the
recovery model is set to Full or Bulk-logged recovery model for required databases on Microsoft SQL
Server VMs. If the recovery model is set to Simple, Veeam Backup & Replication will not detect and
process transaction logs on Microsoft SQL Server VMs.
• Veeam Backup & Replication excludes from application-aware processing Microsoft SQL databases that
are mounted to the Microsoft SQL Server using a remote UNC path. If at least one file of the database is
located on a network shared folder, this database will be backed up in the crash-consistent state. Other
databases on this server will be backed up in the transactionally consistent state. For more information,
see this Veeam KB article.
• By default, system databases (master, model, msdb) are skipped from transaction log processing and are
not a part of the Veeam Explorer for Microsoft SQL Server restore workflow. To recover these databases,
you can use file-level restore.
If you want to exclude other databases from the transaction log processing workflow, refer to this Veeam
Knowledge Base article: this Veeam KB article. (Consider that exclusion configured this way will be treated
as a global setting.)
• To back up Oracle transaction logs with Veeam Backup & Replication, you must make sure that
ARCHIVELOG is turned on for required databases on Oracle VMs. If ARCHIVELOG is turned off,
Veeam Backup & Replication will not detect and process transaction logs on Oracle VMs.
Mind the following:
• If you plan to periodically perform maintenance operations with backup files, mind the following
limitations: Health Check for Backup Files, Retention Policy for Deleted VMs, Compact of Full Backup File.
• Due to Microsoft limitations, you cannot use Microsoft Azure Active Directory credentials to perform guest
processing on VMs running Microsoft Windows 10.
• [For Dell EMC Data Domain backup repository] The length of forward incremental and forever forward
incremental backup chains that contain one full backup and a set of subsequent incremental backups
cannot be greater than 60 restore points. To overcome this limitation, schedule full backups (active or
synthetic) to split the backup chain into shorter series. For example, to perform backups at 30-minute
intervals, 24 hours a day, you must schedule synthetic fulls every day. In this scenario, intervals
immediately after midnight may be skipped due to the duration of synthetic processing. For more
information, see How Synthetic Full Backup Works.
• If you assign the role of a backup proxy to a VM, you should not add this VM to the list of processed VMs
in a job that uses this backup proxy. Such configuration may result in degraded job performance.
Veeam Backup & Replication will assign this backup proxy to process other VMs in the job first, and
processing of this VM itself will be put on hold. Veeam Backup & Replication will report the following
message in the job statistics: VM is a backup proxy, waiting for it to stop processing tasks. The job will
start processing this VM only after the backup proxy deployed on the VM finishes its tasks.
• If you use tags to categorize virtual infrastructure objects, check limitations for VM tags. For more
information, see VM Tags.
• Veeam Backup & Replication supports backup of Microsoft Exchange, SharePoint and SQL Server
databases existing in mount point volumes.
• If a job is unable to complete within 21 days period, it will be stopped with the Failed status.
Step 1. Launch New Backup Job Wizard
To launch the New Backup Job wizard, do one of the following:
• On the Home tab, click Backup Job > Virtual machine > VMware vSphere.
• Open the Home view. In the inventory pane, right-click Jobs and select Backup > Virtual machine >
VMware vSphere.
• Open the Inventory view. In the working area select the VMs, click Add to Backup on the ribbon and select
New job or right-click the VMs and select Add to backup job > New job. Veeam Backup & Replication will
start the New Backup Job wizard and add the VMs to this job. You can add other VMs to the job later on,
when you pass through the wizard steps.
• You can quickly add the VMs to an already existing job. To do this, open the Inventory view, in the working
area select the VMs and click Add to Backup > name of the job on the ribbon or right-click the VMs and
select Add to backup job > name of the job.
Step 2. Specify Job Name and Description
At the Name step of the wizard, specify a name and description for the backup job.
1. In the Name field, enter a name for the backup job.
information about the user who created the job, date and time when the job was created.
3. Select the High priority check box if you want the resource scheduler of Veeam Backup & Replication to
prioritize this job higher than other similar jobs and to allocate resources to it in the first place. For more
information on job priorities, see Job Priorities.
Step 3. Select VMs to Back Up
At the Virtual Machines step of the wizard, select VMs and VM containers that you want to back up.
Jobs with VM containers are dynamic in their nature. If a new VM is added to the container in the virtual
infrastructure after the backup job is created, Veeam Backup & Replication will automatically update the job
settings to include the added VM.
NOTE:
You can use a regular backup job to process VMs that are part of vApps created in vCenter Server. To back
up vCloud Director vApps, you must use specifically developed vCD backup jobs. For more information, see
Backup and Restore of vApps.
To add VMs to the job:
1. Click Add.
2. Use the toolbar at the top right corner of the window to switch between views: Hosts and Clusters, VMs
and Templates, Datastores and VMs, VMs and Tags. Depending on the view you select, some objects may
not be available. For example, if you switch to the VMs and Templates view, no resource pools, hosts or
clusters will be displayed in the tree.
3. Select the VM or VM container in the list and click Add.
To quickly find the necessary object, use the search field at the bottom of the Add Objects window.
1. Click the button to the left of the search field and select the type of object to search for: Everything,
Folder, Cluster, Host, Resource pool, VirtualApp or Virtual machine.
2. Enter the object name or a part of it in the search field.
3. Click the Start search button on the right or press [Enter] on the keyboard.
The initial size of VMs and VM containers added to the backup job is displayed in the Size column in the list. The
total size of objects is displayed in the Total size field. Use the Recalculate button to refresh the total size value
after you add a new object to the job.
Step 4. Exclude Objects from Backup Job
After you have added VMs and VM containers to the job, you can specify which objects you want to exclude
from the backup. You can exclude the following types of objects:
• VMs from VM containers
• Specific VM disks
• VM templates
NOTE:
Veeam Backup & Replication automatically excludes VM log files from backup to make the backup process
faster and reduce the size of the backup file.
To exclude VMs from a VM container:
1. At the Virtual Machines step of the wizard, click Exclusions.
2. Click the VMs tab.
3. Click Add.
and Templates, Datastores and VMs and Tags. Depending on the view you select, some objects may not be
available. For example, if you select the VMs and Templates view, no resource pools, hosts or clusters will
be displayed in the tree.
5. In the displayed tree, select the necessary object and click Add. Use the Show full hierarchy check box to
display the hierarchy of all VMware Servers added to the backup infrastructure.
6. Click OK.
To exclude VM disks:
2. Click the Disks tab.
3. Select the VM in the list and click Edit. If you want to exclude disks of a VM added as part of the container,
click Add to include the VM in the list as a standalone object.
4. Choose disks that you want to back up. You can choose to process all disks, 0:0 disks (typically, system
disks) or add to the list custom IDE, SCSI or SATA disks.
5. Select the Remove excluded disks from VM configuration check box. Veeam Backup & Replication will
modify the VMX file of a backed-up VM to remove excluded disks from the VM configuration. If you
restore this VM from the backup file to a location where excluded disks are not accessible with the original
paths, you will not have to manually edit the VM configuration file to be able to power on the VM.
NOTE
If you exclude disks from a backup and enable application-aware processing, Veeam Backup & Replication
will still perform application-aware processing for the excluded disks. This means that VSS will process disk
data.
To exclude VM templates:
1. At the Virtual Machines step of the wizard, select a VM container and click Exclusions.
2. Click the Templates tab.
3. Clear the Backup VM templates check box.
4. If you want to include VM templates into the full backup only, leave the Backup VM templates check box
selected and select the Exclude templates from incremental backup check box.
Step 5. Define VM Backup Order
You can define the order in which the backup job must process VMs. Setting VM order can be helpful, for
example, if you add some mission-critical VMs to the job and want the job to process them first. You can set
these VMs first in list to ensure that their processing fits the backup window.
VMs inside a VM container are processed at random. To ensure that VMs are processed in the defined order, you
must add them as standalone VMs, not as a part of the VM container.
To define the VM backup order:
1. At the Virtual Machines step of the wizard, select a VM or VM container.
2. Use the Up and Down buttons on the right to move the VM or VM container up or down in the list.
NOTE:
VMs may be processed in a different order. For example, if backup infrastructure resources for a VM that is
higher on the priority list are not available, and resources for a VM that is lower on the list are available,
Veeam Backup & Replication will start processing the VM that is lower on the list first.
Step 6. Specify Backup Storage Settings
At the Storage step of the wizard, select backup infrastructure components for the job — backup proxy and
backup repository, and specify backup storage settings.
1. Click Choose next to the Backup proxy field to select a backup proxy.
o If you choose Automatic selection, Veeam Backup & Replication will detect backup proxies that have
access to the source datastore and automatically assign an optimal backup proxy to process VMs in
the job.
Veeam Backup & Replication assigns backup proxies to VMs included in the backup job one by one.
Before processing a new VM in the VM list, Veeam Backup & Replication checks available backup
proxies. If more than one backup proxy is available, Veeam Backup & Replication analyzes transport
modes that the backup proxies can use to retrieve VM data and the current workload on the backup
proxies to select the most appropriate one for VM processing.
o If you choose Use the selected backup proxy servers specified below, you can explicitly select backup
proxies that the job must use. It is recommended that you select at least two backup proxies to ensure
that the backup job starts if one of the proxies fails or loses its connectivity to the source datastore.
2. From the Backup repository list, select a backup repository where the created backup files must be stored.
When you select a backup repository, Veeam Backup & Replication automatically checks how much free
space is available in the backup repository.
3. You can map the job to a specific backup stored in the backup repository. Backup job mapping can be
helpful if you have moved backup files to a new backup repository and want to point the job to existing
backups in this new backup repository. You can also use backup job mapping if the configuration database
got corrupted and you need to reconfigure backup jobs.
To map the job to a backup, click the Map backup link and select the backup in the backup repository.
Backups can be easily identified by job names. To find the backup, you can also use the search field at the
bottom of the window.
4. In the Retention Policy field, specify retention policy settings for restore points:
o If you want to keep the last N restore points, select restore points from the drop-down list. Then
specify the number of restore points.
o If you want to keep all restore points created during the last N days, select days from the drop-down
list. Then specify the number of days.
When the specified number is exceeded, the earliest restore point is removed from the backup chain or
merged with the next closest restore point. For more information, see Short-Term Retention Policy.
5. If you want to archive backup files created with the backup job to a secondary destination (backup
repository or tape), select the Configure secondary destination for this job check box. With this option
enabled, the New Backup Job wizard will include an additional step — Secondary Target. At the Secondary
Target step of the wizard, you can link the backup job to the backup copy job or backup to tape backup
job.
You can enable this option only if a backup copy job or backup to tape job is already configured on the
backup server.
Step 7. Configure Long-Term Retention
If you want to ignore the short-term retention policy for some full backups and store them for long-term
archiving, you can configure long-term retention policy (or GFS retention policy) for the backup job. For more
information on GFS and its limitations, see Long-Term Retention Policy (GFS).
1. At the storage step of the wizard, select the Keep some periodic full backups longer for archival purposes
check box.
2. Click Configure.
3. In the Configure GFS window, do the following:
o If you want to create weekly restore points, select the Keep weekly full backups for check box. Then
specify the number of weeks during which you want to prevent restore points from being modified
and deleted.
From the If multiple full backups exist, use the one from drop-down list, select a week day when
Veeam Backup & Replication must assign the weekly GFS flag to a full restore point.
o If you want to create monthly restore points, select the Keep monthly full backups for check box.
Then specify the number of months during which you want to prevent restore points from being
modified and deleted.
From the Use weekly full backup for the following week of a month drop-down list, select a week
when Veeam Backup & Replication must assign the monthly GFS flag to a full restore point. A week
equals 7 calendar days; for example, the first week of May is days 1–7, and the last week of May is
days 25–31.
o If you want to create yearly restore points, select the Keep yearly full backups for check box. Then
specify the number of years during which you want to prevent restore points from being modified and
deleted.
From the Use monthly full backup for the following month drop-down list, select a month when
Veeam Backup & Replication must assign the yearly GFS flag to a full restore point.
NOTE:
If you select to assign multiple types of GFS flags, the flags begin to depend on each other. For more
information on this dependency, see Assignment of Multiple GFS Flags.
Step 8. Specify Advanced Backup Settings
At the Storage step of the wizard, specify advanced settings for the backup job:
• Backup settings
• Maintenance settings
• Storage settings
• Notification settings
• vSphere settings
• Integration settings
• Script settings
TIP:
After you specify necessary settings for the backup job, you can save them as default settings. To do this,
click Save as Default at the bottom left corner of the Advanced Settings window. When you create a new
backup job, Veeam Backup & Replication will automatically apply the default settings to the new job.
Backup Settings
To specify settings for a backup chain created with the backup job:
1. At the Storage step of the wizard, click Advanced.
2. On the Backup tab, select the backup method that you want to use to create the backup chain in the
backup repository:
o To create a reverse incremental backup chain, select Reverse Incremental.
Dell EMC Data Domain and HPE StoreOnce do not support the reverse incremental backup method.
Do not select this option for backup jobs targeted at these types of backup repositories.
o To create an incremental backup chain, select Incremental and enable synthetic full and/or active full
backups (see items 3-4).
o To create a forever forward incremental backup chain, select Incremental and do not enable synthetic
full and/or active full backups (see items 3-4).
For more information, see Backup Methods.
3. If you choose the incremental backup method, you can select to periodically create synthetic full backups
and/or active full backups.
o To create a synthetic full backup, select the Create synthetic full backups periodically check box and
click Days to schedule synthetic full backups on the necessary week days.
NOTE:
For backup jobs created in Veeam Backup & Replication version prior to 11, you could enable the
Transform previous backup chains into rollbacks option. Since Veeam Backup & Replication
version 11, this option is deprecated. However, the transformation functionality is still working
for backup jobs where the Transform previous backup chains into rollbacks option was already
enabled. For more information on the transformation, see the Backup Chain Transformation
section in Veeam Backup & Replication User Guide for version 10.
o To create full backups regularly, select the Create active full backups periodically check box. Use the
Monthly on or Weekly on selected days options to define scheduling settings.
Before you schedule periodic full backups, you must make sure that you have enough free space in the
backup repository. As an alternative, you can create active full backups manually when needed. For more
information, see Active Full Backup.
NOTE:
If you schedule the active full backup and synthetic full backup with or without the transformation task on
the same day, Veeam Backup & Replication will perform only active full backup. Synthetic full backup and
transformation task will be skipped.
Maintenance Settings
You can instruct Veeam Backup & Replication to periodically perform maintenance operations — service actions
that will help make sure that the backup chain remains valid and consistent.
To specify maintenance settings for the backup job:
2. Click the Maintenance tab.
3. To periodically perform a health check for the latest restore point in the backup chain, in the Storage-level
corruption guard section select the Perform backup files health check check box and specify the time
schedule for the health check.
An automatic health check can help you avoid a situation where a restore point gets corrupted, making all
dependent restore points corrupted, too. If during the health check Veeam Backup & Replication detects
corrupted data blocks in the latest restore point in the backup chain (or, in case of forever forward
incremental and forward incremental chains, the restore point before the latest one if the latest restore
point is incomplete), it will start the health check retry and transport valid data blocks from the source
datastore to the backup repository. The transported data blocks are stored to a new backup file or the
latest backup file in the backup chain, depending on the data corruption scenario. For more information,
see Health Check for Backup Files.
4. Select the Remove deleted items data after check box and specify the number of days for which you want
to keep backup data for deleted VMs. If a VM is no longer available (for example, it was deleted or
excluded from the job), Veeam Backup & Replication will keep its data in the backup repository for the
period that you have specified. When this period is over, data of the deleted VM will be removed from the
backup repository.
By default, the retention period for deleted VM data is 14 days. It is strongly recommended that you set
the retention period to 3 days or more to prevent unwanted data loss. For more information, see
Retention Policy for Deleted VMs.
5. To periodically compact a full backup, select the Defragment and compact full backup file check box and
specify the schedule for the compact operation.
During the compact operation, Veeam Backup & Replication creates a new empty file and copies to it data
blocks from the full backup file. As a result, the full backup file gets defragmented and the speed of
reading and writing from/to the backup file increases.
If the full backup file contains data blocks for deleted VMs, Veeam Backup & Replication will remove these
data blocks. If the full backup file contains data for a VM that has only one restore point, and this restore
point is older than 7 days, Veeam Backup & Replication will perform the take out operation. For more
information, see Compact of Full Backup File.
IMPORTANT!
If you schedule periodic full backups, the Remove deleted items data after and Defragment and compact
full backup file check boxes do not apply.
Storage Settings
To specify storage settings for the backup job:
2. Click the Storage tab.
3. By default, Veeam Backup & Replication deduplicates VM data before storing it in the backup repository.
Data deduplication provides a smaller size of the backup file but may reduce the backup job performance.
For more information on data deduplication, see Deduplication.
To disable data deduplication, clear the Enable inline data deduplication check box. When you disable data
deduplication, you also change the workflow for incremental backups. If Changed Block Tracking (CBT) is
enabled for the job, Veeam Backup & Replication will save all data blocks marked by CBT as new to the
destination storage without performing an additional check or using Veeam filtering mechanism. This will
result in faster creation of incremental backups. However, backup files may increase in size.
4. By default, Veeam Backup & Replication checks the NTFS MFT file on VMs with Microsoft Windows OS to
identify data blocks of the hiberfil.sys file (file used for the hibernate mode) and pagefile.sys file
(swap file), and excludes these data blocks from processing. The swap file is dynamic in nature and
changes intensively between backup job sessions, even if the VM itself does not change much. Processing
of service files reduces the job performance and increases the size of incremental backup files.
5. If you want to include data blocks of the hiberfil.sys file and pagefile.sys file to the backup, clear
the Exclude swap file blocks check box. For more information, see Swap Files.
6. By default, Veeam Backup & Replication does not copy deleted file blocks ("dirty" blocks on the VM guest
OS) to the target location. This option lets you reduce the size of backup files and increase the job
performance. If you want to include dirty data blocks to the backup, clear the Exclude deleted file blocks
check box. For more information, see Deleted File Blocks.
7. From the Compression level list, select a compression level for the backup: None, Dedupe-friendly,
Optimal, High or Extreme. For more information on data compression, see Compression and
Deduplication.
8. In the Storage optimization section, select what type of backup target you plan to use: Local target (large
blocks), Local target, LAN target or WAN target. Depending on the chosen storage type,
Veeam Backup & Replication will use data blocks of different size to optimize the size of backup files and
job performance. For more information, see Storage Optimization.
9. To encrypt the content of backup files, select the Enable backup file encryption check box. In the
Password field, select a password that you want to use for encryption. If you have not created the
password beforehand, click Add or use the Manage passwords link to specify a new password. For more
information, see Managing Passwords for Data Encryption.
If the backup server is not connected to Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager, you will not be able to restore
data from encrypted backups in case you lose the password. Veeam Backup & Replication will display a
warning about it. For more information, see Decrypting Data Without Password.
NOTE:
If you enable encryption for an existing backup job, during the next job session
Veeam Backup & Replication will create a full backup file. The created full backup file and subsequent
incremental backup files in the backup chain will be encrypted with the specified password.
Encryption is not retroactive. If you enable encryption for an existing job, Veeam Backup & Replication
does not encrypt the previous backup chain created with this job. If you want to start a new chain so that
the unencrypted previous chain can be separated from the encrypted new chain, follow this scenario: this
Veeam KB article.
Notification Settings
To specify notification settings for the backup job:
Settings.
o To configure a custom notification for the job, select Use custom notification settings specified below
check box. You can specify the following notification settings:
subject: %Time% (completion time), %JobName%, %JobResult%, %ObjectCount% (number of
VMs in the job) and %Issues% (number of VMs in the job that have finished with the Warning or
Failed status).
iii. Select the Suppress notifications until the last retry check box to receive a notification about the
final job status. If you do not enable this option, Veeam Backup & Replication will send one
notification per every job retry.
6. Select the Set successful backup details to this VM attribute check box to write information about
successfully performed backup and backup results (backup date and time, backup server name and path to
the backup file) to a VM attribute. In the field below, enter a name of the attribute. If the specified
attribute does not exist, Veeam Backup & Replication will create it.
7. Select the Append to the existing attribute's value check box to append information about successfully
performed backup to an existing value of the attribute. In this case, Veeam Backup & Replication will keep
values added by the user in the attribute, and will overwrite only the value added by the backup job. If you
do not select this option, Veeam Backup & Replication will overwrite the existing attribute values (made
both by the user and backup job).
vSphere Settings
To specify VMware vSphere settings for the backup job:
2. Click the vSphere tab.
3. Select the Enable VMware tools quiescence check box to freeze the file system of processed VMs during
backup.
Depending on the VM version, Veeam Backup & Replication will use the VMware FileSystem Sync Driver
(vmsync) driver or VMware VSS component in VMware Tools for VM snapshot creation. These tools are
responsible for quiescing the VM file system and bringing the VM to a consistent state suitable for backup.
For more information, see VMware Tools Quiescence.
4. In the Changed block tracking section, configure VMware vSphere CBT:
a. Make sure that the Use changed block tracking data check box is selected if you want to enable CBT.
b. Make sure that the Enable CBT for all processed VMs automatically check box is selected if you want
to force using CBT even if CBT is disabled in VM configuration.
c. Make sure that the Reset CBT on each Active Full backup automatically check box is selected if you
want to reset CBT before Veeam Backup & Replication creates active full backups.
CBT reset helps avoid issues, for example, when CBT returns incorrect changed data.
For more information on CBT, see Changed Block Tracking.
IMPORTANT!
You can use CBT for VMs with virtual hardware version 7 or later. These VMs must not have existing
snapshots.
Integration Settings
On the Integration tab, you can define whether you want to use the Backup from Storage Snapshots technology
to create the backup. Backup from Storage Snapshots lets you leverage storage snapshots for VM data
processing. The technology improves RPOs and reduces the impact of backup activities on the production
environment.
Before you start using the Backup from Storage Snapshots technology, check prerequisites.
To specify storage integration settings for the backup job:
2. Click the Integration tab.
3. By default, the Enable backup from storage snapshots option is enabled. If you do not want to use Backup
from Storage Snapshots, clear this check box. For more information, see Configuring Backup from Storage
Snapshots.
4. If you add to the job many VMs whose disks are located on the same volume or LUN, select the Limit
processed VM count per storage snapshot to <N> check box and specify the number of VMs for which one
storage snapshot must be created. Veeam Backup & Replication will divide VMs into several groups and
trigger a separate storage snapshot for every VM group. As a result, the job performance will increase.
For more information, see Limitation on Number of VMs per Snapshot.
5. If Veeam Backup & Replication fails to create a storage snapshot, VMs whose disks are located to the
storage system will not be processed by the job. To fail over to the regular VM processing mode and back
up or replicate such VMs in the regular processing mode, select the Failover to standard backup check
box.
6. [For secondary NetApp storage systems] If Veeam Backup & Replication cannot create a storage snapshot
on NetApp SnapMirror or SnapVault, the job will not back up VMs whose disks are located to the storage
system. To fail over to Backup from Storage Snapshots on the production storage, select the Failover to
primary storage snapshot check box. If Veeam Backup & Replication fails to create a storage snapshot on
NetApp SnapMirror or SnapVault, it will trigger the storage snapshot on the primary NetApp storage and
use it as a source for backup. Note, however, that Backup from Storage Snapshots on the primary NetApp
storage will put additional load on the production environment.
Script Settings
To specify script settings for the backup job:
2. Click the Scripts tab.
3. If you want to execute custom scripts before and/or after the backup job, select the Run the following
script before the job and Run the following script after the job check boxes and click Browse to choose
executable files from a local folder on the backup server. The scripts are executed on the backup server.
You can select to execute pre- and post-backup actions after a number of backup sessions or on specific
week days.
o If you select the Run scripts every <N> backup session option, specify the number of the backup job
sessions after which the scripts must be executed.
o If you select the Run scripts on the selected days only option, click Days and specify week days on
which the scripts must be executed.
NOTE
Mind the following:
• Custom scripts that you define in the advanced job settings relate to the backup job itself, not the
VM quiescence process. To add pre-freeze and post-thaw scripts for VM image quiescence, use the
Guest Processing step of the wizard.
• If you select the Run scripts on the selected days only option, Veeam Backup & Replication executes
scripts only once on each selected day — when the job runs for the first time. During subsequent job
runs, scripts are not executed.
• To run the script, Veeam Backup & Replication uses the Service Account under which the Veeam
Backup Service is running.
Step 9. Specify Secondary Target
The Secondary Target step of the wizard is available if you have enabled the Configure secondary destination for
this job option at the Storage step of the wizard.
At the Secondary Target step of the wizard, you can link the backup job to a backup to tape or backup copy job.
As a result, the backup job will be added as a source to the backup to tape or backup copy job. Backup files
created with the backup job will be archived to tape or copied to the secondary backup repository according to
the secondary jobs schedule. For more information, see Linking Backup Jobs to Backup Copy Jobs and Linking
Backup Jobs to Backup to Tape Jobs.
The backup to tape job or backup copy job must be configured beforehand. You can create these jobs with an
empty source. When you link the backup job to these jobs, Veeam Backup & Replication will automatically
update the linked jobs to define the backup job as a source for these jobs.
To link jobs:
1. Click Add.
2. From the jobs list, select a backup to tape or backup copy job that must be linked to the backup job. You
can link several jobs to the backup job, for example, one backup to tape job and one backup copy job. To
quickly find the job, use the search field at the bottom of the wizard.
Step 10. Specify Guest Processing Settings
At the Guest Processing step of the wizard, you can enable the following settings for VM guest OS processing:
• Transaction log handling for Microsoft SQL VMs
• Archived log handling for Oracle VM
• VM guest OS file exclusion
• Use of pre-freeze and post-thaw scripts
• VM guest OS file indexing
To coordinate guest processing activities, Veeam Backup & Replication deploys non-persistent runtime
components or uses (if necessary, deploys) persistent agent components on the VM guest OS.
The non-persistent runtime components run only during guest processing and are stopped immediately after
the processing is finished (depending on the selected option, during the backup job session or after the backup
job completes).
You must specify a user account that will be used to connect to the VM guest OS and deploy the non-persistent
runtime components or use persistent agent components:
1. From the Guest OS credentials list, select a user account that has enough permissions. For details, see
Required Permissions for Guest Processing.
add credentials.
By default, Veeam Backup & Replication uses the Log on as a batch job policy to connect to guest OS. If
the connection fails, Veeam Backup & Replication switches to Interactive Logon.
NOTE:
[For Kerberos authentication] Mind the following:
• Local accounts do not support Kerberos authentication. To authenticate with Microsoft

Windows guest OS using Kerberos, specify an Active Directory account.
• Networkless application-aware guest processing through VMware VIX/vSphere Web Services is
not supported for VMs with guest OS where NTLM is restricted.
• Veeam backup infrastructure servers must correctly resolve FQDNs of guest operating systems.
• To back up VMs where Kerberos is used, NTLM must be allowed in the Veeam backup
infrastructure machines. For details, see Kerberos Authentication for Guest OS Processing.
2. By default, Veeam Backup & Replication uses the same credentials for all VMs in the job. If some VM
requires a different user account, click Credentials and enter custom credentials for the VM.
3. If you have added Microsoft Windows VMs to the job, specify which guest interaction proxy
Veeam Backup & Replication can use to deploy the non-persistent runtime components or connect to (if
necessary, deploy) persistent agent components on the VM guest OS. On the right of the Guest interaction
proxy field, click Choose.
o Leave Automatic selection to let Veeam Backup & Replication automatically select the guest
interaction proxy.
o Select Use the selected guest interaction proxy servers only to explicitly define which servers will
perform the guest interaction proxy role. The list of servers contains Microsoft Windows servers
added to the backup infrastructure.
To check if Veeam Backup & Replication can communicate with VMs added to the job and deploy the non-
persistent runtime components or use (if necessary, deploy) persistent agent components on their guest OSes,
click Test Now. Veeam Backup & Replication will use the specified credentials to connect to all VMs in the list.
NOTE:
If you add to the backup job VMs running VSS-aware applications, you can enable application-aware processing
to create a transactionally consistent backup. The transactionally consistent backup guarantees proper recovery
of applications on VMs without data loss.
To enable application-aware processing:
2. Click Applications.
3. In the displayed list, select the VM and click Edit.

To define custom settings for a VM added as a part of a VM container, you must include the VM to the list
as a standalone object. To do this, click Add and choose the VM whose settings you want to customize.
Then select the VM in the list and define the necessary settings.
4. On the General tab, in the Applications section specify the behavior scenario for application-aware
processing:
o Select Require successful processing if you want Veeam Backup & Replication to stop the backup
process if any error occurs during application-aware processing.
o Select Try application processing, but ignore failures if you want to continue the backup process even
if an error occurs during application-aware processing. This option guarantees completion of the
backup job. However, the resulting backup will not be transactionally consistent but crash consistent.
o Select Disable application processing if you do not want to enable application-aware processing for
the VM.
5. [For Microsoft Exchange, Microsoft SQL and Oracle VMs] In the Transaction logs section, specify if
Veeam Backup & Replication must process transaction logs or copy-only backups must be created.
a. Select Process transaction logs with this job if you want Veeam Backup & Replication to process
transaction logs.
[For Microsoft Exchange VMs] With this option selected, the non-persistent runtime components or
persistent components running on the VM guest OS will wait for backup to complete successfully and
then trigger truncation of transaction logs. If the backup job fails, the logs will remain untouched on
the VM guest OS until the next start of the non-persistent runtime components or persistent
components.
[For Microsoft SQL Server VMs and Oracle VMs] You will have to specify settings for transaction log
handling on the SQL and Oracle tabs of the VM Processing Settings window. For more information,
see Transaction Log Settings: Microsoft SQL and Transaction Log Settings: Oracle.
b. Select Perform copy only if you use another backup tool to perform VM guest level backup, and this
tool maintains consistency of the database state. Veeam Backup & Replication will create a copy-only
backup for the selected VM. The copy only backup preserves the chain of full/differential backup files
and transaction logs on the VM. For more information, see Microsoft Docs.
6. In the Persistent guest agent section, specify if Veeam Backup & Replication must use persistent guest
agents on each protected VM for application-aware processing.
By default, Veeam Backup & Replication uses non-persistent runtime components.
Veeam Backup & Replication deploys runtime components on each protected VM when the backup job
starts, and removes the runtime components as soon as the backup job finishes.
Select the Use persistent guest agent check box to enable persistent agent components for guest
processing. For more information, see Non-Persistent Runtime Components and Persistent Agent
Components.
IMPORTANT!
If both Microsoft SQL Server and Oracle Server are installed on one VM, and this VM is processed by a job
with log backup enabled for both applications, Veeam Backup & Replication will back up only Oracle
transaction logs. Microsoft SQL Server transaction logs will not be processed.
Microsoft SQL Server Transaction Log Settings

If you back up a Microsoft SQL VM, you can specify how Veeam Backup & Replication must process transaction
logs on this VM:
3. In the displayed list, select the Microsoft SQL Server VM and click Edit.
4. In the Transaction logs section, select Process transaction logs with this job.
5. In the VM Processing Settings window, click the SQL tab.
6. Specify how transaction logs must be processed. You can select one of the following options:
o Select Truncate logs to truncate transaction logs after successful backup. The non-persistent runtime
components or persistent components running on the VM guest OS will wait for the backup to
complete successfully and then truncate transaction logs. If the job does not manage to back up the
Microsoft SQL Server VM, the logs will remain untouched on the VM guest OS until the next start of
the non-persistent runtime components or persistent components.
NOTE:
If the account specified for application-aware processing does not have enough rights,
Veeam Backup & Replication tries to truncate logs using the local SYSTEM account for Microsoft
SQL Server 2008 and 2008 R2. If you have modified this account, make sure that it is permitted
to truncate logs.
For other Microsoft SQL Server versions, Veeam Backup & Replication uses NT
AUTHORITY\SYSTEM account. Make sure that you assign the sysadmin role to this account. For
more information, see this Veeam KB article.
o Select Do not truncate logs to preserve transaction logs. When the backup job completes,
Veeam Backup & Replication will not truncate transaction logs on the Microsoft SQL Server VM.
It is recommended that you enable this option for databases that use the Simple recovery model. If
you enable this option for databases that use the Full or Bulk-logged recovery model, transaction logs
on the VM guest OS may grow large and consume all disk space. In this case, the database
administrator must take care of transaction logs him-/herself.
o Select Backup logs periodically to back up transaction logs with Veeam Backup & Replication.
Veeam Backup & Replication will periodically copy transaction logs to the backup repository and store
them together with the image-level backup of the Microsoft SQL Server VM. During the backup job
session, transaction logs on the VM guest OS will be truncated.
For more information, see Microsoft SQL Server Log Backup.
If you have selected to back up transaction logs with Veeam Backup & Replication, you must specify settings for
transaction log backup:
1. In the Backup logs every <N> minutes field, specify the frequency for transaction log backup. By default,
transaction logs are backed up every 15 minutes. The maximum log backup interval is 480 minutes.
2. In the Retain log backups section, specify retention policy for transaction logs stored in the backup
repository.
o Select Until the corresponding image-level backup is deleted to apply the same retention policy for
image-level backups and transaction log backups.
o Select Keep only last <N> days of log backups to keep transaction logs for a specific number of days.
By default, transaction logs are kept for 15 days. If you select this option, you must make sure that
retention for transaction logs is not greater than retention for the image-level backups. For more
information, see Retention for Transaction Log Backups.
3. In the Log shipping servers section, click Choose to select what log shipping server you want to use to
transport transaction logs:
o Select Automatic selection if you want Veeam Backup & Replication to choose an optimal log shipping
server automatically. If the optimal shipping server is busy, Veeam Backup & Replication will direct
the data flow to another shipping server not to lose data and to comply with RPO. The process of
transaction logs shipment does not require a dedicated server — Veeam Backup & Replication can use
any Microsoft Windows server added to the backup infrastructure.
o To define a log shipping server explicitly, select Use the specified servers only and select check boxes
next to servers that you want to use as log shipping servers. The server list includes all Microsoft
Windows servers added to the backup infrastructure.
Make sure that you select a server that is not engaged in other resource-consuming tasks. For
example, you may want not to use a server that performs the WAN accelerator role as a log shipping
server. For load balance and high availability purposes, it is recommended that you select at least 2
log shipping servers.
IMPORTANT!
Veeam Backup & Replication automatically excludes its configuration database from application-aware
processing during backup if the database is hosted without using SQL Server AlwaysOn Availability Group.
Transaction logs for the configuration database are not backed up.
If the Veeam Backup & Replication configuration database is hosted using SQL Server AlwaysOn Availability
Group, you should manually exclude this database from application-aware processing during backup as
described in this Veeam KB article. Otherwise, job processing will fail with the following error: Failed to
freeze guest over network, wait timeout.
Oracle Archived Log Settings

If you back up a VM where Oracle Database is deployed, you can specify how Veeam Backup & Replication must
process archived redo logs on this VM:
3. In the displayed list, select an Oracle VM and click Edit.
5. In the VM Processing Settings window, click the Oracle tab.
6. In the Specify Oracle account with SYSDBA privileges section, specify a user account that
Veeam Backup & Replication will use to connect to the Oracle database. The account must have SYSDBA
rights on the Oracle database.
You can select Use guest credentials in the list of user accounts. In this case, Veeam Backup & Replication
will use the account specified at the Guest Processing step of the wizard to access the VM guest OS and
connect to the Oracle database.
7. In the Archived logs section, specify how Veeam Backup & Replication must process archived redo logs on
the Oracle VM:
o Select Do not delete archived logs if you want Veeam Backup & Replication to preserve archived logs
on the VM guest OS. When the backup job completes, the non-persistent runtime components or
persistent components will not delete archived logs.
It is recommended that you select this option for databases in the NOARCHIVELOG mode. If the
database is in the ARCHIVELOG mode, archived logs on the VM guest OS may grow large and consume
all disk space. In this case, database administrators must take care of archived logs themselves.
o Select Delete logs older than <N> hours or Delete logs over <N> GB if you want
Veeam Backup & Replication to delete archived logs that are older than <N> hours or larger than <N>
GB. The log size threshold refers not to the total size of all logs for all databases, but to the log size
of each database on the selected Oracle VM.
When the parent backup job (job creating an image-level backup) runs, Veeam Backup & Replication
will wait for the backup to complete successfully, and then trigger archived logs deletion on the
Oracle VM over Oracle Call Interface (OCI). If the primary job does not manage to back up the Oracle
VM, the logs will remain untouched on the VM guest OS until the next start of the non-persistent
runtime components or persistent components.
8. To back up Oracle archived logs with Veeam Backup & Replication, select the Backup log every <N>
minutes check box and specify the frequency for archived log backup. By default, archived logs are backed
up every 15 minutes. The maximum log backup interval is 480 minutes.
9. In the Retain log backups section, specify retention policy for archived logs stored in the backup
repository:
o Select Until the corresponding image-level backup is deleted to apply the same retention policy for
image-level backups and archived log backups.
o Select Keep only last <n> days to keep archived logs for a specific number of days. By default,
archived logs are kept for 15 days. If you select this option, you must make sure that retention for
archived logs is not greater than retention for the image-level backups. For more information, see
Retention for Archived Log Backups.
10. In the Log shipping servers section, click Choose to select what log shipping server you want to use to
transport archived logs:
o Select Automatic selection if you want Veeam Backup & Replication to select an optimal log shipping
server automatically. The process of archived logs shipment does not require a dedicated server —
Veeam Backup & Replication can use any Microsoft Windows or Linux server added to the backup
infrastructure.
o Select Use the specified servers only to define a log shipping server explicitly. In the Log Shipping
Servers window, select check boxes next to servers that you want to use as log shipping servers. The
server list includes all Microsoft Windows servers added to the backup infrastructure.
Make sure that you select a server that is not engaged in other resource-consuming tasks. For
example, you may want not to use a server that performs the WAN accelerator role as a log shipping
server. For load balance and high availability purposes, it is recommended that you select at least 2
log shipping servers.
VM Guest OS File Exclusion

If you do not want to back up specific files and folders on the VM guest OS, you can exclude them from the
backup. Note that this option is available in the Enterprise and Enterprise Plus editions of
To define what files and folders must be excluded:

To define custom settings for a VM added as part of a VM container, you must include the VM in the list as
a standalone object. To do this, click Add and choose a VM whose settings you want to customize. Then
select the VM in the list and define the necessary settings.
4. Click the Exclusions tab and specify what files must be excluded from the backup:
o Select Exclude the following files and folders to remove the individual files and folders from the
backup.
o Select Include only the following files and folders to leave only the specified files and folders in the
backup.
5. Click Add and specify what files and folders you want to include or exclude. To form the list of exclusions
or inclusions, you can use full paths to files and folders, environmental variables and file masks with the
asterisk (*) and question mark (?) characters. For more information, see VM Guest OS Files.
NOTE:
When you choose files to be included or excluded, mind requirements and limitations that are listed in the
Requirements and Limitations for VM Guest OS File Exclusion section.
6. Click OK.
7. Repeat steps 5-6 for every file or folder that you want to exclude or include.

If you plan to back up VMs running applications that do not support VSS, you can specify what scripts
Veeam Backup & Replication must use to quiesce the VM. The pre-freeze script quiesces the VM file system and
application data to bring the VM to a consistent state before Veeam Backup & Replication triggers a VM
snapshot. After the VM snapshot is created, the post-thaw script brings the VM and applications to their initial
state.
To specify pre-freeze and post-thaw scripts for the job:
1. At the Guest Processing step, click Applications.
4. In the Script processing mode section, specify the scenario for scripts execution:
o Select Require successful script execution if you want Veeam Backup & Replication to stop the backup
process if the script fails.
o Select Ignore script execution failures if you want to continue the backup process even if script errors
occur.
o Select Disable script execution if you do not want to run scripts for the VM.
5. In the Windows scripts section, specify paths to pre-freeze and post-thaw scripts for Microsoft Windows
VMs. For the list of supported script formats, see Pre-Freeze and Post-Thaw Scripts.
6. In the Linux scripts section, specify paths to pre-freeze and/or post-thaw scripts for Linux VMs. For the list
of supported script formats, see Pre-Freeze and Post-Thaw Scripts.
If you have added to the job a VM container with Microsoft Windows and Linux VMs, you can select to
execute both Microsoft Windows and Linux scripts for the VM container. When the job starts,
Veeam Backup & Replication will automatically determine what OS type is installed on the VM and use
corresponding scripts to quiesce this VM.
TIP:
Beside pre-freeze and post-thaw scripts for VM quiescence, you can instruct Veeam Backup & Replication
to run custom scripts before the job starts and after the job completes. For more information, see Script
Settings.
VM Guest OS File Indexing

To specify VM guest OS indexing options for a VM:
1. At the Guest Processing step of the wizard, click Indexing.
2. Select a VM in the list and click Edit > Windows indexing or Linux indexing.
3. Specify the indexing scope:
o Select Disable indexing if you do not want to index guest OS files of the VM.
o Select Index everything if you want to index all VM guest OS files.
o Select Index everything except if you want to index all VM guest OS files except those defined in the
list. By default, system folders are excluded from indexing. You can add or delete folders using the
Add and Remove buttons on the right. You can also use system environment variables to form the list,
for example: %windir%, %ProgramFiles% and %Temp%.
To reset the list of folders to its initial state, click Default.
o Select Index only following folders to define folders that you want to index. You can add or delete
folders to index using the Add and Remove buttons on the right. You can also use system
environment variables to form the list, for example: %windir%, %ProgramFiles% and %Temp%.
NOTE:
To perform guest OS file indexing on Linux VMs, Veeam Backup & Replication requires several utilities to
be installed on the Linux VM: openssh, mlocate, gzip and tar. If these utilities are not found,
Veeam Backup & Replication will prompt you to deploy them on the VM guest OS.
Step 11. Define Job Schedule
At the Schedule step of the wizard, select to run the backup job manually or schedule the job to run on a regular
basis.
To specify the job schedule:
1. Select the Run the job automatically check box. If this check box is not selected, you will have to start the
job manually to create the VM backup.
2. Define scheduling settings for the job:
o To run the job at specific time daily, on defined week days or with specific periodicity, select Daily at
this time. Use the fields on the right to configure the necessary schedule.
o To run the job once a month on specific days, select Monthly at this time. Use the fields on the right
to configure the necessary schedule.
NOTE:
When you configure the job schedule, keep in mind possible date and time changes (for
example, related to daylight saving time transition).
o To run the job repeatedly throughout a day with a specific time interval, select Periodically every. In
the field on the right, select the necessary time unit: Hours or Minutes. Click Schedule and use the
time table to define the permitted time window for the job. In the Start time within an hour field,
specify the exact time when the job must start.
A repeatedly run job is started by the following rules:
 Veeam Backup & Replication always starts counting defined intervals from 12:00 AM. For
example, if you configure to run a job with a 4-hour interval, the job will start at 12:00 AM, 4:00
AM, 8:00 AM, 12:00 PM, 4:00 PM and so on.
 If you define permitted hours for the job, after the denied interval is over,
Veeam Backup & Replication will immediately start the job and then run the job by the defined
schedule.
For example, you have configured a job to run with a 2-hour interval and defined permitted hours
from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. According to the rules above, the job will first run at 9:00 AM, when the
denied period is over. After that, the job will run at 10:00 AM, 12:00 PM, 2:00 PM and 4:00 PM.
o To run the job continuously, select the Periodically every option and choose Continuously from the
list on the right. A new backup job session will start as soon as the previous backup job session
finishes.
o To chain jobs, use the After this job field. In the common practice, jobs start one after another: when
job A finishes, job B starts and so on. If you want to create a chain of jobs, you must define the time
schedule for the first job in the chain. For the rest of the jobs in the chain, select the After this job
option and choose the preceding job from the list.
3. In the Automatic retry section, define whether Veeam Backup & Replication must attempt to run the
backup job again if the job fails for some reason. During a job retry, Veeam Backup & Replication processes
failed VMs only. Enter the number of attempts to run the job and define time intervals between them. If
you select continuous backup, Veeam Backup & Replication will retry the job for the defined number of
times without any time intervals between the job runs.
4. In the Backup window section, define the time interval within which the backup job must complete. The
backup window prevents the job from overlapping with production hours and ensures that the job does
not provide unwanted overhead on the production environment. To set up a backup window for the job:
a. Select the Terminate job if it exceeds allowed backup window check box and click Window.
b. In the Time Periods window, define the allowed hours and prohibited hours for backup. If the job
exceeds the allowed window, it will be automatically terminated.
NOTE:
The After this job function will automatically start a job if the first job in the chain is started automatically
by schedule. If you start the first job manually, Veeam Backup & Replication will display a notification. You
will be able to choose whether Veeam Backup & Replication must start the chained job as well.
At the Summary step of the wizard, complete the procedure of backup job configuration.
1. Review details of the backup job.
2. Select the Run the job when I click Finish check box if you want to start the job right after you finish
working with the wizard.
Performing Active Full Backup
You can create an ad-hoc full backup — active full backup, and add it to the backup chain in the backup
repository. The active full backup resets the backup chain. All subsequent incremental backups use the active
full backup as a starting point. The previously used full backup will remain in the backup repository until it is
removed from the backup chain according to the retention policy.
To perform active full backup:
2. In the inventory pane, select Jobs.
3. In the working area, select the job and click Active Full on the ribbon or right-click the job and select
Active Full.
Quick Backup
Quick backup lets you perform on-demand incremental backup for VMs. You can use quick backup if you want to
produce an additional restore point for one or more VMs in a backup job and do not want to configure a new job
or modify the existing one. Quick backup can be run for both incremental and reverse incremental backup
chains.
Quick backup is an incremental backup task: Veeam Backup & Replication copies only changed data for selected
VMs and saves this data to a new restore point in the backup chain. Similar to incremental backup, quick backup
can only be run for VMs that have been successfully backed up at least once and has a full restore point. If there
is no full restore point for a VM, quick backup cannot be performed.
To perform quick backup, Veeam Backup & Replication uses an existing backup job. When you start a quick
backup task for a VM, Veeam Backup & Replication verifies that a backup job processing this VM exists on the
backup server. If such job is detected, Veeam Backup & Replication triggers a job and creates an incremental
restore point for the VM. If a backup job for the VM does not exist, quick backup is terminated.
You can run quick backup for one VM or more VMs at once. If you start quick backup for several VMs and these
VMs are processed by different backup jobs, Veeam Backup & Replication triggers a set of backup jobs. Each
triggered job creates a separate restore point and stores this restore point in a corresponding backup chain.
In some cases, a VM may be processed by several backup jobs on the backup server. In this case,
Veeam Backup & Replication starts the job that has created the most recent restore point for the VM.
For example, VM01 is processed by 2 jobs:
• Backup job 1 created the most recent restore point on Monday
• Backup job 2 created the most recent restore point on Tuesday
When you start quick backup for VM01, Veeam Backup & Replication will trigger Backup job 2 to create a new
incremental restore point.
NOTE:
If the quick backup task overlaps the scheduled backup job, the backup job waits for the quick backup task
to complete.
Limitations for Quick Backup

You cannot perform quick backup for vCloud Director VMs processed with vCloud Director jobs. However, if you
process a vCloud Director VM with a regular backup job, can switch to the Computer view and start the quick
backup operation for this VM.
Retention Policy for Quick Backups
When you perform quick backup, Veeam Backup & Replication creates a single VM incremental restore point.
Unlike a regular incremental restore point that contains data for all VMs in a job, single VM incremental restore
point contains data only for a specific VM.
A single VM restore point is not regarded as full-fledged restore point in the backup chain. From the retention
policy perspective, single VM restore point is grouped with a regular restore point following it. When
Veeam Backup & Replication needs to delete a single VM restore point by retention, it waits for the next regular
restore point to expire — that is, Veeam Backup & Replication increases the retention by one restore point for
some time. After the next regular restore point expires, Veeam Backup & Replication deletes two restore points
at once.
If the backup chain is stored in a repository with the Use per-VM backup files option enabled, the retention
increases in a different way. As a rule, the retention increases by the number of VMs from this chain for which
quick backup was performed. This applies to the reverse incremental and forward incremental backup chains.
Performing Quick Backup
You can create an ad-hoc incremental backup for one or more VMs — quick backup, and add it to the backup
chain in the backup repository. Quick backup can be helpful if you want to produce an additional restore point
for one or more VMs in the backup job and do not want to configure a new job or modify the existing one.
Quick backup can be performed for VMs that meet the following requirements:
1. A backup job processing the VM exists on the backup server.
2. A full backup file for the VM exists in the backup repository configured in the backup infrastructure.
To perform quick backup:
2. In the infrastructure tree, select a host or VM container (host, cluster, folder, resource pool, VirtualApp,
datastore or tag) in which the VMs that you want to back up reside.
3. In the working area, select the VMs and click Quick Backup on the ribbon. You can also right-click the VMs
and select Quick Backup.
Veeam Backup & Replication will trigger a backup job to create a new incremental restore point for
selected VMs. Details of a running quick backup task are displayed in the job session window.
Importing Backups Manually
You may need to import backups to Veeam Backup & Replication in the following situations:
• The backup server has failed and you have restored it in a new location. You want to restore VM data from
backups created by the backup server that has failed.
• You want to restore VM data from backups created on another backup server.
• You want to restore VM data from backups in the backup repository that is not added to the backup
infrastructure (for example, if you removed it earlier).
• You want to restore VM data from VeeamZIP files created on your backup server or another backup server.
The imported backup becomes available in the Veeam Backup & Replication console. You can use any restore
operation to recover VM data from this backup.
Before you import a backup, check the following prerequisites:
• The server from which you plan to import backups must be added to the backup infrastructure. Otherwise
you will not be able to access backup files.
• To be able to restore VM data from previous backup restore points, make sure that you have all required
incremental backup files (forward or reverse) in the same folder where the full backup file resides.
To import a backup to the Veeam Backup & Replication console:
1. On the Home tab, click Import Backup.
2. From the Computer list, select the server on which the backup you want to import is stored.
3. Click Browse and select the necessary VBM or VBK file. If you select the VBM file, the import process will
be notably faster. It is recommended that you select the VBK file only if the VBM file is not available.
4. By default, index data of the VM guest OS file system is not imported with the backup to speed up the
import process. If you want to import index data, select the Import guest file system index check box.
5. Click OK to import the backup. The imported backup will be displayed in the Home view, under the
Backups > Imported node in the inventory pane. Backups are imported using the original name of the
backup job with the _imported suffix appended.
TIP:
If you need to import all backups stored on a server, assign a backup repository role to it and enable import
at the Review step of the wizard. If the repository is already added to the backup infrastructure, you can
rescan it. Veeam Backup & Replication will automatically import backups. For more information, see
Rescanning Backup Repositories.
Importing Encrypted Backups
You can import backups that were encrypted on this backup server or on another backup server.
To import an encrypted backup file:
1. On the Home tab, click Import Backup.
2. From the Computer list, select the host on which the backup you want to import is stored.
3. Click Browse and select the VBM or VBK file.
4. Click OK. The encrypted backup will appear under the Backups > Disk (encrypted) node in the inventory
pane.
5. In the working area, select the imported backup and click Specify Password on the ribbon or right-click the
backup and select Specify password.
6. In the Password field, enter the password for the backup file.
If you changed the password one or several times while the backup chain was created, you must enter
passwords in the following manner:
o If you select a VBM file for import, you must specify the latest password that was used to encrypt files
in the backup chain.
o If you select a VBK file for import, you must specify the whole set of passwords that were used to
encrypt files in the backup chain.
If you enter correct passwords, Veeam Backup & Replication will decrypt the backup file. The backup will be
moved under the Backups > Disk (imported) node in the inventory pane.
NOTE:
If you use Enterprise or Enterprise Plus edition of Veeam Backup & Replication and your backup servers are
connected to Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager, you can recover data from encrypted backups even if the
password is lost. For more information, see Decrypting Data Without Password.
Importing Transaction Logs
You cannot import transaction log backups without VM backups (as there will be no restore point to which the
transaction logs can be applied).
To import a VM backup with transaction log backups, do either of the following:
• Import a backup metadata file (VBM). In this case, Veeam Backup & Replication will automatically import
the database backup and log backups.
• Import a full backup file (VBK). In this case, Veeam Backup & Replication will browse to corresponding log
backups and import them, too.
Importing Backup Files from Scale-Out Backup
Repositories
You cannot import a backup directly from the scale-out backup repository. When you perform backup import,
you cannot browse through all extent of the scale-out backup repository. Veeam Backup & Replication lets you
browse only through individual extents.
To import a backup from the scale-out backup repository, you must place backup files from all extents to one
staging folder. The staging folder can reside on any server added to the backup infrastructure. After that, you
can import the backup as usual.
TIP:
If you need to import all backups stored in a scale-out backup repository, rescan the repository. In this
case, you do not need to place files in one folder, Veeam Backup & Replication will import backups
automatically. For more information, see Rescanning Backup Repositories.
Exporting Backups
Exporting backups allows you to synthesize a complete and independent full backup file out of selected restore
points that are located in your backup repositories. That is, you can transform any incremental or reverse-
incremental backup chain (i.e all dependent .vbk, .vib or .vrb files) into a standalone .vbk file.
Export applies to Full, Incremental and Reverse-incremental restore points located in:
• Backup repositories.
• Object storage repositories.
• Backup repositories of cloud service providers and their tenants.
• The restore point that is being exported as a new full backup file is saved to the same repository, wherein
the source selected restore points reside.
• Once export is complete, the exported backup files will be attached under the Backups > Disk (Imported)
node.
• If a restore point that is being exported resides on the tenant side, a new full backup file will also be
exported to the same repository (on the tenant side) from which the source restore point is being taken.
• If a tenant initiates export of a restore point that resides in the subtenant directory, a new full backup file
will be exported to the tenant directory.
• If you select a backup job consisting of multiple virtual machines, Veeam will synthesize a separate full
backup file per each machine.
• When exporting VMs from vCloud Director (vCD) backups, all the VMs will be exported without vApps,
that is, a new full backup file will be exported as a simple VMWare backup, not vCD backup. For more
information about vCD backups, see Backup of vCloud Director VMs.
• Export session results are saved to the configuration database and available for viewing, as described in
Viewing Session Statistics.
Performing Export
To export data, do the following:
1. Launch New Export Wizard
2. Select Restore Points to Export
3. Specify Export Reason
Step 1. Launch New Export Wizard
To launch the New Export wizard, do either of the following:
• On the Home tab, click Export Backup.
• In the Home view under the Backups > Disks node, select a VM you want to transform into a full backup
file and click Export backup.
Step 2. Select Restore Points to Export
At the Restore Point step of the wizard, do the following:
1. Click Add to select a VM, the restore points of which you want to transform into full backup files.
2. In the Backups Browser dialog, select a backup job or virtual machine.

When selecting a backup job consisting of multiple machines, then each machine will be exported as an
independent full backup file.
Use the search field at the bottom of the dialog to find particular VMs in the list.
3. Select a VM from the table and click Point to select a restore point that you want to transform into a full
backup file.
By default, the latest available restore point is selected.
4. Select the Delete exported backup file automatically check box and set up the value in the drop-down list
to apply a retention policy for files that are being exported.
All the exported backup files that fall under the retention policy will be removed automatically.
To remove a restore point from the list, select a machine and click Remove.
Step 3. Specify Export Reason
At the Reason step of the wizard, provide the reason of restore (optional).
If you do not want to see this step in future, select the Do not show me this page again check box at the bottom
of the dialog.
At the Summary step of the wizard, review summary information, click Finish and wait until the restore session,
which is described in Viewing Session Statistics, is complete.
Viewing Session Statistics
Once you invoke the export procedure, Veeam shows the Restore Session progress dialog that informs you of
the current export status.
You can close the dialog by clicking the Close button in the lower-right corner and let Veeam perform export in
the background.
As each export session saves its results to the configuration database, you can review them at any time.
To review the export session results, do the following:
1. In the inventory pane, go to the History view and select the Restore > Export node.
2. In the working area, double-click a machine for which you want to review the session results or right-click
a machine and select Statistics.
The Restore Session dialog contains the following tabs:
• The Reason tab — shows you the reason of export you may have provided at the Specify Export Reason
step of the wizard.
• The Parameters tab — shows you the date when the exported backup files will be removed due to the
retention policy you may have configured at the Select Restore Points to Export step of the wizard. In this
tab you can also find a backup name and Date/time of a restore point that was synthesized into a full
backup file.
• The Log tab — shows you the actual export progress.
Canceling Session
To cancel a session, open the Restore Session dialog, as described above, and click Cancel restore task in the
upper-right corner of the dialog.
Managing Backups
You can perform the following operations with backups:
• View backup properties
• Remove a backup from configuration
• Delete a backup from disks
• Delete a backup from object storage repository
• Remove missing restore points
Viewing Properties
You can view summary information about created backups. The summary information provides the following
data:
• Available restore points
• Date of restore points creation
• Compression and deduplication ratios
• Data size and backup size
• GFS retention policy applied to restore points (W — weekly; M — monthly; Y — yearly)
To view summary information for backups:
2. In the inventory pane, select Backups.
4. To see the list of available restore points, select the required object from the Objects list.
Removing from Configuration
If you want to remove records about backups from the Veeam Backup & Replication console and configuration
database, you can use the Remove from configuration operation.
When you remove a backup from the configuration, backup files (VBK, VIB, VRB, VBM, VBLOB) remain in the
backup repository. You can import the backup later and restore VM data/files and folders from it.
When you remove an encrypted backup from configuration, Veeam Backup & Replication removes encryption
keys from the configuration database. If you import such backup on the same backup server or another backup
server, you will have to specify the password or unlock the backup with Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager. For
more information, see Importing Encrypted Backups.
To remove a backup from the configuration:
2. In the inventory pane, select Backups or Replicas.
3. In the working area, select the backup and click Remove from > Configuration on the ribbon. You can also
right-click the backup and select Remove from configuration.
Deleting Backups from Disk
If you want to delete records about backups from the Veeam Backup & Replication console and configuration
database and, additionally, delete backup files from the backup repository, you can use the Delete from disk
operation. When you delete backup files from a disk, Veeam Backup & Replication deletes the whole chain from
the backup repository. Thus, on the next run of the backup job, Veeam Backup & Replication will create full
backups for VMs included in the job.
Mind the following:
• Do not delete backup files from the backup repository manually. Use the Delete from disk option instead.
If you delete backup files manually, subsequent backup or replication job sessions will fail.
• If the per-VM functionality is enabled, you can perform the Delete from disk operation for separate VMs in
the backup. If you delete backup files for one VM, on the next run of the backup job
Veeam Backup & Replication will create a full backup for VMs whose backup files are deleted. For all other
VMs, Veeam Backup & Replication will create increments.
To learn more about per-VM backup files, see Per-VM Backup Files
• You can perform the Delete from disk operation for individual VMs in a backup. Depending on whether the
per-VM functionality is enabled, Veeam Backup & Replication behaves differently:
o [If per-VM is enabled] Veeam Backup & Replication deletes backup files of the selected VMs.
On the next run of the job, Veeam Backup & Replication will create full backups for VMs whose
backup files were deleted. For all other VMs, Veeam Backup & Replication will create increments.
o [If per-VM is disabled] Veeam Backup & Replication only marks data block that belong to the deleted
VMs as empty — the size of backup files does not change. However, Veeam Backup & Replication will
use these data blocks during such operations as merging backup files. To reduce the size of full
backup files in forever forward incremental and reverse incremental backup chains, you can compact
full backup files. In forward incremental backup chains, files with block marked as empty will be
deleted by retention.
On the next run of the job, Veeam Backup & Replication will create full backups for VMs whose
backup files were deleted. Note that full backups of these VMs will be stored in an incremental file.
For all other VMs, Veeam Backup & Replication will create incremental backups.
• If you use the scale-out backup repository, keep in mind that the Delete from disk operation will remove
the backups not only from the performance tier, but also from the capacity and archive tier. If you want to
remove backups from the performance tier only, you should move those backups to the capacity tier
instead. For details, see Moving to Capacity Tier.
To delete backup files from the backup repository, do the following:
2. In the inventory pane, select Backups or Replicas.
3. In the working area, select the backup or separate VM in the backup and click Remove from > Disk on the
ribbon. You can also right-click the backup and select Delete from disk.
4. To remove backups with GFS flags (weekly, monthly and yearly), select the Remove GFS full backups
check box and click Yes.
Deleting Backups from Object Storage
This section explains how to delete offloaded backups from object storage repositories. For more information,
see Removing Backups from Capacity or Archive Tier.
To delete an offloaded backup from an object storage repository, do the following:
2. In the inventory pane, navigate to the Backups > Object Storage node if you want to delete a backup from
the capacity tier, to the Backups > Archive node if you want to delete backups from the archive tier.
3. In the working area, select a backup or VM and click Delete from Disk on the ribbon. Alternatively, you can
right-click a backup and select Delete from disk.
Removing Missing Restore Points
In some cases, one or more restore points in the backup chain may be inaccessible. This can happen, for
example, if the backup repository is put to the maintenance mode (for scale-out backup repositories), the
backup repository is not available or some backup file is missing in the backup chain. Backup chains that contain
missing restore points get corrupted — you cannot perform backup or restore VM data from the missing restore
point, and restore points that depend on the missing restore point.
You can perform two operations with missing restore points:
• Forget — you can remove records about missing restore points from the configuration database.
Veeam Backup & Replication will “forget” about missing restore points and will not display them in the
console. The backup files themselves will remain on disk (if backup files are still available).
• Remove — you can remove records about missing restore points from the configuration database and
delete backup files from disk (if backup files are still available).
NOTE:
• The Forget and Remove from disk options are available only for restore points that are missing from
the backup chain or points that depend on missing ones. If the restore point is available in the backup
chain and does not depend on a missing restore point, you will not be able to use the Forget and
Remove from disk options for it.
• You can manually update information about missing restore points. For this, disable a backup job and
rescan the backup repository that is the target for the backup copy job. For more information, see
Disabling and Removing Jobs and Rescanning Backup Repositories.
Manual update can be required because Veeam Backup & Replication requires some time to update
information in the configuration database for restore points that were removed from a backup chain
or became inaccessible. That is why, such restore points may not be displayed in the console as
missing restore points.
• Veeam Backup & Replication does not track missing restore points in backups that reside in the cloud
repository.
To remove records about missing restore points from the configuration database:
2. In the inventory pane, select Disk under Backups.
3. In the working area, select the backup and click Properties on the ribbon or right-click the backup and
select Properties.
4. In the Backup Properties window, right-click the missing restore point and select Forget.
o To remove only the selected restore point and restore points that depend on it (that is, a part of the
backup chain starting from this restore point), select This and dependent backups.
o To remove all missing restore points, select All unavailable backups.
To remove missing restore points from the configuration database and disk:
2. In the inventory pane, click Disk under Backups.
select Properties.
4. In the Backup Properties window, right-click the missing restore point and select Remove from disk.
Managing Jobs
To view all jobs configured on the backup server, open the Home view and select the Jobs node in the inventory
pane. The list of available jobs is displayed in the working area. You can edit job properties, start and stop jobs,
restart failed jobs, clone jobs, view job statistics and delete unnecessary jobs.
Editing Job Settings
You can edit configured jobs at any moment. For example, you may want to change scheduling settings for the
job or add some VMs to the job.
To edit job settings:
3. In the working area, select the job and click Edit on the ribbon or right-click the job and select Edit.
You will follow the same steps as you have followed when creating the job and can change job settings as
required.
Cloning Jobs
You can create new jobs by means of job cloning. Job cloning allows you to create an exact copy of any job with
the same job settings. Configuration information of the created job copy are written to the configuration
database that stores information of the original job.
To create multiple jobs with similar settings, you can configure a set of jobs that will be used as ‘job templates’.
You can then clone these 'job templates' and edit settings of cloned jobs as required.
The name of the cloned job is formed by the following rule: <job_name_clone1>, where job_name is the name of
the original job and clone1 is a suffix added to the original job name. If you clone the same job again, the number
in the name will be incremented, for example, job_name_clone2, job_name_clone3 and so on.
When cloning job, Veeam Backup & Replication can change some job settings so that cloned jobs do not hinder
original jobs.
• If the original job is scheduled to run automatically, Veeam Backup & Replication disables the cloned job.
To enable the cloned job, select it in the job list and click Disable on the ribbon or right-click the job and
select Disable.
• If the original job is configured to use a secondary target, the cloned job is created without the secondary
target settings.
To clone a job:
3. In the working area, select the job and click Clone on the ribbon or right-click the job and select Clone.
4. After a job is cloned, you can edit all its settings, including the job name.
NOTE:
The job cloning functionality is available in the Enterprise and Enterprise Plus editions of
Disabling and Removing Jobs
You can temporary disable scheduled jobs. The disabled job is not deleted from Veeam Backup & Replication, it
is paused for some period of time and is not run by the specified schedule. You can enable a disabled job at any
time.
To disable a job:
3. In the working area, select the job and click Disable on the ribbon or right-click the job and select Disable.
To enable a disabled job, select it in the list and click Disable on the ribbon once again.
You can permanently remove a job from Veeam Backup & Replication and from the configuration database.
To remove a job:
3. In the working area, select the job and click Delete on the ribbon or right-click the job and select Delete.
NOTE:
If you want to permanently remove a backup copy job, you must first stop the synchronization process. To
do this, disable the backup job. After the job is disabled, you can delete it.
Starting and Stopping Jobs
You can start job manually, for example, if you want to create an additional restore point for a VM backup or
replica and do not want to change the job schedule. You can also stop a job, for example, if VM processing is
about to take long, and you do not want the job to produce workload on the production environment during
business hours.
Starting Jobs
To start a job:
3. In the working area, select the backup job and click Start on the ribbon or right-click the job and select
Start.
Stopping Jobs
You can stop a job in one of the following ways:
• Stop job immediately. In this case, Veeam Backup & Replication will produce a new restore point only for
those VMs that have already been processed by the time you stop the job.
• Stop job after current VM. In this case, Veeam Backup & Replication will produce a new restore point only
for those VMs that have already been processed and for VMs that are being processed at the moment.
To stop a job:
3. In the working area, select the backup job and click Stop on the ribbon or right-click the job and select
Stop. In the displayed window, click Immediately.
To stop the job after the current VM:
2. In the inventory pane, click Jobs.
3. In the working area, right-click the job and select Stop. In the displayed window, click Gracefully.
Starting and Stopping Transaction Log Backup
Jobs
If you create a backup job and instruct it to ship transaction logs, the backup job comprises 2 jobs:
1. A parent backup job creating an image-level backup of the VM on which the database runs. This job is
named as a regular backup job, for example: Daily Job.
2. A transaction log backup job responsible for shipping transaction logs to the backup repository. This job is
named by the following pattern:
o For MS SQL: <job_name> SQL Server Transaction Log Backup. For example, Daily Job SQL Server
Transaction Log Backup.
o For Oracle: <job_name> Oracle Redo Log Backup. For example, Daily Job Oracle Redo Log Backup.
The transaction log backup job is created automatically by Veeam Backup & Replication if it detects that you
have added to the backup job at least one Microsoft SQL Server or Oracle VM, enabled application-aware
processing and instructed Veeam Backup & Replication to back up transaction logs periodically.
Starting Transaction Log Backup Jobs

A parent backup job is started manually when you click Start on the toolbar, or automatically by schedule. The
transaction log backup job is initially started when you enable schedule for the parent backup job. The
transaction log backup works continuously in the background. A new session of the transaction log backup job
starts every time the parent backup job is launched.
Stopping Transaction Log Backup Jobs

You can stop transaction log processing in one of the following ways:
• Disable transaction log shipping
• Disable the parent backup job
If you want the backup job to create image-level backups of the VM but do not want it to ship transaction logs
anymore, you can disable transaction log backup in the backup job settings.
To disable transaction log shipping:
3. In the working area, select the backup job and click Edit on the ribbon or right-click the backup job and
select Edit.
4. Pass to the Guest Processing step of the wizard and click Applications.
5. In the Application-Aware Processing Options window, select the VM and click Edit.
6. On the SQL or Oracle tab of the VM Processing Settings window, disable transaction log backup.
7. Click Finish to save the job settings.
If you do not want to create image-level backups of the VM and back up database transaction logs, you can
disable scheduling for the parent backup job. Veeam Backup & Replication will instruct the transaction log
backup job to complete log processing for all VMs added to the parent backup job, and will switch the parent
backup job to the non-scheduled mode. The parent backup job will no longer be started automatically by
schedule — you will have to run it manually.
To disable scheduling for the parent backup job:
3. In the working area, select the backup job and click Edit on the ribbon. Alternatively, you can right-click
the backup job and select Edit.
4. Pass to the Schedule step of the wizard and clear the Run the job automatically check box.
5. Click Finish to save the job settings.
Alternatively, you can disable the parent backup job:
3. In the working area, select the backup job and click Disable on the ribbon or right-click the job and select
Disable.
To re-activate transaction log processing for all VMs in the parent backup job, select the job in the list and click
Disable on the ribbon once again.
Reconfiguring Jobs with Microsoft SQL Server
VMs
In some situations, you may need to reconfigure a backup job that processes a Microsoft SQL Server VMs and
ships transaction logs. For example, you may want to create a separate backup job to process the virtualized
database, and delete the VM running the database from the previously created job.
When you configure a new job, mind the restriction on transaction logs shipping. By default, the new backup job
that processes the VM will not ship transaction logs if transaction logs for this VM have been shipped for the
last 7 days by another backup job on the same backup server.
You can overcome this restriction with registry keys. For more information, contact Veeam Customer Support.
Reporting
When you run a job, Veeam Backup & Replication saves the job statistics and operation data to the configuration
database. You can view real-time statistics for any performed job and generate reports with statistics data for
any job or separate job session.
Viewing Real-Time Statistics
To view real-time statistics for a job, do one of the following:
• Open the Home view, in the inventory pane select Jobs, Last 24 hours or Running. In the working area,
double-click the job.
• Open the Home view, in the inventory pane select Jobs, Last 24 hours or Running. In the working area,
right-click the job and select Statistics.
The real-time statistics provides detailed data on job sessions: job progress, duration, processing rate,
performance bottlenecks, amount of processed data, read and transferred data and details of the session
performance, for example, warnings and errors that have occurred in the process of operation.
In addition to overall job statistics, the real-time statistics provides information on each object processed with
the job. To view the processing progress for a specific object, select it in the list on the left.
TIP:
Mind the following:
• To collapse and expand the real-time statistics window, use Hide Details and Show Details buttons at
the bottom left corner of the window.
• To switch between the job sessions backward and forward, use left and right arrow keys on the
keyboard.
Statistics Counters
Veeam Backup & Replication displays jobs statistics for the following counters:
• The Job progress bar shows percentage of the job completion.
• The Summary box shows general information about the job:
o Duration — time from the job start till the current moment or job end.
data that has actually been read and job duration.
o Bottleneck — bottleneck in the data transmission process. To learn about job bottlenecks, see
Detecting Performance Bottlenecks.
• The Data box shows information about processed VM data:
o Processed — total size of all VM disks processed by the job.
o Read — amount of data read from the datastore by the source-side Data Mover Service prior to
applying compression and deduplication. For incremental job runs, the value of this counter is
typically lower than the value of the Processed counter. Veeam Backup & Replication reads only data
blocks that have changed since the last job session, processes and copies these data blocks to the
target.
o Transferred — amount of data transferred from the source-side Data Mover Service to the target-side
Data Mover Service after applying compression and deduplication. This counter does not directly
indicate the size of the resulting files. Depending on the backup infrastructure and job settings,
Veeam Backup & Replication can perform additional activities with data: deduplicate data,
decompress data prior to writing the file to disk and so on. The activities can impact the size of the
resulting file.
with the Success, Warning and Error statuses (1 task per 1 VM).
• The pane at the lower left corner shows a list of objects included in the job.
• The pane at the lower right corner shows a list of operations performed during the job. To see a list of
operations for a specific object included in the job, click the object in the pane on the left. To see a list of
operations for the whole job, click anywhere on the blank area in the left pane.
Colored Graph
To visualize the data transfer process, Veeam Backup & Replication displays a colored graph in the real-time
statistics window:
• The green area defines the amount of data read from source.
• The brown area defines the amount of data transported to target.
• The horizontal line defines the current data processing speed.
If the job session is still being performed, you can click the graph to view data rate for the last 5 minutes or the
whole processing period. If the job session has already ended, the graph will display information for the whole
processing period only.
The colored graph is displayed only for the currently running job session or the latest job session. If you open
real-time statistics for past sessions other than the latest one, the colored graph will not be displayed.
Viewing Job Session Results
You can view detailed statistics on every job session.
To view statistics for a selected job session, do either of the following:
• Open the History view. In the inventory pane select Jobs. In the working area, double-click the necessary
job session.
• Open the History view. In the inventory pane select Jobs. In the working area, right-click the necessary job
session and select Statistics.
TIP:
To switch between past job sessions, use left and right arrow keys on the keyboard.
Viewing Job and Job Session Reports
You can generate reports with details about job and job session performance.
Job Report
The job report contains data on all sessions initiated for a specific job. To generate a job report:
3. In the working area, select the necessary job and click Report on the ribbon. You can also right-click the
job and select Report.
The session report contains data on a single job session:
• Cumulative session statistics: session duration details, details of the session performance, amount of read,
processed and transferred data, backup size, compression and deduplication ratios.
• Detailed statistics for every VM processed within the session: processing duration details, backup data
size, amount of read and transferred data, list of warnings and errors (if any).
TIP:
Generated reports are stored at the C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Temp folder.
Session Report
To generate a session report:
3. In the working area, select the necessary session and click Report on the ribbon. You can also right-click
the necessary session and select Report.
Replication
In addition to VM backups, you can create VM replicas with Veeam Backup & Replication. When you replicate a
VM, Veeam Backup & Replication creates an exact copy of the VM in the native VMware vSphere format on a
spare host, and maintains this copy in sync with the original VM.
Replication provides the best recovery time objective (RTO) values, as you actually have a copy of your VM in a
ready-to-start state. That is why replication is commonly recommended for the most critical VMs that need
minimum RTOs.
About Replication
Veeam Backup & Replication is built for virtual environments. It operates at the virtualization layer and uses an
image-based approach for VM replication.
Veeam Backup & Replication does not install agent software inside the VM guest OS to retrieve VM data. To
replicate VMs, it leverages VMware vSphere snapshot capabilities. When you replicate a VM,
Veeam Backup & Replication requests VMware vSphere to create a VM snapshot. The VM snapshot can be
thought of as a cohesive point-in-time copy of a VM including its configuration, OS, applications, associated
data, system state and so on. Veeam Backup & Replication uses this point-in-time copy as a source of data for
replication.
In many respects, replication works similarly to forward incremental backup. During the first replication cycle,
Veeam Backup & Replication copies data of the original VM running on the source host, and creates its full
replica on the target host. Unlike backup files, replica virtual disks are stored decompressed in their native
format. All subsequent replication cycles are incremental. Veeam Backup & Replication copies only those data
blocks that have changed since the last replication job session. To keep track of changed data blocks,
Veeam Backup & Replication uses different approaches. For more information, see Changed Block Tracking.
Veeam Backup & Replication lets you perform onsite replication for high availability (HA) scenarios and remote
(offsite) replication for disaster recovery (DR) scenarios. To facilitate replication over the WAN or slow
connections, Veeam Backup & Replication optimizes traffic transmission. It filters out unnecessary data blocks
such as duplicate data blocks, zero data blocks, blocks of swap files and blocks of excluded VM guest OS files,
and compresses replica traffic. Veeam Backup & Replication also allows you to use WAN accelerators and apply
network throttling rules to prevent replication jobs from consuming the entire network bandwidth.
In Veeam Backup & Replication, replication is a job-driven process. To perform replication, you need to
configure replication jobs. A replication job is a configuration unit of the replication activity. The replication job
defines when, what, how and where to replicate. One replication job can be used to process one or several VMs.
You can instruct Veeam Backup & Replication to run jobs automatically by schedule or start them manually.
Limitations for Replication

Replication has the following limitations:
• Due to VMware vSphere limitations, if you change the size of VM disks on the source VM,
Veeam Backup & Replication deletes all available restore points (represented as VM snapshots) on the VM
replica during the next replication job session. For more information, see this VMware KB article.
• If you assign the role of a backup proxy to a VM, you should not add this VM to the list of processed VMs
in a job that uses this backup proxy. Such configuration may result in degraded job performance.
Veeam Backup & Replication will assign this backup proxy to process other VMs in the job first, and
processing of this VM itself will be put on hold. Veeam Backup & Replication will report the following
message in the job statistics: VM is a backup proxy, waiting for it to stop processing tasks. The job will
start processing this VM only after the backup proxy deployed on the VM finishes its tasks.
• Due to Microsoft limitations, you cannot use Microsoft Azure Active Directory credentials to perform
application-aware processing on VMs running Microsoft Windows 10.
• If a job is unable to complete within 21 days period, it will be stopped with the 'Failed' status.
How Replication Works
Veeam Backup & Replication performs VM replication in the following way:
1. When a new replication job session starts, Veeam Backup & Replication starts the Veeam Backup Manager
process on the backup server. Veeam Backup Manager reads job settings from the configuration database
and creates a list of VM tasks to process. For every disk of VMs added to the job,
Veeam Backup & Replication creates a new task.
2. Veeam Backup Manager connects to the Veeam Backup Service. The Veeam Backup Service includes a
resource scheduling component that manages all tasks and resources in the backup infrastructure. The
resource scheduler checks what backup infrastructure resources are available, and assigns backup proxies
and backup repositories to process job tasks.
3. Veeam Backup Manager connects to Veeam Data Mover Services on source and target backup proxies and
on the backup repository. The Veeam Data Mover Services, in their turn, start Veeam Data Movers. A new
instance of Veeam Data Mover is started for every task that the backup proxy is processing.
4. Veeam Backup Manager establishes a connection with Veeam Data Movers on backup proxies and the
backup repository, and sets a number of rules for data transfer, such as network traffic throttling rules and
so on.
5. The source Veeam Data Mover establishes a connection with the target Veeam Data Mover, and Veeam
Data Mover on the backup repository.
6. Veeam Backup Manager queries information about VMs and virtualization hosts from the Veeam Broker
Service.
7. If application-aware image processing is enabled for the job, Veeam Backup & Replication connects to VM
guest OSes, deploys non-persistent runtime components or uses (if necessary, deploys) persistent agent
components on VM guest OSes and performs in-guest processing tasks.
8. Veeam Backup & Replication requests vCenter Server or ESXi host to create a VM snapshot. VM disks are
put to the read-only state, and every virtual disk receives a delta file. All changes that the user makes to
the VM during replication are written to delta files.
9. The source Veeam Data Mover reads the VM data from the read-only VM disk and copies it. During
incremental job sessions, the source Veeam Data Mover uses CBT to retrieve only those data blocks that
have changed since the previous job session. If CBT is not available, the source Veeam Data Mover
interacts with the Veeam Data Mover on the backup repository to obtain replica metadata, and uses this
metadata to detect blocks that have changed since the previous job session.
While copying VM data, the source Veeam Data Mover performs additional processing. It filters out zero
data blocks, blocks of swap files and blocks of excluded VM guest OS files. The source Veeam Data Mover
compresses VM data and transports it to the target Veeam Data Mover.
10. The target Veeam Data Mover decompresses VM data and writes the result to the destination datastore.
11. After the backup proxy finishes reading VM data, Veeam Backup & Replication requests the vCenter Server
or ESXi host to commit the VM snapshot.
Replication Architecture
Veeam Backup & Replication uses the following components for the replication process:
• Backup server
• Source host and target host with associated datastores
• One or two backup proxies hosting Veeam Data Movers
• [Optional] WAN accelerators
All backup infrastructure components engaged in the job make up a data pipe. The source and target hosts
produce two terminal points for the data flow. Veeam Backup & Replication processes VM data in multiple
cycles, moving VM data over the data pipe block by block.
Backup Server
The backup server is the configuration, administration and management core of the backup infrastructure.
During the replication process, the backup server coordinates replication tasks, controls resource allocation and
replica job scheduling.
Source and Target Hosts

The source host and the target host produce two terminal points between which replicated VM data is moved.
The role of a target host can be assigned to a single ESXi host or ESXi cluster. Assigning a cluster as a target
ensures uninterrupted replication in case one of the cluster hosts fails.
Backup Proxies
To collect, transform and transport VM data during the VM replication process, Veeam Backup & Replication
uses Veeam Data Movers. Veeam Data Movers communicate with each other and maintain a stable connection.
For every replication job, Veeam Backup & Replication requires three Veeam Data Movers:
• Source Veeam Data Mover hosted on the source backup proxy
• Target Veeam Data Mover hosted on the target backup proxy
• Veeam Data Mover hosted on the backup repository
During replication, the source Veeam Data Mover interacts with the source host and the target Veeam Data
Mover interacts with the target host. The Veeam Data Mover hosted on the backup repository works with replica
metadata files.
To streamline the replication process, you can deploy a backup proxy on a VM. The virtual backup proxy must be
registered on an ESXi host that has a direct connection to the target datastore. In this case, the backup proxy
will be able to use the Virtual appliance transport mode for writing replica data to target.
During the first run of a replication job, Veeam Backup & Replication creates a replica with empty virtual disks on
the target datastore. If the Virtual appliance mode can be used, replica virtual disks are mounted to the backup
proxy and populated through the ESXi host I/O stack. This results in increased writing speed and fail-safe
replication to ESXi targets. For more information, see Transport Modes.
If the backup proxy is deployed on a physical machine or the Virtual appliance mode cannot be used for other
reasons, Veeam Backup & Replication uses the Network transport mode to populate replica disk files.
Backup Repository
The backup repository stores replica metadata. The backup repository must be deployed in the source site, as
close to the source host as possible. When you perform incremental replication, the source Veeam Data Mover
communicates with the Veeam Data Mover Service on the backup repository to obtain replica metadata and
quickly detect changed blocks of data between 2 replica states.
WAN Accelerators
WAN accelerators are optional components in the backup infrastructure. You can use WAN accelerators if you
replicate VMs over a slow connection or over WAN.
In the replication process, WAN accelerators are responsible for global data caching and deduplication. To use
WAN acceleration, you must deploy 2 WAN accelerators in the following way:
• The source WAN accelerator must be deployed in the source side, close to the backup proxy running the
source Veeam Data Mover.
• The target WAN accelerator must be deployed in the target side, close to the backup proxy running the
target Veeam Data Mover.
Replication Scenarios
Veeam Backup & Replication supports a number of replication scenarios that depend on the location of the
target host and the data transport path.
• Onsite replication
• Offsite replication
Onsite Replication
If the source host and target host are located in the same site, you can perform onsite replication.
Onsite replication requires the following replication infrastructure components:
• Source and target hosts
• Backup proxy. In the onsite replication scenario, the source Veeam Data Mover and target Veeam Data
Mover are started on the same backup proxy. The backup proxy must have access to the backup server,
source host, target host and backup repository holding replica metadata.
• Backup repository for storing replica metadata.
In the onsite replication scenario, Veeam Backup & Replication does not perform data compression. Replication
traffic is transferred decompressed between the two Veeam Data Mover started on the same backup proxy.
Offsite Replication
If the source host is located in the primary site, and the target host is located in the DR site, you can perform
offsite replication.
Offsite replication can run over two data paths:
• Direct data path
• Via a pair of WAN accelerators
NOTE:
When planning for offsite replication, consider advanced possibilities to reduce the amount of replication
traffic and streamline replica configuration: replica seeding, replica mapping, network mapping and Re-IP.
Replication Over Direct Data Path

The common requirement for offsite replication is that one Veeam Data Mover runs in the production site, closer
to the source host, and the other Veeam Data Mover runs in the remote DR site, closer to the target host. During
backup, the Veeam Data Movers maintain a stable connection, which allows for uninterrupted operation over
WAN or slow links.
Offsite replication over a direct path requires the following backup infrastructure components:
• At least one backup proxy in the source site. The backup proxy must have access to the backup server,
source host, backup proxy in the target site and backup repository holding replica metadata.
• At least one backup proxy in the target site. The backup proxy must have access to the backup server,
target host and backup proxy in the source site.
• Backup repository for storing replica metadata. The backup repository must be located in the source site,
closer to the backup proxy, and must have access to it.
In the offsite replication scenario, Veeam Backup & Replication uses data compression. The Veeam Data Mover
on the source backup proxy compresses VM data blocks and sends them to the target backup proxy in the
compressed format. The Veeam Data Mover on the target backup proxy decompresses VM data and stores it to a
datastore in a native VMware vSphere format.
Replication via WAN Accelerators

If you have a weak WAN link, you can replicate VM data over a pair of WAN accelerators. WAN accelerators
provide advanced technologies to optimize VM data transfer:
• Global data caching and deduplication
• Resume on disconnect for uninterrupted data transfer
WAN accelerators add a new layer in the backup infrastructure — a layer between the source Veeam Data Mover
and target Veeam Data Mover. The data flow goes from the source backup proxy over a pair of WAN
accelerators to the target backup proxy that, finally, destinies VM data to the target host.
Offsite replication over WAN accelerators requires the following backup infrastructure components:
• A pair of WAN accelerators at each end of the WAN link:
o Source WAN accelerator in the source site. The source WAN accelerator must have access to the
backup server, source backup proxy and target WAN accelerator.
o Target WAN accelerator in the target site. The target WAN accelerator must have access to the
backup server, source WAN accelerator and target backup proxy.
• At least one backup proxy in the source site. The backup proxy must have access to the backup server,
source host, source WAN accelerator and backup repository holding replica metadata.
• At least one backup proxy in the target site. The backup proxy must have access to the backup server,
target host and target WAN accelerator.
• Backup repository for storing replica metadata. The backup repository must be located in the source site,
closer to the backup proxy, and must have access to it.
In the offsite replication scenario via WAN accelerators, Veeam Backup & Replication compresses VM data. VM
data blocks are compressed on the source WAN accelerator, transported to the target site in the compressed
format and decompressed on the target WAN accelerator.
Replication Chain
For every VM replica, Veeam Backup & Replication creates and maintains a number of restore points. If the
original VM fails for any reason, you can temporarily or permanently fail over to a VM replica and restore critical
services with minimum downtime. If you cannot fail over to the latest VM replica state (for example, in case
corrupted data was replicated from source to target), you can select a previous restore point and fail over to it.
Veeam Backup & Replication utilizes VMware ESXi snapshot capabilities to create and manage replica restore
points. During the first replication job session, Veeam Backup & Replication creates a copy of the source VM on
the target host. During every subsequent replication job session, it adds a new snapshot to the snapshot chain
for the VM replica. Blocks of data that have changed since the last job run are written to the snapshot delta file,
and the snapshot delta file acts as a restore point.
VM replica restore points are stored in a native VMware vSphere format next to replica virtual disk files, which
allows Veeam Backup & Replication to accelerate failover operations. To fail over to the necessary point of the
VM replica, Veeam Backup & Replication does not need to apply rollback files. Instead, it uses a native VMware
vSphere mechanism of reverting to a snapshot.
You can specify retention policy settings for replication jobs — define how many retention points you want to
keep for every VM replica. Veeam Backup & Replication will keep only the specified number of points and
remove outdated snapshots.
Changed Block Tracking
To perform incremental replication, Veeam Backup & Replication needs to know what data blocks have changed
since the previous job session. For this purpose, it uses Changed Block Tracking.
Advanced Replication Technologies
To minimize the workload on the production infrastructure and reduce data traffic, you can use the following
advanced replication technologies:
• Replica from backup can help you minimize use of compute, storage and network resources of the
production infrastructure.
• Replica seeding and replica mapping can help you minimize the amount of traffic going to the disaster
recovery (DR) site over WAN or slow links.
Replica from Backup

Disaster recovery plans often require that you back up and replicate the same VM for disaster recovery (DR) and
HA purposes. Normally, this doubles the workload on the virtual infrastructure. You need to create two VM
snapshots, independently from one another, and transfer VM data from the production site twice.
You can reduce the workload on the production environment by using the replica from backup option. This
option can be used for onsite and offsite replication scenarios.
When you perform replication from backup, Veeam Backup & Replication does not address hosts and storage in
the production environment to read VM data. As a source of data, it uses a backup chain that already exists in
the backup repository. As a result, you do not need to create a VM snapshot for replication and transport the
same data twice. You retrieve VM data only during the backup job. The replication job re-uses retrieved data to
build VM replica restore points.
Although replica from backup might resemble replica seeding, there is difference between these options:
• Replica seeding uses the backup file only during the first run of a replication job. To further build VM
replica restore points, the replication job addresses the production environment and reads VM data from
the source storage.
• Replica from backup uses a backup chain in the backup repository as the only source of data. When
building a new VM replica restore point, Veeam Backup & Replication always reads data from the latest
restore point in the backup chain, either full or incremental. The backup chain in the backup repository
may be created with a backup job or a backup copy job.
Limitations for Replica from Backup

• You can perform replication only from backups of VMware vSphere virtual machines created with
Veeam Backup & Replication. Replication from backups of vCloud Director virtual machines is not
supported.
• A backup that you plan to use for replication must be mapped to a backup job on the backup server where
you configure the replication job.
If you want to use a backup created on another backup server, perform the following steps:
a. Import the backup to the Veeam Backup & Replication console.
b. Create a new backup job and map the imported backup to it.
c. Create a replication job, enable the Get seed from the following backup repository option and point to
the backup repository where the imported backup resides.
Mind the following:
o The backup job to which you map the imported backup file on another backup server must run
periodically and produce new restore points. You cannot create a job, map the imported backup to it
and never run this job.
o No other job on any other backup server must use the imported backup.
How Replica from Backup Works

Replica from backup is performed with a regular replication job. When you set up a replication job, you define a
backup repository with VM backups as a source of data. If the backups for this VM are available in different
backup repositories, you can select several backup repositories as a source. In this case,
Veeam Backup & Replication will look for the latest VM restore point across these backup repositories.
For example, you have configured two backup jobs that process the same VM, and targeted these jobs at two
different backup repositories. The backup jobs have created the following backup files:
• Backup job 1 has created 2 restore points in Backup repository 1: full backup file on Sunday and
incremental backup file on Tuesday.
• Backup Job 2 has created 1 restore point in Backup repository 2: full backup file on Monday.
The replication job is configured to retrieve VM data from backups and scheduled to run daily. In this case, the
replication job will retrieve VM data from backups in the following way:
1. On Sunday, the replication job will retrieve VM data from the full backup file in Backup repository 1.
2. On Monday, the replication job will retrieve VM data from the full backup file in Backup repository 2.
3. On Tuesday, the replication job will retrieve VM data from the incremental backup file in Backup
repository 1.
In some situations, a new restore point in the backup repository may not be created by the time a replication job
starts. In this case, Veeam Backup & Replication displays a warning notifying that the latest restore point has
already been replicated. The replication job session finishes with the Warning status.
NOTE:
When you replicate a VM over a production network, Veeam Backup & Replication retrieves VM data as of
the latest VM state. When you replicate a VM from backup, Veeam Backup & Replication retrieves VM data
as of the point in time when the backup was created. The VM replica restore point has the same timestamp
as a corresponding VM backup restore point, not the time when the replica job session is run.
Replica Seeding
If you replicate a VM to a remote DR site, you can use replica seeding. Replica seeding helps significantly
minimize the amount of traffic going from the production site to the DR site over WAN or slow LAN links.
With replica seeding, you do not have to transfer all of VM data from the source host to the target host across
the sites when you perform initial replication. Instead, you can use a VM backup created with
Veeam Backup & Replication as a replica “seed”. When the replication job starts, Veeam Backup & Replication
will use the seed to build a VM replica.
Replica seeding includes the following steps:
1. As a preparatory step for replica seeding, you need to create a backup of a VM that you plan to replicate.
2. The created backup should then be copied from the backup repository in the production site to the backup
repository in the DR site. After the backup is copied to the backup repository in the DR site, you will need
to perform rescan of this repository as described in the Rescanning Backup Repositories section.
3. When you create a replication job, you should point it to the backup repository in the DR site. During the
first run of a replication job, Veeam Backup & Replication accesses the backup repository where the replica
seed is located, and restores the VM from the backup. The restored VM is registered on the replication
target host in the DR site. Files of the restored VM are placed to the location you specify as the replica
destination datastore.
Virtual disks of a replica restored from the backup preserve their format (that is, if the original VM used
thin provisioned disks, virtual disks of the VM replica are restored as thin provisioned).
4. Next, Veeam Backup & Replication synchronizes the restored VM with the latest state of the original VM.
After successful synchronization, in the Home view of Veeam Backup & Replication, under Replicas node
you will see a VM replica with two restore points. One point will contain the state of the VM from the
backup file; the other point will contain the latest state of the original VM you want to replicate.
5. During all subsequent runs of the replication job, Veeam Backup & Replication transfers only incremental
changes in a regular manner.
Replica seeding dramatically reduces traffic sent over WAN or slow connections because
Veeam Backup & Replication does not send the full contents of the VM image. Instead, it transmits only
differential data blocks.
TIP:
If you add new VMs to an already existing replication job, you can enable replica seeding settings for these
VMs. In this case, the newly added VMs will be seeded from the selected backups at the next pass of the
replication job. VMs that have already been processed by the job by the time you add new VMs will be
processed in a regular manner.
Replica Mapping
If a replica for the VM that you plan to replicate already exists in the DR site, you can map the original VM in the
production site to this VM. For example, you can map the original VM to a VM replica created with another
replication job or restore a VM from the backup on the target host in the DR site and map the original VM to it.
You can also use replica mapping if you need to reconfigure or recreate replication jobs, for example, split one
replication job into several jobs.
Replication to a mapped VM is performed in the following way:
1. During the first run, the replication job calculates the differences between the original and mapped VM.
Instead of copying and transferring all data of the original VM, the replication job transfers only
incremental changes to synchronize the state of the mapped VM with the state of the original VM.
After successful synchronization, in the Home view of Veeam Backup & Replication, under Replicas node
you will see a VM replica with 2 restore points:
o One restore point will contain the latest state of the mapped VM.
o The other restore point will contain the latest state of the original VM on the source host.
2. All subsequent runs of the replication job will be performed in a regular manner:
Veeam Backup & Replication will transfer only incremental changes to the target host.
NOTE:
If a VM replica to which the original VM is mapped has any snapshots, these snapshots will be removed
during the run of the replication job.
Network Mapping and Re-IP
If you use different network and IP schemes in production and disaster recovery (DR) sites, in the common case
you would need to change the network configuration of a VM replica before you fail over to it. To eliminate the
need for manual replica reconfiguration and ensure minimum failover downtime, Veeam Backup & Replication
offers possibilities of network mapping and automatic IP address transformation.
Network Mapping
By default, a replicated VM uses the same network configuration as the original VM. If the network in the DR
site does not match the production network, you can create a network mapping table for the replication job. The
table maps source networks to target networks.
During every job run, Veeam Backup & Replication checks the network configuration of the original VM against
the mapping table. If the original VM network matches a source network in the table,
Veeam Backup & Replication updates the replica configuration file to replace the source network with the target
one. Thus, network settings of a VM replica are always kept up to date with the DR site requirements. In case
you choose to fail over to the VM replica, it will be connected to the correct network.
Re-IP Rules
For Microsoft VMs, Veeam Backup & Replication also automates reconfiguration of VM IP addresses. If the IP
addressing scheme in the production site differs from the DR site scheme, you can create a number of Re-IP
rules for the replication job.
When you fail over to the replica, Veeam Backup & Replication checks if any of the specified Re-IP rules apply to
the replica. If a rule applies, Veeam Backup & Replication mounts VM disks of the replica to the backup server
and changes its IP address configuration via the Microsoft Windows registry. The whole operation takes less
than a second. If failover is undone for any reason or if you fail back to the original location, replica IP address is
changed back to the pre-failover state.
IMPORTANT!
• Replica Re-IP works only if you perform replica failover using Veeam Backup & Replication. If you
power on a VM replica in some other way, for example, manually using vSphere Client, Re-IP rules
will not be applied to it.
• The backup server OS must support mounting of the system disk of processed machine.
Creating Replication Jobs
To create VM replicas, you must configure a replication job. The replication job defines how, where and when to
replicate VM data. One job can be used to process one VM or more VMs.
You can configure a job and start it immediately or save the job to start it later. Jobs can be started manually or
scheduled to run automatically at specific time.
Before you create a replication job, check prerequisites. Then use the New Replication Job wizard to configure a
replication job.
Before You Begin
Before you create a replication job, check the following prerequisites:
• Backup infrastructure components that will take part in the replication process must be added to the
backup infrastructure and properly configured. These include source and target ESXi hosts, one backup
proxy for onsite replication scenario or two backup proxies for offsite replication scenario and backup
repository for storing replica metadata.
The backup server must be able to resolve short names and connect to source and target virtualization
hosts.
• The target datastore must have enough free space to store disks of replicated VMs. To receive alerts about
low space on the target datastore, configure global notification settings. For more information, see
• If you plan to replicate VMs via WAN accelerators, source and target WAN accelerators must be added to
the backup infrastructure and properly configured. For more information, see Adding WAN Accelerators.
• If you plan to replicate VMs via WAN accelerators, it is recommended that you pre-populate global cache
on the target WAN accelerator before you start the replication job. Global cache population helps reduce
the amount of traffic transferred over WAN. For more information, see Populating Global Cache.
• If you plan to replicate VMs from the backup, the backup job that you plan to use as the source must be
configured beforehand. For more information, see Replica from Backup.
scripts before you configure the replication job. Veeam Backup & Replication supports script files in the
following formats: EXE, BAT, CMD, JS, VBS, WSF, PS1, SH.
• You must check limitations for replication. For more information, see About Replication.
Step 1. Launch New Replication Job Wizard
To run the New Replication Job wizard, do one of the following:
• On the Home tab, click Replication Job > Virtual machine > VMware vSphere.
• Open the Home view, in the inventory pane right-click Jobs and select Replication > Virtual machine >
VMware vSphere.
• Open the Inventory view. In the working area, select the VMs, click Add to Replication on the ribbon and
select New job or right-click the VMs and select Add to replication job > New job. In this case, the VMs will
be automatically added to the replication job. You can add other VMs to the job when passing through the
wizard steps.
• You can quickly include the VMs to already existing jobs. To do this, open the Inventory view. In the
working area, select the VMs and click Add to Replication > name of the job on the ribbon or right-click
VMs and select Add to replication job > name of the job.
At the Name step of the wizard, specify a job name and description, and configure advanced settings for the
replication job.
1. In the Name field, enter a name for the replication job.
information about the user who created a job, date and time when the job was created.
3. If you plan to replicate VMs to a disaster recovery (DR) site, you can use a number of advanced settings for
the job:
o Select the Replica seeding (for low bandwidth DR sites) check box to enable the Seeding step in the
wizard. Replica seeding can be used if you plan to replicate VMs to a remote site and want to reduce
the amount of traffic sent over the network during the first run of the replication job.
o Select the Network remapping (for DR sites with different virtual networks) check box to enable the
Network step in the wizard. If the network in the DR site does not match the production network, you
can resolve this mismatch by creating a network mapping table.
o Select the Replica re-IP (for DR sites with different IP addressing scheme) check box to enable the Re-
IP step in the wizard. Re-IP possibilities can be used to automate reconfiguration of replica IP
addresses for Microsoft Windows VMs if IP schemes in the DR and production sites do not match.
Step 3. Select VMs to Replicate
At the Virtual Machines step of the wizard, select VMs and VM containers (hosts, clusters, folders, resource
pools, VirtualApps, datastores or tags) that you want to replicate.
infrastructure after the replication job is created, Veeam Backup & Replication will automatically update the job
1. Click Add.
3. Select the object and click Add.
To quickly find the necessary object, you can use the search field at the bottom of the Add Objects window.
1. Click the button to the left of the search field and select the necessary type of object to search for:
Everything, Folder, Cluster, Host, Resource pool, VirtualApp or Virtual machine.
The initial size of VMs and VM containers added to the replication job is displayed in the Size column in the list.
The total size of objects is displayed in the Total size field. Use the Recalculate button to refresh the total size
value after you add a new object to the job.
Step 4. Specify Data Source
You can select a data source from which VM data must be read.
1. At the Virtual Machines step of the wizard, click Source on the right of the VMs list.
2. In the displayed window, select one of the following options:
o From production storage. In this case, Veeam Backup & Replication will retrieve VM data from
datastores connected to the source ESXi host.
o From backup files. In this case, Veeam Backup & Replication will read VM data from the backup chain
already existing in the backup repository. This option can be used in the replica from backup scenario.
For more information, see Replica from Backup.
Step 5. Exclude Objects from Replication Job
from replicas. You can exclude the following types of objects:
NOTE:
To make the replication process faster and reduce the size of created replicas, Veeam Backup & Replication
automatically excludes the following objects from replication:
• VM log files
• VM templates from VM containers
3. Click Add.
5. Select the object and click Add. Use the Show full hierarchy check box to display the hierarchy of all
VMware Servers added to Veeam Backup & Replication.
6. Click OK.
3. Select the VM in the list and click Edit. If you want to exclude disks of a VM added as a part of the
container, click Add to include the VM in the list as a standalone object.
4. Choose disks that you want to replicate. You can choose to process all disks, 0:0 disks (typically, system
NOTE
If you exclude disks from being replicated and enable application-aware processing,
Veeam Backup & Replication will still perform application-aware processing for the excluded disks. This
means that VSS will process disk data.
Step 6. Define VM Replication Order
You can define the order in which the replication job must process VMs. Setting VM order can be helpful, for
example, if you have added some mission-critical VMs to the job and want the job to process them first. You can
set these VMs first in list to ensure that their processing fits the backup window.
VMs inside a VM container are processed at random. To ensure that VMs are processed in the defined order, you
must add them as standalone VMs, not as a part of the VM container.
To define VM replication order:
1. At the Virtual Machines step of the wizard, select a VM or VM container.
2. Use the Up and Down buttons on the right to move the VM or VM container up or down in the list.
NOTE:
VMs may be processed in a different order. For example, if backup infrastructure resources for a VM that is
higher on the priority list are not available, and resources for a VM that is lower on the list are available,
Veeam Backup & Replication will start processing the VM that is lower on the list first.
Step 7. Specify Replica Destination
At the Destination step of the wizard, select a destination for the VM replicas.
1. Click Choose next to the Host or cluster field and select an ESXi host or cluster where VM replicas must be
registered.
If an ESXi host is a part of a cluster or is managed by a vCenter Server, it is recommended that you select a
cluster or a server rather than a standalone host. This way, the replication process will be more sustainable
and accurate. The replication job will be performed until there is at least one available host in the cluster.
If you select a cluster as a destination, Veeam Backup & Replication requests VMware to send a list of
available hosts. The first host in this list is selected as the destination for the replicas.
Veeam Backup & Replication will store these replicas on the datastore with the most free disk space.
2. If all or majority of VM replicas must belong to the same resource pool, click Choose next to the Resource
pool field and select the target resource pool.
If you want to place VM replicas to different resource pools:
a. Click the Pick resource pool for selected replicas link.
b. In the Choose Resource Pool window, click Add VM on the right and select the VMs and click Add.
c. Select the added VM in the Replica VM resource pool list and click Resource Pool at the bottom of the
window.
d. From the list of available resource pools, choose the target resource pool for the VM.
3. If all or majority of VM replicas must be placed in the same folder, click Choose next to the VM folder field
and choose the target folder.
If you want to place VM replicas to different folders:
a. Click the Pick VM folder for selected replicas link.
b. In the Choose Folder window, click Add VM on the right and select the VMs and click Add.
c. Select the added VM in the Replica VM folder list and click VM Folder at the bottom of the window.
d. From the list of available folders, choose the target folder for the VM.
The VM folder section is disabled if you selected a standalone ESXi host as a target for VM replicas.
4. If files for all or majority of VM replicas must be stored on the same datastore, click Choose next to the
Datastore field and select the target datastore. Veeam Backup & Replication displays only those
datastores that are accessible by the selected replication target. If you have chosen to replicate VMs to a
cluster, Veeam Backup & Replication will display only shared datastores.
If you want to place VM replicas to different datastores:
a. Click the Pick datastore for selected virtual disks link.
b. In the Choose VM Files Location window, click Add VM on the right and select VMs that must be
placed on datastores.
c. Select the added VM in the Files location list and click Datastore at the bottom of the window.
d. From the list of available datastores, select the target datastore.

You can choose to store replica configuration files and disk files in different locations.
a. Add a VM to the Files location list, expand the VM and select the required type of files.
b. At the bottom of the window, click Datastore and choose the destination for the selected type of
files.
NOTE:
After the first run of the replication job, you can change the target location for replicated files. However,
the target will be changed only for new files that were created on the source VM after the first run. The
target for old files will not be changed.
5. By default, Veeam Backup & Replication saves disks of a VM replica in the thin format. If necessary, you
can configure the job to change the disk format. For example, if the original VM uses thick disks, you can
change the format of replica disks to thin provisioned and save on disk space required to store VM replica
data.
Disk format change is available only for VMs using virtual hardware version 7 or later.
To change replica disk format:
b. In the Choose VM Files Location window, click Add VM on the right and select VMs whose disk format
you want to change and click Add.
c. Select the added VM and click Disk type at the bottom of the window.
d. In the Disk Type Settings section, choose the format that will be used to restore replica disk files:
same as source, thin, thick lazy zeroed or thick eager zeroed. For more information about disk types,
see VMware Docs.
TIP:
When selecting the necessary object in the virtual infrastructure, you can use the search field at the bottom
of the corresponding window. Click the button on the left of the field to select the necessary type of
object, enter an object’s name or a part of it and click the Start search button on the right or press [Enter]
on the keyboard.
Step 8. Create Network Map Table
The Network step of the wizard is available if you have selected the Network remapping option at the Name
step of the wizard. You can use this step to configure network mapping settings for the VM replicas.
Network mapping can be helpful if you use different networks in the production site and disaster recovery (DR)
site. In this situation, you can configure a table that maps production networks to networks in the DR site.
During every replication job session, Veeam Backup & Replication will check the network mapping table and
update the VM replica configuration file to replace the production network with the specified network in the DR
site. As a result, when you perform failover, the VM replica will be connected to the necessary networks in the
DR site, and you will not have to re-configure network settings for the VM replica manually.
To configure a network mapping table:
1. Click Add.
2. Click Browse next to the Source network field and select the production network to which VMs added to
the job are connected.
3. Click Browse next to the Target network field and select the network in the DR site to which VM replicas
must be connected.
4. Repeat steps 1-3 for all networks to which VM replicas must be connected.
Step 9. Configure Re-IP Rules
The Re-IP step of the wizard is available if you have selected the Replica re-IP option at the Name step of the
wizard. You can use this step to configure re-IP rules for Microsoft Windows VMs.
Re-IP rules can be helpful if the IP addressing scheme in the production site differs from the addressing scheme
in the disaster recovery (DR) site. In this situation, you can configure a number of re-IP rules for the replication
job. When you perform failover, Veeam Backup & Replication will check if configured re-IP rules apply for the
VM replica. If a re-IP rule applies to the VM replica, the VM replica will get a new IP address according to the
new network mask, and you will be able to reach this VM replica in the DR site.
To configure a re-IP rule:
1. Click Add.
2. In the Source VM section, describe an IP numbering scheme adopted in the source site. To facilitate
configuration, Veeam Backup & Replication detects an IP address and subnet mask for the backup server
and pre-populates values in the Source VM section.
3. In the Target VM section, describe an IP numbering scheme adopted in the DR site. Specify an IP address,
subnet mask and default gateway that will be used for VM replicas. If necessary, define the DNS and WINS
server addresses.
4. In the Description field, specify a brief outline of the rule or any related comments.
NOTE:
You can use the asterisk character (*) to specify a range of IP addresses, for example, 172.16.17.*.
Do not use 0 to specify a range of IP addresses. In Veeam Backup & Replication, value 172.16.17.0 means a
regular IP address 172.16.17.0, not an IP address range.
Step 10. Specify Replication Job Settings
At the Job Settings step of the wizard, define replication job settings.
1. From the Repository for replica metadata list, select a backup repository that is located in the source site.
This backup repository will be used to store metadata for VM replicas — checksums of read data blocks
required to streamline incremental sessions of the replication job.
2. In the Replica name suffix field, enter a suffix for the name of VM replicas. To register a VM replica on the
target host, Veeam Backup & Replication appends the specified suffix to the name of the source VMs. Files
of the VM replica are placed to the VMname_suffix folder on the selected datastore.
3. In the Restore points to keep field, specify the number of restore points that must be maintained by the
replication job. If this number is exceeded, the earliest restore point will be removed.
Due to VMware restrictions on the number of VM snapshots, the maximum number of restore points for
VM replicas is limited to 28.
When you specify the retention policy settings for the replication job, consider available space on the
target datastore. A great number of restore points (snapshots) may fill the target datastore.
IMPORTANT!
• You cannot store VM replica metadata on deduplicating storage appliances. During replication jobs,
Veeam Backup & Replication frequently reads and writes small portions of metadata from/to the
backup repository. Frequent access to metadata causes low performance of deduplicating storage
appliances, which may result in low performance of replication jobs.
• You cannot store replica metadata in a scale-out backup repository or NFS backup repository.
Step 11. Specify Advanced Replica Settings
At the Job settings step of the wizard, you can specify the following settings for the replication job:
• Traffic settings
• vSphere settings
• Integration settings
• Script settings
TIP:
After you specify necessary settings for the replication job, you can save them as default settings. To do
this, click Save as Default at the bottom left corner of the Advanced Settings window. When you create a
new replication job, Veeam Backup & Replication will automatically apply the default settings to the new
job.
Traffic Settings
To specify traffic settings for the replication job:
1. At the Job Settings step of the wizard, click Advanced.
2. Click the Traffic tab.
changes intensively between replication job sessions, even if the VM itself does not change much.
Processing of service files reduces the job performance and increases the size of incremental data.
If you want to include data blocks of the hiberfil.sys file and pagefile.sys file to the replica, clear
OS) to the target location. This option lets you reduce the size of the VM replica and increase the job
performance. If you want to include dirty data blocks to the VM replica, clear the Exclude deleted file
blocks check box. For more information, see Deleted File Blocks.
5. From the Compression level list, select a compression level for the created VM replica: None, Dedupe-
friendly, Optimal, High or Extreme. Compression is applicable only if VM data is transferred between two
backup proxies. If one backup proxy acts as the source and target backup proxy, VM data is not
compressed at all.
job performance.
When selecting the data block size, consider the following aspects:
o When reading the VM image, Veeam Backup & Replication "splits" the VM image into blocks of the
selected size. The more data blocks there are, the more time is required to process the VM image.
o Veeam Backup & Replication writes information about every data block to the VM replica metadata
stored in the backup repository. The more data blocks there are, the more metadata is written to the
backup repository.
o During incremental job runs, Veeam Backup & Replication uses CBT to define changed data blocks in
the VM. The larger is the size of the found changed data block, the greater amount of data needs to
be transferred to the target site.
For more information, see Compression and Deduplication.
To specify notification settings for the replication job:
SNMP traps will be sent if you configure global SNMP settings in Veeam Backup & Replication and
configure software on recipient's machine to receive SNMP traps. For more information, see Specifying
SNMP Settings.
notifications by email in case of job failure or success. In the field below, specify a recipient’s email
o To configure a custom notification for a job, select Use custom notification settings specified below.
You can specify the following notification settings:
subject: %Time% (completion time), %JobName%, %JobResult%, %ObjectCount% (number
of VMs in the job) and %Issues% (number of VMs in the job that have been processed with
the Warning or Failed status).
iii. Select the Suppress notifications until the last retry check box to receive a notification about
the final job status. If you do not enable this option, Veeam Backup & Replication will send
one notification per every job retry.
vSphere Settings
To specify vSphere settings for the replication job:
replication. Depending on the VM version, Veeam Backup & Replication will use the VMware FileSystem
Sync Driver (vmsync) driver or VMware VSS component in VMware Tools for VM snapshot creation. These
tools are responsible for quiescing the VM file system and bringing the VM to a consistent state suitable
for replication.
want to reset CBT after the replication job starts for the first time.
IMPORTANT!
snapshots.
Integration Settings
On the Integration tab, define whether you want to use the Backup from Storage Snapshots technology to
create a VM replica. Backup from Storage Snapshots lets you leverage storage snapshots for VM data
processing. The technology improves RPOs and reduces the impact of replication activities on the production
environment.
To specify storage integration settings for the replication job:
from Storage Snapshots, clear this check box. For more information, see Performing Backup from Storage
Snapshots.
4. If you add to the job many VMs whose disks are located on the same volume or LUN, select the Limit
processed VM count per storage snapshot to check box and specify the number of VMs for which one
storage snapshot must be created. In a regular job processing course, Veeam Backup & Replication creates
a VMware snapshot for every VM added to the job and then triggers one storage snapshot for all VMs. In
some situations, creating VMware snapshots for all VMs may require a lot of time. If you limit the number
of VMs per storage snapshot, Veeam Backup & Replication will divide VMs into several groups, trigger a
separate storage snapshot for every VM group and read VM data from these snapshots. As a result, the job
performance will increase.
For example, you add to the job 30 VMs whose disks are located on the same volume and set the Limit
processed VM count per storage snapshot to option to 10. Veeam Backup & Replication will divide all VMs
into 3 groups and create 3 storage snapshots from which it will read VM data.
5. If the backup infrastructure is configured incorrectly, for example, the backup proxy does not meet the
necessary requirements, Backup from Storage Snapshots will fail and VMs residing on the storage systems
will not be processed by the job at all. To fail over to the regular VM processing mode and process such
VMs in any case, select the Failover to standard backup check box.
Script Settings
To specify script settings for the replication job:
3. If you want to execute custom scripts before and/or after the replication job, select the Run the following
You can select to execute pre- and post-replication actions after a number of job sessions or on specific
week days.
o If you select the Run scripts every... backup session option, specify the number of the replication job
sessions after which scripts must be executed.
o If you select the Run scripts on selected days only option, click Days and specify week days on which
scripts must be executed.
NOTE
Mind the following:
Step 12. Specify Data Transfer Settings
At the Data Transfer step of the wizard, select backup infrastructure components that must be used for the
replication process and choose a path for VM data transfer.
1. If you plan to replicate VM data within one site, the same backup proxy can act as the source and target
backup proxy. For offsite replication, you must deploy at least one backup proxy in each site to establish a
stable connection for VM data transfer across sites.
Click Choose next to the Source proxy and Target proxy fields to select backup proxies for the job. In the
Backup Proxy window, you can choose automatic backup proxy selection or assign backup proxies
explicitly.
access to the source and target datastores and automatically assign optimal backup proxy resources
for processing VM data.
Veeam Backup & Replication assigns resources to VMs included in the replication job one by one.
Before processing a new VM from the list, Veeam Backup & Replication checks available backup
modes that the backup proxies can use and the current workload on the backup proxies to select the
most appropriate backup proxy for VM processing.
o If you choose Use the selected backup proxy servers only, you can explicitly select backup proxies
that the job can use. It is recommended that you select at least two backup proxies to ensure that the
job will be performed if one of backup proxies fails or loses its connectivity to the source datastore.
2. Select a path for VM data transfer:
o To transport VM data directly via backup proxies to the target datastore, select Direct.
o To transport VM data via WAN accelerators, select Through built-in WAN accelerators. From the
Source WAN accelerator list, select the WAN accelerator configured in the source site. From the
Target WAN accelerator list, select the WAN accelerator configured in the target site.
You should not assign one source WAN accelerator to several replication jobs that you plan to run
simultaneously. The source WAN accelerator requires a lot of CPU and RAM resources, and does not
process multiple replication tasks in parallel. As an alternative, you can create one replication job for all
VMs you plan to process over one source WAN accelerator.
The target WAN accelerator, however, can be assigned to several replication jobs. For more information,
see Adding WAN Accelerators.
Step 13. Define Seeding and Mapping Settings
The Seeding step is available if you have selected the Replica seeding option at the Name step of the wizard.
You can use this step to configure replica seeding and mapping for the replication job.
If you use replica seeding or mapping, make sure that you select correct backup infrastructure components for
the job: source-side backup repository for metadata and backup proxies. It is recommended that you explicitly
assign backup proxies in the production site and disaster recovery (DR) site. For more information, see Specify
Data Transfer Settings.
Configuring Replica Seeding

If you plan to replicate to a remote DR site over WAN or low-bandwidth network, you can use replica seeding.
Replica seeding helps reduce the amount of VM data transferred over the network.
Replica seeding can be used if you have a backup for the replicated VM in the backup repository located in the
DR site. In this case, you can point the replication copy job to this backup. During the first session of the
replication job, Veeam Backup & Replication will use this backup file as a "seed". Veeam Backup & Replication
will restore the VM image from the backup and register the VM replica on the target host. After that,
Veeam Backup & Replication will synchronize the VM replica with the source VM. All subsequent incremental
replication runs will be performed in the regular manner.
Before you start a replication job that uses replica seeding, you must perform a number of preparatory tasks:
1. Create a backup (seed) of the VM that you plan to replicate. To do this, configure a backup job that points
to an onsite backup repository. Run the job to create a full backup.
If you have previously created a backup containing all necessary VMs, there is no need to configure and
run a new backup job.
For seeding, you can use any existing backup created with Veeam Backup & Replication. The backup must
include VBK and VBM files. If you have a full backup and a chain of forward increments, you can use VIB
files together with the VBK and VBM files. In this case, Veeam Backup & Replication will restore VMs from
the seed to the latest available restore point.
2. Copy the backup from the backup repository in the production site to a backup repository in the DR site. If
you do not have a backup repository in the DR site, you will need to create one.
You can move the backup using a file copy job or any other appropriate method, for example, copy the
backup to a removable storage device, ship the device to the DR site and copy backups to the backup
repository in the DR site.
3. After the backup is copied to the backup repository in the DR site, perform rescan of this backup
repository. Otherwise, Veeam Backup & Replication will not be able to detect the copied backup.
When you complete the preliminary steps, you can configure replica seeding settings for the job.
1. In the Initial seeding section, select the Get seed from the following backup repository check box.
2. From the list of backup repositories, select the backup repository in the DR site to where the seed (the full
backup) resides.
When you start the replication job, Veeam Backup & Replication will attempt to restore all VMs added to the job
from the seed that you have specified. If a VM is not found in the seed, the VM will be skipped from replication.
IMPORTANT!
You cannot use a backup located in the scale-out backup repository as a seed for a replication job.
Configuring Replica Mapping

If a replica for the VM that you plan to replicate already exists on the target host in the DR site, you can use
replica mapping. Replica mapping helps reduce the amount of VM data transferred over the network.
To use replica mapping, you must point the replication job to a VM replica on the host in the DR site. During the
first session of the replication job, Veeam Backup & Replication will calculate the difference between the source
VM and VM replica and copy necessary data blocks to synchronize the VM replica to the latest state of the
source VM. All subsequent incremental replication sessions will be performed in the regular manner.
TIP:
If there is no existing VM replica in the DR site, you can restore a VM from the backup and map it to the
original VM.
To set up replica mapping:
1. Select the Map replicas to existing VMs check box.
2. Click Detect. Veeam Backup & Replication will scan the destination location to detect existing VM replicas.
If any matches are found, Veeam Backup & Replication will populate the mapping table.
If Veeam Backup & Replication does not find a match, you can map a VM to its VM replica manually. To do
this, select a production VM from the list, click Edit and choose an existing VM replica. To facilitate
selection, use the search field at the bottom of the window.
To break a mapping association, select the VM in the list and click Remove.
IMPORTANT!
The mapping list does not display VMs added to the list of exclusions. For more information, see Exclude
Objects from Replication Job.
Configuring Replica Seeding and Replica Mapping

You configure both replica seeding and replica mapping in the same replication job. For example, if a job
includes 2 VMs, you can use seeding for one VM and map the other VM to an existing VM replica.
If replica seeding is enabled in the job settings, all VMs in the job must be covered with seeding or mapping. If a
VM is neither available in the seed, nor mapped to an existing VM replica, it will be skipped from processing.
And, on the contrary, if the same VM is available in the seed and mapped to an existing replica, replication will
be performed using replica mapping as mapping has precedence over seeding.
• Transaction log handling for Microsoft SQL Server
• Transaction log handling for Oracle
• VM guest OS file exclusion
the processing is finished (depending on the selected option, during the replication job session or after the
replication job completes).
runtime components or use (if necessary, deploy) persistent agent components:
1. From the Guest OS credentials list, select a user account with local Administrator privileges on the VM
guest OS. If you have not set up credentials beforehand, click the Manage accounts link or click Add on the
right to add credentials. For more information, see Guest Processing.
Local accounts do not support Kerberos authentication. To authenticate with Microsoft Windows guest OS
using Kerberos, specify an Active Directory account.
NOTE:
If you plan to use Kerberos authentication, check limitations and requirements listed in the Guest
Processing section.
interaction proxy.
NOTE:
persistent runtime components or connect to (if necessary, deploy) persistent agent components on their guest
OSes, click Test Now. Veeam Backup & Replication will use the specified credentials to connect to all VMs in the
list.
If you add to the replication job VMs running VSS-aware applications, you can enable application-aware
processing to create transactionally consistent replicas. The transactionally consistent replica guarantees proper
recovery of applications on VMs without data loss.
1. Select the Enable application-aware processing check box.

To define custom settings for a VM added as a part of the VM container, you must include the VM in the
list as a standalone object. To do this, click Add and choose a VM whose settings you want to customize.
4. On the General tab, in the Applications section specify the VSS behavior scenario:
o Select Require successful processing if you want Veeam Backup & Replication to stop the replication
process if any VSS errors occur.
o Select Try application processing, but ignore failures if you want to continue the replication process
even if VSS errors occur. This option is recommended to guarantee completion of the job. The created
VM replica image will not be transactionally consistent but crash consistent.
o Select Disable application processing if you do not want to enable quiescence for the VM at all.
Veeam Backup & Replication must process transaction logs or copy-only backups must be created.
transaction logs.
persistent components running on the VM guest OS will wait for replication to complete successfully
and then trigger truncation of transaction logs. If the replication job fails, the logs will remain
untouched on the VM guest OS until the next start of the non-persistent runtime components or
persistent components.
b. Select Perform copy only if you use another backup tool to perform VM guest level backup or
replication, and this tool maintains consistency of the database state. Veeam Backup & Replication
will create a copy-only replica for the selected VM. The copy only replica preserves the chain of
full/differential backup files and transaction logs on the VM. For more information, see Microsoft
Docs.
Components.
Transaction Log Settings: Microsoft SQL Server
If you replicate a Microsoft SQL VM, you can specify how Veeam Backup & Replication must process transaction
logs:
6. Specify how transaction logs must be processed:
o Select Truncate logs if you want Veeam Backup & Replication to trigger truncation of transaction logs
only after the job completes successfully. In this case, the non-persistent runtime components or
persistent components will wait for VM replication to complete and then trigger truncation of
transaction logs. If the replication job fails, the logs will remain untouched on the VM guest OS until
the next start of the non-persistent runtime components or persistent components.
o Select Do not truncate logs if you do not want Veeam Backup & Replication to truncate logs at all.
This option is recommended if you are using another backup tool to perform VM guest-level backup
or replication, and this tool maintains consistency of the database state. In such scenario,
Veeam Backup & Replication will not trigger transaction log truncation. After you fail over to the
necessary restore point of the VM replica, you will be able to apply transaction logs to get the
database system to the necessary point in time between replication job sessions.
Transaction Log Settings: Oracle
If you replicate an Oracle VM, you can specify how Veeam Backup & Replication must process transaction logs:
3. In the displayed list, select the Oracle VM and click Edit.
7. In the Archived logs section, specify if Veeam Backup & Replication must truncate transaction logs on the
Oracle VM:
o Select Do not delete archived logs if you want Veeam Backup & Replication to preserve archived logs
on the VM guest OS. When the replication job completes, the non-persistent runtime components or
persistent components will not truncate transaction logs.
It is recommended that you select this option for databases for which the ARCHIVELOG mode is
turned off. If the ARCHIVELOG mode is turned on, transaction logs on the VM guest OS may grow
large and consume all disk space. In this case, the database administrator must take care of
transaction logs him-/herself.
o Select Delete logs older than <N> hours or Delete logs over <N> GB if you want
Veeam Backup & Replication to truncate archived logs that are older than <N> hours or larger than
<N> GB. The non-persistent runtime components or persistent components running on the VM guest
OS will wait for the replication job to complete successfully and then trigger transaction logs
truncation via Oracle Call Interface (OCI). If the job does not manage to replicate the Oracle VM, the
logs will remain untouched on the VM guest OS until the next start of the non-persistent runtime
components or persistent components.
VM Guest OS File Exclusion

If you do not want to replicate specific files and folders on the VM guest OS Windows, you can exclude them
from the VM replica.

4. Click the Exclusions tab and specify what files must be excluded from the VM replica:
o Select Exclude the following files and folders to remove the individual files and folders from the VM
replica.
VM replica.
asterisk (*) and question mark (?) characters. For more information, see VM Guest OS Files.
6. Click OK.
7. Repeat steps 5-6 for every object that you want to exclude or include.

If you plan to replicate VMs running applications that do not support VSS, you can instruct
Veeam Backup & Replication to run custom pre-freeze and post-thaw scripts for these VMs. The pre-freeze
script quiesces the VM file system and application data to bring the VM to a consistent state before
Veeam Backup & Replication triggers a VM snapshot. After the VM snapshot is created, the post-thaw script
brings the VM and applications to their initial state.
o Select Require successful script execution if you want Veeam Backup & Replication to stop the
replication process if the script fails.
o Select Ignore script execution failures if you want to continue the replication process even if script
errors occur.
Veeam Backup & Replication will automatically determine what OS type is installed on the VM and apply
TIP:
to run custom scripts before the job starts and after the job completes. For more information, see
Advanced Settings.
At the Schedule step of the wizard, select to run the replication job manually or schedule the job to run on a
regular basis.
To define a job schedule:
job manually to perform VM replication.
NOTE:
o To run the job repeatedly throughout a day with a set time interval, select Periodically every. In the
field on the right, select the necessary time unit: Hours or Minutes. Click Schedule and use the time
table to define the permitted time window for the job. In the Start time within an hour field, specify
the exact time when the job must start.
schedule.
list on the right.
job A finishes, job B starts and so on. If you want to create a chain of jobs, you should define the time
3. In the Automatic retry section, define whether Veeam Backup & Replication should attempt to run the job
again if the job fails for some reason. During a job retry, Veeam Backup & Replication processes failed VMs
only. Enter the number of attempts to run the job and define time spans between them. If you select
continuous schedule for the job, Veeam Backup & Replication will retry the job for the defined number of
times without any time intervals between the job sessions.
4. In the Backup window section, determine a time interval within which the job must be completed. The
backup window prevents the job from overlapping with production hours and ensures it does not provide
unwanted overhead on your production environment. To set up a backup window for the job:
b. In the Time Periods window, define the allowed hours and prohibited hours for VM replication. If the
job exceeds the allowed window, it will be automatically terminated.
NOTE:
The After this job function will only start a job if the first job in the chain is started automatically by
schedule. If the first job is started manually, jobs chained to it will not be started.
At the Summary step of the wizard, complete the procedure of replication job configuration.
1. Review details of the replication job.
Managing Replicas
You can perform the following operations with replicas:
• View replica properties
• Rescanning Replicas
• Remove a replica from configuration
• Delete a replica from disks
Viewing Replica Properties
You can view summary information about created replicas. The summary information provides the following
data:
• Data size and replica status
To view summary information for replicas:
2. In the inventory pane, select Replicas.
3. In the working area, right-click the replica and select Properties.
Rescanning Replicas
You may need to perform replica rescan in the following cases:
• After you delete restore points for one or more replicas. For details, see this Veeam KB article.
• After you restore the configuration database, and the session results show that some hosts used to
register replicas were unavailable during the session.
To check whether any errors occurred during the database restore session, open the Home view and select
System in the inventory pane. In the working area, right-click the Configuration Database Resynchronize
job and select Statistics.
During the rescan process, Veeam Backup & Replication gathers information on replicas that are currently
available in backup repositories and updates the list of replicas in the configuration database.
To rescan replicas, do the following:
2. In the inventory pane, right-click the Replicas node and select Rescan Replicas.
If you want to remove records about replicas from the Veeam Backup & Replication console and configuration
database, you can use the Remove from configuration operation.
Replicated VMs remain on target hosts. If necessary, you can start them manually after the Remove from
configuration operation is performed.
Mind the following:
• The Remove from configuration operation can be performed only for VM replicas in the Ready state. If the
VM replica is in the Failover or Failback state, this option is disabled.
• When you perform the Remove from configuration operation for a VM that is replicated as a standalone
object, Veeam Backup & Replication removes this VM from the initial replication job. When you perform
the Remove from configuration operation for a VM that is replicated as part of a VM container (host,
cluster, folder, resource pool, VirtualApp, datastore or tag), Veeam Backup & Replication adds this VM to
the list of exclusions in the initial replication job. For more information, see Exclude Objects from
Replication Job.
To remove records about VM replicas from the Veeam Backup & Replication console and configuration database:
3. In the working area, select the replica and click Remove from > Configuration on the ribbon. You can also
right-click the replica and select Remove from configuration.
Deleting from Disk
If you want to delete records about replicas from the Veeam Backup & Replication console and configuration
database and, additionally, delete replica files from the destination storage, you can use the Delete from disk
operation.
Mind the following:
• Do not delete replica files from the destination storage manually. Use the Delete from disk option instead.
If you delete replica files manually, subsequent replication job sessions will fail.
• The Delete from disk operation can be performed only for VM replicas in the Ready state. If the VM replica
is in the Failover or Failback state, this option is disabled.
To delete replica files from disk:
3. In the working area, select the VM replica and click Remove from > Disk on the ribbon. You can also right-
click the VM replica and select Delete from disk.
Replica Failover and Failback
In case of software or hardware malfunction, you can quickly recover a corrupted VM by failing over to its
replica. When you perform failover, a replicated VM takes over the role of the original VM. You can fail over to
the latest state of a replica or to any of its good known restore points.
In Veeam Backup & Replication, failover is a temporary intermediate step that should be further finalized.
Veeam Backup & Replication offers the following options for different disaster recovery scenarios:
• You can perform permanent failover to leave the workload on the target host and let the replica VM act as
the original VM. Permanent failover is suitable if the source and target hosts are nearly equal in terms of
resources and are located on the same HA site.
• You can perform failback to recover the original VM on the source host or in a new location. Failback is
used in case you failed over to a disaster recovery (DR) site that is not intended for continuous operations
and would like to move the operations back to the production site when the consequences of a disaster
are eliminated.
Veeam Backup & Replication supports failover and failback operations for one VM and for several VMs. In case
one or several hosts fail, you can use batch processing to restore operations with minimum downtime.
Replica Failover
Failover is a process of switching from the original VM on the source host to its VM replica on the target host.
During failover, Veeam Backup & Replication recovers a fully functional VM to the required restore point on the
target host. As a result, you have a VM up and running within a couple of seconds, and your users can access
services and applications they need with minimum disruption.
When you perform failover, the state of the original VM on the source host is not affected in any way. If you
need to test the VM replica and its restore points for recoverability, you can perform failover while the original
VM is running. After all necessary tests, you can undo failover and get back to the normal mode of operation. As
an alternative way of testing, Veeam Backup & Replication also provides the SureReplica technology. For more
details, see SureReplica.
NOTE:
If the original VM and VM replica are located in the same network and you plan to perform replica failover
while the original VM is running, consider temporary disconnecting the original VM from the network to
avoid IP addresses and/or machine names conflicts.
It is recommended that you always use Veeam Backup & Replication to perform failover operations. Avoid
powering on a replica manually — this may disrupt further replication operations or cause loss of important data.
The failover operation is performed in the following way:
1. Veeam Backup & Replication rolls back the VM replica to the required restore point. To do this, it reverts
the VM replica to the necessary snapshot in the replica chain.
2. Veeam Backup & Replication powers on the VM replica. The state of the VM replica is changed from Ready
to Failover. If you perform failover for testing or disaster recovery (DR) simulation purposes, and the
original VM still exists and is running, the original VM remains powered on.
Note that any replication activities for the original VM will fail until the VM replica is returned to the Ready
state.
3. All changes made to the VM replica while it is running in the Failover state are written to the delta file of
the snapshot, or restore point, to which you have selected to roll back.
In Veeam Backup & Replication, the actual failover is considered a temporary stage that should be further
finalized. While the replica is in the Failover state, you can undo failover, perform failback or perform permanent
failover. In a disaster recovery scenario, after you test the VM replica and make sure the VM runs stable, you
should take another step to perform permanent failover.
Performing Failover
If a VM becomes unavailable or fails in case of a disaster, you can fail over to a VM replica and quickly restore
services in the production environment. When you perform failover, the VM replica takes over the role of the
original VM. As a result, you have your VM up and running within a couple of minutes, and your users can access
services and applications they need with minimal disruption.
Before you perform failover, check prerequisites. Then use the VMware Failover wizard to fail over the VM
replica.
Before You Begin

Before you fail over to a VM replica, check the following prerequisites:
• The failover operation can be performed for VMs that have been successfully replicated at least once.
• VM replicas must be in the Ready state.
Step 1. Launch Failover Wizard
To launch the Failover wizard, do one of the following:
• On the Home tab, click Restore > VMware vSphere > Restore from replica > Entire replica > Failover to a
replica.
• Open the Home view, in the inventory pane select Replicas. In the working area, select the necessary
replica and click Failover Now on the ribbon.
• Open the Home view, in the inventory pane select Replicas. In the working area, right-click the necessary
replica and select Failover Now.
Step 2. Select VMs
At the Virtual Machines step of the wizard, select one or more VMs for which you want to perform failover. You
can perform failover for separate VMs and whole VM containers (hosts, clusters, folders, resource pools,
VirtualApps, datastores or tags).
To select VMs and VM containers:
1. Click Add VM.
2. Select where to browse for VMs and VM containers:
o From infrastructure — browse the virtual environment and select VMs or VM containers. If you choose
a VM container, Veeam Backup & Replication will expand it to a plain VM list.
o From replicas — browse existing replicas and select VMs or VM containers under replication jobs.
To quickly find VMs or VM containers, you can use the search field at the top of the wizard.
1. Enter a VM or VM container name or a part of it in the search field. Veeam Backup & Replication will
display possible matches.
2. If the VM or VM container is not in the list, click the Show more link to browse the virtual infrastructure.
NOTE:
Make sure that VMs you select from the virtual environment have been successfully replicated at least
once.
Step 3. Select Restore Point
By default, Veeam Backup & Replication uses the latest valid restore point of the VM replica. However, you can
fail over to an earlier state of the VM. If you have chosen to perform failover for several VMs, you can select the
necessary restore point for every VM in the list.
To select a restore point for a VM:
1. In the Virtual machines to failover list, select a VM.
2. Click Point on the right.
3. In the Restore Points window, select a restore point that must be used.
Step 4. Specify Failover Reason
At the Reason step of the wizard, enter a reason for failing over to the VM replicas. The information you provide
will be saved in the session history and you can reference it later.
TIP:
If you do not want to display the Reason step of the wizard in future, select the Do not show me this page
again check box.
Step 5. Review Summary and Finish Working with Wizard
At the Summary step of the wizard, complete the procedure of failover.
1. Review details of the failover task.
2. Click Finish to start the failover process.
When the failover process is complete, the VM replicas will be started on the target hosts.
Permanent Failover
To finalize the failover process, you can permanently fail over to the VM replica.
When you perform permanent failover, you “commit" failover. You can perform this operation if you want to
permanently switch from the original VM to a VM replica and use this replica as the original VM. As a result of
permanent failover, the VM replica ceases to exist as a replica and takes on the role of the original VM.
The permanent failover scenario is acceptable if the original VM and VM replica are located in the same site and
are nearly equal in terms of resources. In this case, users will not experience any latency in ongoing operations.
The permanent failover operation is performed in the following way:
1. Veeam Backup & Replication removes snapshots (restore points) of the VM replica from the snapshot
chain and deletes associated files from the datastore. Changes that were written to the snapshot delta file
are committed to the VM replica disk files to bring the VM replica to the most recent state.
2. Veeam Backup & Replication removes the VM replica from the list of replicas in the
3. To protect the VM replica from corruption after permanent failover is complete,

Veeam Backup & Replication reconfigures the replication job and adds the original VM to the list of
exclusions. When the replication job starts, the original VM is skipped from processing. As a result, no data
is written to the working VM replica.
Performing Permanent Failover

With permanent failover, you can finalize failover to a VM replica. As a result of permanent failover, the VM
replica on the target host ceases to exist as a replica and takes on the role of the original VM.
To perform permanent failover, do either of the following:
replica and click Permanent Failover on the ribbon.
replica and select Permanent Failover.
In the displayed window, click Yes to confirm the operation.
To protect the VM replica from corruption after performing a permanent failover, Veeam Backup & Replication
removes the VM replica from the Replicas list. Additionally, Veeam Backup & Replication reconfigures the
replication job and adds the original VM to the list of exclusions. When the replication job that processes the
original VM starts, the VM will be skipped from processing, and no data will be written to the working VM
replica.
Failover Plan
If you have a number of VMs running interdependent applications, you need to failover them one by one, as a
group. To do this automatically, you can prepare a failover plan.
In a failover plan, you set the order in which VMs must be processed and time delays for VMs. The time delay is
an interval of time for which Veeam Backup & Replication must wait before starting the failover operation for
the next VM in the list. It helps to ensure that some VMs, such as a DNS server, are already running at the time
the dependent VMs start. The time delay is set for every VM in the failover plan except the last VM in the list.
The failover plan must be created in advance. In case the primary VM group goes offline, you can start the
corresponding failover plan manually. When you start the procedure, you can choose to fail over to the latest
state or select the point in time to which VM replicas must be started. Veeam Backup & Replication will look for
the closest restore points to this point in time and use them to start VM replicas. The source VMs will not be
powered off.
The failover process is performed in the following way:
1. For each VM, Veeam Backup & Replication detects its replica. The VMs whose replicas are already in
Failover or Failback state are skipped from processing.
2. The replica VMs are started in the order they appear in the failover plan within the set time intervals.
Limitations for Failover Plans

The maximum number of VMs that can be started simultaneously when you run a failover plan is 10. If you have
added more VMs to the failover plan and scheduled them to start simultaneously, Veeam Backup & Replication
will wait for the first VMs in the list to fail over and then start the failover operation for subsequent VMs. This
limitation helps reduce the workload on the production infrastructure and backup server.
For example, if you have added 14 VMs to the failover plan and scheduled them to start at the same time,
Veeam Backup & Replication will start the failover operation for the first 10 VMs in the list. After the 1st VM is
processed, Veeam Backup & Replication will start the failover operation for the 11th VM in the list, then for the
12th VM and so on.
Finalizing Failover Plans

Failover is a temporary intermediate step that needs to be finalized. The finalizing options for a group failover
are similar to a regular failover: undoing failover, permanent failover or failback.
When you failback or perform permanent failover, you need to process every VM individually. However, when
you undo failover, you can process the whole group. For this, use the undo failover plan option.
Undoing the failover switches the replica back to the primary VM discarding all changes that were made to the
replica while it was running. When you undo group failover, Veeam Backup & Replication uses the list of VMs
that were failed over during the last failover plan session and switches them back to the primary VMs. If some of
the VMs were already failed back, for example manually by the user, they are skipped from processing.
Veeam Backup & Replication starts the undo failover operation for a group of 5 VMs at the same time. The time
interval between the operation starts is 10 seconds. For example, if you have added 10 VMs to the failover plan,
Veeam Backup & Replication will undo failover for the first 5 VMs in the list, then will wait for 10 seconds and
undo failover for the remaining 5 VMs in the list. Time intervals between the operation starts help
Veeam Backup & Replication reduce the workload on the production environment and backup server.
Creating Failover Plans

If you have a number of VMs running dependent applications, you need to failover them one by one, as a group.
To do this automatically, you can prepare a failover plan.
Before you create a failover plan, check prerequisites. Then use the New Failover Plan wizard to create a failover
plan.
Before You Begin

Before you create a failover plan, check the following prerequisites:
• VMs that you plan to include in the failover plan must be successfully replicated at least once.
• If you plan to use pre-failover and/or post-failover scripts for the failover plan, you must create scripts
before you configure the failover plan.
Step 1. Launch New Failover Plan Wizard
To launch the New Failover Plan wizard, do one of the following:
• On the Home tab, click Failover Plan and select VMware vSphere.
• Open the Home view, in the inventory pane select Replicas. In the working area select one or more VMs,
click Add to Failover Plan > New Failover Plan on the ribbon or right-click one or more VMs and select Add
to failover plan > New Failover Plan.
In this case, the VMs will be automatically added to the failover plan. You can add other VMs to the
failover plan when passing through the wizard steps.
• Open the Inventory view, in the working area select one or more VMs, click Add to Failover Plan > New
Failover Plan on the ribbon or right-click one or more VMs and select Add to failover plan > New Failover
Plan.
In this case, the selected VMs will be automatically added to the failover plan. You can add other VMs to
the failover plan when passing through the wizard steps.
Step 2. Specify Failover Plan Name and Description
At the General step of the wizard, specify a name and description for the failover plan and define script settings
for the plan if necessary.
1. In the Name field, enter a name for the failover plan.
information about the user who created the failover plan, date and time when the plan was created.
3. If you want to execute custom scripts before and/or after the failover plan, select the Pre-failover script
and Post-failover script check boxes and click Browse to choose executable files.
Veeam Backup & Replication supports script files in the following formats: BAT, CMD, EXE and PS1. For
example, you may want stop some applications on production VMs before the failover plan starts or send
an email to backup administrators after the failover plan finishes.
Step 3. Select VMs
At the Virtual Machines step of the wizard, select VMs that you want to add to the failover plan. You can add
separate VMs and whole VM containers (hosts, clusters, folders, resource pools, VirtualApps, datastores or
tags).
To add VMs and VM containers:
1. Click Add VM.
To quickly find VMs or VM containers, you can use the search field at the bottom of the Add Object
window. Enter a VM or VM container name or a part of it in the search field and click Start search or
press [Enter] on the keyboard.
o From replicas — browse existing replication jobs and select all VMs or specific VMs from replication
jobs.
To quickly find VMs, you can use the search field at the bottom of the Select Replica window. Enter a
VM name or a part of it in the search field and click Start search or press [Enter] on the keyboard.
Make sure that VMs you select from the virtual environment have been successfully replicated at least once.
IMPORTANT!
A source from which you add a VM to a failover plan does not matter. When you run the failover plan,
Veeam Backup & Replication always fails over to the latest restore point of VM replicas. To fail over to a
specific restore point of VM replicas, use the Start to command. For more information, see Running
Failover Plans.
Step 4. Define VM Failover Order
The VM replicas in the failover plan are started in the order they appear in the VM list. If some VMs provide
environment for other dependent VMs, make sure that they are started first.
To set VM start order:
1. Select the VM in the list
2. Move the VM up or down the list using the Up and Down buttons on the right.
Step 5. Set Time Delay
After you have set the order for VMs in the failover plan, you need to set a time delay for VMs. The delay time
defines for how long Veeam Backup & Replication must wait before starting the failover operation for the next
VM in the list. You can use time delays to make sure that some VMs are already running at the moment
dependent VMs start.
Time delays can be specified for all VMs in the list except the last one. If you do not specify time delays, VMs
will be started simultaneously.
For example, you have added 2 VMs to the failover plan and set a time delay to 60 seconds for the first VM in
the list. Veeam Backup & Replication will perform failover in the following manner: Veeam Backup & Replication
will start the failover operation for the first VM in the list, then wait for 60 seconds and start the failover
operation for the second VM in the list.
To set the time delay for a VM:
1. Select it and click Set Delay on the right or double-click the VM in the list.
2. Enter the time interval that you consider sufficient for this VM to boot.
At the Summary step of the wizard, complete the procedure of the failover plan configuration.
1. Review details for the configured failover plan.
2. Click Finish to create the failover plan.
Adding VMs to Existing Failover Plans

To add a VM to an existing failover plan, do the following:
2. In the inventory pane navigate to the Replicas node.
3. In the working area, right-click the necessary VM and select Add to failover plan > <Plan name>.
Running Failover Plans

You have the following options to run the failover plan:
• You can fail over to latest restore point of VM replicas. To use this option, you must run the failover plan
with the Start command.
Veeam Backup & Replication searches for the latest restore point of VM replicas across all replication jobs
configured on the backup server. For example, you have 2 jobs that replicate the same VM: Job 1 has
created the most recent point at 2:00 AM and Job 2 has created the most recent restore point at 3:00 AM.
When you run the failover plan using the Start command, Veeam Backup & Replication will pick the
restore point created at 3:00 AM with Job 2.
• You can fail over to a specific restore point of VM replicas. To use this option, you must run the failover
plan with the Start to command and select the necessary date when restore points for VM replicas were
created.
To fail over to the latest restore point of VM replicas:
2. Expand the Replicas node.
3. Select Failover Plans.
4. In the working area, right-click the failover plan and select Start.
To fail over to a specific restore point of VM replicas:
4. In the working area, right-click the failover plan and select Start to.
5. In the displayed window, select the backup date and time. Veeam Backup & Replication will find the
closest restore point prior to the entered value for each VM and fail over to it.
Undoing Failover by Failover Plans

You can undo failover for all VMs added to the failover plan at once. When you undo failover, you switch the
workload back to original VMs and discard all changes that were made to VM replicas during failover.
To undo failover by a failover plan:
4. In the working area, right-click the failover plan and select Undo.
5. In the displayed dialog box, click Yes to confirm the operation.
Planned Failover
If you know that your primary VMs are about to go offline, you can proactively switch the workload to their
replicas. A planned failover is smooth manual switching from a primary VM to its replica with minimum
interrupting in operation. You can use the planned failover, for example, if you plan to perform datacenter
migration, maintenance or software upgrade of the primary VMs. You can also perform planned failover if you
have an advance notice of a disaster approaching that will require taking the primary servers offline.
When you start the planned failover, Veeam Backup & Replication performs the following steps:
1. The failover process triggers the replication job to perform an incremental replication run and copy the
un-replicated changes to the replica.
2. The guest OS of the VM is shut down or the VM is powered off.

If VMware Tools are installed on the VM, Veeam Backup & Replication tries to shut down the VM guest OS.
If nothing happens after 15 minutes, Veeam Backup & Replication powers off the VM. If VMware Tools are
not installed on the VM or the VM is suspended, Veeam Backup & Replication powers off the VM.
1. The failover process triggers the replication job to perform another incremental replication run and copy
the portion of last-minute changes to the replica. The replica becomes fully synchronized with the source
VM.
2. The VM is failed over to its replica.
3. The VM replica is powered on.
As the procedure is designed to transfer the current workload to the replica, it does not suggest selecting a
restore point to switch.
During the planned failover, Veeam Backup & Replication creates 2 helper restore points that are not deleted
afterwards. These restore points will appear in the list of restore points for this VM; you can use them later to
roll back to the necessary VM replica state.
When your primary host is online again, you can switch back to it. The finalizing options for a planned failover
are similar to those of an unplanned failover: undoing failover, permanent failover or failback.
NOTE:
During planned failover, Veeam Backup & Replication always retrieves VM data from the production
infrastructure, even if the replication job uses the backup as a data source. This approach helps
Veeam Backup & Replication synchronize the VM replica to the latest state of the production VM.
Limitations for Planned Failover
Planned failover has the following limitations:
• If you start planned failover for several VMs that are replicated with one replication job, these VMs will be
processed one by one, not in parallel.
• Each planned failover task for each VM is processed as a separate replica job session. If a backup proxy is
not available and the session has to wait for resources, job sessions for other VMs in the same task cannot
be started before the current session is finished.
• The user account under which you launch the planned failover operation must have the Veeam Backup
Administrator role or Veeam Backup Operator and Veeam Restore Operator roles in
Veeam Backup & Replication. For more information, see Roles and Users.
Performing Planned Failover

Planned failover is the operation of switching from a running VM to its replica. Planned failover is performed to
transfer the workload to the replica in advance in case the original VM is scheduled to go offline for some time.
Before you perform planned failover, check prerequisites. Then use the Planned Failover wizard to perform
planned failover.
Before You Begin

Before you perform planned failover, check the following prerequisites:
• VMs for which you plan to perform planned failover must be successfully replicated at least once.
Step 1. Launch Planned Failover Wizard
To launch the Planned Failover wizard, do one of the following:
• On the Home tab, click Restore and select VMware vSphere > Restore from replica > Entire replica >
Planned failover a replica.
• Open the Home view, expand the Replicas node. In the working area, select one or more VMs and click
Planned Failover on the ribbon. You can also right-click one or more VMs and select Planned Failover.
• Open the Inventory view, in the working right-click one or more VMs area and select Restore > Planned
Failover.
In this case, the selected VMs will be automatically included into the planned failover task. You can add
other VMs to the task when passing through the wizard steps.
Step 2. Select VMs
At the Virtual Machines step of the wizard, select one or more VMs for which you want to perform failover. You
can perform failover for separate VMs and whole VM containers (hosts, clusters, folders, resource pools,
VirtualApps, datastores or tags).
To select VMs and VM containers:
1. Click Add VM.
To quickly find VMs or VM containers, you can use the search field at the bottom of the Add Object
window. Enter a VM or VM container name or a part of it in the search field and click Start search or
press [Enter] on the keyboard.
o From replicas — browse existing replication jobs and select all VMs or specific VMs from replication
jobs.
To quickly find VMs, you can use the search field at the bottom of the Backup Browser window. Enter
a VM name or a part of it in the search field and click Start search or press [Enter] on the keyboard.
You can also use the search field at the top of the wizard:
1. Enter a VM name or a part of it in the search field. Veeam Backup & Replication will display possible
matches.
2. If the VM is not in the list, click the Show more link to browse existing VM replicas.
Veeam Backup & Replication will open the Backup Browser window, and you can select the necessary VM
replica there.
Make sure that VMs you select from the virtual environment have been successfully replicated at least once.
At the Reason step of the wizard, enter a reason for failing over to VM replicas. The information you provide will
be saved in the session history and you can reference it later.
TIP:
again check box.
At the Summary step of the wizard, complete the procedure of planned failover.
Once planned failover is complete, VM replicas will be started on the target hosts.
Undo Failover
To revert a VM replica to its pre-failover state, you can undo failover.
When you undo failover, you switch back from the VM replica to the original VM. Veeam Backup & Replication
discards all changes made to the VM replica while it was in the Failover state. You can use the undo failover
scenario if you have failed over to the VM replica for testing and troubleshooting purposes and want to get back
to the normal operation mode.
The undo failover operation is performed in the following way:
1. Veeam Backup & Replication reverts the VM replica to its pre-failover state. To do this,
Veeam Backup & Replication powers off the VM replica and gets it back to the state of the latest snapshot
in the snapshot chain. Changes that were written to the snapshot delta file while the VM replica was in the
Failover state are discarded.
2. The state of the VM replica gets back to Ready, and Veeam Backup & Replication resumes replication
activities for the original VM on the source host.
Undoing Failover
With the undo failover operation, you can power off running VM replicas on target hosts and roll back to initial
state of VM replicas.
To undo failover:
3. In the working area, select the necessary replica and click Undo Failover on the ribbon. You can also right-
click the necessary replica and select Undo Failover.
4. In the displayed window, click Yes to confirm the operation.
Forcing Undo Failover

In some cases, Veeam Backup & Replication may fail to perform the undo failover operation. This can happen,
for example, if the host on which the VM replica resides is unavailable. To overcome this situation, you can force
undo failover.
When you force failover, Veeam Backup & Replication attempts to perform the undo failover operation in a
regular way. If the host is unavailable, Veeam Backup & Replication changes the VM replica state to Ready in the
configuration database and console.
To force undo failover:
4. In the displayed window, select the Force undo failover check box and click Yes.
Replica Failback
Failback is one of the ways to finalize failover. When you perform failback, you switch back to the production
VM from a VM replica, shift I/O processes from the disaster recovery site to the production site.
Veeam Backup & Replication provides you the following options to perform failback:
• You can fail back to the original VM in the original location.
• You can fail back to a VM already recovered to a new location. This VM must be recovered before you
perform failback. For example, you can recover the VM from a backup.
• You can fail back to a VM recovered from a replica to a new location, or to any location but with different
settings. The VM will be recovered from the replica during the failback process.
The first two options help you decrease recovery time and the use of the network traffic because
Veeam Backup & Replication needs to transfer only differences between the original/recovered VM and VM
replica. For the third option, Veeam Backup & Replication needs to transfer the whole VM data, including its
configuration and virtual disk content. Use the third option if there is no way to use the original VM or restore it
from a backup.
Veeam Backup & Replication performs failback in two phases:
• First phase: Veeam Backup & Replication synchronizes the state of the production VM (the original VM, an
already recovered VM or a VM that will be recovered from the replica) with the current state of its replica.
This phase may take a lot of time especially if VM is large. While Veeam Backup & Replication performs the
first phase of failback, VM replicas are still up and running, users can access these VMs and perform daily
routine tasks as normal.
• Second phase: Veeam Backup & Replication switches all processes from the VM replica to the production
VM, turns off the replica and also sends to the production VM changes made to the VM replica since the
end of the first phase.
The time when the second phase starts depends on how you want to switch from the replica to the
production VM. You can switch to the production VM automatically, at the scheduled time or manually. If
you select to switch automatically, the second phase will start right after the first phase finishes. If you
select to switch at the scheduled time or manually, the second phase will start at the time you want.
The process of failing back to the original VM or an already recovered VM differs from the process of failing back
to a VM recovered from a replica:
• How failback to the original VM and already recovered VM works
• How failback to a VM recovered from a replica works
How Failback to Original VM or Already Recovered VM Works

When you fail back to the original VM or an already recovered VM, Veeam Backup & Replication performs the
following operations during the first phase:
1. If the production VM is running, Veeam Backup & Replication powers it off.
2. Veeam Backup & Replication creates a working failback snapshot for the production VM.
3. Veeam Backup & Replication creates a failback protective snapshot for the VM replica. You can use this
snapshot to return to the pre-failback state of the VM replica afterwards.
4. Veeam Backup & Replication calculates the difference between disks of the production VM and disks of
the VM replica in the Failover state. Difference calculation helps Veeam Backup & Replication understand
what data needs to be transferred to the production VM to synchronize its state with the state of the VM
replica.
If you fail back to the original VM in the original location and you have enabled the Quick rollback option,
difference calculation can be performed much faster than without this option enabled. For more
information on quick rollback, see Quick Rollback.
5. Veeam Backup & Replication transfers the data that was detected at the previous step to the production
VM. The transferred data is written to the delta file of the working failback snapshot on the production
VM.
6. Veeam Backup & Replication removes the working failback snapshot from the production VM.
7. Veeam Backup & Replication changes the state of the VM replica from Failover to Ready to switch.
During the second phase, Veeam Backup & Replication performs the following operations:
1. Veeam Backup & Replication creates a working failback snapshot on the production VM.
2. The guest OS of the VM replica is shut down or the VM replica is powered off.
If VMware Tools are installed on the VM replica, Veeam Backup & Replication tries to shut down the
replica guest OS. If nothing happens after 15 minutes, Veeam Backup & Replication powers off the VM
replica. If VMware Tools are not installed on the VM or the VM is suspended, Veeam Backup & Replication
powers off the VM. The VM replica remains powered off until you commit failback or undo failback.
3. Veeam Backup & Replication creates a failback protective snapshot for the VM replica. The snapshot acts
as a new restore point and saves the pre-failback state of the VM replica. You can use this snapshot to
return to the pre-failback state of the VM replica afterwards.
4. Sends data changed on the VM replica while it was in the Ready to switch state to the working failback
snapshot on the production VM.
5. Veeam Backup & Replication removes the protective snapshot from the VM replica.
6. Veeam Backup & Replication removes the working failback snapshot from the production VM. Changes
written to the delta file of this snapshot are committed to the production VM disks.
7. The state of the VM replica is changed from Ready to switch to Failback. Veeam Backup & Replication
temporarily puts replication activities for the production VM on hold.
8. [If you fail back to a VM already recovered to a new location] Veeam Backup & Replication updates the ID
of the original VM in the Veeam Backup & Replication configuration database. The ID of the original VM is
replaced with the ID of the recovered VM.
9. If you have selected to power on the production VM after failback, Veeam Backup & Replication powers on
the production VM on the host.
How Failback to VM Recovered from Replica Works

When you fail back to a VM recovered from a replica, Veeam Backup & Replication performs the following
operations during the first phase:
1. Veeam Backup & Replication requests vCenter server to create on the target host an empty VM with the
same configuration as the VM replica. vCenter server registers the created production VM.
2. Veeam Backup & Replication creates a working failback snapshot for the production VM.
3. Veeam Backup & Replication creates a failback protective snapshot for the VM replica. You can use this
snapshot to return to the pre-failback state of the VM replica afterwards.
4. Veeam Backup & Replication transfers data of the VM replica to the production VM to update the
production VM state to the VM replica state.
5. Veeam Backup & Replication removes the working failback snapshot from the production VM.
During the second phase, Veeam Backup & Replication performs the same operations as described in How
Failback to Original VM or Already Recovered VM Works.
Failback is an intermediate step that needs to be finalized. If the production VM works as expected and you
want to get back to it, commit failback. If the VM does not work as expected, undo failback.
Failback on VSAN
Due to specifics of VSAN data storage organization, Veeam Backup & Replication cannot get the difference
between disks of a VM replica located on VSAN and disks of the original VM in a regular manner.
Veeam Backup & Replication needs to read VM disks data anew in every failback process phase. As a result,
failback for VMs replicas on VSAN slightly differs from the regular failback course.
Before Veeam Backup & Replication starts the failback process, it checks the location of VM replica disks. If at
least one disk is located on VSAN, Veeam Backup & Replication performs failback in the following way:
1. Veeam Backup & Replication creates a working failback snapshot for the original VM.
2. For every VM disk, Veeam Backup & Replication performs the following actions:
a. If you fail back to the original VM location, Veeam Backup & Replication calculates the difference
between the VM replica disk and the original VM disk. To do this, Veeam Backup & Replication reads
the whole amount of disk data from VSAN, and transfers only changed data to the original VM side.
b. If you fail back to a new location, Veeam Backup & Replication transfers the whole disk without
calculating the difference.
3. The VM replica is powered off.
4. Veeam Backup & Replication creates a protective failback snapshot for the VM replica. Using the
protective failback snapshot, Veeam Backup & Replication detects what changes took place on the VM
replica while VM disk data was being transported. As well as before, Veeam Backup & Replication reads
the whole amount of VM disks data but transports only those data blocks that have changed since the VM
disks transfer.
The rest of the failback process does not differ from the regular failback process.
Quick Rollback
If you fail back from a VM replica to the original VM in the original location, you can instruct
Veeam Backup & Replication to perform quick rollback. Quick rollback significantly reduces the failback time and
has little impact on the production environment.
During failback with the quick rollback option enabled, Veeam Backup & Replication does not calculate digests
for entire VM replica disks to get the difference between the original VM and VM replica. Instead, it queries CBT
to get information about disk sectors that have changed, and calculates digests only for these disk sectors. As a
result, digest calculation is performed much faster. After that, Veeam Backup & Replication performs failback in
a regular way: transport changed blocks to the original VM, powers off the VM replica and synchronizes the
original VM with the VM replica once again.
It is recommended that you use quick rollback if you fail back to the original VM after a problem that has
occurred at the level of the guest OS of the VM replica — for example, there has been an application error or a
user has accidentally deleted a file on the VM replica guest OS. Do not use quick rollback if the problem has
occurred at the VM hardware level, storage level or due to a power loss.
Requirements for Quick Rollback

To perform quick rollback, make sure that the following requirements are met:
• You must perform failback to the original VM in the original location.
• CBT must be enabled for the original VM.
• The VM replica must be created with the Use changed block tracking data option enabled.
Limitations for Quick Rollback

• During the first replication job session after failback with quick rollback, CBT on the original VM is reset.
Due to that Veeam Backup & Replication will read data of the entire VM.
• Quick rollback can be performed in the Direct NFS access, Virtual appliance, Network transport mode. The
Direct SAN access transport mode cannot be used for quick rollback due to VMware limitations.
Performing Failback
With the Failback option, you can switch from a VM replica back to the original VM or restore a VM from a VM
replica in a new location.
Before you start failback, check prerequisites. Then use the Failback wizard to switch back to the original VM.
Before You Begin

Before you perform failback, check the following prerequisites:
• VMs for which you plan to perform failback must be successfully replicated at least once.
• VM replicas must be in the Failover state.
Step 1. Launch Failback Wizard
To launch the Failback wizard, do one of the following:
• On the Home tab, click Restore > VMware vSphere > Restore from replica > Entire replica > Failback to
production.
replica and click Failback to Production on the ribbon.
replica and select Failback to production.
Step 2. Select VM Replicas to Fail Back
At the Replica step of the wizard, select one or more VM replicas from which you want to fail back.
1. Click Populate to display all existing replicas in the Failover state.
2. Leave check boxes selected for those VM replicas from which you want to fail back.
Step 3. Select Failback Destination
At the Destination step of the wizard, select the failback destination and backup proxies for VM data transport
during failback.
1. Veeam Backup & Replication supports three possible failback destination variants. Note that the Failback
wizard displays a different set of steps for every failback variant.
o Select Failback to the original VM if you want to fail back to the original VM residing on the source
host. Veeam Backup & Replication will restore the original VM to the current state of its replica.
If this option is selected, you will pass to the Summary step of the wizard.
o Select Failback to the original VM restored in a different location if you have recovered the original
VM from a backup in a new location, and you want to switch to it from the replica. In this case,
Veeam Backup & Replication will synchronize the recovered VM with the current state of the replica.
If this option is selected, you will pass to the Target VM step of the wizard.
o Select Failback to the specified location if you want to restore the original VM from a replica – in a
new location and/or with different settings (such as VM location, network settings, virtual disk and
configuration files path and so on).
If this option is selected, you will need to complete all further steps of the wizard.
If you fail back to the original VM or the original VM is restored in a new location, only differences
between the existing virtual disks and their state will be transferred to the original VM.
Veeam Backup & Replication will not transfer replica configuration changes such as a different IP address
or network settings (if replica Re-IP and network mapping were applied), new hardware or virtual disks
added while the replica was in the Failover state.
If you choose to perform advanced failback, the entire VM replica, including its configuration and virtual
disks content, will be restored in the selected location.
2. Click the Pick backup proxies for data transfer link to select backup proxies for data transfer during
failback. In the offsite replication scenario, you must select one backup proxy in the production site and
one proxy in the disaster recovery (DR) site. In the onsite replication scenario, you can use the same
backup proxy as a source and target one.
3. In the Choose backup Proxy section, click Choose to assign a backup proxy. You can assign backup proxies
explicitly or instruct Veeam Backup & Replication to select backup proxies automatically.
o If you choose Automatic selection, Veeam Backup & Replication will detect backup proxies that are
connected to the source datastore and will automatically assign optimal proxy resources for
processing VM data.
VMs selected for failback are processed one by one. Before processing a new VM in the VM list,
Veeam Backup & Replication checks available backup proxies. If more than one backup proxy is
available, Veeam Backup & Replication analyzes transport modes that the backup proxies can use, the
current workload on the backup proxies to select the most appropriate resource for VM processing.
o If you choose Use the selected backup proxy servers only, you can explicitly define backup proxies
that must be used for data transfer. It is recommended that you select at least two backup proxies to
ensure that failover is performed should one of backup proxies fail or lose its connectivity to the
source or target datastore.
Restoring Storage Policies

If the replicated VM was associated with the storage policy, in the failback to original location scenario,
Veeam Backup & Replication will associate the restored VM with this storage policy.
When you click Next, Veeam Backup & Replication will check storage policies in the virtual environment and
compare this information with the information about the replica storage policy. If the original storage policy has
been changed or deleted, Veeam Backup & Replication will display a warning. You can select one of the
following options:
• Current — the restored VM will be associated with the profile with which the original VM in the production
environment is currently associated.
• Default — the restored VM will be associated with the profile that is set as default for the target datastore.
• Stored — the restored VM will be associated with the profile that was assigned to the original VM at the
moment of replication.
For more information, see Storage Policy Restore.
Step 4. Select Target Host
The Host step of the wizard is only available if you have chosen to perform advanced failback.
To specify a target host:
1. Select one or more VMs in the list and click Host.
2. Choose a host or cluster where the VMs must be registered.
To facilitate selection, you can use the search field at the bottom of the window.
1. Click the button on the left of the field to select the necessary type of object that should be searched for:
Cluster or Host.
2. Enter an object’s name or a part of it and click the Start search button on the right or press [Enter] on the
keyboard.
Step 5. Select Target Resource Pool
The Resource Pool step of the wizard is only available if you have chosen to perform advanced failback.
To specify a destination resource pool:
1. Select one or more VMs in the list and click Pool.
2. Choose a resource pool to which the selected VMs will belong.
3. If necessary, you can also select a vApp to which the restored VM will be included.
To facilitate selection, you can use the search field at the bottom of the window. Enter a resource pool name or
a part of it and click the Start search button on the right or press [Enter] on the keyboard.
Step 6. Select Target Datastore
The Datastore step of the wizard is only available if you have chosen to perform advanced failback.
When restoring a VM from a replica, you can place an entire VM to a particular datastore or choose to store
configuration files and disk files of a restored VM in different locations.
To specify a destination datastore:
1. Select one or more VMs in the list and click Datastore.
2. If configuration and disk files of a VM should be placed to different datastores, expand the VM in the list,
select the necessary file type and click Datastore. From the virtual environment, choose a datastore to
which the selected objects will be stored. To facilitate selection, use the search field at the bottom of the
window: enter a datastore name or a part of it and click the Start search button on the right or press
[Enter] on the keyboard.
3. By default, Veeam Backup & Replication preserves the format of restored VM disks, so that if disks of the
VM replica were provisioned as thick, Veeam Backup & Replication will restore the VM with thick disks. If
necessary, you can change the disk format of a restored VM. To do so, expand a VM in the list, select the
necessary disk and click Disk Type. In the Disk Type Settings section, choose the format that will be used
to restore virtual disks of the VM: same as original, thin, thick lazy zeroed or thick eager zeroed. For more
information about disk types, see VMware docs.
NOTE:
Disk format change is supported only for VMs with Virtual Hardware version 7 or later.
Step 7. Select Target Folder
The VM Folder step of the wizard is only available if you have chosen to perform advanced failback.
Specifying Destination VM Folder

To specify a destination VM folder, do the following:
1. Select one or more VMs in the list and click Folder.
2. Choose a folder to which the selected VMs must be placed.
To facilitate selection, you can use the search field at the bottom of the window: enter a folder name or a part
of it and click the Start search button on the right or press [Enter] on the keyboard.
NOTE:
If you fail back to a VM on a standalone ESXi host not managed by vCenter Server, you cannot select a
destination folder: this option will be disabled.
Restoring VM Tags
Select the Restore VM tags check box if you want to restore tags that were assigned to the original VM, and
assign them to the restored VM. Veeam Backup & Replication will restore the VM with original tags if the
following conditions are met:
• The VM is restored to its original location.
• The original VM tag is still available on the source vCenter Server.
Step 8. Select Target Network
The Network step of the wizard is only available if you have chosen to perform advanced failback.
If you plan to fail back to VMs in a new location (for example, another site with a different set of networks), you
can map disaster recovery site networks to production site networks. Veeam Backup & Replication will use the
network mapping table to update configuration files of VMs on the fly, during the failback process.
To change networks to which restored VMs will be connected:
1. Select one or more VMs in the list and click Network.
2. If a VM is connected to multiple networks, expand the VM, select the network to map and click Network.
3. The Select Network section displays all networks to which the target host or cluster is connected. From
the list of available networks, choose a network to which the original VMs should have access upon
failback. To facilitate selection, use the search field at the bottom of the window: enter a network name or
a part of it and click the Start search button on the right or press [Enter] on the keyboard.
To prevent the original VM from accessing any network upon failback, select the VM or its network connections
in the list and click Disconnected.
Step 9. Map VM Replica to Restored VM
The Target VM step of the wizard is only available if you have chosen to fail back to the original VM restored in a
different location.
You can define how VM replicas map to VMs restored from backup.
To create a mapping association:
1. Select a replica in the list and click Edit.
2. Select the restored VM from the virtual infrastructure. To facilitate selection, use the search field at the
bottom of the Add Objects window: click the button to the left of the field and select the necessary type
of object to search for: Everything, Folder, Cluster, Host, Resource pool, VirtualApp or Virtual machine,
enter an object’s name or a part of it and click the Start search button on the right or press [Enter] on the
keyboard.
Step 10. Schedule Switch to Production VMs
At the Failback Mode step of the wizard, specify when switch from replicas to production VMs must be
performed:
• Select Auto if you want Veeam Backup & Replication to perform the switch automatically right after the
state of the production VMs is synchronized with the state of their replicas.
• Select Scheduled if you want Veeam Backup & Replication to perform the switch at a specific time.
• Select Manual if you want to perform the switch manually.
If you select the Scheduled or Manual option, you can further reset/set the scheduled time or switch to the
production VM manually. For more information, see Changing Switching Time and Switching Replicas to
Production VMs Manually.
At the Summary step of the wizard, specify additional settings for failback:
1. If you want to start the VM on the target host after failback is complete, select the Power on VM after
restoring check box.
2. Check the specified settings and click Finish. Veeam Backup & Replication will restore the original VMs to
the state of corresponding VM replicas.
Switching to Production VMs Manually

The following instructions apply if you have selected to switch from replicas to production VMs manually or at
the scheduled time at the Failback Mode step of the Failback wizard.
To switch to a production VM from its replica, do the following:
2. In the inventory pane, navigate to the Replicas > Active node.
3. Right-click a replica in the Ready to switch state and select Switch to production.
Changing Switching Time

To change the time when Veeam Backup & Replication will switch from replicas to production VMs:
3. Right-click a replica in the Ready to switch state and select Change switching time.
Commit Failback
To confirm failback and finalize recovery of the original VM, you need to commit failback.
When you commit failback, you confirm that you want to get back to the original VM.
Veeam Backup & Replication gets back to the normal operation mode and resumes replication activities for the
original VM to which you failed back.
The commit failback operation is performed in the following way:
1. Veeam Backup & Replication changes the state of the replica from Failback to Ready.
2. Further operations depend on whether you have failed back to the original VM or recovered VM:
o If you have failed back to a VM recovered from a backup or replica, Veeam Backup & Replication
reconfigures all existing jobs where the original VM is present and adds the original VM to the list of
exclusions. The recovered VM takes the role of the original VM and is included into all jobs instead of
the excluded VM. When the replication job starts, Veeam Backup & Replication processes the
recovered VM instead of the former original VM.
o If you have failed back to the original VM, the replication job is not reconfigured. When the replication
job starts, Veeam Backup & Replication still processes the original VM.
During failback commit, the failback protective snapshot that saves the pre-failback state of a VM replica is not
deleted. Veeam Backup & Replication uses this snapshot as an additional restore point for VM replica. With the
pre-failback snapshot, Veeam Backup & Replication needs to transfer fewer changes and therefore puts less
load on the network when replication activities are resumed.
Committing Failback
The Commit failback operation finalizes failback from the VM replica to the original VM.
To commit failback, do one of the following:
replica and click Commit Failback on the ribbon. In the displayed window, click Yes to confirm the
operation.
replica and select Commit Failback. In the displayed window, click Yes to confirm the operation.
Depending on the location to which the VM is failed back, Veeam Backup & Replication performs the following
finalizing operations after failback is committed:
• If the VM replica is failed back to a new location, Veeam Backup & Replication additionally reconfigures
the replication job and adds the former original VM to the list of exclusions. The VM restored in the new
location takes the role of the original VM, and is included into the replication job instead of the excluded
VM. When the replication job starts, Veeam Backup & Replication will exclude the former original VM from
processing, and will replicate the newly restored VM instead.
• If the VM replica is failed back to the original location, the replication job is not reconfigured. When the
replication job starts, Veeam Backup & Replication will process the original VM in the normal mode.
Undo Failback
If the original VM is not working as expected after the failback operation, you can undo failback and get back to
the VM replica.
The undo failback operation is performed in the following way:
1. Veeam Backup & Replication deletes the protective failback snapshot on the VM replica.
2. Veeam Backup & Replication powers on the VM replica and changes the VM replica state from Failback to
Failover.
Undoing Failback
The Undo failback option allows you to switch from the original VM back to the VM replica and roll back the
replica to the failover state.
To undo failback, do one of the following:
• Open the Home view and select the Replicas node. In the working area, select the necessary replica and
click Undo Failback on the ribbon.
• Open the Home view and select the Replicas node. In the working area, right-click the necessary replica
and select Undo Failback.
In the displayed dialog box, click Yes to confirm the operation.
Continuous Data Protection (CDP)
Continuous data protection (CDP) is a technology that helps you protect mission-critical VMware virtual
machines when data loss for seconds or minutes is unacceptable. CDP also provides minimum recovery time
objective (RTO) in case a disaster strikes because VM replicas are in a ready-to-start state.
Data Replication
First, CDP creates VM replicas and, then, keeps these replicas up to date.
CDP constantly replicates I/O operations performed on VMs. To read and process I/O operations in transit
between the protected VMs and their underlining datastore, CDP uses vSphere APIs for I/O filtering (VAIO) that
gives an option not to create snapshots. Because CDP is always on and does not create snapshots, it allows
reaching a lower recovery point objective (RPO) compared to the snapshot-based replication — near-zero RPO
which means almost no data loss.
Data of I/O operations is stored on the target datastore and relates to short-term restore points. The short-term
restore points allow you to recover a VM to a state back to seconds or minutes ago (depending on the RPO that
you specify) in case a disaster strikes. Information about short-term restore points is maintained in a special
journal. This journal stores records about short-term restore points for maximum 24 hours. If you want to
recover a VM to an older state, Veeam Backup & Replication allows you to create additional restore points that
contain a VM state back to hours or days ago. Such restore points are called long-term restore points.
To replicate a VM, you need to configure required backup infrastructure components and create a CDP policy.
Data Recovery
To recover a VM to a short-term or long-term restore point, you need to fail over to its replica.
When you fail over to a replica, the replica takes over the role of the original VM. After your original VM is
repaired, you can fail back to it and transfer all changes that occurred to replica to the original VM. If your
original VM cannot be repaired, you can perform permanent failover, that is, permanently switch from the
original VM to the VM replica and use this replica as the original VM. For more information, see Failover and
Failback for CDP.
Requirements and Limitations
CDP has a set of requirements and limitations.
Requirements
The following requirements apply to CDP:
• CDP is included in the Veeam Universal License. When using a legacy socket-based license, the Enterprise
Plus edition is required.
• CDP is supported on VMware vSphere 6.5 (starting from U2), 6.7 or 7.x platforms.
• The source and target host must be parts of clusters managed by vCenter Server.
• All hosts in a cluster must be of the same major version: 7.x or 6.x (6.5, or 6.7, or a combination of 6.5 and
6.7 is supported). In turn, all clusters managed by the same vCenter Server must also be of the same major
version.
• VMs on the same cluster must be protected with CDP only by one backup server.
• ESXi hosts, vCenter Server and the backup server must resolve each other by fully qualified domain name
(FQDN).
• The machine where the backup server resides must have at least 16 GB RAM.
• Minimum 16GB RAM for source and target ESXi hosts.
• VMs that you plan to protect must not have snapshots.
• Fast network among the backup infrastructure components is required for CDP.
For VMware CDP proxy requirements, see VMware CDP Proxy.
Limitations
When planning to use CDP, mind the following limitations:
• CDP works only for powered on VMs.
• VM replicas can be powered on only using the failover operation; manual power on is disabled.
• On the target host, Veeam Backup & Replication does not allow to migrate VM replicas using VMware
vSphere Storage vMotion. Note that host vMotion is supported.
• Shared disks, physical RDM and SCSI bus sharing are not supported. Note that vRDM disks are supported.
• Cisco HyperFlex is not supported as a source or target.
• The maximum supported number of disks for one VM is 50. The maximum number of disks for one host is
500.
Backup Infrastructure for CDP
The following backup infrastructure components are required for CDP:
• Backup server
• VMware CDP proxies
Backup Server
The backup server is the configuration, administration and management core of the backup infrastructure. The
backup server runs the Veeam CDP Coordinator Service. This service coordinates replication and data transfer
tasks, and controls resource allocation.
For more information on the backup server, see Backup Server.
Source and Target Hosts

The source and the target hosts are two terminal points between which replicated VM data is moved. The source
and target hosts must be a part of the same cluster or two different clusters. In turn, clusters must be managed
by the same vCenter Server or two different vCenter Servers connected to the same backup server. For more
information on requirements to the hosts and how to add vCenter servers to the backup infrastructure, see the
Requirements and Limitations and Adding VMware vSphere Servers sections.
The source and target hosts perform the following tasks:
• The source host reads VM disk data, reads and processess I/O operations and sends data to source proxies.
The data is sent uncompressed.
• The target host receives data from target proxies and saves this data to VM replicas on the datastore.
Also, the target host manages VM replicas: creates replicas, retains restore points and so on.
I/O Filter on Hosts

To be able to use hosts for CDP, you must install the I/O filter on each cluster where hosts reside. After you
install the I/O filter on the clusters, Veeam Backup & Replication automatically installs the filter on all hosts
added to the clusters. For more information on how to install the filter, see Installing I/O Filter.
It is the I/O filter that reads and processes I/O operations in transit between the protected VMs and their
underlining datastore and that sends/receives data to/from VMware CDP proxies. Also, the filter communicates
with the Veeam CDP Coordinator Service on the backup server and notifies the service that the backup
infrastructure must be reconfigured if any proxy becomes unavailable. This I/O filter is built on the basis of
vSphere API for I/O filtering (VAIO).
VMware CDP Proxies

A VMware CDP proxy is a component that operates as a data mover and transfers data between the source and
target hosts. We recommend you to configure at least two VMware CDP proxies: one (source proxy) in the
production site and one (target proxy) in the disaster recovery site.
The source and target VMware CDP proxies perform the following tasks:
• The source proxy prepares data for short-term restore points from data received from the source host,
compresses and encrypts the data (if encryption is enabled in the network traffic rules). Then sends it to
the target proxy.
• The target proxy receives the data, decompresses and decrypts it, and then sends to the target host.
For more information on VMware CDP proxies, their requirements, limitations and deployment, see VMware CDP
Proxy.
How CDP Works
This section describes how CDP works during replication. To learn how CDP works during data recovery, see
Failover and Failback for CDP.
CDP workflow during replication is divided into two parts: backup infrastructure component configuration and
data transfer.
During the configuration, Veeam Backup & Replication configures the required backup infrastructure
components. Veeam Backup & Replication also reconfigures the components if something changes in the
infrastructure. During data transfer, Veeam Backup & Replication creates short-term and long-term restore
points by sending disk data blocks and changes made to them. For more information on restore points, see
Replication Chain.
Backup infrastructure component configuration and data transfer are constant processes.
Component Configuration Algorithm

The following steps apply during the initial configuration, that is, when a CDP policy starts for the first time or
after the policy is enabled:
1. Veeam CDP Coordinator Service reads policy settings from the configuration database and creates a list of
VM tasks to process. For every VM added to the CDP policy, Veeam Backup & Replication creates a new
task.
2. Veeam CDP Coordinator Service checks that required backup infrastructure components are available.
3. Veeam CDP Coordinator Service queries information about VMs added to the CDP policy and virtualization
hosts from the vCenter server.
4. Veeam CDP Coordinator Service requests vCenter server to create on the target host empty VM replicas
with the same configuration as original VMs, but with empty virtual disks. vCenter server registers the
created VM replicas.
5. Veeam CDP Coordinator Service requests vCenter to apply the Veeam CDP Replication storage policy to
virtual disks of VMs on the source ESXi hosts. This storage policy adds the component that is required for
CDP and that gets data of all I/O operations. For more information on storage policies, see VMware Docs.
The Veeam CDP Replication storage policy itself is created on the vCenter server when you install the I/O
filter. For more information on how to install the filter, see Installing I/O Filter.
6. Veeam CDP Coordinator Service selects which VMware CDP proxies will be used for data transfer and sets
a number of rules for data transfer, such as network traffic throttling rules and so on.
If you select automatic proxy selection when configuring the CDP policy, Veeam Backup & Replication
analyzes the current workload on CDP proxies and selects a VMware CDP proxy according to the following
priority rules (starting from the most preferable one):
o VMware CDP proxy on a physical machine
o VMware CDP proxy on a VM located on the same ESXi host — that is, the source proxy on the host
where original VMs are located, the target proxy on the host where VM replicas are located
o Other VMware CDP proxies
For more information on how to specify the proxy selection mode, see Specify Data Transfer and Replica
Settings.
7. Veeam CDP Coordinator Service sends to the backup infrastructure components configurations required
for CDP. This configuration includes such information as RPO, short-term and long-term retention
settings.
After the initial configuration finishes, Veeam Backup & Replication starts monitoring the backup infrastructure.
If something changes in the infrastructure or CDP policy settings, Veeam Backup & Replication reconfigures the
components. Consider the following examples:
• If a VMware CDP proxy becomes unavailable, Veeam CDP Coordinator Service on the backup service gets a
notification that this proxy is no longer available. Then, the service selects another proxy.
NOTE
If you add new proxies to the backup infrastructure, Veeam Backup & Replication does not use these
proxies for the already created CDP policies — that is, Veeam Backup & Replication does not
reconfigure the infrastructure. If you have selected automatic proxy selection for a CDP policy and
want to use the newly added proxies, disable and then enable the CDP policy. If you have selected
the proxies manually, edit the CDP policy settings and add the required proxies.
• If virtual disks are added to original VMs, Veeam CDP Coordinator Service requests vCenter to create the
disks on the target host, applies the storage policy and selects VMware CDP proxies to transfer disk data.
• If new VMs are added to the CDP policy, Veeam CDP Coordinator Service requests vCenter to create VM
replicas with empty disks, applies the storage policy to the VM disks and selects which VMware CDP
proxies to use for data transfer.
• If the original VMs were migrated to other host or datastore using VMware vSphere vMotion, Veeam CDP
Coordinator Service analyzies how data will be transferred after the migration and selects VMware CDP
proxies to optimize data transfer.
Data Transfer Algorithm

Data transfer starts right after Veeam Backup & Replication configures the backup infrastructure components
(performs the initial configuration). Data transfer differs during the initial synchronization and during the
incremental synchronization.
As a rule, the initial synchronization is performed when disk data is sent to the target host for the first time.
During the initial synchronization, Veeam Backup & Replication sends data for full copies of virtual disks and
creates the very first restore points.
During the incremental synchronization, Veeam Backup & Replication mainly sends data for incremental changes
made to virtual disks and creates short-term and long-term restore points. For more information on restore
points and files created for VM replicas, see Replication Chain.
Data Transfer Algorithm During Initial Synchronization

The following steps apply to data transfer during the initial synchronization:
1. On the source host, I/O filter reads all data from VM disks and sends it to the source VMware CDP proxies.
As the original VMs are still running, data for the already transferred data blocks can change. I/O filter
intercepts these changes and sends them to the proxies. Sending changes instead of whole changed data
blocks helps minimize traffic sent over the network.
2. The Veeam CDP Proxy Service on the source proxies compresses, encrypts the received data and sends it
to the target proxy.
3. The Veeam CDP Proxy Service on the target proxies decompresses and decrypts the received data. Then
sends data to the target host.
4. The I/O filter on the target host saves the received data to virtual disks. The saved data relates to the very
first long-term restore point. This restore point is crash-consistent.
NOTE
Veeam Backup & Replication starts creating long-term and short-term restore points only after the
initial synchronization finishes.
After the initial synchronization finishes, Veeam Backup & Replication starts the incremental synchronization.
Data Transfer Algorithm During Incremental Synchronization

During the incremental synchronization, Veeam Backup & Replication creates short-term and long-term restore
points. To create short-term restore points, Veeam Backup & Replication intercepts changes made by
transactions on VM disks and sends these changes to the target datastore. Changes are constantly transferred
and are saved to transaction logs on the target datastore. To create long-term restore points,
Veeam Backup & Replication uses data of short-term restore points and saves the restore points to delta disks.
Long-term restore points are created by schedule.
The following steps apply when Veeam Backup & Replication transfers data for short-term restore points:
1. On the source host, I/O filter intercepts data of all I/O operations and sends this data to the source
VMware CDP proxies.
2. Once in the RPO, the Veeam CDP Proxy Service on the source proxies prepares data required for a short-
term restore point. For this, Veeam CDP Proxy Service gets the latest state of the data that the source
VMware CDP proxies has accumulated.
3. The source Veeam CDP Proxy Service compresses, encrypts data and sends it to the target proxy.
4. The target Veeam CDP Proxy Service decompresses and decrypts the received data. Then sends data to
the target host.
5. The I/O filter on the target host saves the received data to transaction logs.
The following steps apply when long-term restore point creation is scheduled:
1. [If application-aware image processing is enabled for the CDP policy] Veeam Backup & Replication
connects to VM guest OSes, deploys non-persistent runtime components or connects/deploys persistent
agent components on VM guest OSes and performs in-guest processing tasks such as quiescing
applications on the VM and creating a consistent view of application data. For more information on guest
agent and non-persistent components, see Non-Persistent Runtime Components and Persistent Agent
Components.
2. On the target datastore, the I/O filter forms a long-term restore point using data of short-term restore
points created since the creation of the previous long-term restore point. Data for the new long-term
restore point is saved to a delta disk.
CDP Replication Chain
A replication chain is a sequence of files that allows you to roll back a VM replica to a specific point in time
during failover. Veeam Backup & Replication creates replication chains for each VM added to a CDP policy.
The replication chain contains short-term and long-term restore points. Short-term restore points allow you to
roll back VM replica data to a state created seconds or minutes ago, while long-term restore points — to a state
created hours or days ago. Short-term restore points are always crash-consistent, long-term restore points can
be crash-consistent or application-consistent depending on how long-term restore points are configured in CDP
policy settings.
The replication chain is stored on the target datastore in the <replica_VM_name> folder. The replication chain
consists of the files of the following types (only the key file types are listed):
• VMX — the configuration file of the VM replica.

The replication chain contains one .vmx file, other files from the list are created per virtual disk.
• VMDK — virtual disk files that store contents of replica hard disk drives.
On the datastore, you can see files under the following names:
o <disk_name>-flat.vmdk — files that store full copies of virtual disks, that is, store base disk data.
These files are created during the initial synchronization and relate to the very first long-term restore
point. This restore point is crash-consistent.
o <disk_name>-<index>.vmdk — files that store incremental changes made to virtual disks, that is, store
delta disk data. These files relate to long-term restore points and are created according to the
schedule configured in CDP policy settings.
o <disk_name>-interim.vmdk — files for protective virtual disks. Changes made to virtual disks will be
written in these files if VM replicas are powered on.
NOTE
Although VMDK files look like VMware snapshot files, they are not real snapshots. These files are
created by I/O filter installed on the target host.
• VMFD — files that contains metadata for disks.
• META — files that contain metadata for .tlog files.
• TLOG — files that store incremental changes made to virtual disks during RPO set in CDP policy settings.
These files relate to short-term restore points that are created once in RPO set in CDP policy settings. One
.tlog file stores data for multiple short-term restore points.
New .tlog files are created in the following cases:
o When a .tlog file reaches a specific size: 2 TB on VMFS datastores, 255 GB on VSAN or 100 MB on
VVOL.
o When a long-term restore point is created.
o When one quarter of the short-term retention is reached. For example, if you set short-term retention
to 1 hour, a new .tlog file will be created every 15 minutes.
o After failback commit.
To roll back a VM replica to a specific point in time, the chain of files created for the replica must contain files
with data for the base disk (<disk_name>-flat.vmdk) and a set of files that contain incremental changes for disks
(<disk-name>-<index>.vmdk + .tlog). If any file in the replication chain is missing, you will not be able to roll
back to the necessary state. For this reason, you must not delete files from the datastore manually. Instead, you
must specify retention policy settings that will let you maintain the desired number of files. For more
information on retention policies and how to configure them, see Retention Policies.
Retention Policies
A retention policy defines for how long Veeam Backup & Replication must store restore points for VM replicas.
Veeam Backup & Replication offers two retention policy schemes:
• Long-term retention
• Short-term retention
Long-term Retention
Veeam Backup & Replication retains long-term restore points for the number of days specified in CDP policy
settings. When the retention period is exceeded, Veeam Backup & Replication transforms the replication chain in
the following way. The example shows how long-term retention works for a VM replica with one virtual disk.
1. Veeam Backup & Replication checks whether the replication chain contains outdated long-term restore
points.
2. If an outdated restore point exists, Veeam Backup & Replication rebuilds the file that contains data for the
base disk (<disk_name>-flat.vmdk) to include data of the file that contains data for the delta disk
(<disk_name>-<index>.vmdk). To do that, Veeam Backup & Replication commits into the base disk file
data from the earliest delta disk file. This way, the base disk file ‘moves’ forward in the replication chain.
3. Veeam Backup & Replication removes the earliest delta disk file from the chain as redundant — this data
has already been commited into the base disk file.
Short-term Retention
Veeam Backup & Replication retains short-term restore points for the number of hours specified in CDP policy
settings. When the retention period is exceeded, Veeam Backup & Replication transforms the replication chain in
the following way. The example shows how short-term retention works for a VM replica with one virtual disk.
1. Veeam Backup & Replication checks whether the replication chain contains outdated short-term restore
points.
2. If an outdated restore point exists, Veeam Backup & Replication commints data for the restore point from
the transaction log file (.tlog) into the nearest delta or base disk file (<disk_name>-flat.vmdk or
<disk_name>-<index>.vmdk).
3. If the transaction log file does not contain data for further restore points, Veeam Backup & Replication
deletes the transaction log file as redundant — its data has already been committed into the base or delta
disk file.
NOTE
Veeam Backup & Replication can store short-term restore points for a longer period than specified in the
short-term retention policy. This period is maximum 25% longer.
Guaranteed Delivery
In CDP, data delivery between any two backup infrastructure components is guaranteed by means of the TCP
protocol. However, there can be situations when Veeam Backup & Replication is not able to send all data
changes generated during CDP in time. For example, if RPO is small, a VM generates a lot of changes, but the
infrastructure performance is not enough; or a VMware CDP proxy gets out of work because of a power outage,
and all data changes stored on it are lost. This makes data inconsistent and leads to the loss of restore points.
CDP has a special mechanism and tools that return data into the consistent state. The I/O filter on the source
host has a mechanism that tracks data blocks that have changed — change tracking (CT). The I/O filter deletes
data block addresses from the list of changed blocks only after a confirmation message that data blocks were
successfully saved to the VM replica is received from the target host. In addition, VMware CDP proxies also store
data changes until a confirmation message is received from the target host.
How Veeam Backup & Replication uses these tools depend on whether issues occur on the source or target site:
• Source site. If the source host does not send the data changes because of the high system load,
Veeam Backup & Replication waits till the load decreases. Then, it gets the list of changed data blocks,
reads data blocks from the disk and sends the data to the target host. The target host saves the received
data to the datastore. Until this moment, the data on the target host remains inconsistent. As a result,
there are "gaps" in the restore point journal and you are not able to restore a VM to some points in time.
However, after the target host saves the data, the CDP policy resumes the creation of consistent restore
points.
If the source proxy gets out of work, Veeam Backup & Replication selects another VMware CDP proxy and
then behaves as described above except for waiting for the load decrease.
• Target site. If the target proxy gets out of work, Veeam Backup & Replication selects another VMware CDP
proxy and requests data changes from the source VMware CDP proxy. The proxy sends the changes to the
target host once again, and the data on the target host becomes consistent almost immediately, so that
you are able to restore a VM to any point in time.
If the connection between the target VMware CDP proxy and the target host is lost,
Veeam Backup & Replication checks the host state. If the host is in the maintenance mode or has
disappeared from the cluster, Veeam Backup & Replication starts writing data changes to VM replicas
using another target ESXi host (provided that the host exists and is connected to the datastore where VM
replicas are stored). If the host is not in the maintenance mode or has not disappeared,
Veeam Backup & Replication considers that these are temporary problems with the network and sends
data changes again after some time.
Replica Seeding and Mapping
Replica seeding and mapping are technologies that help reduce the amount of traffic sent during the initial
synchronization. For more information on the initial synchronization, see How CDP Works.
You can use seeding and mapping in the following scenarios:
• Seeding
Configure replica seeding if, in a backup repository located in the disaster recovery (DR) site, you have
backups of VMs that you plan to replicate. During replication, Veeam Backup & Replication will restore
VMs from these backups and will synchronize the state of the restored VMs with the latest state of the
original VMs. Then Veeam Backup & Replication will use these restored VMs as replicas.
For more information on how to create backups that can be used as "seeds" for replica, see Creating
Replica Seeds.
• Mapping
Configure replica mapping if, on the host in the DR site, you have ready-to-use copies of the original VMs.
These can be restored VMs or replicas created by other CDP policies. Veeam Backup & Replication will
synchronize the state of these ready-to-use VMs with the latest state of the original VMs and will use
these VMs as replicas.
You can also configure both replica seeding and replica mapping in the same CDP policy. For example, if a policy
includes 2 VMs, you can use seeding for one VM and map the other VM to an existing VM.
Algorithm for Seeding

Replica seeding includes the following steps:
1. As a preparatory step for replica seeding, you need to create a backup of a VM that you plan to replicate.
For more information on how to create a backup that will be used as a "seed" for replica, see Creating
Replica Seeds.
2. When you create a CDP policy, you should point it to a backup repository in the DR site. During the initial
synchronization, Veeam Backup & Replication accesses the backup repository where the replica seed is
located, and restores the VM from the backup. The restored VM is registered on the target host in the DR
site. Files of the restored VM are placed to the location you specify as the replica destination datastore.
Virtual disks of a replica restored from the backup preserve their format (that is, if the original VM used
thin provisioned disks, virtual disks of the VM replica are restored as thin provisioned).
3. Veeam Backup & Replication synchronizes the restored VM with the latest state of the original VM.
After successful synchronization, in the Home view in the Veeam Backup & Replication console, under
Replicas node you will see a VM replica with two restore points. One point will contain the state of the VM
from the backup file; the other point will contain the latest state of the original VM you want to replicate.
4. During incremental synchronization, Veeam Backup & Replication transfers only incremental changes in a
regular manner.
Replica seeding dramatically reduces traffic sent over WAN or slow connections because
Veeam Backup & Replication does not send the full contents of the VM image. Instead, it transmits only
differential data blocks.
Algorithm for Mapping

Replication to a mapped VM is performed in the following way:
1. The first step differs depending on which VM you have selected for mapping:
o If you have selected a regular VM, Veeam Backup & Replication calculates the differences between
the original and mapped VM.
o If you have selected a snapshot VM replica, Veeam Backup & Replication deletes all restore points and
delta disks and then calculates the differences between the original and mapped VM.
o If you have selected a CDP VM replica, Veeam Backup & Replication imports all restore points of this
replica and then calculates the differences between the original and mapped VM. Note that if disk
sizes of the original and mapped VM differ, Veeam Backup & Replication will delete all restore points
of the mapped VM.
2. To synchronize the state of the mapped VM with the state of the original VM, Veeam Backup & Replication
sends the calculated changes to the mapped VM.
The first and second steps take place during the initial synchronization.
3. During the incremental synchronization, Veeam Backup & Replication transfers only incremental changes
in a regular manner.
After the successful initial synchronization, in the Home view of Veeam Backup & Replication, under Replicas
node you will see a VM replica with restore points. If you have selected for mapping a regular VM or snapshot
VM replica, you will see two restore points: one restore point will contain the latest state of the mapped VM,
the other will contain the state of the original VM. If you have selected a CDP VM replica, you will see all restore
points of the mapped VM plus one restore point that will contain the state of the original VM.
Installing I/O Filter
To be able to protect VMs with CDP, you must install I/O filter on each cluster where the VMs that you plan to
protect reside and where VM replicas will reside. For more information on the filter, see Source and Target
Hosts.
To install the filter on a specific cluster, open the Inventory view. In the inventory pane, navigate to the Virtual
Infrastructure > VMware vSphere > vCenter Servers > <vCenter Server Name> > <Cluster Name> node and right-
click it. In the menu, select Install I/O filter.
IMPORTANT
If vSphere LifeCycle Management is enabled for your cluster, you need first follow the instructions from
this section and then follow the instructions from this Veeam KB article.
To install I/O filter on multiple clusters in a vCenter server, use the I/O Filter Management wizard.
Step 1. Launch I/O Filter Management Wizard
To launch the I/O Filter Management wizard, do one of the following:
• Open the Backup Infrastructure view. In the inventory pane, navigate to the Managed Servers > VMware
vSphere > vCenter Servers > <vCenter Server Name> node and right-click it. Select Manage I/O filters.
• Open the Backup Infrastructure view. In the inventory pane, navigate to the Managed Servers > VMware
vSphere > vCenter Servers > <vCenter Server Name> node. On the ribbon, click Manage I/O Filters.
• Open the Inventory view. In the inventory pane, navigate to the Virtual Infrastructure > VMware vSphere >
vCenter Servers > <vCenter Server Name> node and right-click it. Select Manage I/O filters.
• Open the Inventory view. In the inventory pane, navigate to the Virtual Infrastructure > VMware vSphere >
vCenter Servers > <vCenter Server Name> node. On the ribbon, click Manage I/O Filters.
Step 2. Select Clusters
At the Clusters step of the wizard, select check boxes near clusters on which you want to install I/O filter.
If you select check boxes near clusters where the filters are already installed, Veeam Backup & Replication will
update the filters. If you clear check boxes, Veeam Backup & Replication will delete the I/O filter from these
clusters.
Step 3. Apply Filter Settings
At the Apply step of the wizard, wait till Veeam Backup & Replication installs I/O filter. Click Next.
At the Summary step of the wizard, review on which clusters I/O filter is installed and click Finish to exit the
wizard.
Upgrading and Uninstalling I/O Filter
Veeam Backup & Replication allows you to upgrade and remove I/O filter from clusters using the
Upgrading I/O Filter

To upgrade the I/O filter:
1. Make sure that you have disabled all CDP policies as described in the Disabling and Deleting Policies
section.
2. Follow the instructions provided in the Installing Filters section. When you select clusters at the Clusters
step of the wizard, make sure that check boxes are selected near clusters on which you want to upgrade
the filter.
Uninstalling I/O Filter

To uninstall the I/O filter:
1. Make sure that you have disabled all CDP policies as described in the Disabling and Deleting Policies
section.
2. Make sure that you have suspended or powered off all VMs on clusters from which you want to remove
the filter.
3. Follow the instructions provided in the Installing Filters section. When you select clusters at the Clusters
step of the wizard, make sure that check boxes are cleared near clusters from which you want to remove
the filter.
As an alternative, you can upgrade the I/O filter on a specific cluster. To do this, open the Inventory view. In the
inventory pane, navigate to the Virtual Infrastructure > VMware vSphere > vCenter Servers > <vCenter Server
Name> > <Cluster Name> node and right-click it. Select Uninstall I/O filter.
Creating CDP Policies
To protect VMs with CDP, you must configure a CDP policy. The CDP policy defines which VMs to protect, where
to store VM replicas, how often create short-term and long-term restore points, and so on. One CDP policy can
process one or multiple VMs.
To create a CDP policy use the New CDP Policy wizard.
Before You Begin
Before you create a CDP policy, check the following prerequisites:
• Check that all the required components are added to the backup infrastructure. For more information on
the required components, see Backup Infrastructure.
• I/O filter must be installed on each cluster where VMs that you plan to protect reside. For more
information on how to install the filter, see Installing I/O Filter.
• If you plan to use replica seeding, you must create a seed as described in the Creating Replica Seeds
section.
Step 1. Launch New CDP Policy Wizard
To launch the New CDP Policy wizard, do one of the following:
• Open the Home view. On the ribbon, click CDP Policy.
• Open the Home view. In the inventory pane, right-click Jobs and select CDP Policy.
• Open the Inventory view. In the working area, right-click VMs that you want to replicate. Select Add to
CDP policy > New job if you want to create a new CDP policy, or Add to CDP policy > <Policy Name> if you
want to add VMs to an existing CDP policy.
Step 2. Specify Policy Name and Advanced
Settings
At the Name step of the wizard, specify a name and description for the CDP policy, and choose whether you
want to use replica seeding, network mapping or re-IP:
1. In the Name field, enter a name for the CDP policy.
2. In the Description field, provide a description for future reference.
3. If a network between your production and disaster recovery (DR) sites has low bandwidth, and you want
to reduce the amount of traffic sent during the initial synchronization of the CDP policy, select the Replica
seeding (for low bandwidth DR sites) check box.
When selected, this check box enables the Seeding step where you will have to configure replica seeding
and mapping. For more information on seeding annd mapping, see Replica Seeding and Mapping.
4. If your DR site networks do not match your production site networks, select the Network remapping (for
DR sites with different virtual networks) check box.
When selected, this check box enables the Network step where you will have to configure a network
mapping table.
5. If the IP addressing scheme in your production site differs from the scheme in the DR site, select the
Replica re-IP (for DR sites with different IP addressing scheme) check box.
When selected, this check box enables the Re-IP step where you will have to configure replica re-IP rules.
Step 3. Select VMs to Replicate
At the Virtual Machines step of the wizard, select VMs or VM containers that you want to replicate:
1. Click Add.
2. In the Add Object window, select the necessary VMs or VM containers and click Add.
If you select VM containers (hosts, clusters, folders, resource pools, VirtualApps or datastores) and add
new VMs to this container in future, Veeam Backup & Replication will update CDP policy settings
automatically to include these VMs.
NOTE
Even if you add VM containers to a CDP policy, only VM are replicated. VM templates, Vm logs,
folders and so on are not replicated.
You can use the toolbar at the top right corner of the window to switch between views. Depending on the
view you select, some objects may not be available. For example, if you select the VMs and Templates
view, no resource pools, hosts or clusters will be displayed in the tree.
IMPORTANT
Mind the following:
• You can replicate only VMs that are turned on, the turned off VMs will be skipped from processing.
• You cannot add to a CDP policy VMs that were already added to other CDP policies created on the
same backup server.
• We recommend to add not more than 50 VMs or 200 virtual disks in one CDP policy.
To quickly find the necessary VMs, you can use the search field at the bottom of the Add Object window. If you
want to switch between types of VMs you want to search through, use the button to the left of the search field.
Step 4. Exclude Objects
After you have added VMs or VM containers to the CDP policy, you can specify which objects you want to
exclude from being replicated. You can exclude the following types of objects:
• VMs or VM containers
• Disks
Excluding VMs or VM Containers

To exclude VMs or VM containers:
2. In the Exclusions window, check that the VMs tab is selected and click Add.
3. In the Add Objects window, select VMs or VM containers that you want to exclude from being replicated
and click Add.
You can use the toolbar at the top right corner of the window to switch between views. Depending on the
view you select, some objects may not be available. For example, if you select the VMs and Templates
view, no resource pools, hosts or clusters will be displayed in the tree.
Excluding Disks
To exclude disks:
2. In the Exclusions window, do the following:
a. Switch to the Disks tab.
b. If you want to exclude disks of VMs that are added as a part of containers, click Add. In the Add
Objects window, select the necessary VMs and click Add.
c. In the Disks to process list, select the necessary VMs or VM containers.
d. Click Edit.
3. In the Select Disks window, select disks that you want to replicate: all disks, 0:0 disks (as a rule, system
disks) or specific IDE, SCSI, SATA or NVMe disks. Click OK.
4. In the Exclusions window, click OK.
NOTE
If you exclude disks from a backup and enable application-aware processing, Veeam Backup & Replication
will still perform application-aware processing for the excluded disks. This means that VSS will process disk
data.
Step 5. Define VM Processing Order
At the Virtual Machines step of the wizard, click Up and Down to change the processing order. VMs at the top of
the list have a higher priority and will be processed first.
NOTE
Mind the following:
• VMs inside a VM container are processed at random. To ensure that VMs are processed in the defined
order, you must add them as standalone VMs, not as a part of containers.
• The processing order may differ from the order that you have defined. For example, if resources of a
VM that is higher in the priority are not available, and resources of a VM that is lower in the priority
are available, Veeam Backup & Replication will process the VM with the lower priority first.
Step 6. Select Replica Destination
At the Destination step of the wizard, select a target host or cluster, resource pool, folder and datastore for
replicas, and types of replica disks:
1. Next to the Host or cluster field, click Choose and select a host or cluster where replicas must be
registered. If you select a cluster or vCenter Server, the replication process will become more sustainable
— the replication process will not fail if there is at least one available host in the cluster.
If you select a cluster as a destination, Veeam Backup & Replication will request VMware to send the list of
available hosts, and will select the first host in this list as the destination for the replicas. These replicas
will be stored on the datastore with the most free disk space.
2. Next to the Resource pool field, click Choose and select a resource pool to which replicas will be added.
If you have selected to replicate multiple VMs and want to add individual replicas to other resource pools:
a. Click the Pick resource pool for selected replicas link.
b. In the Choose Resource Pool window, click Add VM.
c. In the Add Objects window, select the necessary VMs and click Add.
d. In the Choose Resource Pool window, select the necessary VMs in the Replica VM resource pool list.
At the bottom of the window, click Resource Pool.
e. In the Select Resource Pool window, select the necessary resource pool and click OK.
3. Next to the VM folder field, click Choose and select a folder where all VM files will be stored. Note that
the VM folder section is disabled if you have selected a standalone ESXi host as the target for replicas.
If you have selected to replicate multiple VMs and want to place individual replicas to other folders:
a. Click the Pick VM folder for selected replicas link.
b. In the Choose Folder window, click Add VM.
d. In the Choose Folder window, select the necessary VMs in the Replica VM folder list. At the bottom of
the window, click VM Folder.
e. In the Select Folder window, select the necessary folder.
4. Next to the Datastore field, click Choose and select a datastore where replica files will be stored. Note
that if you have chosen to replicate VMs to a cluster, Veeam Backup & Replication displays only shared
datastores.
If you have selected to replicate multiple VMs and want to place individual replicas to other datastores:
b. In the Choose VM Files Location window, click Add VM.
d. In the Choose VM Files Location window, select the necessary VMs in the Files location list. At the
bottom of the window, click Datastore.
e. In the Select Datastore window, select the necessary datastore.
5. If you want to store replica configuration files and disk files in different datastores:
d. In the Choose VM Files Location window, expand the necessary VMs in the Files location list, and
select the necessary files. At the bottom of the window, click Datastore.
e. In the Select Datastore window, select the destination for the selected type of files.
6. You can change types of replica disks. By default, Veeam Backup & Replication saves disks in the thin type.
To change replica disk types:
c. In the Add Objects window, select VMs whose disk type you want to change and click Add.
d. In the Choose VM Files Location window, select the necessary VMs in the Files location list. At the
bottom of the window, click Disk type.
e. In the Disk Type Settings window, select a type that will be used to restore replica disk files: same as
source, thin, thick lazy zeroed or thick eager zeroed.
For more information about disk types, see VMware Docs.
NOTE:
Disk type change is available only for VMs that use virtual hardware version 7 or later.
Step 7. Configure Network Mapping
The Network step is available if you have selected the Network remapping check box at the Name step of the
wizard.
At the Network step of the wizard, configure a network mapping table. This table maps networks in the
production site to networks in the disaster recovery (DR) site. When the policy starts,
Veeam Backup & Replication will check the network mapping table. Then Veeam Backup & Replication will
update replica configuration files to replace the production networks with the specified networks in the DR site.
As a result, you will not have to re-configure network settings manually.
To add a row to a network mapping table:
1. Click Add.
2. In the Network Mapping window, click Browse next to the Source network field.
3. In the Select Network window, select the production network to which the original VMs are connected and
click OK.
4. In the Network Mapping window, click Browse next to the Target network field.
5. In the Select Network window, select a network in the DR site to which replicas will be connected and
click OK.
6. In the Network Mapping window, click OK.
Step 8. Configure Re-IP Rules
The Re-IP step is available if you have selected the Replica re-IP check box at the Name step of the wizard. This
step applies only to VMs with Microsoft Windows OSes.
At the Re-IP step of the wizard, configure re-IP rules. These rules map IPs in the production site to IPs in the
disaster recovery (DR) site. When you perform failover, Veeam Backup & Replication will check the configured
re-IP rules and will change replica IPs if the rules apply. VM replicas will get new IP addresses according to the
network masks specified in the rules, so that you will be able to reach replicas in the DR site.
To configure a re-IP rule:
1. Click Add.
2. In the Source VM section, specify an IP numbering scheme used in the production site.
To facilitate the configuration, Veeam Backup & Replication detects an IP address and subnet mask for the
backup server and pre-populates values in the Source VM section.
3. In the Target VM section, specify an IP address, subnet mask and default gateway that will be used for
replicas in the DR site. If required, specify the DNS and WINS server addresses.
4. In the Description field, provide a description the rule.
5. Click OK.
NOTE
Mind the following:
• Do not use 0 to specify IP address ranges. In Veeam Backup & Replication, value 172.16.17.0 means a
regular IP address 172.16.17.0, not an IP address range. To specify a range, use the asterisk character
(*).
• Replica re-IP works only if you perform replica failover using Veeam Backup & Replication. If you
power on a VM replica in some other way, for example, manually using vSphere Client, re-IP rules will
not be applied to it.
• The backup server OS must support mounting of the system disks of VMs that will be replicated.
Step 9. Configure Seeding and Mapping
The Seeding step is available if you have selected the Replica seeding check box at the Name step of the wizard.
At the Seeding step of the wizard, configure replica seeding and mapping. Seeding and mapping help reduce the
amount of traffic sent during the initial replica synchronization. For more information on when to use seeding
and mapping, see Replica Seeding and Mapping.
IMPORTANT!
If the Replica seeding check box is enabled in a policy, all VMs in the policy must be covered with seeding
or mapping. If a VM is neither has a seed, nor is mapped to an existing VM, it will be skipped from
processing.

To configure replica seeding:
1. Make sure that you have backups of replicated VMs in a backup repository in the DR site. If you do not
have the backups, create them as described in the Creating Replica Seeds section.
IMPORTANT!
Mind the following:
• Backups must be created by Veeam Backup & Replication.

• Backups must not reside in a scale-out backup repository.
2. Select the Get seed from the following backup repository check box.
3. From the list of available backup repositories, select the repository where your replica seeds are stored.
NOTE
If a VM has a seed and is mapped to an existing replica, replication will be performed using replica mapping
because mapping has a higher priority.

To configure replica mapping:
1. Select the Map replicas to existing VMs check box.
2. If you want Veeam Backup & Replication to scan the DR site to detect existing copies of VMs that you plan
to replicate, click Detect.
If any matches are found, Veeam Backup & Replication will populate the mapping table. If
Veeam Backup & Replication does not find a match, you can map a VM to its copy manually.
3. If you want to map a VM manually, select an original VM from the list, click Edit and select the copy of this
VM on the target host in the DR site.
To remove a mapping association, select a VM in the list and click Remove.
Step 10. Specify Data Transfer and Replica
Settings
At the Policy Settings step of the wizard, select VMware CDP proxies that must be used for the CDP policy and
which suffix to add to replica names:
1. Specify which VMware CDP proxies you want to use:
o If you want Veeam Backup & Replication to select proxies automatically, leave Automatic selection in
the Source proxy and Target proxy fields.
Veeam Backup & Replication will assign VMware CDP proxies for VM processing one by one. Before
processing a new VM from the list, Veeam Backup & Replication will check available VMware CDP
proxies. For more information on how Veeam Backup & Replication selects proxies, see How CDP
Works.
o If you want to select VMware CDP proxies manually, do the following:
i. Click Choose next to the Source proxy field if you want to select VMware CDP proxies in the
production site, or next to the Target proxy field if you want to select VMware CDP proxies in
the disaster recovery site.
ii. In the Backup Proxy window, click Use the selected backup proxy servers only. Select proxies
that you want to use and click OK.
NOTE
We recommend that you deploy at least two VMware CDP proxies: one CDP proxy in the production
site and one CDP proxy in the disaster recovery site.
2. To test whether VMware CDP proxies available in the backup infrastructure can handle replication, click
Test.
Veeam Backup & Replication will analyze available CPU on all source and all target VMware CDP proxies,
the maximum VM disk write speed during the last hour, and will calculate approximate requirements for
VMware CDP proxies. In the CDP Infrastructure Assessment window, you will see the calculated values:
o The CPU rows show CPU cores available on all proxies (source or target).
o The Proxy RAM rows show RAM required for CDP and, in parenthesis, RAM available on all proxies
(source or target). If values in the parentheses and near them are the same, you need to upgrade
proxies for which values coincide to provide more resources. RAM on proxies must be doubled up
because CDP uses 50% of RAM by default. You can change this value with a registry key. For more
o The Proxy Bandwidth rows show the maximum disk write speed during the last hour and, in
parenthesis, available bandwidth based on available cores of source or target proxies.
3. In the Replica name suffix field, specify a suffix that will be added to names of replicas.
Step 11. Specify Notification Settings
At the Policy Settings wizard, specify notification settings:
1. At the lower right corner, click Advanced.
2. To receive SNMP traps on the CDP policy, select the Send SNMP notifications for this job check box.
configure software on recipient machine to receive SNMP traps. For more information, see Specifying
SNMP Settings.
3. To receive notifications by email in case of policy failure, success or warning, select the Send email
notifications to the following recipients check box. Then configure notification settings:
a. Check that you have configured global email notification settings as described in the Configuring
Global Email Notification Settings section.
b. In the text field, specify a recipient email address. If you want to specify multiple addresses, separate
them by a semicolon.
c. To use global notification settings, select Use global notification settings.
d. To specify a custom notification subject and redefine at which time notifications must be sent, select
Use custom notification settings specified below. Then specify the following settings:
subject: %JobResult%, %JobName%, %ObjectCount% (number of VMs in the policy) and
%Issues% (number of VMs in the policy that have been processed with the Warning or Failed
status).
ii. Select the Notify on success, Notify on error or Notify on warning check boxes to receive
email notification if the policy gets the Warning, Success of Error status.
NOTE
A CDP policy will get the Warning or Error status according to the reporting settings configured at
the Schedule step of the wizard. A policy will get the Success status after the initial configuration
succeeds and every day at 8 A.M. if no error or warning occurs.
Step 12. Specify Replica Schedule
At the Schedule step of the wizard, configure the schedule and retention policies:
1. Specify scheduling options:
a. In the Recovery point objective field, specify the necessary RPO in seconds or minutes.
The minimum RPO is 2 seconds, however it can be not optimal if your CDP policy contains many VMs
with high workload. The optimal RPO is not less than 15 seconds. The maximum RPO is 60 minutes.
During every specified period, Veeam Backup & Replication will prepare data for short-term restore
points for VM replicas and send this data to the target destination. Note that short-term restore
points are crash-consistent. For more information on how restore points are created, see How CDP
Works.
b. If you want to prohibit the policy to run at specific time intervals, click Schedule. In the schedule box,
select the necessary time area and click Denied.
2. To instruct the CDP policy to display a warning or error if a newly created restore points are not
transferred to the target within the set RPO, click Reporting. Then specify when the policy must display
error and warning.
If you have configured email notification settings, Veeam Backup & Replication will mark the policy with
the Warning or Error status and will also send email notifications.
3. In the Short-term retention section, configure the short-term retention policy, that is, specify for how
long to store short-term restore points.
For more information on short-term retention, see Short-term Retention Policy.
4. In the Long-term retention section, specify when to create long-term restore points and for how long to
store them:
a. In the Create additional restore points every field, specify how often you want to create long-term
restore points.
b. In the Keep restore points for field, specify for how long to retain these long-term restore points.
For more information on what happens after the retention period ends, see Long-term Retention
Policy.
c. To specify time periods when Veeam Backup & Replication must create application-consistent and
when crash-consistent long-term restore points, click Schedule. In the schedule box, select the
necessary time area and click Crash-consistent or Application-consistent. By default,
Veeam Backup & Replication creates application-consistent backups if you enable application-aware
processing. If you do not enable application-aware processing, Veeam Backup & Replication will
create crash-consistent long-term restore points.
If you want to shift the schedule, specify the offset in the Start time within an hour field. For
example, you schedule creation of crash-consistent restore points from 00:00 to 01:00, and set the
offset value to 25. The schedule will be shifted forward, and the crash-consistent restore points will
be created from 0:25 and to 01:25.
Settings configured at this step apply only to long-term restore points.
At the Guest Processing step of the wizard, enable guest OS processing that allows you to create transactionally
consistent replicas, exclude files from processing, and use pre-freeze and post-thaw scripts. For more
information on guest OS processing, see the Guest Processing section.
To enable guest OS processing:
1. Select Enable application-aware processing.
2. If you have added Microsoft Windows VMs to the policy, specify which guest interaction proxy
Veeam Backup & Replication can use to perform application-aware processing and log processing:
o If you want Veeam Backup & Replication to select the guest interaction proxy automatically, leave
Automatic selection on the Guest interaction proxy field.
o If you want to explicitly specify which servers will perform the guest interaction proxy role, click
Choose. In the Guest Interaction Proxy window, click Prefer the following guest interaction proxy
server, and select the necessary proxies.
For more information on the guest interaction proxy, see Guest Interaction Proxy.
NOTE:
3. From the Guest OS credentials list, select credentials of a user account that has permissions described in
the Required Permissions for Guest Processing section. Veeam Backup & Replication will use the account
to connect to guest OSes and deploy the non-persistent runtime components or connect to persistent
agent. For more information on guest agent and non-persistent components, see Non-Persistent Runtime
Components and Persistent Agent Components.
If you have not set up credentials beforehand, click the Manage accounts link or click the Add button to
add credentials. For more information on adding credentials, see the Credentials Manager section.
NOTE:
Processing section.
4. To specify other credentials for individual VMs, click Credentials. Then select the necessary VM and set
user credentials for it.
5. To check whether Veeam Backup & Replication can connect to VMs using the specified guest OS
credentials and can deploy the runtime process on the guest OSes, click Test Now.
After you have enabled guest OS processing, configure the following guest processing options:
• Microsoft SQL server transaction log settings
• Oracle archived log settings
• Pre-freeze and post-thaw scripts
If VMs run Microsoft Active Directory, Microsoft SQL Server, Microsoft SharePoint, Microsoft Exchange or
Oracle, you can enable application-aware processing to create transactionally consistent replicas. The
transactionally consistent replicas guarantee proper recovery of applications without data loss.
To configure application-aware processing:
1. Check that you have enabled guest OS processing.
2. At the Guest Processing step of the wizard, click Applications.
3. In the Application-Aware Processing Options list, select a VM for which you want to configure application-
aware processing, and click Edit.
To define custom settings for a VM added as a part of a VM container, you must include the VM in the list
as a standalone object. To do this, click Add and choose the necessary VM. Then select the VM in the list
and define the necessary settings.
4. On the General tab, in the Applications section, specify the behavior scenario for application-aware
processing:
process if any error occurs during application-aware processing.
even if an error occurs during application-aware processing. This option guarantees that the CDP
policy will continue working. However, the resulting replica will be crash consistent, not
transactionally consistent.
o Select Disable application processing if you want to disable application-aware processing for the VM.
5. [For Microsoft Exchange, Microsoft SQL and Oracle] In the Transaction logs section, specify if
Veeam Backup & Replication must process transaction logs or create copy-only replicas:
transaction logs.
[For Microsoft Exchange VMs] Transaction logs will be truncated after the CDP policy creates a long-
term restore point. If the creation fails, the logs will remain untouched until the next start of the
long-term restore point creation.
[For Microsoft SQL Server VMs and Oracle VMs] You will need to configure how to process transaction
logs. For more information on how to configure log handling, see Microsoft SQL Server Transaction
Log Settings and Oracle Archived Log Settings.
b. Select Perform copy only if you use another replication tool to perform guest level replication, and
this tool maintains consistency of the database state. Veeam Backup & Replication will create a copy-
only replica for the selected VM. The copy only replica preserves the chain of full and differential files
and transaction logs on the VM. For more information, see Microsoft Docs.
6. In the Persistent guest agent section, select the Use persistent guest agent check box to use for
application-aware processing persistent guest agents on each protected VM.
Veeam Backup & Replication deploys runtime components on each protected VM before the CDP policy
creates an application-consistent long-term restore point, and removes the runtime components as soon
as the restore point is created.
For more information on guest agent and non-persistent components, see Non-Persistent Runtime
Components and Persistent Agent Components.
To configure application-aware processing for multiple VMs at once, do the following:
2. In the Application-Aware Processing Options list, select multiple VMs.
3. Click Edit > General.
4. Configure options described in the previous list.
Microsoft SQL Server Transaction Log Settings

The SQL tab applies to VMs that run Microsoft SQL Server and if you have selected Process transaction logs with
this job when configuring application-aware processing.
To configure how Veeam Backup & Replication must process transaction logs of an Microsoft SQL Server:
2. In the Application-Aware Processing Options list, select a VM that runs the Microsoft SQL Server.
3. Click Edit.
4. In the Processing Settings window, switch to the SQL tab and specify how transaction logs must be
processed:
o If you want Veeam Backup & Replication to trigger truncation of transaction logs after the CDP policy
creates a long-term restore point, select Truncate logs.
In this case, transaction logs will be truncated after the CDP policy creates a long-term restore point.
If the creation fails, the logs will remain untouched until the next start of the long-term restore point
creation.
o If you do not want Veeam Backup & Replication to truncate logs at all, select Do not truncate logs.
This option is recommended if you use another tool to perform VM guest-level replication, and this
tool maintains consistency of the database state.
To configure transaction log handling for multiple VMs at once, do the following:
3. Click Edit > Microsoft SQL Server.
Oracle Archived Log Settings

The Oracle tab applies to VMs that run Oracle and if you have selected Process transaction logs with this job
when configuring application-aware processing.
To configure how Veeam Backup & Replication must process archive logs of an Oracle server:
2. In the Application-Aware Processing Options list, select a VM that runs Oracle.
3. Click Edit.
4. In the Processing Settings window, switch to the Oracle tab.
5. From the Specify Oracle account with SYSDBA privileges drop-down list, select a user account that
Veeam Backup & Replication will use to connect to the Oracle databases. The account must have SYSDBA
You can select Use guest credentials from the list of user accounts. In this case,
Veeam Backup & Replication will use the account specified at the Guest Processing step of the wizard to
access the VM guest OS and connect to the Oracle databases. Note that this account must be a member of
specific groups or granted specific privileges. For more information, see Required Permissions.
6. In the Archived logs section, specify how to process archived logs:
o If you want to preserve archived logs on the VM guest OS, select Do not delete archived logs.
It is recommended that you select this option for databases where the ARCHIVELOG mode is turned
off. If the ARCHIVELOG mode is turned on, archived logs may grow large and consume all disk space.
o If you want to delete archived logs older than <N> hours, select Delete logs older than <N> hours and
specify the number of hours.
o If you want to delete archived logs larger than <N> GB, select Delete logs over <N> GB and specify
the size. The specified size refers to the log size of each database, not all databases on the selected
Oracle server.
Transaction logs will be deleted using Oracle Call Interface after the CDP policy creates a long-term
restore point. If the creation fails, the logs will remain untouched until the next start of the long-term
restore point creation.
To configure archive log handling for multiple VMs at once, do the following:
3. Click Edit > Oracle.
Script Settings
You can instruct Veeam Backup & Replication to run custom scripts before the CDP policy starts the creation of a
long-term restore point and after the policy finishes the creation. For example, these can be pre-freeze and
post-thaw scripts for a VM that does not support VSS. The scripts will quiesce the VM file system and
application data to bring the VM to a consistent state before the creation of a restore point, and bring the VM
and applications to their initial state after the creation finishes.
To specify scripts:
1. Check that you have enabled guest OS processing.
3. In the Application-Aware Processing Options list, select a VM for which you want to configure scripts, and
click Edit.
To define custom settings for a VM added as a part of a VM container, you must include the VM in the list
as a standalone object. To do this, click Add and choose the necessary VM. Then select the VM in the list
and define the necessary settings.
5. In the Script processing mode section, select a scenario for script execution:
replication process if scripts fail.
errors occur.
5. In the Windows scripts section, specify paths to scripts for Microsoft Windows VMs. For the list of
supported script formats, see Pre-Freeze and Post-Thaw Scripts.
6. In the Linux scripts section, specify paths to scripts for Linux VMs. For the list of supported script formats,
see Pre-Freeze and Post-Thaw Scripts.
If you have added to the policy a VM container with Microsoft Windows and Linux VMs, you can select to
execute both Microsoft Windows and Linux scripts. When the CDP policy starts,
Veeam Backup & Replication will automatically determine which OS type is installed on the VM and use
corresponding scripts for this VM.
To configure scripts for multiple VMs at once, do the following:
3. Click Edit > Scripts.
At the Summary step of the wizard, review details of the CDP policy. If you want to start the policy right after
you close the wizard, leave the Enable the policy when I click Finish check box selected, otherwise clear the
check box. Then click Finish to close the wizard.
Creating Replica Seeds
To use replica seeding in a CDP policy, you must have backups of replicated VMs in a backup repository in the
disaster recovery (DR) site. These backups are known as replica seeds. For more information on seeding and
when to use it, see Replica Seeding and Mapping.
If you do not have replica seeds in the DR site, do the following:
1. Create a backup of VMs that you plan to replicate as described in the Creating Backup Jobs section. As the
target repository for this job, select a backup repository in the production site. Then run the job.
If you already have backups containing the necessary VMs, there is no need to configure and run a new
backup job. For seeding, you can use any existing backups created with Veeam Backup & Replication. The
backup must include VBK and VBM files. If you have a full backup and a chain of forward increments, you
can use VIB files together with the VBK and VBM files. In this case, Veeam Backup & Replication will
restore VMs from the seed to the latest available restore point.
2. Copy the backup from the backup repository in the production site to a backup repository in the DR site.
If you do not have a backup repository in the DR site, you need to create the repository as described in
Backup Repository.
IMPORTANT!
You cannot copy backups to a scale-out backup repository in the DR site.
repository as described in the Rescanning Backup Repositories section. Otherwise,
Veeam Backup & Replication will not be able to detect the copied backup.
Managing CDP Policies
After you create CDP policies, you can edit, disable and delete them.
To view all created CDP policies, open the Home view and navigate to the Jobs > CDP node. The working area
displays the full list of the created policies. Here, you can manage the policies.
Editing Policies
To edit a CDP policy:
2. In the inventory pane, navigate to the Jobs > CDP node.
3. In the working area, select the necessary policy and select Edit on the ribbon. As an alternative, right-click
the necessary policy and select Edit.
4. Follow the instructions provided in Creating CDP Policies.
Disabling and Deleting Policies
Veeam Backup & Replication allows you to temporarily disable or permanently delete created CDP policies.
Disabling CDP Policies

To disable a CDP policy:
3. In the working area, select the necessary policy and select Disable on the ribbon. As an alternative, right-
click the necessary policy and select Disable.
TIP
To enable a disabled policy, select it and click Disable once again.
Deleting CDP Policies

Veeam Backup & Replication allows you to delete only disabled policies. To delete a CDP policy:
3. In the working area, select the necessary policy and select Delete on the ribbon. As an alternative, right-
click the necessary policy and select Delete.
Managing CDP Replicas
To view all created CDP replicas, open the Home view and navigate to the Replicas node. The working area
displays the full list of the created replicas. Here, you can view replica properties and delete replicas from the
configuration database or disk.
To view replica properties:
2. In the inventory pane, click the Replicas node.
3. In the working area, select the necessary replica and select Properties on the ribbon. As an alternative,
right-click the necessary replica and select Properties.
Removing Replicas from Configuration
When you remove replicas from the configuration, Veeam Backup & Replication removes the records about the
replicas from the configuration database, stops showing the replicas in Veeam Backup & Replication console and
also stops synchronizing their state with the state of the original VMs. However, the actual replicas remain on
hosts, so that you can start the replicas manually in the VMware vSphere client.
NOTE
Mind the following:
• You can remove records only about replicas that are in the Ready state.
• When you remove from the configuration a VM that is replicated as a standalone object,
Veeam Backup & Replication removes this VM from the initial replication job. When you remove from
the configuration a VM that is replicated as part of a VM container, Veeam Backup & Replication adds
this VM to the list of exclusions in the CDP policy.
To remove records about VM replicas from the Veeam Backup & Replication console and configuration database:
3. In the working area, select the necessary replica and click Remove from > Configuration on the ribbon. As
an alternative, right-click the necessary replica and select Remove from configuration.
Deleting Replicas from Disk
When you delete replicas from disks, Veeam Backup & Replication removes the replicas not only from the
Veeam Backup & Replication console and configuration database, but also from host storage.
NOTE
Mind the following:
• You can delete records only about replicas that are in the Ready state.
• Do not delete replica files from host storage manually, use the Delete from disk option instead. If
you delete replica files manually, subsequent replication sessions will fail.
To delete replica files from disks:
3. In the working area, select the necessary replica and click Remove from > Disk on the ribbon. As an
alternative, right-click the replica and select Delete from disk.
Failover and Failback for CDP
Failover and failback operations help you ensure that your business will function even if a disaster strikes your
production site. Failover is a process of switching from the original VM on the source host to its VM replica on a
host in the disaster recovery site. Failback is a process of returning from the VM replica to the original VM.
Veeam Backup & Replication provides the following failover and failback operations:
• Perform failover
When you perform failover, you shift all processes from the original VM in the production site to the VM
replica in the disaster recovery site. Failover is an intermediate step that needs to be finalized: you can
undo failover, perform permanent failover or perform failback.
For more information on how failover is performed, see Failover.
• Create failover plan

When you create a failover plan, you define the order in which Veeam Backup & Replication must perform
failover for VMs, and an interval of time for which Veeam Backup & Replication must wait before starting
the failover operation for the next VM in the list.
For more information on failover plans, see Failover Plan.
• Perform permanent failover

When you perform permanent failover, you permanently switch from the original VM to a VM replica and
use this replica as the original VM. You can use this scenario if the original VM and VM replica are located
in the same site and are nearly equal in terms of resources. Otherwise, perform failback.
For more information on how permanent failover is performed, see Permanent Failover.
• Undo failover
When you undo failover, you switch back to the original VM and discard all changes made to the VM
replica while it was running. You can use the undo failover scenario if you have failed over to the VM
replica for testing and troubleshooting purposes, and you do not need to synchronize the original VM
state with the current state of the replica.
For more information on how failover undo is performed, see Failover Undo.
• Perform failback
When you perform failback, you switch back to the original VM and send to the original VM all changes
that took place while the VM replica was running. If the source host is not available, you can recover a VM
with the same configuration as the original VM and switch to it. For more information on how failback is
performed, see Failback.
When you perform failback, changes are only sent to the original/recovered VM but not published. You
must test whether the original/recovered VM works with these changes. Depending on the test results,
you can do the following:
o Commit failback. When you commit failback, you confirm that the original/recovered VM works as
expected and you want to get back to it.
For more information on how failback commit is performed, see Failback Commit.
o Undo failback. When you undo failback, you confirm that the original/recovered VM is not working as
expected and you want to get back to the VM replica.
For more information on how failback undo is performed, see Failback Undo.
Veeam Backup & Replication supports failover and failback operations for one VM and for several VMs. In case
one or several hosts fail, you can use batch processing to restore operations with minimum downtime.
The following scheme can help you decide which steps are preferable when you fail over to a replica.
Related Topics
• Performing Failover
• Performing Permanent Failover
• Failover Plans
• Undoing Failover
• Performing Failback
• Committing Failback
• Undoing Failback
Failover
Failover is a process of switching from the original VM in the production site to its VM replica in the disaster
recovery site. During failover, Veeam Backup & Replication recovers the VM replica to the required restore point
and shifts all I/O processes from the original VM to its replica. As a result, you have a fully functional VM within
a couple of seconds, and your users can access services and applications with minimum disruption.
You can fail over to replicas not only when a disaster strikes the production site, but also to test replicas for
recoverability. If the original VMs and VM replicas are located in the same network, consider temporary
disconnecting the original VMs from the network to avoid IP address or machine name conflicts.
1. Veeam Backup & Replication puts all replication activities on hold.
2. The state of the VM replica is changed from Ready to Failover.
3. Veeam Backup & Replication recovers a VM replica to the required restore point.
4. Veeam Backup & Replication powers on the VM replica.

If you perform failover for testing purposes, and the original VM still exists and is running, the original VM
remains powered on.
5. All changes made to the VM replica disks while the replica is running in the Failover state are written to
the protective virtual disks (<disk_name>-interim.vmdk files).
Failover is an intermediate step that needs to be finalized. You can perform the following operations:
• Undo failover
• Perform failback.
Performing Failover
To perform failover, use the VMware Failover wizard.
Before You Begin

Before you fail over to a CDP replica, check the following prerequisites:
• You can perform failover for VMs that have been successfully replicated at least once.
• CDP replicas must be in the Ready state.
Step 1. Launch VMware Failover Wizard
To launch the VMware Failover wizard, do one of the following:
• On the Home tab, click Restore > VMware vSphere > Restore from replica > Entire replica > Failover to a
replica.
• Open the Home view. In the inventory pane select the Replicas > Ready node. In the working area, select
the necessary replica and click Failover Now on the ribbon.
• Open the Home view. In the inventory pane select the Replicas > Ready node. In the working area, right-
click the necessary replica and select Failover now.
Step 2. Select VMs
At the Virtual Machines step of the wizard, you can modify a list of VMs from which you fail over. To add VMs or
VM containers, click Add > From infrastructure if you want to add VMs from the virtual infrastructure, or Add >
From replicas if you want to add VMs from existing replicas. Then select the necessary VMs or VM containers. If
you select VM containers, Veeam Backup & Replication will expand them to a plain VM list.
To quickly find the necessary VMs within existing replicas, you can use the search field at the top of the window.
Step 3. Select Restore Points
At the Virtual Machines step of the wizard select to which state of VM replicas you want to fail over:
1. In the Virtual machines to failover list, select the necessary VM and click Point.
2. In the Restore Points window, select whether you want to fail over to the latest available crash-consistent
restore point, to the latest long-term application-consistent restore point or to a specific point in time.
If you fail over to a specific point in time, use the right and left arrows on the keyboard to select the
required restore point. To quickly find a long-term restore point, click a link that shows a date. In the
opened window, you will see a calendar where you can select the necessary day. In the Timestamp section,
you will see long-term restore points created during the selected day.
At the Reason step of the wizard, enter a reason for failing over to the replicas. The information you provide will
be saved in the session history and you can reference it later.
At the Summary step of the wizard, review details of the failover task and click Finish to exit the wizard.
During the failover process, Veeam Backup & Replication will request the target host to to power on the CDP
replicas.
What You Do Next

Failover is an intermediate step that needs to be finalized. You can finalize failover in the following ways:
• Undo failover
Failover Plans
A failover plan helps you perform failover for dependent VMs one by one. In the failover plan, you define the
order in which VMs must be processed and an interval of time for which Veeam Backup & Replication must wait
before starting the failover operation for the next VM in the list. For more information on the failover plan, see
Failover Plan.
You can add a CDP replica to an existing failover plan as described in Adding VMs to Failover Plans, or to a new
plan as described in Creating Failover Plans. For more information on how to manage failover plans, see Running
Failover Plans and Undoing Failover by Failover Plans.
Permanent Failover
Permanent failover is one of the ways to finalize failover. When you perform permanent failover, you
permanently switch from the original VM to it replica. As a result of permanent failover, the VM replica stops
acting as a replica and starts acting as the production VM.
NOTE
We recommend you to perform permanent failover only if the original VM and its replica are located in the
same site and are nearly equal in terms of resources. In this case, users will not experience any latency in
ongoing operations. Otherwise, perform failback.
1. Veeam Backup & Replication powers off the VM replica.
2. Veeam Backup & Replication removes short-term and long-term restore points of the VM replica from the
replication chain and deletes associated files from the datastore. Changes that were written to the
protective virtual disks (<disk_name>-interim.vmdk) are committed to the VM replica to bring the VM
replica to the most recent state.
3. Veeam Backup & Replication removes the VM replica from the list of replicas in the
4. To protect the VM replica from corruption after permanent failover is complete,

Veeam Backup & Replication reconfigures the CDP policy: adds the VM replica in the list of processed VMs
and add the original VM to the list of exclusions. When the CDP policy starts, the original VM is skipped
from processing. As a result, no data is written to the working VM replica.

To perform permanent failover, do one of the following:
• Open the Home view. In the inventory pane navigate to the Replicas > Active node. In the working area,
select the necessary replica and click Permanent Failover on the ribbon.
right-click the necessary replica and select Permanent failover.
Failover Undo
Failover undo is one of the ways to finalize failover. When you undo failover, you switch back from a VM replica
to the original VM. Veeam Backup & Replication discards all changes made to the VM replica while it was in the
Failover state.
1. Veeam Backup & Replication reverts the VM replica to its pre-failover state. To do this,
Veeam Backup & Replication powers off the VM replica and gets it back to the latest restore point in the
replication chain. Changes that were written to the protective virtual disks (<disk_name>-interim.vmdk)
while the VM replica was in the Failover state are discarded.
2. The state of the VM replica gets back to Ready, and Veeam Backup & Replication resumes replication
activities for the original VM on the source host.
Undoing Failover
To undo failover:
3. In the working area, select the necessary replica and click Undo Failover on the ribbon. As an alternative,
you can right-click the replica and select Undo failover.
Failback
Failback is one of the ways to finalize failover. When you perform failback, you switch back to the production
VM from a VM replica, shift I/O processes from the disaster recovery site to the production site.
• You can fail back to the original VM in the original location.
• You can fail back to a VM already recovered to a new location. This VM must be recovered before you
perform failback. For example, you can recover the VM from a backup.
• You can fail back to a VM recovered from a replica to a new location, or to any location but with different
settings. The VM will be recovered from the replica during the failback process.
Veeam Backup & Replication needs to transfer only differences between the original/recovered VM and VM
replica. For the third option, Veeam Backup & Replication needs to transfer the whole VM data, including its
configuration and virtual disk content. Use the third option if there is no way to use the original VM or restore it
from a backup.
Veeam Backup & Replication performs failback in two phases. During the first phase,
Veeam Backup & Replication synchronizes the state of the production VM (the original VM, an already recovered
VM or a VM that will be recovered from the replica) with the current state of its replica. This phase may take a
lot of time especially if VM is large. During the second phase, Veeam Backup & Replication switches all
processes from the VM replica to the production VM, turns off the replica and also sends to the production VM
changes made to the VM replica since the end of the first phase.
• First phase: Veeam Backup & Replication synchronizes the state of the production VM (the original VM, an
already recovered VM or a VM that will be recovered from the replica) with the current state of its replica.
This phase may take a lot of time especially if VM is large. While Veeam Backup & Replication performs the
first phase of failback, VM replicas are still up and running, users can access these VMs and perform daily
routine tasks as normal.
• Second phase: Veeam Backup & Replication switches all processes from the VM replica to the production
VM, turns off the replica and also sends to the production VM changes made to the VM replica since the
end of the first phase.
The time when the second phase starts depends on how you want to switch from the replica to the
production VM. You can switch to the production VM automatically, at the scheduled time or manually. If
you select to switch automatically, the second phase will start right after the first phase finishes. If you
select to switch at the scheduled time or manually, the second phase will start at the time you want.
The process of failing back to the original VM or an already recovered VM differs from the process of failing back
to a VM recovered from a replica:
• How failback to the original VM and already recovered VM works
• How failback to a VM recovered from a replica works
How Failback to Original VM or Already Recovered VM Works

When you fail back to the original VM or an already recovered VM, Veeam Backup & Replication performs the
1. If the original VM is running, Veeam Backup & Replication powers it off.
the VM replica in the Failover state. Difference calculation helps Veeam Backup & Replication understand
what data needs to be transferred to the production VM to synchronize its state with the state of the VM
replica.
If you fail back to the original VM in the original location and you have enabled the Quick rollback option,
difference calculation can be performed much faster than without this option enabled. For more
information on quick rollback, see Quick Rollback.
3. Veeam Backup & Replication transfers the data that was detected at the previous step to the production
VM. The transferred data is written to the production VM.
1. The guest OS of the VM replica is shut down or the VM replica is powered off.
If VMware Tools are installed on the VM replica, Veeam Backup & Replication tries to shut down the
replica guest OS. If nothing happens after 15 minutes, Veeam Backup & Replication powers off the VM
replica. If VMware Tools are not installed on the VM or the VM is suspended, Veeam Backup & Replication
powers off the VM. The VM replica remains powered off until you commit failback or undo failback.
the VM replica. Difference calculation helps Veeam Backup & Replication understand what data was
changed while the VM replica was in the Ready to switch state.
3. Sends data changed on the VM replica while it was in the Ready to switch state to the production VM.
4. The state of the VM replica is changed from Ready to switch to Failback.
5. [If you fail back to a recovered VM] Veeam Backup & Replication updates the ID of the original VM in the
Veeam Backup & Replication configuration database. The ID of the original VM is replaced with the ID of
the recovered VM.
6. If you have selected to power on the production VM after failback, Veeam Backup & Replication powers on
the production VM on the host.
How Failback to VM Recovered from Replica Works

When you fail back to a VM recovered from a replica, Veeam Backup & Replication performs the following
1. Veeam Backup & Replication requests vCenter server to create on the target host an empty VM with the
same configuration as the VM replica. vCenter server registers the created production VM.
2. Veeam Backup & Replication transfers data of the VM replica to the production VM to update the
production VM state to the VM replica state.
3. Veeam Backup & Replication changes the state of the VM replica from Failover to the Ready to switch.
Failback to Original VM or Already Recovered VM Works except for the step 2. When you fail back to a VM
recovered from a replica, Veeam Backup & Replication does not calculate the difference between disks.
Failback is an intermediate step that needs to be finalized. If the production VM works as expected and you
want to get back to it, commit failback. If the VM does not work as expected, undo failback.
Quick Rollback
Quick rollback helps you significantly reduce the failback time. You can use quick rollback if you fail back from a
VM replica to the original VM in the original location.
During failback, Veeam Backup & Replication calculates differences between disks of the original VM and disks
of the VM replica. With the quick rollback option enabled, Veeam Backup & Replication compares only those
disk sectors that have changed during the VM replica was in the Failover state instead of comparing entire disks.
To get information about the changed disk sectors, Veeam Backup & Replication uses VMware vSphere Changed
Block Tracking (CBT).
As a result of enabling quick rollback, difference calculation becomes much faster. After the differences are
calculated, Veeam Backup & Replication performs failback in a regular way: transport changed blocks to the
original VM, powers off the VM replica and synchronizes the original VM with the VM replica once again.

• You fail back to the original VM in the original location.
• Do not use quick rollback if the problem occurred at the VM hardware level, storage level or due to a
power loss.
Use quick rollback if you fail back to the original VM that had a problem at the guest OS level — for
example, there was an application error or a user accidentally deleted a file on the original VM guest OS.
• CBT must be enabled for the original VM.

During the first replication job session after failback with quick rollback, CBT on the original VM is reset. Due to
that Veeam Backup & Replication will read data of the entire VM.
Performing Failback
To perform failback, use the Failback wizard.
Before You Begin

• VMs for which you plan to perform failback must be successfully replicated at least once.
• CDP replicas from which you want to fail back must be in the Failover state.
Step 1. Launch Failback Wizard
• On the Home tab, click Restore > VMware vSphere > Restore from replica > Entire replica > Failback to
production.
select the necessary replica and click Failback to Production on the ribbon.
right-click the necessary replica and select Failback to production.
Step 2. Select Replicas
At the Replica step of the wizard, select CDP replicas from which you want to fail back.
To update the list of replicas that are ready for failback (replicas in the Failover state), click Populate.
Step 3. Select Destination
At the Destination step of the wizard, select a failback destination and backup proxies for data transfer during
failback:
1. Select a destination for failback. Veeam Backup & Replication supports the following options:
o Failback to the original VM — select this option if you want to fail back to the original VMs that reside
on the source hosts. Veeam Backup & Replication will synchronize the state of the original VMs with
the current state of their replicas to apply any changes that occurred to the VM replicas while running
in the DR site.
If you select this option, you will proceed to the Summary step of the wizard.
o Failback to the original VM restored in a different location — select this option if the original VMs have
already been recovered to a new location, and you want to switch to the recovered VMs from their
replicas. Veeam Backup & Replication will synchronize the state of the recovered VMs with the current
state of the VM replicas to apply any changes that occurred to the replicas while running in the DR
site.
If you select this option, you will proceed to the Target VM step of the wizard.
o Failback to the specified location — select this option if you want to recover VMs from replicas. You
can recover VMs to a new location, or to any location but with different settings (such as network
settings, virtual disk type, configuration file path and so on). Select this option if there is no way to
fail back to the original VM or an already recovered VM.
If you select this option, the wizard will include additional steps.
If you select one of the first two options, Veeam Backup & Replication will send to the original/recovered
VMs only differences between the existing virtual disks. Veeam Backup & Replication will not send replica
configuration changes such as different IP address or network settings (if replica Re-IP and network
mapping were applied), new hardware or virtual disks added while the replicas were in the Failover state.
If you select Failback to the specified location, Veeam Backup & Replication will send to the specified
location whole VM data, including VM configurations and virtual disk content.
2. To select which backup proxies will be used for data transfer, click Pick backup proxies for data transfer.
By default, Veeam Backup & Replication selects proxies automatically.
If VMs and their replicas locate in different sites, select at least one backup proxy in the production site
and one proxy in the disaster recovery site. If VMs and replicas locate in the same site, you can use the
same backup proxy as the source and target one.
We recommend you to select at least two backup proxies in each site to ensure that failback will be
performed in case one proxy fails or looses the network connection.
3. [For failback to the original VMs] If you want to fasten failback, and the original VMs had problems at the
guest OS level, select the Quick rollback check box. For more information on quick rollback, its
requirements and limitations, see Quick Rollback.
Step 4. Select Hosts
The Host step is available if you have selected the Failback to the specified location option at the Destination
step.
At the Host step of the wizard, specify hosts or clusters where the recovered VMs will be registered. To do this,
select the necessary VMs, click Host and select a host or cluster.
Step 5. Select Resource Pools
The Resource Pool step is available if you have selected the Failback to the specified location option at the
Destination step.
At the Resource Pool step of the wizard, select resource pools to which the recovered VMs will be added. To do
this, select VMs that you want to add to the same resource pool, click Pool and select the necessary resource
pool in the Select Resource Pool window.
As an alternative, you can select a vAPP to which the restored VM will be included. To find the necessary vAPP,
at the left bottom corner of the Select Resource Pool window, click the resource pool icon ( ) and select
VirtualApp.
Step 6. Select Datastores
The Datastore step is available if you have selected the Failback to the specified location option at the
Destination step.
At the Datastore step of the wizard, specify datastores where you want to store configuration files and disk files
of VMs that will be recovered. Also, you can change disk types.
1. To change a datastore where VM files will be stored, select the necessary VMs and click Datastore. From
the list of available datastores, select the necessary datastore.
If configuration and disk files of VMs must be placed to different datastores, select files of the necessary
type, click Datastore and select the necessary datastore.
2. To change disk type settings, select the necessary disk files and click Disk Type. In the Disk Type Settings
window, select the necessary disk type.
By default, Veeam Backup & Replication preserves disk types of the original VMs.
NOTE:
You can change disk types only for VMs with Virtual Hardware version 7 or later.
Step 7. Select Folders
The VM Folder step is available if you have selected the Failback to the specified location option at the
Destination step.
At the VM Folder step of the wizard, specify folders in the target datastores where all files of the recovered VMs
will be stored.
If you want the recovered VMs to have the same tags as the source VMs, select the Restore VM Tags check box.
NOTE
Mind the following:
• You can select destination folders only if you recover VMs to destinations other than standalone
hosts.
• You can recover VM tags only if you recover VMs to their original locations, and the original VM tags
are still available on the source vCenter Server.
The Network step is available if you have selected the Failback to the specified location option at the
Destination step. This step applies if you fail back to VMs recovered to new locations, and if networks in those
locations differ from networks in the disaster recovery (DR) site.
At the Network step of the wizard create a network mapping table. This table maps networks in the DR site to
networks in the site where the recovered VMs will reside. Veeam Backup & Replication will use the network
mapping table to update configuration files of VMs on the fly, during the failback process.
To change networks to which the restored VMs will be connected:
1. In the Network connections list, select the necessary VMs and click Network.
If VMs are connected to multiple networks, select networks which you want to map.
2. In the list of available networks, select a network to which the recovered VMs will be connected.
If you do not want to connect the recovered VMs to any virtual network, select the necessary VMs and click
Disconnect.
Step 9. Map Replicas to Restored VMs
The Target VM step is available if you have selected the Failback to the original VM restored in a different
location option at the Destination step.
At the Target VM step of the wizard, specify to which VMs you want to fail back from replicas. These VMs must
be already restored from backups in the required location.
Step 10. Schedule Switch to Production VMs
At the Failback Mode step of the wizard, specify when switch from replicas to production VMs must be
performed:
state of the production VMs is synchronized with the state of their replicas.
• Select Manual if you want to perform the switch manually.
If you select the Scheduled or Manual option, you can further reset/set the scheduled time or switch to the
production VM manually. For more information, see Changing Switching Time and Switching Replicas to
Production VMs Manually.
At the Summary step of the wizard, review the configured failback settings and click Finish.
If you want to power on the production VMs right after the switch to production operation is performed, select
the Power on target VM after restoring check box.
What You Do Next

Failback is an intermediate step that needs to be finalized. You can finalize failback in the following ways:
• Commit failback
• Undo failback

To switch to a production VM from its replica, do the following:
3. Right-click a replica in the Ready to switch state and select Switch to production.

To change the time when Veeam Backup & Replication will switch from replicas to production VMs:
3. Right-click a replica in the Ready to switch state and select Change switching time.
Failback Commit
Failback commit is one of the ways to finalize failback. When you commit failback, you confirm that the VM to
which you failed back (the production VM) works as expected. After the commit operation,
Veeam Backup & Replication resumes replication activities for the production VM.
2. Further operations depend on whether you have failed back to the original VM or recovered VM:
o If you have failed back to a VM recovered from a backup or replica, Veeam Backup & Replication
reconfigures all existing jobs where the original VM is present and adds the original VM to the list of
exclusions. The recovered VM takes the role of the original VM and is included into all jobs instead of
the excluded VM. When the CDP policy starts, Veeam Backup & Replication processes the recovered
VM instead of the former original VM.
o If you have failed back to the original VM, the CDP policy is not reconfigured. When the CDP policy
starts, Veeam Backup & Replication still processes the original VM.
Committing Failback
To commit failback:
IMPORTANT
If you have failed back to a VM with IDE disks, you must manually power off this VM before
committing the failback.
3. In the working area, select the necessary replica and click Commit Failback on the ribbon. As an
alternative, you can right-click the replica and select Commit failback.
Failback Undo
Failback undo is one of the ways to finalize failback. When you undo failback, you confirm that the VM to which
you failed back (the production VM) works in a wrong way and you want to get back to the replica.
1. Veeam Backup & Replication powers off the production VM.
2. Veeam Backup & Replication reverts the VM replica to its pre-failback state.
3. Veeam Backup & Replication powers on the VM replica and changes the VM replica state from Failback to
Failover.
Undoing Failback
To undo failback:
3. In the working area, select the necessary replica and click Undo Failback on the ribbon. As an alternative,
you can right-click the replica and select Undo failback.
VeeamZIP
With Veeam Backup & Replication, you can quickly perform backup of one or several VMs with VeeamZIP.
VeeamZIP is similar to a full VM backup. The VeeamZIP job always produces a full backup file (VBK) that acts as
an independent restore point. You can store the backup file in a backup repository, in a local folder on the
backup server or in a network share.
When you perform backup with VeeamZIP, you do not have to configure a backup job and schedule it. Instead,
you can start the backup process for selected VMs immediately. This type of a backup requires minimum
settings — you should only select the backup destination, choose the necessary compression level and enable or
disable encryption and application-aware processing if necessary.
Backup files produced with VeeamZIP jobs are displayed in the Home view, under the Backups > Disk
(VeeamZIP) node. To restore VM data from VeeamZIP backups, you can right-click it in the Home view and
select the necessary restore option. You can also double-click the necessary VeeamZIP backup file on the
machine where Veeam Backup & Replication is installed.
To view the progress or results of the VeeamZIP job session, you can use the History view. For more information,
see Viewing Real-Time Statistics.
IMPORTANT!
• Veeam Backup & Replication does not enforce backup repository throttling rules during VeeamZIP
jobs.
• You cannot use a Veeam Cloud Connect repository as a target for VeeamZIP jobs.
Creating VeeamZIP Backups
You can quickly back up running and powered off VMs with VeeamZIP. VeeamZIP can be helpful if you want to
create an ad-hoc backup for VMs, archive VMs before decommissioning and so on. You can create VeeamZIP
backups for one or more VMs.
To create VeeamZIP backups:
datastore or tag) in which the VMs that you want to back up reside.
3. In the working area, select the VMs and click VeeamZIP > VeeamZIP on the ribbon or right-click the VMs
and select VeeamZIP.
To quickly find the necessary VMs, type the VM name or a part of it in the search field at the top of the
working area and click the Start search button on the right or press [Enter] on the keyboard.
4. In the Destination section of the VeeamZIP <N> VM window, specify a location in which you want to store
VeeamZIP backups.
o To store VeeamZIP backups in a backup repository, select Backup repository and choose the necessary
backup repository from the list.
o To store VeeamZIP backups in a local folder on the backup server, select Local or shared folder, click
Browse on the right and select a folder in which VeeamZIP backups must be stored.
o To store VeeamZIP backups in a shared folder, select Local or shared folder and type in the UNC name
of the shared folder in the field below. Keep in mind that the UNC name always starts with two back
slashes (\\).
If the shared folder requires authentication, select the necessary credentials from the Credentials list.
If you have not set up credentials beforehand, click the Manage accounts link or click Add on the right
to add necessary credentials. For more information, see Managing Credentials.
5. If you want to specify retention settings for the created VeeamZIP backups, select the Delete this backup
automatically check box. From the drop-down list, select the retention period.
If you do not want to delete VeeamZIP backups, leave the Delete this backup automatically check box
unselected.
6. To encrypt VeeamZIP backups, select the Enable backup file encryption check box. From the Password
list, select a password that you want to use for encryption. If you have not created a password
beforehand, click Add or use the Manage passwords link to specify a new password. For more information,
see Managing Passwords for Data Encryption.
7. From the Compression level list, select a compression level for created backups.
8. By default, Veeam Backup & Replication uses VMware Tools quiescence to create a transactionally
consistent image of VMs. You can disable VM quiescence. To do this, select the Disable guest quiescence
check box. In this case, Veeam Backup & Replication will create a crash-consistent VM backup.
9. Click OK. The VeeamZIP task will start immediately. Veeam Backup & Replication will create a full backup
file (VBK) and store it in the specified location. The VM name, date and time of the file creation are
appended to the file name so you can easily find the necessary backups afterwards.
10. As the job runs, you can track the job performance in the real-time mode. To see the job results once it
completes, open the History view, expand the Jobs node and click Backup. Then double-click the job
session in the list.
TIP:
Veeam Backup & Replication keeps settings of the latest VeeamZIP task. To quickly create VeeamZIP
backups with the same settings and store backups in the same location, right-click the necessary VM and
select VeeamZIP to.
Backup Copy
The main backup purpose is to protect your data against disasters and virtual or physical machine failures.
However, having just one backup does not provide the necessary level of safety. The primary backup may get
destroyed together with production data, and you will have no backups from which you can restore data.
To build a successful data protection and disaster recovery plan, it is recommended that you follow the 3-2-1
rule:
• 3: You must have at least three copies of your data: the original production data and two backups.
• 2: You must use at least two different types of media to store the copies of your data, for example, local
disk and cloud.
• 1: You must keep at least one backup offsite, for example, in the cloud or in a remote site.
Thus, you must have at least two backups and they must be in different locations. If a disaster takes out your
production data and local backup, you can still recover from your offsite backup.
To help you adopt the 3-2-1 rule, Veeam Backup & Replication offers backup copy capabilities. Backup copy
allows you to create several instances of the same backup data in different locations, whether onsite or offsite.
Backup copies have the same format as those created by backup jobs and you can recover your data from them
when you need it.
Backup copy is a job-driven process. Veeam Backup & Replication fully automates the backup copy process and
lets you specify retention settings to maintain the desired number of restore points, as well as full backups for
archival purposes.
About Backup Copy
With backup copy, you can create several instances of the same backup file and copy them to secondary (target)
backup repositories for long-term storage. Target backup repositories can be located in the same site as the
source backup repository or can be deployed offsite. The backup copy file has the same format as the primary
backup, so you can restore necessary data directly from it in case of a disaster.
Veeam Backup & Replication supports backup copy for the following types of backups:
• Backups of VMware vSphere or vCloud Director virtual machines created with Veeam Backup & Replication
• Backups of Microsoft Hyper-V virtual machines created with Veeam Backup & Replication
• Backups of virtual and physical machines created with Veeam Agent for Microsoft Windows, Veeam Agent
for Linux or, Veeam Agent for Mac
• Backups of virtual and physical machines created with Veeam Agent for Oracle Solaris
• Backups of Oracle and SAP HANA databases created with Veeam Plug-ins for Enterprise Applications
• Backups stored in an HPE StoreOnce backup repository
• File share backups created with Veeam Backup & Replication
• Backups of Amazon EC2 instances created with Veeam Backup for AWS
• Backups of Microsoft Azure virtual machines created with Veeam Backup for Microsoft Azure
IMPORTANT!
Mind the following for copying backups created with Veeam Backup for AWS or Veeam Backup for
Microsoft Azure:
• You can copy such backups only if you have paid types of license. Veeam Backup Community Edition
and Veeam Backup Starter Package are not supported.
• You can copy such backups from external repositories but not to them.
When the backup copying process starts, Veeam Backup & Replication accesses backup files in the source
backup repository, retrieves data blocks for a specific machine from the backup file, copies them to the target
backup repository, and composes copied blocks into a backup file in the target backup repository. The backup
copying process does not affect virtual and physical infrastructure resources, does not require creation of
additional VM snapshots or VSS snapshots and does not produce load on machines whose backups are copied.
In Veeam Backup & Replication, backup copy is a job-driven process. To copy backups, you need to configure
backup copy jobs. The backup copy job defines when, what, how and where to copy. Note that to copy file share
backups, you need to configure a file share backup job, not the backup copy job. For more information, see
Creating File Share Backup Jobs.
One backup copy job can be used to process one or multiple VMs. VMs included in the job are processed in
parallel. If a VM included in the backup copy job has multiple disks, disks are processed sequentially, one after
another.
In the target backup repository, the backup copy job creates a forever forward incremental backup chain. The
target backup repository always contains only one active incremental backup chain. Restore points in the chain
are managed according to the retention policy. For more information, see Retention Policy for Backup Copy
Jobs.
How Backup Copy Works
Veeam Backup & Replication performs backup copy in the following way:
1. [For VM backup copy jobs only] Veeam Backup & Replication connects to vCenter Servers and ESXi hosts
to gather information about VMs whose restore points you want to copy.
2. For backup copying process, Veeam Backup & Replication starts two Veeam Data Movers — source Veeam
Data Mover and target Veeam Data Mover. Veeam Data Movers location depends on the backup repository
type and data transport path. For more information, see Backup Copy Architecture.
3. The first backup copy run always produces a full backup file. Veeam Backup & Replication copies data
blocks that are necessary to build a full backup of a machine as of the most recent state.
Veeam Backup & Replication can copy data blocks from one or more backup files in the backup chain in the
source backup repository.
o If the backup chain is created in the reverse incremental backup method, Veeam Backup & Replication
copies data blocks of the latest full backup.
o If the backup chain is created in the forward or forever forward incremental backup method,
Veeam Backup & Replication copies data blocks from the first full backup and a set of incremental
backups.
To minimize the amount of traffic going over the network, Veeam Backup & Replication uses the data
compression and deduplication technologies.
4. Veeam Backup & Replication transfers copied data to the target backup repository and writes all copied
data blocks to the full backup file.
o If you do not enable the Use per-VM backup files option for the target backup repository,
Veeam Backup & Replication creates one backup file in the target backup repository and stores to it
data for all machines processed by the job.
o If you enable the Use per-VM backup files option, data of every machine in the job is stored to
separate backup files in the target backup repository.
5. During every next backup copy run, when a new restore point appears in the source backup repository,
Veeam Backup & Replication copies incremental changes from this most recent restore point and transfers
them to the target backup repository. Veeam Backup & Replication writes the copied data blocks to the
incremental backup file in the target backup repository.
In some cases, the source backup job and backup copy job may overlap. This situation can occur if the source
backup job needs to transform the source backup chain.
If a specific task in the backup copy job locks the source backup chain to read data from it, and the source
backup job that needs to write data to this backup chain starts at this moment (for example, for reverse
incremental backup), the task in the backup copy job is put on hold. The backup copy job can continue
processing other tasks that use other sources (for example, backup files created by other backup jobs). After the
source backup job releases the backup chain, the backup copy job resumes processing machines in this backup
chain.
Backup Copy Architecture
To transport data from the source backup repository to the target backup repository, the backup copy job uses
one of the following paths:
• Direct transport path
• Transport path over WAN accelerators
Direct Transport Path

Veeam Backup & Replication transports data directly from the source backup repository to the target backup
repository. This type of data transport is recommended for copying backups to onsite backup repositories or
offsite backup repositories over fast connections.
When Veeam Backup & Replication transports data over the direct data path, it uses Veeam Data Movers on the
following backup infrastructure components:
• Microsoft Windows and Linux repositories. Veeam Backup & Replication uses the source Veeam Data
Mover on the source backup repository and target Veeam Data Mover on the target backup repository.
• Shared folder backup repository. If you have instructed Veeam Backup & Replication to automatically
select the gateway server, Veeam Backup & Replication will use Veeam Data Movers deployed on mount
servers associated with backup repositories. In case mount servers cannot be used for some reason,
Veeam Backup & Replication will fail over to the backup server.
If you have explicitly defined the gateway server, Veeam Backup & Replication will use the source Veeam
Data Mover on the gateway server in the source site and target Veeam Data Mover on the gateway server
on the target site.
Transport Path over WAN Accelerators
Veeam Backup & Replication transports data through a pair of WAN accelerators: one deployed on the source
side and the other one deployed on the target side. WAN accelerators remove redundant blocks before
transferring data and thus significantly reduce the amount of traffic going over the network. This type of data
transport is recommended for copying backups offsite over slow connections or WAN.
IMPORTANT
The WAN acceleration technology is available in the Enterprise Plus edition of Veeam Backup & Replication.
For more information, see WAN Acceleration.
When Veeam Backup & Replication transports data via WAN accelerators, it uses Veeam Data Movers on the
following backup infrastructure components:
• Microsoft Windows and Linux repositories. Veeam Backup & Replication uses the source Veeam Data
Mover on the source backup repository and target Veeam Data Mover on the target backup repository.
• Shared folder backup repository. If you have instructed Veeam Backup & Replication to automatically
select the gateway server, Veeam Backup & Replication will use the Data Mover Services deployed on the
source and/or target WAN accelerator. If you have explicitly defined the gateway server,
Veeam Backup & Replication will use the source Veeam Data Mover on the gateway server in the source
site and target Veeam Data Mover on the gateway server on the target site.
Backup Copy Modes
Veeam Backup & Replication offers two backup copy modes:
• Immediate copy
In the immediate copy mode, Veeam Backup & Replication copies restore points as soon as they appear in
a source backup repository. Veeam Backup & Replication copies only restore points created by source
backup jobs (backup jobs that you select when configuring a backup copy job).
Veeam Backup & Replication can also copy transaction log backups if you enable this capability in job
settings.
The immediate copy mode is supported for the following backup types:
o Backups created with Veeam Backup & Replication
o Backups created with Veeam Agent for Microsoft Windows, Veeam Agent for Linux or Veeam Agent
for Mac operating in the managed mode
Only backups created by backup jobs managed by the backup server are supported.
o Backups created with Veeam Plug-ins for Enterprise Applications (Oracle RMAN, SAP HANA, SAP on
Oracle)
• Periodic copy
In the periodic copy mode, Veeam Backup & Replication copies restore points once in an interval specified
in backup copy job settings. This interval is also known as backup copy interval. For more information, see
Backup Copy Intervals.
Veeam Backup & Replication can copy restore points created by backup jobs or restore points of individual
machines. If you select backup jobs when configuring copy job settings, Veeam Backup & Replication
copies only restore points that selected backup jobs create. If you select machines,
Veeam Backup & Replication copies all restore points of the selected machines — even restore points
created by different backup jobs.
The periodic copy mode is supported for the following backup types:
o Backups created with Veeam Backup & Replication
o Backups created with Veeam Agent for Microsoft Windows, Veeam Agent for Linux or Veeam Agent
for Mac operating in the standalone or managed mode
For the managed mode, backups created by both backup jobs managed by the backup server and jobs
managed by Veeam Agent are supported.
o Backups created with Veeam Agent for Oracle Solaris
o Backups created with Veeam Backup for Nutanix AHV
o Backups created with Veeam Backup for AWS
o Backups created with Veeam Backup for Microsoft Azure
NOTE
Veeam Backup & Replication does not allow you to change the selected backup copy mode because the
operating logic and created data are very different in these modes. If you want to change the mode, you
need to create a new backup copy job in the required mode and create a seed for it. Note that the seed
must also be created in the same mode as the new backup copy job. For more information, see Creating
Seed for Backup Copy Job.
Backup Copy Intervals
A backup copy interval is a time span in which a backup copy job must copy a restore point from the source
backup repository to the target backup repository.
NOTE
Veeam Backup & Replication uses backup copy intervals only in the periodic copy mode.
The backup copy interval affects the restore point selection process. For more information, see Restore Point
Selection.
At the beginning of a new interval, Veeam Backup & Replication checks if a new restore point is available in the
source backup repository:
• If a new restore point is found, the backup copy job starts the synchronization process and copies the
latest restore point to the target backup repository.
• If a new restore point is not found or is locked by the source backup job, the backup copy job enters the
Idle state.
By default, the backup copy interval is set to 1 day. You can change this interval when configuring a backup copy
job and set the interval in minutes or hours. Note that if you specify a too short backup copy interval or change
the interval, some issues can occur. For details, see Issues with Backup Copy Intervals.
Minutely and Hourly Backup Copy Intervals

The first minutely and hourly intervals start when the backup copy job runs for the first time. Each subsequent
backup copy interval starts after the period that you specified in the backup copy job settings.
For example, if you set the backup copy interval to 4 hours and start the backup copy job at 12:00 AM,
Veeam Backup & Replication will start new backup copy intervals at 12:00 AM, 4:00 AM, 8:00 AM and so on.
Daily Backup Copy Intervals

The daily backup intervals start every day at the time specified in the backup copy job settings.
For example, if you set the backup copy interval to 1 day and instruct Veeam Backup & Replication to start new
intervals at 12:00 PM, Veeam Backup & Replication will start new backup copy intervals at 12:00 PM daily.
In some cases, the start time of the backup copy job and backup copy interval may differ.
For example, when configuring a backup copy job, you set the start time of the backup copy interval to 12:00
PM and launch the backup copy job at 12:00 AM. In this case, the first backup copy interval will start
immediately after you launch the backup copy job and will run for a shorter period of time. In the example
above, for 12 hours instead of one day. All subsequent backup copy intervals will start as defined by backup
copy job schedule.
Issues with Backup Copy Intervals
Being a scheduled activity, the backup copy job may fail to run as expected. Veeam Backup & Replication
automatically handles some issues that can occur with the backup copy job.
Short Backup Copy Intervals

In some cases, Veeam Backup & Replication may fail to transport the restore point within the backup copy
interval of the backup copy job. This can happen, for example, if the backup copy interval is too short and is not
sufficient for the amount of data to be copied.
Veeam Backup & Replication handles this situation differently for the first and subsequent backup copy
intervals.
• The first backup copy interval always produces a full backup file — the starting point in the backup chain.
If Veeam Backup & Replication fails to copy data for the full backup file during the first backup copy
interval, it marks the job session as finished with the Warning status. During the next backup copy
interval, Veeam Backup & Replication attempts to copy data for the full backup file in the following
manner:
a. When a new backup copy interval begins, the restore point that was previously copied no longer
corresponds to the restore point selection rules. That is, the time of the restore point creation falls
out of the search scope. For this reason, Veeam Backup & Replication waits for a new restore point to
appear in the source backup repository.
b. When a new restore point appears in the source backup repository, Veeam Backup & Replication
detects what data blocks still need to be copied to make up a full backup file in the target backup
repository, and copies these data blocks.
This process continues until there is a full backup file in the target backup repository.
• At subsequent backup copy intervals, Veeam Backup & Replication copies incremental restore points. If
Veeam Backup & Replication fails to transport an incremental restore point, it marks the synchronization
task as failed. Veeam Backup & Replication waits for the expiration of the backup copy interval; after that,
Veeam Backup & Replication marks the job session as finished with the Error status.
Veeam Backup & Replication does not mark the backup copy job session with the Error status in the following
cases:
• The source backup job has not started during the backup copy interval of the backup copy job (that is, the
backup copy job has nothing to copy to the target backup repository).
• A task in the backup copy job processes a VM template, and the source backup job is set to exclude the VM
template during incremental backup jobs sessions.
Change of the Backup Copy Interval Start Time

If you have selected to run a backup copy job with a daily backup copy interval, you must define the start time
of the backup copy interval. However, you may want to change the start time afterwards. After the start time
change, Veeam Backup & Replication behaves in the following manner:
1. Veeam Backup & Replication finishes the current backup copy interval running according to the 'old' start
time value as usual.
2. After the current backup copy interval is over, Veeam Backup & Replication immediately starts the backup
copy interval, not waiting for the 'new' start time point to come. At that, Veeam Backup & Replication
“stretches” the started interval: the interval lasts for the time remaining till the new start time plus the
time of the backup copy interval itself.
3. All subsequent backup copy intervals are created and started in a regular manner by the new schedule.
For example, when you first created a backup copy job, you set a daily backup copy interval with the start time
at 8 AM. After that, you changed the start time to 10 AM. In this case, Veeam Backup & Replication will first
finish the backup copy interval that is currently running — that is, the backup copy interval that was started at 8
AM — as usual. After that, it will immediately start a new backup copy interval. This interval will run for 26 hours
— from 8 AM of the current day until 10 AM of the next day. All subsequent backup copy intervals will be
started at 10 AM every day.
The first backup copy interval that is run after the start time change is typically longer than a regular one. This
happens because of the backup copy interval “stretch” mentioned above. To start the synchronization process
right away, you can use the Sync Now option after you change the start time value. In this case,
Veeam Backup & Replication will behave in the following manner:
1. When you start the synchronization process manually, Veeam Backup & Replication forcibly finishes the
current backup copy interval and begins a new backup copy interval according to the new start time value.
This backup copy interval lasts until a new backup copy interval by the new schedule must be started.
2. All subsequent backup copy intervals are created and started in a regular manner.
As a result, the first backup copy interval after the start time change will begin immediately.
For example, when you first created a backup copy job, you set a daily backup copy interval with the start time
at 8 AM. After that, you changed the start time to 10 AM. On the start time change, you started the manual
synchronization process at 1 PM. In this case, Veeam Backup & Replication will finish the current backup copy
interval — that is, the backup copy interval that was started at 8 AM — immediately at 1 PM. After that, it will
start a new backup copy interval. This interval will run for 21 hours — from 1 PM of the current day until 10 AM
of the next day. All subsequent backup copy intervals will be started at 10 AM every day.
Restore Point Selection
Veeam Backup & Replication always copies the most recent restore points, even if a backup copy job runs for the
first time and source backup repositories already contain chains of restore points.
In the immediate copy mode, the most recent restore point is the latest complete restore point created by a
source backup job.
In the periodic copy mode, Veeam Backup & Replication uses the backup copy interval to identify a restore point
as the most recent one — the time of restore point creation must be greater or equal to the difference between
the current time and the backup copy interval.
Time of restore point creation >= current time – backup copy interval
Consider the following example. You create a backup copy job and set the backup copy interval to 24 hours. The
source backup job will create a restore point on 6/30/2020 at 1:00 PM. The backup copy job will start on
7/1/2020, 12:00 PM. According to the rule, Veeam Backup & Replication will copy the created restore point:
6/30/2020, 1:00 PM >= 7/1/2020, 12:00 PM – 24 hours
If there are no restore points considered as recent, Veeam Backup & Replication does not copy data from source
backup repositories. Instead, it waits for new restore points to appear. Only after that,
Veeam Backup & Replication copies the most recent data blocks to the target repository.
In the periodic copy mode, you can also specify the search scope for restore points. For more information, see
Select Machines to Process.
Limitations for Restore Points Selection

The following limitations apply when Veeam Backup & Replication selects restore points that must be copied to
the target repository:
• Veeam Backup & Replication does not copy restore points from imported backups.
• Veeam Backup & Replication does not copy restore points that have already been copied by the same
backup copy job to the target backup repository.
• Veeam Backup & Replication does not copy incomplete restore points.
• Veeam Backup & Replication does not copy restore points that are locked by the backup transformation
process (merge, transform).
• A backup copy job does not copy a restore point if its data block size differs from the data block size of
restore points that the job has already copied to the target backup repository. To copy restore points with
the changed block size, you need to create active full backups. For details, see Change Storage
Optimization Settings for Backup Copy Job.
For example, if you have changed the block size for restore points in the source backup job (the Storage
optimization option in the Storage Settings), Veeam Backup & Replication will not copy newly created
restore points and will display the Restore point is located in backup file with different block size
message.
Transformation Processes
Veeam Backup & Replication can perform additional transformations in the target backup repository after the
backup copying task or at the end of the backup copy interval. Transformation processes are the following:
• Backup chain transformation

When a new restore point is copied to the target backup repository, Veeam Backup & Replication checks
the retention policy settings for the backup copy job. If the limit in restore points is exceeded,
Veeam Backup & Replication transforms the backup chain to make room for a new restore point. For more
information, see Retention Policy for Backup Copy Jobs.
After the transformation process, Veeam Backup & Replication can perform additional operations: remove
data for deleted machines from the backup chain and compact a full backup file.
• Removal of deleted items

In the backup copy job settings, you can select to maintain retention policy for deleted machines. In this
case, Veeam Backup & Replication will check the list of machines included in the job and remove data for
deleted machines from the backup chain in the target backup repository. For more information, see
Specifying Advanced Settings.
• Full backup file compact

In the backup copy job settings, you can select to periodically compact a full backup file to reduce its size
and increase the speed of read and write operations. For more information, see Compact of Full Backup
File.
Backup Copy Window
A backup copy window is a period of time when a backup copy job is allowed to transport data between source
and target repositories.
By default, the backup copy window is configured to allow data transfer at any time. If you do not want the
backup copy job to overlap the production hours, you can reduce the backup copy window and specify
"prohibited" hours.
During the prohibited hours Veeam Backup & Replication cannot transfer data between source and target
repositories. Other aspects of how Veeam Backup & Replication behaves during the prohibited hours and backup
copy window depend on the selected backup copy mode. For more information, see Backup Copy Window and
Prohibited Hours in Immediate Copy Mode and Backup Copy Window and Prohibited Hours in Periodic Copy
Mode.
NOTE
During the prohibited hours, Veeam Backup & Replication stops only data transferring operations.
Transformation processes in the target repository are still performed. For more information, see
Transformation Processes.
Backup Copy Window and Prohibited Hours in Immediate Copy

Mode
When the prohibited hours start, Veeam Backup & Replication stops backup copy job sessions during which data
transfer was not finished and assigns Failed to the session statuses. During the prohibited hours,
Veeam Backup & Replication does not start new backup copy job sessions.
When the backup copy window starts, Veeam Backup & Replication transfers all restore points that were not
transferred and creates as many incremental backup files as were omitted.
Backup Copy Window and Prohibited Hours in Periodic Copy

Mode
How Veeam Backup & Replication behaves during the prohibited hours and backup copy window depend on the
length of the backup copy interval:
• If the backup copy interval is longer than the duration of the prohibited hours,
Veeam Backup & Replication puts backup copy job sessions to the Idle state and postpones data transfer
operations. When the backup copy window starts, Veeam Backup & Replication renews data transfer.
• If the backup copy interval is shorter than the duration of the prohibited hours,
Veeam Backup & Replication finishes all backup copy job sessions and assigns Failed to the session
statuses. During the first backup copy interval on the backup copy window, Veeam Backup & Replication
aggregates all data changes between the latest restore point on the target backup repository and latest
restore point in the source backup repository. Then, Veeam Backup & Replication transfers these changes
to the target repository and writes them into one restore point.
Retention Policy for Backup Copy Jobs
The retention policy of a backup copy job defines for how long Veeam Backup & Replication must retain copied
restore points in the target backup repository. The retention policy of a backup copy job does not depend on
retention policy of the source backup job. The backup copy job has its own retention policy settings.
Veeam Backup & Replication offers two retention policy schemes for backup copy jobs:
• Short-Term Retention Policy
• GFS Retention Policy (Weekly, Monthly, Yearly)
Also, there is a separate retention policy for machines that has been removed from the infrastructure. For
details, see Deleted Items Retention.
Short-Term Retention Policy

The short-term retention policy allows to retain restore points created by backup copy jobs for a specified
number of days or until the number of restore points reaches the specified number in the retention settings.
During the first backup copy session, Veeam Backup & Replication creates the first restore point — a full backup.
The next backup copy sessions add incremental backups to the backup chain. As a result, the regular backup
cycle produces a chain of a full backup and set of incremental backups in the target backup repository. When the
retention policy is exceeded, Veeam Backup & Replication removes the earliest restore points from backup
chains in the target backup repositories.
Since Veeam Backup & Replication creates forever forward incremental backup chains while backup copy jobs
run, Veeam Backup & Replication applies the forever forward incremental retention policy to remove restore
points and maintain the desired number of restore points.
When configuring short-term retention policy settings for a backup copy job, you have two options:
• Specify the number of restore points.

Veeam Backup & Replication keeps the last N restore points, where N is the number of restore points that
you specify in the settings. The minimum number that you can specify is 2. The default number is 7.
• Specify the number of days.

Veeam Backup & Replication keeps restore points created during the last N days, where N is the number of
days that you specify in the settings.
Mind the following for the daily retention policy:
o The minimum number of retained restore points is 3. This number does not depend on the number of
days set in the retention policy. For example, the retention policy is set to 5 days. You launch the job
after it was stopped for 10 days. Normally, Veeam Backup & Replication would delete all previous
restore points. However, due to the minimum number of retained restore points, you will still have at
least 3 restore points.
You can change the minimum number of retained restore points with a registry key. For more
o If the backup job starts at the end of the day and finishes the next day, Veeam Backup & Replication
assumes that the restore point is created at the moment when the backup job started. However,
Veeam Backup & Replication starts counting retention policy days only after the backup job finishes
processing workloads.
o When determining whether the number of allowed days is exceeded, Veeam Backup & Replication
ignores the day when the daily retention policy runs. In fact, Veeam Backup & Replication keeps
restore points for the N + 1 days, where N is the number of days that you specify in the settings.
NOTE
If you want to create full backups periodically (weekly, monthly, yearly), enable the GFS retention policy. If
you do not enable the GFS retention, the regular backup copy cycles will create only incremental backups.
IMPORTANT
This section describes how the short-term retention policy functions when the GFS retention policy is
disabled. If you enable the GFS retention policy, mind the following:
• The backup copy chain will contain more restore points than you have specified in the short-term
retention policy.
• With enabled GFS retention policy, Veeam Backup & Replication applies the forward-incremental
retention policy to the backup copy chain.
For details, see GFS Retention Policy.
Example
The regular backup cycle is based on the short-term retention policy scheme. When you specify retention policy
settings, you define how many restore points you want to retain in the backup chain in the target backup
repository.
For example, you have selected to retain 7 restore points. The backup copy runs once a day and starts on
Sunday.
1. Veeam Backup & Replication creates a full backup on Sunday and add 6 incremental backups Monday
through Saturday.
2. On Sunday, Veeam Backup & Replication creates another increment. As a result, there will be 8 restore
points, which exceeds the retention policy. Thus, the oldest increment is merged to the full backup.
After the oldest increment is merged to the full backup, Veeam Backup & Replication removes the
increment as it is no longer needed.
Related Topics

The long-term or Grandfather-Father-Son (GFS) retention policy allows you to store VM backups for long
periods of time — for weeks, months and years. For this purpose, Veeam Backup & Replication creates special
backup files — synthetic or active full backup files marked with GFS flags. These GFS flags can be of three types:
weekly, monthly or yearly. Depending on which flag is assigned to the full backup, it will be stored for specified
number of weeks, months or years.
The GFS retention also helps you to mitigate risks that the short-term retention policy has, such as large number
of subsequent incremental backups. Large number of subsequent incremental backups can increase recovery
time, because Veeam Backup & Replication has to read data through the whole backup chain. Also, one
corrupted increment can make the whole chain useless. When you configure the GFS retention,
Veeam Backup & Replication creates weekly/monthly/yearly full backups, so instead of one backup chain
consisting of one full backup and incremental backups, you will have several backup chains.
GFS backups are always full backup files that contain data of the whole machine image as of a specific date. GFS
is a tiered retention policy and it uses a number of cycles to retain backups for different periods of time:
• Weekly backup cycle
• Monthly backup cycle
• Yearly backup cycle
In the GFS retention policy, weekly backups are known as ‘sons’, monthly backups are known as ‘fathers’ and
yearly backups are known as ‘grandfathers’. Weekly, monthly and yearly backups are also called archive
backups.
NOTE
GFS retention policy functions in combination with short-term retention policy. When the GFS retention is
enabled, the short-term retention policy is applied only to the latest backup chain. The latest backup chain
consists of the "youngest" full backup and its subsequent increments that depend on this full backup.
In This Section
• How GFS Retention Works
• Limitations and Considerations for GFS Cycles
How GFS Retention Works

In this section, we will consider how backup copy GFS retention works on a real example. To have a better
understanding of the workflow, it is recommended to get acquainted with GFS Cycles and GFS Backup Chains.
Consider that you have created a backup copy job with the following settings:
• The backup copy job starts on Sunday; the backup copy interval is 1 day and starts at 12:00 AM.
• Short-term retention policy is set to 5 restore points.
• GFS schedule settings are configured in the following way:
o Keep weekly full backups for 1 week; create weekly full backups on Thursday.
o Keep monthly full backups for 3 months; create monthly backups on the first week.
o Keep yearly full backups for 1 year; create monthly backups in January (the current month).
Veeam Backup & Replication will run the backup copy job in the following way:
o Let's say it's the last week of January. So, on the first run, Veeam Backup & Replication creates a full
backup and assigns yearly and monthly GFS flags to this backup file.
Then, from Monday through Wednesday, Veeam Backup & Replication creates incremental backups.
o According to the GFS schedule, weekly full backups must be created on Thursday. Thus,
Veeam Backup & Replication creates a weekly full backup on Thursday.
The GFS full backup can be synthesized from previous backup files or it can be copied from the source
repository. For details, see Backup Copy GFS Methods.
3. Friday through Monday, Veeam Backup & Replication adds incremental backups to the new backup
chain. On Monday, Veeam Backup & Replication removes the increments of the previous backup chain
because the latest backup chain has 5 restore points, which is set in the short-term retention policy.
4. On Tuesday, it is February the 1st, beginning of a new month. It means that Veeam Backup & Replication
must create a monthly full backup.
5. On Wednesday, Veeam Backup & Replication adds an incremental backup to the new backup chain.
Then, on Thursday, Veeam Backup & Replication creates a weekly full backup.
6. Friday through Monday, Veeam Backup & Replication adds incremental backups to the new backup
chain.
Then, on Monday, Veeam Backup & Replication removes increments of previous backup chains because
the latest backup chain has 5 restore points.
In the GFS schedule settings, we have set that weekly full backups must be stored for one week. Thus,
Veeam Backup & Replication removes the previous weekly full backup.
Related Topics
• Limitations and Considerations for GFS Retention Policy
• Backup Copy GFS Methods
• Backup Copy GFS Cycles
Backup Copy GFS Methods

You can instruct Veeam Backup & Replication to create archive full backups with the following methods:
• Synthetic full method — Veeam Backup & Replication synthesizes archive full backups using restore points
in the target backup repository.
• Active full method — Veeam Backup & Replication copies data for archive full backups from the source
backup repository. This method is available only for the periodic copy mode.
Synthetic Full Method for Archive Backups

The synthetic full backup is the default method to create archive full backups. Veeam Backup & Replication does
not copy data for archive full backups from the source backup repository. It synthesizes archive full backups
from backup files that are already stored in the target backup repository. This approach helps reduce load on
the network and production environment.
NOTE
The synthetic full method is not recommended if you use a deduplication storage appliance as a target
backup repository. Performing a synthetic full backup in such repositories requires additional time and
resources to download and decompress backup data blocks.
This recommendation does not apply to HPE StoreOnce, Dell EMC Data Domain and ExaGrid:
• HPE StoreOnce and Dell EMC Data Domain use virtual synthetics. Veeam Backup & Replication
creates archive full backups by virtually synthesizing data blocks from existing backup files.
• ExaGrid uses adaptive deduplication. Veeam Backup & Replication creates archive full backups from
existing backup files that are stored in complete form in ExaGrid high-speed cache.
Active Full Method for Archive Backups

You can instruct Veeam Backup & Replication to create archive full backups (backups retained by the GFS
scheme) with the active full backup method. The active full backup method is recommended if you use a
deduplicating storage appliance as the target backup repository. Active full backup helps improve the backup
copy job performance and reduce the load on the target backup repository.
By default, Veeam Backup & Replication uses the synthetic backup method to create archive full backups.
However, synthesizing archive full backups can cause problems with storage performance on deduplicating
storage appliances. Deduplicating storage appliances are optimized for sequential data access. The synthetic
backup creation, however, takes random I/O operations — Veeam Backup & Replication reads data from existing
backup files and writes data to the synthesized archive full backup file. As a result, the storage performance can
degrade.
In addition, backups reside in the target backup repository in the deduplicated and compressed state. Before
creating synthetic full backups, Veeam Backup & Replication needs to download and decompress data blocks of
backups, which requires additional time and resources.
NOTE
Mind the following:
• The active full backup method does not always copy the most recent restore point from the source
backup repository. If the recent restore point is not created by the time the GFS task must start,
Veeam Backup & Replication copies the latest available restore point from the source backup
repository.
• If Veeam Backup & Replication does not manage to transfer the restore point during the backup
interval, the interval is extended to finalize the transfer.
Backup Copy GFS Cycles

When you configure the GFS schedule in the backup copy job settings, you specify for how long archive backups
must be stored and on which day certain GFS backup must be created.
Veeam Backup & Replication creates archive full backups exactly on the day specified in the GFS schedule
settings. There are separate schedules for weekly, monthly and yearly full cycles.
• Weekly cycle: Veeam Backup & Replication creates a weekly full backup on the specified day of the week.
On this day, creation of a weekly full backup starts as soon as the backup copy interval starts.
A week equals to 7 calendar days; for example, the first week of May is days 1–7, and the last week of May
is days 25–31.
• Monthly cycle: Veeam Backup & Replication creates a monthly full backup on the first day of the specified
week. You can choose to create the monthly backup on the first or the last week of the month.
If the first day of the current week has already passed and you select the first week for the monthly full
backup cycle, Veeam Backup & Replication creates a monthly full backup even if it is not the first day of
the current week.
If you enable the monthly GFS cycle and select the first week that has already passed,
Veeam Backup & Replication will create a monthly full backup only in the next month. Monthly full backup
for the current month will not be created.
• Yearly cycle: Veeam Backup & Replication creates a yearly full backup on the first day of the specified
month.
If the first day of the current month has already passed and you select the current month for the yearly
full backup cycle, Veeam Backup & Replication creates a yearly full backup even if it is not the first day of
the current month.
If you enable the yearly GFS cycle and select the month that has already passed,
Veeam Backup & Replication will create a yearly full backup only in the next year. Yearly full backup for
the current year will not be created.
You can configure the GFS schedule in the settings of a backup copy job. For details, see Backup Copy Job:
Define Backup Copy Target.
Backup Chain for GFS Backups

GFS retention functions in a combination with the short-term retention. Thus, mind the following:
• GFS retention creates yearly, monthly and weekly full backups. Short-term retention policy cannot delete
or merge these GFS full backups. Veeam Backup & Replication removes GFS backups only after the
specified retention period for yearly/monthly/weekly backup is exceeded. Thus, the backup chain may
contain more restore points than specified in the short-term retention policy.
• When you enable the GFS retention, Veeam Backup & Replication no longer merges increments to full
backups because GFS full backups cannot be modified. Thus, the short-term retention policy counts
retention points only in the last backup chain not in the whole backup chain.
NOTE
Veeam Backup & Replication removes GFS backup files only during running backup copy job sessions. This
means that if the backup copy job does not run on the expected retention date,
Veeam Backup & Replication will remove the GFS backup file later during the next job session.
Multiple GFS Flags

If you schedule a monthly and/or yearly full backup on the same day when the weekly full backup is scheduled,
Veeam Backup & Replication creates only one archive full backup. The created backup will be marked at the
same time as weekly, monthly and yearly GFS backup. In the Veeam Backup & Replication console, you will see
all GFS flags assigned to the backup.
The full backup can be marked as weekly, monthly and/or yearly. When transforming weekly, monthly and
yearly backup chains, Veeam Backup & Replication checks flags set for the full backup file. If the full backup file
belongs to some other retention policy tier and must be retained in the target backup repository, such backup
file will not be removed.
Checking Which Restore Point Has GFS Flag

To check whether a restore point has a GFS flag, you can open the backup properties in the
Veeam Backup & Replication console. Weekly, monthly, yearly backups have "W", "M" and/or "Y" flag in the
Retention column. For instructions, see Viewing Backup Properties.
Limitations and Considerations for GFS Cycles

Before configuring the GFS retention policy for a backup copy job, mind the following limitations and
considerations:
• General Settings
• Periodic Copy Mode
• Changes in GFS Retention After Upgrading from Veeam Backup & Replication 10 to version 11
General Settings
Mind the following for general settings of a backup copy job:
• You cannot enable GFS retention settings if you use a backup repository with rotated drives as the target
backup repository.
• [For yearly GFS cycle] If you enable only the yearly GFS cycle, you can encounter the case when there is
one full backup and a large number of increments for the whole year. To avoid this case, it is
recommended to enable an additional weekly GFS cycle. Weekly GFS cycle will update the backup chain
every week which will allow to remove excessive increment files.
• If it is the day when the GFS full backup must be created and there were no new backup files since the last
run of the backup copy, the GFS full backup will be created from the latest available backup chain.
Periodic Copy Mode

If you want to use the periodic copy mode, mind the following:
• If the backup copy interval is not enough to get the active full backup, the interval will be prolonged until
the active full process is finished.
• If the backup copy job is waiting for a new interval and a GFS full backup must be created on this day,
Veeam Backup & Replication interrupts the backup copy interval and create a GFS full backup.
Changes in GFS Retention After Upgrading from Veeam

Backup & Replication 10 to version 11
In Veeam Backup & Replication version 11, the backup copy GFS retention settings are different from the
settings in version 11. If you upgrade to Veeam Backup & Replication 11, all GFS retention settings of existing
backup copy jobs are automatically switched to the new format with minimal changes:
• Weekly GFS retention: If in version 10 the GFS setting was to keep 5 weekly backups, in version 11 the
setting is changed to keep weekly backups for 5 weeks.
• Monthly GFS retention: If in version 10 the monthly GFS schedule was set to a period between the 1st
Monday and 2nd Sunday, in version 11 the monthly GFS settings is changed to First week.
If the monthly GFS schedule was set to a period between the 3rd Monday and last Sunday, in version 11
the monthly GFS settings is changed to Last week.
• Yearly GFS retention: If in version 10 the yearly GFS schedule was set to a certain day of the week, in
version 11 the schedule is changed to the first day of January.
If the yearly GFS schedule was set to a certain day of the month, in version 11 the schedule is set to the
first day of the specified month.
• Quarterly GFS retention: Since Veeam Backup & Replication version 11, quarterly GFS retention policy
option is deprecated.
If in version 10 the quarterly GFS policy was enabled, in version 11 three additional months are added to
the monthly GFS policy to compensate the quarterly full backups.
Note that if in version 10 the quarterly GFS policy was enabled and monthly GFS policy was disabled, in
version 11 the target repository may contain more full backups than it would contain if the quarterly GFS
policy was still available.
Deleted Items Retention

After you configure a backup copy job, you may want to change something in the virtual infrastructure. For
example, you may remove some virtual or physical machines or move VMs to another location. You may also
exclude VMs from the backup copy job that has already run for some time.
By default, when you remove a machine protected by Veeam Backup & Replication from the virtual
infrastructure, exclude a machine from the backup copy job or stop protecting a machine with Veeam Agent, the
copied data still remains in backup files in the target backup repository. To avoid keeping redundant data on
disk, you can enable the Remove deleted items data after option in the backup copy job settings. With this
option enabled, at the end of every synchronization cycle Veeam Backup & Replication will remove data for
deleted machines from backup files in the target backup repository.
Veeam Backup & Replication removes data for deleted machine only if two conditions are met:
1. Veeam Backup & Replication has not created a valid restore points for the deleted machine for the number
of days specified in the Remove deleted items data after field.
2. The backup chain in the target backup repository does not contain any successful incremental restore
points for the deleted machine.
This approach helps ensure that data for deleted machines can be saved by the GFS retention.
For example:
• The retention for the backup copy job is set to 7.
• The retention period for deleted machine is set to 3 days.
The backup copy job has created 3 successful restore points — a full backup and two incremental backups.
During the next 4 days, no successful restore points were created. At the next synchronization cycle,
Veeam Backup & Replication will not remove data for the deleted machine from the target backup repository as
the backup chain contains successful incremental restore points for this machine.
IMPORTANT
Mind the following:
• The deleted items retention applies only to regular backup chains. Veeam Backup & Replication does
not remove data for deleted machines from weekly, monthly and yearly backups.
• When Veeam Backup & Replication removes data for deleted machines from regular backup chains, it
does not free up space in the backup repository. It marks the space as available to be overwritten,
and this space is overwritten during subsequent job sessions or the backup file compact operation.
• When Veeam Backup & Replication removes data for deleted machines from per-VM backup chains, it
does not mark the space as available but deletes backup files since they contain data for 1 machine
only.
Veeam Backup & Replication does not analyze the reason for which the machine has not been processed during
the backup copy session. For example, a VM may be regarded as deleted if Veeam Backup & Replication has
failed to obtain data for the VM from the virtual infrastructure, the VM has failed to be processed in time during
the backup copy session and so on.
For this reason, you must be careful when specifying the retention period for deleted machines. If the retention
period is too short, Veeam Backup & Replication may remove from the backup chain restore points that you still
require.
For example, a backup copy job is configured to process 2 VMs and has the following settings:
• The backup copy starts once a day.
• The retention for the backup copy job is set to 2.
• The retention period for deleted VMs is set to 1 day.
The backup copy job runs in the following way:
1. On Sunday, the backup copy job creates a full backup for 2 VMs – VM1 and VM2.
2. On Monday, the backup copy job creates an incremental backup for VM1. The backup copy job does not
manage to process VM2 in time.
3. On Tuesday, the backup copy job creates an incremental backup for VM1. The backup copy job does not
manage to process VM2 in time.
4. At the end of the backup copy job session on Tuesday, Veeam Backup & Replication transforms the backup
chain and detects deleted VMs. Veeam Backup & Replication regards VM2 as a deleted VM — the deleted
VMs retention is set to 1 day, and after transformation, there are no valid restore points for this VM in the
backup chain.
As a result, after the backup copy session on Tuesday backup files in the target backup repository will not
contain data for VM2.
Health Check for Backup Files
or backup file in the backup chain. The health check helps Veeam Backup & Replication make sure that further
restore will be possible.
The health check starts as soon as a backup copy job starts. The health check verifies restore points (full backup
files or related full and incremental backup files). Only the latest restore points are verified. On the day when
the health check is scheduled, Veeam Backup & Replication performs the health check only once, even if the
backup copy job runs several times.
Note that the health check process differs for backup files stored in the HPE StoreOnce repository. For details,
see Health Check for Backup Files Stored on HPE StoreOnce.
NOTE
If you perform the health check for the encrypted backup files, Veeam Backup & Replication will pass
encryption keys to the regular backup repository or cloud repository. For more information on encryption,
see Data Encryption.

Veeam Backup & Replication performs the health check in the following way:
1. As soon as a restore point is saved to the backup repository, Veeam Backup & Replication calculates CRC
values for backup metadata and hash values for data blocks of a disk in the backup file and saves these
values in the metadata of the backup file, together with copied data.
2. On the day when the health check is scheduled, Veeam Backup & Replication performs the following
actions:
a. At the beginning of the backup copy session, Veeam Backup & Replication performs the health check
for the latest restore point in the backup chain. If the latest restore point in the backup chain is
incomplete, Veeam Backup & Replication checks the restore point preceding the latest one.
Veeam Backup & Replication calculates CRC values for backup metadata and hash values for disks
data blocks in the backup file and compares them with the CRC and hash values that are already
stored in the backup file.
b. If the health check detects corrupted data blocks, together with data blocks for the new restore point,
Veeam Backup & Replication transports valid data blocks for the corrupted restore point. The valid
data blocks are stored to the new incremental restore point created with this backup copy session. As
a result, the backup chain gets “fixed”, and you get a possibility to restore data from restore points
following the corrupted restore point.
NOTE
If the backup copy job uses WAN accelerators, Veeam Backup & Replication attempts to find data blocks in
the global cache not to transfer data over the network. For more information, see WAN Acceleration.
Health Check for Backup Files Stored on HPE StoreOnce

The health check starts as soon as a backup copy job transfers backup files to the target repository. The health
check verifies backup files, not restore points, and only those backup files transferred during the current job
session.

Veeam Backup & Replication performs the health check in the following way:
1. As soon as a backup file is transferred to the target repository, Veeam Backup & Replication calls the HPE
StoreOnce internal method that calculates checksums for data blocks of this backup file.
The checksum calculation requires the rehydration of the verified data. This may lower the performance
on the target repository especially during the first backup copy session. During this session, the health
check verifies all backup files in source backup chains.
2. Veeam Backup & Replication compares the calculated checksums and the checksums already stored in the
backup file.
3. If the health check detects corrupted data blocks, Veeam Backup & Replication deletes the backup file
from the target repository. On the next backup copy job session, Veeam Backup & Replication transfers
and performs the health check for this file again.
Compact of Full Backup File
The backup copy job constantly transforms the full backup file in the backup chain to meet retention policy
settings. The transformation process, however, has a side effect. In the long run, the full backup file grows large
and gets fragmented. The file data occurs to be written to non-contiguous clusters on disk, and operations of
reading and writing data from and to the backup file slow down.
To resolve the fragmentation problem, you can instruct Veeam Backup & Replication to compact the full backup
file periodically. During the file compact operation, Veeam Backup & Replication creates a new full backup file in
the target repository: it copies existing data blocks from the old backup file, rearranges and stores them close to
each other. As a result, the full backup file gets defragmented, its size reduces and the speed of reading and
writing from and to the file increases.
To compact the full backup file periodically, you must enable the Defragment and compact full backup file
option in the backup copy job settings and define the compact operation schedule. By default, the compact
operation is performed on the last Sunday of every month. You can change the compact operation schedule and
instruct Veeam Backup & Replication to perform it weekly or monthly on specific days.
Backup Copy Job Mapping
Backup copy job mapping helps you reduce the amount of data transferred over network and decrease the load
on WAN accelerators or slow connections.
If you use the target backup repository also as a target for other backup copy or backup jobs, you can already
have a backup of machines that you want to copy. In this case, you can map the backup copy job to this backup.
A backup copy job mapped to a backup is performed in the following way:
1. Veeam Backup & Replication accesses a backup to which you map the backup copy job. The backup may
have any number of restore points in the chain. This backup chain will be used as a seed for the further
backup copying process.
2. During subsequent backup copy sessions, Veeam Backup & Replication copies restore points in a regular
manner. It copies only incremental changes and stores them as new restore points next to the seed backup
chain.
A mapped backup copy job does not store copied restore points in a dedicated folder in the target backup
repository. Instead, it stores restore points to the same folder where the "seed" backup chain resides.
Creating Seed for Backup Copy Job

Backup copy jobs have limitations for backups that can be used as seeds. The limitations are listed in the Map
Backup File section.
To overcome these limitations, you can create a seed using a secondary backup copy job. To create a seed for
the primary backup copy job, do the following:
1. Create a backup copy job. Add machines or backups whose restore points you want to copy to this backup
copy job. Target the backup copy job to some backup repository on the source side. This backup repository
will be used as an intermediate one.
2. Run the backup copy job to create a full backup file (VBK) in the intermediate backup repository.
3. Transfer the created VBK file and VBM file from the intermediate backup repository to the target backup
repository.
4. Perform repository rescan to populate the target backup repository.

If the initial backup file was encrypted, you must enter a password to unlock the full backup file.
Otherwise, Veeam Backup & Replication will not display the full backup file in the list of backups in the
backup repository. For more information, see Importing Encrypted Backups.
5. Remap the backup copy job to the full backup file that you have created and transferred to the target
backup repository.
6. Click Sync Now to start the backup copy.
As a result, Veeam Backup & Replication will use the full backup file as a seed. When a new restore point for the
machine is available in the source backup repository, Veeam Backup & Replication will copy the restore point to
the target backup repository and store it next to the full backup seed.
Specifying Backup Copy Interval for Periodic Copy Mode

When you configure a backup copy job, make sure that its backup copy interval covers the whole chain of
restore points in the backup repository from which you plan to copy backups. The length of the backup copy
interval has an impact on the algorithm of restore point selection. Veeam Backup & Replication copies only
restore points that match the following criterion:
Time of restore point creation >= current time – backup copy interval
That is, if you have a backup chain whose earliest restore point is 1 week old, you need to set the backup copy
interval to 1 week. If you set the backup copy interval to a smaller time interval, for example, 1 day, all restore
points that are older than 1 day will fall out of the search scope, and Veeam Backup & Replication will not
transfer such restore points. For more information, see Restore Point Selection.
Active Full Backup Copies
You can manually create an ad-hoc full backup for the backup copy job — active full backup copy, and add it to
the backup chain in the target backup repository. To do this, you can use the Active Full button on the ribbon or
the Active Full command from the shortcut menu.
Active full backup copy can be helpful if you want to change backup copy job settings, for example, enable or
disable encryption. Veeam Backup & Replication will apply new settings starting from this full backup.
Veeam Backup & Replication treats archive full backups created with the active full backup method as regular
backups and applies regular retention policy rules to maintain the necessary number of restore points.
Retention Policy for Active Full Backups

If you create active full backups for backup copy jobs, Veeam Backup & Replication applies to the backup chain
retention rules of the forward incremental backup method. Veeam Backup & Replication waits until the number
of restore points in the new backup chain is equal to the retention policy setting, and then removes the previous
backup chain on the whole. For more information, see Retention for Forward Incremental Backup.
Automatic Job Retries
Veeam Backup & Replication automatically retries several operations that are performed within a backup copy
job session.
Job Tasks Retry

By default, Veeam Backup & Replication automatically retries a failed backup copy task 5 times within one
backup copy job session. A new task is started immediately after the previous one, without any interval.
The backup copy task is retried only if the previous task has failed and a restore point has not been copied to the
target backup repository. Veeam Backup & Replication does not perform a retry if a task has finished with the
Success or the Warning status.
The backup copy task is retried during the same backup copy session only. If a restore point fails to be copied
during all retries in the current backup copy session, Veeam Backup & Replication marks the current task as
failed. In case of the periodic copy mode, Veeam Backup & Replication also waits for the expiration of the
backup copy interval. After that, Veeam Backup & Replication performs the necessary transformation processes
and starts a new backup copy session.
A backup copy job can process several machines. If only some machines are successfully processed by the
backup copy task, Veeam Backup & Replication creates a restore point holding data for these machines in the
target backup repository. Veeam Backup & Replication will attempt to process restore points for all machines
during the next backup copy session.
NOTE:
Some errors from WAN accelerators can block backup copy job retries. For example, if there is no space in
the global cache on the target WAN accelerator, Veeam Backup & Replication puts backup copy operations
on hold and waits for the expiration of the backup copy session.
Transformation Retry
After the backup copying task, Veeam Backup & Replication may perform a number of additional transformation
processes in the target backup repository. These processes include the backup chain transformation, removing
of deleted machines from restore points and compacting a full backup file. For more information, see
Transformation Processes.
Veeam Backup & Replication may fail to perform transformation: for example, if the backup file in the target
backup repository is locked by the file-level restore session. By default, Veeam Backup & Replication
automatically retries transformation processes for 5 times. The first interval between retries is 1 minute; the
interval doubles with every new attempt. If all retries of transformation processes fail,
Veeam Backup & Replication does the following:
• [For the immediate copy mode] Stops the job with the Fail status and waits for the new job session.
• [For the periodic copy mode] Puts the job to the idle state and waits for the new backup copy interval to
begin.
Virtual Infrastructure Access Retry

At the beginning of every backup copy session, Veeam Backup & Replication accesses the virtual infrastructure
to make up a list of machines processed by the job.
Veeam Backup & Replication may fail to access the virtual infrastructure for some reason: for example, in case
the vCenter Server is not responding. By default, Veeam Backup & Replication automatically retries access
operations for 5 times with a 5 minute interval.
Creating Backup Copy Jobs for VMs and
Physical Machines
To copy backups to a secondary location, you must configure a backup copy job. The backup copy job defines
how, where and when to copy backups. One job can be used to process backups of one or more workloads.
NOTE:
If you want to copy backups between HPE StoreOnce repositories, follow the instructions listed in Creating
Backup Copy Jobs for HPE StoreOnce Repositories.
If you want to copy file share backups, follow the instructions listed in Creating File Share Backup Jobs.
Before you create a job, check prerequisites. Then use the New Backup Copy Job wizard to configure the backup
copy job.
Before You Begin
Before you create a backup copy job, check the following prerequisites:
• Backup infrastructure components that will take part in the backup copy process must be added to the
backup infrastructure. This include target backup repository to which backups must be copied. For more
information on adding components, see Backup Infrastructure Components.
• If you plan to use pre-job and/or post-job scripts, you must create scripts before you configure the backup
copy job.
• If you plan to use WAN accelerators, check that you use the Enterprise Plus edition of
Veeam Backup & Replication and that target and source WAN accelerators are added to the backup
infrastructure. For more information, see Adding WAN Accelerators.
Step 1. Launch New Backup Copy Job Wizard
To run the New Backup Copy Job wizard, do one of the following:
• On the Home tab, click Backup Copy and select a platform:
o Virtual Machine > VMware vSphere backup
o Virtual Machine > VMware vCloud Director backup
o Windows computer backup
o Linux computer backup
o Veeam Agent for Mac backup
o Solaris x86 backup
o Solaris SPARC backup
o AWS EC2 backup
o Azure IaaS backup
o Nutanix backup
• Open the Home view, in the inventory pane right-click Jobs or right-click anywhere in the working area,
and select the necessary option:
o Backup copy > Virtual machine > VMware vSphere backup — if you want to create a copy of a VM
backup.
o Backup copy > Virtual machine > VMware vCloud director backup — if you want to create a copy of a
vCD backup.
o Backup copy > Windows computer backup — if you want to create a copy of a Veeam Agent backup
created for Microsoft Windows machines.
o Backup copy > Linux computer backup — if you want to create a copy of a Veeam Agent backup
created for Linux machines.
o Backup copy > Veeam Agent for Mac backup — if you want to create a copy of a Veeam Agent backup
created for Mac machines.
o Backup copy > Solaris x86 backup — if you want to create a copy of a Veeam Agent backup created for
Oracle Solaris machines based on Intel x86 architecture.
o Backup copy > Solaris SPARC backup — if you want to create a copy of a Veeam Agent backup created
for Oracle Solaris machines based on SPARC architecture.
o Backup copy > AWS EC2 backup — if you want to create a copy of an EC2 instance backup created with
Veeam Backup for AWS.
o Backup copy > Azure IaaS backup — if you want to create a copy of an Microsoft Azure VMs created
with Veeam Backup for Microsoft Azure.
o Backup copy > Nutanix backup — if you want to create a copy of a backup created with Veeam Backup
for Nutanix AHV.
Step 2. Specify Job Name and Copy Mode
At the Job step of the wizard, specify basic settings for the backup copy job:
1. In the Name field, specify a name for the job.
2. In the Description field, provide a description for the job.

The default description contains information on a user who created the job, date and time when the job
was created.
3. Select a backup copy mode. Note that after you finish configuring the backup copy job, you will not be
able to change the selected mode. For more information on copy modes and backup types supported in
each mode, see Backup Copy Modes.
o Select Immediate copy to copy new restore points and, if required, log backups as soon as they
appear.
o Select Periodic copy to copy the most recent restore points once within a backup copy interval.
 In the Copy every field, specify the backup copy interval. For more information on how to
choose backup copy interval duration, see Backup Copy Intervals.
 If you have selected a daily backup copy interval, specify the start time for the interval. By
default, the daily backup copy interval starts at 12:00 AM.
Step 3. Select Workloads to Process
At the Objects step of the wizard, select workloads whose restore points you want to copy to the target backup
repository:
1. Click Add.
2. [For the immediate copy mode] Select a type of a source from which you want to copy restore points:
o From jobs. You will see existing backup jobs. Veeam Backup & Replication will copy restore points
created by the selected backup jobs.
o From repositories. You will see all backup repositories in the backup infrastructure.
Veeam Backup & Replication will copy restore points stored on the selected backup repositories.
Veeam Backup & Replication will copy only restore points of workloads of the same platform as you
have selected when launching the wizard.
If you select repositories as sources, and target new jobs to the repositories in future,
Veeam Backup & Replication will update backup copy job settings automatically to include these jobs
to be copied.
3. [For the periodic copy mode] Select where to browse for workloads whose restore points you want to
copy:
o From infrastructure. You will browse for VMs and VM containers in the entire virtual infrastructure.
Veeam Backup & Replication will search for restore points of the selected VMs in all backup
repositories in the backup infrastructure and will copy the most recent restore points. You can limit
the search scope by selecting only specific backup repositories for the backup copy job. For more
information, see Select Source Backup Repositories.
This source is available only for backup copy jobs that process VMware or Hyper-V VMs.
o From backups. You will browse for workloads in existing backups. Veeam Backup & Replication will
search for restore points of the selected workloads in all backups of backup jobs created on the
backup server and will copy the most recent restore points. You can limit the search scope by
selecting only specific backup repositories for the backup copy job. For more information, see Select
Source Backup Repositories.
This source is the only available one for backup copy jobs that process backups of Amazon EC2
instances and Microsoft Azure VMs. You can select instances/VMs only from backups that are stored
in external repositories.
o From jobs. You will browse for workloads in existing backup jobs. Veeam Backup & Replication will
search for restore points of the selected workloads in backups created by the selected jobs. Note that
if multiple jobs process one workload, Veeam Backup & Replication copies only restore points created
by the first job in the Objects to process list.
4. In the Add Objects window, select the necessary sources or workloads.
5. Click Add.
6. [For the immediate copy mode] If you have configured processing of transaction log backups in the source
backup jobs, and want to copy these log backups to the target repository, select the Include database
transaction log backups check box.
NOTE
When you copy Veeam Agent backup jobs that process clusters with shared disks, the network traffic will
be higher compared to the traffic sent when Veeam Agent backup jobs run. This is because Veeam Agent
backup jobs send data of shared disks only with the owner node and then, within the target storage, clone
this data to other nodes; whereas backup copy jobs send data as it is stored on the storage — each node
with the cloned data.
As an alternative, you can create a backup copy job with an empty source — that is, do not add any workloads at
this step of the wizard. In this case, you need to configure a secondary destination for the source backup job and
link it to the created backup copy job. For more information, see Linking Backup Jobs to Backup Copy Jobs.
Limitations for Workload Selection

When selecting workloads, consider the following limitations:
• Within one backup copy job, Veeam Backup & Replication processes workloads of one platform only. For
example, within one backup copy job, you cannot process backups of VMware vSphere and Microsoft
Hyper-V VMs or backups of VMs and physical machines.
• The following applies to the periodic copy mode:
o If a workload that you want to add to a backup copy job is processed by multiple source backup jobs
that use different block sizes, add this workload From jobs.
When you add a workload From infrastructure or From backups, Veeam Backup & Replication picks
the most recent backup as a data source. If Veeam Backup & Replication picks source backups with
different block sizes during different backup copy intervals, the backup copy job will fail.
o If Use per-VM backup files option is disabled in a repository that you are planning to use as the target,
you can select only workloads that have the same data block size — that is, restore points of all
workloads that you select to process must have the same data block size. If the Use per-VM backup
files option is enabled, you can select workloads that have different block sizes.
• [For backup copy jobs processing Veeam Agent backups] The following limitation applies to backup copy
jobs only if you have upgraded to Veeam Backup & Replication 11 from Veeam Backup & Replication 10 or
earlier versions.
If a Microsoft Windows machine that you want to add to a backup copy job is processed by multiple source
Veeam Agent backup jobs configured in Veeam Backup & Replication, add this machine From jobs. If you
add a machine From backups, the backup copy job will fail with the following message: Unable to
determine source backup: multiple backup files with the same instance ID exist in the source backup
repository. Please reconfigure this Backup Copy job to use the specific backup job as the source.
Step 4. Exclude Objects from Backup Copy Job
This option is available only for virtual machines.
To specify which objects you want to exclude from the backup copy job:
1. At the Objects step of the wizard, click Exclusions.
2. In the Exclusions window, click Add.

[For the immediate copy mode] If you have added repositories as sources of restore points, you can
exclude individual VMs or backup jobs from processing. To exclude individual VMs, click Add > VMs. To
exclude individual jobs, click Add > Jobs.
3. In the Add Objects window, select objects that you want to exclude.
When you exclude VMs, you can use the Show full hierarchy check box to display the hierarchy of all hosts
added to Veeam Backup & Replication.
4. Click Add.
5. Click OK.
Step 5. Select Source Backup Repositories
This functionality is available if you have selected Periodic copy at the Specify Job Name and Description step.
You can select specific backup repositories on which Veeam Backup & Replication must search for restore points:
1. At the Objects step of the wizard, click Source.
2. Click the Selected backup repositories only option and select backup repositories.
IMPORTANT
The Selected backup repositories only option does not apply if you have added workloads From jobs. In
this case, Veeam Backup & Replication copies data from the backup repositories where backups created by
source backup jobs reside.
Step 6. Define Processing Order
This functionality is available if you have selected Periodic copy at the Specify Job Name and Description step.
You can define the order in which the backup copy job must process workloads. Configuring workload order can
be helpful, if you want the backup copy job to process mission-critical workloads first. For this, put these
workloads higher in the list to ensure that their processing fits the backup window.
Workloads inside a container are processed at random. To ensure that workloads are processed in the defined
order, you must add them as standalone workloads, not as part of the container.
To define workload processing order:
1. At the Objects step of the wizard, select a workload whose order you want to change.
2. Use the Up and Down buttons on the right to move the workload up or down in the list.
Step 7. Define Backup Copy Target
At the Target step of the wizard, define a target backup repository and configure retention policy:
1. From the Backup repository list, select a backup repository where copied backups must be stored.
2. In the Retention Policy field, configure the short-term retention policy for restore points:
o If you want to keep the last <N> restore points, select restore points from the drop-down list and
specify the number of restore points.
o If you want to keep all restore points created during the last <N> days, select days from the drop-
down list and specify the number of days.
When the specified number is exceeded, the earliest restore point will be removed from the backup chain
or will be merged with the next closest restore point. For more information on how
Veeam Backup & Replication retains the desired number of restore points, see Short-Term Retention
Policy.
NOTE
If you enable the GFS retention, the short-term retention does not remove
3. If you want to create weekly, monthly and/or yearly full backups, you can configure long-term retention
policy (GFS retention policy). GFS full backups cannot be deleted or modified until the specified retention
period expires. For more information on the GFS retention policy and its limitations, see Long-Term
Retention Policy (GFS).
To configure GFS retention policy, do the following:
a. Select the Keep certain full backups longer for archival purposes check box.
b. Click Configure.
c. In the Configure GFS window, do the following:
 If you want to create weekly full backups, select the Keep weekly full backups for check box.
Then, specify the number of weeks during which the weekly backup must be stored on the
target repository. During this period the weekly backup cannot be deleted or modified.
From the If multiple full backups exist, use the one from drop-down list, select a week day when
Veeam Backup & Replication must create a weekly full backup.
 If you want to create monthly restore points, select the Keep monthly full backups for check
box. Then, specify the number of months during which the monthly backup must be stored on
the target repository. During this period the weekly backup cannot be deleted or modified.
From the Use weekly full backup for the following week of a month drop-down list, select a
week when Veeam Backup & Replication must create a monthly full backup. A week equals to 7
calendar days; for example, the first week of May is days 1–7, and the last week of May is days
25–31.
Veeam Backup & Replication creates monthly full backups on the first day of the selected week
(first day of the first week of the month, or the first day of the last week of the month).
 If you want to create yearly restore points, select the Keep yearly full backups for check box.
Then, specify the number of years during which the yearly backup must be stored on the target
repository. During this period the weekly backup cannot be deleted or modified.
From the Use monthly full backup for the following month drop-down list, select a month when
Veeam Backup & Replication must create a yearly full backup. Veeam Backup & Replication
creates yearly full backups on the first day of the selected month.
NOTE
For details about the GFS retention, see Long-Term Retention Policy (GFS).
4. [For the periodic copy mode] You can define a way to create weekly, monthly and yearly full backups:
o Synthetic Full Method: With this method, during the GFS backup copy creation,
Veeam Backup & Replication does not copy data from the source backup repository but synthesizes
full backups from backup files that are already stored in the target backup repository. This approach
helps to reduce load on the network and production environment.
The synthetic full method is used by default. To use this method, leave the Read the entire restore
point from source instead of synthesizing it from increments option unselected.
o Active Full Method: With this method, Veeam Backup & Replication copies data for archive full
backups from the source backup repository. This method decreases load on the target repository but
increases load on the network and production environment.
To use this method, select the Read the entire restore point from source instead of synthesizing it
from increments option.
Step 8. Map Backup File
If the target backup repository already stores a backup of workloads that you want to copy, you can map the
backup copy job to this backup. The backup can be created by a backup job or another backup copy job.
The backup copy job will use the backup as a seed. As a result, Veeam Backup & Replication will transfer less
data over network. For more information, see Mapping Backup Copy Jobs.
To map the backup copy job to a backup:
1. At the Target step of the wizard, click the Map backup link.
2. In the Select Backup window, select a backup that contains restore points of workloads that you want to
copy.
Limitations for Mapping

When mapping a backup copy job, mind the following limitations:
• If a backup that you plan to use as a seed is encrypted, you must enable encryption for the backup copy
job. The password that you use for the backup copy job can differ from the password used for the initial
job.
• The following limitations apply to a backup that can be used as a seed:
o If you map the backup copy job to a backup created by another backup copy job, the backup must be
created with the same copy mode.
o [For the immediate copy mode] You can map the backup copy job only to a backup created by another
backup copy job.
o [For the periodic copy mode] If you map the backup copy job to a backup created by a backup job, this
backup must be created with the incremental backup method only, that is, forever forward or forward
incremental.
NOTE:
To overcome the listed limitations, you can use a workaround scenario. For more information, see
Creating Seed for Backup Copy Job.
o [For the periodic copy mode] You can map a Veeam Agent backup copy job only to a backup created
by the following types of jobs:
 Backup copy job that processes backups created by Veeam Agent operating in the standalone
mode.
 Backup job created in Veeam Agent operating in the standalone mode.
Step 9. Specify Advanced Settings
At the Target step of the wizard, you can specify the following settings for the backup copy job:
• RPO Monitor settings
• Script settings
TIP:
After you specify advanced settings for the backup copy job, you can save them as default settings. For
new backup copy job, Veeam Backup & Replication will automatically apply the default settings to the new
job.
To specify settings for backup files stored in the target backup repository:
1. At the Target step of the wizard, click Advanced.
2. If you want to periodically perform a health check of the most recent restore point in the backup chain,
select the Perform backup files health check check box and specify the schedule for the health check.
By default, the health check is performed on the last Saturday of every month. For more information on
the health check, see Health Check.
3. Select the Remove deleted items data after check box and specify the retention policy settings for deleted
workloads.
By default, the deleted item retention period is 30 days. It is recommended that you set the retention
period to 3 days or more to prevent unwanted data loss. For more information on the retention policy and
its limitations, see Deleted Items Retention.
4. To periodically compact a full backup, select the Defragment and compact full backup file check box and
specify the schedule for the compacting operation.
By default, the compact operation is disabled. For more information on compact of full backup files, see
Compact of Full Backup File.
IMPORTANT!
When enabling the Defragment and compact full backup file option, mind the following:
• The Defragment and compact full backup file option can be enabled only if GFS retention
policy is disabled.
• The target backup repository must have enough space to store a file of the full backup size.
During the compact process, Veeam Backup & Replication creates an auxiliary VBK file that
exists in the backup repository until the end of the compact operation.
• If you do not want to copy data for workloads that have only one restore point in the full
backup file and this restore point is older than 7 days, check that the following conditions are
met: Remove deleted items data is disabled; Use per-VM backup files is disabled in the settings
of the target backup repository.
Veeam Backup & Replication will extract data for such workloads from the full backup file and
write this data to a separate backup file. The file will be displayed under the Backups > Disk
(imported) node in the Home view.
Storage Settings
To specify compression, deduplication and encryption settings for backup files stored in the target backup
repository, do the following:
2. Click the Storage tab.
3. In the Data reduction section, specify data compression and deduplication settings:
o By default, Veeam Backup & Replication performs deduplication before storing copied data in the
target backup repository. To disable data deduplication, clear the Enable inline data deduplication
check box.
For more information on deduplication, see Deduplication.
o From the Compression level list, select a compression level.
The recommended level of compression is Auto. In this case, Veeam Backup & Replication uses
compression settings of the copied backup files. For more information on other compression levels,
see Data Compression.
5. In the Encryption section, specify encryption settings:
o To encrypt the backup file created with the backup copy job, select the Enable backup file encryption
check box.
o From the Password field, select a password that you want to use to encrypt the backup file. If you
have not created a password beforehand, click Add or use the Manage passwords link to specify a new
password. For more information, see Managing Passwords for Data Encryption.
NOTE:
When specifying encryption settings, consider the following:
• If you enable encryption for an existing backup copy job, Veeam Backup & Replication applies
new settings only starting from the next active full backup (created manually or by the GFS
schedule). The active full backup file and subsequent incremental backup files in the backup
chain will be encrypted with the specified password.
Note that if you disable the Read the entire restore point from source backup instead of
synthesizing it from increments option in the backup copy job, you will have synthetic full
backups, not active full backups. For details, see Defining Backup Copy Target.
• Encryption is not retroactive. If you enable encryption for an existing job,
Veeam Backup & Replication does not encrypt the previous backup chain created with this job.
If you want to start a new chain so that the unencrypted previous chain can be separated from
the encrypted new chain, follow the scenario described in this Veeam KB article.
RPO Monitor Settings

This capability is available if you have selected Immediate copy at the Specify Job Name and Description step.
You can instruct a backup copy job to display a warning if a newly created restore point or transaction log is not
copied within the desired recovery point objective (RPO). The RPO is counted down from the moment when the
source backup job finishes and is ready to be copied.
To mark a job with the Warning status when the RPO is exceeded, do the following:
2. Click the RPO Monitor tab.
3. Select the Alert me if newly created backup is not copied within check box.
4. In the fields on the right, specify the desired RPO in minutes, hours or days.
5. If you have enabled copying of log backups, select the Alert me if newly created log backup is not copied
within check box.
6. In the fields on the right, specify the desired RPO in minutes, hours or days.
To specify notification settings for the backup copy job:
completes successfully. In the periodic copy mode, you will receive notifications when the entire backup
copy job finishes. In the immediate copy mode — when copying of each source backup job finishes.
software on the recipient workload to receive SNMP traps. For more information, see Specifying SNMP
Settings.
notifications by email in case of job failure or success. In the field below, specify the recipient email
o [For the immediate copy mode] Veeam Backup & Replication sends notifications when copying of
each source backup job finishes. For example, if your backup copy job contains two source backup
jobs, you will receive two emails.
o [For the periodic copy mode] Veeam Backup & Replication sends a consolidated email notification
once for the specified backup copy interval. Even if the synchronization process is started several
times within the interval, for example, due to job retries, only one email notification will be sent.
For more information on how to configure global notification settings, see Configuring Global Email
Notification Settings.
5. [For the immediate copy mode] In the Send at field, specify when you want to send notifications about
backup copy jobs that process log backups. Veeam Backup & Replication sends a consolidated report once
a day at the specified time.
subject: %Time% (completion time), %JobName% (the backup copy job name and source
backup job name in the CopyJobName\SourceJobName format), %JobResult%,
%ObjectCount% (number of workloads in the job) and %Issues% (number of workloads in the
job that have been processed with the Warning or Failed status).
email notification if data processing completes successfully, completes with a warning or
fails.
Scripts Settings
To specify script settings for the backup copy job:
3. Select the Run the following script before the job and Run the following script after the job check boxes
to execute custom scripts before and/or after the backup copy job. Note that in the immediate copy mode,
scripts are executed for every source backup job.
Then click Browse and select executable files from a local folder on the backup server. The scripts will be
executed on the backup server after the transformation processes are completed on the target repository.
4. You can change how often the scripts must be executed:
o To run the scripts after a specific number of backup copy sessions, select Run scripts every... backup
session option and specify the number of sessions.
o To run the scripts on specific days, select the Run scripts on selected days only option and click the
Days button to specify week days.
NOTE:
If you select the Run scripts on the selected days only option, Veeam Backup & Replication
executes scripts only once on each selected day — when the job runs for the first time. During
subsequent job runs, scripts are not executed.
Step 10. Specify Data Path Settings
The Data Transfer step of the wizard is available only if you copy backups of virtual or physical machines created
with Veeam Backup & Replication or Veeam Agents.
At this step of the wizard, you can select how Veeam Backup & Replication will transport backed up data —
directly or through WAN accelerators. By default, during the backup copy job Veeam Backup & Replication
transports data directly from the source backup repository to target backup repository. This type of transport is
recommended if you plan to copy backup files over high-speed connections.
If you plan to copy backup files over WAN or slow connections, it is recommended that you configure source and
target WAN accelerators in the backup infrastructure and copy backups through these WAN accelerators. For
more information, see WAN Acceleration.
To use WAN acceleration for the backup copy job:
1. At the Data Transfer step of the wizard, select the Through built-in WAN accelerators option.
2. From the Source WAN accelerator list, select a WAN accelerator configured in the source site.
3. From the Target WAN accelerator list, select a WAN accelerator configured in the target site.
Requirements and Limitations for WAN Accelerators

• You must not assign one source WAN accelerator to several backup copy jobs that you plan to run
simultaneously.
The source WAN accelerator requires a lot of CPU and RAM resources and does not process multiple
backup copy tasks in parallel. As an alternative, you can create one backup copy job for all workloads you
plan to process over one source WAN accelerator. The target WAN accelerator, however, can be assigned
to several backup copy jobs.
• [For WAN accelerators with the high bandwidth mode disabled] It is recommended that you pre-populate
the global cache on the target WAN accelerator before you start the backup copy job. Global cache
population helps reduce the amount of traffic transferred over WAN. For more information, see Populating
Global Cache.
• You cannot use WAN accelerators for backup copy jobs that copy backups of Amazon EC2 instances.
Step 11. Define Backup Copy Window
At the Schedule step of the wizard, you can define a time span in which the backup copy job must not transport
data between source and target backup repositories. For more information, see Backup Copy Window.
To define a backup window for the backup copy job:
1. Select the During the following time periods only option.
2. In the schedule box, select the desired time area.
3. Use the Enable and Disable options to mark the selected time segments as allowed or prohibited for the
backup copy job.
At the Summary step of the wizard, complete the procedure of backup copy job configuration:
1. Review details of the backup copy job.
2. Select the Enable the job when I click Finish check box if you want to start the job right after you finish
Creating Backup Copy Jobs for HPE
StoreOnce Repositories
To copy backup files between HPE StoreOnce backup repositories, you must configure a backup copy job.
Unlike other backup copy jobs, the backup copy job for HPE StoreOnce mirrors data from the source repository.
This backup copy job copies backup files as they are stored in the source repository, without any transformation.
To copy the backup files, Veeam Backup & Replication uses the HPE StoreOnce Catalyst Copy technology.
The backup copy job copies only backup files created by backup jobs and other backup copy jobs. The backup
files must be of the following types:
• VM backup files created by Veeam Backup & Replication. Log backup files are not copied.
• Physical machine backup files created by Veeam Agent backup jobs managed by the backup server.
• Backups copied by other backup copy jobs to an HPE StoreOnce.
IMPORTANT!
Mind the following limitations:
• The backup copy job copies only backup files created by backup jobs. The backup jobs must be
configured on the same backup server where you configure the backup copy job. Backups created by
jobs configured on other backup servers are not copied.
• The backup copy does not copy imported backups.
When the backup copy job for HPE StoreOnce runs for the first time, it copies all existing backup files. Then the
backup copy job starts each time a new backup file appears in the source repository. In case of a removed
backup file, the backup copy job waits 21 days since the backup file creation and after removes the backup file
from the target repository. If 21 days have already passed at the moment of removal, the backup copy job
removes the backup file immediately. You can change this day limit using registry keys. For more information,
contact Veeam Customer Support.
Before creating a job, check prerequisites and limitations. Then use the New Backup Copy Job wizard to
configure the backup copy job.
Before You Begin
Before you create a backup copy job for HPE StoreOnce backup repository, check the following requirements:
• The minimum supported software versions of HPE StoreOnce are the following:
o For the third generation, the minimum version is 3.18.7.
o For the fourth generation, the minimum version is 4.2.0.
• Make sure that all backup infrastructure components that take part in the backup copy process are added
to the backup infrastructure. These components include the source and target repositories between which
data is copied. For more information on how to add a backup repository, see Adding Backup Repositories.
• Check that repositories between which you plan to copy data have a direct connection to each other. This
is required because Veeam Backup & Replication uses the HPE StoreOnce Catalyst Copy technology to
copy backup files.
This direct connection must be of the same type as the connection that you select when adding the target
HPE StoreOnce. For example, if you connected the target HPE StoreOnce repository over Fibre Channel,
you must connect the source HPE StoreOnce to the target HPE StoreOnce over Fibre Channel.
• If you plan to use pre-job and/or post-job scripts, you must create scripts before you configure the backup
copy job.
Step 1. Launch New Backup Copy Job Wizard
To run the New Backup Copy Job wizard, do one of the following:
• On the Home tab, click Backup Copy and select HPE StoreOnce repository.
• Open the Home view. In the inventory pane, right-click Jobs and select Backup copy > HPE StoreOnce
repository.
At the Job step of the wizard, specify name and description for the backup copy job:
1. In the Name field, enter a name for the job.
2. In the Description field, enter a description for the job. The default description contains information about
the user who created the job, date and time when the job was created.
Step 3. Select Source and Target Repositories
At the Storage Mapping step of the wizard, select a source repository from which you want to copy backups and
a target repository where you want to store the copies.
1. Click Add to open the Add Repository window.
2. From the Source backup repository list, select a backup repository from which you want to copy backup
files. The unsupported backup repositories are not shown in the list.
3. From the Target backup repository list, select a backup repository where you want to store the copies. The
unsupported backup repositories are not shown in the list.
IMPORTANT!
Veeam Backup & Replication does not copy all types of backups. For the list of supported backup types,
see Creating Backup Copy Jobs for HPE StoreOnce Repositories.
Requirements and Limitations for Source and Target

Repositories
When you create backup copy jobs, check the following prerequisites and limitations for the source and target
repositories:
• The source and target backup repositories must be HPE StoreOnce backup repositories or scale-out
backup repositories that consist of HPE StoreOnce repositories only.
• [For scale-out backup repositories] The file placement policy must be Data locality. For more information,
see Data locality.
• Within one backup copy job, you can use each repository as a source only once.
• You must not create the same pairs of source and target repositories, even in different backup copy jobs.
Requirements for Data Flow
When you create backup copy jobs, check that you do not create loops in data flow across all backup copy jobs.
This means that data copied from one repository must not be copied to it again. The following image shows
backup copy jobs configured correctly (without loops) and incorrectly (with loops).
Step 4. Specify Advanced Settings
At the Storage Mapping step of the wizard, you can specify the following settings for the backup copy job:
• Maintenance Settings
• Notification Settings
• Script Settings
TIP:
After you specify necessary settings for the backup copy job, you can save them as default settings. To do
new backup copy job, Veeam Backup & Replication will automatically apply the default settings to the new
job.
In the maintenance settings, you can configure whether to perform a health check. Note that the health check
may lower the performance of the target repository. For details, see Health Check for Backup Files.
By default, the health check is enabled. To disable it, do the following:
1. At the Storage Mapping step of the wizard, click Advanced.
2. Clear the Perform backup files health check check box.
IMPORTANT!
Veeam Backup & Replication does not perform the health check for encrypted and compressed backup
files.
To specify notification settings for the backup copy job:
3. Select the Send SNMP notifications for this job check box if you want to receive SNMP traps when data
from each source repository is copied.
software on the recipient machine to receive SNMP traps. For more information, see Specifying SNMP
Settings.
4. Select the Send email notifications to the following recipients check box if you want to receive email
notifications when copying data of each source repository finishes with Success, Warning or Failed status.
5. You can choose whether to use global notification settings or specify custom notification settings.
o To receive typical notifications for the job, select Use global notification settings. In this case,
backup server.
o To configure custom notifications, select Use custom notification settings specified below. You can
specify the following notification settings:
subject: %Time% (completion time), %JobName%, %JobResult%, %VmCount% (number of
machines in the job) and %Issues% (number of machines in the job that have been processed
with the Warning or Failed status).
email notifications if data processing completes successfully, fails or completes with a
warning.
Script Settings
To specify script settings for the backup copy job:
3. Select the Run the following script before the job and Run the following script after the job check boxes
to execute custom scripts before and/or after copying data of each source repository finishes.
Then click Browse and select executable files from a local folder on the backup server. The scripts are
executed on the backup server after the transformation processes are completed on the target repository.
4. You can change how often the scripts must be executed:
o To run scripts after a specific number of backup copy sessions, select Run scripts every... backup
session option and specify the number of sessions.
o To run scripts on specific days, select the Run scripts on selected days only option and click the Days
button to specify week days.
NOTE:
If you select the Run scripts on the selected days only option, Veeam Backup & Replication
executes scripts only once on each selected day — when the job runs for the first time. During
subsequent job runs, scripts are not executed.
Step 5. Define Backup Copy Window
At the Schedule step of the wizard, define the time span in which the backup copy job must not transport data
between source and target backup repositories. For more information, see Backup Copy Window.
To define a 'prohibited' period for the backup copy job:
1. Select the During the following time periods only option.
2. In the schedule box, select the desired time area.
3. Use the Enable and Disable options to mark the selected time segments as allowed or prohibited for the
backup copy job.
At the Summary step of the wizard, complete the procedure of backup copy job configuration:
1. Review details of the backup copy job.
2. Select the Enable the job when I click Finish check box if you want to start the job right after you finish
Creating Backup Copy Jobs for Oracle and
SAP HANA Databases
To create copies of Veeam Plug-in backups of Oracle and SAP HANA databases, you must configure a backup
copy job. For more details, see the Creating Backup Copy Job section in the Veeam Plug-ins for Enterprise
Applications Guide.
Linking Backup Jobs to Backup Copy Jobs
You can link backup jobs to backup copy jobs. This option lets you create a secondary target for the backup job
and store backups created with the backup job in the secondary backup repository.
When you link a backup job to the backup copy job, Veeam Backup & Replication automatically updates
properties of the backup copy job and adds to it the backup job as a source of data. During every backup copy
session, the backup copy job checks the source backup repository for new restore points. As soon as a backup
job session is finished and a new restore point appears in the source backup repository, the backup copy job
automatically copies this restore point to the target backup repository.
You can link a backup job to an existing backup copy job using the Backup Job wizard. To link jobs:
1. Open the backup job settings for editing. For more information, see Editing Job Settings.
2. Navigate to the Storage step.
3. Select the Configure secondary destination for this job check box.
4. At the Secondary Target step of the wizard, click Add and choose a backup copy job to which the backup
job must be linked. The backup copy job must be already configured on the backup server.
Managing Backups
To view all backups created by backup copy jobs, open the Home view and select the Backups > Disk (Copy)
node in the inventory pane. The list of available backups is displayed in the working area. You can view backup
properties, remove unnecessary backups and remove missing restore points.
Viewing Backup Properties
You can view summary information about backups created by backup copy jobs. The summary information
provides the following data: available restore points, date of restore points creation, compression and
deduplication ratios, data size and backup size.
To view summary information for a backup copy:
2. In the inventory pane, select Backups > Disk (copy).
3. In the working area, right-click the backup copy and select Properties.
In the summary information, Veeam Backup & Replication displays data about restore points created by the
short-term retention scheme and archive restore points created by the GFS retention scheme (if GFS retention is
enabled). Archive restore points are marked with the following letters:
• R — full backups created with the short-term retention scheme or active full backups
• W — weekly backups
• M — monthly backups
• Y — yearly backups
Removing Backups from Target Repositories
You can remove backups created by backup copy jobs from Veeam Backup & Replication configuration or
permanently delete backup chains from the target backup repository.

When you use the Remove from configuration option, you delete records about backup copies from the
Veeam Backup & Replication console and configuration database. The backup copy job remains in the list of jobs
and all backup files remain in the target backup repository. You can easily import backups to the
Veeam Backup & Replication console for restore operations at any moment.
To remove from backups:
3. In the working area, right-click the backup copy and select Remove from configuration.
4. To remove all weekly, monthly, quarterly and yearly backups created by the job, select the Include
archived full backups check box and click Yes.
Deleting from Disk

When you use the Delete from disk option, you delete records about backup copies from the
Veeam Backup & Replication console and configuration database, and delete backup files from the target
backup repository. This option can be used for the whole backup copy or for some workloads in the backup
copy.
To permanently remove backup copies from the target backup repository:
3. In the working area, right-click the backup copy or a workload in the backup copy and select Delete from
disk.
4. To remove all weekly, monthly, quarterly and yearly backups from disk, select the Include archived full
backups check box and click Yes.
Removing Missing Restore Points
In some cases, one or more restore points in the backup chain may be inaccessible. This can happen, for
example, if the backup repository is put to the maintenance mode (for scale-out backup repositories), the
backup repository is not available or some backup file is missing in the backup chain. Backup chains that contain
missing restore points get corrupted — you cannot perform backup copy or restore data from the missing restore
point, and restore points that depend on the missing restore point.
You can perform the following with missing restore points:
• Forget — you can remove records about missing restore points from the configuration database.
Veeam Backup & Replication will ignore the missing restore points and will not display them in the
console. The backup files will remain on disk (if backup files are still available).
• Remove — you can remove records about missing restore points from the Veeam Backup & Replication
console and configuration database, and delete backup files from disk (if backup files are still available).
NOTE:
• The Forget and Remove from disk options are available only for restore points that are missing from
the backup chain or that depend on missing ones.
• You can manually update information about missing restore points. For this, disable a backup copy
job and rescan the backup repository that is the target for the backup copy job. For more
information, see Disabling and Removing Jobs and Rescanning Backup Repositories.
Manual update can be required because Veeam Backup & Replication requires some time to update
information in the configuration database for restore points that were removed from a backup chain
or became inaccessible. That is why, such restore points may not be displayed in the console as
missing restore points.
To remove records about missing restore points from the configuration database:
2. In the inventory pane, select Disk (copy) under Backups.
select Properties.
4. In the Backup Properties window, right-click the missing restore point and select Forget.
To remove missing restore points from the configuration database and disk:
2. In the inventory pane, click Disk (copy) under Backups.
select Properties.
4. In the Backup Properties window, right-click the missing restore point and select Remove from disk.
Reporting
You can view real-time statistics for any performed job and generate reports with statistics data for any job or
separate job session. The procedures of viewing statistics and generating reports practically do no differ from
the same procedures for backup jobs. For more information, see Reporting.
Managing Jobs
To view all configured jobs, open the Home view and select the Jobs > Backup Copy node in the inventory pane.
The list of available jobs is displayed in the working area. You can edit job properties, start and stop jobs, and
delete unnecessary jobs.
Editing Backup Copy Jobs
You can edit backup copy job settings after you create it. For example, you may want to change scheduling
settings for the job or add some machines to the job.
To edit job settings:
2. In the inventory pane, select Jobs > Backup Copy.
3. In the working area, select the job and click Edit on the ribbon or right-click the job and select Edit.
You will follow the same steps as you have followed when creating the job and can change job settings as
required.
Related Topics
• Creating Backup Copy Jobs for VMs and Physical Machines
• Creating Backup Copy Jobs for HPE StoreOnce Repositories
• Creating Backup Copy Jobs for Oracle and SAP HANA Databases
Disabling GFS Scheme

If you disable the Keep the following restore points as full backups for archival purposes option, and you
already have archive full backups in the target backup repository, Veeam Backup & Replication will offer you to
remove existing archive full backups.
• Click Yes to remove archive full backups from the target backup repository. Archive full backups will be
removed during the next retention cycle (next backup copy session). The backup copy job will not create
archive full backups.
• Click No to keep archive full backups in the target backup repository. Archive full backups will be
displayed under the Backups > Disk (imported) node in the Veeam Backup & Replication console. The
backup copy job will not create archive full backups.
NOTE:
If you disable the Keep the following restore points as full backups for archival purposes option and enable
it again later, archive full backups that remained on disk will not be linked to the backup copy job. They
will still be displayed under the Backups > Disk (imported) node in the Veeam Backup & Replication
console.
Starting Backup Copy Jobs Manually
You can manually start a backup copy job. This procedure differs for the periodic and immediate copy modes.
You can find details in the following sections:
• Starting Jobs in Immediate Copy Mode
• Starting Jobs in Periodic Copy Mode
Starting Jobs in Immediate Copy Mode

Manual start can be helpful if the backup copy job was disabled for some time and restore points were not
copied to the target repository.
To start the backup copy job manually:
2. In the inventory pane, select the Backup Copy node.
3. In the working area, select the backup copy job and click Sync now on the ribbon or right-click the backup
copy job and select Sync now.
4. In the opened window, do the following:
o If you want to copy all restore points created by the source jobs but that were not copied since the
last backup copy job session, click All.
o If you want to copy only the latest restore point for each source job, click Latest.
Starting Jobs in Periodic Copy Mode

Manual start of the backup copy job can be helpful if a new restore point has already appeared in the source
backup repository but the previous backup copy interval has not finished yet.
When you manually start the synchronization process, Veeam Backup & Replication creates a new backup copy
interval.
• In case of backup copy jobs with minutely and hourly intervals, the backup copy interval is equal to those
that are created automatically by the schedule. As a result, the start time of backup copy processing shifts
forward.
• In case of backup copy jobs with intervals equal to one or several days, the day of the next backup copy
interval shifts forward for the number of days equal to the interval. The start time of the backup copy
interval, however, remains the same.
For example, you configure a backup copy job to copy data every 30 days. The backup copy interval starts
at 2:00 AM. The manual backup copy interval starts on May 1 at 1:00 PM. The manual backup copy
interval will work from 1:00 PM on May 1 till 2:00 AM on May 31. On May 31 at 2:00 AM
Veeam Backup & Replication will automatically start a new 30-day backup copy interval.
To start the backup copy job manually:
2. In the inventory pane, select the Backup Copy node under Jobs.
3. In the working area, select the backup copy job and click Sync now on the ribbon or right-click the backup
copy job and select Sync now.
Creating Active Full Backups
You can manually create an ad-hoc full backup — active full backup, and add it to the backup chain in the target
backup repository. Active full backup can be helpful if you want to change backup copy job settings, for
example, enable or disable encryption. Veeam Backup & Replication will apply new settings starting from this
full backup.
To create an active full backup manually:
2. In the inventory pane, select the Backup Copy node under Jobs.
3. In the working area, select the backup copy job and click Active full on the ribbon or right-click the backup
copy job and select Active full. Veeam Backup & Replication will start a new backup copy session, copy
data from the source backup repository and save it in a full backup file in the target backup repository.
Disabling and Removing Jobs
You can temporary disable backup copy jobs. The disabled job is not deleted from Veeam Backup & Replication,
the job is paused for some period of time and is not run by the specified schedule. You can enable a disabled job
at any time.
To disable a job:
3. In the working area, select the job and click Disable on the ribbon or right-click the job and select Disable.
To enable a disabled job, select the job in the list and click Disable once again.
You can permanently remove a job from Veeam Backup & Replication and from the configuration database.
To remove a job:
3. In the working area, select the job, click Delete on the ribbon or right-click the job and select Delete.
VM Copy
With Veeam Backup & Replication, you can run a VM copy job to create an independent fully-functioning copy of
a VM or VM container (host, cluster, folder, resource pool, VirtualApp, datastore or tag) on the selected storage.
VM copying can be helpful if you want to move your datacenter, create a test lab and so on.
The produced copy of a VM is stored decompressed, in a native VMware vSphere format, so it can be started
right away. Although VM copy is similar to replication in many respects, there are several important differences.
• VM copy is a single-use process (that is, every run of a VM copy job mirrors a VM in its latest state). Due to
their nature, VM copy jobs do not support incremental runs.
• Veeam Backup & Replication does not create and maintain restore points for VM copies. If you schedule to
run a VM copy job periodically, every new run will overwrite the existing copy.
• With the VM copy job, all VM disks are copied as thick, while replication allows you to preserve the format
of disks or convert the disk format on the fly.
• There are no failover or failback possibilities for a VM copy.
VM copy jobs use the same infrastructure components as backup jobs (for details, see Backup Architecture). In
addition to available scenarios, you can also copy VMs to a target folder on any server or host connected to the
backup server.
Copying VMs
With VM copy jobs you can create a fully-functional copy of a VM and store this copy in the backup repository or
storage device. VM copying may be helpful if you want to move your datacenter to another location, archive a
VM before decommissioning and so on.
To create a VM copy, you must configure a VM copy job. One job can be used to process one VM or more VMs.
You can configure a job and start it immediately or save the job to start it later. Jobs can be started manually or
scheduled to run automatically at specific time.
Before you create a VM copy job, check prerequisites. Then use the New VM Copy Job wizard to configure a VM
copy job.
Before You Begin
Before you create a VM copy job, check the following prerequisites:
• Backup infrastructure components that will take part in the VM copying process must be added to the
backup infrastructure and properly configured. These include the source ESXi host and server or backup
repository on which you plan to store the VM copy.
• The target storage device must have enough free space to store created VM copies. To receive alerts
about low space on the storage device, configure global notification settings. For more information, see
• If you plan to use pre-freeze and/or post-thaw scripts, you must create scripts before you configure the
VM copy job.
• Due to Microsoft limitations, you cannot use Microsoft Azure Active Directory credentials to perform
application-aware processing on VMs running Microsoft Windows 10.
Step 1. Launch VM Copy Job Wizard
To run the VM Copy Job wizard, do either of the following:
• On the Home tab, click Copy Job > Virtual machine.
• Open the Home view. In the inventory pane, right-click Jobs and select VM Copy.
• Open the Inventory view, in the working area select the VMs, click Add to VM Copy on the ribbon and
select New job or right-click the VMs area and select Add to VM copy job > New job. In this case, the
selected VMs will be automatically added to the VM copy job. You can add other VMs to the job when
passing through the wizard steps.
• You can quickly add the VMs to an already existing job. To do this, open the Inventory view, in the working
area select the VMs and click Add to VM Copy > name of the job on the ribbon or right-click the VMs and
select Add to VM copy job > name of the job.
At the Name step of the wizard, specify a name and description for the VM copy job.
1. In the Name field, enter a name for the VM copy job.
Step 3. Select VMs to Copy
At the Virtual Machines step of the wizard, select VMs and VM containers (hosts, clusters, folders, resource
pools, VirtualApps, datastores or tags) that you want to copy.
infrastructure after the VM copy job is created, Veeam Backup & Replication will automatically update the job
1. Click Add.
3. Select the object and click Add.
The initial size of VMs and VM containers added to the VM copy job is displayed in the Size column in the list.
The total size of objects is displayed in the Total size field. Use the Recalculate button to refresh the total size
value after you add a new object to the job.
Step 4. Exclude Objects from VM Copy Job
from the VM copy. You can exclude the following types of objects:
• VM templates
NOTE:
Veeam Backup & Replication automatically excludes VM log files from VM copies to make copying process
faster and reduce the size of the resulting file.
1. At the Virtual Machines step of the wizard, select a VM container added to the job and click Exclusions.
3. Click Add.
5. In the displayed tree, select the necessary object and click Add. Use the Show full hierarchy check box to
display the hierarchy of all VMware Servers added to Veeam Backup & Replication.
6. Click OK.
1. At the Virtual Machines step of the wizard, select a VM or VM container added to the job and click
Exclusions.
3. Select the VM in the list and click Edit. If you want to exclude disks of a VM added as a part of the
container, click Add to include the VM in the list as a standalone object.
4. Choose disks that you want to copy. You can choose to process all disks, 0:0 disks (typically, the system
5. Select the Remove excluded disks from VM configuration check box. Veeam Backup & Replication will
modify the VMX file of a copied VM to remove excluded disks from the VM configuration. If you use the
VM copy to register the VM in a location where excluded disks are not accessible with the original paths,
you will not have to manually edit the VM configuration file to be able to power on the VM.
To exclude VM templates:
1. At the Virtual Machines step of the wizard, select a VM or VM container added to the job and click
Exclusions.
2. Click the Templates tab.
3. Clear the Backup VM templates check box.
4. If you want to include VM templates into the full VM copy only, leave the Backup VM templates check box
selected and select the Exclude templates from incremental backup check box.
Step 5. Specify Copy Destination
At the Storage step of the wizard, select which backup proxy must be used for VM data transporting and specify
the destination for the VM copy.
1. Click Choose next to the Backup proxy field to select a backup proxy.
access to the source datastore and automatically assign an optimal backup proxy for processing VM
data.
Veeam Backup & Replication assigns backup proxies to VMs included in the VM copy job one by one.
Before processing a new VM in the VM list, Veeam Backup & Replication checks available backup
modes that the backup proxies can use for data retrieval and the current workload on the backup
proxies to select the most appropriate one for VM processing.
that the job must use. It is recommended that you select at least two backup proxies to ensure that
the VM copy job starts if one of the proxies fails or loses its connectivity to the source datastore.
2. In the Copy destination section, select a location where the created VM copy must be stored.
o Select a backup repository from the list if you want to create a VM copy in the backup repository
configured in the backup infrastructure. When you select a backup repository,
Veeam Backup & Replication automatically checks how much free space is available on it.
IMPORTANT!
You cannot use a scale-out backup repository as the copy destination.
o Select Server if you want to store the VM copy on a disk or storage device attached to the server.
From the Server list, select a server added to the backup infrastructure. In the Path to folder field,
specify a folder on the server where the created VM copy must be stored.
Use the Check button to see how much free space is available in the target location.
• Transaction log handling for Microsoft SQL Server
• Transaction log handling for Oracle
the processing is finished (depending on the selected option, during the VM copy job session or after the
runtime components or connect to (if necessary, deploy) persistent agent components:
right to add credentials. For more information, see Managing Credentials.
IMPORTANT!
Credentials for application-aware processing and guest OS file indexing for Microsoft Windows VMs must
be specified in the following format:
• For Active Directory accounts — DOMAIN\Username

• For local accounts — Username or HOST\Username
interaction proxy.
list.
NOTE:
If you add to the VM copy job VMs running VSS-aware applications, you can enable application-aware
processing to create a transactionally consistent VM copy. The transactionally consistent VM copy guarantees
proper recovery of applications on VMs without data loss.

o Select Require successful processing if you want Veeam Backup & Replication to stop the VM copy
o Select Try application processing, but ignore failures if you want to continue the VM copy process
VM image will not be transactionally consistent but crash consistent.
o Select Disable application processing if you do not want to enable quiescence for the VM.
Veeam Backup & Replication must process transaction logs or copy-only VM copies must be created.
transaction logs.
persistent components running on the VM guest OS will wait for the VM copy job to complete
successfully and then trigger truncation of transaction logs. If the VM copy job fails, the logs will
remain untouched on the VM guest OS until the next start of the non-persistent runtime components
or persistent components.
will create a copy-only VM image for the selected VMs. The copy-only VM image preserves the chain
of full/differential backup files and transaction logs on the VM. For more information, see Microsoft
Docs.
Components.
Transaction Log Handling: Microsoft SQL Server

If you copy a Microsoft SQL VM, you can specify how Veeam Backup & Replication must process transaction
logs:
persistent components will wait for the job to complete and then trigger truncation of transaction
logs. If the VM copy job fails, the logs will remain untouched on the VM guest OS until the next start
of the non-persistent runtime components or persistent components.
necessary restore point of the VM copy, you will be able to apply transaction logs to get the database
system to the necessary point in time between VM copy job sessions.
Transaction Log Handling: Oracle

If you copy an Oracle VM, you can specify how Veeam Backup & Replication must process transaction logs:
Oracle VM:
o Select Do not truncate archived logs if you want Veeam Backup & Replication to preserve archived
logs on the VM guest OS. When the VM copy job completes, the non-persistent runtime components
or persistent components will not truncate transaction logs.
o Select Truncate logs older than <N> hours or Truncate logs over <N> GB if you want
OS will wait for the VM copy job to complete successfully and then trigger transaction logs truncation
via Oracle Call Interface (OCI). If the job does not manage to copy the Oracle VM, the logs will remain

If you plan to copy VMs running applications that do not support VSS, you can instruct
o Select Require successful script execution if you want Veeam Backup & Replication to stop the VM
copy process if the script fails.
o Select Ignore script execution failures if you want to continue the VM copy process even if script
errors occur.
At the Schedule step of the wizard, select to run the VM copy job manually or schedule the job to run on a
regular basis.
job manually to perform VM replication.
NOTE:
When you configure the job schedule, keep in mind possible date and time changes (for example, related
to daylight saving time transition).
schedule.
list on the right.
3. In the Automatic retry section, define whether Veeam Backup & Replication must attempt to run the job
again if the job fails for some reason. During a job retry, Veeam Backup & Replication processes failed VMs
only. Enter the number of attempts to run the job and define time spans between them. If you select
continuous schedule for the job, Veeam Backup & Replication will retry the job for the defined number of
times without any time intervals between the job sessions.
b. In the Time Periods window, define the allowed hours and prohibited hours for VM copying. If the job
NOTE:
At the Summary step of the wizard, complete the procedure of VM copy job configuration.
1. Review details of the VM copy job.
File Copy
You can copy and move files and folders between servers and hosts added to the backup infrastructure. For file
copying operations, Veeam Backup & Replication offers a Windows Explorer-like user interface familiar to a
Microsoft Windows user. You can copy files manually or schedule file copy jobs to run automatically by the
defined schedule.
The file copy functionality is not intended for creating backups of VM guest OS files. Use backup jobs to create
VM image-level backups instead.
Creating File Copy Jobs
To schedule a copying process for files and folders, you must configure a file copy job. You can run the file copy
job immediately after its creation, schedule or save the job.
File copy jobs let you copy files between the following backup infrastructure objects:
• Virtualization hosts
• Microsoft Windows servers
• Linux servers
• ExaGrid storage appliances used as backup repositories
Before you configure a file copy job, check prerequisites. Then use the New File Copy Job wizard to create a job.
Before You Begin
Before you configure a file copy job, check the following prerequisites:
Backup infrastructure components that will take part in the file copying process must be added to the backup
infrastructure and properly configured. These include a source and target host or server between which files and
folders will be copied.
• File copy is not supported for Unix systems, for example, Solaris, FreeBSD and AIX.
• Veeam Backup & Replication does not preserve the Access Control List (ACL) settings for copied guest OS
folders. The ACL settings are preserved for files only.
TIP:
You can restore the ACL settings for recovered guest OS files and folders using Instant File-Level Restore.
Step 1. Launch New File Copy Job Wizard
To launch the New File Copy Job wizard, do either of the following:
• On the Home tab, click Copy Job > File.
• Open the Files view, in the working area right-click the necessary files and folders and select Add to File
Copy Job > New job. Veeam Backup & Replication will start the New File Copy Job wizard and add selected
files and folders to this job. You can add other files and folders to the job later on, when you pass through
the wizard steps.
You can add files and folders to already existing jobs. To do this, open the Files view, in the working area right-
click necessary objects and select Add to file copy job > name of the job.
At the Name step of the wizard, enter a name and description of the created job.
1. In the Name field, enter a name for the file copy job.
Step 3. Select Files and Folders to Be Copied
At the Source step of the wizard, select files and folders that you want to copy.
You can use the following sources for the file copy job:
• Linux servers
• ExaGrid storage appliances used as backup repositories
To select files and folders that you want to copy:
1. From the Host list, choose a host or server on which files or folders that you want to copy reside.
2. Click Add and select files or folders that must be copied. The selected items will be added to the list.
IMPORTANT!
If the list contains files/folders with the same names and extensions, Veeam Backup & Replication copies
only one instance of a file/folder. This limitation applies even if you add files/folders from different hosts
or servers. To avoid this limitation, you can rename files/folders on the source or add parent folders to the
list.
To remove a file or folder from the list, select it and click Remove.
Step 4. Select Destination for Copying
At the Destination step of the wizard, select a destination to which files or folders must be copied.
1. From the Server list, select the target host or server.
2. Click Details on the right of the Server field to view or edit server properties.
3. Click Browse next to the Path to folder field and select a folder where copied items must be stored. To
create a dedicated folder for copied files or folders, use the New Folder button at the bottom of the Select
Folder window.
IMPORTANT!
If the target folder already contains files/folders with the same names and extensions as the files/folder
that must be copied, Veeam Backup & Replication will replace files/folders in the target folder with new
files/folders.
At the Schedule step of the wizard, you can select to run the file copy job manually or schedule the job to run on
a regular basis.
job manually to copy files or folders.
NOTE:
schedule.
list on the right.
schedule for the first job in the chain. For the rest of the jobs in the chain, at the Schedule step of the
wizard, select the After this job option and choose the preceding job from the list.
At the Summary step of the wizard, complete the procedure of file copy job configuration.
1. Review details for the created file copy job.
Copying Files and Folders Manually
You can manually copy and move files and folders between servers and hosts added to the backup
infrastructure.
Veeam Backup & Replication lets you copy files manually between the following backup infrastructure objects:
• Linux servers
• Deduplicating storage appliances used as backup repositories
IMPORTANT!
You cannot copy backup files (VBK, VIB and VRB) to HPE StoreOnce storage appliances used as backup
repositories. To copy such files, use backup copy jobs.
To copy files and folders:
1. Open the Files view.
2. In the inventory pane, expand the file tree of the source server or host.
3. Right-click files and folders that you want to copy and select Copy.
4. In the inventory pane, expand the file tree of the target server or host.
5. Right-click a destination folder and select Paste.
You can also use a drag-n-drop operation to copy files and folders between the source and target hosts or
servers.
Managing Folders
You can create, rename and delete folders in the Files view of Veeam Backup & Replication.
To create a folder:
2. In the inventory pane, expand the file tree of the necessary server or host.
3. In the working area, right-click anywhere on the blank area and select New Folder.
To rename a folder:
3. In the working area, select the folder and click Rename on the ribbon or right-click the folder and select
Rename.
4. Enter a new name for the folder and press [Enter] on the keyboard.
To remove a folder:
3. In the working area, select the folder and click Delete on the ribbon or right-click the folder and select
Delete.
Editing and Deleting Files
You can edit files and delete them in the Files view of Veeam Backup & Replication. For example, you may want
to edit a configuration file of the VM (VMX) or need to delete from the storage files of unused VMs.
To edit a file:
3. In the working area, select the file and click Edit on the ribbon or right-click the folder and select Edit.
4. Veeam Backup & Replication will open the selected file in the editor. Edit the file as required and click
Save on the file editor toolbar or press [Ctrl+S] on the keyboard.
To delete a file:
3. In the working area, select the file and click Delete on the ribbon or right-click the folder and select
Delete.
NOTE:
To delete a folder on VSAN, you must remove a real folder, not a symbolic link to this folder. The real
folder is named with GUID, for example, c07a2953-8096-5b20-a11a-002590c5857c, while the symbolic
link contains the folder name, for example, srv02_vm. If you delete the folder symbolic link, the delete
operation will fail, and the folder will not be removed.
Quick Migration
Quick Migration allows you to migrate VMs or virtual disks between ESXi hosts and datastores.
Veeam Backup & Replication supports migration of VMs or their disks in any state with minimum disruption to
business operations. You can use Quick Migration as a self-contained capability or as a step to finalize the
Instant VM Recovery and Instant VM Disk Recovery processes.
When you perform Quick Migration, Veeam Backup & Replication analyzes your virtual environment, its
configuration, the state of VMs and selects the most appropriate VM relocation method:
• vMotion and Storage vMotion

vMotion and Storage vMotion are native migration mechanisms of VMware vCenter.
Veeam Backup & Replication uses these methods whenever it is possible.
• Veeam Quick Migration

Veeam Quick Migration is the Veeam Backup & Replication proprietary technology.
Veeam Backup & Replication uses this method when VMware vCenter methods cannot be used. For
example, if your VMware vSphere license does not provide support for vMotion and Storage vMotion, or
you need to migrate VMs from one standalone ESXi host to another.
Veeam Quick Migration supports two modes of VM migration:
o SmartSwitch
With SmartSwitch, Veeam Backup & Replication suspends a VM, then moves the VM configuration file
and copies changes made to the VM disk after snapshot creation to the target host. After the
migration is completed, the VM is resumed on the target host.
o ColdMigration
With ColdMigration, Veeam Backup & Replication stops the VM, then copies changes made to the VM
disk after snapshot creation to the new host. After, the VM is started on the target host.
Veeam Quick Migration of VMs

Migration of a VM using the Veeam Quick Migration method includes the following steps:
1. Veeam Backup & Replication copies VM configuration file (.VMX) to the target host and registers the VM.
2. Veeam Backup & Replication triggers a VM snapshot creation and copies VM disk content to the new
destination.
3. Veeam Backup & Replication uses different modes when moving the VM between hosts with compatible
and non-compatible CPUs.
o If you move a VM between two hosts with compatible CPUs, Veeam Backup & Replication uses the
SmartSwitch mode.
o If you move a VM between two hosts with non-compatible CPUs, Veeam Backup & Replication uses
the ColdMigration mode.
Veeam Quick Migration of Virtual Disks
Migration of a VM disk using the Veeam Quick Migration method includes the following steps. Note that before
the migration, the disks must be recovered using Instant VM Disk Recovery.
1. A temporary VM is created on the target datastore.
2. Veeam Backup & Replication copies the disk from the original datastore to the temporary VM on the target
datastore.
3. If the original VM is powered on, Veeam Backup & Replication suspends it.
4. If changes were made to the original disk during the copy process performed at step 3,
Veeam Backup & Replication copies these changes to the disk of the temporary VM.
5. On the original VM, Veeam Backup & Replication replaces old path to the disk with the path to the disk of
the temporary VM.
If the original VM is powered off, Veeam Backup & Replication powers it on to finish the migration process.
Veeam Quick Migration of First Class Disks (FCDs)

Mirgation of First Class Disks (FCDs) supports only the vMotion method and includes the following steps:
1. Veeam Backup & Replication gets information about the target datastore.
2. Veeam Backup & Replication connects to one of the ESXi hosts of a cluster to which the target datastore is
mounted.
3. Veeam Backup & Replication migrates FCDs from the source datastore to the target datastore.
4. If redo logs are stored on a custom datastore, Veeam Backup & Replication will delete FCDs snapshots
after migration.
5. Veeam Backup & Replication assigns storage policies to FCDs.
Quick Migration Architecture
Quick Migration architecture in a VMware vSphere environment comprises the following components:
• Source host and target host with associated datastores
• One or two backup proxy servers
Similar to the backup architecture, Quick Migration uses two-service architecture: the source-side Veeam Data
Mover interacts with the source host, and the target-side Veeam Data Mover interacts with the target host. To
perform onsite migration, you can deploy one backup proxy for data processing and transfer. This backup proxy
must have access to the source host and to the target host at the same time. In this scenario, the source-side
Data Mover Service and the target-side Data Mover Service are started on the same backup proxy.
The common requirement for offsite migration is that one Data Mover Service runs in the production site (closer
to the source host and datastore), and the other Data Mover Service runs in the remote target site (closer to the
target host and datastore). During backup, the Data Mover Services maintain a stable connection, which allows
for uninterrupted operation over WAN or slow links.
For offsite migration, you need to deploy at least one local backup proxy in each site: a source backup proxy in
the production site, and a target backup proxy in the remote target site.
Migrating VMs
You can relocate one or more VMs with quick migration. Quick migration can be used to move VMs from one
ESXi host to another one. You can perform "hot" quick migration for running VMs or "cold" quick migration for
VMs that are powered off.
Quick migration is not job-driven: it cannot be saved as a job or scheduled to run later.
Veeam Backup & Replication will start relocating VMs immediately after you finish working with the Quick
Migration wizard.
Before you start quick migration, check prerequisites. Then use the Quick Migration wizard to migrate VMs.
Before You Begin
Before you perform quick migration, check the following prerequisites and limitations.
• Backup infrastructure components that will take part in quick migration must be added to the backup
infrastructure and properly configured. These include the source and target ESXi hosts.
• The target datastore must have enough free space to store disks of the migrated VMs. To receive alerts
about low space on the target datastore, configure global notification settings. For more information, see
• If you want to use VMware vSphere vMotion to relocate VMs between hosts and/or VMware vSphere
Storage vMotion to relocate VM disks between datastores, make sure that you have a VMware vSphere
license covering these features.
• The Delete source VM files upon successful migration option (see Finish Working with Wizard) applies if
the following conditions are met:
o VMs are powered on before migration.
o VMware Tools are installed on VMs.
o Veeam Backup & Replication uses its proprietary SmartSwitch technology to relocate VMs. For more
information, see Quick Migration.
Encryption
Veeam Backup & Replication does not keep encryption settings if a VM is migrated with VMware vMotion. After
the migration process is finished, you will need to enable encryption for the migrated VM manually.
Integration with Instant VM Recovery

When you restore a VM using Instant VM Recovery, Veeam Backup & Replication starts the VM directly from a
compressed and deduplicated backup file. To finalize recovery of a VM, you still need to move it to a new
location. Moving the VM with VMware Storage vMotion or hot replication may require a lot of time and
resources, or it may cause loss of valuable data.
Veeam Quick Migration was designed to complement Instant VM Recovery. Instead of pulling data from vPower
NFS datastore, Quick Migration registers the VM on the target host, restores the VM contents from the backup
file located in the backup repository and synchronizes the VM restored from backup with the running VM.
For more information, see Instant VM Recovery.
Step 1. Launch Quick Migration Wizard
To run the Quick Migration wizard:
1. Open the Inventory view
datastore or tag) in which the VMs that you want to relocate reside.
3. In the working area, select the VM and click Quick Migration on the ribbon or right-click the VMs and
select Quick Migration.
Step 2. Select VMs to Relocate
At the Virtual Machines step of the wizard, select the VMs and VM containers that you want to relocate.
1. Click Add.
3. Select the necessary object and click Add.
Step 3. Specify VM Destination
At the Destination step of the wizard, select the destination to which the selected VMs must be relocated.
1. Click Choose next to the Host or cluster field and select an ESXi host or cluster where the relocated VM
must be registered.
2. If all or majority of relocated VMs must belong to the same resource pool, click Choose next to the
Resource pool field and select the target resource pool.
If you want to place relocated VMs to different resource pools:
a. Click the Pick resource pool for selected VMs link.
b. In the Choose Resource Pool window, click Add VM on the right and select the VMs.
c. Select the added VM in the VM resource pool list and click Resource Pool at the bottom of the
window.
d. From the list of available resource pools, select the target resource pool.
3. If all or majority of relocated VMs must be placed to the same folder, click Choose and select the folder.
If you want to place relocated VMs to different folders:
a. Click the Pick VM folder for selected VMs link.
b. In the Choose Folder window, click Add VM on the right and select the VMs.
c. Select the added VM in the VM folder list and click VM Folder at the bottom of the window.
d. From the list of available folders, select the target folder.

The VM folder section is disabled if you selected a standalone ESXi host as a target for VM relocation.
4. If all or majority of relocated VMs must be stored on the same datastore, click Choose and select the
datastore. Veeam Backup & Replication displays only those datastores that are accessible by the selected
ESXi host. If you have chosen relocate VMs to a cluster, Veeam Backup & Replication will display only
shared datastores.
IMPORTANT!
[For Instant VM Recovery finalization] If you migrate VMs to the same datastore cluster that is used
as the destination for redirecting virtual disk updates (the Datastore step of the Instant Recovery
wizard), you must enable the Force Veeam transport usage check box at the Transfer step of the
Quick Migration wizard. Otherwise, your migrated VM may be deleted.
If you want to place relocated VMs to different datastores:
b. In the Choose VM Files Location window, click Add VM on the right and select the VM that must be
placed on datastores.
c. Select the added VM in the Files location list and click Datastore at the bottom of the window.
d. From the list of available datastores, select the target datastore.

You can choose to store VM configuration files and disk files in different locations.
a. Add the VM to the Files location list, expand the VM and select the required type of files.
b. Click Datastore at the bottom of the window and choose the destination for the selected type of files.
5. By default, Veeam Backup & Replication saves disks of relocated VMs in the thin format. If necessary, you
can change the disk format. For example, if the original VM uses thick disks, you can change the disk
format of the relocated VM to thin provisioned and save on disk space required to store VM data.
Disk format change is available only for VMs using virtual hardware version 7 or later.
To change VM disk format:
b. In the Choose VM Files Location window, click Add VM on the right and select the VM whose disk
format you want to change.
c. Select the added VM in the list and click Disk type at the bottom of the window.
d. In the Disk Type Settings section, choose the format that will be used to restore VM disk files: same as
the source disk, thin or thick.
Step 4. Select Infrastructure Components for
Data Transfer
At the Transfer step of the wizard, assign infrastructure components to relocate the VMs.
1. In the Data transfer section, select backup proxies that must be used to transfer VM data from source to
target.
If you plan to migrate VMs within one site, the same backup proxy can act as the source backup proxy and
target backup proxy. For offsite migration, you must deploy at least one backup proxy in each site to
establish a stable connection across the sites for data transfer.
Click Choose next to the Source proxy and Target proxy fields to select backup proxies for migration. In
the Backup Proxy window, you can choose automatic proxy selection or assign proxies explicitly.
access to the source datastore and will automatically assign optimal proxy resources for processing
VM data.
Migrated VMs are processed one by one. Before processing a new VM in the VM list,
available, Veeam Backup & Replication analyzes transport modes that the backup proxies can use for
data retrieval and the current workload on the backup proxies to select the most appropriate resource
for VM processing.
that must be used to perform migration.
2. Select which migration mechanism to use: VMware vMotion or Veeam Quick Migration.
Veeam Backup & Replication can use VMware vMotion only if your VMware license covers this
functionality.
o If you want to use VMware vMotion to relocate the VMs, leave the Force Veeam transport usage
check box not selected. Veeam Backup & Replication will attempt to use the VMware vMotion
mechanism to migrate the selected VMs. If VMware vMotion cannot be used for some reason (for
example, if using it can cause data loss or if you do not have a VMware vSphere license for this
functionality), Veeam Backup & Replication will fail over to its native migration mechanism.
o If you do not want to use VMware vMotion, select the Force Veeam transport usage check box.
Veeam Backup & Replication will use its native migration mechanism.
IMPORTANT!
If you use a native Veeam mechanism to relocate a VM, Veeam Backup & Replication suspends the initial
VM on the source ESXi host (SmartSwitch) or powers off the initial VM (cold switch) for a short period of
time during quick migration. For more information, see Quick Migration.
At the Ready step of the wizard, Veeam Backup & Replication will check if the selected VMs can be relocated.
1. Review details of the quick migration task.
2. By default, when VM migration completes successfully, Veeam Backup & Replication waits for a heartbeat
signal from the VM on the target host. If the heartbeat is received, the original VM on the source host is
deleted. Note that you cannot use this option if you have selected to relocate the VMs using VMware
vMotion.
o If you disable the Delete source VM files upon successful migration option, the source VM will not be
deleted. All jobs to which the VM is added will continue to process the source VM.
o If you enable the Delete source VM files upon successful migration option, the source VM will be
deleted. All jobs to which the VM is added will switch to the migrated VM. The backup chain will be
continued, thus, the next job session for the VM will be incremental.
3. Click Finish to close the wizard and start the migration process.
Migrating First Class Disks (FCDs)
You can relocate First Class Disks (FCDs) between datastores using Quick Migration. Mirgation of FCDs supports
only the vMotion method. Depending on whether FCDs that you want to migrate are attached to a VM or not,
Veeam Backup & Replication defines the migration scenario:
• If FCDs are not attached, Veeam Backup & Replication will migrate only the FCDs that you have selected.
• If FCDs are attached to a VM, Veeam Backup & Replication will also look for other FCDs attached to this
VM and will perform migration of these FCDs as well.
Quick migration is not a job-driven process: it cannot be saved as a job or scheduled to run later. To initiate a
quick migration of FCDs, you must complete FCD Quick Migration wizard and launch the FCD Quick Migration
wizard.
Before You Begin
Before you perform FCD quick migration, check the following prerequisites and limitations.
• All FCDs that you plan to migrate, must be located on a vPower NFS datastore that is mounted to the
target cluster.
• If redo logs are stored on a custom datastore, Veeam Backup & Replication checks that these redo logs are
available on this datastore.
• The target datastore to which you want to migrate FCDs must meet the following requirements:
o The datastore must be added to the infrastructure of the vCenter which you specified to perform FCD
quick migration.
o The datastore must be mounted to all ESXi hosts of a cluster which you have selected to perform FCD
quick migration.
o The datastore must have enough free space for all migrated FDCs.
o You can not mirgate FCDs to the vPower NFS datastore.
• You can not migrate FCDs to the same datastore where they have already been registered.
Step 1. Launch FCD Quick Migration Wizard
To launch the the FCD Quick Migration wizard
2. In the inventory pane, select the Instant Recovery node.
3. In the working area, right-click the VM to which disks were recovered and select Migrate to production.
Veeam Backup & Replication will launch the FCD Quick Migration wizard.
After you finish working with the wizard, Veeam Backup & Replication migrates the disks with all changes made
after the disk recovery and before its migration.
Step 2. Select FCDs to Migrate
At the Disks step of the wizard, specify the FCDs that you want to migrate. To add FCDs, click Add and select
necessary FCDs from the virtual environment. If you want to exclude specific FDCs from migration, select the
necessary FCD and click Remove.
Step 3. Specify FCD Destination
At the Destination step of the wizard, specify the datastore to which you want to migrate FCDs. You can migrate
different FCDs to various datastores.
At the Ready step of the wizard, review details on FCDs quick migration and click Finish to exit the wizard.
Recovery Verification
Veeam Backup & Replication offers two technologies to verify recoverability of VM backups and replicas:
• SureBackup
• SureReplica
SureBackup
SureBackup is the Veeam technology that lets you test VM backups and check if you can recover data from
them. You can verify any restore point of a backed-up VM.
During a SureBackup job, Veeam Backup & Replication performs “live” verification: scans the backed-up data for
malware, boots the VM from the backup in the isolated environment, runs tests for the VM, powers the VM off
and creates a report on recovery verification results.
IMPORTANT!
The recovery verification functionality is available in the Enterprise and Enterprise Plus editions of
Veeam Backup & Replication. If you use the Standard edition, you can manually verify VM backups with
Instant VM Recovery. For more information, see Manual Recovery Verification.
How SureBackup Works
For SureBackup, Veeam Backup & Replication uses a regular image-based backup. During recovery verification,
Veeam Backup & Replication performs the following actions:
1. If the SureBackup job is configured to perform malware scan, Veeam Backup & Replication scans data of
the VMs from the application group with antivirus software.
2. Veeam Backup & Replication publishes the VMs from the application group and the VM under verification
in the isolated environment — virtual lab. VMs are started directly from compressed and deduplicated
backup files that reside in the backup repository. To achieve this, Veeam Backup & Replication utilizes the
Veeam vPower NFS Service.
3. If the SureBackup job is configured to perform malware scan, Veeam Backup & Replication scans data of
the VM under verification with antivirus software.
4. Veeam Backup & Replication performs a number of tests against the VMs in the application group and VM
under verification: heartbeat test, ping test and application test.
5. If the SureBackup job is configured to validate backup files, Veeam Backup & Replication performs a CRC
check for the backup file from which the VM under verification is started and, optionally, for backup files
from which the VMs in the application group are started. The backup file validation is performed after all
verification tests are complete.
6. When the recovery verification process is over, Veeam Backup & Replication unpublishes VMs and creates
a report on their state. The report is sent to the backup administrator by email.
During verification, a backed-up VM image remains in read-only state. All changes that take place when the VM
is running are written to redo log files that are stored on the datastore selected in the virtual lab settings. When
the recovery process is complete, the redo logs are removed.
To perform recovery verification, you need to create the following objects:
1. Application group. During recovery verification, the verified VM may need to be started with a group of
VMs on which it is dependent. The application group enables full functionality of applications running
inside the VM and lets you run these applications just like in the production environment.
2. Virtual lab. The virtual lab is the isolated virtual environment in which the verified VM and VMs from the
application group are started and tested.
3. SureBackup job. The SureBackup job is a task to perform recovery verification. You can run the SureBackup
job manually or schedule it to run automatically by schedule.
Backup Recovery Verification Tests
To verify VMs with a SureBackup job, you can instruct Veeam Backup & Replication to run predefined tests for
VMs or use custom verification scripts.
• Predefined tests
• Microsoft SQL Server Checker script
• Backup file validation
Predefined Tests
Veeam Backup & Replication can verify VMs with the following predefined tests:
• Heartbeat test. When the VM starts, Veeam Backup & Replication performs a heartbeat test. It waits for a
heartbeat signal from VMware Tools installed inside the VM to determine that the VM guest OS is running.
If the signal comes regularly at specific time intervals, the test is passed.
• Ping test. Veeam Backup & Replication sends ping requests to the VM from the backup server and checks
if the VM can respond to them. If the VM responds to ping requests, the test is passed.
• Application test. Veeam Backup & Replication waits for applications inside the VM to start and runs a
script against these applications. Veeam Backup & Replication uses two types of predefined scripts:
o For DNS servers, domain controllers, Global Catalog servers, mail servers and web servers,
Veeam Backup & Replication uses a script that probes an application-specific port. For example, to
verify a domain controller, Veeam Backup & Replication probes port 389 for a response. If the
response is received, the test is passed.
o For Microsoft SQL Server, Veeam Backup & Replication uses a script that attempts to connect to
instances and databases on the Microsoft SQL Server. For more information, see Microsoft SQL Server
Checker Script.
NOTE:
To run the heartbeat and ping tests, you must have VMware Tools installed inside the VM. If VMware Tools
are not installed, these tests will be skipped.
You can run verification tests for VMs added to the application group or processed with a linked SureBackup job.
Settings for verification tests can be specified and customized in the application group or SureBackup job
settings.
Microsoft SQL Server Checker Script

If you need to verify a virtualized Microsoft SQL Server, you can instruct Veeam Backup & Replication to run the
Microsoft SQL Server Checker script against it during the SureBackup job. The script sequentially performs the
1. Connects to Microsoft SQL Server instances.
2. Enumerates databases on these instances.
3. Employs the USE SQL statement to connect to databases and check their availability.
The script is located on the backup server in the Veeam Backup & Replication product folder, by default,
C:\Program Files\Veeam\Backup and Replication\Backup\Veeam.Backup.SqlChecker.vbs.
The script runs on the backup server side, not from inside of a Microsoft SQL Server VM. For this reason, Named
Pipes or TCP/IP connections must be enabled for the Microsoft SQL Server running in the virtual lab. For more
Credentials for Script Execution
To execute the script, Veeam Backup & Replication connects to Microsoft SQL Server. By default,
Veeam Backup & Replication uses the account under which the Veeam Backup Service is running. If you need to
run the script under another account, you can specify credentials for this account. The script supports Microsoft
Windows and SQL Server authentication methods.
• For the Microsoft Windows authentication mode, you can specify credentials for the account on the
Credentials tab in the application group or SureBackup job settings.
• For the SQL Server authentication mode, you must pass credentials of the account as arguments to the
script. You can do it via the UI or command line interface.
To pass credentials via the UI, in the application group or SureBackup job settings, select to use a custom
script, specify a path to the Microsoft SQL Server Checker script (by default, C:\Program
Files\Veeam\Backup and Replication\Backup\Veeam.Backup.SqlChecker.vbs) and specify
the user name and password in the Arguments field.
To pass credentials via the command line, run the script from the command line in with the following
parameters:
cscript Veeam.Backup.SqlChecker.vbs [logs folder] <sql server[\instance]>
<username> <password>
IMPORTANT!
Even if you use the Microsoft SQL Server authentication mode, in some cases, you may need to specify
credentials of the account to connect to the machine on which Microsoft SQL Server is installed. To do this,
use the Credentials tab in the application group or SureBackup job settings.
Database Exclusion
By default, Veeam Backup & Replication verifies all databases on all instances of Microsoft SQL Server.
However, you can exclude specific databases from verification — for example, vCenter Server database. To
exclude an instance or a database, you must open the script in the text editor and edit the Settings section in
the following way:
• To exclude a specific databases, uncomment the 'gDBsToExclude.Push "dbname" line in the script
and specify the names of a database that you want to exclude. To exclude several databases, specify a
separate line for each database.
gDBsToExclude.Push "dbname1"
gDBsToExclude.Push "dbname2"
• To exclude a specific instance, uncomment the 'gInstancesToExclude.Push "instancename" line

in the script and specify the name of an instance that you want to exclude. To exclude several instances,
specify a separate line for each instance.
gInstancesToExclude.Push "instancename1"
gInstancesToExclude.Push "instancename2"
• To exclude the default instance, uncomment the 'gInstancesToExclude.Push "MSSQLSERVER" line.
IMPORTANT!
Instance and database names are case sensitive.
Logging
To define whether the script has completed successfully or not, Veeam Backup & Replication publishes the
following return codes in the SureBackup job session statistics:
• 0 — test is passed successfully.
• 1 — you use a wrong syntax for the script command.
• 2 — Veeam Backup & Replication is unable to connect to Microsoft SQL Server.
• 3 — all instances are excluded from the check.
• 4 — error occurred while Veeam Backup & Replication was getting the list of databases.
• 5 — unknown error
• 6 — one or more databases are not accessible.
Results of script execution are written to the log file located by the following path:
%programdata%\Veeam\Backup\<name of the job>\<VM name>_SQLChecker.log. If necessary, you
can change the log file location. To do this, you must pass a new path to the log file in the %log_path%
argument in the application group or SureBackup job settings.
Backup File Validation

In addition to recovery verification tests, Veeam Backup & Replication allows you to perform backup file
validation. For backup file validation, Veeam Backup & Replication performs a CRC check for backup files of VMs
verified by the SureBackup job. You can also validate backup files for VMs from the application group with this
test.
To validate the backup file, Veeam Backup & Replication uses the checksum algorithm. When
Veeam Backup & Replication creates a backup file for a VM, it calculates a checksum for every data block in the
backup file and stores this data in the backup file, together with VM data. During the backup file validation test,
Veeam Backup & Replication de-compresses the backup file, re-calculates checksums for data blocks in the
decompressed backup file and compares them with initial checksum values. If the results match, the test is
passed.
The backup file validation test is started after recovery verification tests. As soon as
Veeam Backup & Replication completes all "live" verification for all VMs in the SureBackup job, it unpublishes
VMs and starts the backup file validation test.
The result of the backup file validation test impacts the state of the SureBackup job session. If the verification
tests are completed successfully but the backup validation is not passed, Veeam Backup & Replication marks the
SureBackup job session with the Failed status.
Application Group
In most cases, a VM works not alone but in cooperation with other services and components. To verify such VM,
you first need to start all services and components on which this VM is dependent. To this aim,
Veeam Backup & Replication uses the application group.
The application group creates the “surroundings” for the verified VM. The application group contains one or
several VMs on which the verified VM is dependent. These VMs run applications and services that must be
started to enable fully functional work of the verified VM. Typically, the application group contains at least a
domain controller, DNS server and DHCP server.
When you set up an application group, you specify a role of every VM, its boot priority and boot delay.
Additionally, you can specify what tests must be performed to verify VMs in the application group.
When a SureBackup job is launched, Veeam Backup & Replication first starts in the virtual lab VMs from the
application group in the required order and performs necessary tests against them. This way,
Veeam Backup & Replication creates the necessary environment for the verified VM. Only after all VMs from the
application group are started and tested, Veeam Backup & Replication starts the verified VM in the virtual lab.
For example, if you want to verify a Microsoft Exchange Server, you need to test its functionality in cooperation
with the domain controller and DNS server. Subsequently, you must add to the application group a virtualized
domain controller and DNS server. When Veeam Backup & Replication runs a SureBackup job, it will first start
and verify the domain controller and DNS server in the virtual lab to make verification of the Microsoft Exchange
Server possible.
NOTE:
All VMs added to the application group must belong to the same platform — VMware or Hyper-V. Mixed
application groups are not supported.
Creating Application Groups

Before you create an application group, check prerequisites. Then use the New Application Group wizard to
create an application group.
Before You Begin

Before you create an application group, check the following prerequisites:
• A valid license for Enterprise edition of Veeam Backup & Replication must be installed on the backup
server.
• All applications and services on which verified VMs are dependent must be virtualized in your
environment.
• If you plan to scan VM data for malware, check requirements and limitations.
• If you plan to verify VMs with a ping test, the firewall on tested VMs must allow ping requests.
• If you plan to verify VMs with a heartbeat test, VMware Tools must be installed in tested VMs.
• [For storage snapshots] The storage system must be added to the backup infrastructure.
• VM replicas must be in the Normal state. If a VM replica is in the Failover or Failback state, you will not be
able to add it to the application group.
• You cannot add to application groups VMs from backups of vCloud Director VMs, backups created with
backup copy jobs and backups stored in cloud backup repositories.
Step 1. Launch New Application Group Wizard
To launch the New Application Group wizard, do one of the following:
• Open the Backup Infrastructure view, in the inventory pane select SureBackup. In the working area, click
Add Application Group > VMware.
• Open the Backup Infrastructure view, in the inventory pane select Application Groups under SureBackup
and click Add Group > VMware on the ribbon.
• Open the Backup Infrastructure view, in the inventory pane right-click Application Groups under
SureBackup and select Add App Group > VMware.
Step 2. Specify Application Group Name and Description
At the Name step of the wizard, specify a name and description for the application group.
1. In the Name field, enter a name for the application group.
information about the user who created the group, date and time when the group was created.
Step 3. Add VMs to Application Group
At the Virtual Machines step of the wizard, add VMs to the created application group. You can add VMs from
different sources:
• VM backups
• VM replicas
• Storage snapshots
You can add VMs from backups, storage snapshots and VM replicas to the same application groups. Keep in
mind the following limitations:
• VMs must belong to the same platform — VMware vSphere or Microsoft Hyper-V.
• VMs must have at least one valid restore point or must reside on a storage snapshot.
• You cannot add the same VM twice. For example, if you add a VM from the storage snapshot, you will not
be able to add the same VM from the backup.
To add VMs to the application group:
1. Click Add VM and select From backups, From replicas or From storage snapshots.
2. In the displayed window, expand the job or storage snapshot, select the VM and click Add.
3. VMs in the list are specified in the order of their boot priority. To move a VM up and down in the list,
select it and click Move Up or Move Down.
Step 4. Specify Recovery Verification Options and Tests
You must specify verification options for every VM in the application group:
• Select a role that the VM performs
• Configure startup settings
• Select tests that must be performed for the VM
• Specify credentials for running the verification script
To specify recovery verification options:
1. At the Virtual Machines step of the wizard, select the VM in the list.
2. Click Edit on the right.
3. Use the Verification Options window to specify verification options.
Role Settings
On the Role tab, select a role that the VM performs. Veeam Backup & Replication offers the following
predefined roles for VMs:
• DNS Server
• Domain Controller (Authoritative Restore). In the Authoritative Restore mode,

Veeam Backup & Replication starts a domain controller in the virtual lab and marks it as being
authoritative to its replication partners. When other domain controllers (replication partners) are started
in the virtual lab, they replicate data from the domain controller started in the Authoritative Restore
mode.
• Domain Controller (Non-Authoritative Restore). In the Non-Authoritative Restore mode,

Veeam Backup & Replication restores a domain controller in the virtual lab and marks it as being non-
authoritative to its replication partners. Non-authoritative domain controllers then replicate data from a
domain controller started in the Authoritative Restore mode.
• Global Catalog
• Mail Server
• SQL Server
• Veeam Backup for Microsoft Office 365 (machine on which Veeam Backup for Microsoft Office 365 is
installed)
• Web Server
VM roles are described in XML files stored in the %ProgramFiles%\Veeam\Backup and

Replication\Backup\SbRoles folder on the backup server. You can create your own roles. To do this, you must
create a new XML file and specify role and test scripts settings in it. For more information, see Creating XML
files with VM Roles Description.
After you select a role for the VM, Veeam Backup & Replication will automatically configure startup options and
assign predefined test scripts for the chosen role. You can use these settings or specify custom settings on the
Startup Options and Test Scripts tabs.
To verify VMs that perform roles other than those specified in the list, you will have to manually configure
startup options and specify test scripts that must be run for these VMs.
IMPORTANT!
If you want to add several domain controllers to the application group, you must assign the Domain
Controller (Authoritative Restore) role to the first domain controller started in the virtual lab. Other
domain controllers must have the Domain Controller (Non-Authoritative Restore) role.
Startup Settings
To configure VM startup settings:
1. In the Verification Options window, click the Startup Options tab.
2. In the Memory section, specify the amount of memory that you want to pre-allocate to the VM when this
VM starts. The amount of pre-allocated memory is defined in percent. The percentage rate is calculated
based on the system memory level available for the production VM. For example, if 1024 MB of RAM is
allocated to the VM in the production environment and you specify 80% as a memory rate, 820 MB of
RAM will be allocated to the verified VM on startup.
Veeam Backup & Replication does not allow you to change VM CPU manually, it does this automatically. If
the VM has more CPU than the host can provide, Veeam Backup & Replication scales down the CPU of the
VM.
3. In the Startup time section, specify the allowed boot time for the VM and timeout to initialize applications
on the VM.
Be careful when specifying the Maximum allowed boot time value. Typically, a VM started by the
SureBackup job requires more time to boot than a VM started in the production environment. If an
application is not initialized within the specified interval of time, the recovery verification process fails
with the timeout error. If such error occurs, you need to increase the Maximum allowed boot time value
and run the SureBackup job again.
4. In the Boot verification section, specify when the VM must be considered to have been booted
successfully:
o VM heartbeat is present. If you enable this option, Veeam Backup & Replication will perform a
heartbeat test for the verified VM.
o VM responds to ping on any network interface. If you enable this option, Veeam Backup & Replication
will perform a ping test for the verified VM.
If you enable both options, Veeam Backup & Replication will require that both tests are completed
successfully: heartbeat test and ping test.
NOTE:
Veeam Backup & Replication performs a heartbeat test only if a VM has VMware Tools are installed. If
VMware Tools are not installed, the VM will be started but the test will not be performed. VMs without
VMware Tools can still be used as auxiliary VMs: they can be started to enable proper work of other VMs. In
this case, you do not need to select any role for such VMs.
Test Script Settings

When you select a VM role, Veeam Backup & Replication automatically assigns a predefined script that must be
run to verify applications inside this VM. If you want to verify a VM that has some other role not listed on the
Role tab:
1. In the Verification Options window, click the Test Scripts tab.
2. Click Add.
3. In the Test Scripts window, select Use the following test script.
4. In the Name field, specify a name for the script.
5. In the Path field, define a path to an executable script file that must be run to verify the VM. You can do
one of the following:
o If you have your own custom script, define a path to it in the Path field.
o If you do not have a custom script, you can use a standard utility by Veeam,
Veeam.Backup.ConnectionTester.exe, that probes application communication ports. The utility is
located in the installation folder of Veeam Backup & Replication: %ProgramFiles%\Veeam\Backup
and Replication\Backup\Veeam.Backup.ConnectionTester.exe. Specify this path in the Path field.
6. In the Arguments field, specify an IP address of the verified VM and the port that you want to probe (if the
selected test probes the port). You can use the %vm_ip% variable to define the VM IP address or the
%vm_fqdn% variable to define the VM fully qualified domain name.
For Microsoft SQL Server, you can also specify a path to the log file in the %log_path% argument. For
more information, see Backup Recovery Verification Tests.
7. Click OK to add the configured test.
To edit test settings, select the test in the list and click Edit. To delete a test, select the test in the list and click
Remove.
NOTE:
If a VM performs several roles and runs a number of applications, you can add several verification scripts to
verify work of these applications. It is recommended that you specify the maximum startup timeout value
and allocate the greatest amount of memory for such VMs.
Credentials Settings
By default, to run the verification script Veeam Backup & Replication uses the account under which the Veeam
Backup Service is running. If you need to run the script under some other account, you can specify credentials
for this account in the application group settings.
1. Click the Credentials tab.
2. From the Credentials list, select credentials for the account under which you want to run the script.
Step 5. Review Application Group Settings and Finish Working with Wizard
At the Summary step of the wizard, complete the procedure of application group configuration.
1. Review details of the application group.
2. Click Finish to save the application group settings and close the wizard.
Virtual Lab
The virtual lab is an isolated virtual environment in which Veeam Backup & Replication verifies VMs. In the
virtual lab, Veeam Backup & Replication starts VMs from the application group and the verified VM. The virtual
lab is used not only for the SureBackup verification procedure, but also for U-AIR, On-Demand Sandbox and
staged restore.
The virtual lab itself does not require that you provision extra resources for it. However, VMs running in the
virtual lab consume CPU and memory resources of the ESXi host where the virtual lab is deployed. All VM
changes that take place during recovery verification are written to redo log files. By default,
Veeam Backup & Replication stores redo logs on the datastore selected in the virtual lab settings and removes
redo logs after the recovery process is complete.
The virtual lab is fully fenced off from the production environment. The network configuration of the virtual lab
mirrors the network configuration of the production environment. For example, if verified VMs and VMs from
the application group are located in two logical networks in the production environment, the virtual lab will also
have two networks. The networks in the virtual lab will be mapped to corresponding production networks.
VMs in isolated networks have the same IP addresses as in the production network. This lets VMs in the virtual
lab function just as if they function in the production environment.
Proxy Appliance
To enable communication between the production environment and isolated networks in the virtual lab,
Veeam Backup & Replication uses a proxy appliance. The proxy appliance is an auxiliary Linux-based VM that is
deployed on the ESXi host where the virtual lab is created. The proxy appliance VM is assigned an IP address
from the production network and placed to the dedicated virtual lab folder and resource pool on the ESXi host.
The proxy appliance is connected to the production network and to the isolated network and so has visibility of
the production environment and virtual lab. In essence, the proxy appliance acts as a gateway between the two
networks — it routes requests from the production environment to VMs in the virtual lab.
To connect to isolated networks, the proxy appliance uses network adapters. Veeam Backup & Replication adds
to the proxy appliance one network adapter per every isolated network. For example, if there are two networks
in the virtual lab, Veeam Backup & Replication will add two network adapters to the proxy appliance. The
network adapter gets an IP address from the isolated network. Typically, this IP address is the same as the IP
address of the default gateway in the corresponding production network.
The proxy appliance is an optional component for recovery verification. Technically, you can create a virtual lab
without the proxy appliance. However, in this case, you will not be able to perform automatic recovery
verification of VMs. VMs will be started from backups in the virtual lab; you will have to access them using the
VM console and perform necessary tests manually.
IP Masquerading
To let the traffic into the virtual lab, Veeam Backup & Replication uses masquerade IP addressing.
Every VM in the virtual lab has a masquerade IP address, along with the IP address from the production network.
The masquerade IP address resembles the IP address in the production network. For example, if the IP address
of a VM is 172.16.1.13, the masquerade IP address may be 172.18.1.13.
The masquerade IP address is an "entry point" to the VM in the virtual lab from the production environment.
When you want to access a specific VM in the virtual lab, Veeam Backup & Replication addresses it by its
masquerade IP address.
The rules that route requests to VMs in the virtual lab are specified in the routing table on the server from which
you want to access VMs in the virtual lab. The routing table can be updated on the following servers:
• Backup server. Veeam Backup & Replication automatically creates the necessary static routes in the
routing table on the backup server at the moment you launch a SureBackup job and
Veeam Backup & Replication starts the virtual lab.
• Client machine. If you want to provide your users with access to VMs in the virtual lab, you need to
manually update routing tables on their machines and add new static routes. For more information, see
Static IP Mapping.
The added static route destines the masquerade network traffic to the proxy appliance. The proxy appliance acts
as a NAT device: it resolves the masquerade IP address, replaces it with “real” IP address of the VM from the
production network and then directs the request to the necessary VM in the virtual lab. The static route is non-
persistent: when you power off the virtual lab, the route is removed from the routing table on the backup server
or client machine.
For example, when trying to access a VM with IP address 172.16.10.10 in the isolated network,
Veeam Backup & Replication sends a request to the masquerade IP address 172.18.10.10. According to the
routing rule added to the IP routing table, all requests are first sent to the next hop — the proxy appliance. The
proxy appliance performs address translation, substitutes the masquerade IP address with the IP address in the
isolated network, and forwards the request to the necessary VM in the isolated network — in this example, to
172.16.10.10.
Static IP Mapping
Sometimes it is necessary to provide many clients with access to a restored VM, which is especially the case for
user-directed application item-level recovery. For example, you may want to provide users with access to the
Microsoft Exchange Server started in the virtual lab via web-based access (like Outlook Web Access).
Technically, you may update the routing table on every client machine; however, this will demand a lot of
administrative effort.
For such situations, Veeam Backup & Replication lets you get access to a VM in the virtual lab directly from the
production environment. To access to a VM in the virtual lab, you must reserve a static IP address in the pool of
production IP addresses and map this IP address to the IP address of a VM in the virtual lab.
The static IP address is assigned to the proxy appliance network adapter connected to the production network.
IP traffic directed to the specified static IP address is routed by the proxy appliance to the VM in the isolated
network.
For example, for a VM with IP address 192.168.1.20 in the isolated network, you can reserve IP address
192.168.1.99 (a free IP address from the production network). As a result, you will be able to use IP address
192.168.1.99 to access the VM in the virtual lab from the production side.
You can also register an alias record in the production DNS server for the reserved IP address. For example, you
can register backup.exchange.local as an alias for the IP address 192.168.1.99, and users will be able to access
Microsoft Exchange Server by this alias.
Virtual Lab Configuration

For SureBackup recovery verification, Veeam Backup & Replication offers two types of the virtual lab
configuration:
• Basic single-host virtual lab
• Advanced single-host virtual lab
NOTE:
You can also verify VM backups in Advanced Multi-Host virtual labs with DVS. This scenario can be helpful
if you want to test VM backups and VM replicas in the same virtual lab or want to add verified VM backups
and replicas to the same SureBackup job.
For more information, see Advanced Multi-Host Virtual Labs.
Basic Single-Host Virtual Labs

The basic single-host virtual lab can be used if all VMs that you want to verify, VMs from the application group
and the backup server are connected to the same network.
For the basic single-host virtual lab, Veeam Backup & Replication creates one virtual network that is mapped to
the corresponding production network. Veeam Backup & Replication automatically adds a number of new
objects on the ESXi host where the virtual lab is created:
• A resource pool
• A VM folder
• A standard vSwitch
The vSwitch is only used by the VMs started in the virtual lab. There is no routing outside the virtual lab to other
networks.
Veeam Backup & Replication automatically configures all settings for the basic single-host virtual lab. The proxy
appliance is also created and configured automatically on the ESXi host where the virtual lab is created.
Advanced Single-Host Virtual Labs

The advanced single-host virtual lab can be used if VMs that you want to verify and/or VMs from the application
group are connected to different networks.
In the advanced single-host virtual lab, Veeam Backup & Replication creates several virtual networks for the
virtual lab. The number of virtual networks corresponds to the number of production networks to which verified
VMs are connected. Networks in the virtual lab are mapped to production networks.
Veeam Backup & Replication automatically adds a number of new VMware objects on the ESXi host where the
virtual lab is created:
• A resource pool
• A VM folder
networks.
When you create an advanced single-host virtual lab, Veeam Backup & Replication configures basic settings for
networks that are created in the virtual lab. You need to review these settings and manually adjust them.
Creating Virtual Lab

Before you create a new virtual lab, check prerequisites. Then use the New Virtual Lab wizard to create a virtual
lab.
Before You Begin

Before you create a virtual lab, check the following prerequisites:
server.
• The ESXi host on which you plan to deploy a virtual lab must have a VMkernel interface. Otherwise the
vPower NFS datastore will not be mounted on the ESXi host. For more information, see Veeam vPower
NFS Service.
• If you plan to use the advanced multi-host networking mode for VM replicas verification, you must
configure a DVS beforehand. For more information, see Advanced Multi-Host Virtual Labs.
Step 1. Launch New Virtual Lab Wizard
To launch the New Virtual Lab wizard, do one of the following:
Add Virtual Lab > VMware.
• Open the Backup Infrastructure view, in the inventory pane select Virtual Labs node under SureBackup
and click Add Virtual Lab > VMware on the ribbon.
• Open the Backup Infrastructure view, in the inventory pane right-click Virtual Labs under SureBackup and
select Add Virtual Lab > VMware.
Step 2. Specify Virtual Lab Name and Description
At the Name step of the wizard, specify a name and description for the virtual lab.
1. In the Name field, enter a name for the virtual lab.
information about the user who created the virtual lab, date and time when the lab was created.
Step 3. Select Host
At the Host step of the wizard, select an ESXi host on which the virtual lab must be created.
To select an ESXi host:
1. Click Choose.
2. Select an ESXi host on which the new virtual lab must be created. You can select a standalone ESXi host or
an ESXi host being part of a cluster or vCenter Server hierarchy.
3. For every new virtual lab, Veeam Backup & Replication creates a dedicated folder and resource pool on the
ESXi host. By default, the folder and pool have the same name as the virtual lab. To change the name of
the folder and/or resource pool, click Configure. In the Destination Options window, enter the necessary
names.
IMPORTANT!
You cannot create resource pools in clusters with disabled DRS. If the target host is a part of such a cluster,
the Create a designated resource pool option will be disabled in the Destination Options window. For more
information, see this VMware KB article.
You cannot create folders on standalone ESXi hosts or ESXi hosts that are managed by the vCenter Severs
but are added to Veeam Backup & Replication as standalone hosts. To overcome this situation, add the
corresponding vCenter Server to Veeam Backup & Replication.
Selecting an ESXi Host for VM Replicas Verification
When you select an ESXi host for the virtual lab where VM replicas will be verified, mind the location of verified
VM replicas and VM replicas added to the application group:
• If verified VM replicas and VM replicas from the application group are located on the same ESXi host, you
must select the ESXi host on which these VM replicas are registered. Verified VM replicas and VMs from
the application group will be started on the selected ESXi host. If the application group contains VMs
added from VM backups or storage snapshots, these VMs will also be started on the selected ESXi host.
For this type of virtual lab configuration, you need to choose one of single-host networking modes: Basic
single-host or Advanced single-host. For more information, see Selecting a Networking Mode.
• If verified VM replicas and/or VM replicas from the application group are located on different ESXi hosts,
you can select any ESXi host in your virtual environment. Veeam Backup & Replication will create the
virtual lab on the selected ESXi host. Verified VM replicas and VM replicas from the application group will
be started on ESXi hosts where they are registered and connected to the virtual lab with the help of
VMware DVS technology.
The ESXi host on which the virtual lab is created must meet the following requirements:
o The ESXi host must be located in the same datacenter where VM replicas are registered.
o The ESXi host must have enough CPU and RAM resources. If the application group contains VMs that
are started from backups or storage snapshots, these VMs will be started on the same ESXi host
where the virtual lab is located, which will require a lot of resources.
o For this type of virtual lab configuration, you must use the Advanced multi-host networking mode.
For more information, see Selecting a Networking Mode.
Step 4. Select Datastore
At the Datastore step of the wizard, you can select where redo logs for verified VMs must be stored. Redo logs
are auxiliary files used to keep changes that take place when VMs run in the virtual lab. By default, redo logs are
stored on the vPower NFS server. However, you can store redo logs on any datastore in the virtual environment.
Redirecting redo logs improves verification performance. As soon as a recovery verification job completes,
Veeam Backup & Replication deletes redo logs.
To redirect redo logs:
1. Select the Redirect virtual disk updates check box.

If you perform staged restore, the Redirect virtual disk updates option allows you to select a datastore
where VM delta files will be stored. Delta files are auxiliary files that keep changes made to a VM during
script execution. For more information, see Staged Restore.
2. Click Choose and select a datastore from the list.
IMPORTANT!
If disks of verified VMs are greater than 2 TB, you must not place redo logs on a VSAN datastore.
Otherwise, Veeam Backup & Replication will fail to create snapshots for verified VMs. For more
information, see VMware Docs.
Step 5. Set Up Proxy Appliance
At the Proxy step of the wizard, configure proxy appliance settings.
1. Select the Use proxy appliance in this virtual lab check box to enable automatic recovery verification of
VMs. The proxy appliance acts as a gateway that provides access from the backup server to VMs in the
virtual lab. If you do not select this check box, during recovery verification Veeam Backup & Replication
will only start VMs in the virtual lab and perform the heartbeat test for VMs. You will have to manually
test VMs or perform manual item-level restore over the VM console.
2. By default, the proxy appliance is placed on a datastore with the maximum amount of free space. The
default name of the proxy appliance is the virtual lab name that you have specified at the Name step of
the wizard. To change a name or a datastore for the proxy appliance, click Edit and specify a new name or
choose a different datastore.
3. Click Configure and select a production network in which the proxy appliance will be created. Specify an IP
address for the proxy appliance in the production network and settings of the DNS server to be used. You
can choose to automatically obtain an IP address for the backup proxy and DNS server settings or set them
manually.
IMPORTANT!
If you assign to the proxy appliance an IP address from the same network where the backup server is
located, Veeam Backup & Replication will automatically add a new route to the routing table on the backup
server. If you assign to the proxy appliance an IP address from a different network, you will have to
manually add a new route to the routing table on the router in the production network. If you do not add a
new route, tests and application scripts will fail and you will not be able to access VMs in isolated
networks.
When Veeam Backup & Replication starts a virtual lab, it verifies if the proxy appliance is available by
sending a ping request to it. If the corresponding route is not added to the routing table, the SureBackup
job will fail.
4. By default, VMs in the virtual lab work in the isolated environment and do not have access to the Internet.
If you want to let VMs in the virtual lab access the Internet, select the Allow proxy appliance to act as
internet proxy for virtual machines in this lab check box. In the Port field, specify a port for HTTP traffic.
By default, port 8080 is used. In the Production proxy field, you can optionally specify an IP address or a
fully qualified domain name of an Internet-facing proxy server that VMs must use to access the Internet.
5. On every VM that you plan to start in the virtual lab, adjust proxy settings in the Internet options. To do
this, on the VM open Internet Options > Connections > LAN Settings > Proxy server and specify an IP
address of the proxy appliance on the isolated network and port number.
NOTE:
When you allow the proxy appliance to act as an Internet proxy, you enable the HTTP(S) Internet access for
VMs in the virtual lab. The proxy appliance does not proxy other protocols (such as ICMP protocol used for
ping tests) for VMs in the virtual lab.
Step 6. Select Networking Mode
At the Networking step of the wizard, select the type of network settings configuration. The virtual lab
configuration depends on objects that you plan to verify in the virtual lab:
• Backups
• Replicas
• VMs from storage snapshots
Selecting Networking Mode for Verifying Backups

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/or 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.
If you select the Advanced single-host option, the New Virtual Lab wizard will include additional steps for
customizing network settings.
NOTE:
You can also verify VM backups in Advanced Multi-Host virtual labs with DVS. This scenario can be helpful
if you want to test VM backups and replicas in the same virtual lab or want to add verified VM backups and
replicas to the same SureBackup job.
For more information, see Advanced Multi-Host Virtual Labs.
Selecting Networking Mode for Verifying Replicas

Veeam Backup & Replication offers three networking modes for the virtual lab in which VM replicas are verified:
• Basic single-host. This type of networking is recommended if VM replicas that you plan to verify are
located on the same ESXi host and are connected to the same production network. The backup server
must also be located in this network. In this case, Veeam Backup & Replication will automatically define all
networking settings for the virtual lab.
• Advanced single-host. This type of networking is recommended if VM replicas that you plan to verify are
located on the same ESXi host but connected to different networks. In this case, you will have to manually
define settings for isolated networks in the virtual lab.
• Advanced multi-host. This type of networking is recommended if VM replicas that you plan to verify are
located on the different ESXi hosts. For multi-host configuration of the virtual lab,
Veeam Backup & Replication uses VMware DVS technology.
If you select the Advanced multi-host option, click Choose and select the necessary DVS in your virtual
environment. Note that Veeam Backup & Replication does not configure a DVS automatically: you must
configure it beforehand.
If the Advanced single-host or Advanced multi-host option is selected, the New Virtual Lab wizard will include
additional steps for customizing network settings.
IMPORTANT!
For every isolated network in the virtual lab, Veeam Backup & Replication adds a new port group to the
DVS. If you use a production DVS, you must isolate port groups created with Veeam Backup & Replication
from the production environment. For more information, see Isolated Networks on DVS.
Selecting Network Mode for Verifying VMs on Storage

Snapshots
For verifying VMs from storage snapshots, you can select any networking mode.
Step 7. Create Isolated Networks
The Isolated Networks step of the wizard is available if you have selected the advanced networking option at
the Networking step of the wizard.
At the Isolated Networks step of the wizard, you must configure isolated networks to which verified VMs and
VMs from the application group will be connected and map these networks to production networks where
original VMs are located.
To add a network:
1. Click Add.
2. From the Production network list, select a production network in which a VM from the application group
or verified VM resides.
3. In the Isolated network field, specify a name for the isolated network that must be mapped to the
selected production network.
4. In the VLAN ID field, enter an ID for the created network. In the advanced multi-host virtual lab, VLAN IDs
help ensure that the created network is isolated from the production environment. Alternatively, you can
manually connect the DVS that you plan to use to the isolated network. For more information, see
Advanced Multi-Host Virtual Lab.
NOTE:
You can map several production networks to the same isolated network. The production networks that you
plan to map must have the same network masks and pools of IP addresses.
You cannot map one production network to several isolated networks.
Step 8. Specify Network Settings
The Network Settings step of the wizard is available if you have selected the advanced networking option at the
Networking step of the wizard.
At the Network Settings step of the wizard, you must specify settings for every created isolated network and
define how production networks map to isolated networks in the virtual lab.
Communication between production networks and isolated networks is carried out through vNIC adapters on the
proxy appliance. A new vNIC adapter must be added for every isolated network.
To add a vNIC adapter for an isolated network:
1. At the Network Settings step of the wizard, click Add.
2. Select a network to which the vNIC adapter must be connected. Specify an IP address that the proxy
appliance must have in the isolated network and subnet mask for this isolated network. Typically, the IP
address set for the proxy appliance coincides with the IP address of the gateway in the corresponding
production network.
3. After you specify the IP address, Veeam Backup & Replication will automatically configure a masquerade
IP address for accessing VMs in the virtual lab from the production network. You can change the
masquerade network IP address if necessary.
4. Select the Enable DHCP service on this interface check box if you need to dynamically assign IP addresses
for machines. The assigned IP addresses belong to the current isolated network.
5. Click the DNS Servers button and specify settings of a virtualized DNS server if necessary.
6. Click OK.
7. To enable communication between isolated networks, select the Route network traffic between vNICs
check box. Make sure that the IP address of the proxy appliance in the isolated network matches the IP
address of the gateway in the production network.
IMPORTANT!
Mind the following:
• You cannot assign more than one vNIC to a single isolated network.
• Network addresses specified for different vNIC adapters must belong to different networks. For
example, if the first network adapter has address 192.168.0.1 and the network mask is
255.255.255.0, and the second one — 192.168.0.2 and the network mask is 255.255.255.0, such
configuration will not work. In this situation, you need to assign to the second adapter an IP address
from a different network, for example, 172.16.0.1.
Step 9. Specify Static IP Mapping Rules
The Static Mapping step of the wizard is available if you have selected the advanced networking option at the
Networking step of the wizard.
At the Static Mapping step of the wizard, you can specify static IP address mapping rules to make VMs in the
virtual lab accessible from any machine in the production network.
To add a new rule:
1. Select the Define static IP address mapping check box.
2. Click Add.
3. In the IP Address Mapping window, specify settings of a new rule:
a. In the Isolated IP field, specify an IP address of the VM in the production network.
b. In the Access IP field, specify an IP address in the production network that you want to use to access
the VM in the virtual lab. You must use an IP address that is not allocated to any machine yet.
NOTE:
It is recommended that you assign an access IP from the same subnet where the proxy appliance resides. In
the opposite case, you will have to configure routing rules for the access IP manually.
For example, a DNS server that you plan to start in the virtual lab has IP address 172.17.53.15 in the production
network. To set static mapping for the DNS server:
1. In the Isolated IP field, you must define its production IP address — 172.17.53.15.
2. In the Access IP field, you must define any free IP address from the production network, for example,
172.17.53.162.
After a virtual lab is created and VMs are started in the virtual lab, you will be able to access the DNS server in
the virtual lab from the production environment by IP address 172.17.53.162.
Step 10. Apply Parameters
At the Ready to Apply step of the wizard, complete the procedure of virtual lab configuration.
1. Review details of the virtual lab.
2. Click Apply to create the virtual lab.
3. At the last step of the wizard, click Finish to exit the wizard.
Connecting to Existing Virtual Lab

You can connect an existing virtual lab and use this virtual lab for recovery verification. For example, you can
connect to a virtual lab that has been created on another backup server.
To connect to a virtual lab:
2. In the inventory pane, select Virtual Labs under SureBackup and click Connect Virtual Lab > VMware on
the ribbon or right-click Virtual Labs and select Connect Virtual Lab > VMware.
3. Select the virtual lab and click Connect. To quickly find a virtual lab, use the search field at the bottom of
the Select Virtual Lab window: enter a virtual lab name or a part of it in the field below and press [Enter]
on the keyboard.
Editing and Deleting Virtual Labs

You can edit settings of a virtual lab or delete the virtual lab.
Always use Veeam Backup & Replication to modify or delete a virtual lab. If you edit virtual lab settings or
delete any of its components from outside, for example, in vSphere Client, the lab will be corrupted and its
component such as the created vSwitch, resource pool will remain in the virtual infrastructure.
Editing Virtual Labs

To edit settings of a virtual lab:
2. In the inventory pane, select Virtual Labs under SureBackup.
3. In the working area, select a virtual lab and click Edit Virtual Lab on the ribbon or right-click the virtual lab
and select Properties.
4. Edit virtual lab settings as required.
Removing Virtual Labs

To remove a virtual lab:
2. In the inventory pane, select Virtual Labs under SureBackup.
3. In the working area, select a virtual lab and click Remove Virtual Lab on the ribbon or right-click the
virtual lab and select Delete.
4. If you want to remove virtual lab object from the virtual infrastructure, in the displayed window select the
Remove virtual lab objects from host check box. If you do not enable this option,
Veeam Backup & Replication will disconnect the virtual lab from the backup server. You will be able to
connect to this virtual lab later.
SureBackup Job
A SureBackup job is a task for recovery verification. The SureBackup job aggregates all settings and policies of
the recovery verification task, such as application group and virtual lab to be used, VM backups that must be
verified in the virtual lab and so on. You can run the SureBackup job manually or schedule it to run
automatically.
When a SureBackup job runs, Veeam Backup & Replication first creates an environment for recovery verification:
1. Veeam Backup & Replication starts the virtual lab.
2. In the virtual lab, Veeam Backup & Replication starts VMs from the application group in the required order.
VMs from the application group remain running until the verified VMs (VMs from the linked job) are
booted from backups and tested.
If Veeam Backup & Replication does not find a valid restore point for any of VMs from the application
group, the SureBackup job fails.
3. When the virtual lab is ready, Veeam Backup & Replication starts verified VMs (VMs from the linked job) to
the necessary restore point and, depending on the job settings, verifies them one by one or creates several
streams and verifies a number of VMs simultaneously.
If Veeam Backup & Replication does not find a valid restore point for any of verified VMs, verification of
this VM fails, but the job continues to run.
By default, you can start and test up to three VMs at the same time. You can also increase the number of VMs to
be started and tested simultaneously. Keep in mind that if these VMs are resource demanding, performance of
the SureBackup job as well as performance of the ESXi host on which the virtual lab resides may decrease.
Once the verification process is complete, VMs from the application group are powered off. Optionally, you can
leave the VMs from the application group running to perform manual testing or enable user-directed application
item-level recovery.
In some cases, the SureBackup job schedule may overlap the schedule of the backup job linked to it. The backup
file may be locked by the backup job and the SureBackup job will be unable to verify such backup. In this
situation, Veeam Backup & Replication will not start the SureBackup job until the corresponding backup job is
over.
To overcome the situation of job overlapping, you may chain the backup and SureBackup jobs or define the
timeout period for the SureBackup job. For more information, see Specifying Job Schedule.
NOTE:
VMs from the application group and verified VMs must belong to the same platform — VMware or Hyper-V.
Mixed scenarios are not supported.
SureBackup Job Processing

The recovery verification process includes the following steps:
1. Getting virtual lab configuration. Veeam Backup & Replication gets information about configuration of the
virtual lab where verified VMs must be started.
2. Starting virtual lab routing engine. Veeam Backup & Replication starts a proxy appliance used as a
gateway to provide access to the virtual lab.
3. Performing malware scan. If the recovery verification process includes malware scan,
Veeam Backup & Replication scans VM data with antivirus software.
After the malware scan is complete, Veeam Backup & Replication registers the VM on the selected ESXi
host, powers it on, and runs recovery verification tests for this VM.
Veeam Backup & Replication verifies VMs sequentially — one after another. For example, when the
malware scan and recovery verification tests for VM A complete, Veeam Backup & Replication verifies VM
B, and so on.
4. Publishing. Veeam Backup & Replication creates a vPower NFS datastore with a VM backup and registers it
on the selected ESXi server. Veeam Backup & Replication does not deploy the whole VM from the backup
file, it deploys VM configuration files only. Virtual disks are deployed per force and per required data
blocks.
5. Reconfiguring. Veeam Backup & Replication updates configuration files for VMs that must be started in
the isolated network.
6. Registering. Veeam Backup & Replication registers the verified VM on the selected ESXi host.
7. Configuring DC. If a verified VM has the Domain Controller or Global Catalog role, the VM is reconfigured.
8. Powering on. Veeam Backup & Replication powers on the verified VM in the isolated network.
9. Performing heartbeat test. Veeam Backup & Replication checks whether the VMware Tools heartbeat
signal (green or yellow) is coming from the VM or not. If the VM has no VMware Tools, the test is not
performed, and a notification is written to the session details.
10. Running ping tests. Veeam Backup & Replication checks if the VM responds to the ping requests or not. If
the VM has no NICs and mapped networks for them and/or has no VMware Tools installed, the ping test is
not performed, and a notification is written to the session details.
11. Application initialization. Veeam Backup & Replication waits for the applications installed in the VM, for
example, Microsoft SQL Server, to start. The application initialization period is defined in settings of the
SureBackup job and by default equals to 120 sec. Depending on the software installed in a VM, the
application initialization process may require more time than specified in the job settings. If applications
installed in a VM are not initialized within the specified period of time, test scripts can be completed with
errors. If such an error situation occurs, you need to increase the Application initialization timeout value
and start the job once again.
12. Running test scripts. Veeam Backup & Replication runs scripts to test whether the application installed in
the VM is working correctly or not. If the VM has no VMware Tools installed and/or there are no NICs and
mapped networks for them, Veeam Backup & Replication skips tests that use the %vm_ip% and
%vm_fqdn% variables as the IP address and fully qualified domain name of the VM cannot be determined.
Test results are written to the job session details. To define whether the script has completed successfully
or not, Veeam Backup & Replication uses return codes. If the return code is equal to 0, the script is
considered to complete successfully. Other values in the return code mean that the script has failed.
13. Powering off. After all tests have been performed, Veeam Backup & Replication powers off the verified
VM.
14. Unregistering. Veeam Backup & Replication unregisters the verified VM on the selected ESXi host.
15. Clearing redo logs. Veeam Backup & Replication deletes redo logs from the datastore in the production
environment. Redo logs store changes made to the VM while it is running from the backup file.
16. Unpublishing. Veeam Backup & Replication unpublishes the content of the backup file on the ESXi host.
17. Running backup validation test. After a VM has been verified, powered off and unpublished,
Veeam Backup & Replication runs a CRC check to verify the VM backup at the file level and make sure that
this file is not corrupted.
18. Stopping virtual lab engine. Veeam Backup & Replication powers off the proxy appliance in the virtual lab.
19. Deleting network routes. Veeam Backup & Replication deletes added network routes from the routing
table on the backup server.
Stabilization Algorithm
To be able to perform tests for a verified VM without errors, Veeam Backup & Replication needs to know that
the VM is ready for testing. To determine this, Veeam Backup & Replication waits for the VM to reach a
stabilization point: that is, waits for the VM to boot completely and report it is ready for tests. After the
stabilization point has been established, Veeam Backup & Replication can start performing heartbeat tests, ping
tests and running test scripts against the VM.
Veeam Backup & Replication establishes the stabilization point with the help of VMware parameters that it gets
from the VM. Depending on the VM configuration, it uses one of three algorithms to do that:
• Stabilization by IP. This algorithm is used if the VM has VMware Tools installed, there are NICs and
mapped networks for these NICs. In this case, Veeam Backup & Replication waits for an IP address of the
VM for mapped networks that is sent by VMware Tools running in the VM. The sent IP address must be
valid and must not change for a specific period of time. For more information, see Recovery Verification
Tests.
• Stabilization by heartbeat. This algorithm is used if the VM has VMware Tools installed but there are no
vNICs and mapped networks for them. In this case, Veeam Backup & Replication waits for a green or
yellow heartbeat signal from the VM. The signal is sent by VMware Tools running in the VM.
• Stabilization by Maximum allowed boot time. This algorithm is used if the VM has neither VMware Tools
installed, nor NICs and mapped networks for them. In this case, Veeam Backup & Replication waits for the
time specified in the Maximum allowed boot time field, which is considered to be a stabilization period for
the VM. Once this time interval is exceeded, Veeam Backup & Replication considers that the VM is
successfully booted and is ready for testing.
When the stabilization point has been established, Veeam Backup & Replication runs ping, heartbeat tests and
performs test scripts against the verified VM.
The stabilization process cannot exceed the time specified in the Maximum allowed boot time field. For this
reason, you should be careful when specifying this value. Typically, a VM started by a SureBackup job requires
more time to boot than a VM started in the production environment. If the stabilization point cannot be
determined within the Maximum allowed boot time, the recovery verification process is finished with the
timeout error. When such an error occurs, you need to increase the Maximum allowed boot time value and start
the job again.
Creating SureBackup Job

To create a new SureBackup job, use the New SureBackup Job wizard.
Before You Begin

Before you create and start a SureBackup job, check the following prerequisites:
server.
• All applications and services on which verified VMs are dependent must be virtualized in your
environment.
• You must create or connect a virtual lab. For more information, see sections Creating Virtual Lab and
Connecting to Existing Virtual Lab.
• If you plan to scan VM data for malware, check requirements and limitations.
• If you plan to verify VMs with a ping test, the firewall on tested VMs must allow ping requests.
• If you plan to verify VMs with a heartbeat test, VMware Tools must be installed in tested VMs.
• [For storage snapshots] The storage system must be added to the backup infrastructure.
• Verified VM replicas must be in the Normal state. If a VM replica is in the Failover or Failback state, you
will not be able to verify it with the SureBackup job.
• You cannot link to SureBackup jobs VMs from backups of vCloud Director VMs, backups created with
backup copy jobs and backups stored in cloud backup repositories.
• The source backup or replication job has a higher priority than the SureBackup job. If the source backup or
replication job starts when the SureBackup job is running, and this job is about to modify the restore point
from which the VM is started, Veeam Backup & Replication automatically powers off VMs in the virtual lab
and completes the SureBackup job.
Step 1. Launch New Sure Backup Job Wizard
To launch the New SureBackup Job wizard, do either of the following:
Add SureBackup Job > VMware vSphere.
• Open the Home view. On the Home tab, click SureBackup Job > VMware vSphere on the ribbon.
• Open the Home view. In the inventory pane, right-click SureBackup under Jobs and select SureBackup >
VMware vSphere.
You can use this method if you already have at least one SureBackup job. If there are no SureBackup jobs,
the SureBackup node will not be displayed in the inventory pane. In this case, you can right-click Jobs in
the inventory pane and select SureBackup > VMware vSphere.
NOTE:
SureBackup UI elements become available in the Veeam Backup & Replication console only after you create
or connect a virtual lab. For more information, see sections Creating Virtual Lab and Connecting to Existing
Virtual Lab.
At the Name step of the wizard, specify a name and description for the SureBackup job.
1. In the Name field, enter a name for the SureBackup job.
Step 3. Select Virtual Lab
At the Virtual Lab step of the wizard, select a virtual lab that you want to use for recovery verification.
1. From the Virtual Lab list, select a virtual lab. The list contains all virtual labs that are created or connected
2. In the Virtual lab info section, review information about the selected virtual lab.
Step 4. Select Application Group
At the Application Group step of the wizard, select an application group that you want to use for recovery
verification.
You can select an application group or skip this step. If the application group is not selected, you must link at
least one backup or replication job to the SureBackup job at the Linked Jobs step of the wizard. In this case,
when the SureBackup job starts, Veeam Backup & Replication will only run VMs from the linked job in the virtual
lab and verify these VMs.
To select an application group:
1. From the Application group list, select an application group. The list contains all application groups that
are created on the backup server.
2. In the Application group info list, refer to the Source Status column to make sure that backups and
replicas for VMs in the application group are created.
3. To leave VMs from the application group running after the SureBackup job finishes, select the Keep the
application group running after the job completes check box. With this option enabled, the lab will not be
powered off when the SureBackup job completes, and you will be able to perform application item-level
restore (U-AIR) and manually test VMs started in the virtual lab.
Step 5. Link Backup or Replication Job
At the Linked Jobs step of the wizard, select backup or replication jobs with VMs that you want to verify with
the SureBackup job.
You can link a backup or replication job to the SureBackup job or skip this step. If you do not link a backup or
replication job, Veeam Backup & Replication will only start VMs from the application group in the virtual lab and
verify them. You have an option not to link a backup or replication job to the SureBackup job only if you have
selected an application group at the Application Group step of the wizard.
To link a backup or replication job to the SureBackup job:
1. Select the Link jobs check box.
2. Click Add.
3. In the Select Jobs window, select backup and/or replication jobs.
4. In the Process simultaneously up to … VMs field, specify the maximum number of VMs (from a linked job)
that can be started at the same time. For example, if you select to start three VMs at the same time,
Veeam Backup & Replication will create three streams — one stream per every verified VM. All three VMs
will be tested together. But if you select to start one VM, then only one VM will been tested and powered
off, and the next VM will be started in the available stream. After all VMs are verified, VMs from the
application group will be powered off or will be left running (if the Keep the application group running
after the job completes option has been enabled at the Application Group step of the wizard).
To remove a backup or replication job from the list, select it and click Remove.
Step 6. Specify Recovery Verification Options and Tests
You must specify verification options for every VM from the jobs linked to the SureBackup job:
• Select a role that a VM performs
• Configure VM startup settings
• Select tests that must be performed for the VM
• Specify credentials for running the verification script
If all VMs in the linked job perform the same role, you can specify startup options and test settings for the
whole job in bulk. If VMs have different roles, you can granularly specify startup options and test settings for
every VM in the job.
• To specify startup options and select tests for the whole job, select a job in the list and click Edit on the
right.
• To specify startup options and select tests for every VM in the job separately, select a job in the list and
click Advanced on the right. Click Add; in the Add Objects window select a VM. Select the added VM in the
list, click Edit and specify settings as described below.
If you use tags to categorize virtual infrastructure objects, check limitations for VM tags. For more
IMPORTANT!
If you specify startup options and tests individually for every VM, Veeam Backup & Replication will apply
these options and tests only. Options and tests specified at the level of the SureBackup job will be ignored
for this VM.
Role Settings
On the Role tab, select the role that the VM performs. Veeam Backup & Replication offers the following
predefined roles for VMs:
• DNS Server
• Domain Controller (Authoritative Restore). In the Authoritative Restore mode,

Veeam Backup & Replication starts a domain controller in the virtual lab and marks it as being
authoritative to its replication partners. When other domain controllers (replication partners) are started
in the virtual lab, they replicate data from the domain controller started in the Authoritative Restore
mode.
• Domain Controller (Non-Authoritative Restore). In the Non-Authoritative Restore mode,

Veeam Backup & Replication restores a domain controller in the virtual lab and marks it as being non-
authoritative to its replication partners. Non-authoritative domain controllers then replicate data from a
domain controller started in the Authoritative Restore mode.
• Global Catalog
• Mail Server
• SQL Server
• Veeam Backup for Microsoft Office 365 (machine on which Veeam Backup for Microsoft Office 365 is
installed)
• Web Server
VM roles are described in XML files stored in the %ProgramFiles%\Veeam\Backup and

Replication\Backup\SbRoles folder. You can add your own roles. To do this, you need to create a new XML file
and specify role and test scripts settings in it. For more information, see Creating XML files with VM Roles
Description.
After you select the necessary role, Veeam Backup & Replication will automatically configure startup options
and assign predefined test scripts for the chosen role. You can use these settings or specify custom settings on
the Startup Options and Test Scripts tabs.
To verify VMs that perform roles other than those specified in the list, you will have to manually configure
startup options and specify test scripts that must be run for these VMs.
VM Startup Settings
To configure VM startup settings:
1. In the Verification Options window, click the Startup Options tab.
2. In the Memory section, specify the amount of memory that you want to pre-allocate to the VM when this
VM starts. The amount of pre-allocated memory is defined in percent. The percentage rate is calculated
based on the system memory level available for the production VM. For example, if 1024 MB of RAM is
RAM will be allocated to the verified VM on startup.
Veeam Backup & Replication does not allow you to change VM CPU manually, it does this automatically. If
the VM has more CPU than the host can provide, Veeam Backup & Replication scales down the CPU of the
VM.
on the VM.
Be careful when specifying the Maximum allowed boot time value. Typically, a VM started by a
SureBackup job requires more time to boot than a VM started in the production environment. If an
application fails to be initialized within the specified interval of time, the recovery verification process fails
with the timeout error. If such error occurs, you need to increase the Maximum allowed boot time value
and run the SureBackup job again.
4. In the Boot verification section, specify when the VM must be considered to have been booted
successfully:
o VM heartbeat is present. If you enable this option, Veeam Backup & Replication will perform a
heartbeat test for the verified VM.
o VM responds to ping on any network interface. If you enable this option, Veeam Backup & Replication
will perform a ping test for the verified VM.
If you enable both options, Veeam Backup & Replication will require that both tests are completed
successfully: heartbeat test and ping test.
NOTE:
Veeam Backup & Replication performs a heartbeat test only if a VM has VMware Tools are installed. If
VMware Tools are not installed, the VM will be started but the test will not be performed.
Test Script Settings
When you select a VM role, Veeam Backup & Replication automatically assigns a predefined script that must be
run to verify applications inside the VM. If you want to verify a VM that has some other role not listed on the
Role tab, do the following:
1. In the Verification Options window, click the Test Scripts tab.
2. Click Add.
3. In the Test Scripts window, select Use the following test script.
4. In the Name field, specify a name for the script.
5. In the Path field, define a path to an executable script file that must be run to verify the VM. You can do
o If you have your own custom script, define a path to it in the Path field.
o If you do not have a custom script, you can use Veeam standard utility,
Veeam.Backup.ConnectionTester.exe, that probes application communication ports. The utility
is located in the installation folder of Veeam Backup & Replication:
%ProgramFiles%\Veeam\Backup and
Replication\Backup\Veeam.Backup.ConnectionTester.exe. Specify this path in the Path
field.
6. In the Arguments field, specify an IP address of the verified VM and the port that you want to probe (if the
selected test probes the port). You can use the %vm_ip% variable to define the VM IP address or the
%vm_fqdn% variable to define the VM fully qualified domain name.
For Microsoft SQL Server, you can also specify a path to the log file in the %log_path% argument. For
more information, see Backup Recovery Verification Tests.
7. Click OK to add the configured test.
To edit test settings, select the test in the list and click Edit. To delete a test, select it in the list and click
Remove.
NOTE:
If a VM performs several roles and runs a number of applications, you can add several verification scripts to
verify work of these applications. It is recommended that you specify the maximum startup timeout value
and allocate the greatest amount of memory for such VMs.
Credentials Settings
In the Credentials tab, specify credentials to authenticate in the VM where you need to run the script.
1. Click the Credentials tab.
2. From the Credentials list, select credentials for the account under which you want to run the script.
Step 7. Specify Additional Job Settings
On the Settings step of the wizard, specify additional settings for the SureBackup job:
1. [For VM backups only] If you want to validate the backup file with a CRC check and make sure that the file
is not corrupted, select the Validate entire virtual disk contents check box. You can optionally exclude
VMs being a part of the application group from this test. To do this, select the Skip validation for
application group VMs check box. For more information, see Recovery Verification Tests.
2. If you want Veeam Backup & Replication to scan VM data with antivirus software, select the Scan the
selected restore point for malware check box. For more information, see Secure Restore.
o if you want the antivirus software to continue scanning VM data after the first malware is found,
select the Scan the entire image check box. For information on how to view results of the malware
scan, see Viewing Recovery Verification Job Statistics.
o If you do not want to scan VMs from the application group, select the Skip application group machines
from malware scan check box. In this case, the antivirus will only scan VMs from linked jobs.
Veeam Backup & Replication scans VM data with antivirus before running verification tests. Mind that the
SureBackup job may take considerable time to complete if you are verifying backups of large sized VMs.
3. If you want to receive SNMP traps, select the Send SNMP trap check box.
SNMP traps will be sent only if you configure global SNMP settings in Veeam Backup & Replication and on
recipient’s computer. For more information, see Specifying SNMP Settings.
4. If you want to receive notifications by email, select the Send email notifications to the following recipients
check box. In the field below, specify recipient’s email address. You can enter several addresses separated
by a semicolon.
Email notifications will be sent only if you configure global email notification settings in
Veeam Backup & Replication. For more information, see Specifying Email Notification Settings.
NOTE:
If you enable the Keep the application group running after the job completes option at the Application
Group step of the wizard, the Skip validation for application group VMs option will be automatically
enabled.
Step 8. Specify Job Schedule
At the Schedule step of the wizard, select to manually run the SureBackup job or schedule the job at specific
time, for example, after the corresponding backup or replication job completes.
1. To define a job schedule, select the Run the job automatically check box. If this check box is not selected,
you will have to manually start the job to perform recovery verification.
2. Choose the necessary schedule option for the job:
o Daily at to start the job at specific time every day, on week days or on specific days.
o Monthly at to start the job once a month on the specified day.
NOTE:
o After this job to chain the job. Typically, a SureBackup job should run after the linked backup or
replication job completes. In this case, the SureBackup job will verify the VM backup or VM replica
created by the source backup or replication job.
To create a chain of jobs, you must define the time schedule for the first job in the chain. For the rest
of the jobs in the chain, at the Schedule step of the wizard, select the After this job option and choose
the preceding job from the list.
3. In some cases, the linked backup or replication job may not complete until the SureBackup job starts. If
Veeam Backup & Replication finds out that the linked job is still running, the SureBackup job will fail to
start. To overcome this situation, select the If some linked backup jobs are still running, wait up to <N>
minutes check box and specify the necessary time period in the field on the right. If the linked job is still
running, Veeam Backup & Replication will wait for the defined period of time and check the linked job
after this period elapses.
o If the linked job is finished within the specified period, the SureBackup job will start.
o If the linked job is still running, the SureBackup job will not start.
NOTE:
Step 9. Review Job Summary and Finish Working with Wizard
At the Summary step of the wizard, complete the procedure of SureBackup job configuration.
1. Review details of the SureBackup job.
2. If you want to start the job right after you finish working with the wizard, select the Run the job when I
click Finish check box.
3. Click Finish to save the job settings and close the wizard.
Starting and Stopping SureBackup Job

You can instruct the SureBackup job to verify the latest restore point of a VM backup or VM replica or select a
specific restore point to which the VM from the backup or VM replica must be started.
To start a VM from the latest restore point:
2. In the inventory pane, click SureBackup under Jobs.
3. In the working area, select the SureBackup job and click Start on the ribbon. You can also right-click the
SureBackup job and select Start. Veeam Backup & Replication will start VMs in the application group and
verified VMs from the latest restore point and perform necessary tests for them.
To start VMs from a specific point in time:
2. In the inventory pane, select SureBackup under Jobs.
3. In the working area, select the SureBackup job and click Start to on the ribbon. You can also right-click the
SureBackup job and select Start to.
4. In the Restore Point window, select an approximate date of the restore point creation.
Veeam Backup & Replication will pick the most recent restore point prior to the selected day and start
VMs from the application group and verified VMs from this restore point.
To stop a running SureBackup job session:
3. In the working area, select the SureBackup job and click Stop on the ribbon. You can also right-click the
SureBackup job and select Stop.
Viewing Recovery Verification Job Statistics

You can monitor how tests for verified VMs are performed while a recovery verification job is running.
To see the status of VM tests:
3. In the working area, right-click a recovery verification job and select Statistics. You can also double-click
the job in the list.
The job session window displays statistics for all VMs that are started during the SureBackup job: VMs from the
application group in the specified order and VMs from linked jobs. For your convenience, these VMs are marked
with different icons.
After the verified VM is powered on, its name is displayed as a hyperlink. You can click the link to open the VM
console to see what is happening inside the VM or perform manual testing.
If some VM fails to be verified automatically, you can start it manually when this VM is powered off. To start a
VM, right-click the VM in the list and select Start. If the application group has already been powered off by that
time, it will be started again. After that, you can open the VM console and perform verification and testing
manually.
If you enabled malware scan at the Settings step of the SureBackup job wizard, you can view the detailed
logging of the scan process. To view logs, click the Scan Log button that will appear at the bottom of the job
session window after the scan is complete.
Creating SureBackup Session Reports

You can generate HTML reports with statistics on the SureBackup job. A report contains detailed data on job
sessions: job status, start and end time, details of the session performance, status of verified VMs and test
results. You can generate a report for the whole SureBackup job or a specific job session/sessions.
The SureBackup job report contains data on all sessions initiated for a specific job. To generate a SureBackup job
report:
3. In the working area, select the SureBackup job and click Report on the ribbon. You can also right-click the
SureBackup job and select Report.
The session report contains data on a single job session. To generate a session report:
3. In the working area, select the session and click Report on the ribbon. You can also right-click the session
and select Report.
XML Files with VM Roles Description
VM roles that you can assign to verified VMs and VMs from the application group are described in XML files.
These XML files are stored in the %ProgramFiles%\Veeam\Backup and Replication\Backup\SbRoles
folder on the backup server.
To add a new role, you must create a new XML file and save it to the SbRoles subfolder on the backup server. Do
not save the XML file on the machine where the Veeam Backup & Replication console is installed — this will not
affect the list of roles in Veeam Backup & Replication.
XML files describing VM roles have the following structure:
<SbRoleOptions>
<Role>
<SbRole>
<Id>4CDC7CC4-A906-4de2-979B-E5F74C44832F</Id>
<Name>Web Server</Name>
</SbRole>
</Role>
<Options>
<SbVerificationOptions>
<ActualMemoryPercent>100</ActualMemoryPercent>
<MaxBootTimeoutSec>300</MaxBootTimeoutSec>
<AppInitDelaySec>120</AppInitDelaySec>
<TestScripts>
<TestScripts>
<TestScript>
<Name>Web Server</Name>
<Type>Predefined</Type>
<TestScriptFilePath>Veeam.Backup.ConnectionTester.exe</TestScriptFilePath>
<Arguments>%vm_ip% 80</Arguments>
</TestScript>
</TestScripts>
</TestScripts>
<HeartbeatEnabled>True</HeartbeatEnabled>
<PingEnabled>True</PingEnabled>
</SbVerificationOptions>
</Options>
</SbRoleOptions>
The XML file with the role description contains the following tags and parameters:
Tag Required/ Description

Optional
<SbRoleOptions> Required Encapsulates the VM role file.
<Role> Required Parent tag for a role assigned to a VM. <SbRole>, <Id> and
<Name> are children of this tag.
<SbRole> Required Encapsulates basic information for a VM role: ID and name.
<Id> Required Unique identifier of a VM role.
<Name> Required Name of a VM role. The VM role name is displayed in the roles
list on the Role tab.
Optional
<Options> Required Parent tag for startup and test script options to be used for the
defined role. <SbVerificationOptions>,
<ActualMemoryPercent>, <MaxBootTimeoutSec>,
<AppInitDelaySec>, <TestScripts>, <Name>, <Type>,
<TestScriptFilePath>, <Arguments>, <HeartbeatEnabled>,
<PingEnabled> are children of this tag.
<SbVerificationOptions> Required Encapsulates options data for a VM role.
<ActualMemoryPercent> Optional Percent of the original memory level that must be pre-allocated
to a verified VM on the system boot.
<MaxBootTimeoutSec> Optional Maximum allowed time to boot a VM.
<AppInitDelaySec> Optional Duration of time for which Veeam Backup & Replication must
wait after the VM is successfully booted in the virtual lab. After
this time elapses, Veeam Backup & Replication will run test
scripts. Time is specified in seconds.
<TestScripts> Optional Encapsulates test script data for a VM role.
<Name> Optional Name of a VM role. The VM role name is displayed on the Test
Scripts tab.
<Type> Optional Type of the test script: Predefined or Custom.
<TestScriptFilePath> Optional Path to an executable file of the test script to be performed. The
path can be absolute or relative.
<Arguments> Optional Arguments to be passed to the script. You can use the following
variables:
• %vm_ip% — IP address of a verified VM.
or
%vm_fqdn% — a fully qualified domain name of a verified

VM.
• %log_path% — path to a log file to which verification
results are stored.
<HeartbeatEnabled> Required Must a heartbeat test be enabled for this VM role: True or False.
Optional
<PingEnabled> Required Must a ping test be enabled for this VM role: True or False.
Manual Recovery Verification
Beside automatic recovery verification, you can perform manual verification of VM backups. Manual verification
can be performed with all editions of Veeam Backup & Replication.
Boot Test
To perform a VM boot test, perform Instant VM Recovery for the verified VM. Power on the VM but do not
connect the VM to the production network to avoid conflicts with the original VM.
Application Test
To perform an application test:
1. Create an isolated network.
2. Use the Instant VM Recovery wizard to restore the verified VM. At the Ready to Apply step of the wizard,
clear the Connect VM to network check box.
3. When the VM is started, connect it to the isolated network.
The same procedure must be performed for all VMs that run applications on which the verified VM is dependent
such as domain controller and DNS. All VMs must be connected to the same isolated network and started in the
correct order: for example, DNS > domain controller > verified VM.
SureReplica
To guarantee recoverability of your data, Veeam Backup & Replication complements the SureBackup recovery
verification technology with SureReplica.
SureReplica is in many respects similar to the SureBackup recovery verification. It lets you validate your disaster
recovery environment without impacting the production infrastructure. You can automatically verify every
created restore point of every VM replica and ensure that they are functioning as expected.
The SureReplica technology is not limited only to VM replica verification. Just like SureBackup, it provides the
following capabilities:
• SureReplica: automated VM replica verification
• On-Demand Sandbox: an isolated environment for testing VM replicas, training and troubleshooting
• U-AIR: recovery of individual items from applications running on VM replicas
IMPORTANT!
The recovery verification functionality is available in the Enterprise and Enterprise Plus editions of
Veeam Backup & Replication. If you use the Standard edition, you can manually verify VM backups with
Instant VM Recovery. For more information, see Manual Recovery Verification.
How SureReplica Works
SureReplica is Veeam’s technology that lets you test a VM replica for recoverability. To ensure that the VM
replica is functioning properly, Veeam Backup & Replication performs its “live” verification.
Veeam Backup & Replication automatically boots the VM replica from the necessary restore point in the isolated
environment, performs tests against the VM replica, powers it off and creates a report on the VM replica state.
The SureReplica technology does not require the vPower engine. A VM replica is essentially an exact copy of a
VM with a set of restore points. The VM replica data is stored in the raw decompressed format native to
VMware. Therefore, to start a VM replica in the virtual lab, you do not need to present its data via the vPower
NFS datastore to the ESXi host. Veeam Backup & Replication re-configures the VM replica settings for recovery
verification, connects the VM replica to the isolated virtual lab and powers it on.
As there is no need to publish the VM from the backup file, the SureReplica processing is typically faster than
SureBackup. Subsequently, the U-AIR and On-Demand Sandbox operations are faster, too.
During VM replica verification, Veeam Backup & Replication performs the following actions:
1. Veeam Backup & Replication triggers a VMware snapshot for a VM replica. The snapshot protects the VM
replica from changes while it is running. All changes made to the VM replica are written to the delta file.
2. Veeam Backup & Replication starts the VM replica in the virtual lab.
3. Veeam Backup & Replication performs tests against the verified VM replica.
4. When the verification process is over, Veeam Backup & Replication removes the delta file of the VM replica
snapshot, powers off the VM replica and creates a report on its state. The report is sent to the backup
administrator by email.
NOTE:
Veeam Backup & Replication verifies only VM replicas in the Normal state. If a VM replica is in the Failover
or Failback state, the verification process fails.
When Veeam Backup & Replication verifies the VM replica, it puts the VM replica to the SureBackup state.
You cannot perform failback and failover operations for a VM replica in the SureBackup state until recovery
verification or the U-AIR process is over and the VM replica returns to the Normal state.
To perform VM replica verification, you need to create the following objects:
1. Application group. During recovery verification, the VM replica is not started alone: it is started together
with VMs on which the VM replica is dependent. Starting a VM replica in conjunction with other VMs
enables full functionality of applications running inside the VM replica and lets you run these applications
just like in the production environment.
2. Virtual lab. The virtual lab is the isolated virtual environment in which the VM replica and VMs from the
application group are started and tested.
3. SureBackup job. The SureBackup job is a task for VM replica verification process. You can run the
SureBackup job manually or schedule it to run automatically by schedule.
Replica Recovery Verification Tests
To verify a VM replica, Veeam Backup & Replication performs the same tests as for VM backup verification,
except the backup validation test. You can run predefined tests or perform your own tests against VMs. The
predefined tests include the following ones:
• Heartbeat test
• Ping test
• Application test
For more information, see Backup Recovery Verification Tests.
Application Group
You can add to the same application groups both VMs from backups and VMs from replicas. Keep in mind that
all VMs from the application group must have at least one valid restore point created by the time the
SureBackup job starts.
For more information, see Application Group.
Virtual Lab Configuration
Veeam Backup & Replication offers three types of the virtual lab configuration for VM replica verification:
• Basic single-host virtual lab
• Advanced single-host virtual lab
• Advanced multi-host virtual lab
Basic Single-Host Virtual Labs

The basic single-host virtual lab configuration can be used if your disaster recovery (DR) site is configured in the
following way:
• All VM replicas that you want to verify are registered on the same ESXi host.
• All VM replicas that you want to verify are connected to the same network.
IMPORTANT!
For this configuration type, the virtual lab must be created on the same ESXi host where VMs replicas are
located. If you create the virtual lab on some other ESXi host, the SureBackup job will fail.
For the basic single-host virtual lab, Veeam Backup & Replication creates one virtual network that is mapped to
the production network. Additionally, Veeam Backup & Replication automatically adds a number of new VMware
objects on the ESXi host where the virtual lab is created:
• A resource pool
• A VM folder
networks.
Veeam Backup & Replication automatically configures all settings for the basic single-host virtual lab. The proxy
appliance is also created and configured automatically and placed to the virtual lab folder and resource pool on
the ESXi host.
Advanced Single-Host Virtual Labs
The advanced single-host virtual lab configuration can be used if your virtual environment is configured in the
following way:
• All VM replicas that you want to verify are located on the same ESXi host.
• VM replicas you want to verify are connected to different networks.
IMPORTANT!
For this configuration type, the virtual lab must be created on the same ESXi host where VMs replicas are
located. If you create the virtual lab on some other ESXi host, the SureBackup job will fail.
In the advanced single-host virtual lab, Veeam Backup & Replication creates several virtual networks. The
number of virtual networks corresponds to the number of production networks to which verified VM replicas are
connected. Networks in the virtual lab are mapped to corresponding production networks.
Veeam Backup & Replication automatically adds a number of new VMware objects on the ESXi host where the
virtual lab is created:
• A resource pool
• A VM folder
networks.
When you create an advanced single-host virtual lab, Veeam Backup & Replication configures basic settings for
networks that are created in the virtual lab. You need to review these settings and manually adjust them.
Limitations of Single-Host Virtual Labs

If VM replicas are located on different hosts, you cannot use the single-host virtual lab configuration (basic or
advanced). A single-host virtual lab uses standard vSwitches that have specific configuration limitations.
When you create or edit a virtual lab, Veeam Backup & Replication creates a new port group for each isolated
network in the virtual lab. All VMs in the isolated network are added to this port group. Such configuration helps
differentiate the traffic passing through the standard vSwitch to the isolated network in the virtual lab.
However, the standard vSwitch has a restriction: it is “limited” to one ESXi host. A standard vSwitch is
configured on a specific ESXi host. The configuration of the standard vSwitch, such as information about port
groups, resides on the ESXi host where the vSwitch is configured. Other ESXi hosts in the virtual environment do
not have access to this information.
For this reason, the single-host configuration can only be used if all VM replicas are registered on the same ESXi
host. If attempt to verify VM replicas registered on different ESXi hosts in the single-host virtual lab, VMs from
different port groups will not be able to “see” each other and communicate with each other.
To overcome this limitation and verify VM replicas that are registered on different ESXi hosts, you can use
advanced multi-host virtual labs.
Advanced Multi-Host Virtual Labs

The advanced multi-host virtual lab configuration can be used if your disaster recovery (DR) site is configured in
the following way:
• VM replicas that you want to verify are located on different ESXi hosts.
• VM replicas that you want to verify are connected to one or several networks.
The advanced multi-host virtual lab leverages the VMware Distributed vSwitch (DVS) technology. For more
information, see VMware Docs.
When you configure an advanced multi-host virtual lab, you must select an ESXi host on which the proxy server
will be created and DVS on which Veeam Backup & Replication will create isolated networks.
Veeam Backup & Replication does not offer an option to automatically configure the DVS. The DVS must be
preconfigured in your virtual environment.
IMPORTANT!
DVS is limited to one datacenter. For this reason, all verified VM replicas and VM replicas from the
application group must belong to the same datacenter. If VM replicas belong to different datacenters, you
will be able to start them in the virtual lab but Veeam Backup & Replication will not be able to
automatically verify them.
Isolated Networks on DVS
For every isolated network in the virtual lab, Veeam Backup & Replication adds a new DVS port group to the
DVS. The added port group is named after the isolated network.
The port groups created on the DVS must be isolated from the production environment. To isolate port groups,
you can use one of the following methods:
1. Connect DVS uplinks to the isolated network. You can link the DVS that you plan to use for recovery
verification to an external isolated network using uplink adapters. This operation must be performed
manually by the backup administrator.
2. Use VLAN tagging. This method can be used only if your router supports VLAN ID tagging. When you
specify settings for isolated networks in the New Virtual Lab wizard, you can define different VLAN IDs for
different isolated networks. Setting VLAN IDs restricts communication of VM replicas in the isolated
network from the production environment.
IMPORTANT!
If your network does not support VLAN ID tagging or the virtual lab is configured incorrectly, VM replicas
will be started in the virtual lab but Veeam Backup & Replication will not be able to automatically verify
them.
Port Groups and VLAN IDs

You need to be extremely careful when specifying port group and VLAN ID settings for the advanced multi-host
virtual lab.
Port Groups in Advanced Multi-Host Virtual Labs

For the advanced multi-host virtual lab, Veeam Backup & Replication uses an existing DVS that was configured
by the backup administrator beforehand. Veeam Backup & Replication creates a number of new port groups on
the DVS, one per isolated network in the virtual lab.
When Veeam Backup & Replication creates a new port group, it performs a check for the DVS selected for the
virtual lab:
• If a port group with the specified name already exists, Veeam Backup & Replication starts using it for the
virtual lab. However, in this case, Veeam Backup & Replication will not be the owner of this port group.
• If a port group with the specified name does not exist, Veeam Backup & Replication creates it and
becomes the owner of the created port group.
When a virtual lab is removed, Veeam Backup & Replication checks the ownership of the port group:
• If Veeam Backup & Replication is not the owner of the port group, the port group remains on the DVS.
Veeam Backup & Replication stops using it.
• If Veeam Backup & Replication is the owner of the port group, Veeam Backup & Replication removes this
port group from the DVS.
Several virtual labs can use the same port group. For this reason, you should be extremely careful when
removing virtual labs. If Veeam Backup & Replication is the owner of the virtual lab and the port group is
removed, other virtual labs using this port group may fail to start.
VLAN IDs in Advanced Multi-Host Virtual Labs

A DVS port group has VLAN ID settings. If you select an existing port group for the virtual lab, you must specify
its VLAN ID in the virtual lab settings.
• If VLAN ID settings are specified correctly, Veeam Backup & Replication will be able to configure the
virtual lab and verify VM replicas in it.
• If VLAN ID settings are specified not correctly, Veeam Backup & Replication will report an error informing
that the selected port group exists but cannot be used due to incorrect VLAN ID settings.
SureBackup Job for VM Replicas
You can verify VM replicas with the SureBackup job. The SureBackup job aggregates all settings and policies of a
recovery verification task, such as application group and virtual lab to be used, VM replicas that must be verified
in the virtual lab and so on. The SureBackup job can be run manually or scheduled to be performed
automatically.
When a SureBackup job runs, Veeam Backup & Replication first creates an environment for VM replica
verification:
1. Veeam Backup & Replication starts the virtual lab.
2. In the virtual lab, it starts VMs from the application group in the required order. VMs from the application
group remain running until the verified VM replicas are booted and tested. If Veeam Backup & Replication
does not find a successful VM replica or backup for any of VMs from the application group, the SureBackup
job will fail.
When the virtual lab is ready, Veeam Backup & Replication starts VM replicas from the necessary restore point,
tests and, depending on the specified settings, verifies them one by one or creates several streams and tests VM
replicas simultaneously. If Veeam Backup & Replication does not find a successful restore point for any of
verified VM replicas, verification of this VM replica fails, but the job continues to run.
By default, you can start and test up to three VM replicas at the same time. You can also increase the number of
VMs to be started and tested simultaneously. Keep in mind that if these VMs are resource demanding,
performance of the SureBackup job may decrease.
When the verification process is complete, VMs from the application group are powered off. Optionally, you can
leave the VMs from the application group running to perform manual testing or enable user-directed application
item-level recovery.
In some cases, the SureBackup job schedule may overlap the schedule of the replication job linked to it. The VM
replica files may be locked by the replication job and the SureBackup job will be unable to verify such replica. In
this situation, Veeam Backup & Replication will not start the SureBackup job until the replication job is over.
To overcome the situation of job overlapping, you may chain the replication and SureBackup jobs or define the
timeout period for the SureBackup job. For more information, see Specifying Job Schedule.
NOTE:
You can mix VM backups and replicas in the recovery verification job. For example, the application group
may contain VMs that will be started from backup files and the job linked to the recovery verification job
may be a replication job. Veeam Backup & Replication supports any type of a mixed scenario. Note that
VMs that you verify with a SureBackup job must belong to the same platform — VMware or Hyper-V.
SureBackup Job for VM Replicas Processing

The recovery verification process for VM replicas includes the following steps:
1. Getting virtual lab configuration. Veeam Backup & Replication gets information about configuration of the
virtual lab where verified VM replicas must be started.
2. Starting virtual lab routing engine. Veeam Backup & Replication starts a proxy appliance. The proxy
appliance is used as a gateway that provides access to VM replicas the virtual lab.
3. Publishing. Veeam Backup & Replication triggers a protective VMware snapshot for the verified VM
replica.
4. Reconfiguring. Veeam Backup & Replication updates configuration files of the VM replica to connect the
VM replica to the isolated network in the virtual lab.
5. Configuring DC. If the VM replica has the Domain Controller or Global Catalog role, the VM replica is
reconfigured.
6. Powering on. Veeam Backup & Replication powers on the VM replica in the isolated network.
7. Heartbeat test. Veeam Backup & Replication checks whether the green or yellow VMware Tools heartbeat
signal is coming from the VM replica or not. If the VM replica has no VMware Tools, the test is not
performed and a notification is written to the session details.
8. Running ping tests. Veeam Backup & Replication checks if the VM replica responds to the ping requests or
not. If the VM replica has no NICs and mapped networks for them and/or has no VMware Tools installed,
the ping test is not performed and a notification is written to the session details.
9. Application initialization. Veeam Backup & Replication waits for applications installed in the VM replica,
for example, Microsoft SQL Server, to start. The application initialization period is defined in the
properties of the SureBackup job and by default is equal to 120 sec. Depending on the software installed
in a VM, the application initialization process may require more time than specified in the SureBackup job
settings. If applications installed in a VM are not initialized within the specified period of time, test scripts
can be completed with errors. If such error situation occurs, you need to increase the Application
initialization timeout value and start the job once again.
10. Running test scripts. Veeam Backup & Replication runs scripts to test whether the application installed in
the VM replica is working correctly or not. If the VM replica has no VMware Tools installed and/or there
are no NICs and mapped networks for them, Veeam Backup & Replication skips tests that use variables
%vm_ip% and %vm_fqdn%, as the IP address of the VM cannot be determined. Test results are written to
the session details. To define whether the script has completed successfully or not,
Veeam Backup & Replication uses return codes. If the return code is equal to 0, the script is considered to
complete successfully. Other values in the return code mean that the script has failed.
11. Powering off. After all tests have been performed, Veeam Backup & Replication powers off the verified
VM replica.
12. Unpublishing. Veeam Backup & Replication deletes the protective VMware snapshot and rollbacks all
changes made to the VM replica while it was running in the virtual lab.
13. Stopping virtual lab engine. Veeam Backup & Replication powers off the proxy appliance in the virtual lab.
Stabilization Algorithm
To perform tests for a VM replica without errors, Veeam Backup & Replication needs to know that the VM replica
is ready for testing. To determine this, Veeam Backup & Replication waits for the VM replica to reach a
"stabilization point": — the moment when the VM replica booted and reports it is ready for tests. After the
stabilization point has been reached, Veeam Backup & Replication can start heartbeat tests, ping tests and test
scripts against the VM replica.
Veeam Backup & Replication establishes the stabilization point with the help of VMware parameters that it gets
from the VM replica. Depending on the VM replica configuration, it uses one of the three algorithms:
• Stabilization by IP. This algorithm is used if the VM replica has VMware Tools installed, there are NICs and
mapped networks for these NICs. In this case,Veeam Backup & Replication waits for an IP address of the
VM replica for mapped networks that is sent by VMware Tools running in the VM replica. The sent IP
address must be valid and must not change for a specific period of time.
• Stabilization by heartbeat. This algorithm is used if the VM replica has VMware Tools installed but there
are no NICs and mapped networks for them. In this case, Veeam Backup & Replication waits for the green
or yellow heartbeat signal from VMware Tools installed inside the VM replica.
• Stabilization by Maximum allowed boot time. This algorithm is used if the VM replica has neither VMware
Tools installed, nor NICs and mapped networks for them. In this case, Veeam Backup & Replication will
wait for the time specified in the Maximum allowed boot time field, which is considered to be a
stabilization period for the VM replica. Once this time interval is exceeded, Veeam Backup & Replication
considers that the VM replica is successfully booted and is ready for testing.
Once the stabilization point has been established, Veeam Backup & Replication runs ping, heartbeat tests and
test scripts against the verified VM replica.
The stabilization process cannot exceed the value specified in the Maximum allowed boot time field. If the
stabilization point cannot be determined within the Maximum allowed boot time, the recovery verification
process will be finished with the timeout error. For this reason, you should be careful when specifying this value.
Typically, a VM replica started by a recovery verification job requires more time to boot that a VM started
regularly. When such error situation occurs, you need to increase the Maximum allowed boot time value and
start the job again.
On-Demand Sandbox
If you need to perform tests for production VMs, you can use an On-Demand SandboxTM. The On-Demand
Sandbox is an isolated virtual environment where you can start one or more VMs from backups, VM replicas or
VMs from storage snapshots. You can use the On-Demand Sandbox to perform the following tasks:
• Troubleshoot problems with VMs
• Test software patches and upgrades
• Install new software and so on
The On-Demand Sandbox uses a virtual lab — an isolated environment that is fully fenced off from the
production environment. VMs started in the virtual lab remain in the read-only state. All changes made to VMs
are written to redo logs (for VM backups and storage snapshots) or saved to delta files (for VM replicas). Redo
logs and delta files are deleted after you finish working with the On-Demand Sandbox and power it off.
To create the On-Demand Sandbox, you must configure the following objects:
• Virtual lab in which VMs will be started. For more information, see Virtual Lab.
• Application group. The application group must include all VMs and/or VM replicas that you want to start in
the On-Demand Sandbox. This can be one VM or a group of VMs that work together. For more
information, see Application Group.
• SureBackup job. The virtual lab and application group must be linked to this job. For more information, see
SureBackup Job.
On-Demand Sandbox for Storage
Snapshots
In the On-Demand Sandbox, you can start VMs from snapshots existing on the production storage array. You can
use the On-Demand Sandbox to test VMs, troubleshoot issues, perform training and so on.
Veeam Backup & Replication offers the On-Demand Sandbox functionality for the following storage systems:
• Dell EMC VNX(e), Unity XT/Unity
• HPE 3PAR StoreServ and Primera, including secondary volumes — HPE 3PAR Peer Persistence
• HPE StoreVirtual P4000 series and HPE StoreVirtual VSA (Virtual Storage Appliance)
• IBM Spectrum Virtualize, including secondary IBM volumes — IBM Spectrum Virtualize HyperSwap
• NetApp, including secondary arrays — NetApp SnapMirror and NetApp SnapVault
• HPE Nimble storage, including secondary arrays — Nimble Snapshot Replicated Copy
• Universal Storage API Integrated Systems
Configuration of the On-Demand Sandbox in which VMs from storage snapshots are started is similar to
configuration of the regular On-Demand Sandbox. To start a VM from the storage snapshot in the isolated
environment, you must configure the following objects:
• Virtual lab. The virtual lab must mirror the networking scheme of the production environment. You can
configure a new virtual lab or use an existing virtual lab. Any type of the virtual lab configuration is
supported: basic single-host, advanced single-host or advanced multi-host. For more information, see
Virtual Lab.
• Application group. The application group must contain one or several VMs that you want to start in the
On-Demand Sandbox. You can select VMs from volumes or LUNs on the storage system. During the
SureBackup job, Veeam Backup & Replication will detect the latest snapshot for this volume or LUN and
start the VM from this snapshot. For more information, see Application Group.
• SureBackup job. You must link the application group with VMs and virtual lab to the SureBackup job. For
more information, see SureBackup Job.
How On-Demand Sandbox for Storage Snapshots Works

To start a VM from the storage snapshot in the On-Demand Sandbox, Veeam Backup & Replication needs to
present this storage snapshot to an ESXi host as a datastore. To do this, Veeam Backup & Replication performs
the following actions:
1. Veeam Backup & Replication detects the latest storage snapshot for the VM whose disks are located on
the storage system.
2. Veeam Backup & Replication triggers the storage system to create a copy of the storage snapshot. The
snapshot copy helps protect the storage snapshot from changes.
To create a snapshot copy, Veeam Backup & Replication uses the same technology as for Veeam Explorer
from Storage Snapshots. The technology choice depends on licenses installed on the storage system. For
more information, see Veeam Explorer for Storage Snapshots.
3. The snapshot copy is presented as a new datastore to the ESXi host on which the virtual lab is registered.
4. Veeam Backup & Replication performs regular operations required for On-Demand Sandbox: reconfigures
the VMX file, starts the VM, performs necessary tests for it and so on.
5. After you finish working with VMs and power off the On-Demand Sandbox, Veeam Backup & Replication
performs cleanup operations: powers off the VM and the proxy appliance in the virtual lab, unmounts the
datastore from the ESXi host and triggers the storage system to remove the snapshot copy.
Number of Mounted NFS Datastores

You can add to the application group several VMs that reside on different storage snapshots. In this case,
Veeam Backup & Replication will trigger several snapshot copies (one per each storage snapshot) and present
the equal number of datastores to the ESXi host.
The number of NFS datastores that can be mounted to the ESXi host is limited by VMware vSphere. If number of
snapshot copies is great, Veeam Backup & Replication may fail to present all of them as datastores to the ESXi
host. In this case, VMs in the application group will not be started and the SureBackup job will fail. For more
information about limitations, see this VMware KB article.
To overcome this situation, Veeam Backup & Replication offers the mechanism of the snapshot copy re-
mounting:
1. If Veeam Backup & Replication detects that there are not enough resources to mount a datastore, it
displays a warning and offers you to free up resources on the ESXi host.
2. During the next 20 minutes, Veeam Backup & Replication attempts to mount the datastore with the time
interval of 2 minutes.
3. If resources are freed and Veeam Backup & Replication manages to mount the datastore, VMs in the
application group are started and the SureBackup job continues to run. If resources on the ESXi hosts are
not freed within 20 minutes, the SureBackup job fails.
Limitations for On-Demand Sandbox for Storage Snapshots

Before you start using On-Demand Sandbox for storage snapshots, check limitations for Veeam Explorer for
Storage Snapshots. For more information, see General Limitations.
Mixed Scenarios
You can start VMs from different sources in the On-Demand Sandbox:
• VM backups
• VM replicas
• VMs from storage snapshots
For example, you can add VMs from backups and VMs from storage snapshots to the same application group and
link a replication job to the SureBackup job.
You cannot link jobs that trigger snapshots on storage arrays to the SureBackup job. This option is not
supported.
Type of Job/Object SureBackup SureReplica SureSnap
Application group
Linked job
Configuring On-Demand Sandbox
To configure the On-Demand Sandbox, perform the following steps:
1. Configure a virtual lab in which you plan to start VMs. For more information, see Creating Virtual Lab.
2. Configure an application group. The application group must contain all VMs that you plan to start in the
On-Demand Sandbox and all VMs on which these VMs are dependent. For more information, see Creating
Application Group.
3. Configure a SureBackup job:
a. Launch the New SureBackup Job wizard.
b. At the Virtual Lab step of the wizard, select the configured virtual lab.
c. At the Application Group step of the wizard, select the configured application group.
d. Select the Keep the application group running after the job completes check box.
e. Configure other job settings as required and save the job settings.
To start VMs in the On-Demand Sandbox, run the SureBackup job:
2. In the inventory pane, select SureBackup.
3. In the working area, right-click the configured SureBackup job and select Start or Start to.
Veeam Backup & Replication will start the virtual lab and power on VMs from the application group in the virtual
lab. You will be able to connect to VMs and perform tests for them.
Data Recovery
Veeam Backup & Replication offers a number of recovery options for various disaster recovery scenarios:
• Instant VM Recovery enables you to instantly start a VM directly from a backup file.
• Instant VM Disk Recovery enables you to instantly restore a VM disk from a backup file.
• Entire VM recovery enables you to recover a VM from a backup file to its original or another location.
• VM files restore enables you to recover separate VM files (virtual disks, configuration files and so on).
• Virtual disks restore enables you to recover a specific hard drive of a VM from the backup file, and attach it
to the original VM or to a new VM.
• Disk export enables you to recover a specific disk of an Amazon EC2 instance, Microsoft Azure VM and
physical or virtual Mac machines in the VMDK, VHD or VHDX format.
• Guest OS file recovery enables you to recover individual guest OS files from Windows, Linux, Mac and
other guest OS file systems.
Veeam Backup & Replication uses the same image-level backup for all data recovery operations. You can restore
VMs, VM files and drives, application items and individual guest OS files to the most recent state or to any
available restore point.
To view and recover Microsoft Active Directory, Microsoft SQL Server, Microsoft SharePoint, Microsoft Exchange
or Oracle application items, you can use the capabilities of Veeam Backup Explorers. For more information, see
Veeam Backup Explorers User Guide.
To restore VMware VM data directly from storage snapshots, you can use the capabilities of Veeam Explorer for
Storage Snapshots. For more information, see Veeam Explorer for Storage Snapshots.
NOTE
Veeam Backup & Replication provides backward compatibility: backups created with previous product
versions can be restored with later product versions.
Keep in mind that if a job is unable to complete within 21 days period, it will be stopped with the 'Failed' status.
Instant VM Recovery
With Instant VM Recovery, you can immediately restore different workloads as VMs to your production
environment by running them directly from the compressed and deduplicated backup files. The supported types
of backup files are listed in the Performing Instant VM Recovery of Workloads to VMware vSphere VMs and
Performing Instant VM Recovery of Workloads to Hyper-V VMs sections.
Instant VM recovery helps improve recovery time objectives (RTO), minimize disruption and downtime of
production workloads.
Instant VM Recovery is performed in the following way:
1. Veeam Backup & Replication reads the workload configuration from the backup file in the backup
repository and creates a dummy VM with empty disks on the target host. The created VM has the same
settings as the workload in the backup file. Note that Veeam Backup & Replication pre-allocates disk
space required for the restored VM at the beginning of the Instant VM Recovery process.
2. Veeam Backup & Replication initiates creation of a protective snapshot for the dummy VM and the VM is
started. If the Instant VM Recovery process fails for some reason, the protective snapshot guarantees that
no data is lost.
3. On the backup repository and on the target host, Veeam Backup & Replication starts a pair of Veeam Data
Movers that are used to mount the VM disks from the backup file to the dummy VM.
4. On the target host, Veeam Backup & Replication starts a proprietary Veeam driver. The driver redirects
requests to the file system of the recovered VM (for example, when a user accesses some application) and
reads necessary data from the backup file in the backup repository via the pair of Veeam Data Movers that
maintain the disk mount.
To finalize Instant VM Recovery, you can do one of the following:
• Use Storage vMotion to quickly migrate the restored VM to the production storage without any downtime.
In this case, original VM data will be pulled from the NFS datastore to the production storage and
consolidated with VM changes while the VM is still running. Storage vMotion, however, can only be used if
you select to keep VM changes on the NFS datastore without redirecting them. Note that Storage vMotion
is only available with select VMware licenses.
• Use replication or VM copy functionality of Veeam Backup & Replication. In this case, you can create a
copy of a VM and fail over to it during the next maintenance window. In contrast to Storage vMotion, this
approach requires you to schedule some downtime while you clone or replicate the VM, power it off and
then power the cloned copy or replica on.
• Use Quick Migration. In this case, Veeam Backup & Replication will perform a two-stage migration
procedure — instead of pulling data from the vPower NFS datastore, it will restore the VM from the
backup file on the production server, then move all changes and consolidate them with the VM data. For
details, see Quick Migration.
In many respects, Instant VM Recovery gives results similar to failover of a replica. Both features can be used for
tier-1 applications with little tolerance for business interruption and downtime. However, when you perform
replica failover, you do not have dependencies on the backup server. And, unlike Instant VM Recovery that
provides only limited I/O throughput, replication guarantees full I/O performance.
Beside disaster recovery matters, Instant VM Recovery can also be used for testing purposes. Instead of
extracting VM images to production storage to perform regular disaster recovery (DR) testing, you can run a VM
directly from the backup file, boot it and make sure the guest OS and applications are functioning properly.
Instant VM Recovery supports bulk processing so you can immediately restore multiple workloads at once. If
you perform Instant VM Recovery for several workloads, Veeam Backup & Replication uses the resource
scheduling mechanism to allocate and use optimal resources required for Instant VM Recovery. For details, see
Resource Scheduling.
Performing Instant VM Recovery of Workloads
to VMware vSphere VMs
To restore workloads as VMware vSphere VMs, you can use the following backups:
• Backups of VMware vSphere virtual machines created with Veeam Backup & Replication
• Backups of vCloud Director virtual machines created with Veeam Backup & Replication
Agent for Linux
Before you start Instant VM Recovery, check prerequisites. Then use the Instant Recovery to VMware wizard to
recover VMs.
Before You Begin

Before you perform Instant VM Recovery, consider the following:
• You can restore a workload from a backup that has at least one successfully created restore point.
• If you restore a workload to the production network, make sure that the original workload is powered off.
• If you want to scan restored VM data for viruses, check the secure restore requirements and limitations.
• You must provide enough free disk space in vPower NFS datastore. The minimum amount of free space
must equal the RAM capacity of the recovered VM plus 200MB. For example, if the restored VM has 32 GB
of virtual RAM, 32.2 GB of free space is required.
By default, vPower NFS datastore locates in the IRCache folder on a volume with the maximum amount
of free space, for example, C:\ProgramData\Veeam\Backup\IRCache. The vPower NFS datastore is
not used when you select to redirect virtual disk updates to a VMware vSphere datastore when
configuring the job.
• [For Veeam Quick Migration with Smart Switch] In addition to the disk space mentioned above, you need
to provide more disk space in vPower NFS datastore. The minimum amount of free space must equal the
RAM capacity of the recovered VM.
• [For Nutanix AHV VMs] Instantly restored VM will have default virtual hardware settings: 2 CPU cores,
4GB RAM and one network adapter. If you want to change the default settings, turn off the VM and set
the required virtual resources. Note that you must not switch off the instant recovery session before
turning off the VM.
Step 1. Launch Instant VM Recovery Wizard
To launch the Instant Recovery to VMware wizard, do one of the following:
• On the Home tab, click Restore and select one of the following:
o VMware vSphere > Restore from backup > Entire VM restore > Instant VM recovery — if you want to
restore VMware vSphere VMs from a VM backup created with Veeam Backup & Replication.
o Microsoft Hyper-V > Restore from backup > Entire VM restore > Instant VM recovery to VMware
vSphere — if you want to restore Hyper-V VMs from a VM backup created with
o Agent > Entire machine restore > Instant recovery to VMware vSphere — if you want to restore
physical machines from a backup created with Veeam Agent for Microsoft Windows or Veeam Agent
for Linux.
o AWS EC2 backup > Entire machine restore > Instant VM recovery to VMware vSphere — if you want to
restore EC2 instances from a backup backup created with Veeam Backup for AWS.
o Azure IaaS > Entire machine restore > Instant VM recovery to VMware vSphere — if you want to
restore EC2 instances from a backup backup created with Veeam Backup for Microsoft Azure.
• Open the Home view. In the inventory pane, select Backups. In the working area, expand the necessary
backup and do one of the following:
o Select workloads that you want to restore and click Instant VM Recovery on the ribbon.
o Select workloads that you want to restore, right-click them and select Instant VM recovery.
• To launch the wizard for vCloud Director VMs, open the Inventory view. On the View tab, click vCloud
Director View. In the inventory pane, expand the vCloud Director hierarchy. In the working area, right-click
the VM you want to restore and select Restore > Instant VM Recovery > Into vSphere infrastructure.
Step 2. Select Workloads
At the Machines step of the wizard, select one or more workloads that you want to recover.
To select workloads:
1. Click Add.
2. [For VMware vSphere VMs and vCloud Director VMs] Select where to browse for VMs:
o From infrastructure — browse the virtual environment and select VMs or VM containers (hosts,
clusters, folders, resource pools, VirtualApps, datastores or tags) to restore. If you select a VM
container, Veeam Backup & Replication will expand it to a plain VM list.
When you add a VM to the list, Veeam Backup & Replication displays information about the most
recent restore point in the Restore point column. If no restore point is available for the added VM,
Veeam Backup & Replication displays a warning next to this VM.
o From backup — browse existing backups and select virtual machines from backups.
3. [For other workloads] In the list of backup jobs, expand a job and select workloads.
4. Click Add.
To quickly find workloads within the created backups, you can use the search field at the Machines step of the
wizard:
1. Enter a workload name or a part of it in the search field. Veeam Backup & Replication will display matches.
2. If the workload is not in the list, click the Show more link to browse the backups.
By default, Veeam Backup & Replication uses the latest valid restore point to recover workloads. You can
recover a workload to an earlier state, if necessary.
To select a restore point for a workload:
1. In the Machines to restore list, select a workload.
3. In the Restore Points window, select a restore point from which you want to recover the workload.
This step is available only if you restore VMware vSphere VMs or vCloud Director VMs.
At the Restore Mode step of the wizard, specify how VMs will be restored:
1. Choose a restore mode:
o Select Restore to the original location if you want to restore VMs with their initial settings and to their
original location. If this option is selected, you will pass directly to the Reason step of the wizard.
o Select Restore to a new location, or with different settings if you want to restore VMs to a different
location and/or with different settings (such as VM location, network settings, format of restored
virtual disks and so on). If this option is selected, the Instant Recovery to VMware wizard will include
additional steps for customizing VM settings.
2. If you want to restore tags that were assigned to the original VMs and assign them to the restored VMs,
select the Restore VM tags check box. Veeam Backup & Replication will restore the VMs with original tags
if the following conditions are met:
a. You restore VMs to their original location.
b. The original VM tags are available on the source vCenter Server.
IMPORTANT!
If you recover a VM with original settings, and the original VM still exists in the virtual infrastructure, the
original VM will be removed.
Step 5. Specify Destination for Restored VMs
Specify a destination for the restored VMs. The destination settings differ depending on the number of
workloads that you restore:
• Specifying Destination for One VM
• Specifying Destination for Multiple VMs
Specifying Destination for One VM

The Destination step of the wizard is available if you restore one workload and restore it to a new location or
with different settings.
Select a destination for the restored VM:
1. In the Restored VM name field, specify a name for the restored VM.
2. In the Host field, specify a host on which the VM must run.
3. In the VM folder field, specify a folder to which the restored VM files must be placed.
4. In the Resource pool list, select a resource pool to which the VM must be placed.
5. [For workloads other than VMware vSphere VMs and vCloud Director VMs] In the Networks section, you
can see all networks to which the original workload is connected. Select a network which you want to map
and click Choose.
The Select Network window displays all networks to which the target host or cluster is connected. In the
list of networks, select a network to which the restored VM must be connected.
6. Click the Advanced button and choose whether to preserve the BIOS UUID or generate a new BIOS UUID.
It is recommended that you select to generate a new BIOS UUID for the restored VM to prevent conflicts if
the original workload still resides in the production environment. The BIOS UUID change is not required if
the original VM no longer exists, for example, it was deleted.
Specifying Destination for Multiple VMs

The following steps are available if you restore multiple workloads and restore them to a new location or with
different settings.
If you restore multiple workloads, specify the following settings for the destination:
1. At the Host step of the wizard, select a target host.
2. At the Folder step of the wizard, specify VM settings.
3. [For workloads other than VMware vSphere VMs and vCloud Director VMs] At the Network step of the
wizard, specify network settings.
Selecting Target Host

At the Host step of the wizard, specify a target host and resource pool for restored VMs:
1. In the list, select one or more VMs and click the Host button.
2. From the virtual environment, select a standalone or clustered host where the selected VMs must be
registered.
3. Select one or more VMs and click the Pool button.
4. In the list, select a resource pool where the selected VMs must be stored.
To quickly find the necessary object, use the search field at the bottom of the Select Host and Select Resource
Pool windows:
1. Click the button on the left of the search field to select the type of object to search for.
2. Enter an object name or a part of it in the search field.
3. Click the Start search button on the right or press [Enter].
Specifying VM Settings
For each restored VM, you can change a VM name, BIOS UUID and folder where VM files must be stored. It is
recommended that you specify a new name and generate a new BIOS UUID to prevent conflicts if the original
workload still resides in the production environment. The name and BIOS UUID change is not required if the
original workload no longer exists, for example, it was deleted.
To specify a folder:
1. In the VM settings list, select one or more VMs.
2. Click the Folder button.
3. Select a folder where VM files must be stored.
To change a restored VM name and BIOS UUID:
1. In the VM settings list, select one VM.
2. Click the Customize button.
3. In the VM Settings window, do the following:
o In the Set name to field, specify a new VM name.
o To add a prefix and suffix to the name specified in the Set name to field, select Add prefix and Add
suffix check boxes.
o In the BIOS UUID section, specify whether to preserve or generate a new BIOS UUID.
Specifying Network Settings

This step is available if you restore workloads other than VMware vSphere VMs and vCloud Director VMs.
Veeam Backup & Replication uses the network mapping table to update configuration files of VMs on the fly,
during the Instant VM Recovery process.
To change networks to which the restored VMs must be connected:
1. In the list, select one or more workloads and click the Network button.
If a workload is connected to multiple networks, you can select a network to map and click Network.
2. The Select Network window displays all networks to which the target host or cluster is connected. In the
list, select a network to which the restored VM must be connected after restore.
To quickly find a network, enter a name or a part of it in the search field. Then, click the Start search
button or press [Enter].
If you do not want to connect a restored VM to any virtual network, select the original workload and click
Disconnected.
Step 6. Select Destination for Virtual Disk Updates
This step is available if you restore workloads to a new location or with different settings.
At the Datastore step of the wizard, you can select where to store redo logs when a VM is running from a
backup. Redo logs are auxiliary files used to keep changes that take place while the restored VM run.
By default, redo logs are stored on the vPower NFS server. You can store redo logs on any datastore in the
virtual environment, if necessary. Redirecting redo logs improves recovery performance but makes Storage
vMotion not possible for ESXi 5.5. As soon as a recovery verification job completes, Veeam Backup & Replication
deletes redo logs.
1. Select the Redirect write cache check box.
IMPORTANT!
• If you migrate workloads to the same datastore cluster that is used as the destination for redirecting
virtual disk updates, you must enable the Force Veeam transport usage check box at the Transfer
step of the Quick Migration wizard. Otherwise, your migrated workload may be deleted.
• If you migrate workloads to the same datastore that is used as the destination for redirecting virtual
disk updates, Veeam Backup & Replication uses Veeam Quick Migration instead of Storage vMotion.
Such behavior prevents data loss due to a bug in VMware Storage vMotion. For more information on
migration, see the Quick Migration section.
• If the size of restored VM disks is greater than 2 TB, you must not place redo logs on a VSAN
datastore. Otherwise, Veeam Backup & Replication will fail to create a snapshot for the restored VMs.
For more information, see VMware Docs.
Step 7. Configure Helper Appliance
This step is available if you restore Linux VMs or Linux physical machines and restore them to a new location or
with different settings.
Veeam Backup & Replication restores Linux machines to a standalone host over a helper appliance. The helper
appliance is an auxiliary Linux-based VM registered by Veeam Backup & Replication. The appliance is quite small
— around 50 MB. It requires 1024 MB RAM and takes around 10 seconds to boot.
To configure the helper appliance:
1. [For multiple machines] In the Network list, expand a host and select one machine.
2. Click the Configure button.
3. In the Network Settings window, select a network for the helper appliance.
a. Click the Browse button near the Production network field.
b. In the Select Network window, Veeam Backup & Replication shows a list of networks to which the
target host is connected. In this list, select a network to which the helper appliance must be
connected.
Mind that the backup server and the mount server must have access to the helper appliance over the
network.
4. Specify IP address settings for the helper appliance:
o If you use a DHCP server in the network and want to obtain IP address for the helper appliance
automatically, make sure that the Obtain an IP address automatically option is selected.
o To manually specify the IP address of the helper appliance, select the Use the following IP address
option and enter the IP address, subnet mask and default gateway address in the corresponding
fields.
5. Specify DNS server settings:
o If you use a DHCP server in the network and the IP address for the DNS server is obtained
automatically, make sure that the Obtain DNS server address automatically option is selected.
o To manually specify the IP address of the DNS server, select the Use the following DNS server address
option and enter the IP addresses of the preferred and alternate DNS servers in the corresponding
fields.
Step 8. Specify Secure Restore Settings
This step is available if you restore Microsoft Windows workloads and restore them to a new location or with
different settings.
You can instruct Veeam Backup & Replication to perform secure restore — scan restored VM data with antivirus
software before restoring VMs to the production environment. For more information on secure restore, see
Secure Restore.
To specify secure restore settings:
1. At the Secure Restore step of the wizard, select the Scan machine for virus threats prior performing
recovery check box.
2. Select which action Veeam Backup & Replication will take if an antivirus software finds a virus threat:
o Proceed to recovery but disable VM network adapters. Select this action if you want to restore VMs
with disabled network adapters (NICs).
o Abort VM recovery. Select this action if you want to cancel the restore session.
3. Select the Scan entire VM for virus threats check box if you want the antivirus software to continue
scanning VM data after the first malware is found. For information on how to view results of the malware
scan, see Viewing Malware Scan Results.
Step 9. Specify Restore Reason
At the Reason step of the wizard, enter a reason for performing Instant VM Recovery. The information you
provide will be saved in the session history and you can reference it later.
If you do not want to display the Reason step of the wizard in future, select the Do not show me this page again
check box.
Step 10. Verify Instant VM Recovery Settings
At the Summary step of the wizard, specify additional settings for Instant VM Recovery:
1. If you recover production workloads that have failed and want to restore them with initial network
settings, select the Connect VMs to network check box.
If you recover workloads for testing disaster recovery while the original workloads are still running, leave
this check box unselected. Before you power on the recovered VMs, you must disconnect them from the
production network and connect to a non-production network to avoid conflicts.
2. To start the VMs right after recovery, select the Power on target VMs after restoring check box. If you
recover the workloads to the production network, make sure that the original workloads are powered off.
3. Check settings that you have specified for Instant VM Recovery and click Finish.
4. Check that the publishing process has started and click Close.
Step 11. Finalize Instant VM Recovery
After the VMs have been successfully recovered, you must finalize the process. For this, test the recovered VMs
and decide whether to migrate them to production environment or stop publishing.
• Testing recovered VMs
• Migrating recovered VMs
• Stop publishing recovered VMs
Testing Recovered VMs

Before you migrate recovered VMs to production, you can open VM consoles in Veeam Backup & Replication or
in the VMware vSphere client.
To open a VM console in Veeam Backup & Replication:
3. In the working area, right-click a VM and select Open VM console.
Migrating Recovered VMs

If the VMs were recovered successfully, you can migrate them to the production environment.
To migrate a recovered VM to the production environment:
3. In the working area, right-click a VM and select Migrate to production. Veeam Backup & Replication will
launch the Quick Migration wizard.
During migration, Veeam Backup & Replication will restore the VM from the backup file and additionally
move all changes that were made while the VM was running from the backup in the Instant Recovery
mode.
Stop Publishing Recovered VMs

If your tests have failed, you can stop publishing the recovered VMs. This will remove the recovered VMs from
the host that you selected as the destination for recovery. Note that all changes made in the recovered VMs will
be lost.
To stop publishing a recovered VM:
3. In the working area, right-click a VM and select Stop publishing.
Performing Instant VM Recovery of Workloads
to Hyper-V VMs
To recover workloads as Hyper-V VMs, you can use the following backups:
• Backups of VMware vSphere virtual machines created with Veeam Backup & Replication
• Backups of virtual and physical machines created with Veeam Agent for Microsoft Windows
Support of instant recovery of AHV VMs to Hyper-V environment is “experimental”. For details, see the
Veeam Experimental Support Statement.
• Backups of Amazon EC2 instances created with Veeam Backup for AWS*
• Backups of Microsoft Azure virtual machines created with Veeam Backup for Microsoft Azure*
• Backups of Google virtual machines*

* After backups are copied from external repositories using backup copy jobs.
Before you start Instant VM Recovery, check prerequisites. Then use the Instant VM Recovery to Hyper-V wizard
to recover workloads as VMs.
Before You Begin

Before you perform Instant VM Recovery, consider the following:
• You must add the Hyper-V target host to which you want to restore machines to your backup
infrastructure.
• Make sure that the Disable changed block tracking for this host option is not selected for a host to which
you plan to restore a workload. If this option is selected for the host, the driver required for work of
Instant VM Recovery will be disabled.
• You can restore a workload from a backup that has at least one successfully created restore point.
• If you restore a workload to the production network, make sure that the original workload is powered off
to avoid conflicts.
• If you want to scan recovered VM data for viruses, check the secure restore requirements and limitations.
• On non-Microsoft Windows SMB3 storage, for example, Tintri, Veeam Backup & Replication may display
the "Failed to disable integrity bit on disk N" warning during the restore process. You can ignore this
warning for non-Microsoft Windows SMB3 storage.
• The restored VM will have the same MAC address as the original workload. Therefore, if you restore the
workload to the same Hyper-V host where the original workload is running, a MAC address conflict may
occur. To overcome this situation, power off the original workload before you start the restore process.
• [For Nutanix AHV VMs] The restored VM will not be connected to a network. You must connect to the
network manually.
• [For Nutanix AHV VMs, Amazon EC2 instances and Microsoft Azure virtual machines] Instantly restored
VM will have default virtual hardware settings: 2 CPU cores, 4GB RAM and one network adapter. If you
want to change the default settings, turn off the VM and set the required virtual resources. Note that you
must not switch off the instant recovery session before turning off the VM.
Step 1. Launch Instant VM Recovery Wizard
To launch the Instant Recovery to Hyper-V wizard, do one of the following:
• On the Home tab, click Restore and select one of the following:
o VMware vSphere > Restore from backup > Entire VM restore > Instant Recovery to Microsoft Hyper-V
— if you want to restore VMware vSphere VMs from a VM backup created with
o Agent > Entire machine restore > Instant Recovery to Microsoft Hyper-V — if you want to restore
physical machines from a backup created with Veeam Agent for Microsoft Windows or Veeam Agent
for Linux.
• Open the Home view. In the inventory pane, select Backups. In the working area, expand a backup and do
o Select workloads that you want to restore and click Instant Recovery > Microsoft Hyper-V on the
ribbon.
o Select workloads that you want to restore, right-click them and select Instant VM recovery >
Microsoft Hyper-V.
Step 2. Select Workloads
At the Machines step of the wizard, select one or more workloads that you want to recover.
To select workloads:
1. Click Add. You can browse for necessary workloads using one of the following way:
o From infrastructure — use this option to browse the virtual environment and select workloads or
workload containers to restore. If you choose a workload container, Veeam Backup & Replication will
expand it to a plain workload list.
When you add a workload to the list, Veeam Backup & Replication displays information about the
most recent restore point in the Restore point column. If no restore point is available for the added
workload, Veeam Backup & Replication will display a warning next to this workload.
o From backup — browse existing backups and select workloads under backup jobs.
2. Click Add.
To quickly find workloads within the created backups, you can use the search field at the Machines step of the
wizard:
1. Enter a workload name or a part of it in the search field. Veeam Backup & Replication will display matches.
2. If the workload is not in the list, click the Show more link to browse the backups.
By default, Veeam Backup & Replication uses the latest valid restore points to recover the workloads. You can
recover a workload to an earlier state, if necessary. If you have chosen to recover multiple workloads, you can
select a restore point for each workload in the list.
To select a restore point:
1. In the Machines to restore list, select a workload.
3. In the Restore Points window, select a restore point from which you want to recover the workload.
TIP
A name of a backup repository or object storage repository where a restore point resides is displayed
in brackets right after a name of a backup job.
At the Host step of the wizard, specify a target Hyper-V host or a Hyper-V cluster where you want to locate the
recovered VMs.
1. In the VM location list, select one or more VMs and click Host.
2. In the Select Server window, select a standalone host or cluster where the selected VMs must be
registered.
3. If you have selected a Hyper-V cluster, you can specify the cluster resource settings. Click Resource and
select one of the following options in the Cluster Resource Settings window:
o Register VM as a cluster resource. Select this action if you want to assign a cluster role to a VM.
o Do not register VM as a cluster resource. Select this action if you do not want to assign a cluster role
to a VM.
To quickly find the necessary object, use the search field at the bottom of the Select Host window:
SCVMM, Cluster or Host.
2. Enter an object name or a part of it in the search field.
IMPORTANT!
You cannot restore workloads to a Microsoft Hyper-V 2008 R2 Cluster due to Microsoft's limitations. You
can restore workloads to Microsoft Hyper-V 2012 Failover Cluster or Microsoft Hyper-V 2012 R2 Failover
Cluster.
If you need to restore a workload to a Microsoft Hyper-V 2008 R2 Cluster, you can use the following
workaround:
1. Restore the workload to any node of the cluster.

2. Configure the restored VM as highly available. For more information, see Microsoft Docs.
At the Datastore step of the wizard, specify a path to the folder where configuration files and disks of recovered
VMs will be stored.
To specify a path to the folder:
1. Select one or more VMs in the list and click Path.
2. In the Select Folder window, select a folder where VM files must be stored.
If configuration and disk files of a VM must be placed to different locations:
1. Expand a VM in the list.
2. Select the necessary configuration files or the VM disks.
3. Click Path and point to a folder where VM files must be stored. To create a new folder for storing files of
the recovered VM, click New Folder at the bottom of the window.
Step 6. Specify Network Mapping
At the Network step of the wizard specify network mapping settings. These settings allow you to map source
networks, where the original VM resides, to target networks where the recovered VM will be be registered.
Veeam Backup & Replication will use the network mapping table to update configuration files of restored VMs
on the fly, during the Instant VM Recovery process.
To specify network mapping settings:
1. In the Network connections list, select one or more workloads and click Network.
If a workload is connected to multiple networks, expand the workload, select a network to map and click
Network.
2. In the Select Network window, select a network to which the selected workload must be connected after a
restore.
To quickly find a network, enter a name or a part of it in the search field. Then, click the Start search
button or press [Enter].
If you do not want to connect the restored VM to any virtual network, select the original workload in the list and
click Disconnect.
Step 7. Change VM Name and UUID
At the Name step of the wizard, specify a name of restored VMs and select whether you want to preserve their
UUIDs or change them.
It is recommended that you specify a new name and generate a new UUID for a VM to prevent conflicts if the
original workload still resides in the production environment. The name and UUID change is not required if the
original workload no longer exists, for example, it was permanently deleted.
To change a VM name:
1. In the Virtual machines list, select one or more VMs and click Name.
2. In the Change Name section, enter a new name explicitly or specify a change name rule by adding a prefix
or suffix to the original VM name.
You can also change VM names directly in the list:
1. Select a VM in the list.
2. Click the New Name field and enter the name to be assigned to the recovered VM.
You can specify how Veeam Backup & Replication must handle unique identifiers of the recovered VM. By
default, the recovered VM is identified with the same UUIDs as the original workload. If necessary, you can
assign a new UUID to the recovered VM.
To view or change VM identification settings:
1. Select one or more VMs in the list and click System UUID.
2. In the BIOS UUID Settings window, select to preserve the UUID or generate a new UUID.
Step 8. Configure Helper Appliance
This step is available if you restore Linux VMs or Linux physical machines.
At the Helper Appliance step of the wizard, specify the network settings that will be used by
Veeam Backup & Replication to connect to a helper appliance. The helper appliance is an auxiliary Linux-based
VM created by Veeam Backup & Replication on the Hyper-V host where you want to restore workloads.
Veeam Backup & Replication uses this helper appliance to modify settings of the restored workloads and
prepare them for a launch. The appliance is quite small — around 50 MB. It requires 1024 MB RAM and takes
around 10 seconds to boot.
To configure the helper appliance network settings:
1. [For multiple machines] In the Network list, expand a host and select one machine.
2. Click the Configure button.
3. In the Network Settings window, select a network for the helper appliance.
a. Click the Browse button to the right of the Production network field.
b. In the Select Network window, Veeam Backup & Replication shows a list of networks to which the
target host is connected. In this list, select a network to which the helper appliance must be
connected.
network.
4. Specify IP address settings for the helper appliance:
o If you use a DHCP server in the network and want to obtain IP address for the helper appliance
automatically, make sure that the Obtain an IP address automatically option is selected.
o To manually specify the IP address of the helper appliance, select the Use the following IP address
option and enter the IP address, subnet mask and default gateway address in the corresponding
fields.
5. Specify DNS server settings:
o If you use a DHCP server in the network and the IP address for the DNS server is obtained
automatically, make sure that the Obtain DNS server address automatically option is selected.
o To manually specify the IP address of the DNS server, select the Use the following DNS server address
option and enter the IP addresses of the preferred and alternate DNS servers in the corresponding
fields.
This step is available if you restore Microsoft Windows VMs.
You can instruct Veeam Backup & Replication to perform secure restore — scan VM data with antivirus software
before restoring the VM to the production environment. For more information on secure restore, see Secure
Restore.
1. Select the Scan the restored machine for malware prior to performing the recovery check box.
o Proceed with recovery but disable network adapters. Select this action if you want to restore the VM
3. Select the Scan the entire image check box if you want the antivirus software to continue the VM data
scan after the first malware is found. For information on how to view results of the malware scan, see
Viewing Malware Scan Results.
At the Reason step of the wizard, enter a reason for performing Instant VM Recovery of the workloads. The
information you provide will be saved in the session history and you can reference it later.
TIP:
again check box.
At the Summary step of the wizard, check settings of Instant VM Recovery and click Finish. If you want to start
the recovered VMs on the target host, select the Power on target VM after restoring check box.
After the VMs have been successfully recovered, you must finalize the process. For this, test the recovered VMs
and decide whether to migrate them to production environment or stop publishing.
• Testing recovered VMs
• Migrating recovered VMs
• Stop publishing recovered VMs
Testing Recovered VMs

Before you migrate the recovered VMs to production, you can open VM consoles in Veeam Backup & Replication
or in the Hyper-V client.
If the test fails, you can stop publishing the recovered VMs. For details, see Stop Publishing Recovered VMs.
Migrating Recovered VMs

When Veeam Backup & Replication migrates VMs, it transfers VM disks data to the production storage that you
have selected as a destination for the recovered VMs.
To migrate a recovered VM to production:
3. In the working area, right-click a VM and select Migrate to production.
NOTE:
The following information applies if you recover Hyper-V VMs.
After the migration is finished, and if the selected destination differs from the original location, the original
VMs still exist. If you do not need them, you must manually remove them in the Hyper-V client.
Stop Publishing Recovered VMs

If your tests have failed, you can stop publishing the recovered VMs. This will remove the recovered VMs from
the storage that you selected as the destination for recovery.
IMPORTANT!
If the destination is the original location, both the original and recovered VMs are removed.
To remove a recovered VM:
3. In the working area, right-click a VM and select Stop publishing.
Instant VM Disk Recovery
With Instant VM Disk Recovery, you can immediately restore VM disks from a backup file and use one of the
following options:
• Perform Instant VM Disk Recovery. Use this option to publish recovered disks to the production
environment.
• Perform Instant First Class Disk (FCD) Recovery Use this option to register recovered disks as FCDs in the
production environment. FCDs are a type of improved VMDK that allow to perform different tasks: create
snapshots, delete and restore data stored on VMDK without attaching these disks to a VM.
Use Instant VM Disk Recovery if you need to:
• Recover VM disks, not an entire VM. Otherwise, use Instant VM Recovery.
• Recover VM disks and keep the target VM (to which you want to attach recovered disks) turned on. If the
VM can be turned off, use Virtual Disks Restore.
• Convert recovered VM disks to FCDs and migrate them to your production environment.
Veeam Backup & Replication performs Instant VM Disk Recovery and Instant FCD Recovery using vPower
technology.
The main steps of Instant VM Disk Recovery are the following:
1. Veeam Backup & Replication checks whether the vPower NFS datastore is mounted to the ESXi host and
contains VMDK files of the recovered disks.
2. [If you replace an existing disk] Veeam Backup & Replication unmounts and deletes the existing disk.
3. The recovered disks are connected to the target VM.
4. Veeam Backup & Replication initiates a creation of a protective snapshot for the target VM. If Instant VM
Disk Recovery process fails, the protective snapshot guarantees no data loss.
5. Veeam Backup & Replication writes changes made to the recovered disks to redo logs on the vPower NFS
server.
The main steps of Instant FCD Recovery are the following:
1. Veeam Backup & Replication initiates a restore session.
2. Veeam Backup & Replication connects to a target VMware cluster and mounts vPower NFS datastore to all
ESXi hosts added to the target VMware cluster.
3. Veeam Backup & Replication mounts recovered disks and publishes them to the target vPower NFS
datastore.
4. Veeam Backup & Replication registers published disks as FCDs to the target vPower NFS datastore.
5. Veeam Backup & Replication initiates a creation of a protective snapshot for every FCD. If the Instant FCD
Recovery process fails, the protective snapshot guarantees no data loss.
6. The recovered disks are unmounted from the vPower NFS datastore.
NOTE
Mind the following:
• If you specify the custom datastore to keep the redo logs, information on the FCD snapshots will be
stored in the instant recovery session logs.
• Veeam Backup & Replication does not remove the mounted vPower NFS datastore from a VMware
cluster.
Both Instant VM Disk Recovery and Instant FCD Recovery must be finalized:
• [For the Instant VM Disk Recovery option] First, test the recovered disks and then decide whether to
publish them to the production environment or stop publishing the disks.
• [For the Instant FCD Recovery option] Migrate the recovered disks to the production environment or stop
publishing them.
To publish the disks, Veeam Backup & Replication uses the Quick Migration mechanism. For details, see Quick
Migration.
Performing Instant VM Disk Recovery
Before you start Instant VM Disk Recovery, check prerequisites. Then use the Instant Disk Recovery wizard to
recover the necessary VM disks.
Before You Begin

Before you perform Instant VM Disk Recovery, consider the following:
• You can restore a virtual disk from a backup that has at least one successfully created restore point.
• If you want to scan disk data for viruses, check the secure restore requirements and limitations.
• Instant VM Disk Recovery to vCloud Director is not supported.
• If you restore a virtual disk to an unoccupied node, Veeam Backup & Replication restores the disk in the
offline state. To work with it, you need to bring the disk online.
• You must have at least 10 GB of free disk space on the datastore where write cache folder is located. This
disk space is required to store virtual disk updates for the restored VM.
By default, Veeam Backup & Replication writes virtual disk updates to the IRCache folder on a volume
with the maximum amount of free space, for example, C:\ProgramData\Veeam\Backup\IRCache.
Step 1. Launch VM Disk Recovery Wizard
To launch the Instant Disk Recovery wizard, do one of the following:
• On the Home tab, click Restore > VMware vSphere > Restore from backup > Disk restore > Instant disk
recovery.
o Select a VM whose disks you want to restore and click Instant Disk Recovery on the ribbon.
o Right-click a VM whose disks you want to restore and select Instant disk recovery.
Step 2. Select Source VM
At the Virtual Machine step of the wizard, select a VM whose disks you want to recover:
1. In the Virtual machine list, expand a backup job.
2. Select a VM.
To quickly find a VM, you can use the search field at the bottom of the window.
1. Enter a VM name or a part of it in the search field.
At the Restore Point step of the wizard, select a restore point for the VM whose disks you restore.
Step 4. Select Mount Mode
At the Mount Mode step of the wizard, select the VM disk option to register virtual disks on VM added to an
ESXi host.
If you want to register virtual disks on a cluster as FCDs, select the First class disk (FCD) option. In this case,
Veeam Backup & Replication will perform the instant disks recovery as it is documented in the Performing
Instant First Class Disk (FCD) Recovery section.
Step 5. Select Virtual Disk to Restore
At the Disk Mapping step, select virtual disks to restore and choose a VM to which the disks must be attached.
1. By default, Veeam Backup & Replication maps the restored disks to the original VM. If the original VM was
relocated or if you want to attach disks to another VM, select a target VM. For this, click Choose and select
a VM from the virtual environment.
To quickly find a VM, use the search field at the bottom of the window. Click the button on the left of the
field to select the type of an object to search for. Enter a VM name or a part of it. Then, click the Start
search button or press [Enter].
2. In the Disk mapping section, select virtual disks that you want to restore.
3. To define virtual disk properties, select a disk in the list and click Change.
4. In the Virtual Disk Properties window, select a virtual device node:
o If you want to replace an existing virtual disk, select an occupied virtual node. The original disk will be
deleted.
o If you want to attach the restored disk to the VM as a new drive, select a node that is not occupied
yet.
You can instruct Veeam Backup & Replication to perform secure restore — scan virtual disk data with antivirus
software before restoring the disk. For more information on secure restore, see Secure Restore.
1. At the Secure Restore step of the wizard, select the Scan the restored disk for malware prior to
performing the recovery check box.
If malware is found, Veeam Backup & Replication cancels the disk restore process.
2. Select the Scan the entire image check box if you want an antivirus software to continue the virtual disk
scan after a virus threat is detected. For information on how to view results of the malware scan, see
At the Reason step of the wizard, enter a reason for restoring VM disks. This information will be saved in the
session history so that you can reference it later.
If you do not want to display the Reason step in future, select the Do not show me this page again check box.
Step 8. Verify Recovery Settings
At the Summary step of the wizard, check settings of Instant VM Recovery and click Finish.
Step 9. Finalize Instant VM Disk Recovery
After the disks have been successfully recovered, you must finalize the process. For this, test the recovered
disks and decide whether to migrate them to production environment or stop publishing them.
• Testing recovered VM disks
• Migrating recovered VM disks
• Stop publishing recovered VM disks
Testing Recovered VM Disks

Before you migrate recovered disks to production, you can open the console of the VM to which the disks were
recovered. The console can be opened in Veeam Backup & Replication or in the VMware vSphere client.
Migrating Recovered VM Disks

To migrate recovered disks to the production environment:
Veeam Backup & Replication will launch the Quick Migration wizard.
The wizard will be opened on the Destination step. At this step, you can change the datastore where the
virtual disks will be placed. By default, Veeam Backup & Replication places the disks in the datastore
where the VM configuration file is stored.
Other fields (host, resource pool and VM folder) are populated with data of the VM where you restore the
disks. You cannot change this data.
Stop Publishing Recovered VM Disks

If your tests have failed, you can stop publishing the recovered disks. This will remove the recovered disks from
the VM that you selected as the destination for recovery. Note that all changes made in the recovered disks will
be lost.
To remove recovered disks:
3. In the working area, right-click a VM to which the disks were recovered and select Stop publishing.
Performing Instant First Class Disk (FCD)
Recovery
To start Instant First Class Disk (FCD) Recovery, do the following:
Before You Begin

Before you perform Instant First Class Disk Recovery, consider the following:
• The vCenter version where your cluster is located must be 6.7.3 or higher.
• You must have a cluster configured beforehand in your vSphere infrastructure. This cluster must be added
to the backup infrastructure and the hosts that are added to this cluster must meet the following
requirements:
o ESXi hosts must be in the powered on state.
o Veeam Backup & Replication should be able to connect to ESXi hosts.
o API version of ESXi hosts must be 6.7.3 or higher.
o ESXi must have the VMkernel network interface enabled.
• Veeam Backup & Replication does not support restore to a single ESXi host.
• You can restore a virtual disk from a backup that has at least one successfully created restore point.
• Instant First Class Disk Recovery to vCloud Director is not supported.
• If you restore a virtual disk to an unoccupied node, Veeam Backup & Replication restores the disk in the
offline state. To work with it, you need to bring the disk online.
• The datastore which you specify to store redirect logs must meet the following requirements:
o The datastore must be added to the vCenter infrastructure and must be available for
Veeam Backup & Replication to set up a connection to it.
o The datastore must be located in the same vCenter, where a cluster to which
Veeam Backup & Replication will register FCDs, is located.
o The datastore must be mounted to all ESXi hosts of a cluster to which Veeam Backup & Replication
will register FCDs.
o You must have at least one more additional datastore in your vCenter infrastructure.
o The datastore must not be the Veeam NFS datastore.
o The encrypted VM storage policies are not supported. If you select this type of policy,
Veeam Backup & Replication will not be able to apply this policy for registered FCDs.
• You can assign storage policies to FCDs only if you redirect redo logs to another datastore.
• The encryption storage policies are not supported. If you select this type of policy,
Veeam Backup & Replication will not be able to apply this policy to registered FCDs.
Step 1. Launch Instant Disk Recovery Wizard
To launch the Instant Disk Recovery wizard, do one of the following:
• On the Home tab, click Restore > VMware vSphere > Restore from backup > Disk restore > Instant disk
recovery.
o Select a VM whose disks you want to restore and click Instant Disk Recovery on the ribbon.
o Right-click a VM whose disks you want to restore and select Instant disk recovery.
Step 2. Select Source VM
At the Virtual Machine step of the wizard, select a VM whose disks you want to restore as FCDs:
1. In the Virtual machine list, expand a backup job.
2. Select a VM.
At the Restore Point step of the wizard, select a restore point for the VM whose virtual disks you want to restore
as FCDs.
Step 4. Select Mount Mode
At the Mount Mode step of the wizard, select the First class disk (FCD) option to register virtual disks on a
cluster as FCDs.
If you want to register virtual disks on VM added to an ESXi host, select the VM disks option. In this case,
Veeam Backup & Replication will perform the instant disks recovery as it is documented in the Performing
Instant VM Disk Recovery section.
Step 5. Select Virtual Disks to Restore
At the Disks step of the wizard, specify the virtual disks that you want to restore and define disks mapping
settings. To define mapping settings you need to by specify the names of the virtual disks that are mounted to a
datastore and the FCDs that are registered on a cluster. Be default, Veeam Backup & Replication assigns the
name of the backed-up disk to all types of virtual disks.
To specify a new a name:
1. Select check boxes next to virtual disks that you want to restore.
2. Click Change.
3. In the Disk name field, specify a name for virtual disks that that are mounted to the datastore.
4. In the Display name field, specify a name for FCDs that are registered on the cluster.
5. Click OK.
Step 6. Specify Target Host
At the Destination step of the wizard, specify a cluster to which Veeam Backup & Replication will register FCDs.
To specify a cluster, click Choose and select the necessary cluster from the virtual environment.
NOTE
To register FCDs on a cluster, Veeam Backup & Replication mounts to a cluster the vPower NFS datastore
that contains virtual disks. Veeam Backup & Replication checks the cluster hosts to verify that they are
powered on and Veeam Backup & Replication is able to connect to these hosts. If one of these hosts are
not available, Veeam Backup & Replication will not include them to the FCD restore scenario.
Veeam Backup & Replication will not start an FCD recovery process if there are no powered on hosts or
Veeam Backup & Replication is not able to connect to them.
Step 7. Select Destination for FCD Updates
At the Write Cache step of the wizard, specify where to store the redo logs. Veeam Backup & Replication uses
redo logs to write all changes of the virtual disks that take place while performing the FCD recovery.
By default, redo logs are stored on the vPower NFS server. You can store redo logs on any datastore in the
virtual environment, if you want to improve recovery performance. As soon as a recovery verification job
completes, Veeam Backup & Replication deletes redo logs.
1. Select the Redirect write cache check box.
At the Reason step of the wizard, enter a reason for restoring VM disks. This information will be saved in the
session history so that you can reference it later.
If you do not want to display the Reason step in future, select the Do not show me this page again check box.
Step 9. Verify Instant FCD Recovery Settings
At the Summary step of the wizard, check settings of Instant Disk Recovery and click Finish.
Step 10. Finalize Instant FCD Recovery
After the FCDs have been successfully registered, you must finalize the process and decide whether to migrate
them to the production environment or stop publishing them.
• Migrating FCDs
• Stop publishing FCDs
Migrating FCDs
To migrate recovered disks to the production environment:
Veeam Backup & Replication will launch the FCD Quick Migration wizard.
Stop Publishing FCDs

If you would like, you stop publishing the recovered disks. This will remove the registered FCDs from the cluster
that you selected as the destination for recovery. Note that all changes made in the recovered disks will be lost.
To remove recovered disks:
3. In the working area, right-click a VM to which the disks were recovered and select Stop publishing.
Entire VM Restore
With Veeam Backup & Replication, you can restore an entire VM from a backup file to the latest state or to a
previous point in time if the original VM fails.
When you restore an entire VM, you extract the VM image from the backup to the production storage. Though
entire VM restore takes more resources and time to complete than Instant VM Recovery, you do not need to
perform extra steps to finalize the recovery process. Veeam Backup & Replication pulls the VM data from the
backup repository to the selected storage, registers the VM on the chosen ESXi host and, if necessary, powers it
on. Entire VM restore enables full disk I/O performance while Instant VM Recovery provides a “temporary spare”
for a VM as the vPower NFS throughput is limited.
To perform entire VM restore, Veeam Backup & Replication uses one of the following transport modes:
• If the backup proxy is connected directly into the SAN fabric or has access to NFS datastores,
Veeam Backup & Replication uses the Direct storage access transport mode. Veeam Data Movers deployed
on the backup repository and backup proxy retrieve VM data from the backup file and put it directly to the
necessary datastore.
Veeam Backup & Replication can restore only thick VM disks using the Direct storage access transport
mode. For thin VM disks restore, Veeam Backup & Replication will use the Virtual appliance or Network
transport modes. Alternatively, you can instruct Veeam Backup & Replication to restore VM disks as thick.
• If the backup proxy is virtualized and resides on the ESXi host to which the VM must be restored,
Veeam Backup & Replication uses the Virtual appliance transport mode. The Virtual appliance mode
utilizes VMware ESXi capabilities of HotAdding disks to the VM and thus eliminates the need to transfer
the backup data across the network. Veeam Data Movers deployed on the backup repository and backup
proxy retrieve VM data from the backup file and put it directly to the necessary datastore via the ESXi I/O
stack.
• If the Direct storage access and Virtual appliance transport modes cannot be used,
Veeam Backup & Replication uses the Network transport mode.
A VM can be restored to its original location or to a new location. When you restore a VM to its original location,
Veeam Backup & Replication powers off the original VM and restores only those disks that are included in the
backup file. All other disks remain unchanged.
When you restore a VM to a new location, you can specify new VM settings such as the new VM name, the host
and datastore where the VM will reside, disk format (thin or thick provisioned) and network properties.
Veeam Backup & Replication will change the VM configuration file and store the VM data to the location of your
choice.
NOTE:
If a VM has several VM disks, Veeam Backup & Replication restores VM disks in parallel.
Quick Rollback
When you restore a full VM or VM hard disk to the original location, you can instruct
Veeam Backup & Replication to perform quick rollback — incremental data restore. Instead of restoring an entire
VM or VM disk from a backup file, Veeam Backup & Replication will recover only those data blocks that are
necessary to revert the VM or VM disk to an earlier point in time. Quick rollback significantly reduces the
recovery time and has little impact on the production environment.
For quick rollback, Veeam Backup & Replication uses the Changed Block Tracking technology.
Veeam Backup & Replication gets information about the current VM state and compares it with the CBT
information in the backup file. This way, Veeam Backup & Replication detects what data blocks must be
transported back to the production datastore to rebuild the VM or VM disk to the necessary point in time.
It is recommended that you use quick rollback if you restore a VM or VM disk after a problem that has occurred
at the level of the VM guest OS — for example, there has been an application error or a user has accidentally
deleted a file on the VM guest OS. Do not use quick rollback if the problem has occurred at the VM hardware
level, storage level or due to a power loss.

• VM or VM disk must be restored to its original location.
• CBT must be enabled for the VM disk or all disks of a VM that you plan to restore.
• The backup file from which you plan to restore a VM or a VM disk must be created with the Use changed
block tracking data option enabled.

• Quick rollback can be performed in the Direct NFS access, Virtual appliance, Network transport mode. The
Direct SAN access transport mode cannot be used for quick rollback due to VMware limitations.
• Use quick rollback and VM guest OS file exclusion wisely. If you exclude specific files and folders from the VM
guest OS during backup and use quick rollback to restore the VM or VM disk from such backup,
Veeam Backup & Replication will restore only the content of the backup file. The excluded data will not be
restored. For example, if you exclude C:\Folder from the backup, data in this folder will not be backed up and
will not be available in the resulting backup file. After some time, data in C:\Folder may change but the folder
will still not be backed up (since the job excludes this folder). For this reason, when you perform quick rollback,
Veeam Backup & Replication will restore all data that have changed except the excluded C:\Folder.
Restoring Entire VM
If a VM has failed, you can recover it from the backup with entire VM restore. You can restore one or more VMs
at once, to the original location or new location.
The entire VM restore operation recovers an entire VM from the backup file and registers the VM on the target
host. Full VM recovery takes more time than Instant VM Recovery as you have to extract the VM image from the
backup to the production storage. However, you do not need to take any additional steps to finalize entire VM
restore: entire VM restore actually recovers a failed VM on the production storage and provides full disk I/O
performance.
Before you restore a VM from the backup, check prerequisites. Then use the Full VM Restore wizard to restore
the necessary VM.
Before You Begin

Before you restore a VM from a backup, consider the following:
• You can restore a VM from a backup that has at least one successfully created restore point.
• If you restore a VM to its original location and the original VM is still running, Veeam Backup & Replication
powers off the original VM and restores only those disks that are included in the backup file. All other
disks remain unchanged.
• If you want to scan VM data for viruses, check the secure restore requirements and limitations.
• If you want to run an executable script for a VM, check the staged restore requirements and limitations.
• When you restore a VM, mind the Virtual Hardware version compatibility. For more information, see this
VMware KB article.
Step 1. Launch Full VM Restore Wizard
To launch the Full VM Restore wizard, do one of the following:
• On the Home tab, click Restore > VMware vSphere > Restore from backup > Entire VM restore > Entire VM
restore.
o Select the machine that you want to restore and click Entire VM on the ribbon.
o Right-click the machine that you want to restore and select Restore entire VM.
• Double-click the VBK or VBM file (for example, in Microsoft Windows Explorer). In the displayed window,
select the VM and click Restore > Entire VM.
You can use this option if you perform restore on the backup server. You cannot use this option if you
perform restore remotely over the Veeam Backup & Replication console.
Step 2. Select VMs
At the Virtual Machines step of the wizard, select one or more VMs that you want to restore.
To select VMs:
1. Click Add VM.
2. Select where to browse for VMs:
o From infrastructure — browse the virtual environment and select VMs or VM containers (hosts,
clusters, folders, resource pools, VirtualApps, datastores or tags) to restore. If you choose a VM
container, Veeam Backup & Replication will expand it to a plain VM list.
When you add a VM to the list, Veeam Backup & Replication displays information about the most
recent restore point in the Restore point column. If no restore point is available for the added VM,
Veeam Backup & Replication will display a warning next to this VM.
o From backup — browse existing backups and select VMs under backup jobs.
To quickly find VMs, you can use the search field at the top of the wizard.
1. Enter a VM name or a part of it in the search field. Veeam Backup & Replication will display possible
matches.
2. If the VM is not in the list, click the Show more link to browse the virtual infrastructure.
You can select the restore point for the VMs that you want to restore.
By default, Veeam Backup & Replication uses the latest valid restore point. However, you can restore the VM to
an earlier state. If you have chosen to restore several VMs, you can select the necessary restore point for every
VM in the list.
1. In the Virtual machines to restore list, select the VM.
3. In the Restore Points window, select a restore point from which you want to restore the VM.
In the Location column, you can view a name of a backup repository or object storage repository where a
restore point resides.
At the Restore Mode step of the wizard, choose the necessary restore mode and backup proxy for VM data
transport:
o Select Restore to original location if you want to restore VMs with their initial settings and to their
original location. If this option is selected, you will immediately pass to the Reason step of the wizard.
o Select Restore to a new location, or with different settings if you want to restore VMs to a different
location and/or with different settings (such as VM location, network settings, format of restored
virtual disks and so on). If this option is selected, the Full VM Restore wizard will include additional
steps for customizing VMs settings.
o Select Staged restore if you want to run an executable script for VMs before restoring them to the
production environment. If this option is selected, the Full VM Restore wizard will include an
additional step for customizing staged restore settings.
2. [For VM restore to the original location] Select the Quick rollback check box if you want to perform
incremental restore for the VM. Veeam Backup & Replication will query CBT to get data blocks that are
necessary to revert the VM to an earlier point in time, and will restore only these data blocks from the
backup. Quick restore significantly reduces the restore time and has little impact on the production
environment.
It is recommended that you enable this option if you restore a VM after a problem that occurred at the
level of the VM guest OS: for example, there has been an application error or a user has accidentally
deleted a file on the VM guest OS. Do not enable this option if the problem has occurred at the VM
hardware level, storage level or due to a power loss.
For more information on quick rollback, its requirements and limitations, see Quick Rollback.
3. Click the Pick proxy to use link to select backup proxies over which VM data must be transported to the
source datastore. You can assign backup proxies explicitly or instruct Veeam Backup & Replication to
automatically select backup proxies.
processing VM data.
During the restore process, VMs are processed simultaneously. Veeam Backup & Replication checks
available backup proxies. If more than one backup proxy is available, Veeam Backup & Replication
analyzes transport modes that the backup proxies can use for writing data to target, current workload
on these backup proxies, and selects the most appropriate resources for VMs processing.
that will be used for restore. It is recommended that you select at least two proxies to ensure that
VMs are recovered should one of backup proxies fail or lose its connectivity to the source datastore
during restore.

If the backed-up VM was associated with the storage policy, in the restore to original location scenario,
Veeam Backup & Replication will associate the restored VM with this storage policy.
compare this information with the information about the storage policy in the backup file. If the original storage
policy has been changed or deleted, Veeam Backup & Replication will display a warning. You can select one of
the following options:
moment of backup, and whose information is stored in the backup file.
For more information, see Storage Policies.
The Host step of the wizard is available if you have chosen to change the location and settings for the restored
VM.
To specify a target host:
1. Select a VM in the list and click Host. To apply changes in bulk, select several VMs in the list and click
Host.
2. Choose a host or cluster where the selected VM must be registered.
To facilitate selection, you can use the search field at the bottom of the Select Host window:
Cluster or Host.
2. Enter an object’s name or a part of it and click the Start search button on the right or press [Enter] on the
keyboard.
Step 6. Select Target Resource Pool
The Resource Pool step of the wizard is available if you have chosen to change the location and settings for the
restored VM.
To specify a destination resource pool:
1. Select a VM in the list and click Pool. To apply changes in bulk, select several VMs in the list and click
Pool.
2. Select a resource pool to which the VMs must be placed.
3. If necessary, select a vApp in which the VMs must be included.
To facilitate selection, you can use the search field at the bottom of the Select Resource Pool window:
1. Enter a resource pool name or a part of it in the search field.
The Datastore step of the wizard is available if you have chosen to change the location and settings for the
restored VM.
You can place an entire VM to a particular datastore or choose to store configuration files and disk files of the
restored VM in different locations.
To specify a destination datastore:
1. Select a VM in the list and click Datastore. To apply changes in bulk, select several VMs in the list and click
Datastore.
2. Point to a datastore where VM files must be stored.
If configuration and disk files of the VM must be placed to different datastores:
1. Expand the VM in the list.
2. Select the necessary file type and click Datastore.
3. Select a datastore where the selected objects must be stored. To facilitate selection, you can use the
search field at the bottom of the Select Datastore window: enter a datastore name or a part of it in the
search field and click the Start search button on the right or press [Enter] on the keyboard.
By default, Veeam Backup & Replication preserves the format of restored VM disks. If disks of the original VM
are provisioned as thick, Veeam Backup & Replication will restore the VM from the backup with thick disks. If
necessary, you can change the disk format of a restored VM.
1. Expand a VM in the list.
2. Select the disk and click Disk Type.
3. In the Disk Type Settings section, choose the format that will be used to restore virtual disks of the VM:
same as source, thin, thick lazy zeroed or thick eager zeroed. For more information about disk types, see
VMware Docs.
NOTE:
Step 8. Select Target Folder and Change VM Settings
The Folder step of the wizard is available if you have chosen to change the location and settings for restored
VMs.
At this step of the wizard, you can do the following:
• Specify a destination VM folder
• Change VM settings
Specifying Destination VM Folder

To specify a destination VM folder:
1. Select a VM in the list and click Folder.
2. Choose a folder to which the VM will be placed. To facilitate selection, use the search field at the bottom
of the window: enter a folder name or a part of it and click the Start search button on the right or press
[Enter] on the keyboard.
By default, Veeam Backup & Replication restores a VM with its original name. However, you can change the
name of the restored VM. For example, if you restore a VM to its original location, you may need to change its
name to avoid potential problems.
Changing VM Settings
To change the VM name:
1. Select a VM in the list and click Name.
2. In the Change Name section, enter a new name explicitly or specify a change name rule by adding a prefix
and/or suffix to the original VM name.
You can also change the VM name directly in the list:
1. Select a VM in the list and click the New Name field.
2. Enter the name to be assigned to the restored VM.
Select the Restore VM tags check box if you want to restore tags that were assigned to the original VM, and
assign them to the restored VM. Veeam Backup & Replication will restore the VM with original tags if the
following conditions are met:
• The VM is restored to its original location.
• The original VM tag is still available on the source vCenter Server.
NOTE:
Mind the following:
• If you restore a VM to a standalone ESXi host that is not managed by the vCenter Server, you cannot
select a destination folder: this option will be disabled.
• During entire VM restore, Veeam Backup & Replication preserves the UUID of the original VM.
Step 9. Specify Network Mapping
The Network step of the wizard is available if you have chosen to change the location and settings for the
restored VM.
If you plan to restore a VM to a new location, for example, another site with a different set of networks, you can
map source site networks to target site networks. Veeam Backup & Replication will use the network mapping
table to update configuration files of the VM on the fly, during the restore process.
To change networks to which the restored VM will be connected:
1. Select a VM in the list and click Network. To apply changes in bulk, select several VMs in the list and click
Network.
If a VM is connected to multiple networks, expand the VM, select the network to map and click Network.
The Select Network section displays all networks to which the target host or cluster is connected.
2. From the list of available networks, choose a network to which the VM must have access upon restore. To
facilitate selection, use the search field at the bottom of the window: enter a network name or a part of it
and click the Start search button on the right or press [Enter] on the keyboard.
If you do not want to connect the restored VM to any virtual network, select the VM in the list and click
Disconnected.
This step is available if you restore Microsoft Windows VMs.
You can instruct Veeam Backup & Replication to perform secure restore — scan machine data with antivirus
software before restoring the machine to the production environment. For more information on secure restore,
see Secure Restore.
1. At the Secure Restore step of the wizard, select the Scan the restored machine for malware prior to
2. Select which action Veeam Backup & Replication will take if the antivirus software finds a virus threat:
o Proceed with recovery but disable network adapters. Select this action if you want to restore the
machine with disabled network adapters (NICs).
3. Select the Scan the entire image check box if you want the antivirus to continue machine scan after the
first malware is found. For information on how to view results of the malware scan, see Viewing Malware
Scan Results.
Step 11. Specify Staged Restore Settings
The Staged Restore step of the wizard is available if you have chosen to run an executable script for VMs before
recovering them to the production environment. For more information on staged restore, see Staged Restore.
To specify staged restore settings:
1. From the Virtual lab list, select a virtual lab that will be used to start VMs. The list contains all virtual labs
that are created or connected to the backup server.
2. From the Application group list, select an application group if script execution requires other VMs to be
powered on. In the virtual lab during staged restore, Veeam Backup & Replication will start VMs from the
selected application group in the required order. The Application group list contains all application groups
that are created on the backup server. For more information, see Application Group.
3. On the right of the Script field, click Browse to choose the script from a local folder on the backup server.
4. From the Credentials list, select credentials for the account that has administrator privileges on VMs for
which you want to run the script. If you have not set up credentials beforehand, click the Manage accounts
link or click Add on the right of the Credentials field to add the credentials. For more information, see
Managing Credentials.
VM Startup Settings
If you want to start VMs after recovery, perform the following steps:
1. Click Advanced.
2. In the Memory section, specify the amount of memory that you want to pre-allocate to a VM when it
starts. The amount of pre-allocated memory is defined in percent. The percentage rate is calculated based
on the system memory level available for the production VM. For example, if 4096 MB of RAM is
RAM will be allocated to the VM on startup.
on the VM.
Be careful when specifying the Maximum allowed boot time value. Typically, a VM started in a virtual lab
requires more time to boot than a VM started in the production environment. If an application fails to be
initialized within the specified interval of time, the recovery process fails with the timeout error. If such
error occurs, you need to increase the Maximum allowed boot time value and perform VM restore again.
At the Reason step of the wizard, enter a reason for restoring the selected VMs. The information you provide
TIP:
again check box.
Step 13. Verify Restore Settings
At the Summary step of the wizard, specify additional settings for VM restore:
1. If you want to start the restored VM on the target host, select the Power on VM after restoring check box.
2. Check the specified settings and click Finish. Veeam Backup & Replication will restore selected VMs in the
specified destination.
VM Files Restore
Veeam Backup & Replication can help you to restore specific VM files (.vmdk, .vmx and others) if any of these
files are deleted or the datastore is corrupted. This option provides a great alternative to entire VM restore, for
example, when your VM configuration file is missing and you need to restore it. Instead of restoring the whole
VM image to the production storage, you can restore the specific VM file only.
When you perform VM file restore, VM files are restored from regular image-level backups. Veeam Data Movers
deployed on the backup repository and the backup proxy retrieve VM data from the backup file and send it to
the original VM location, or to a new location specified by the user.
Restoring VM Files
You can restore specific VM files from the backup: VMDK, VMX and others. VM file restore can be helpful, for
example, if one or several VM files have been deleted or corrupted and you need to replace them on the
production storage. Veeam Backup & Replication lets you restore the necessary VM file directly from the image-
level backup, without prior de-staging of the VM image from the backup file.
Before you restore VM files from the backup, check prerequisites. Then use the Virtual Machine Files Restore
wizard to restore VM files.
Before You Begin

Before you restore VM files, check the following prerequisites:
• You can restore VM files from a backup that has at least one successfully created restore point.
• The server on which you plan to save restored VM files must be added to the backup infrastructure.
Step 1. Launch Restore Wizard
To launch the Restore wizard, do one of the following:
• On the Home tab, click Restore > VMware vSphere > Restore from backup > Entire VM restore > VM files
restore (VMX, NVRAM).
o Click the VM whose files you want to restore and click VM Files on the ribbon.
o Right-click the VM whose files you want to restore and select Restore VM files.
In this case, you will pass to the Restore Point step of the wizard.
select the VM and click Restore > VM files. In this case, you will pass to the Restore Point step of the
wizard.
Step 2. Select VM
At the Virtual Machine step of the wizard, select the VM whose files you want to restore:
1. In the Virtual machine list, expand the necessary backup.
2. Select the VM.
At the Restore Point step of the wizard, select a restore point from which you want to restore VM files.
In the Location column, you can view a name of a backup repository or object storage repository where a restore
point resides.
Step 4. Select VM Files and Destination
At the Destination step of the wizard, select VM files that you want to restore and destination where the
restored files must be stored.
1. From the Server list, select where to store VM files: to an ESXi host, on the backup server or on a
Microsoft Windows server added to the backup infrastructure. Use the Details button to view or change
connection settings of the target host or server.
2. In the Path to folder section, specify a path to the folder on the selected host where files must be
restored.
To create a dedicated folder for restored files, click Browse. In the Select Folder window, select the target
location for VM files and click Make New Folder at the bottom of the window.
3. In the VM files to restore section, select check boxes next to files that you want to restore. By default, all
VM files are selected.
At the Reason step of the wizard, enter a reason for restoring VM files. The information you provide will be
saved in the session history and you can reference it later.
At the Summary step of the wizard, complete the procedure of VM files restore.
1. Review details for the restore task.
2. Click Finish to start VM files restore.
Virtual Disks Restore
If a VM virtual disk becomes corrupted for some reason, for example, with a virus, you can restore it from the
image-based backup to any point in time. The restored virtual disk can be attached to the original VM to replace
a corrupted drive, or connected to any other VM. With the virtual drive restore, you can preserve the format of a
recovered drive or convert the drive to the thin or thick format on the fly.
NOTE:
If a VM has several VM disks, Veeam Backup & Replication restores VM disks in parallel.
Restoring Virtual Disks
You can restore virtual disks of a VM from backups. The restored disks can be attached to the original VM (for
example, if you need to replace a corrupted disk) or mapped to any other VM in the virtual infrastructure.
Before you restore virtual disks from the backup, check prerequisites. Then use the Virtual Disk Restore wizard
to restore the necessary VM disks.
Before You Begin

Before you restore virtual disks, check the following prerequisites:
• You can restore virtual disks from a backup that has at least one successfully created restore point.
• During the virtual disk restore, Veeam Backup & Replication turns off the target VM to reconfigure its
settings and attach restored disks. It is recommended that you stop all activities on the target VM for the
restore period.
• You cannot mount restored disks to a VM that has one or more snapshots.
• If you want to scan virtual disk data for viruses, check the secure restore requirements and limitations.
NOTE:
If you back up a VM with vRDM disks, Veeam Backup & Replication converts them into VMDK files. Thus,
when you restore a vRDM disk, Veeam Backup & Replication will restore it as a VMDK file. If you want to
preserve the vRDM format for restored disks, use Quick Rollback. For more information, see Quick
Rollback.
Step 1. Launch Virtual Disk Restore Wizard
To launch the Virtual Disk Restore wizard, do one of the following:
• On the Home tab, click Restore > VMware vSphere > Restore from backup > Volume restore > Virtual disks
restore.
o Click the VM whose files you want to restore and click Virtual Disks on the ribbon.
o Right-click the VM whose files you want to restore and select Restore virtual disks.
select the VM and click Restore > Virtual disks.
Step 2. Select VM
At the Virtual Machine step of the wizard, select the VM whose disks you want to restore:
2. Select the VM.
At the Restore Point step of the wizard, select the restore point from which you want to restore the VM disks.
In the Location column, you can view a name of a backup repository or object storage repository where a restore
point resides.
Step 4. Select Virtual Hard Disks to Restore
At the Disk Mapping step, select virtual hard disks to restore, choose a VM to which the disks must be attached
and define additional restore settings.
1. By default, Veeam Backup & Replication maps restored disks to the original VM. If the original VM was
relocated or if you want to attach disks to another VM, you need to select the target VM manually. Click
Browse and select the necessary VM from the virtual environment.
To facilitate selection, you can use the search field at the bottom of the window: click the button on the
left of the field to select the necessary type of object that must be searched for, enter a VM name or a
part of it and click the Start search button on the right or press [Enter] on the keyboard.
2. Select check boxes next to virtual hard disks that you want to restore.
3. To define virtual disk properties, select a disk in the list and click Change. In the Virtual Disk Properties
section, pick a datastore where the restored hard disk must be placed.
NOTE:
If you use storage policies in the virtual environment, Veeam Backup & Replication will display information
about storage policies in the Select Datastore window. You can select a datastore associated with the
necessary storage policy.
4. In the Virtual Disk Properties section, select a virtual device node.
o If you want to replace an existing virtual disk, select an occupied virtual node.
o If you want to attach the restored disk to the VM as a new drive, select a node that is not occupied
yet.
5. Veeam Backup & Replication preserves the format of the restored virtual hard disks. To change disk
format, select the required option from the Restore disks list — same as original, thin, thick lazy zeroed or
thick eager zeroed. For more information about disk types, see VMware Docs.
NOTE:
6. [For hard disk restore to the original location and with original format] Select the Quick rollback check box
if you want to use incremental restore for the VM disk. Veeam Backup & Replication will query CBT to get
data blocks that are necessary to revert the VM disk to an earlier point in time, and will restore only these
data blocks from the backup. Quick rollback significantly reduces the restore time and has little impact on
the production environment.
It is recommended that you enable this option if you restore a VM disk after a problem that occurred at
the level of the VM guest OS: for example, there has been an application error or a user has accidentally
For more information on quick rollback, its requirements and limitations, see Quick Rollback.
This step is available if you restore disks of Microsoft Windows VMs.
At the Secure Restore step of the wizard, you can instruct Veeam Backup & Replication to perform secure
restore — scan virtual disk data with antivirus software before restoring the disk. For more information on secure
restore, see Secure Restore.
1. At the Secure Restore step of the wizard, select the Scan the restored disk for malware prior to
2. Select which action Veeam Backup & Replication will take if the antivirus detects a virus threat:
o Proceed with recovery but do not attach infected disks to the target VM. Select this action if you want
to continue the virtual disk restore. In this case, the restored disk will not be attached to the target
VM.
o Abort disk recovery. Select this action if you want to cancel the restore session.
3. Select the Scan the entire image check box if you want the antivirus software to continue the virtual disk
scan after the first virus threat is detected. For information on how to view results of the malware scan,
see Viewing Malware Scan Results.
At the Reason step of the wizard, enter a reason for restoring VM disks. The information you provide will be
saved in the session history and you can reference it later.
At the Summary step of the wizard, complete the procedure of VM disks restore.
1. Review details for the restore task.
2. To start a VM immediately after the restore process, select the Power on VM after restoring check box.
target datastore. You can assign backup proxies explicitly or instruct Veeam Backup & Replication to
access to the source datastore and will automatically assign optimal proxy resources for processing
VM data.
During the restore process, VM hard disks are processed simultaneously. Veeam Backup & Replication
checks available backup proxies. If more than one backup proxy is available,
Veeam Backup & Replication analyzes transport modes that the backup proxies can use for writing
data to target, current workload on these backup proxies, and selects the most appropriate resources
for VM hard disk processing.
that must be used for restore. It is recommended that you select at least two backup proxies to
ensure that VM hard disks are recovered if one of backup proxies fails or loses its connectivity to the
target datastore during restore.
4. Click Finish to start VM disks restore.
Disk Export
Veeam Backup & Replication allows you to export disks of Amazon EC2 instances, Microsoft Azure VMs and Mac-
managed physical or virtual machines in the VMDK, VHD or VHDX formats.
You can export disks from the following backups:
• Backups of EC2 instances created by Veeam Backup for AWS
• Backups of Azure VMs created with Veeam Backup for Microsoft Azure
• Backups of physical or virtual machines created with Veeam Agent for Mac
During disk export, Veeam Backup & Replication creates standard virtual disks that can be used by VMware
vSphere and Microsoft Hyper-V VMs.
NOTE:
When you export a disk in the VMDK format, Veeam Backup & Replication creates a pair of files that make
up the VM virtual disk: a descriptor file and file with the virtual disk content.
You can export the converted disks to any server added to the backup infrastructure or place disks on a
datastore connected to an ESXi host (for VMDK disk format only). VMDK disks can be exported as thin provision
and thick disks. VHD/VHDX disks are always exported as dynamically expanding.
Veeam Backup & Replication supports batch disk export. For example, if you choose to export 2 instance disks,
Veeam Backup & Replication will convert them to 2 virtual disks and store these disks in the specified location.
Exporting Disks
To export disks of Amazon EC2 instances, Azure VMs or Mac-managed physical or virtual machines and convert
disks to the VMDK, VHD or VHDX format, use the Export Disk wizard.
Step 1. Launch Export Disk Wizard
To launch the Export Disk wizard, do one of the following:
• Open the Home tab. Click Restore > AWS EC2 backup > Entire machine restore > Export disk to launch the
wizard for Amazon EC2 instances. Click Restore > Azure IaaS backup > Entire machine restore > Export disk
to launch the wizard for Microsoft Azure VMs. Click Restore > Veeam Agent for Mac > Export disk to
launch the wizard for Mac-managed machines.
• Open the Home view. In the inventory pane, click Backups. In the working area, expand the backup of the
workload whose disks you want to export. Right-click the workload and select Export Disk.
Step 2. Select Backup
At the Backup step of the wizard, expand a backup and select the workload whose disks you want to export.
To quickly find a workload, you can use the search field at the bottom of the window:
1. Enter a workload name or a part of it in the search field.
At the Restore Point step of the wizard, select the restore point from which you want to export data.
By default, Veeam Backup & Replication uses the latest restore point. However, you can select any valid restore
point to recover volumes to a specific point in time.
Step 4. Select Disks
At the Disks step of the wizard, select check boxes next to the disks that you want to export.
Step 5. Select Destination and Disk Format
At the Target step of the wizard, select the destination for disk export and format in which you want to save the
resulting virtual disks:
1. From the Server list, select a server on which the resulting virtual disks must be saved. If you plan to save
the disks in the VMDK format on a datastore, select an ESXi host to which this datastore is connected.
NOTE:
If you export VMDK disks to a datastore, disks are saved in the thin provisioned format. If you export
VMDK disks to a server, disks are saved in the thick format.
VHD/VHDX disks are always saved as dynamically expanding.
2. In the Path to folder field, specify a datastore or folder on the server where the virtual disks must be
placed.
3. Select the export format for the disks:
o VMDK — select this option if you want to save the resulting virtual disk in the VMware VMDK format.
This is the only available option if you export disks to a datastore.
o VHD — select this option if you want to save resulting virtual disk in the Microsoft Hyper-V VHD
format.
o VHDX — select this option if you want to save resulting virtual disk in the Microsoft Hyper-V VHDX
format (supported by Microsoft Windows Server 2012 or later).
4. [For VMDK disks exported to a datastore] Click the Pick proxy to use link to select backup proxies over
which disk data must be transported to the target datastore. You can assign backup proxies explicitly or
instruct Veeam Backup & Replication to automatically select backup proxies.
This step is available if you export disks of Microsoft Windows workloads.
At the Secure Restore step of the wizard, you can instruct Veeam Backup & Replication to perform secure
restore — scan exported disk data with antivirus software before restoring the disk. For more information on
secure restore, see Secure Restore.
1. Select the Scan the restored disk for malware prior performing the recovery check box.
o Proceed with recovery. Select this action if you want to export the infected disk.
o Abort disk recovery. Select this action if you want to cancel the export session.
3. Select the Scan the entire image check box if you want the antivirus software to continue scanning the
disk data after the first malware is found. For information on how to view results of the malware scan, see
Step 7. Specify Export Reason
At the Reason step of the wizard, enter a reason for disk export.
If you do not want to display the Reason step of the wizard in future, select the Do not show me this page again
check box.
Step 8. Complete Export Process
At the Summary step of the wizard, review disk details and click the Finish button.
Guest OS File Recovery
With guest OS file recovery, you can recover individual guest OS files and folders from backups, replicas, storage
snapshots and Nutanix AHV snapshots. When restoring files or folders, you do not need to extract the VM image
to a staging location or start the VM prior to restore. You can restore files and folders directly from a regular
image-level backup or replica to the necessary point in time.
Using the following methods, you can restore files from different guest OS file systems:
• Restore from FAT, NTFS or ReFS — method that helps you restore files Microsoft Windows VMs with NTFS,
FAT and ReFS file systems.
• Restore from Linux, Unix and Other File Systems (multi-OS file-level restore) — method that helps you
restore files from Linux, Solaris, BSD, Novell Storage Services, Unix, Mac and other file systems.
Note that this method supports recovery of files and folders only. Recovery of other file system objects
such as pipes is not supported.
• Restore from Other File Systems — method that helps you restore files from file systems that other
methods from the list do not support.
Restore from FAT, NTFS or ReFS
To restore individual files and folders from FAT, NTFS and ReFS file systems, you can use the File-Level Restore
wizard.
When you perform file-level restore, Veeam Backup & Replication performs the following operations:
1. Veeam Backup & Replication mounts VM disks from the backup or replica to the mount server under the
C:\VeeamFLR\<vmname> folder. For more information on the mount server, see Mount Server.
For accessing VM disks content, Veeam Backup & Replication uses a separate program — Virtual Disk
Driver (VDK) that is provided with the product. VM disks are not physically extracted from the backup file
or VM replica. Veeam Backup & Replication emulates their presence on the backup server or
Veeam Backup & Replication console. The backup file or VM replica itself remains in the read-only state.
2. Veeam Backup & Replication launches the Veeam Backup browser where mounted VM disks are displayed.
You can browse the VM guest file system in the Veeam Backup browser and restore files or folders to the
original or new location.
3. When you restore files or folders, the mount connects to the VM over network or VIX API/vSphere Web
Services, if a connection over the network cannot be established.
4. If you need to browse files in Microsoft Windows explorer, Veeam Backup & Replication creates an
additional mount point on Veeam Backup & Replication console.
Veeam Backup & Replication creates this mount point only if you instruct Veeam Backup & Replication to
mount VM disks there. For more information, see Open Files in Microsoft Windows Explorer.
5. When the restore process is finished or the Veeam Backup browser is closed by timeout,
Veeam Backup & Replication removes mount points from the backup server or machine on which the
Veeam Backup & Replication console is installed and from the mount server (if the second mount was
used).
Depending on the restore scenario, Veeam Backup & Replication may create mount points on different backup
infrastructure components. For more information, see File-Level Restore Scenarios.
File-Level Restore Scenarios
You can use different scenarios for file-level restore:
• Restore files from backups
• Restore files from replicas
• Restore files from storage snapshots
• Restore files for work with Veeam Explorers
• Restore files from Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager
• Restore files from Nutanix AHV snapshots
• Restoring files from Amazon EC2 instances
In different restore scenarios, Veeam Backup & Replication uses different servers as mount points.
Restoring Files from Backups

When you restore files from backups that reside in the backup repository, Veeam Backup & Replication uses the
following mount points:
1. Mount server associated with the backup repository on which the backup file resides.
Veeam Backup & Replication uses this mount point when the restore process starts and allows you to
browse the VM file system and restore files.
2. Veeam Backup & Replication console (backup server if not changed). Veeam Backup & Replication uses
this mount point only if you instruct Veeam Backup & Replication to mount VM disks there. For more
information, see Open Files in Microsoft Windows Explorer.
NOTE:
Backup files on HPE StoreOnce are locked exclusively by a restore task. For this reason,
Veeam Backup & Replication uses only one mount point on the backup server or
Veeam Backup & Replication console machine for backups on HPE StoreOnce.
Restoring Files from Replicas

When you restore files from a VM replica, Veeam Backup & Replication uses the following mount points:
1. Backup server. Veeam Backup & Replication uses this mount point when the restore process starts and
allows you to browse the VM file system and restore files.
2. Veeam Backup & Replication console (backup server if not changed). Veeam Backup & Replication uses
this mount point only if you instruct Veeam Backup & Replication to mount VM disks there. For more
information, see Open Files in Microsoft Windows Explorer.
Restoring Files from Storage Snapshots

When you restore files from storage snapshots, Veeam Backup & Replication uses one mount point on the
backup server or Veeam Backup & Replication console machine.
Restoring Files for Veeam Explorers

Veeam Backup & Replication can perform file-level restore as a preparatory step for application items restore.
However, the database files may be huge and require a lot of network resources. For this reason, if you restore
application items from Microsoft SQL Server and Oracle VMs, Veeam Backup & Replication can mount the
content of the backup file directly to the original VM.
For restore from backups of Microsoft SQL Server VMs or Oracle VMs, Veeam Backup & Replication creates an
additional mount point on the original VM. In some cases, Veeam Backup & Replication may create an additional
mount point on a staging Microsoft SQL Server or Oracle server. This may be required if
Veeam Backup & Replication does not have information about databases (for example, if you initiate restore
from storage snapshots) or you restore Microsoft SQL Server or Oracle databases or Microsoft SQL Server
database schema objects and table data up to a specific transaction.
• To create a mount point on Microsoft Windows machines, Veeam Backup & Replication uses the iSCSI
protocol. The remote machine or staging server acts as an iSCSI initiator. The machine on which the Veeam
Explorer runs acts as an iSCSI target. The iSCSI mount point is non-persistent — it is created only for
duration of the restore process.
• To create a mount point on Linux VMs (for Oracle running on Linux), Veeam Backup & Replication uses
fuse.
Restoring Files from Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager

When you restore files from the backup file that was created without VM guest OS file indexing,
Veeam Backup & Replication uses the following mount points:
1. Veeam Backup & Replication mounts disks of the VM from the backup file to the backup server.
2. If you restore files to the original location, Veeam Backup & Replication creates an additional mount point
on the mount server associated with the backup repository on which the backup file resides. The second
mount lets you keep the VM traffic in one site and reduce load on the network.
If you select to download files, Veeam Backup & Replication does not create the second mount point. It copies
files to the destination from the backup server.
Restoring Files from Nutanix AHV Snapshots

To learn how Veeam Backup & Replication performs guest OS file restore from backup snapshots, user
snapshots and PD snapshots created by AHV Backup Proxy, see the Restoring Guest OS Files section of the
Veeam Backup for Nutanix AHV User Guide.
Restoring Files from Amazon EC2 Instances

To perform a file-level restore of EC2 instances, Veeam Backup & Replication utilizes the functionality of AWS
Plug-in for Veeam Backup & Replication. To learn more about a file-level restore of EC2 instances, see the File-
Level Restore section of the Veeam Backup for AWS User Guide.
Restoring VM Guest OS Files (FAT, NTFS or ReFS)

You can restore individual Microsoft Windows guest OS files from the backup or replica of a Microsoft Windows
VM.
Before you restore VM guest OS files, check prerequisites. Then use the File Level Restore wizard to restore the
necessary VM guest OS files and folders.
Before You Begin
Requirements
• Your file system must be one of the file systems listed in the Platform Support section.
• You can restore VM guest OS files from a backup or replica that has at least one successfully created
restore point.
• [For restore to the original location]The mount server must have access to the VM guest OS (if file-level
restore is performed over the network) or vCenter Server and ESXi host where the target VM runs (if file-
level restore is performed over VIX API/vSphere Web Services).
• [For restore to the original location] VMware Tools must be installed on the target VM.
ReFS
If you plan to restore files from a VM running Microsoft Windows ReFS, consider the following for the
Veeam Backup & Replication components involved in the restore process:
• [For VM file system browsing and restore to a new location] The Veeam Backup & Replication console
must be installed on a machine running Microsoft Windows Server 2012 or later.
• [For restore to the original location] The Veeam Backup & Replication console and the mount server
associated with the backup repository must be installed on a machine running Microsoft Windows Server
2012 or later.
• [ReFS 3.x] If you plan to restore files from a VM running Microsoft Windows ReFS 3.x, the
Veeam Backup & Replication console and mount server must be installed on machines running Microsoft
Windows Server 2016 or later and the ReFS version must be supported on them.
• The version of Microsoft Windows Server on the mount server and Veeam Backup & Replication console
must be the same or newer than the version of the VM guest OS.
Data Deduplication
If you plan to restore files from a VM running Microsoft Windows Server 2012 or later and Data Deduplication is
enabled for some VM volumes, consider the following for the Veeam Backup & Replication components
involved in the restore process:
• [For restore to the original location] The Veeam Backup & Replication console and mount server
associated with the backup repository must be installed on a machine running Microsoft Windows Server
2012 or later. Data Deduplication must be enabled on the mount server.
• [For restore to a new location] The Veeam Backup & Replication console must be installed on a machine
running Microsoft Windows Server 2012 or later. Data Deduplication must be enabled on this machine.
• The version of Microsoft Windows Server on the mount server and Veeam Backup & Replication console
must be the same or newer than the version of the VM guest OS.
Limitations
• Processing of reparse points is supported only for NTFS.
• You cannot restore files from a backup created in the reverse incremental mode if the backup job is being
performed. If the backup is created in the incremental backup mode and the backup job is being
performed, you can restore files from any available restore point.
• You cannot restore VM guest OS files from a running replica or if the replication job with the necessary VM
is being performed.
Step 1. Launch File Level Restore Wizard
To launch the File Level Restore wizard, do one of the following:
• On the Home tab, click Restore > VMware vSphere > Restore from backup > Guest files restore > Microsoft
Windows or Restore from replica > Guest files restore > Microsoft Windows.
• Open the Home view. In the inventory pane, select Backups or Replicas. In the working area, expand the
necessary backup and do one of the following:
o Click the VM whose files you want to restore and click Guest files > Microsoft Windows on the ribbon.
o Right-click the VM whose files you want to restore and select Restore guest files > Microsoft
Windows.
select the VM and click Restore > Guest files (Microsoft Windows).
Step 2. Select VM
At the Machine step of the wizard, select the VM whose guest OS files you want to restore:
1. In the Machine list, expand the necessary backup.
2. Select the VM.
1. Enter the VM name or a part of it in the search field.
At the Restore Point step of the wizard, select a restore point from which you want to restore VM guest OS files.
In the Location column, you can view a name of a regular backup repository or cloud repository where a restore
point resides.
At the Reason step of the wizard, enter a reason for restoring VM guest OS files. The information you provide
TIP:
again check box.
At the Summary step of the wizard, do the following:
1. Review details of the restore task.
2. Click Finish to close the wizard and open Veeam Backup browser.
Step 6. Finalize Restore
After the wizard is closed, Veeam Backup & Replication opens the Veeam Backup browser with the file system
tree of the restored VM. Note that names of the restored VM hard disks may differ from the original ones.
You can perform the following operations in the Veeam Backup browser:
• Restore files and folders to the original location
• Save files and folders to a folder on the backup server or network shared folder
• Launch Veeam Explorers for application item restore
• Open files in Microsoft Windows File Explorer
After you finish restoring files, close the Veeam Backup browser.
Restoring Files to Original Location

To restore a file or folder to its original location, in the Veeam Backup browser right-click the file or folder and
select one of the following commands:
• To overwrite the original file on the VM guest OS with the file restored from the backup, select Restore >
Overwrite.
• To save the file restored from the backup next to the original file, select Restore > Keep.
Veeam Backup & Replication will add the RESTORED- prefix to the original file name and store the
restored file in the same folder where the original file resides.
If the file with the RESTORED- prefix already exists in the original location, Veeam Backup & Replication
will name the restored file in the following format: RESTORED-<filename>__YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS.
IMPORTANT!
Restore to the original location may fail for the following reasons:
• VMware Tools are not installed on the target VM.

• Application-aware processing is not supported for the Microsoft Windows OS of the original VM.
To restore guest OS files in such situation, you can use 1-click file-level restore or copy files to the selected
folder and then move them to their original location.
Saving Files to a New Location

To save restored files or folders on the local machine or in a network shared folder:
1. Right-click the necessary file or folder in the file system tree or in the details pane on the right and select
Copy To.
2. Choose to preserve their original NTFS permissions or not:
o Select the Preserve permissions and ownership check box to keep the original ownership and security
permissions for restored objects. Veeam Backup & Replication will copy selected files and folders
along with associated Access Control Lists, preserving granular access settings.
o Leave the Preserve permissions and ownership check box not selected if you do not want to preserve
the original ownership and access settings for restored objects. Veeam Backup & Replication will
change security settings: the user who launched the Veeam Backup & Replication console will be set
as the owner of the restored object, while access permissions will be inherited from the folder to
which the restored object is copied.
3. If prompted, in the Credentials window specify settings of the user account to access the destination
location.
Launching Veeam Explorers

If you are restoring VM guest OS files of the virtualized Microsoft Active Directory Server, Microsoft Exchange
Server, Microsoft SharePoint Server, Microsoft SQL Server or Oracle, you can launch a Veeam Explorer for the
necessary application directly from the Veeam Backup browser.
To launch a Veeam Explorer, do the following:
1. On the Home tab, click Application Items.
2. Select the required application:
o Microsoft Active Directory
o Microsoft Exchange
o Microsoft Share Point
o Microsoft SQL Server
o Oracle
3. In the opened Veeam Explorer, perform the necessary operations. For more information on Veem
Explorers, see the Veeam Explorers User Guide.
Working with Microsoft Windows File Explorer

You can use Microsoft Windows File Explorer to work with restored files and folders. To use Microsoft Windows
File Explorer, do the following:
1. On the ribbon of the Veeam Backup browser, click Mount to Console to mount the VM disks to the
The VM disks are mounted to the C:\VeeamFLR\<vmname>\<volume n> folder.
2. To open Microsoft Windows File Explorer, do the following:
o Click Open in Explorer on the Veeam Backup browser ribbon or right-click the necessary folder and
select Explorer.
o Click File Explorer in the Start menu of the machine where Veeam Backup & Replication console is
installed. Browse to the folder where the VM disks are mounted and find the necessary files.
It is recommended that you use Microsoft Windows File Explorer only to view file content, not to restore files.
For the file-level restore, use Veeam Backup browser. This browser has the following advantages:
1. You can browse the VM guest OS file system ignoring the file system ACL settings.
2. You can preserve permissions and ownership during file-level restore.
If you open the VM file system in the Microsoft Windows Explorer, these capabilities are not available. For more
Closing Veeam Backup Browser
You can browse to VM guest OS files only while the Veeam Backup browser is open. After the Veeam Backup
browser is closed, Veeam Backup & Replication unmounts VM disks from the machine where the
Veeam Backup & Replication console is installed and mount server (if you have restored VM guest OS files to the
original location).
It is recommended that you close the Veeam Backup browser after you have finished restoring VM guest OS
files. When the Veeam Backup browser is open, the backup file whose VM guest OS file system is displayed in
the browser is locked in the backup repository. As a result, some scheduled operations that use this backup file
may fail.
Veeam Backup & Replication checks if there is any activity in the Veeam Backup browser with an interval of 5
minutes. If the user or Veeam Backup & Replication components and services do not perform any actions for 30
minutes, Veeam Backup & Replication displays a warning that the Veeam Backup browser is to be closed in 5
minutes.
After the warning is displayed, you can perform one of the following actions:
• You can close the Veeam Backup browser manually.
• You can click Cancel to postpone the close operation. In this case, the Veeam Backup browser will remain
open for 5 minutes. After this period expires, Veeam Backup & Replication will display the warning again.
• You can perform no action at all. In this case, the Veeam Backup browser will be automatically closed in 5
minutes.
Restore from Linux, Unix and Other File Systems
To restore files from VM guest OS other than Microsoft Windows, you can use the Guest File Restore wizard.
When you perform guest OS file restore, Veeam Backup & Replication provides the following options for
mounting disks of a VM from the backup or replica:
• Mounting disks to a helper host. As a helper host, you can select the target host where you want to
restore files from the backup or any other Linux host. From a performance perspective, the fastest file-
level restore option is when you specify the same host to which you want to restore the files.
• Mounting disks to a helper appliance. The helper appliance is a helper VM running a stripped down Linux
kernel that has minimal set of components. The appliance is quite small — around 50 MB. It requires 1024
MB RAM and takes around 10 seconds to boot.
When you perform file-level restore, Veeam Backup & Replication performs the following operations:
1. [If you have selected to mount disks to a helper appliance] Veeam Backup & Replication deploys the
helper appliance on the ESXi host in the virtual infrastructure.
2. Veeam Backup & Replication mounts disks of a VM from the backup or replica to the host selected as a
helper host or helper appliance. The backup file or VM replica itself remains in the read-only state in the
backup repository or datastore.
3. Veeam Backup & Replication launches the Veeam Backup browser where mounted VM disks are displayed.
You can browse the VM guest file system in the Veeam Backup browser and restore files or folders to the
original VM or to another location. Also, you can enable an FTP server on the virtual appliance and allow
VM owners to restore files themselves.
When you restore files or folders, the helper host or helper appliance connects to the VM over network or
VIX API/vSphere Web Services, if a connection over the network cannot be established.
4. When you close the Veeam Backup browser or it is closed by timeout, Veeam Backup & Replication
unmounts the content of the backup file or replica from the helper appliance or helper host.
5. [If you have selected to mount disks to a helper appliance] Veeam Backup & Replication unregisters the
helper appliance on the ESXi host.
Restoring VM Guest OS Files (Multi-OS)

With the multi-OS restore wizard, you can restore VM guest OS files from such file systems supported by Linux-
based and Unix-based OSes.
Before you restore VM guest OS files, check prerequisites. Then use the Guest File Restore wizard to restore the
necessary VM guest OS files and folders.
Before You Begin

Before you restore VM guest OS files, mind the following prerequisites and limitations.
General Limitations
• Check the supported file systems. For details, see the File-Level Restore section.
• If you plan to restore VM guest OS files to their original location, VMware Tools must be installed on the
target VM.
• You cannot restore VM guest OS files from a backup or replica that does not have any successfully created
restore points.
• You cannot restore files from a backup created in the reverse incremental mode if the backup job is being
performed. If the backup is created in the incremental backup mode and the backup job is being
performed, you can restore files from any available restore point.
• You cannot restore VM guest OS files from a running replica or if the replication job with the necessary VM
is being performed.
• Veeam Backup & Replication must have access to the guest OS of the target VM to deploy a coordination
process. The coordination process performs a number of administrative actions on the target VM guest OS,
for example, collects information about mount points.
• You cannot restore files directly to the original location from backups of BSD, Mac and Solaris VMs. Use
the Copy to option instead.
• The multi-OS file-level restore wizard does not support restore of deduplicated volumes (for example,
Microsoft Windows volumes with Data Deduplication enabled).
• You can restore from Novell Storage Services (NSS) only if you use the helper appliance option.
• The helper appliance must have access over a network to a VM whose files you restore or direct access to
vCenter or ESXi host where the VM resides.
Helper Host
For the helper host option, mind the following:
• You can restore from ZFS using the helper host option if zpool is configured on the specified helper host.
• The helper host OS kernel must support the file system that you plan to mount on this host. Otherwise,
the mount will be refused and in rare cases it may cause kernel panic.
• For the helper host option, mounting of LVM snapshots is not supported. Thus, LVM snapshots are
skipped from processing.
Target Linux VM
If you want to save files to a new location, mind the following for the target Linux VM:
• If you want to restore files over network, make sure that the SSH daemon is configured and SCP utility is
available on the target VM.
• Veeam Backup & Replication can restore ACL for recovered VM guest OS files. To let
Veeam Backup & Replication detect the target Linux system architecture and kernel version, the following
utilities must be present in the minimal configuration of the system: arch and uname.
Linux Firewalls in Helper Host and Target Linux VM

If you want to use the the helper host option or if you want to restore files to a new location on another Linux
VM, mind the following.
Veeam Backup & Replication automatically opens ports used for the restore process on the helper host and on
the target Linux VM. By default, the ports are opened in all active firewalld zones. If your firewall is configured
for different zones, and you want to minimize security holes, you can configure Veeam Backup & Replication to
open the ports only for certain zones. To do this, perform the following:
1. On the helper host or target Linux host, create the /etc/VeeamNetConfig file and define the following
parameter:
2. [Only for helper host] If you select a Linux host that is already added to the Veeam Backup & Replication
infrastructure, you should also add the required zones to the
/opt/veeam/transport/VeeamTransportConfig file.
NOTE
Mind the following:
• Generally, Veeam Backup & Replication automatically open ports for most of the popular
firewalls (iptables, ufw, firewall-cmd). However, if for some reason the ports are not opened,
you can open the ports manually. You can also specify these ports at the SSH Connection step
of the New Linux Server wizard. Note that ports are opened dynamically: if 10 concurrent jobs
are running, Veeam Backup & Replication opens ports 2500-2510.
• Veeam Backup & Replication opens the port 2500 in all zones even if you have specified the
required zones in the configuration files.
Step 1. Launch Guest File Restore Wizard
To launch the Guest File Restore wizard, do one of the following:
• On the Home tab, click Restore > VMware vSphere > Restore from backup > Guest files restore > Linux and
other.
o Click the VM whose files you want to restore and click Guest files > Linux and other on the ribbon.
o Right-click the VM whose files you want to restore and select Restore guest files > Linux and other.
select the VM and click Restore > Guest files (Linux and other).
Step 2. Select VM
At the Virtual Machine step of the wizard, select the VM whose guest OS files you want to restore:
2. Select the VM.
At the Restore Point step of the wizard, select the restore point from which you want to restore VM guest OS
files.
In the Location column, you can view a name of a regular backup repository or cloud repository where a restore
point resides.
Step 4. Specify Helper Host
At the Helper Host step of the wizard, you can select a machine that will be used as a helper host.
Veeam Backup & Replication will mount disks of a machine from the backup or replica to the selected helper
host. Alternatively, you can choose to configure a new helper appliance where Veeam Backup & Replication will
mount VM disks. For details on helper hosts and appliances, see Restore from Linux, Unix and Other File
Systems.
To specify the helper host, do the following:
1. From the Linux server list, select one of the following options:
o <Hostname>: this option allows to specify a Linux server as the helper host. The wizard displays all
Linux servers added the the Veeam Backup & Replication infrastructure.
o Specify a different host: this option allows you to specify a Linux server that is not added to the
o Use a temporary helper appliance: this option defines that you want to use a temporary helper
appliance and enables the additional step of the wizard.
2. [For the Specify different host option] In the Linux Server window, specify the helper host name and
connection setting:
a. At the Host name field, specify the IP address or the host name of the Linux server which will be used
as a helper host.
b. From the Credentials list, select an account that will be used to connect to the helper host. If you
haven't added the account before, click the Add button on the right of the Credentials list and follow
the instructions described in Linux Accounts.
c. If you want to change the default SSH settings, click Advanced and configure SSH settings as
described in Specify Credentials and SSH Settings.
d. Click OK to save the helper host settings.
Step 5. Specify Location for Helper Appliance
The Helper Appliance step of the wizard is available only if you have selected the Use a temporary helper
appliance option at Step 4.
At this step, select an ESXi host on which you want to place the helper appliance (or file-level restore
appliance).
To locate the appliance:
1. At the bottom of the window, click Customize.
2. In the Host field, specify an ESXi host on which the helper appliance must be registered.
3. In the Resource pool field, specify a resource pool to which the helper appliance must be placed.
4. Select a network for the helper appliance:
a. On the right of the Network field, click Choose.

In the Select Network window, Veeam Backup & Replication will display a list of networks to which
the specified host is connected.
b. From the Networks list, select a network to which the helper appliance must be connected and click
OK.
network.
5. Specify IP addressing settings for the helper appliance:
o If you use a DHCP server in the network, leave the Obtain an IP address automatically option selected.
o To manually assign the specific IP address to the helper appliance, select the Use the following IP
address option and specify the IP address, subnet mask and default gateway address.
6. To enable FTP access to the restored file system, select the Enable FTP server on appliance (advanced)
check box. As a result, users will be able to access the helper appliance over FTP, browse the file system
of the restored VM and download necessary files on their own.
7. If you are performing restore of a VM with the Novell Storage Services file system, select the Restore
Novell Storage Services file system check box. Veeam Backup & Replication will deploy a specific
appliance that supports the Novell Storage Services file system.
8. Click OK.
9. Click Finish to close the wizard and open the Veeam Backup browser.
It may take about 10-40 seconds to boot the file-level restore (FLR) appliance and open the browser.
IMPORTANT!
When choosing an ESXi host for the helper appliance used for file-level restore from the Novell Storage
Services file system, make sure that it allows running VMs with 64-bit guest OSes.
At the Reason step of the wizard, enter a reason for restoring VM guest OS files. The information you provide
TIP
again check box.
At the Summary step of the wizard, review the restore settings and click Browse to open the Veeam Backup
browser.
Step 8. Finalize Restore
After the wizard is closed, Veeam Backup & Replication opens the Veeam Backup browser displaying the file
system tree of the restored VM.
In the Veeam Backup browser, you can perform the following operations:
• Restore files to the original location
• Restore files to a new location
• Access files over FTP
• Access FLR appliance logs
NOTE
You can browse the VM guest OS files and access restored files on the FTP only while the Veeam Backup
browser with the restored files is open. After the Veeam Backup browser is closed,
Veeam Backup & Replication unmounts the VM disks from the helper appliance and removes helper
appliance from the ESXi host.

To restore files and folders to the original location, right–click the necessary file or folder in the file system tree
or in the details pane on the right and select one of the following commands:
• To overwrite the original file on the VM guest OS with the file restored from the backup, select Restore >
Overwrite.
Veeam Backup & Replication will add the .RESTORED-YYYYMMDDHHMMSS suffix to the original file name
and store the restored file in the same folder where the original file resides.
To restore files to the original location, Veeam Backup & Replication uses the account for VM guest OS access
specified in the backup job settings. If this account does not have sufficient rights to access the target VM, you
will be prompted to enter credentials. In the Credentials window, specify a user account to access the
destination location (server or shared folder).
In some cases, you may remove the original VM and restore it from the backup by the time of file-level restore.
If you then attempt to restore VM guest OS files to the original location, Veeam Backup & Replication will not be
able to find the original VM by its reference ID, and display a warning. Click OK and browse to the target VM in
the virtual infrastructure to which you want to restore VM guest OS files.
Saving Files to New Location

To save files and folders to a new location:
1. Right-click the necessary file or folder and select Copy to.
2. In the Select Destination window, select the destination server (local or remote) from the list or provide a
path to the shared folder.
o If you are recovering files to a Linux server, you can select the destination server from the list or add a
destination server ad-hoc. To do this, scroll down the list of servers and choose Specify a different
host at the end of the list. Follow the steps of the wizard to add a Linux server that will be used as a
target host.
The server you add ad-hoc will not appear in the list of managed hosts in
Veeam Backup & Replication: its purpose is to host the files that you recover. It will only remain
visible in the Veeam Backup browser until all currently active file-level restore sessions are
completed.
o If you are recovering files to a shared folder, specify a path to the destination folder.
3. If you want to preserve original permissions and ownership for recovered files, select the Preserve
permissions and ownership check box.
4. If prompted, in the Credentials window specify settings of the user account to access the destination
location.
IMPORTANT
To restore original permissions and ownership settings, the user account you have specified must have
privileges to change the owner on the selected server or shared folder.
Accessing Files over FTP

If you have chosen to enable FTP server on the FLR appliance, the restored file system will also be available
over FTP at ftp://<FLR_appliance_IP_address>. Other users in the same network can access the FLR appliance to
restore the files they need.
Accessing the appliance over FTP requires credentials. Use the Guest OS helper appliance credentials specified
in managed credentials. If the password has not been updated, refer to the following knowledge base article:
this Veeam KB article.
Accessing FLR Appliance Logs
If you need to access logs of the FLR appliance, click Support Logs on the Veeam Backup browser ribbon.
Veeam Backup & Replication will show the Log node under the file system tree. To hide this node, click Support
Logs once again.
Restore from Other File Systems
You can restore file systems other than those listed in the File-Level Restore section. For this purpose, use the
Instant VM Disk Recovery technology.
To restore files and folders, do the following:
1. In the virtual infrastructure, find a VM that can read the file system of the original VM.
2. Use Instant VM Disk Recovery to mount a disk of the original VM to the VM that can read the file system.
3. Open the VM console, bring the disk to the online mode.
4. Copy the required files.
5. If you no longer need the disk, stop publishing it.
Alternatively, you can mount the VM disks to a Microsoft Windows VM and use file management tools such as
Portlock Explorer.
Viewing File Restore Session Statistics
You can view statistics about performed guest OS file restore sessions.
To view the restore session statistics, do one of the following:
• Open the Home view, in the inventory pane select Last 24 hours. In the working area, double-click the
necessary restore session. Alternatively, you can select the session and click Statistics on the ribbon or
right-click the session and select Statistics.
• Open the History view, in the inventory pane select Restore. In the working area, double-click the
The file restore statistics provides detailed data on file restore sessions:
• At the top of the Restore Session window, Veeam Backup & Replication shows general session statistics: a
name of the machine whose guest OS files are restored during the session, a user name of the account
under which the session was started, session status and duration details.
• The Statistics tab shows detailed information about the files restored during the session.
• The Reason tab shows the reason for the guest OS file restore that was specified at the Reason step of the
File Level Restore wizard.
• The Parameters tab shows information about the restore point selected for the guest OS file restore at the
Restore Point step of the File Level Restore wizard.
• The Log tab shows a list of operations performed during the session.
Application Items Restore
You can use Veeam Explorers to restore application items directly from VM backups and replicas.
Using Veeam Explorer for Microsoft Active
Directory
You can use Veeam Explorer for Microsoft Active Directory to restore Microsoft Active Directory objects from
any successfully created backup or replica of a virtualized Microsoft Active Directory Server. The backup or
replica must be created with application-aware processing enabled and the corresponding options turned on.
To launch Veeam Explorer for Microsoft Active Directory from Veeam Backup & Replication:
2. In the inventory pane, select the Backups or Replicas node.
3. In the working area, select the necessary machine in the backup or VM replica and click Application Items
> Microsoft Active Directory on the ribbon.
You can also right-click the machine or VM replica and select Restore application items > Microsoft Active
Directory objects.
4. Veeam Backup & Replication will open the Microsoft Active Directory Object Restore wizard. You can use
this wizard to automatically extract the Microsoft Active Directory database from the backup or replica
and open it in Veeam Explorer for Microsoft Active Directory.
Detailed information about preparing your applications for item-level recovery and using with Veeam Explorer
for Microsoft Active Directory is provided in the Veeam Backup Explorers User Guide. To view the guide, do one
of the following:
• Open Veeam Explorer for Microsoft Active Directory and press [F1] on the keyboard.
• Select Help > Online Help from the main menu of Veeam Explorer for Microsoft Active Directory.
• See Veeam Explorers User Guide.
Using Veeam Explorer for Microsoft Exchange
You can use Veeam Explorer for Microsoft Exchange to restore Microsoft Exchange items from any successfully
created backup or replica of a virtualized Microsoft Exchange Server. The backup or replica must be created with
application-aware processing enabled and the corresponding options turned on.
To launch Veeam Explorer for Microsoft Exchange from Veeam Backup & Replication:
> Microsoft Exchange on the ribbon.
You can also right-click the machine or VM replica and select Restore application items > Microsoft
Exchange mailbox items.
4. Veeam Backup & Replication will open the Microsoft Exchange Item Level Restore wizard. You can use this
wizard to automatically extract the Microsoft Exchange database from the backup or replica and open it in
Veeam Explorer for Microsoft Exchange.
for Microsoft Exchange is provided in the Veeam Backup Explorers User Guide. To view the guide, do one of the
following:
• Open Veeam Explorer for Microsoft Exchange and press [F1] on the keyboard.
• Select Help > Online Help from the main menu of Veeam Explorer for Microsoft Exchange.
Using Veeam Explorer for Microsoft SharePoint
You can use Veeam Explorer for Microsoft SharePoint to restore Microsoft SharePoint items from any
successfully created backup or replica of a virtualized Microsoft SharePoint Server. The backup or replica must
be created with application-aware processing enabled and the corresponding options turned on.
To launch Veeam Explorer for Microsoft SharePoint from Veeam Backup & Replication:
> Microsoft SharePoint on the ribbon.
SharePoint content.
4. Veeam Backup & Replication will open the Microsoft SharePoint Item Restore wizard. You can use this
wizard to automatically extract the Microsoft SharePoint content database from the backup or replica and
open it in Veeam Explorer for Microsoft SharePoint.
for Microsoft SharePoint is provided in the Veeam Backup Explorers User Guide. To view the guide, do one of
the following:
• Open Veeam Explorer for Microsoft SharePoint and press [F1] on the keyboard.
• Select Help > Online Help from the main menu of Veeam Explorer for Microsoft SharePoint.
Using Veeam Explorer for Microsoft OneDrive
for Business
You can use Veeam Explorer for Microsoft OneDrive for Business to restore Microsoft OneDrive for Business data
from any successfully created backup or replica of a Veeam Backup for Microsoft Office 365 server. The backup
or replica must be created with application-aware processing enabled.
To launch Veeam Explorer for Microsoft OneDrive for Business from Veeam Backup & Replication:
> Microsoft OneDrive for Business on the ribbon.
OneDrive for Business files.
4. Veeam Backup & Replication will open the Microsoft OneDrive for Business Files wizard. You can use this
wizard to extract Microsoft OneDrive for Business data from the backup or replica and open it in Veeam
Explorer for Microsoft OneDrive for Business.
for Microsoft OneDrive for Business is provided in the Veeam Backup Explorers User Guide. To view the guide,
do one of the following:
• Open Veeam Explorer for Microsoft OneDrive for Business and press [F1] on the keyboard.
• Select Help > Online Help from the main menu of Veeam Explorer for Microsoft OneDrive for Business.
Using Veeam Explorer for Microsoft SQL Server
You can use Veeam Explorer for Microsoft SQL Server to restore databases from any successfully created backup
or replica of a virtualized Microsoft SQL Server. The backup or replica must be created with application-aware
processing enabled and the corresponding options turned on.
To launch Veeam Explorer for Microsoft SQL Server from Veeam Backup & Replication:
> Microsoft SQL Server on the ribbon.
You can also right-click the machine or VM replica and select Restore application items > Microsoft SQL
Server databases.
4. Veeam Backup & Replication will open the Microsoft SQL Server Database Restore wizard. You can use this
wizard to automatically extract the Microsoft SQL Server database from the backup or replica and open it
in Veeam Explorer for Microsoft SQL Server.
for Microsoft SQL Server is provided in the Veeam Backup Explorers User Guide. To view the guide, do one of
the following:
• Open Veeam Explorer for Microsoft SQL Server and press [F1] on the keyboard.
• Select Help > Online Help from the main menu of Veeam Explorer for Microsoft SQL Server.
Using Veeam Explorer for Oracle
You can use Veeam Explorer for Oracle to restore databases from any successfully created backup or replica of a
virtualized Oracle system. The backup or replica must be created with application-aware processing enabled and
the corresponding options turned on.
To launch Veeam Explorer for Oracle from Veeam Backup & Replication:
> Oracle on the ribbon.
You can also right-click the machine or VM replica and select Restore application items > Oracle
databases.
4. Veeam Backup & Replication will open the Oracle Database Restore wizard. You can use this wizard to
automatically extract the Oracle database from the backup or replica and open it in Veeam Explorer for
Oracle.
for Oracle is provided in the Veeam Backup Explorers User Guide. To view the guide, do one of the following:
• Open Veeam Explorer for Oracle and press [F1] on the keyboard.
• Select Help > Online Help from the main menu of Veeam Explorer for Oracle.
Restore to Microsoft Azure
Veeam Backup & Replication allows you to restore machines from Veeam backups to Microsoft Azure. You can
use Veeam Backup & Replication to complete the following tasks:
• Restore machines from Veeam backups to Microsoft Azure.
• Migrate machines from the on-premises infrastructure to the cloud.
• Create a test environment in the cloud for troubleshooting, testing patches and updates and so on.
You can restore machines from the following types of backups:
• Backups of Microsoft Windows and Linux VMs created with Veeam Backup & Replication. You can use
backups of VMware vSphere VMs or vCloud Director VMs.
• Backups of Microsoft Windows machines created with Veeam Agent for Microsoft Windows. Backups must
be created at the entire machine level or volume level.
IMPORTANT!
Machines from a backup that contains a failover cluster are restored as separate VMs, not as a
cluster. Shared cluster disks of these VMs are restored as regular disks.
• Backups of Linux machines created with Veeam Agent for Linux. Backups must be created at the entire
machine level or volume level.
• Backups of Amazon EC2 instances created with Veeam Backup for AWS.
• Backups of Microsoft Azure virtual machines created with Veeam Backup for Microsoft Azure.
• Backups of Nutanix AHV VMs created with Veeam Backup for Nutanix AHV.
You can restore a machine to the latest restore point or any previous restore point in the backup chain. A backup
chain from which you plan to restore a machine must reside in a backup repository added to the backup
infrastructure.
You can also import a backup to the Veeam Backup & Replication console. For more information, see Importing
Backups.
For restore to Microsoft Azure, Veeam Backup & Replication can employ the Microsoft Azure Resource Manager
or Classic deployment model. Veeam Backup & Replication supports batch restore — you can launch the restore
process for several VMs at a time.
IMPORTANT!
Starting from Veeam Backup & Replication version 9.5 Update 4, the Classic deployment model is
deprecated. Thus, you cannot add Classic Azure accounts. You can restore VMs in the Classic model only if
you have added the Classic Azure account before upgrading to Veeam Backup & Replication 9.5 Update 4.
How Restore to Microsoft Azure Works
Veeam Backup & Replication lets you restore physical and virtual machines from VeeamZIP files and backups
residing in the on-premises environment to Microsoft Azure. The restore process differs for Microsoft Windows
and Linux machines.
• Restore of Microsoft Windows machines
• Restore of Linux machines
NOTE:
If you added the Veeam Backup for Microsoft Azure appliance to the Veeam Backup & Replication
infrastructure and you plan to restore Microsoft Azure VMs from restore points that were created using the
appliance, the restore works as described in the Performing VM Restore section in Veeam Backup for
Microsoft Azure User Guide.
Restore of Microsoft Windows Machines

To restore a Microsoft Windows machine, Veeam Backup & Replication performs the following steps:
1. If you use an Azure proxy for restore, Veeam Backup & Replication powers on the Azure proxy. For more
information about the Azure proxy, see Configuring Azure Proxies.
2. Veeam Backup & Replication converts disks of a backed-up machine to the VHD format and uploads
converted disks to blob storage in Microsoft Azure.
3. Veeam Backup & Replication mounts uploaded disks to the backup server.
4. Veeam Backup & Replication prepares disks for VM restore. As part of this process, it enables Remote
Desktop rules, configures firewall rules, prepares disks for Microsoft Azure agent installation and so on.
5. Veeam Backup & Replication unmounts prepared disks from the backup server.
6. If you use an Azure proxy for restore, Veeam Backup & Replication powers off the Azure proxy after a
timeout.
7. Veeam Backup & Replication registers a Microsoft Azure VM with the prepared machine disks. After the
registration process is complete, the Microsoft Azure VM is powered on immediately, and the Microsoft
Azure agent is installed on the machine.
Restore of Linux Machines

For restore of Linux machines, Veeam Backup & Replication uses a helper appliance. The helper appliance is a
small auxiliary Linux-based VM in Microsoft Azure registered by Veeam Backup & Replication. During the restore
process, Veeam Backup & Replication mounts disks of a backed-up machine to the helper appliance to prepare
disks for restore.
You can set up a helper appliance when you configure initial settings for restore to Microsoft Azure. If you plan
to restore Linux machines to different locations, you must set up several appliances — one appliance in every
location.
The helper appliance is persistent. After you set up the appliance, it remains in Microsoft Azure in the powered
off state. Veeam Backup & Replication starts the helper appliance for a short period of time during the restore
process and powers the appliance off when the restore process is complete.
To restore a Linux machine, Veeam Backup & Replication performs the following steps:
1. If you use an Azure proxy for restore, Veeam Backup & Replication powers on the Azure proxy. For more
information about the Azure proxy, see Configuring Azure Proxies.
2. Veeam Backup & Replication converts disks of a backed-up machine to the VHD format and uploads
converted disks to blob storage in Microsoft Azure.
3. Veeam Backup & Replication mounts uploaded disks to the helper appliance that resides in the location to
which you restore the Linux machine.
4. Veeam Backup & Replication starts the helper appliance with mounted disks.
5. Veeam Backup & Replication prepares disks for VM restore. As part of this process, it enables remote
connection rules, configures firewall rules and so on.
6. Veeam Backup & Replication unmounts prepared disks from the helper appliance and powers off the
helper appliance.
7. If you use an Azure proxy for restore, Veeam Backup & Replication powers off the Azure proxy after a
timeout.
8. Veeam Backup & Replication registers a Microsoft Azure VM with the prepared machine disks. After the
registration process is complete, the VM is powered on immediately.
Restore Workflow
To restore a machine from backup or VeeamZIP file to Microsoft Azure, you must perform the following steps:
1. Configure initial settings for restore to Microsoft Azure.

You must add information about Microsoft Azure accounts to Veeam Backup & Replication, configure
helper appliances and Azure proxies.
2. Create a backup file.

You must create a backup of a machine that you want to restore to Microsoft Azure.
3. Restore a machine from the backup.

You must restore a machine from the backup to Microsoft Azure.
Configuring Initial Settings
Before you restore machines from backups, you must configure initial settings for Microsoft Azure in
Veeam Backup & Replication. As part of this process, you must perform the following tasks:
• Add an Azure account or add an Azure Stack account.
NOTE
You will also need to add an Azure account for adding Azure archive storage.
• [For restore of Linux machines] Configure helper appliances in Microsoft Azure.
• [For restore process speed-up] Configure an Azure proxy.
NOTE:
infrastructure and you plan to restore Amazon EC2 instances from restore points that were created using
the appliance, you do not need to configure the helper appliance and Azure proxy. Also, restore to
Microsoft Azure works as described in the Performing VM Restore section in Veeam Backup for Microsoft
Azure User Guide.
Adding Microsoft Azure Accounts
To restore machines to Microsoft Azure, you must add a Microsoft Azure account to
Veeam Backup & Replication. When you add a Microsoft Azure account, Veeam Backup & Replication imports
information about subscriptions and resources associated with the Microsoft Azure account. During the restore
process, Veeam Backup & Replication accesses these resources and uses them to register new VMs in Microsoft
Azure.
If necessary, you can add different user accounts to Veeam Backup & Replication. In this case,
Veeam Backup & Replication will import information about all subscriptions and resources associated with
provided accounts, and you will be able to use these resources for restore.
Information about subscriptions and resources is saved to the Veeam Backup & Replication configuration
database. You can re-import this information at any time.
NOTE
You will also need a Microsoft Azure account to add an Azure archive storage.
Before You Begin

Before you add a Microsoft Azure account to Veeam Backup & Replication, check the following prerequisites:
• Make sure that you have a user account in Microsoft Azure. You will not be able to create a new user
account when passing through the Initial Configuration wizard.
• [For Microsoft Server OS] The Protected Mode must be switched off in the Internet Explorer settings.
Otherwise, you will not be able to log on to Microsoft Azure when passing through the Initial
Configuration wizard.
If you do not want to switch off the Protected Mode for security reasons, you can add the following sites
to the list of trusted hosts in Internet Options > Secure settings in Internet Explorer or in Control Panel >
Network and Internet:
o https://login.live.com
o https://login.microsoftonline.com
o https://secure.aadcdn.microsoftonline-p.com
o https://auth.gfx.ms
o about:security_veeam.backup.shell.exe
You may need to additionally disable the Internet Explorer Enhanced Security Configuration in Server
Manager.
• On the backup server, you must set the correct time according to the timezone where the backup server is
located. Otherwise, you may not be able to add a Microsoft Azure user account to
• We recommend having Microsoft Azure PowerShell version 5.1.1 installed on the machine running the
Veeam Backup & Replication console. If the version is different from 5.1.1 you may not be able to add a
Microsoft Azure account to Veeam Backup & Replication.
If you do not have Microsoft Azure PowerShell on the machine, Veeam Backup & Replication will prompt
you to install it. For more information, see the Deployment Type step of the Initial Configuration wizard.
• When the Internet access is possible only through HTTP/HTTPS proxy, you must configure the proxy
settings for the Local System account or account under which the Veeam Backup Service is running. For
more information, see this Microsoft article.
NOTE:
When you add a Microsoft Azure account to Veeam Backup & Replication, Veeam Backup & Replication
creates an Azure AD application in the added account. For more information, see Microsoft Azure
documentation.
Procedure
To add a Microsoft Azure account using the Resource Manager deployment model, do the following:
2. In the Manage Cloud Credentials window, click Add and select Microsoft Azure compute account.
3. At the Initial Configuration step of the wizard, click Next.
4. At the Deployment Type step of the wizard, select Microsoft Azure.

From the Region list, select a Microsoft Azure region: Global, Germany, China or Government, and click
Next.
5. At the Subscription step of the wizard, select the method of importing your Azure Resource Manager
subscription. You have two options:
o Use the existing account: Select this option if you want to use Azure Active Directory Account.
The Azure account must have the Owner role privileges for the required subscription. If the Owner
role cannot be used, you can create a custom role with minimal permissions. To learn how to create a
custom role, see Creating Custom Role for Azure Account.
Note the following:
 Only subscriptions that belong to selected account's directory will be added.
 In this scenario, you cannot add an account with enabled MFA. You must disable MFA for the
required account. App passwords are not supported.
IMPORTANT
If you have more than one Azure Active Directory tenant associated with your account, you will
need to specify which tenant to use. For information how to do it, see this Veeam KB article.
o Create a new account: If you select this option, Veeam Backup & Replication will register a special
application on Azure. Veeam Backup & Replication will use this application to communicate with
Azure. Mind the following prerequisites:
 A Microsoft Azure account that you plan to add to Veeam Backup & Replication must have the
Owner role privileges for the subscription that will be used for restore to Microsoft Azure.
Owner role privileges are required to provide access to subscription for the created application.
For details, see Microsoft Azure documentation.
 The user must have privileges to register applications: Global Administrator privileges or the
enabled Users can register applications option in Azure portal. For details, see Microsoft Azure
documentation.
To create a new account, do the following:
i. Click the Configure account link.

Veeam Backup & Replication will check if Microsoft Azure PowerShell is installed on the machine
that runs the Veeam Backup & Replication console. If Microsoft Azure PowerShell is not
installed, Veeam Backup & Replication will display a warning.
ii. In the warning window, click this link. Veeam Backup & Replication will launch the Microsoft
Azure Powershell installation wizard. Follow steps of the installation wizard to set up the
Microsoft Azure PowerShell 5.1.1 on the machine.
iii. After the installation process is complete, close the Veeam Backup & Replication console. In
some cases, Microsoft PowerShell Azure requires you to restart the machine.
iv. Open the Veeam Backup & Replication console and pass through the Initial Configuration wizard
once again.
v. Click the Configure account link. You will be prompted to log in to the Microsoft Azure portal.
Enter credentials of an existing Microsoft Azure account in the browser window.
Veeam Backup & Replication will retrieve information about subscriptions and resources
associated with this account.
6. If you plan to restore Linux machines to Microsoft Azure, select the Enable restore of Linux-based
computers check box. Veeam Backup & Replication will deploy a helper appliance in Microsoft Azure and
use it for restore of Linux machines. For more information about helper appliance setup, see Configuring
Helper Appliances.
7. At the Summary step of the wizard, review details of configured settings and click Finish to close the
wizard.
Adding Microsoft Azure Stack Accounts
To restore machines to Microsoft Azure Stack, you must add an Azure Stack account to
Veeam Backup & Replication. When you add an Azure Stack account, Veeam Backup & Replication imports
information about subscriptions and resources associated with the Azure Stack account. During the restore
process, Veeam Backup & Replication accesses these resources and uses them to register new VMs in Azure
Stack.
IMPORTANT!
For restore to Microsoft Azure Stack version 1808 and later, you need to configure the backup server. For
more information, see this Veeam KB article.
If necessary, you can add different user accounts to Veeam Backup & Replication. In this case,
Veeam Backup & Replication will import information about all subscriptions and resources associated with
provided accounts, and you will be able to use these resources for restore.
Information about subscriptions and resources is saved to the Veeam Backup & Replication configuration
database. You can re-import this information at any time.
To add a Microsoft Azure Stack account, do the following.
2. In the Manage Cloud Credentials window, click Add and select Microsoft Azure compute account.
3. At the Initial Configuration screen of the wizard, click Next.
4. At the Deployment Type step of the wizard, select Microsoft Azure Stack and click Next.
5. At the Name step of the wizard, do the following:
a. In the Azure Stack resource manager endpoint field, specify the virtual IP address of Azure Resource
Manager in the following format: management.<region>.<FQDN>.
To learn about Azure Stack virtual IP addresses, see Microsoft Docs.
b. If you have added the Azure Stack tenant user account beforehand, select the Azure Stack tenant user
account from the list.
If you have not set up credentials beforehand, click the Manage accounts link or click Add on the right
to add an Azure Stack tenant user credentials.
NOTE
Azure Stack tenant user account must have the Owner role privileges for the required
subscription. If the Owner role cannot be used, you can create a custom role with minimal
permissions. To learn how to create a custom role, see Creating Custom Role for Azure Account.
Keep in mind that:
• Only subscriptions that belong to the directory of the selected account will be added.
• In this scenario, you cannot add an account with enabled MFA. You must disable MFA for
the required account. App passwords are not supported.
6. If you want to restore Linux-based computers, select the Enable restore of Linux-based computers check
box. Veeam Backup & Replication will deploy a helper appliance in Microsoft Azure. The helper appliance
will be used to restore Linux machines. For more information about helper appliance setup, see
Configuring Helper Appliances.
7. At the Summary step of the wizard, review details of configured settings and click Finish to close the
wizard.
Creating Custom Role for Azure Account
If you do not want to use built-in Azure roles, you can create a custom role with minimal permissions.
To create a custom role, do the following:
1. Run the following script in Azure PowerShell:
Import-Module AzureRM.Resources
$role = [Microsoft.Azure.Commands.Resources.Models.Authorization.PSRoleDef
inition]::new()
$role.Name = 'Veeam Restore Operator'
$role.Description = 'Permissions for Veeam Direct Restore to Microsoft Azu
re'
$role.IsCustom = $true
$permissions = @(
'Microsoft.Storage/storageAccounts/listkeys/action',
'Microsoft.Storage/storageAccounts/read',
'Microsoft.Network/locations/checkDnsNameAvailability/read',
'Microsoft.Network/virtualNetworks/read',
'Microsoft.Network/virtualNetworks/subnets/join/action',
'Microsoft.Network/publicIPAddresses/read',
'Microsoft.Network/publicIPAddresses/write',
'Microsoft.Network/publicIPAddresses/delete',
'Microsoft.Network/publicIPAddresses/join/action',
'Microsoft.Network/networkInterfaces/read',
'Microsoft.Network/networkInterfaces/write',
'Microsoft.Network/networkInterfaces/delete',
'Microsoft.Network/networkInterfaces/join/action',
'Microsoft.Network/networkSecurityGroups/read',
'Microsoft.Network/networkSecurityGroups/write',
'Microsoft.Network/networkSecurityGroups/delete',
'Microsoft.Network/networkSecurityGroups/join/action',
'Microsoft.Compute/locations/vmSizes/read',
'Microsoft.Compute/locations/usages/read',
'Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines/read',
'Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines/write',
'Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines/delete',
'Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines/start/action',
'Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines/deallocate/action',
'Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines/instanceView/read',
'Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines/extensions/read',
'Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines/extensions/write',
'Microsoft.Compute/disks/read',
'Microsoft.Compute/disks/write',
'Microsoft.Resources/checkResourceName/action',
'Microsoft.Resources/subscriptions/resourceGroups/read',
'Microsoft.Resources/subscriptions/resourceGroups/write',
'Microsoft.Resources/subscriptions/locations/read'
)
$role.Actions = $permissions
$role.NotActions = (Get-AzureRmRoleDefinition -Name 'Virtual Machine Contr
ibutor').NotActions
$subs = '/subscriptions/00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000' #use your s
ubscription ID
$role.AssignableScopes = $subs
New-AzureRmRoleDefinition -Role $role
2. Assign the created role to the required Azure User. For details, see the Manage access to Azure resources
using RBAC and the Azure portal section in the RBAC for Azure resources documentation.
3. In the Subscription step of the Initial Configuration wizard, select Use existing account and select the
Azure user with the assigned role. For details, see Adding Microsoft Azure Account.
NOTE:
• You must use Connect-AzureRmAccount and Get-AzureRmSubscription to input the
subscription ID within the script.
• The script is provided for Microsoft Azure PowerShell version 5.1.1. The naming of commands may
vary for other versions of Microsoft Azure PowerShell.
Reference
Create Custom Roles Using Azure PowerShell
Configuring Helper Appliances
Veeam Backup & Replication requires a helper appliance to restore Linux machines to Microsoft Azure. The
helper appliance is a small auxiliary VM in Microsoft Azure registered by Veeam Backup & Replication. During
the restore process, Veeam Backup & Replication mounts disks of the restored machine to the helper appliance
to prepare these disks for restore.
You must configure a helper appliance in the location to which you plan to restore Linux machines. If you plan to
restore Linux machines to different locations, you must configure several appliances — one appliance in every
location.
Mind the following:
• Helper appliances are persistent. After you set up appliances, they remain in Microsoft Azure in the
powered off state until you start the restore process. Microsoft Azure will bill you for storing helper
appliances disks in the storage account.
• Veeam Backup & Replication uses a built-in credentials record to work with all helper appliances. For
security reasons, it is recommended that you change a password for this account before you set up the
helper appliances. For more information, see Changing Credentials for Helper Appliances.
To configure a helper appliance:
2. In the Manage Cloud Credentials window, click Add. If you edit an existing account, select it in the list and
click Edit.
3. At the Deployment Model step of the wizard, select the necessary deployment model.
4. At the Subscription step of the wizard, select the Enable restore of Linux-based computers check box.
5. At the Helper Appliance step of the wizard, configure settings of the helper appliance.
a. On the right of the Helper appliances list, click Add.
b. From the Subscription list, select a subscription whose resources you want to use to configure the
helper appliance. The subscription list contains all subscriptions that are associated with the Microsoft
Azure user account.
c. From the Location list, select a location in which you want to configure the helper appliance. Make
sure that you select a geographic region with which at least one storage account of the subscription is
associated.
d. From the Storage account list, select a storage account whose resources you want to use to store
disks of the helper appliance.
NOTE:
You cannot use a storage account with the ZRS or GZRS replication option for a helper
appliance. For details, see Microsoft Docs.
e. [Optional] Click Choose if you don't want Veeam Backup & Replication to create a new resource
group.
f. From the Virtual network list, select a network to which the helper appliance must be connected.
g. From the Subnet list, select a subnet for the helper appliance.
h. At the SSH port field, specify a port over which Veeam Backup & Replication will communicate with
the helper appliance. By default, port 22 is used.
i. Click OK.
6. Repeat steps from a to i for all locations to which you plan to restore Linux machines and click Next.
7. At the Deploy step of the wizard, wait until Veeam Backup & Replication configures the helper appliance
in Microsoft Azure. The appliance will remain powered off until you start restoring Linux machines to the
necessary location in Microsoft Azure.
8. At the Summary step of the wizard, review summary information and click Finish to close the wizard.
Changing Credentials for Helper Appliances
By default, Veeam Backup & Replication uses built-in credentials record to work with all helper appliances in
Microsoft Azure and Azure Stack. For security reasons, it is recommended that you change a password for this
credentials record before you set up helper appliances.
IMPORTANT!
When you change a password in the built-in credentials record, you must re-deploy existing helper
appliances in Microsoft Azure and Azure Stack.
To change the password in a credentials record for helper appliances:
2. In the Manage Credentials window, click the Azure helper appliance credentials record.
3. Click Edit.
4. In the Password field, specify a new password.
5. Click OK to save changes.
Removing Helper Appliances

You can remove helper appliances from Microsoft Azure and Azure Stack, for example, if you no longer need to
restore Linux machines to Azure or Azure Stack.
To remove a helper appliance, do the following:
2. In the accounts list, select the Azure account and click Edit.
3. Pass to the Helper Appliance step of the Initial Configuration wizard.
4. In the Helper appliances list, select the helper appliance and click Remove.
IMPORTANT!
Do not clear the Enable restore of Linux-based computers check box at the Subscription step of the wizard
to remove helper appliances. In this case, the Initial Configuration wizard will not display the Helper
Appliance step. Helper appliances themselves will remain in Microsoft Azure.
Configuring Azure Proxies
In some cases, upload of machine disks to Microsoft Azure may take a long time. This can happen if you restore
machines to a distant location and the network connection is slow. To speed up the restore process, it is
recommended that you deploy an Azure proxy in the backup infrastructure.
The Azure proxy is a small auxiliary machine in Microsoft Azure over which Veeam Backup & Replication
transports VM disk data to blob storage. Veeam components installed on the Azure proxy compress and
deduplicate disk data, which helps reduce network traffic and increase the speed of the restore process.
To configure an Azure proxy, you must pass through the Azure Proxy wizard. Veeam Backup & Replication will
deploy a Microsoft Windows Server 2012 R2 machine in Microsoft Azure and assign the role of the Azure proxy
to this machine. You can then instruct Veeam Backup & Replication to use the Azure proxy for restore tasks.
It is strongly recommended that you configure Azure proxies in the backup infrastructure. Azure proxies do not
require a lot of resources and can speed up the restore process significantly. You should configure an Azure
proxy in a location to which you plan to restore machines, or close to this location. If you plan to restore
machines to different locations, you should configure at least one Azure proxy in each location.
The process of Azure proxy deployment takes some time. It is recommended that you configure the Azure proxy
in advance, before you start the restore process.
Before you configure an Azure proxy, check prerequisites. Then follow the Azure Proxy wizard steps to deploy
the proxy.
Before You Begin

Before you configure an Azure proxy, check the following prerequisites:
• You must import information about your Microsoft Azure user account to Veeam Backup & Replication.
For more information, see Adding Azure Accounts or Adding Azure Stack Accounts.
• You must configure the following objects in Microsoft Azure beforehand:
o Storage account whose resources you plan to use to store disks of the Azure proxy.
o Networks to which you plan to connect the Azure proxy.
For storage accounts and network configuration, you must use the same deployment model that you plan
to use for Azure proxy creation.
IMPORTANT!
When you deploy Azure proxy for Azure Stack, make sure that Windows Server 2012 R2 is available in Azure
marketplace.
Step 1. Launch Azure Proxy Wizard
To launch the Azure Proxy wizard, do one of the following:
• Open the Backup Infrastructure view. In the inventory pane, select Backup Proxies, click the Backup Proxy
node, and click Add Proxy > Azure on the ribbon.
• Open the Backup Infrastructure view. In the inventory pane, right-click Backup Proxies and select Add
Azure Proxy.
IMPORTANT!
Before you start to configure an Azure proxy, you must import information about the Microsoft Azure user
account. In the opposite case, the Add Azure Proxy option will not be available. For more information, see
Adding Azure Accounts or Adding Azure Stack Accounts.
Step 2. Specify Azure Proxy Name
At the Name step of the wizard, specify a name and description for the Azure proxy.
1. In the Name field, specify a name for the Azure proxy. The name must meet the following requirements:
o The name must not be longer than 15 characters.
o The name must contain only alphanumeric characters and hyphens.
o The name must start with a letter and end with a letter or number.
o The name must not contain only numeric characters.
o The name must not contain special characters: `!@#$%^&*()+=_[]{}\;:.'",<>/?.
2. In the Description field, provide a description for the Azure proxy. The default description contains
information about the user who added the proxy, date and time when the proxy was added.
3. At the Max concurrent tasks field, specify the number of tasks that the Azure proxy must handle in
parallel. If the Max concurrent tasks value is exceeded, the Azure proxy will not start a new task until one
of current tasks finishes.
Veeam Backup & Replication creates one task per one machine disk. By default, Azure proxy handles 4
concurrent tasks.
Step 3. Specify Credentials and Transport Port
At the Credentials step of the wizard, specify credentials of the local administrator account on the Azure proxy
and define the transport port.
1. When you configure an Azure proxy, Veeam Backup & Replication creates an account with the Local
Administrator permissions on this proxy. To specify a user name and password for this account, do the
following:
a. On the right of the Credentials list, click the Manage accounts link or click Add.
b. In the Credentials window, enter a user name, password and description for the account.
You must specify the user name without a domain or Microsoft Azure machine name. The password
must be at least 8 characters long, and must contain at least 1 uppercase character, 1 lowercase
character, 1 numeric character and 1 special character.
c. Click OK.
2. In the Traffic port field, specify a port over which Veeam Backup & Replication will control components
installed on the Azure proxy and transport VM disks data to blob storage. By default, port 443 is used. The
port must be opened on the backup server and backup repository that stores VM backups.
IMPORTANT!
You cannot use reserved names such as 'administrator', 'admin', 'user', 'abc@123', 'P@$$w0rd' and so on as
a user name and password of the local administrator account.
Step 4. Select Subscription and Location
At the Subscription step of the wizard, select a subscription and location for the Azure proxy.
1. From the Subscription list, select a subscription whose resources you want to use to deploy the Azure
proxy. The subscription list contains all subscriptions associated with the user accounts that you have
added to Veeam Backup & Replication.
2. From the Locations list, select a geographic region to which you want to place the Azure proxy. Make sure
that you select a geographic region with which at least one storage account of the subscription is
associated.
Step 5. Select VM Size
At the VM size step of the wizard, you can select the size for the Azure proxy VM and specify what storage
account you want to use to deploy the Azure proxy VM.
1. From the Size list, select the size for the Azure proxy.
The default size is Standard_F4s_v2. If Standard_F4s_v2 is not available, we recommend to select a similar
compute optimized VM size of the previous generation — F-series. For example, Standard_F4,
Standard_F4s. These sizes are sufficient to transport VM disks data to blob storage. If necessary, you can
select a greater size for the Azure proxy.
If you select a premium storage account, make sure that the VM size is compatible with the selected
account.
NOTE:
Azure proxy VMs created in Veeam Backup & Replication version prior 10a have smaller sizes —
Basic_A2. We recommend you to change sizes of such proxies to the sizes listed above. This will
enhance the performance of restore to Azure.
You can change VM sizes in Microsoft Azure Portal or deploy new proxies with the required sizes in
the Veeam Backup & Replication.
2. From the Storage account list, select a storage account whose resources you want to use to store disks of
the Azure proxy. The storage account must be compatible with the VM size you select.
The list of storage accounts will contain only general purpose storage accounts. Blob storage accounts will
not be displayed in the list of subscriptions. For more information about account types, see Microsoft
Docs.
NOTE:
You cannot use a storage account with the ZRS or GZRS replication option for the Azure proxy. For
details, see Microsoft Docs.
TIP:
Microsoft Azure subscriptions have default limits on the number of CPU cores. Make sure that the
VM size you select does not exceed limits of the subscription.
Step 6. Select Resource Group
At the Resource Group step of the wizard, you can specify settings of the resource group to which the Azure
proxy must be placed.
By default, Veeam Backup & Replication creates a new resource group for the Azure proxy and places the proxy
to it. If necessary, you can place the proxy to an existing resource group.
Select the necessary option for the Azure proxy:
• If you want to place the Azure proxy to an existing resource group, select Place VM into the existing
resource group. From the list below, select the necessary resource group.
• If you want to create a dedicated resource group for the Azure proxy, select Create a new resource group.
In the Name field, enter a name for the new resource group. The resource group name can be up to 64
characters long, and can contain only alphanumeric, underscore and hyphen characters.
In the new resource group, Veeam Backup & Replication automatically creates a Network Security Group,
dynamic public IP and network interface. In the DNS name label field, enter a name of for the new dynamic
public IP created with Veeam Backup & Replication. The DNS name label can be up to 80 characters long,
and can contain only alphanumeric, dash and underscore characters. For more information, see Microsoft
Docs.
TIP:
Microsoft Azure subscriptions have default limits on the number of resource groups. If you decide to create
a new resource group, make sure that you do not exceed limits of the subscription.
Step 7. Select Virtual Network
At the Network step of the wizard, you can select to which network and subnet the Azure proxy must be
connected.
To define network settings for the Azure proxy:
1. From the Virtual network list, select a network to which the Azure proxy must be connected.
IMPORTANT!
If you want to restore from backups in an on-premises object storage repository, the selected virtual
network must have access to the source object storage repository. To provide access to object
storage repositories, you can use VPN or Azure ExpressRoute.
2. From the Subnet list, select a subnet for the Azure proxy.
Step 8. Start Azure Proxy Configuration
At the Apply step of the wizard, Veeam Backup & Replication deploys the Azure proxy with specified settings.
You can view the deployment progress in the real-time mode.
When the configuration process is over, click Next. At the Summary step of the wizard, click Finish to close the
wizard.
TIP:
The Azure proxy deployment may take several minutes. You can close the Azure Proxy wizard and continue
working with Veeam Backup & Replication while the proxy is being deployed. To view the deployment
progress, open the History view, in the inventory pane select System, and double-click the task of the
proxy deployment in the working area.
Removing Azure Proxies
Veeam Backup & Replication does not provide a possibility to edit settings of deployed Azure proxies. If you
want to change Azure proxy configuration, remove the Azure proxy and create a new proxy.
To remove an Azure proxy, do the following:
2. In the inventory pane, select Backup Proxies.
3. In the working area, right-click the Azure proxy and select Remove.
IMPORTANT!
If you want to remove an Azure or an Azure Stack account from Veeam Backup & Replication, you must
remove all Azure proxies first.
Restoring Machines
You can restore machines from backups to Microsoft Azure or Azure Stack. The restored machine appears in the
Microsoft Azure portal, and you can use it as a regular Microsoft Azure VM.
NOTE:
infrastructure and you plan to restore Microsoft Azure VMs from restore points that were created using the
appliance, the steps of the restore wizard differ from the steps described in this guide. For more
information, see the Restoring to Microsoft Azure section in the Integration with Veeam Backup for
Microsoft Azure Guide.
Before you restore a machine to Microsoft Azure, check prerequisites. Then use the Restore to Azure wizard to
restore the machine.
Before You Begin
Before you restore a machine to Microsoft Azure, mind the following prerequisites and limitations.
Prerequisites
The following are prerequisites for restoring VMs:
• You must add a Microsoft Azure account to Veeam Backup & Replication. For more information, see
Adding Microsoft Azure Accounts.
• You must configure the following objects in Microsoft Azure beforehand:
o Storage account whose resources you plan to use to store disks of the restored machine.
o Networks to which you plan to connect the restored machine.
For storage accounts and network configuration, you must use the same deployment model that you plan
to use for machine restore.
• [For restore of Linux machines] You must configure a helper appliance in the location to which you plan to
restore a machine. For more information, see Configuring Helper Appliances.
• [For speeding up the restore] If you plan to restore machines to a distant location, you can configure
Azure proxies through which machine disks will be transported to blob storage. For more information, see
Configuring Microsoft Azure Proxies.
[For speeding up restore from Capacity Tier] It is strongly recommended to use Azure proxy when you
restore from backups residing on a Capacity Tier. For more information, see Configuring Microsoft Azure
Proxies.
• You must create a backup of the machine that you want to restore in Microsoft Azure. For the list of
supported backups, see Restore to Microsoft Azure.
• You must set up correct time on the backup server. Otherwise you may not be able to add a Microsoft
Azure account to Veeam Backup & Replication, or the restore process may fail.
Limitations
The following are limitations for restore to Azure:
• Veeam Backup & Replication supports restore to Microsoft Azure for the following machines:
o Microsoft Windows machines running Windows Server 2008/Windows Vista and later
o Linux machines (see the Supported Distributions & Versions section in Microsoft Docs).
• [Azure VMs] Veeam Backup & Replication does not support restore of Azure Ultra Disks.
• [Azure VMs] Mind the following limitations for disk sizes:
o [Unmanaged VM disks] Veeam Backup & Replication supports restoring of disks equal to or less than
4093 GB. This is due to the following reasons: VM disks can increase in size up to 2 GB because of
conversion during the restore process; Azure supports disk up to 4095 GB. For more information on
all disk sizes that Azure supports, see Microsoft Docs.
o [Managed VM disks] Veeam Backup & Replication supports restoring of disks equal to or less than
32765 GB. During the restore process, VM disks can increase in size up to 2 GB because of conversion.
For more information on all managed disk sizes that Azure supports, see Microsoft Docs. Note that
supported disk sizes for Azure and Veeam Backup & Replication differ.
IMPORTANT
The price of a restored VM disk can become higher because of the increase in disk size during the
restore process. For more information on pricing, see Managed Disks pricing and Unmanaged Disk
and Page Blob pricing.
• [Azure Stack VMs] Veeam Backup & Replication supports restoring of managed and unmanaged disks
equal to or less than 1021 GB. This is due to the following reasons: VM disks can increase in size up to 2 GB
because of conversion during the restore process; Azure Stack supports disk up to 1023 GB. For more
information on all disk sizes that Azure supports, see Microsoft Docs.
You can change the maximum supported size for unmanaged VM disks with a registry key. For more
IMPORTANT
The price of a restored VM disk can become higher because of the increase in disk size during the
restore process. For more information on pricing, see Azure Stack Hub Pricing.
• If the system disk of an initial machine uses the GPT partitioning scheme, the number of partitions on the
disk cannot exceed 4. During restore such disk will be converted to a disk with the MBR partitioning
scheme.
• The restore to Microsoft Azure functionality does not support the Azure Hybrid Use Benefit program.
• [For restore from backups created with Veeam Agent for Microsoft Windows] Machines from a backup that
contains a failover cluster are restored as separate VMs, not as a cluster. Shared cluster disks of these VMs
are restored as regular disks
Step 1. Launch Restore to Azure Wizard
To begin the restore process, do the following:
2. In the inventory pane, click Backups.
3. In the working area, expand the necessary backup, right-click the machine that you want to restore and
select Restore to Microsoft Azure.
In this case, you will pass to the Subscription step of the wizard.
Alternatively, you can do one of the following:
• [VMware vSphere] On the Home tab, click Restore > VMware vSphere > Restore from backup > Entire VM
restore > Restore to Microsoft Azure.
• [Amazon EC2] On the Home tab, click Restore > AWS EC2 backup > Entire machine restore > Restore to
Microsoft Azure.
• [Nutanix AHV] Open the Home view; click Backups; in the working area, expand the necessary backup,
right-click the AHV VM that you want to restore and select Restore to Microsoft Azure.
• [Agents] On the Home tab, click Restore > Agents > Entire machine restore > Restore to Microsoft Azure.
• Double-click a full backup file (VBK) or backup metadata file (VBM) in a file browser.
Veeam Backup & Replication will start its console. In the Backup Properties window, select the necessary
machine and click Restore > Restore to Microsoft Azure. In this case, you will pass to the Subscription step
of the wizard.
Step 2. Select Machine and Restore Point
At the Machine step of the wizard, specify the machine that you want to restore and specify restore points to
which you want to restore the machine.
To select a machine to restore:
1. On the right of the Machine list, click Add.
2. In the Backup Browser window, expand the required backup, select the machine and click Add. You can
add several machines to the list to perform batch restore.
By default, Veeam Backup & Replication restores a machine to latest valid restore point in the backup chain.
However, you can restore the machine to an earlier restore point.
To select a restore point, do the following:
1. In the Machine list, select the machine.
3. In the Restore Points window, select a restore point to which you want to restore the machine.
Step 3. Select Subscription and Location
At the Subscription step of the wizard, you must select a subscription, location for the restored machine and
define how machine data must be transported to Microsoft Azure or Azure Stack.
1. From the Subscription list, select a subscription whose resources you want to use. The subscription list
contains all subscriptions associated with the user accounts that you have added to
2. From the Locations list, select a geographic region to which you want to place the restored machine. Make
sure that you select a geographic region with which at least one storage account of the subscriptions is
associated.
3. If you are restoring the machine to a distant location and want to speed up the restore process, select the
Use Azure proxy VM check box. From the Proxy VM list, select a Microsoft Azure proxy.
It is recommended that you configure the Azure proxy in the same location to which you plan to restore
the machine. For more information, see Configuring Azure Proxies.
IMPORTANT!
[For restore of Linux machines] You must have a preconfigured helper appliance in the location to which
you are restoring a Linux machine. If the appliance is not configured, Veeam Backup & Replication will
display the Initial Configuration wizard so that you can configure the appliance in the selected location.
Step 4. Specify VM Size
At the VM Size step of the wizard, you can:
• Select a size and storage account for the restored machine
• Select disks to restore and change their type
Selecting VM Size and Storage Account

To select a size and storage account for the machine:
1. In the Azure VM Configuration list, select the machine and click Edit.
2. From the Size list, select a size for the restored VM. By default, Veeam Backup & Replication selects the
smallest VM size that can support the number of disks for the restored machine.
Make sure that you select the right VM size that corresponds to the initial machine configuration. The VM
size affects the number of CPU cores, memory and disk resources that will be allocated to the restored
machine. For more information, see Microsoft Docs.
3. From the Storage account list, select a storage account whose resources you want to use to store disks of
the restored machine. The storage account must be compatible with the VM size you select.
The list of storage accounts contains only general purpose storage accounts. Blob storage accounts are
not be displayed in the list of subscriptions. For more information about account types, see Microsoft
Docs.
If you select a premium storage account, make sure that the VM size is compatible with the selected
account.
NOTE:
When restoring machines to Microsoft Azure, the storage accounts with the ZRS or GZRS replication
options are not supported. For details, see Microsoft Docs.
4. From the Storage type list, select the managed or unmanaged disk type. Note the limitations for VM disk
sizes in Before You Begin.
5. Click OK.
TIP:
Microsoft Azure subscriptions have default limits on the number of CPU cores. Make sure that the VM size
you select does not exceed limits of the subscription.
Selecting Disks to Restore and Changing Their Types

You can restore all disks or specific disks of a machine. You can also change disk types of the restored disks if
you have selected the managed storage type.
To select specific disks and change their type, do the following:
1. In the Azure VM Configuration list, select the machine and click Disks.
2. In the Disks to restore window, check that check boxes next to disks that you want to restore are selected.
Clear check boxes next to disks that you do not want to restore.
3. [If you have selected the managed storage type] Select a disk and click the Disk Type button. In the Select
Azure VM Disk Type window, select one of the following types: Standard HDD, Standard SSD or Premium
SSD. For more information on disk types, see Microsoft Docs.
IMPORTANT!
The selected disk type must be compatible with the selected VM size.
Step 5. Specify VM Name and Resource Group
At the Resource Group step of the wizard, you can:
• Specify a new name for the restored machine
• Select a resource group for the restored machine
Specifying Name for Machine

By default, Veeam Backup & Replication restores a machine with its original name. However, you can define a
new name for the restored machine if necessary.
To define a new name for the machine:
1. In the Resource group list, select the machine and click Name.
2. In the Change Name window, enter a new name explicitly or specify a change name rule — add a prefix
and/or suffix to the original machine name.
Selecting Resource Group

By default, Veeam Backup & Replication creates a new resource group for the restored machine and places the
machine to it. If necessary, you can place the machine to an existing resource group.
1. In the Resource group list, select the machine and click Group.
2. In the VM Resource Group window, select the necessary option for the machine:
o Select Place VM into the existing resource group if you want to place the machine to an existing
resource group. From the list below, select the necessary resource group.
o Select Create a new resource group if you want to create a dedicated resource group for the restored
machine. In the Name field, enter a name for the new resource group.
In the new resource group, Veeam Backup & Replication automatically creates a Network Security
Group, a dynamic public IP and network interface.
TIP:
Microsoft Azure subscriptions have default limits on the number of resource groups. If you decide to create
a new resource group, make sure that you do not exceed limits of the subscription.
Step 6. Select Virtual Network
At the Network step of the wizard, you can select to which network and subnet the restored machine must be
connected.
Veeam Backup & Replication can connect the machine only to one virtual network. If necessary, you can
manually configure additional network connections in Microsoft Azure after the machine is restored.
To define network settings for the machine, do the following:
1. In the Virtual network list, select the machine and click Network.
2. From the Virtual network list, select a network to which the machine must be connected.
3. From the Subnet list, select a subnet for the machine and click OK.
4. Veeam Backup & Replication can assign a public IP for the restored VM which can be used for
communications over the internet. By default, a public IP is not assigned. From the Public IP list, select
one of the options:
o Assign (restored VM will be accessible from the Internet): A public IP will be assigned to the restored
VM. For security reasons, make sure traffic filtration rules are properly configured in the security
group.
o Do not assign (more secure): A public IP will not be assigned. You can assign a public IP later in the
settings of the restored VM.
5. From the Virtual network list, select the machine and click Group.
6. [Optional] Select the network security group from the list and click OK. The restored machine will be
added to the selected network security group.
If you leave the field empty, Veeam Backup & Replication will create a new network security group.
This step is available if you restore Microsoft Windows workloads.
software before restoring the machine to Microsoft Azure or Azure Stack. For more information on secure
restore, see Secure Restore.
1. At the Secure Restore step of the wizard, select the Scan VM for virus threats prior performing recovery
check box.
o Abort VM recovery. Select this action if you want Veeam Backup & Replication to cancel the restore
session.
o Proceed recovery but connect VM to a different network. Select this action if you want to restore the
machine to a different Microsoft Azure virtual network.
Click the Click to change link to select the virtual network.
3. Select the Scan entire VM for virus threats check box if you want the antivirus software to continue
machine scan after the first malware is found. For information on how to view results of the malware scan,
see Viewing Malware Scan Results.
At the Reason step of the wizard, enter a reason for restoring the machine. The information you provide will be
saved in the session history in Veeam Backup & Replication, and you can view it later.
TIP:
again check box.
Step 9. Start Restore Process
At the Ready to Restore step of the wizard, review the restore settings.
1. By default, the target VM will be powered on after the restore. If you do not want to power on the VM
after the restore, clear the Power on target VM after restoring check box.
2. Check the specified settings and click Finish. Veeam Backup & Replication will start the restore process.
You can trace the restore process in the Restore Session window. If you need to cancel the machine restore, click
the Cancel restore task link.
Generation 2 VM Support
Veeam Backup & Replication offers experimental support for generation 2 VMs within restore to Microsoft Azure
feature. Generation 2 VMs are virtual machines with advanced functionality.
For more information about generation 2 VMs, see this Microsoft article: Generation 2 Virtual Machine Overview.
For more information about Microsoft Azure support for generation 2 VMs, see this Microsoft article: Support
for Generation 2 VMs on Azure.
To learn how to switch on generation 2 VM support, see this Veeam KB article.
Requirements and Limitations for Generation 2 VM Support

• Not all VM sizes are compatible with generation 2 VMs. You will be able to select only the compatible
sizes from the Size list at the Specify VM Size step of the Restore to Azure wizard.
• Generation 2 VMs support only managed disks. Thus, you will need to select the managed storage type
from the Storage type list at the Specify VM Size step of the Restore to Azure wizard.
• The OS in the restored backups must have UEFI boot. Otherwise, the restored VMs may be unbootable.
Restore to Amazon EC2
Veeam Backup & Replication allows you to restore physical or virtual machines to Amazon Elastic Compute
Cloud (Amazon EC2) as EC2 instances.
You can use Veeam Backup & Replication to perform the following operations:
• Restore machines to Amazon EC2 from backups.
• Migrate machines from the on-premises infrastructure to the cloud.
• Create a test environment in the cloud for troubleshooting, testing patches and updates, and so on.
You can restore machines from the following types of backups:
• Backups of VMware vSphere or vCloud Director virtual machines created with Veeam Backup & Replication
Agent for Linux
Backups must be created at the entire machine level or volume level.
How Restore to Amazon EC2 Works
You can perform restore to Amazon EC2 from backups of EC2 instances, virtual and physical machines. To
upload backed-up data to Amazon EC2, Veeam Backup & Replication may use an auxiliary EC2 instance — a
proxy appliance. Veeam Backup & Replication deploys the proxy appliance in Amazon EC2 only for the duration
of the restore process and removes it immediately after that.
Depending on the type of backups you are restoring from and their location, the proxy appliance may be
required or optional. The proxy appliance is required when you restore from:
• Backups of EC2 instances that are stored in external repositories.
• Backups of virtual and physical machines that are stored in object storage repositories.
The proxy appliance is optional when you restore from backups of virtual and physical machines stored in
backup repositories, or backups of EC2 instances copied to backup repositories with backup copy jobs. It is
recommended, however, to use the proxy appliance in scenarios where it is optional, as the proxy appliance may
significantly improve restore performance. You can specify the proxy appliance settings at the Proxy Appliance
step of the Restore to Amazon EC2 wizard.
The workflow of the restore process depends on whether the proxy appliance is used or not.
NOTE:
If you added the Veeam Backup for AWS appliance to the Veeam Backup & Replication infrastructure and
you plan to restore Amazon EC2 instances from restore points that were created using the appliance, you
do not need to configure the proxy appliance. Also, restore to Amazon EC2 works as described in the Entire
EC2 Instance Restore section in the Veeam Backup for AWS User Guide.
Restoring to Amazon EC2 with Proxy Appliance

If the proxy appliance is required or you selected to use it for restore to Amazon EC2,
Veeam Backup & Replication performs the following operations:
1. Veeam Backup & Replication creates a proxy appliance in Amazon EC2.

During the restore process, the proxy appliance communicates with backup infrastructure components
over the SSH protocol and the network redirector that is deployed on the proxy appliance.
2. For every disk of a backed-up machine, Veeam Backup & Replication creates an empty EBS volume in
Amazon EC2.
3. Veeam Backup & Replication hot-adds empty disks to the proxy appliance and restores backed-up data to
the EBS volumes.
4. Veeam Backup & Replication creates a target instance in Amazon EC2.
5. Veeam Backup & Replication detaches the EBS volumes from the proxy appliance and attaches them to
the target instance.
6. After the restore process is complete, Veeam Backup & Replication removes the proxy appliance from
Amazon EC2.
Restoring to Amazon EC2 without Proxy Appliance
If you selected not to use the proxy appliance for restore to Amazon EC2, Veeam Backup & Replication performs
the following operations:
1. Veeam Backup & Replication uploads disks of a backed-up machine to Amazon S3.
In Amazon S3, the uploaded disks are stored to the temporary bucket in the RAW format.
2. Veeam Backup & Replication imports the backed-up data from the temporary bucket in Amazon S3 to EBS
volumes in Amazon EC2.
3. Veeam Backup & Replication creates a target instance in Amazon EC2 and attaches the EBS volumes to it.
4. After the import process is complete, Veeam Backup & Replication removes the temporary bucket from
Amazon S3.
AWS IAM User Permissions
To restore to Amazon EC2, it is recommended that the IAM user whose credentials you plan to use to connect to
AWS has administrative permissions — access to all AWS actions and resources.
If you do not want to provide full access to AWS, you can grant to the IAM user a minimal set of permissions that
will be sufficient for restore. To do that, create the following policy in the JSON format and attach it to the IAM
user:
{
"Version": "2012-10-17",
"Statement": [{
"Action": [
"ec2:RunInstances",
"ec2:ImportImage",
"ec2:DeregisterImage",
"ec2:CreateVolume",
"ec2:ModifyVolume",
"ec2:ImportVolume",
"ec2:DeleteVolume",
"ec2:AttachVolume",
"ec2:DetachVolume",
"ec2:CreateSnapshot",
"ec2:DeleteSnapshot",
"ec2:DescribeVpcs",
"ec2:DescribeConversionTasks",
"ec2:DescribeImportImageTasks",
"ec2:CreateTags",
"iam:GetRole",
"iam:CreateRole",
"s3:CreateBucket",
"s3:ListBucket",
"s3:DeleteBucket",
"s3:PutObject",
"s3:DeleteObject",
"s3:PutLifeCycleConfiguration",
"s3:GetObject",
"s3:RestoreObject",
"s3:AbortMultiPartUpload",
"s3:ListBucketMultiPartUploads",
"s3:ListMultipartUploadParts"
],
"Effect": "Allow",
"Resource": "*"
}]
}
Alternatively, you can attach the created policy to the IAM group or role to which the IAM user is assigned.
For information on how to create and attach a policy to an IAM user, see the Creating IAM Policies and Adding
and Removing IAM Identity Permissions sections in the AWS IAM User Guide.
Restoring Machines
You can restore physical or virtual machines from backups to Amazon EC2. The restored machine appears in the
Amazon EC2 console, and you can use it as a regular EC2 instance.
NOTE:
If you added the Veeam Backup for AWS appliance to the Veeam Backup & Replication infrastructure and
you plan to restore Amazon EC2 instances from restore points that were created using the appliance, the
steps of the restore wizard differ from the steps described in this guide. For more information, see the
Restoring to Amazon section in the Integration with Veeam Backup for AWS Guide.
Before you restore a machine to Amazon EC2, check prerequisites. Then use the Restore to Amazon EC2 wizard
to restore the machine.
Before You Begin
Before you restore a machine to Amazon EC2, mind the following requirements and limitations:
• The Veeam backup server and repositories with machine backup files must have access to the Internet.
If backup files are located on deduplicating storage appliances or shared folder repositories, the Internet
connection is required for gateway servers that communicate with these repositories.
• You must have a backup of the machine that you plan to restore to Amazon EC2.
• Make sure that a user whose credentials you plan to use to connect to AWS has permissions to restore to
Amazon EC2. For more information, see AWS IAM User Permissions.
• If you restore machines from backups of virtual and physical machines (non-EC2 instances), check the
supported OS, EC2 instance and file system types in the AWS Documentation.
• If you plan to assign AWS tags to the restored machine, check limitations for tags in the AWS
Documentation.
Step 1. Launch Restore to Amazon EC2 Wizard
To begin the restore process, do one of the following.
• On the Home tab, click Restore and select the type of backups from which you want to restore:
o VMware vSphere or vCloud Director
o Microsoft Hyper-V
o Agent
o AWS EC2 backup
o Nutanix AHV
In the displayed window, click Entire machine restore > Restore to Amazon EC2.
• Open the Home view. In the inventory pane, click Backups. In the working area, expand the necessary
o Select the machine that you want to restore and click Restore to Amazon EC2 on the ribbon.
o Right-click the machine that you want to restore and select Restore to Amazon EC2.
In this case, you will pass to the Account step of the wizard.
• Double-click a full backup file (VBK) or backup metadata file (VBM) in a file browser.
Veeam Backup & Replication will start its console. In the Backup Properties window, select the necessary
machine and click Restore > Restore to Amazon EC2. In this case, you will pass to the Account step of the
wizard.
Step 2. Select Machine and Restore Point
At the Machine step of the wizard, specify the machine that you plan to restore and specify a restore point to
which you want to restore the machine.
To select a machine to restore:
1. On the right of the Machine list, click Add.
2. In the Backup Browser window, expand the required backup, select the machine and click Add. You can
add several machines to the list to perform batch restore.
By default, Veeam Backup & Replication restores a machine to the latest valid restore point in the backup chain.
However, you can restore the machine to an earlier restore point.
To select a restore point, do the following:
1. In the Machine list, select the machine.
3. In the Restore Points window, select a restore point to which you want to restore the machine.
Step 3. Specify Credentials and Region Settings
At the Account step of the wizard, you can specify AWS user credentials and region settings.
To specify AWS user credentials and region settings:
1. From the AWS account list, select user credentials to connect to AWS. If you have not set up credentials
beforehand in the Cloud Credentials Manager, click the Manage accounts link or click Add on the right to
add the necessary credentials.
When you add AWS user credentials, Veeam Backup & Replication imports information about resources
associated with this user. During the restore process, Veeam Backup & Replication accesses these
resources and uses them to create a target instance in Amazon EC2.
2. From the AWS region list, select the AWS region type: Global, GovCloud (US), or China.
3. From the Data center region list, select the geographic region where Veeam Backup & Replication will
create an Amazon EC2 instance for your restored machine.
If you restore an EC2 instance from backups created with Veeam Backup for AWS to the same AWS region where
the instance is placed, after you click Next, the wizard will offer you to use region settings associated with this
instance.
Step 4. Specify Instance Name
At the Name step of the wizard, you can:
• Specify the name for the target instance
• Manage AWS tags for the target instance
Specifying Instance Name

Veeam Backup & Replication restores the machine to Amazon EC2 as an instance. An instance is a virtual
machine in Amazon EC2 with a preconfigured combination of computing resources. By default,
Veeam Backup & Replication uses the original machine name for the target instance. However, you can define a
new name for the instance if necessary.
To define a new name for the instance:
1. In the Machines to restore list, select the machine and click VM name.
2. In the Change Name window, enter a new name explicitly or specify a change name rule — add a prefix
and/or suffix to the original machine name.
Managing AWS Tags for Machine

You can use AWS tags to categorize instances in Amazon EC2. A tag is a label with metadata that includes two
properties: a key and a value. For more information on AWS tags, see the AWS Documentation.
By default, Veeam Backup & Replication adds the Original name and Restore start time tags for the target
instance. However, you can modify or delete these tags, or add new ones.
To add a new tag:
1. In the Machines to restore list, select the machine and click Tags.
2. In the Tags window, click Add.
3. In the EC2 VM Tag window, specify the Key and Value properties.
Note that you cannot add the tag with the Name key. Veeam Backup & Replication uses the Name tag to
set the name for the target instance in Amazon EC2.
To modify a tag:
2. In the Tags window, select the needed tag and click Edit.
3. In the EC2 VM Tag window, edit the Key or Value properties.
To delete a tag:
2. In the Tags window, select the needed tag and click Remove.
NOTE:
If you restore a machine from backups of an Amazon EC2 instance, Veeam Backup & Replication displays
tags that were assigned to this instance. You can modify or delete these tags as well.
Step 5. Specify Instance Type
At the Instance Type step of the wizard, you can:
• Select the instance type for the restored machine
• Select disks for the restored machine
Selecting Instance Type

You can select the amount of computing resources that AWS will provision for your restored machine — an
Amazon EC2 instance type. Each instance type offers a unique combination of CPU, memory, storage, and
networking resources.
To select an instance type for the machine:
1. In the Virtual machines list, select the machine and click Edit.
2. From the EC2 instance type list, select the instance type for the restored machine.
Make sure that you select the right instance type that corresponds to the initial machine configuration. For
information on instance types, see Amazon EC2 Instance Types.
Note that if you restore an EC2 instance from backups created with Veeam Backup for AWS,
Veeam Backup & Replication will identify the type of a backed-up instance and select it by default.
3. [For Microsoft Windows machines] From the OS license list, select the license policy that AWS will apply
for Microsoft software on the target instance:
o Provided by Amazon AWS. Select this option if you want to obtain licenses for Microsoft software
from AWS.
o Bring Your Own License (BYOL). Select this option if you want to use your existing licenses for
Microsoft software.
For more information on Microsoft software licensing in AWS, see Microsoft Licensing on AWS.
4. Click OK.
Selecting Machine Disks

If necessary, you can restore only specific machine disks.
To select machine disks for restore:
1. In the Virtual machines list, select the machine and click Disks.
2. In the Disks To Restore window, select check boxes next to disks that you want to restore.
In Amazon EC2, Veeam Backup & Replication saves disks of the restored machine as Amazon Elastic Block Store
(EBS) volumes. By default, Veeam Backup & Replication creates EBS volumes of the General Purpose SSD type.
For information on types of EBS volumes, see the AWS Documentation.
If necessary, you can change the EBS volume type. To do that, perform the following steps:
1. In the Virtual machines list, select the machine and click Disks.
2. In the Disks To Restore window, select the machine disk and click Disk type.
3. In the Select EC2 Disk Type window, choose the volume type.
If you selected the Provisioned IOPS SSD (IO1) type, you can also specify the maximum number of
input/output operations per second (IOPS) for the volume. For more information on IOPS, see the AWS
Documentation.
TIP:
For your convenience, Veeam Backup & Replication uses the AWS Simple Monthly Calculator tools to
estimate an approximate price per month for using a selected instance. The estimated price is calculated
based on the instance type, license policy and disk configuration.
Step 6. Select Amazon VPC
At the Network step of the wizard, you can select to which Amazon Virtual Private Cloud (Amazon VPC) the
target Amazon EC2 instance must be connected. You can also specify a subnet, and a security group — a virtual
firewall for the target instance. For more information on Amazon VPC, see the AWS Documentation.
To define network settings for the target instance, do the following:
1. From the Amazon VPC list, select the Amazon VPC where the target instance will be launched.
2. From the Subnet list, select the subnet for the target instance.
3. From the Security group list, select a security group that will be associated with your target instance.
4. From the Public IP address list, select one of the following:
o Assign (restored VM will be accessible from the Internet) — if you want to assign a public IP to the
target instance. For security reasons, make sure traffic filtration rules are properly configured in the
security group.
o Do not assign (more secure) — if you do not want to assign a public IP.
5. Click OK.
This step is available if you restore Microsoft Windows workloads.
software before restoring the machine to Amazon EC2. For more information on secure restore, see Secure
Restore.
1. At the Secure Restore step of the wizard, select the Scan the restored VM for malware prior to performing
the recovery check box.
o Proceed with recovery but connect the VM to a different network. Select this action if you want to
restore the machine to a different AWS security group.
Click the Click to change link to select the security group.
3. Select the Scan the entire image check box if you want the antivirus software to continue machine scan
after the first malware is found. For information on how to view results of the malware scan, see Viewing
Malware Scan Results.
At the Proxy Appliance step of the wizard, you can specify the proxy appliance settings. A proxy appliance is an
auxiliary Linux-based instance. The proxy appliance is non-persistent. Veeam Backup & Replication
automatically deploys the appliance in Amazon EC2 only for the duration of the restore process and removes it
immediately after that.
The proxy appliance is required if you restore machines from backups stored in external repositories or object
storage repositories, and is recommended to use if you restore machines from backup repositories. During the
restore process, Veeam Backup & Replication may require the proxy appliance to upload disks of a backed-up
machine to Amazon EC2.
When configuring the proxy appliance, mind the following:
• If you want to restore from backups in an on-premises object storage repository, the proxy appliance
machine must have access to the source object storage repository. To provide access to object storage
repositories, you can use VPN or AWS Direct Connect.
• To upload one machine disk to Amazon EC2, the proxy appliance requires 1 GB RAM. Make sure that the
type of EC2 instance selected for the proxy appliance offers enough memory resources to upload all
machine disks. Otherwise, the restore process may fail.
• A subnet and security group that you select for the proxy appliance must meet the following
requirements:
o Auto-assignment of public IPv4 addresses must be enabled in the subnet. For more information on
how to enable this option, see the AWS Documentation.
o The subnet route table must contain a default route to an active AWS internet gateway. For more
information on internet gateways and how to create route tables, see the AWS Documentation.
o The subnet must have no network access control lists (ACLs) or a network ACL that allows inbound
and outbound traffic on the ports listed in the Used Ports section.
o The security group must allow inbound and outbound traffic on the ports listed in the Used Ports
section.
To specify proxy appliance settings, do the following:
1. Select the Use the proxy appliance check box.
2. Click Customize.
3. From the EC2 instance type list, select the instance type for the proxy appliance.
4. From the Subnet list, select the subnet for the proxy appliance.
5. From the Security group list, select a security group that will be associated with the proxy appliance.
6. In the Redirector port field, specify the port that Veeam Backup & Replication will use to route requests
between the proxy appliance and backup infrastructure components.
7. Click OK.
At the Reason step of the wizard, enter a reason for restoring the machine. The information you provide will be
saved in the session history in Veeam Backup & Replication, and you can view it later.
TIP:
again check box.
Step 10. Start Restore Process
At the Ready to Restore step of the wizard, check the specified settings and click Finish.
Veeam Backup & Replication will start the restore process.
You can track the restore process in the Restore Session window. If you need to cancel the machine restore, click
the Cancel restore task link.
Secure Restore
Veeam Backup & Replication allows you to perform secure restore — scan machine data with antivirus software
before restoring the machine to the production environment.
During secure restore, Veeam Backup & Replication mounts disks of the machine that you plan to restore to the
mount server. On the mount server, Veeam Backup & Replication triggers an antivirus to scan files from the
mounted disks. If during the scan the antivirus detects malware, Veeam Backup & Replication will either abort
the restore process, or restore the machine or its disks with restrictions depending on secure restore settings.
Secure restore is available for the following restore operations:
• Entire VM Restore
• Restore to Microsoft Azure
• Restore to Amazon EC2
• Amazon EC2 Instance Disks Export
• SureBackup
To perform secure restore, you must enable the Scan the restored machine for malware prior to performing the
recovery option at the Secure Restore step of the restore wizard.
TIP:
You can also scan machine data for malware regularly within a SureBackup job. For information on how to
enable the malware scan for a SureBackup job, see the Settings step of the SureBackup job wizard.
Requirements and Limitations for Secure Restore

Before you perform secure restore, check the following prerequisites:
• You can perform secure restore only for machines that run Microsoft Windows.
• The antivirus software must be installed on the mount server and support the command line interface
(CLI).
• The antivirus configuration file must be located on the mount server and must be properly configured. For
details, see Antivirus XML Configuration File.
• Veeam Backup & Replication does not perform malware scan for disks or volumes that cannot be mounted
to the mount server.
For example, Storage Spaces disks or ReFS volumes (if ReFS is not supported by the mount server OS) are
skipped from the scan and restored in a regular way.
How Secure Restore Works
Veeam Backup & Replication uses the mount server as a staging server for scanning machine data with antivirus
software. By default, the mount server role is assigned to one of the following machines: the Veeam backup
server or a repository that stores machine backups. However, you can assign the mount server role to any 64-bit
Microsoft Windows machine in your backup infrastructure. For example, you may want to run the malware scan
process on a different server for security reasons. For details on mount server deployment and requirements,
see Mount Server.
To run the malware scan, Veeam Backup & Replication performs the following actions:
1. On the mount server, Veeam Backup & Replication runs Veeam Mount Service to check the antivirus
configuration file and antivirus software:
a. Veeam Mount Service verifies if the AntivirusInfos.xml configuration file is located in the
%ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Veeam\Backup and Replication\Mount Service folder.
b. Veeam Mount Service checks the scan settings in the configuration file and verifies if the antivirus is
installed on the mount server.
Note that if the antivirus is not installed or the configuration file is improperly configured,
Veeam Backup & Replication will not start the restore process. In the restore wizard, you will not be
able to pass the step with secure restore settings.
2. Veeam Backup & Replication mounts machine disks from backups to the mount server under the
C:\VeeamFLR\<machinename> folder.
3. Veeam Backup & Replication triggers the antivirus to scan files in the C:\VeeamFLR\<machinename>
folder.
If during the scan the antivirus does not detect malware, Veeam Backup & Replication restores the machine or
its disks to the target location.
If the antivirus detects malware, Veeam Backup & Replication will either abort the restore process, or restore
the machine or its disks with restrictions depending on the following secure restore settings:
• Disable the network adapter (NIC) on the restored machine.
• Connect the restored machine to a different Microsoft Azure virtual network.
• Change the AWS security group for the restored machine.
• Disconnect restored virtual disks from the target VM.
You can further access the restored machine or its disks in the isolated environment and clean the infection.
Antivirus XML Configuration File
The antivirus software that you plan to use for scanning backups is described in the AntivirusInfos.xml
file. Veeam Backup & Replication creates this configuration file on every machine with the mount server role
and stores the file in the %ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Veeam\Backup and Replication\Mount
Service folder.
During secure restore, Veeam Backup & Replication reads settings from the configuration file and triggers the
antivirus to scan backup files. The settings in the file are already predefined for the following antivirus software:
• Symantec Protection Engine
• ESET
• Windows Defender
• Kaspersky Security 10
If you want to scan machine data with other antivirus software, you must add configuration for this software to
the AntivirusInfos.xml file. The configuration must contain the same elements and attributes as the
antiviruses supported out-of-the-box. Mind that the antivirus software must support the command line
interface (CLI).
NOTE:
If you made changes to the antivirus configuration file, you do not need to restart Veeam services on the
backup server — Veeam Backup & Replication will perform the next malware scan with new settings.
XML File Structure
The XML file describing antivirus settings has the following structure:
<Antiviruses>

<AntivirusInfo Name='Symantec' IsPortableSoftware='false' ExecutableFilePath=
'Veeam.Backup.Antivirus.Scan.exe' CommandLineParameters='/p:%Path%' RegPath='HK
EY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\symcscan' ServiceName='symcs
can' ThreatExistsRegEx='Threat\s+found' IsParallelScanAvailable='false'>
<ExitCodes>
<ExitCode Type='Success' Description='No threats detected'>0</ExitCode>
<ExitCode Type='Error' Description='Invalid command line argument'>1</E
xitCode>
<ExitCode Type='Error' Description='Antivirus scan was completed with e
rrors'>2</ExitCode>
<ExitCode Type='Error' Description='Antivirus scan was canceled'>4</Exi
tCode>
<ExitCode Type='Infected' Description='Virus threat was detected'>3</Ex
itCode>
</ExitCodes>
</AntivirusInfo>

<AntivirusInfo Name='Eset File Security' IsPortableSoftware='true' Executable
FilePath='%ProgramFiles%\ESET\ESET File Security\ecls.exe' CommandLineParameter
s='%Path% /clean-mode=None /no-symlink' RegPath='' ServiceName='' ThreatExistsR
egEx='threat\s*=\s*["'](?!is OK["'])[^"']+["']' IsParallelS
canAvailable='false'>
<ExitCodes>
itCode>
<ExitCode Type='Warning' Description='Some files were not scanned'>10</
ExitCode>
<ExitCode Type='Infected' Description='Virus threat was detected'>50</E
xitCode>
rrors'>100</ExitCode>
</ExitCodes>
</AntivirusInfo>
<AntivirusInfo Name='ESET Antivirus' IsPortableSoftware='true' ExecutableFile
Path='%ProgramFiles%\ESET\ESET Security\ecls.exe' CommandLineParameters='%Path%
/clean-mode=None /no-symlink' RegPath='' ServiceName='' ThreatExistsRegEx='thre
at\s*=\s*["'](?!is OK["'])[^"']+["']' IsParallelScanAvailab
le='false'>
<ExitCodes>
itCode>
<ExitCode Type='Warning' Description='Some files were not scanned'>10</
ExitCode>
<ExitCode Type='Infected' Description='Virus threat was detected'>50</E
xitCode>
rrors'>100</ExitCode>
</ExitCodes>
</AntivirusInfo>

<AntivirusInfo Name='Windows Defender' IsPortableSoftware='false' ExecutableF
ilePath='%ProgramFiles%\Windows Defender\mpcmdrun.exe' CommandLineParameters='-
Scan -ScanType 3 -File %Path% -DisableRemediation -BootSectorScan' RegPath='HKE
Y_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\WinDefend' ServiceName='WinDe
fend' ThreatExistsRegEx='Threat\s+information' IsParallelScanAvailable='false'>
<ExitCodes>
rrors'>2</ExitCode>
itCode>
</ExitCodes>
</AntivirusInfo>

<AntivirusInfo Name='Kaspersky Security' IsPortableSoftware='false' Executabl
eFilePath='kavshell.exe' CommandLineParameters='scan %Path%' RegPath='HKEY_LOCA
L_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\KAVFS' ServiceName='kavfs' ThreatEx
istsRegEx='' IsParallelScanAvailable='false'>
<ExitCodes>
<ExitCode Type='Warning' Description='There were processing errors for
some files'>-82</ExitCode>
<ExitCode Type='Warning' Description='Some files were not scanned'>-83<
/ExitCode>
<ExitCode Type='Warning' Description='Some files were corrupted'>-84</E
xitCode>
<ExitCode Type='Error' Description='Operation timed out'>2</ExitCode>
<ExitCode Type='Error' Description='Antivirus scan was canceled'>1</Exi
tCode>
<ExitCode Type='Error' Description='Service process is not running'>-2<
/ExitCode>
<ExitCode Type='Error' Description='Access denied'>-3</ExitCode>
<ExitCode Type='Error' Description='Object not found'>-4</ExitCode>
<ExitCode Type='Error' Description='Invalid syntax'>-5</ExitCode>
<ExitCode Type='Error' Description='Invalid operation'>-6</ExitCode>
<ExitCode Type='Error' Description='Service does not exist'>-7</ExitCod
e>
<ExitCode Type='Error' Description='Service disabled'>-8</ExitCode>
<ExitCode Type='Error' Description='Service logon failure'>-9</ExitCode
>
<ExitCode Type='Error' Description='Unable to create file'>-10</ExitCod
e>
<ExitCode Type='Error' Description='Invalid command line argument'>-11<
/ExitCode>
<ExitCode Type='Error' Description='Invalid password'>-12</ExitCode>
<ExitCode Type='Error' Description='Cannot create report file'>-85</Exi
tCode>
<ExitCode Type='Error' Description='License is invalid'>-301</ExitCode>
<ExitCode Type='Error' Description='Antivirus bases are corrupted'>-236
</ExitCode>
<ExitCode Type='Infected' Description='Infected object was detected'>-8
0</ExitCode>
<ExitCode Type='Infected' Description='Possibly infected object was det
ected'>-81</ExitCode>
</ExitCodes>
</AntivirusInfo>
</Antiviruses>
The XML file contains the following elements:
• Antiviruses. The element encapsulates the file with antivirus settings.
• AntivirusInfo. The element describes the antivirus software.
• ExitCodes. The element encapsulates messages that Veeam Backup & Replication displays on scan results.
• ExitCode. The element describes the subject and the body of the message that
Veeam Backup & Replication displays on scan results.
AntivirusInfo
The element has the following attributes:
Attribute Description
Name Specifies the antivirus name. Veeam Backup & Replication will display this name
in restore session logs.
IsPortableSoftware Indicates if antivirus software is portable:

• If you set this attribute to True, Veeam Backup & Replication will treat the
antivirus software as portable. Before performing secure restore,
Veeam Backup & Replication will verify if the antivirus executable file
exists. The path to the file is specified by the ExecutableFilePath attribute.
• If you set this attribute to False, Veeam Backup & Replication will treat
the antivirus software as non-portable. Before performing secure restore,
Veeam Backup & Replication will verify if the antivirus registry key exists
and if the antivirus service is running.
The key is specified by the RegPath attribute. The service name is specified
by the ServiceName attribute.
ExecutableFilePath Specifies the path to the antivirus executable file.
CommandLineParameters Specifies antivirus commands that you want to execute during the scan. Make
sure that the antivirus supports the specified commands. For example, the list of
commands for ESET is available in this ESET KB article.
Note: The %Path% variable is required for this attribute. During secure restore,
Veeam Backup & Replication substitutes this variable for the path to the folder
with mounted disks (C:\VeeamFLR\<machinename>).
ServiceName Specifies the name of the antivirus service. The service must be responsible for
data scanning. The attribute value can be an empty string if IsPortableSoftware =
True and ExecutableFilePath is specified.
RegPath Specifies the registry key of the anitivirus service. The attribute value can be an
empty string if IsPortableSoftware = True and ExecutableFilePath is specified.
ThreatExistsRegEx Specifies regular expressions. A regular expression is a sequence of characters

that form a search pattern. Veeam Backup & Replication will search the antivirus
output messages for the specified regular expression. If any of the output
messages match the expression, Veeam Backup & Replication will notify you on
detected threat.
Note: You must have a good understanding of the regular expression language
to specify this attribute properly. For more information on the regular expression
language, see Microsoft Docs.
IsParallelScanAvailable Indicates if the antivirus will run multiple jobs to scan files on mounted disks
simultaneously.
If you set this attribute to True, Veeam Backup & Replication will lock the
antivirus to perform the scan for the current restore session. The antivirus will
not be available for other sessions with enabled secure restore until the scan
completes.
The default value for antivirus lock time-out is 24 hours. If the scan does not
complete after this period, Veeam Backup & Replication will finish other restore
sessions as specified in the restore wizard: abort restore sessions or restore
machines (or its disks) with restrictions.
Note: You can change the lock time-out using registry keys. For more
information, contact Veeam Support.
If the antivirus CLI does not support multiple scan jobs, set this attribute to
False.
ExitCode
The element has the following attributes:
Type Specifies the subject of the message that Veeam Backup & Replication will
display on scan results:
• Success
• Infected
• Warning
• Error
Description Specifies the body of the message that Veeam Backup & Replication will display
on scan results.
TIP:
You can distribute the XML configuration file among other mount servers in your backup infrastructure
using Veeam PowerShell. For more information, see the Copy-VBRAntivirusConfigurationFile section in the
Veeam PowerShell Reference.
Viewing Malware Scan Results
Results of the malware scan are available in restore session statistics.
To view restore session statistics, do one of the following:
• Open the Home view, in the inventory pane select Last 24 hours. In the working area, double-click the
• Open the History view, in the inventory pane select Restore. In the working area, double-click the
To view the detailed logging of the malware scan, click the Scan Log button at the bottom of the window with
restore session statistics. Veeam Backup & Replication will display the most recent logs in a file of 1 MB in size.
Full logs of the scan are stored on the mount server in the following folder:
C:\ProgramData\Veeam\Backup\FLRSessions\Windows\FLR__<machinename>_\Antivirus.
Staged Restore
Veeam Backup & Replication allows you to perform staged restore — run an executable script for VMs before
recovering them to the production environment.
Staged restore can help you ensure that recovered VMs do not contain any personal or sensitive data. For
example, you can instruct Veeam Backup & Replication to run a Windows PowerShell script that removes Active
Directory users:
$UserName = "John.Smith"
$ADUser = Get-ADUser -Filter 'Name -like $UserName'
if (!$ADUser)
{
[Environment]::Exit(1)
}
Remove-ADUser -Identity $UserName -Confirm:$false
Stage restore is available only for entire VM restore operations. To perform staged restore, you must select the
Staged Restore mode in the Full VM Restore wizard and specify staged restore settings.
Requirements and Limitations for Staged Restore

Before you perform staged restore, check the following prerequisites:
• The staged restore functionality is available in the Enterprise and Enterprise Plus editions of
• You must have a preconfigured virtual lab in your backup infrastructure. For more information, see Virtual
Lab.
• Scripts that you plan to run must reside in a local folder on a backup server.
• If you plan to perform staged restore for several VMs within one restore session, make sure these VMs run
OS of the same type: either Microsoft Windows or Linux. In the current version of
Veeam Backup & Replication, you cannot specify credentials and scripts for each VM individually.
• When restoring VMs, Veeam Backup & Replication uses the Veeam Quick Migration method. vMotion and
Storage vMotion methods cannot be used. For more information on the Quick Migration method, see
Quick Migration.
How Staged Restore Works

For staged restore, Veeam Backup & Replication uses a preconfigured virtual lab, an executable script located on
the backup server, and credentials to connect to VMs and run the script. Veeam Backup & Replication performs
staged restore in the following way:
1. In the virtual lab, Veeam Backup & Replication starts VMs directly from compressed and deduplicated
backup files that reside in the backup repository. To achieve this, Veeam Backup & Replication uses the
Veeam vPower NFS Service.
If you selected to use an application group to run a script, Veeam Backup & Replication first starts VMs
from the application group in the required order.
2. Veeam Backup & Replication copies the script from the backup server to VMs that you plan to restore.
To connect to VMs, Veeam Backup & Replication uses credentials specified in staged restore settings.
3. Veeam Backup & Replication runs the copied script on every VM.
To run the script, Veeam Backup & Replication uses the same technology as for pre-freeze and post-thaw
scripts. For more information, see Pre-Freeze and Post-Thaw Scripts.
4. All VM changes that take place during script execution are written to VM delta files.
By default, Veeam Backup & Replication stores delta files on the vPower NFS server. You can change the
destination for VM delta files in virtual lab settings.
5. After the script execution is complete, Veeam Backup & Replication makes a safe shutdown of VMs in the
virtual lab.
6. Veeam Backup & Replication restores VMs in a changed state to the production environment.
To achieve that, Veeam Backup & Replication copies VM data from the backup repository and delta files to
the target host using Veeam Quick Migration.
vCloud Director Support
Veeam Backup & Replication provides support for vCloud Director. Veeam Backup & Replication uses vCloud
Director API to back up vApps and VMs and restore them directly to the vCloud Director hierarchy.
The main entity with which Veeam Backup & Replication works during backup is a vApp. A vApp is a virtual
system that contains one or more individual VMs along with parameters that define operational details — vApp
metadata. When Veeam Backup & Replication performs backup of VMs, it captures not only data of VMs being a
part of vApps, but also vApp metadata. As a result, you can restore vCloud Director objects back to the vCloud
Director hierarchy and do not need to perform any additional actions on import and VM configuration.
Viewing vCloud Director VMs
After you add the vCloud Director server to the backup infrastructure, you can view the vCloud Director
hierarchy in Veeam Backup & Replication and work with vCloud Director VMs.
To open the vCloud Director hierarchy:
2. Click the View tab on the ribbon.
3. On the View tab, click vCloud View.
The hierarchy of the vCloud Director server will become available in the inventory pane. VMs managed by
vCloud Director will be displayed in the working area. You can work with these VMs just as if you worked with
VMs managed by vCenter Servers or registered on ESXi hosts in your backup infrastructure.
Backup and Restore of vApps
Veeam Backup & Replication lets you back up vCloud Director vApps and restore them back to the vCloud
Director hierarchy.
In terms of vCloud Director, a vApp is a coherent system that includes one or more VMs. Every vApp is described
with a set of operational details — vApp metadata. vApp metadata contains the following information:
• vApp owner settings
• Access rights settings
• vApp network settings: information about organization networks to which the vApp is connected
• Lease settings and so on
When Veeam Backup & Replication performs backup of a vApp, it backs up all VMs being a part of this vApp
along with the vApp metadata. Backup of the vApp is performed with the vCD backup job. The vCD backup job
may contain one or several vApps. If necessary, you can exclude specific VMs and VM disks from the backup
when configuring a vCD backup job.
Veeam Backup & Replication offers the following restore options for backed-up vApps:
• Restoring vApps to vCloud Director
• Restore of separate VMs being a part of the vApp to vCloud Director
NOTE:
Veeam Backup & Replication shows restore points of a VM that is no longer processed, for example
excluded from the job or deleted, as long as incremental backup files with this VM exist in the active
backup chain. After Veeam Backup & Replication deletes the files according to the retention policy, it also
hides the VM restore points from the list of restore points created with this backup job. Although the full
backup file with the VM may still exist, restore from this file into the vCloud Director is not supported.
Backup of vCloud Director VMs
Veeam Backup & Replication lets you perform backup for vApps and VMs, as well as VM containers in vCloud
Director such as Organization vDC, Organization and even the vCloud Director instance.
When Veeam Backup & Replication performs backup of vApps and VMs, it additionally captures vApp metadata.
vApp metadata includes:
• General information about the vApp where VMs reside, such as: vApp name, description, VMs descriptions
• Information about vApp networks and organization networks to which the vApp is connected
• VMs startup options
• User information
• Lease
• Quota
• Storage template and so on
vApp metadata is stored together with the VM content. Capturing vApp metadata is extremely important for
restore: without it, you will not be able to restore vApps and VMs back to vCloud Director.
Data to Back Up
Veeam Backup & Replication lets you back up the following types of vCloud Director VMs:
• Regular VMs that are part of vApps
• Standalone VMs that were created in the vCloud Director tenant portal
• Linked clone VMs that are associated with vApps
Backup of Regular and Standalone VMs

When you back up regular or standalone VMs, Veeam Backup & Replication captures and stores to the backup
file the following data:
• VM disk content
• vApp metadata
• VM metadata
Backup of Linked Clone VMs

When you back up linked clone VMs, Veeam Backup & Replication captures and stores to the backup file the
following data:
• Content of the template to which the VM is linked
• Content of the VM user disk — delta disk
• vApp metadata
• VM metadata
During full backup of linked clone VMs, Veeam Backup & Replication consolidates data of the VM template and
delta disk and saves it as a regular VM disk in the backup file. Data merging guarantees proper VM restore: even
if a VM template is lost by the time of recovery, you will still be able to restore the linked clone VM from the
backup.
During incremental backup, Veeam Backup & Replication saves only changed data of the delta file.
Limitations for Backup of Linked Clone VMs
Before you back up linked clone VMs, consider the following:
• [For vCenter 6.5 or later] If you back up a linked clone VM that has snapshots,
Veeam Backup & Replication may fail to produce a valid restore point. To overcome this issue, do one of
the following:
o Disable CBT (Change Block Tracking) in the backup job settings.
o Ensure that CBT is enabled on the VM template to which the VM is linked.
For details on how to enable CBT on the VM template, contact Veeam Customer Support.
• Backup of linked clone VMs that were created with services other than vCloud Director may cause
snapshot-related problems. To overcome this issue, disable Veeam Snapshot Hunter. For details, see this
Veeam KB article.
vCD Backup Jobs
For VMs managed by vCloud Director, Veeam Backup & Replication offers a special type of the backup job — vCD
backup job. vCD backup jobs process vCloud Director objects, ensure their proper restore and support of
vCloud-specific features.
It is recommended that you use vCD backup jobs to back up VMs managed by vCloud Director. If you back up
VMs managed by vCloud Director using a regular backup job, Veeam Backup & Replication will perform backup
at the level of the underlying vCenter Server and will not capture vApp metadata. As a result, you will not be
able to restore a fully-functioning VM to vCloud Director.
Performing Backup of vCloud Director VMs
The vCD backup is practically the same as a regular VM backup. The vCD backup job aggregates main settings
for the backup task and defines when, what, how and where to back up vCloud Director VMs.
You can perform the vCD backup job for single VMs and for VM containers:
• vApp
• Organization vDC
• Organization
• vCloud Director instance
Just like a regular backup job, the vCD backup job can be scheduled or run manually. To create a vCD backup
job, do one of the following:
• On the Home tab, click Backup Job and select vCloud.
• Open the Home view, in the inventory pane right-click Jobs and select Backup > vCloud.
• Open the Inventory view, click the View tab and click vCloud View on the ribbon. In the inventory pane
expand the vCloud Director hierarchy, in the working area select one or more VMs, click Add to Backup on
the ribbon and select New job. Alternatively, you can right-click one or several VMs and select Add to
backup job > New job. In this case, the selected VMs will be automatically added to the new vCD backup
job. You can add other VMs to the job when passing through the wizard steps.
You can quickly include VMs to already existing vCD backup jobs. To do this, in the Inventory view, in the
working area right-click necessary VMs and select Add to backup job > name of the job.
The New vCD Backup Job wizard offers the same options as a New Backup Job wizard. For more information, see
Creating Backup Jobs.
IMPORTANT!
If you run a vCD backup job for the vApp, the job is considered to finish with the Success status and the
complete restore point for the vApp is created only if all VMs in the vApp are successfully backed up. If any
VM in the job fails, the restore point for the vApp will be in the incomplete status, and you will not be able
to restore the whole vApp from such restore point.
However, you will be able to perform restore to the original vApp for VMs that were partially or
successfully backed up and whose data is available in the incomplete restore point.
Veeam Backup & Replication will restore all data that is available for such VMs in the backup.
Creating VeeamZIP Files for vCloud Director VMs
You can create a VeeamZIP file for one or more vCloud Director VMs.
When Veeam Backup & Replication creates a VeeamZIP file for a vCloud Director VM, it backs up a VM as
separate object. Veeam Backup & Replication does not capture metadata of the vApp to which the VM belongs.
When you restore a vCloud Director VM from the VeeamZIP file, Veeam Backup & Replication registers the VM
on the underlying ESXi host and does not register the VM in vCloud Director.
The process of VeeamZIP files creation for vCloud Director VMs does not differ from that for regular VMware
VMs. For more information, see Creating VeeamZIP Files.
vCloud Director Replication
vCloud director replication is a replication technology that allows you to replicate tenant vApps between
production and disaster recovery vCD environments, to the original Organization vDC or to another Organization
vCD added to a different vCloud Director. Using the vCloud director replication you can replicate the following
VM containers:
• vApps
• vCloud Organizations
• vCloud Organization vDC
• vCloud Director instances
The vCloud director replication technology utilizes the same mechanisms as the VM replica and follows the
same recovery scenarios. The main differences from VM replica are the following:
• The vCD replica target is an Organization vDC and it must be set up beforehand in your Cloud Director
infrastructure.
• A minimal unit of a vCD replication is a vApp, you cannot replicate a single VM.
• The vCD replica snapshots are created on the target vApp.
• A single restore point of the vCD replica contains snapshots of all VMs added to a vApp. To maintain
consistency, a VM contains information on data which is related not only to this VM, but to all VMs that
belong to the same vApp.
The vCloud director replication technology supports the same functionality as a normal VM replication: you can
create vCD replication jobs, perform failover and failback operations with backed-up VM containers and manage
the replicated VM containers.
Related Topics
• Creating vCD Replication Job
• Managing vCD Replicas
• Performing Failover and Failback
Creating vCD Replication Job
To replicate a vApp or another VM container, you must configure a vCD replication job. The vCD replication job
defines a scope of VM containers to protect, where to store replicated VM containers and how often replicate
VM containers. Every time the vCD replication job runs, a replica snapshot of a VM container is created on the
target Organization vDC. In case of a disaster you can fail over to the necessary snapshot of your VM
container and proceed working with the replicated VMs.
IMPORTANT
• vCD replication job does not support a replication of a single VM that is added to a vApp. You can
replicate only vApps or VM containers.
• vCD replication backs up standalone VMs (VMs which vApp is hidden from a tenant) as a vApp.
To create a vCD replication job, do the following:
1. Check prerequisits
2. Launch the New Replication Job wizard
3. Specify a job name and advanced settings
4. Launch the New Replication Job wizard
5. Specify a job name and advanced settings
6. Select vApps to replicate
7. Exclude objects from replication job
8. Specify the vApp processing order
9. Select a destination for replicas
10. Configure network mapping
11. Specify replication job settings
12. Specify advanced replica settings
13. Specify data transfer and replica settings
14. Configure seeding and mapping settings
15. Specify guest processing settings
16. Define a job schedule
17. Finish working with wizard
Before You Begin

Before you create a vCD replication job, check the following prerequisites:
• The supported vCloud Director versions are 9.7 - 10.2.
• You must add vCloud Director server to the backup infrastructure. The backup server must be able to
resolve short names and connect to source and target virtualization hosts.
• You must set up the Organization vDC that will keep the vApp replicas before creating the replication job.
It can be a virtual datacenter inside the same vCloud Director, or it can be a virtual datacenter belonging
to another vCloud Director.
• vCloud director replication does not support replica from a backup.
• vCloud director replication does not support initial seeding from backup.
• vCloud Director replication does not use and support continuous data protection (CDP).
• vCloud Director replication does not support replication of a vApp to a Cloud Provider.
NOTE
It is possible to replicate vSphere VMs to your Cloud Provider vCloud.
• If you plan to replicate VM containers using WAN accelerators, source and target WAN accelerators must
be added to the backup infrastructure and properly configured. For more information, see Adding WAN
Accelerators.
• If you plan to replicate VM containers using WAN accelerators, it is recommended that you pre-populate
global cache on the target WAN accelerator before you start the vCD replication job. Global cache
population helps reduce the amount of traffic transferred over WAN. For more information, see Populating
Global Cache.
scripts before you configure the vCD replication job. Veeam Backup & Replication supports script files in
the following formats: EXE, BAT, CMD, JS, VBS, WSF, PS1, SH.
• You must check limitations for replication. For more information, see About Replication.
Step 1. Launch New Replication Job Wizard
To launch the New Replication Job wizard, do one of the following:
• On the Home tab, click Replication Job > VMware vCloud Director.
• Open the Home view, in the inventory pane right-click Jobs and select Replication > VMware vCloud
Director.
Step 2. Specify Job Name and Advanced Settings
At the Name step of the wizard, specify a job name and description, and configure advanced settings for the vCD
replication job.
1. In the Name field, enter a name of the replication job.
3. If you plan to replicate VMs to a disaster recovery (DR) site, you can use a number of advanced settings for
the job:
o Select the Replica seeding (for low bandwidth DR sites) check box to enable the Seeding step in the
wizard. Replica seeding can be used if you plan to replicate vApps and want to reduce the amount of
traffic sent over the network during the first run of the replication job.
o Select the Network remapping (for DR sites with different virtual networks) check box to enable the
Network step in the wizard. If the network in the DR site does not match the production network, you
can resolve this mismatch by creating a network mapping table.
NOTE
vCD replication jobs do not support network mapping of the vApp networks. You can configure
a mapping table for Organization vCD network only.
Step 3. Select vApps to Replicate
At the vApps step of the wizard, select vApps or VM containers in vCloud Director such as Organization vDC,
Organization and even the vCloud Director instance.
1. Click Add.
2. In the Selects Objects window, select the necessary vApps or vApps containers. If you select vApps
containers (for example, Organization vCDs) and add new vApps to this container in future,
Veeam Backup & Replication will update replication policy settings automatically to include these vApps.
Click Add.
IMPORTANT
vCD replication job does not support a replication of a single VM that is added to a vApp. You can
replicate only vApps or VM containers.
To quickly find necessary vApps, you can use the search field at the bottom of the Selects Objects window.
If you want to switch between types of vApps you want to search through, use the button to the left of
the search field.
Step 4. Exclude Objects
After you have added vApps or VM containers to the replication job, at the vApps step of the wizard you can
specify which objects you want to exclude from the replication job. You can exclude the following types of
objects:
• vApps and VM containers
• Disks
NOTE
To make the replication process faster and reduce the size of created replicas, Veeam Backup & Replication
automatically excludes the following objects from replication:
• VM log files
• VM templates from VM containers
vApps and VM Containers

To exclude vApps or vApp containers:
1. At the vApps step of the wizard, click Exclusions.
2. In the Exclusions window, check that the vApps tab is selected. Click Add.
3. In the Select Objects window, select vApps or vApp containers that you want to exclude from replication
jobs. Click OK.
Select the Show full hierarchy check box to display the hierarchy of all vCloud Director Servers added to
the backup infrastructure.
Specifying Disks
This option allows you to specify VM disks that you want to replicate and the VM disks that you want to exclude
from replication job.
1. At the vApps step of the wizard, click Exclusions.
2. Switch to the Disks tab.
3. Click Add.
4. In the Select Objects window, select vApps or vApp containers which disks you want to replicate.
TIP
You can specify disks for a single VM.
5. To replicate a specific type of disks, select the necessary vApps or vApp containers in the list and click
Edit.
6. In the Select Disks window, select disks that you want to replicate: all disks, 0:0 disks (as a rule, system
disks) or specific IDE, SCSI, SATA or NVMe disks.
7. Click OK.
Step 5. Define vApp Processing Order
You can define the order in which the replication job must process vApps. Setting vApps order can be helpful,
for example, if you have added some mission-critical vApps to the job and want the job to process them first.
You can set these vApps first in list to ensure that their processing fits the backup window.
At the vApps step of the wizard, click Up and Down to change the processing order. VApps at the top of the list
have a higher priority and will be processed first.
NOTE
Mind the following:
• VMs inside vApps or a VM container are processed at random.

• The processing order may differ from the order that you have specified. For example, if resources of a
vApp that is higher in the priority are not available, and resources of a vApp that is lower in the
priority are available, Veeam Backup & Replication will process the vApp with the lower priority first.
Step 6. Select Replica Destination
At the Destination step of the wizard, select an Organization vDC to which you want to restore the vApps
replicas and the storage policy that you want to apply to the vApps replicas. You can assign a storage policy to
all objects of your vCloud director infrastructure and also specify a storage policy for a particular vApp, VM or a
VM container.
1. Next to the Organization VDC field, click Choose and select an Organization vDC where replicas must be
registered.
TIP:
You can register replica to an original Organization vDC or to a new Organization vCD.
2. Next to the Storage policy VDC field, click Choose and select the storage policy.
Veeam Backup & Replication will apply this storage policy to the vApps replicas.
If you want to select a specific storage policy for vApps replicas:
a. Click the Select storage policy for individual replicas link.
b. In the Storage policy window, click Add on the right.
c. In the Select vApp(s) window, select necessary vApps.
d. Select the added vApp in the Storage policy list and click Policy at the bottom of the window.
e. From the list of available storage policies, select the necessary storage policy.
TIP:
When selecting the necessary object in the virtual infrastructure, you can use the search field at the bottom
of the corresponding window. Click the button on the left of the field to select the necessary type of
object, enter the object name or a part of it and click the Start search button on the right or press [Enter]
on the keyboard.
The Network step is available if you have chosen to use network mapping at the Name step of the wizard.
At the Network step of the wizard, configure a network mapping table. This table maps networks in the
production site to networks in the disaster recovery (DR) site. During every vCD replica job session,
Veeam Backup & Replication will check the network mapping table and update the replica configuration file to
replace the production network with the specified network in the DR site. As a result, you will not have to re-
configure network settings manually, a replicated vApp will be connected to a vDC network according to this
mapping.
NOTE
vCD replication jobs do not support network mapping of the vApp networks. You can configure a mapping
table for Organization vCD network only.
To add a row to a network mapping table:
1. Click Add.
2. Click Browse next to the Source network field and select the production network. The vApps that you
want to replicate must be connected to this network.
3. Click Browse next to the Target network field and select the network in the DR site.
Veeam Backup & Replication will connect the replicated vApps to this network.
Step 8. Specify Replication Job Settings
At the Job Settings step of the wizard, define vCD replication job settings.
1. From the Repository for replica metadata list, select a backup repository that is located in the source site.
Veeam Backup & Replication uses this backup repository to keep metadata for VM replicas — checksums of
read data blocks required to streamline incremental sessions of the replication job.
2. In the Replica name suffix field, enter a suffix for the name of vApp replicas. Veeam Backup & Replication
will add this suffix to the name of the source vApps and will register vApp replicas with this suffix.
3. In the Restore points to keep field, specify the number of restore points the replication job must maintain.
If this number is exceeded, Veeam Backup & Replication removes the earliest restore point.
When you specify the retention policy settings for the replication job, consider available space on the
target datastore. Due to VMware restrictions on the number of VM snapshots, the maximum number of
restore points for vApp replicas is limited to 28. An excessive amount of restore points may overfill the
target datastore.
IMPORTANT!
• You cannot store vApp replica metadata on deduplicating storage appliances. During replication jobs,
Veeam Backup & Replication frequently reads and writes small portions of metadata from/to the
backup repository. Frequent access to metadata causes low performance of deduplicating storage
appliances, which may result in low performance of replication jobs.
• You cannot store vApp replica metadata in a scale-out backup repository or NFS backup repository.
Step 9. Specify Advanced Replica Settings
At the Job settings step of the wizard, you can specify the following settings for the vCD replication job:
• Traffic Settings
• Notification Settings
• vSphere Settings
• Intergarition Settings
• Script Settings
TIP:
After you specify necessary settings for the replication job, you can save them as default settings. To do
new replication job, Veeam Backup & Replication will automatically apply the default settings to the new
job.
Traffic Settings
To specify traffic settings for a vCD replication job:
2. Click the Traffic tab.
changes intensively between replication job sessions, even if the VM itself does not change much.
Processing of service files reduces the job performance and increases the size of incremental data.
If you want to include data blocks of the hiberfil.sys file and pagefile.sys file to the replica, clear
OS) to the target location. This option lets you reduce the size of the VM replica and increase the job
performance. If you want to include dirty data blocks to the VM replica, clear the Exclude deleted file
blocks check box. For more information, see Deleted File Blocks.
5. From the Compression level list, select a compression level for the created VM replica: None, Dedupe-
friendly, Optimal, High or Extreme. Compression is applicable only if VM data is transferred between two
backup proxies. If one backup proxy acts as the source and target backup proxy, VM data is not
compressed at all.
job performance.
When selecting the data block size, consider the following aspects:
o When reading the VM image, Veeam Backup & Replication "splits" the VM image into blocks of the
selected size. The more data blocks there are, the more time is required to process the VM image.
o Veeam Backup & Replication writes information about every data block to the VM replica metadata
stored in the backup repository. The more data blocks there are, the more metadata is written to the
backup repository.
o During incremental job runs, Veeam Backup & Replication uses CBT to define changed data blocks in
the VM. The larger is the size of the found changed data block, the greater amount of data needs to
be transferred to the target site.
For more information, see Compression and Deduplication.
To specify notification settings for a vCD replication job:
configure software on recipient's machine to receive SNMP traps. For more information, see Specifying
SNMP Settings.
notifications by email in case of job failure or success. In the field below, specify a recipient’s email
subject: %Time% (completion time), %JobName%, %JobResult%, %ObjectCount% (number
of VMs in the job) and %Issues% (number of VMs in the job that have been processed with
iii. Select the Suppress notifications until the last retry check box to receive a notification about
the final job status. If you do not enable this option, Veeam Backup & Replication will send
one notification per every job retry.
vSphere Settings
To specify vSphere settings for a vCD replication job:
replication. Depending on the VM version, Veeam Backup & Replication will use the VMware FileSystem
Sync Driver (vmsync) driver or VMware VSS component in VMware Tools for VM snapshot creation. These
tools are responsible for quiescing the VM file system and bringing the VM to a consistent state suitable
for replication.
want to reset CBT after the replication job starts for the first time.
IMPORTANT!
snapshots.
Intergarition Settings
On the Integration tab, define whether you want to use the Backup from Storage Snapshots technology to
create a vCD replica. Backup from Storage Snapshots lets you leverage storage snapshots for VM data
processing. The technology improves RPOs and reduces the impact of replication activities on the production
environment.
To specify storage integration settings for the replication job:
from Storage Snapshots, clear this check box. For more information, see Performing Backup from Storage
Snapshots.
4. If you want to replicate vApps with multiple VMs whose disks are located on the same volume or LUN,
select the Limit processed VM count per storage snapshot to check box and specify the number of VMs for
which one storage snapshot must be created. In a regular job processing course,
Veeam Backup & Replication creates a VMware snapshot for every VM added to the job and then triggers
one storage snapshot for all VMs. In some situations, creating VMware snapshots for all VMs may require a
lot of time. If you limit the number of VMs per storage snapshot, Veeam Backup & Replication will divide
VMs into several groups, trigger a separate storage snapshot for every VM group and read VM data from
these snapshots. As a result, the job performance will increase.
For example, you add to the job vApps with 30 VMs whose disks are located on the same volume and set
the Limit processed VM count per storage snapshot to option to 10. Veeam Backup & Replication will
divide all VMs into 3 groups and create 3 storage snapshots from which it will read VM data.
5. If the backup infrastructure is configured incorrectly, for example, the backup proxy does not meet the
necessary requirements, Backup from Storage Snapshots will fail and VMs residing on the storage systems
will not be processed by the job at all. To fail over to the regular VM processing mode and process such
VMs in any case, select the Failover to standard backup check box.
Script Settings
To specify script settings for the replication job:
3. If you want to execute custom scripts before and/or after the replication job, select the Run the following
You can select to execute pre- and post-replication actions after a number of job sessions or on specific
week days.
o If you select the Run scripts every... backup session option, specify the number of the replication job
sessions after which scripts must be executed.
o If you select the Run scripts on selected days only option, click Days and specify week days on which
scripts must be executed.
NOTE
Mind the following:
Step 10. Specify Data Transfer Settings
At the Data Transfer step of the wizard, select backup infrastructure components that
Veeam Backup & Replication will use for the replication process and choose a path for vApp data transfer.
1. If you plan to replicate vApp data within one site, the same backup proxy can act as the source and target
backup proxy. For offsite replication, you must deploy at least one backup proxy in each site to establish a
stable connection for vApp data transfer across sites.
Click Choose next to the Source proxy and Target proxy fields to select backup proxies for the job. In the
Backup Proxy window, you can choose automatic backup proxy selection or assign backup proxies
explicitly.
access to the source and target datastores and automatically assign optimal backup proxy resources
for processing vApp data.
Veeam Backup & Replication assigns resources to vApp included in the replication job one by one.
Before processing a new vApp from the list, Veeam Backup & Replication checks available backup
modes that the backup proxies can use and the current workload on the backup proxies to select the
most appropriate backup proxy for vApp processing.
that the job can use. It is recommended that you select at least two backup proxies to ensure that the
job will be performed if one of backup proxies fails or loses its connectivity to the source datastore.
2. Select a path for vApp data transfer:
o To transport vApp data directly via backup proxies to the target datastore, select Direct.
o To transport vApp data via WAN accelerators, select Through built-in WAN accelerators. From the
Source WAN accelerator list, select the WAN accelerator configured in the source site. From the
Target WAN accelerator list, select the WAN accelerator configured in the target site.
You should not assign one source WAN accelerator to several replication jobs that you plan to run
simultaneously. The source WAN accelerator requires a lot of CPU and RAM resources, and does not
process multiple replication tasks in parallel. As an alternative, you can create one replication job for all
vApps you plan to process over one source WAN accelerator.
The target WAN accelerator, however, can be assigned to several replication jobs. For more information,
see Adding WAN Accelerators.
Step 11. Configure Seeding and Mapping Settings
The Seeding step is available if you have selected the Replica seeding option at the Name step of the wizard.
You can use this step to configure replica seeding and mapping for a vCD replication job.
If you use replica seeding or mapping, make sure that you select correct backup infrastructure components for
the job: source-side backup repository for metadata and backup proxies. It is recommended that you explicitly
assign backup proxies in the production site and disaster recovery (DR) site. For more information, see Specify
Data Transfer Settings.

If you plan to replicate to a remote DR site over WAN or low-bandwidth network, you can use replica seeding.
Replica seeding helps reduce the amount of VM data transferred over the network.
Replica seeding can be used if you have a backup for the replicated vApp in the backup repository located in the
DR site. In this case, you can point the replication job to this backup. During the first session of the replication
job, Veeam Backup & Replication uses this backup file as a "seed". Veeam Backup & Replication restores the
image of VMs that are added to vApps from the backup and registers the vApp replica on the target host. After
that, Veeam Backup & Replication synchronizes the vApp replica with the source vApp. All subsequent
incremental replication runs are performed in the regular manner.
Before you start a replication job that uses replica seeding, you must perform a number of preparatory tasks:
1. Create a backup of the vApp that you plan to replicate. This backup will act as a seed for a replication job.
To create a backup, configure a backup job that points to an onsite backup repository. Run the job to
create a full backup.
If you have previously created a backup containing all necessary vApps, there is no need to configure and
run a new backup job.
For seeding, you can use any existing backup created with Veeam Backup & Replication. The backup must
include VBK and VBM files. If you have a full backup and a chain of forward increments, you can use VIB
files together with the VBK and VBM files. In this case, Veeam Backup & Replication will restore vApp from
the seed to the latest available restore point.
2. Copy the backup from the backup repository in the production site to a backup repository in the DR site. If
you do not have a backup repository in the DR site, you will need to create one.
repository. Otherwise, Veeam Backup & Replication will not be able to detect the copied backup.
NOTE
When you start the replication job, Veeam Backup & Replication will attempt to restore all VMs added to
the job from the vApp seed that you have specified. If a VM is not found in the vApp seed, the VM will be
skipped from replication.
When you complete the preliminary steps, you can configure replica seeding settings for the job.
1. In the Initial seeding section, select the Get seed from the following backup repository check box.
2. From the list of available backup repositories, select the repository where your replica seed is stored.
IMPORTANT!
You cannot use a backup located in the scale-out backup repository as a seed for a replication job.

If a replica for the vApp that you plan to replicate already exists on the target host in the DR site, you can use
replica mapping. Replica mapping helps reduce the amount of vApp data transferred over the network.
To use replica mapping, you must point the replication job to a vApp replica on the host in the DR site. During
the first session of the replication job, Veeam Backup & Replication will calculate the difference between the
source vApp and vApp replica and copy necessary data blocks to synchronize the vApp replica to the latest state
of the source vApp. All subsequent incremental replication sessions will be performed in the regular manner.
TIP:
If there is no existing vApp replica in the DR site, you can restore a vApp from the backup and map it to the
original vApp.
To set up replica mapping:
1. Select the Map replica vApps to existing vApps check box.
2. Click Detect. Veeam Backup & Replication will scan the destination location to detect existing vApp
replicas. If any matches are found, Veeam Backup & Replication will populate the mapping table.
If Veeam Backup & Replication does not find a match, you can map a vApp to its vApp replica manually. To
do this, select a production vApp from the list, click Edit and choose an existing vApp replica. To facilitate
selection, use the search field at the bottom of the window.
To break a mapping association, select the vApp in the list and click Remove.
IMPORTANT!
The mapping list does not display VMs added to the list of exclusions. For more information, see Exclude
objects from replication job.
• File exclusion settings
• Pre-freeze and post-thaw scripts
the processing is finished (depending on the selected option, during the replication job session or after the
TIP
You can specify guest processing settings for vApps and to specific VMs.
runtime components or connect to (if necessary, deploy) persistent agent components:
right to add credentials. For more information, see Guest Processing.
Local accounts do not support Kerberos authentication. To authenticate with Microsoft Windows guest OS
using Kerberos, specify an Active Directory account.
NOTE:
Processing section.
interaction proxy.
NOTE:
list.
If you add to the replication job VMs running VSS-aware applications, you can enable application-aware
processing to create transactionally consistent replicas. The transactionally consistent replica guarantees proper
recovery of applications on VMs without data loss.

VM replica image will not be transactionally consistent but crash consistent.
o Select Disable application processing if you do not want to enable quiescence for the VM.
Veeam Backup & Replication must process transaction logs or copy-only VM replicas must be created.
transaction logs.
persistent components running on the VM guest OS will wait for replication to complete successfully
and then trigger truncation of transaction logs. If the replication job fails, the logs will remain
will create a copy-only replica for the selected VM. The copy only replica preserves the chain of
full/differential backup files and transaction logs on the VM. For more information on copy-only
option, see Microsoft Docs.
Veeam Backup & Replication deploys runtime components on each protected VM when the replication job
starts, and removes the runtime components as soon as the replication job finishes.
Components.
Transaction Log Handling: Microsoft SQL Server
If you replicate a Microsoft SQL VM, you can specify how Veeam Backup & Replication must process transaction
logs:
persistent components will wait for VM replication to complete and then trigger truncation of
transaction logs. If the replication job fails, the logs will remain untouched on the VM guest OS until
the next start of the non-persistent runtime components or persistent components.
necessary restore point of the VM replica, you will be able to apply transaction logs to get the
database system to the necessary point in time between replication job sessions.
Transaction Log Settings: Oracle
If you replicate an Oracle VM, you can specify how Veeam Backup & Replication must process transaction logs:
Oracle VM:
o Select Do not truncate archived logs if you want Veeam Backup & Replication to preserve archived
logs on the VM guest OS. When the replication job completes, the non-persistent runtime
components or persistent components will not truncate transaction logs.
o Select Truncate logs older than <N> hours or Truncate logs over <N> GB if you want
OS will wait for the replication job to complete successfully and then trigger transaction logs
truncation via Oracle Call Interface (OCI). If the job does not manage to replicate the Oracle VM, the
logs will remain untouched on the VM guest OS until the next start of the non-persistent runtime
components or persistent components.
Guest OS File Exclusion Settings

If you do not want to replicate specific files and folders on the VM guest OS Windows, you can exclude them
from the VM replica.

4. Click the Exclusions tab and specify what files must be excluded from the VM replica:
o Select Exclude the following files and folders to remove the individual files and folders from the VM
replica.
VM replica.
asterisk (*) and question mark (?) characters. For more information, see VM Guest OS Files. Click OK.
6. Repeat steps 5-6 for every object that you want to exclude or include.

If you plan to replicate VMs running applications that do not support VSS, you can instruct
replication process if the script fails.
errors occur.
TIP:
to run custom scripts before the job starts and after the job completes. For more information, see
Advanced Settings.
At the Schedule step of the wizard, select to run the vCD replication job manually or schedule the job to run on
a regular basis.
To define a job schedule:
job manually to perform vCD replication.
NOTE:
schedule.
list on the right.
3. In the Automatic retry section, define whether Veeam Backup & Replication should attempt to run the job
again if the job fails for some reason. During a job retry, Veeam Backup & Replication processes failed
vApps only. Enter the number of attempts to run the job and define time spans between them. If you
select continuous schedule for the job, Veeam Backup & Replication will retry the job for the defined
number of times without any time intervals between the job sessions.
b. In the Time Periods section, define the allowed hours and prohibited hours for vApp replication. If the
job exceeds the allowed window, it will be automatically terminated.
NOTE:
At the Summary step of the wizard, review details of the vCD replication job. If you want to start the job right
after you close the wizard, leave the Run the job when I click Finish check box selected, otherwise clear the
check box. Then click Finish to close the wizard.
Managing vCD Replicas
You can perform the following operations with vCD replicas:
• View vApp replica properties
• Rescan vApp replicas
• Remove a vApp replica from configuration
• Delete a vApp replica from disk

You can view summary information about created replicas. The summary information provides the following
data:
• Data size and replica status
To view summary information for replicas:
3. In the working area, right-click the vCD replica and select Properties.
Rescanning Replicas
The replica rescan option is useful in the following cases:
• After you delete restore points for one or more replicas. For details, see this Veeam KB article.
• After you restore the configuration database, and the session results show that some hosts used to
register replicas were unavailable during the session.
To check whether any errors occurred during the database restore session, open the Home view and select
System in the inventory pane. In the working area, right-click the Configuration Database Resynchronize
job and select Statistics.
During the rescan process, Veeam Backup & Replication gathers information on replicas that are currently
available in backup repositories and updates the list of replicas in the configuration database.
To rescan replicas, do the following:
2. In the inventory pane, right-click the Replicas node and select Rescan Replicas.

The Remove from configuration operation is necessary, if you want to remove records about vApp replicas from
the backup infrastructure and configuration database. After you remove vApp replicas, the replicated vApp
remain on target hosts. If necessary, you can start them manually after you perform the Remove from
configuration operation.
NOTE
• The Remove from configuration operation can be performed only for vApp replicas in the Ready
state. If the vApp replica is in the Failover or Failback state, this option is disabled.
• When you perform the Remove from configuration operation for a vApp that is replicated as a
standalone object, Veeam Backup & Replication removes this vApp from the initial replication job.
When you perform the Remove from configuration operation for a vApp that is replicated as part of a
VM container, Veeam Backup & Replication adds this vApp to the list of exclusions in the initial
replication job. For more information, see Step 5. Exclude Objects from Replication Job
To remove records about vApp replicas from the backup infrastructure and configuration database:
3. In the working area, select the vApp replica and click Remove from > Configuration on the ribbon. You can
also right-click the replica and select Remove from configuration.
Deleting from Disk

To delete vApp replicas files from the destination storage, you can use the Delete from disk operation.
NOTE
• Do not delete replica files from the destination storage manually. Use the Delete from disk option
instead. If you delete replica files manually, subsequent replication job sessions will fail.
• The Delete from disk operation can be performed only for vApp replicas are in the Ready state. If the
vApp replicas are in the Failover or Failback state, this option is disabled.
To delete replica files from disk:
3. In the working area, select the vApp replica and click Remove from > Disk on the ribbon. You can also
right-click the VM replica and select Delete from disk.
Failover and Failback
Failover and failback operations help you ensure that your business will function even if a disaster strikes your
production site. Failover is a process of switching from the original vApp on the source Organization vDC to its
vApp replica on a target Organization vDC that is set up as the disaster recovery site. Failback is a process of
returning from the vApp replica to the original vApp.
Veeam Backup & Replication provides the following failover and failback operations:
• Perform failover
When you perform failover, you shift all processes from the original vApp in the production Organization
vDC to the vApp replica in the disaster recovery Organization vDC. Failover is an intermediate step that
needs to be finalized: you can undo failover, perform permanent failover or perform failback.
For more information on how failover is performed, see Failover.

When you perform permanent failover, you permanently switch from the original vApp to a vApp replica
and use this replica as the original vApp. You can use this scenario if the original vApp and vApp replica are
located in the same Organization vDC and are nearly equal in terms of resources. Otherwise, perform
failback.
For more information on how permanent failover is performed, see Permanent Failover.
• Undo failover
When you undo failover, you switch back to the original vApp and discard all changes made to the vApp
replica while it was running. You can use the undo failover scenario if you have failed over to the vApp
replica for testing and troubleshooting purposes, and you do not need to synchronize the original vApp
state with the current state of the replica.
For more information on how failover undo is performed, see Failover Undo.
When you perform failback, you switch back to the original vApp and send to the original vApp all changes
that took place while the vApp replica was running. If the source Organization vDC is not available, you
can recover a vApp with the same configuration as the original vApp and switch to it. For more
information on how failback is performed, see Failback.
When you perform failback, changes are only sent to the original or recovered vApp but not published.
You must test whether the original or recovered vApp works with these changes. Depending on the test
results, you can do the following:
o Commit failback. When you commit failback, you confirm that the original or recovered vApp works as
expected and you want to get back to it.
For more information on how failback commit is performed, see Failback Commit.
o Undo failback. When you undo failback, you confirm that the original or recovered vApp is not
working as expected and you want to get back to the vApp replica.
For more information on how failback undo is performed, see Failback Undo.
IMPORTANT
vCloud director replication does not support failover plans.
Related Topics
• Performing Failover
• Performing Permanent Failover
• Undoing Failover
• Performing Failback
• Committing Failback
• Undoing Failback
• Replica Retry
Replica failover
Failover is a process of switching from the original vApp in the production Organization vDC to its vApp replica
in the disaster recovery Organization vDC. During failover, Veeam Backup & Replication recovers the vApp
replica to the required restore point and shifts all I/O processes from the original vApp to its replica. As a result,
you have a fully functional vApp within several minutes, and your users can access services and applications with
minimum disruption.
You can fail over to replicas not only when a disaster strikes the production Organization vDC, but also to test
replicas for recoverability. If the original vApps and vApp replicas are located in the same network, consider
temporary disconnecting the original vApps from the network to avoid IP address or machine name conflicts
1. Veeam Backup & Replication puts all replication activities on hold.
2. The state of the vApp replica is changed from Ready to Failover.
3. Veeam Backup & Replication recovers a vApp replica to the required restore point.
4. Veeam Backup & Replication powers on the vApp replica.

If you perform failover for testing purposes, and the original vApp still exists and is running, the original
vApp remains powered on.
5. All changes made to the vApp replica while the replica is running in the Failover state are written to the
delta file of the snapshot, or a restore point, to which you have selected to roll back.
Performing Failover
To perform failover, use the vCloud Failover Wizard wizard.
Before You Begin

Before you fail over to a vApp replica, check the following prerequisites:
• The failover operation can be performed for vApp that have been successfully replicated at least once.
• vApp replicas must be in the Ready state.
• The VMs added to vApp must be in the Powered off sate
Step 1. Launch Failover Wizard
To launch the Failover wizard, do one of the following:
• On the Home tab, click Restore > VMware vCloud Director > Restore from replica > Entire vApp > Failover
vApp to a replica.
replica and click Failover Now on the ribbon.
replica and select Failover Now.
Step 2. vApp
At the vApp step of the wizard, select one or more vApps for which you want to perform failover.
To select vApps:
1. Click Add.
2. Select where to browse for vApps:
o From infrastructure — browse the virtual environment and select vApps.
o From replicas — browse existing replicas and select vApps under replication jobs.
To quickly find vApps, you can use the search field at the top of the wizard.
1. Enter a vApp name or a part of it in the search field. Veeam Backup & Replication will display possible
matches.
2. If the vApp is not in the list, click the Show more link to browse the virtual infrastructure.
NOTE:
Make sure that vApps you select from the virtual environment have been successfully replicated at least
once.
By default, Veeam Backup & Replication uses the latest valid restore point of the vApps replica. However, you
can fail over to an earlier state of the vApps. If you have chosen to perform failover for several vApps, you can
select the necessary restore point for every vApp in the list.
To select a restore point for a vApp:
1. In the vApp list, select a vApp.
3. In the Restore Points window, select a restore point to which you want to perform a failover.
At the Reason step of the wizard, enter a reason for failing over to the vApp replicas. The information you
provide will be saved in the session history and you can reference it later.
TIP:
again check box.
At the Summary step of the wizard, complete the procedure of failover.
When the failover process is complete, the vApp replicas will be started on the target hosts.
Permanent Failover
Permanent failover is one of the ways to finalize failover. When you perform permanent failover, you
permanently switch from the original vApp to it replica. As a result of permanent failover, the vApp replica stops
acting as a replica and starts acting as the production vApp.
NOTE
It is recommended to perform permanent failover if the original vApp and its replica are located in the
same site and are nearly equal in terms of resources. In this case, users will not experience any latency in
ongoing operations. Otherwise, perform failback.
1. Veeam Backup & Replication removes snapshots (restore points) of the vApp replica from the snapshot
chain and deletes associated files from the datastore. Changes that were written to the snapshot delta file
are committed to the vApp replica disk files to bring the vApp replica to the most recent state.
2. Veeam Backup & Replication removes the vApp replica from the list of replicas in the
3. To protect the vApp replica from corruption after permanent failover is complete,
Veeam Backup & Replication reconfigures the replication job and adds the original vApp to the list of
exclusions. When the replication job starts, the original vApp is skipped from processing. As a result, no
data is written to the working vApp replica.

With permanent failover, you can finalize failover to a vApp replica. As a result of permanent failover, the vApp
replica on the target host ceases to exist as a replica and takes on the role of the original vApp.
To perform permanent failover, do one of the following:
• Open the Home view, in the inventory pane select Replicas. In the working area, select the necessary vApp
and click Permanent Failover on the ribbon.
vApp and select Permanent Failover.
In the displayed window, click Yes to confirm the operation.
To protect the vApp replica from corruption after performing a permanent failover, Veeam Backup & Replication
removes the vApp replica from the Replicas list. Additionally, Veeam Backup & Replication reconfigures the
replication job and adds the original vApp to the list of exclusions. When the replication job that processes the
original vApp starts, the vApp will be skipped from processing, and no data will be written to the working vApp
replica.
Failover Undo
Failover undo is one of the ways to finalize failover. When you undo failover, you switch back from a vApp
replica to the original vApp. Veeam Backup & Replication discards all changes made to the vApp replica while it
was in the Failover state.
1. Veeam Backup & Replication reverts the vApp replica to its pre-failover state. To do this,
Veeam Backup & Replication powers off the vApp replica and gets it back to the latest restore point in the
replication chain. Changes that were written to the snapshot delta file are committed to the vApp replica
disk files to bring the vApp replica to the most recent state.
2. The state of the vApp replica gets back to Ready, and Veeam Backup & Replication resumes replication
activities for the original vApp on the source host.
Undoing Failover
With the undo failover operation, you can power off running vApp replicas on target hosts and roll back to initial
state of vApp replicas.
To undo failover:
4. In the displayed window, click Yes to confirm the operation.
Failback
Failback is an option that allows you to switch back from a replicated vApp on a disaster recovery Organization
vDC to the production vApp. When you perform failback, you shift I/O processes from the disaster recovery site
to the production site.
• You can fail back to the original vApp in the original location.
• You can fail back to a vApp already recovered to a new location. This vApp must be recovered before you
perform failback. For example, you can recover the vApp from a backup.
• You can fail back to a vApp recovered from a replica to a new location, or to any location but with
different settings. The vApp will be recovered from the replica during the failback process.
Veeam Backup & Replication needs to transfer only differences between the original/recovered vApp and vApp
replica. For the third option, Veeam Backup & Replication needs to transfer the whole vApp data, including its
configuration and virtual disk content. Use the third option if there is no way to use the original vApp or restore
it from a backup.
• First phase: Veeam Backup & Replication transfers the necessary snapshot of a replicated vApp from the
disaster recovery Organization vDC to the production vApp. This phase may take a lot of time especially if
the vApp contains a lot of VMs. While Veeam Backup & Replication performs the first phase of failback,
VMs from the replica vApp are still up and running, users can access these VMs and perform daily routine
tasks as normal. All changes that are made to vApps during the first phase of a failback a written to a delta
file.
• Second phase: Veeam Backup & Replication transfers all changes made to the vApp replica during the first
phase of failback to the production vApp, switches all processes from the vApp replica to the production
vApp and turns off the replica.
The time when the second phase starts depends on how you want to switch from the replica to the production
vApp. You can switch to the production vApp automatically, at the scheduled time or manually. If you select to
switch automatically, the second phase will start right after the first phase finishes. If you select to switch at the
scheduled time or manually, the second phase will start at the time you want.
The process of failing back to the original vApp or an already recovered vApp differs from the process of failing
back to a vApp recovered from a replica:
• How failback to the original vApp and already recovered vApp works
• How failback to a vApp recovered from a replica works
How Failback to Original vApp or Already Recovered vApp

Works
When you fail back to the original vApp or an already recovered vApp, Veeam Backup & Replication performs the
1. If the original vApp is running, Veeam Backup & Replication powers it off.
2. Veeam Backup & Replication calculates the difference between disks of the production vApp and disks of
the vApp replica in the Failover state. The calculation of the difference helps Veeam Backup & Replication
understand what data needs to be transferred to the production vApp and to synchronize its state with
the state of the vApp replica.
If you fail back to the original vApp in the original location and you have enabled the Quick rollback
option, this calculation can be performed much faster. For more information on the Quick rollback option,
see Quick Rollback.
3. Veeam Backup & Replication transfers the data that was detected as different to the production vApp. The
transferred data is written to the production vApp.
4. Veeam Backup & Replication changes the state of the vApp replica from Failover to Ready to switch.
1. The guest OS of the vApp replica is shut down or the vApp replica is powered off.
If VMware Tools are installed on the VM added to the vApp replica, Veeam Backup & Replication tries to
shut down the replica guest OS. If nothing happens in 15 minutes, Veeam Backup & Replication powers off
the vApp replica. If VMware Tools are not installed on the VM added to the vApp replica or the vApp is
suspended, Veeam Backup & Replication powers off the vApp. The vApp replica remains powered off until
you commit failback or undo failback.
2. Veeam Backup & Replication calculates the difference between disks of the production vApp and disks of
the vApp replica. The calculation of the difference helps Veeam Backup & Replication understand what
data was changed while the vApp replica was in the Ready to switch state.
3. Sends data changed on the vApp replica while it was in the Ready to switch state to the production vApp.
4. The state of the vApp replica is changed from Ready to switch to Failback.
5. [If you fail back to a recovered vApp] Veeam Backup & Replication updates the ID of the original vApp in
the Veeam Backup & Replication configuration database. The ID of the original vApp is replaced with the
ID of the recovered vApp.
6. If you have selected to power on the production vApp after failback, Veeam Backup & Replication powers
on the production vApp on the host.
How Failback to vApp Recovered from Replica Works

When you fail back to a vApp recovered from a replica, Veeam Backup & Replication performs the following
1. Veeam Backup & Replication requests VMware vCloud Director to create on the target Organization vDC
an empty vApp with the same configuration as the vApp replica. VMware vCloud Director server registers
the created production vApp.
2. Veeam Backup & Replication transfers data of the vApp replica to the production vApp to update the
production vApp state to the vApp replica state.
3. Veeam Backup & Replication changes the state of the vApp replica from Failover to the Ready to switch.
Failback to Original vApp or Already Recovered vApp Works except for the step 2. When you fail back to a vApp
recovered from a replica, Veeam Backup & Replication does not calculate the difference between disks.
Failback is an intermediate step that needs to be finalized. If the production vApp works as expected and you
want to get back to it, commit failback. If the vApp does not work as expected, undo failback.
Performing Failback
With the Failback option, you can switch from a vApp replica back to the original vApp or restore a vApp from a
vApp replica in a new location.
Before you start failback, check prerequisites. Then use the Failback wizard to switch back to the original vApp.
1. Launch the Failback wizard
2. Select vApp replicas to fail back
3. Select the failback destination
4. Select the target vApp
5. Specify the Organization vDC
6. Specify the storage policy
7. Specify the network
8. Define Failback Mode
9. Review summary and finish working with the wizard
Before You Begin

• vApps for which you plan to perform failback must be successfully replicated at least once.
• vApp replicas must be in the Failover state.
• On non-Microsoft Windows SMB3 storage, for example, Tintri, Veeam Backup & Replication may display
the "Failed to disable integrity bit on disk N" warning during vApps restore. You can ignore this warning
for non-Microsoft Windows SMB3 storage.
• You must check the platform compatibility matrix.
Step 1. Launch the Failback Wizard
• On the Home tab, click Restore > VMware vCloud Director > Restore from replica > Entire vApp > Failback
to production.
replica and click Failback to Production on the ribbon.
replica and select Failback to production.
Step 2. Select vApps to Fail Back
At the Replica step of the wizard, select one or more VM replicas from which you want to fail back.
1. Click Populate to display all existing replicas in the Failover state.
2. Leave check boxes selected for those VM replicas from which you want to fail back.
Step 3. Select Failback Destination
At the Destination step of the wizard, select the failback destination and backup proxies for vApp data transport
during failback.
1. Veeam Backup & Replication supports three possible failback destination variants. Note that the Failback
wizard displays a different set of steps for every failback variant.
o Select Failback to the original vApp if you want to fail back to the original vApp that resides on the
source host. Veeam Backup & Replication will restore the original vApp to the current state of its
replica.
If this option is selected, you will proceed to the Summary step of the wizard.
o Select Failback to the original vApp restored in a different location if you have recovered the original
vApp from a backup in a new location, and you want to switch to it from the replica. In this case,
Veeam Backup & Replication will synchronize the recovered vApp with the current state of the replica.
If this option is selected, you will proceed to the Target vApp step of the wizard.
TIP
You can restore to another vCD.
o Select Failback to the specified location if you want to restore the original vApp from a replica – in a
new location or with different settings (such as vApp location, network settings, virtual disk and
configuration files path and so on).
If this option is selected, you will proceed to the Organization vDC step of the wizard.
NOTE
Mind the following:
• Veeam Backup & Replication does not support restore from incremental backups.
• If you fail back to the original vApp or the original vApp is restored in a new location, the difference
between the virtual disks of the replicated vApp and their state is transferred to the original vApp.
Veeam Backup & Replication does not transfer replica configuration changes such as a different IP
address or network settings (if replica Re-IP and network mapping were applied), new hardware or
virtual disks added while the replica was in the Failover state.
• If you choose to fail back to the specified location, this Veeam KB article will restore the entire vApp
replica, including its configuration and virtual disks content.
2. Click the Pick backup proxies for data transfer link to select backup proxies.
Veeam Backup & Replication will use them to transfer data during failback. In the offsite replication
scenario, you must select one backup proxy in the production site and one proxy in the disaster recovery
(DR) site. In the onsite replication scenario, you can use the same backup proxy as a source and a target
proxy.
3. In the Choose backup Proxy section, click Choose to assign a backup proxy. You can assign backup proxies
explicitly or instruct Veeam Backup & Replication to select backup proxies automatically.
processing vApp data.
vApps selected for failback are processed one by one. Before processing a new vApp in the vApp list,
available, Veeam Backup & Replication analyzes transport modes that the backup proxies can use, the
current workload on the backup proxies to select the most appropriate resource for vApp processing.
o If you choose Use the selected backup proxy servers only, you can explicitly define backup proxies
that must be used for data transfer. It is recommended that you select at least two backup proxies to
ensure that failover is performed should one of backup proxies fail or lose its connectivity to the
source or target datastore.

If the replicated vApp was associated with the storage policy, in the failback to original location scenario,
Veeam Backup & Replication will associate the restored vApp with this storage policy.
compare this information with the information about the replica storage policy. If the original storage policy has
been changed or deleted, Veeam Backup & Replication will display a warning. You can select one of the
following options:
moment of replication.
For more information, see Storage Policy Restore.
Step 4. Select Target vApp
The Target vApp step of the wizard is only available if you have chosen to fail back to the original vApp restored
in a different location.
At the Target vApp step of the wizard specify the target vApp, to which Veeam Backup & Replication will map
the replica vApp.
If you want to specify the target vApp manually, perform the following steps:
1. Select the vApp that you want to map to the target vApp and click Edit.
2. In the Selects Objects window, select the necessary vApps or vApps containers.
3. Click Add.
Step 5. Specify Organization vDC
The Organization vDC step of the wizard is only available if you have chosen to fail back to the specified
location.
At the Organization vDC step of the wizard, specify the Organization vCD to which Veeam Backup & Replication
will add a restored vApp and the name of this vApp. To do this, select one or multiple vApps, and perform the
following steps:
1. To specify a name for restored vApps, click Name and in the Name window specify the name of vApps.
2. To specify an Organization vDC, click vDC and in the Selected Objects window, select the necessary
Organization vDC.
Step 6. Specify Storage Policy
The Storage Policy step of the wizard is only available if you have chosen to fail back to the specified location.
At the Storage Policy step of the wizard, specify the storage policy setting. Veeam Backup & Replication will
apply these settings to a vApp that you want to restore.
To change storage policy setting:
1. In the vApps location list, select one or more vApps and click Policy.
2. In the Select storage policy window specify the policy that you want to apply.
Step 7. Specify Network
The Network step of the wizard is only available if you have chosen to fail back to the specified location.
At the Network step of the wizard, configure a network mapping table. This table maps networks in the DR site
to networks in the site where recovered vApps reside. Veeam Backup & Replication will use the network
mapping table to update configuration files of VMs added to vApps on the fly, during the failback process.
To change networks to which the restored vApps will be connected:
1. In the Network connections list, select one or more vApps and click Network.
If vApps are connected to multiple networks, select the necessary networks and click Network.
2. In the Select network window, select a network to which vApps must be connected after restore.
If you do not want to connect restored vApps to any virtual network, select the necessary vApps and click
Disconnect.
Step 8. Define Failback Mode
At the Failback Mode step of the wizard, specify when the switch from replicas to production vApps must be
performed:
state of the production vApps is synchronized with the state of their replicas.
• Select Manually if you want to perform the switch manually. For more information on how to perform the
switch, see Switching to Production vApps Manually.
At the Summary step of the wizard, review details of the failback. If you want to start the restored vApps right
after you close the wizard, select the Power on target vApp after failback check box. Then click Finish to close
the wizard.

The following instructions apply if you have selected to manually switch from replicas to production vApps at
the Failback Mode step of the Failback wizard.
To switch to a production vApp from its replica, do the following:
3. Right-click a vApp in the Ready to switch state and select Switchover to production.

The following instructions apply if you have selected to manually switch from replicas to production vApps at
the Switching Schedule step of the Failback wizard.
To change the time when the switch from replicas to production vApps must be performed:
3. Right-click a vApp in the Ready to switch state and select Change switchover time.
Failback Undo
Failback undo is one of the ways to finalize failback. When you undo failback, you confirm that the vApp to
which you failed back (the production vApp) works in a wrong way and you want to get back to the replica.
1. Veeam Backup & Replication powers off the production vApp.
2. Veeam Backup & Replication reverts the vApp replica to its pre-failback state.
3. Veeam Backup & Replication powers on the vApp replica and changes the vApp replica state from Failback
to Failover.
Undoing Failback
The Undo failback option allows you to switch from the original vApp back to the vApp replica and roll back the
replica to the failover state.
To undo failback, do one of the following:
• Open the Home view and select the Replicas node. In the working area, select the necessary replica and
click Undo Failback on the ribbon.
• Open the Home view and select the Replicas node. In the working area, right-click the necessary replica
and select Undo Failback.
In the displayed dialog box, click Yes to confirm the operation.
Failback Commit
To confirm failback and finalize recovery of the original vApp, you need to commit failback.
When you commit failback, you confirm that you want to get back to the original vApp.
Veeam Backup & Replication gets back to the normal operation mode and resumes replication activities for the
original vApp to which you failed back.
2. Further operations depend on the location to which the vApp is failed back:
o If the vApp replica is failed back to a new location, Veeam Backup & Replication additionally
reconfigures the replication job and adds the former original vApp to the list of exclusions. The vApp
restored in the new location takes the role of the original vApp and is included into the replication job
instead of the excluded vApp. When the replication job starts, Veeam Backup & Replication will
process the newly restored vApp instead of the former original vApp.
o If the vApp replica is failed back to the original location, the replication job is not reconfigured. When
the replication job starts, Veeam Backup & Replication will process the original vApp in the normal
operation mode..
During failback commit, the failback protective snapshot that saves the pre-failback state of a vApp replica is
not deleted. Veeam Backup & Replication uses this snapshot as an additional restore point for vApp replica. With
the pre-failback snapshot, Veeam Backup & Replication needs to transfer fewer changes and therefore puts less
load on the network when replication activities are resumed.
Committing Failback
The Commit failback operation finalizes failback from the vApp replica to the original vApp.
To commit failback, do one of the following:
replica and click Commit Failback on the ribbon. In the displayed window, click Yes to confirm the
operation.
replica and select Commit Failback. In the displayed window, click Yes to confirm the operation.
Depending on the location to which the vApp is failed back, Veeam Backup & Replication performs the following
finalizing operations after failback is committed:
• If the vApp replica is failed back to a new location, Veeam Backup & Replication additionally reconfigures
the replication job and adds the former original vApp to the list of exclusions. The vApp restored in the
new location takes the role of the original vApp, and is included into the replication job instead of the
excluded vApp. When the replication job starts, Veeam Backup & Replication will exclude the former
original vApp from processing, and will replicate the newly restored vApp instead.
• If the vApp replica is failed back to the original location, the replication job is not reconfigured. When the
replication job starts, Veeam Backup & Replication will process the original vApp in the normal mode.
Replica Retry
The retry option is necessary when some operation that you perform with vApps fails and you want to retry the
same operation again. For example, when Veeam Backup & Replication fails over a vApp with and VMs from this
vApps fails with the Incomplete state. To perform failover to these VMs, use the retry option. If you perform a
retry, Veeam Backup & Replication will restart the same procedure only for the failed VMs from the vApp and
will not process VMs that have been processed successfully. As a result, it will take less time and will not occupy
as many resources as when processing a whole vApp. You can also apply the retry option if you perform a
failover of a vApp with multiple VMs to be sure that VBR will fail over to all VMs.
IMPORTANT
You can not apply the retry option for the vApps replicas in the Permanent failover and Commit failover
states.
Performing Retry
To perform a retry of the last operation that is failed:
3. Right-click a vApp in the Ready to switch state and select Retry switch to production.
Restore of vCloud Director VMs
Veeam Backup & Replication enables full-fledged restore of VMs to vCloud Director. You can restore separate
VMs to vApps, as well as VM data.
For restore, Veeam Backup & Replication uses VM metadata saved to a backup file and restores specific VM
attributes. As a result, you get a fully-functioning VM in vCloud Director, do not need to import the restored VM
to vCloud Director and adjust the settings manually.
Backed-up objects can be restored to the same vCloud Director hierarchy or to a different vCloud Director
environment. Restore options include:
• Instant VM recovery
• Full restore for vApps and VMs
• Restore of VM disks
• Restore of VM files
• Guest OS file-level restore for VMs
Restoring Regular and Standalone VMs to
vCloud Director
Veeam Backup & Replication lets you restore regular VMs that are part of vApps and standalone VMs that were
created in the vCloud Director tenant portal.
When you restore regular or standalone VMs back to the vCloud Director hierarchy, the restore process includes
the following steps:
1. Veeam Backup & Replication uses the captured vApp metadata to define the vApp settings and VM
original location in the vCloud Director hierarchy.
2. Veeam Backup & Replication restores VMs from the backup file to their original location or to a different
location. Additionally, Veeam Backup & Replication restores all VM settings.
Restoring Linked Clone VMs to vCloud Director
Veeam Backup & Replication lets you restore linked clone VMs – VMs that were deployed from a VM template
using the fast provisioning technology. There are several mechanisms for processing linked clone VMs.
Restore of Existing VMs

If you are restoring a vCloud Director linked clone VM that exists in the vCloud Director hierarchy, the restore
process includes the following steps:
1. Veeam Backup & Replication uses the captured vApp metadata to define the initial settings of the VM.
2. Veeam Backup & Replication calculates a signature for the consolidated VM disk in the backup file
(containing the VM template data and data of the delta file) and the signature for the VM existing in
vCloud Director. Veeam Backup & Replication then compares the disk signatures to define what data
blocks have changed.
3. Veeam Backup & Replication restores only changed data blocks from the backup file and writes them to
the user delta file.
Restore of Deleted VMs

If you are restoring a VM that no longer exists in vCloud Director hierarchy, the restore process includes the
following steps:
1. Veeam Backup & Replication uses vCloud Director to create a new linked clone VM from the VM template
that the user selects. The new VM has a blank user delta file.
2. Veeam Backup & Replication calculates a signature for the consolidated VM disk in the backup file
(containing the VM template data and data of the delta file) and the signature for the created VM in
vCloud Director. Veeam Backup & Replication then compares the disk signatures to define what data
blocks need to be restored.
3. Veeam Backup & Replication restores only those data blocks that need to be restored from the backup file
and writes them to the blank user delta file.
By default, Veeam Backup & Replication links the VM to the same VM template that was used by the original
VM. During restore, Veeam Backup & Replication checks the settings of the VM template to which the restored
VM is linked: verifies connection settings, makes sure the disk size coincide and so on.
Restore of Linked Clone VMs as Regular VMs

In some cases, Veeam Backup & Replication can restore a VM from a backup file as a regular VM. This type of
restore is accomplished in the following situations:
• You have intentionally chosen to restore a linked clone VM as a regular VM.
• You are restoring a VM to the Organization vDC which has the fast provisioning option disabled.
• A VM template to which the restored VM should be linked is not accessible in the location to which the VM
is restored.
In this case, Veeam Backup & Replication uses the same algorithm as for restore of full VMs in the virtual
environment. It retrieves the data of the consolidated VM disk from the backup file and restores the VM in the
vCloud Director hierarchy.
Performing Instant VM Recovery for VMs
Veeam Backup & Replication provides two options for Instant VM Recovery of vCloud Director VMs:
• You can instantly recover a VM to a vApp in vCloud Director.
• You can instantly recover a VM to the virtual infrastructure. In this case, the VM will be restored at the
level of the underlying vCenter Server, and the Instant VM Recovery process will be the same as for
regular VMware VMs.
When you instantly recover a VM to vCloud Director, Veeam Backup & Replication uses the vPower NFS
datastore, just as with other VMware VMs. To import the VM to the vApp, Veeam Backup & Replication needs to
associate the vPower NFS datastore with some storage policy. To do this, Veeam Backup & Replication creates
for the underlying vCenter Server an auxiliary storage policy — Veeam-InstantVMRecovery, and displays it in
vCloud Director.
The created storage policy is added to the Provider vDC and Organization vDC hosting the vApp to which the VM
is restored. When the vPower NFS datastore is mounted to the ESXi host, the vPower NFS datastore is
associated with the Veeam-InstantVMRecovery storage policy. After that, the VM is instantly restored in a
regular manner and imported to the selected vApp.
When an Instant VM Recovery session is finished, the storage policy is not deleted from the Provider vDC, it
remains on vCenter Server. This helps speed up all subsequent Instant VM Recovery operations. However, the
storage policy is deleted from the Organization vDC as Organization vDC settings can be accessed only by
Organization administrators.
Restoring VMs with Instant VM Recovery into vCloud vApp

With Instant VM Recovery, you can immediately start a VM from a backup file stored in the backup repository.
Instant VM Recovery accelerates the restore process, allows you to improve RTOs and decrease downtime of
production VMs.
Before you start Instant VM Recovery, check prerequisites. Then use the vCloud Instant VM Recovery wizard to
recover the necessary VM.
Before You Begin

Before you perform Instant VM Recovery, check the following prerequisites:
• You can perform Instant VM Recovery for a VM that has been successfully backed up at least once.
The write cache is not used when you select to redirect virtual disk updates to a VMware vSphere
datastore when configuring the job.
• If you are recovering a VM to the production network, make sure that the original VM is powered off to
avoid conflicts.
• Mind that during Instant VM Recovery, Veeam Backup & Replication restores standalone VMs as regular
vCloud Director VMs.
Step 1. Launch vCloud Instant VM Recovery Wizard
To launch the vCloud Instant VM Recovery wizard, do one of the following:
o Select the machine that you want to restore and click Instant VM Recovery > VMware vCloud Director
on the ribbon.
o Right-click the machine that you want to restore and select Instant VM recovery > VMware vCloud
Director.
• Open the Inventory view. On the View tab, click vCloud View. In the inventory pane, expand the vCloud
Director hierarchy. In the working area, right-click the VM you want to restore and select Restore > Instant
VM recovery > VMware vCloud Director.
At the Restore Point step of the wizard, select the restore point for the VM.
In the Location column, you can view a name of a backup repository where a restore point resides.
At the Restore Mode of the wizard, choose the necessary restore mode.
o Select Restore to the original location if you want to restore the VM with its initial settings to its
original location. If this option is selected, you will pass directly to the Reason step of the wizard.
o Select Restore to a new location, or with different settings if you want to restore the VM to a
different location and/or with different settings (such as vApp, VM name, network settings and so
on). If this option is selected, the Instant Recovery wizard will include additional steps for customizing
VM settings.
2. Select the Restore VM tags check box if you want to restore tags that were assigned to the original VM,
and assign them to the restored VM. Veeam Backup & Replication will restore the VM with original tags if
the following conditions are met:
o The VM is restored to its original location.
o The original VM tag is still available on the source vCenter Server.
Step 4. Select Destination for Restored VM
The Destination step of the wizard is available if you have chosen to change the location and settings of the
restored VM.
Select a destination and specify a name for the restored VM:
1. In the vApp field, specify a vApp to which the VM must be restored. By default,
Veeam Backup & Replication restores the VM to its original vApp.
2. In the Restored VM name field, enter a name under which the VM must be restored and registered. By
default, Veeam Backup & Replication uses the original name of the VM. If you are restoring the VM to the
same vApp where the original VM is registered and the original VM still resides there, it is recommended
that you change the VM name to avoid conflicts.
NOTE:
Veeam Backup & Replication checks the lease term for the vApp to which the VM is restored. In case the
lease period has expired, the lease will be automatically updated.
Step 5. Select Destination for Virtual Disk Updates
The Datastore step of the wizard is available if you have chosen to change the location and settings of the
restored VM.
Select the location for holding the VM disk changes when the VM is restored. By default, disk changes are stored
directly on the vPower NFS server. However, you can store disk changes on any datastore in your virtual
environment.
To select a datastore:
1. Select the Redirect virtual disk updates check box.
2. From the Datastore list, choose the necessary datastore. You can select only a datastore that is available
in the Organization vDC hosting the vApp to which the VM is restored.
Step 6. Select Destination Network
The Network step of the wizard is available if you have chosen to change the location and settings of the
restored VM.
To select networks to which restored VMs must be connected:
1. Select a VM in the list and click Network.
2. The Select Network window displays all networks that are configured for the destination vApp. From the
list of available networks, choose a network to which selected VM should have access upon restore.
To facilitate selection, use the search field at the bottom of the window: enter a network name or a part of
it and click the Start search button on the right or press [Enter] on the keyboard.
3. To prevent the restored VM from accessing any network, select it in the list and click Disconnect.
Veeam Backup & Replication maps the network settings you define and network settings of the original VM. If
necessary, Veeam Backup & Replication makes changes to the network settings of the recovered VM. For
example, if the original VM was connected to the network using the static IP mode and you have selected to
connect a recovered VM to a network using the dynamic IP mode, Veeam Backup & Replication will change the
network settings to the dynamic mode.
This step is available if you restore Microsoft Windows VMs and restore them to a new location or with different
settings.
before restoring the VM to the production environment. For more information on secure restore, see Secure
Restore.
At the Reason step of the wizard, enter a reason for performing Instant VM Recovery of the VM. The information
you provide will be saved in the session history and you can reference it later.
TIP:
again check box.
At the Summary step of the wizard, specify additional settings for Instant VM Recovery:
1. If you want to start the recovered VM, select the Power on VM automatically check box.
2. Check the specified settings of Instant VM Recovery and click Finish. Veeam Backup & Replication will
recover the selected VM in the specified destination.
All VMs restored with Instant VM Recovery are displayed in the Home view, under the Instant Recovery node.
To check the progress of Instant VM Recovery and view session details:
2. In the inventory pane, click the Instant Recovery node.
3. Right-click the VM in the working area and select Properties.
Alternatively, you can open the History view, select the Instant Recovery node under Restore in the inventory
pane and double-click the necessary instant VM restore session.
After the VM has been successfully recovered, you can finalize Instant VM Recovery in one of two ways:
• Migrate the recovered VM to the production environment
• Unpublish the recovered VM
Migrating Recovered VM
To migrate the restored VM to production:
3. In the working area, right-click the VM and select Migrate to production. Veeam Backup & Replication will
launch the Quick Migration wizard.
During migration, Veeam Backup & Replication will restore the VM from the backup file and additionally
move all changes that were made while the VM was running from the backup in the Instant Recovery
mode.
TIP:
When you pass though the Quick Migration wizard, enable the Delete source VM files upon successful
migration option. Veeam Backup & Replication will restore the VM to production and automatically stop
the Instant VM recovery session. If you do not enable this option, the Instant VM recovery session will still
be running, and you will need to unpublish the recovered VM manually.
Unpublish Recovered VM
If you have disabled the Delete source VM files upon successful migration option in the Quick Migration
settings, you must unpublish the VM manually. After you unpublish the VM, the Instant Recovery session will
end and the recovered VM will be unmounted from the vPower NFS server. The migrated VM will remain on the
production environment.
To unpublish a recovered VM:
3. In the working area, right-click the VM and select Stop publishing.
TIP:
After the VM has been published from the backup, you can open the VM console directly from
Veeam Backup & Replication. To do this, in the working area right-click the VM and select Open VM
Console.
Restoring VMs with Instant VM Recovery into vSphere
infrastructure
The process of Instant VM Recovery for vCloud Director VMs does not differ from the regular Instant VM
Recovery process. For more information, see Performing Instant VM Recovery.
Restoring vCloud vApps
You can restore the whole vApp from the backup to vCloud Director.
vApps can be restored to their Organization vDC or to any other Organization vDC. You can restore the vApp
that already exists, for example, in case the vApp is corrupted or you want to revert to an earlier state of the
vApp, or the vApp that no longer exists, for example, if it was deleted by mistake. If you restore a vApp that
already exists, the vApp is overwritten with that from the vCD backup.
To restore a vApp to vCloud Director, use the vCloud Full vApp Restore wizard.
Step 1. Launch Full vApp Restore Wizard
To launch the Full vApp Restore wizard, do one of the following:
• On the Home tab, click Restore and select VMware vCloud Director. At the Restore Type step of the
wizard, select the object you would like to restore: vApp.
o Select the vApp and click Restore vCloud vApp on the ribbon.
o Right-click the vApp and select Restore vCloud vApp.
Step 2. Select vApp to Restore
At the Objects to Restore step of the wizard, select the vApp you want to restore.
To add a vApp, click Add vApp and select where to browse for vApps:
• From infrastructure — browse the vCloud Director hierarchy and select a vApp to restore. Note that the
vApp you select from the vCloud Director hierarchy must be successfully backed up at least once.
• From backup — browse existing backups and select the vApp under backup jobs.
To facilitate selection, use the search field at the bottom of the Select VMs window: enter an object’s name or a
part of it in the search field and click the Start search button on the right or press [Enter] on the keyboard.
You can also use the search field at the top of the window to add vApps:
1. Enter a vApp name or a part of it in the search field. Veeam Backup & Replication will search existing
backups for the specified vApps and display matching results.
2. To add the vApp to the list, double-click it in the list of search results.
3. If the necessary vApp is not found, click the Show more link to browse existing backups and choose the
necessary vApp.
To remove a vApp from the list, select it and click Remove on the right.
You can select the restore point for the vApp.
By default, Veeam Backup & Replication uses the latest valid restore point to recover the vApp. However, you
can restore the vApp to an earlier state.
To select a restore point for the vApp:
1. Select the vApp in the list and click Point on the right.
2. In the Restore Points window, select a restore point that must be used to recover the vApp.
transport:
o Select Restore to original location if you want to restore the vApp with its initial settings and to its
original location. If this option is selected, you will immediately pass to the Summary step of the
wizard.
o Select Restore to a new location, or with different settings if you want to restore the vApp to a
different location and/or with different settings (such as Organization vDC, network settings, fast
provisioning settings and so on). If this option is selected, the vCloud Full vApp Restore wizard will
include additional steps for customizing vApp settings.
2. [For vApp restore to the original location] Select the Quick rollback check box if you want to use
incremental restore for the vApp. Veeam Backup & Replication will query CBT to get data blocks that are
necessary to revert the vApp to an earlier point in time, and will restore only these data blocks from the
backup. Quick rollback significantly reduces the restore time and has little impact on the production
environment.
It is recommended that you enable this option if you restore VMs in the vApp after a problem that
occurred at the level of the VM guest OS: for example, there has been an application error or a user has
accidentally deleted a file on the VM guest OS. Do not enable this option if the problem has occurred at
the VM hardware level, storage level or due to a power loss.
3. Click the Pick proxy to use link to select backup proxies over which vApp data must be transported to the
processing vApp data.
During the restore process, VMs in the vApp are processed simultaneously.
available, Veeam Backup & Replication analyzes transport modes that the backup proxies can use for
writing data to target, current workload on these backup proxies, and selects the most appropriate
resources for VMs processing.
o If you choose Use the selected backup proxy serves only, you can explicitly select backup proxies that
will be used for restore. It is recommended that you select at least two proxies to ensure that VMs are
recovered should one of backup proxies fail or lose its connectivity to the source datastore during
restore.
Step 5. Select vApp Location
The vApp step of the wizard is available if you have chosen to change the location and settings of the restored
vApp.
By default, Veeam Backup & Replication restores the vApp to its original location with its original name.
To restore the vApp to a different location:
1. Select the App in the list and click vDC.
2. From the vCloud Director hierarchy, choose an Organization vDC where the selected vApp must be
registered.
To facilitate selection, use the search field at the bottom of the window: enter an object’s name or a part
of it and click the Start search button on the right or press [Enter] on the keyboard.
NOTE:
If a vApp contains a standalone VM, Veeam Backup & Replication restores the standalone VM in such vApp
as a regular vCloud Director VM.
To change the vApp name:
1. Select the vApp in the list and click Name.
2. In the Change Name window, enter a new name explicitly or specify a change name rule by adding a prefix
and/or suffix to the original vApp name.
3. You can also change the vApp name directly in the list: select a vApp, click the New Name field and enter
the name to be assigned to the recovered vApp.
The vApp Network step of the wizard is available if you have chosen to change the location and settings of the
restored vApp.
To select networks to which the restored vApp must connected:
1. Select the vApp in the list and click Network.
2. The Select Network window displays all networks that are configured for the destination Organization
vDC. From the list of available networks, choose a network to which selected vApp must have access upon
restore.
To prevent the restored vApp from accessing any network, select it in the list and click Disconnect.
NOTE:
When Veeam Backup & Replication backs up a vApp, along with vApp networks data it saves information
about organization networks to which the vApp is connected. If you restore the vApp to the original vDC
organization and do not change the organization network settings, Veeam Backup & Replication attempts
to connect the vApp to all source organization networks to which the vApp was connected at the moment
of backup. If one or several source organization networks are not detected, for example, if they have been
changed or removed by the time of restore, Veeam Backup & Replication will not be able to restore the
vApp to its original organization. In this case, you will need to change the network settings for the restored
vApp: map the vApp to other organization networks or disconnect it from organization networks at all.
Step 7. Select Template to Link
The Fast Provisioning step of the wizard is available if you have chosen to change settings of the restored vApp,
for example, its name or location.
To select a VM template:
1. Select a VM in the list and click Set Template.
2. From the vCloud Director hierarchy, choose a template to which the VMs from the restored vApp must be
linked.
To facilitate selection, use the search field at the bottom of the window: enter a VM template name or a
If you want to disable fast provisioning for the VM and restore it as a regular VM, select the VM in the list and
click Disable.
Step 8. Select Storage Policy and Datastores
The Datastores step of the wizard is available if you have chosen to change settings of the restored vApp, for
example, its name or location.
To select a storage policy for the vApp:
1. Select the vApp in the list and click Policy.
2. In the displayed window, select the necessary policy for the vApp.
If you have selected to disable fast provisioning at the previous step of the wizard, you must select a datastore
on which the disks of restored VMs will be placed. To do this:
1. Select VM or vApp in the list and click Datastore.
2. In the displayed window, select the datastore on which the disks of the VM must be placed.
You can instruct Veeam Backup & Replication to perform secure restore — scan vApp data with antivirus
software before restoring the vApp. For more information on secure restore, see Secure Restore.
o Proceed with recovery but disable network adapters. Select this action if you want to restore the
vApp VMs with disabled network adapters (NICs).
3. Select the Scan the entire image check box if you want the antivirus software to continue the vApp data
At the Reason step of the wizard, enter a reason for restoring the selected vApp. The information you provide
TIP:
again check box.
Step 11. Verify Recovery Settings and Finish Working with
Wizard
At the Summary step of the wizard, specify additional settings for vApp restore:
1. If you want to start VMs in the restored vApp, select the Power on VM after restoring check box.
2. Check the settings for vApp restore and click Finish. Veeam Backup & Replication will recover the vApp in
the specified destination.
NOTE:
Veeam Backup & Replication checks the lease term for the restored vApp. If the lease period has expired,
the lease will be automatically updated.
Restoring VMs into vCloud vApp
You can restore one or several VMs from vCD backups back to vCloud Director.
The vCloud Director VM can be restored to its original location — to a vApp in which the VM is already
registered, or to a different location. You can restore a VM that already exists, for example, if the original VM is
corrupted or you want to revert to an earlier state of the VM, or a VM that no longer exists, for example, if the
VM was deleted by mistake. If you restore a VM that already exists, the original VM is overwritten with that from
the vCD backup.
When restoring VMs to the vCloud Director hierarchy, make sure that you select the Restore into vCloud vApp
option. If you select the Restore into vSphere infrastructure option, the VM will be restored at the level of the
underlying vCenter Server. To get a fully functional VM managed by vCloud Director, you will need to manually
import the restored VM to the vCloud Director hierarchy.
Before you restore a VM to the vCloud Director hierarchy, check prerequisites. Then use the vCloud Full VM
Restore wizard to restore the necessary VM.
Before You Begin

Before you restore vCloud Director VMs to a vApp, consider the following:
• Veeam Backup & Replication restores standalone VMs as regular vCloud Director VMs in the following
cases:
o If you selected to restore a standalone VM to a different location.
o If the original standalone VM no longer exists in the vCloud DIrector hierarchy.
• It is not recommended to restore vCloud Director VMs to a vApp that already contains a standalone VM.
After the restore process is complete, the vApp may not work as expected.
• If you restore linked clone VMs to a different location, make sure that fast provisioning is enabled at the
level of the target Organization vDC. Otherwise, Veeam Backup & Replication will restore the linked clone
VM to a selected vApp as a regular VM.
Step 1. Launch vCloud Full VM Restore Wizard
To launch the vCloud Full VM Restore wizard, do one of the following:
• On the Home tab, click Restore and select VMware vCloud Director. At the Restore Type step of the
wizard, select the object you would like to restore: Virtual Machines.
o Select the VM you want to restore and click Entire VM > Into vCloud vApp on the ribbon.
o Right-click the VM you want to restore and select Restore entire VM > Into vCloud vApp.
• Open the Inventory view. On the View tab, click vCloud View. In the inventory pane, expand the vCloud
Director hierarchy. In the working area, right-click the VM you want to restore and select Restore >
Restore Entire VM > Into vCloud vApp.
Step 2. Select VMs to Restore
At the Objects to Restore step of the wizard, select one or several VMs to restore.
To add a VM, click Add VM and select where to browse for VMs:
• From infrastructure — browse the vCloud Director hierarchy and select VMs to restore. Note that the VM
you select from the vCloud Director hierarchy must be successfully backed up at least once.
• From backup — browse existing backups and select VMs under backup jobs.
To facilitate selection, use the search field at the bottom of the Select VMs window: enter an object’s name or a
To add VMs to the list, you can also use the search field at the top of the window:
1. Enter a VM name or a part of it in the search field and Veeam Backup & Replication will search existing
backups for the specified VM and display matching results.
2. To add the VM to the list, double-click it in the list of search results.
3. If the necessary VM is not found, click the Show more link to browse existing backups and choose the
necessary VM.
To remove a VM from the list, select it and click Remove on the right.
You can select the restore point for the VM.
By default, Veeam Backup & Replication uses the latest valid restore point to recover a VM. However, you can
restore a VM to an earlier state. If you have chosen to restore multiple VMs, you can select a different restore
point for every VM specifically.
1. Select a VM in the list and click Point on the right.
2. In the Restore Points window, select the restore point that must be used to recover the VM.
transport:
o Select Restore to original location if you want to restore the VMs with initial settings and to the
original location. If this option is selected, you will immediately pass to the Summary step of the
wizard.
o Select Restore to a new location, or with different settings if you want to restore the VMs to a
different location and/or with different settings (such as VM location, network settings, fast
provisioning settings and so on). If this option is selected, the vCloud Full VM Restore wizard will
include additional steps for customizing VM settings.
2. [For VM restore to the original location] Select the Quick rollback check box if you want to use
incremental restore for the VMs. Veeam Backup & Replication will use CBT to get data blocks that are
necessary to revert the VMs to an earlier point in time, and will restore only these data blocks from the
backup. Quick rollback significantly reduces the restore time and has little impact on the production
environment.
It is recommended that you enable this option if you restore the VMs after a problem that occurred at the
level of the VM guest OS: for example, there has been an application error or a user has accidentally
processing VM data.
During the restore process, VMs are processed simultaneously. Veeam Backup & Replication checks
available backup proxies. If more than one backup proxy is available, Veeam Backup & Replication
analyzes transport modes that the backup proxies can use for writing data to target, current workload
on these backup proxies, and selects the most appropriate resources for VMs processing.
that will be used for restore. It is recommended that you select at least two proxies to ensure that
VMs are recovered should one of backup proxies fail or lose its connectivity to the source datastore
during restore.
Step 5. Select VM Location
The Location step of the wizard is available if you have chosen to change the location and settings for the
restored VMs.
By default, Veeam Backup & Replication restores the VM to its original location. To restore the VM to a different
location:
1. Select the VM in the list and click vApp.
2. From the vCloud Director hierarchy, choose a vApp in which the restored VM must be registered.
To facilitate selection, use the search field at the bottom of the window: enter the vApp name or a part of
To change the VM name:
1. Select a VM in the list and click Name.
2. In the Change Name window, enter a new name explicitly or specify a change name rule by adding a prefix
and/or suffix to the original VM name.
3. You can also change VM names directly in the list: select a VM, click the New Name field and enter the
name to be assigned to the recovered VM.
The VM Network step of the wizard is available if you have chosen to change the location and settings of the
restored VMs.
To select networks to which the restored VM must be connected:
1. Select a VM in the list and click Networks.
2. The Select Network window displays all networks that are configured for the destination vApp. From the
list of available networks, choose a network to which the restored VM must have access upon restore.
To prevent the restored VM from accessing any network, select it in the list and click Disconnected.
Step 7. Select Template to Link
The Fast Provisioning step of the wizard is available if you have chosen to change the settings of the restored
VMs.
To select a VM template:
1. Select a VM in the list and click Set Template.
2. From the vCloud Director hierarchy, choose a template to which the restored VM must be linked.
To facilitate selection, use the search field at the bottom of the window: enter a VM template name or a
If you want to disable fast provisioning for the VM and restore it as a regular VM, select the VM in the list and
click Disable.
Step 8. Select Storage Policy and Datastores
The Datastores step of the wizard is available if you have chosen to change the settings of the restored VMs.
To select a storage policy for the restored VM:
1. Select a VM in the list and click Policy.
2. In the displayed window, select the necessary policy for the VM.
If you have selected to disable fast provisioning at the previous step of the wizard, you must select a datastore
on which disks of the restored VM will be placed.
1. Select a VM in the list and click Datastore.
2. In the displayed window, select the datastore on which the VM disks must be located.
before restoring the VM into a vApp. For more information on secure restore, see Secure Restore.
At the Reason step of the wizard, enter a reason for restoring the selected VMs. The information you provide
TIP:
again check box.
Step 11. Verify Recovery Settings and Finish Working with
Wizard
At the Summary step of the wizard, specify additional settings for VMs restore:
1. If you want to start the restored VMs, select the Power on VM after restoring check box.
2. Check the settings for VMs restore and click Finish. Veeam Backup & Replication will recover the VMs in
the specified destination.
NOTE:
Veeam Backup & Replication checks the lease term for the restored VMs. In case the lease period has
expired, the lease will be automatically updated.
Restoring Entire VMs into vSphere Infrastructure
You can restore vCloud Director VMs from the backup to the VMware vSphere infrastructure.
During restore, Veeam Backup & Replication neglects the vApp metadata saved to the backup file and performs
a regular entire VM restore process. The VM is restored to the vCenter Server or ESXi host and is not registered
in vCloud Director. vCloud-specific features such as fast provisioning are not supported for such type of restore.
To launch the Full VM Restore wizard, do one of the following:
• Open the Home view, in the inventory pane select Backups. In the working area, expand the necessary
backup, select the VMs you want to restore and click Entire VM > VMware vSphere on the ribbon.
• Open the Inventory view. In the inventory pane, expand the vCloud Director hierarchy and select the
vCenter Server. In the working area, right-click the VM you want to restore and select Restore entire VM >
VMware vSphere.
Entire VM restore of vCloud Director VMs does not differ from entire VM restore of regular VMware VMs. For
more information, see Performing Entire VM Restore.
Restoring VM Files
The process of VM files restore for vCloud Director VMs does not differ from that for regular VMware VMs. For
more information, see Restoring VM Files.
Restoring VM Hard Disks
The process of VM hard disks restore for vCloud Director VMs does not differ from that for regular VMware VMs.
For more information, see Restoring Virtual Disks.
Restoring VM Guest OS Files
The process of VM guest files restore for vCloud Director VMs does not differ from that for regular VMware
VMs. For more information, see Restoring VM Guest OS Files (FAT, NTFS or ReFS) and Restoring VM Guest OS
Files (Multi-OS).
VMware Cloud on AWS Support
Veeam provides support for VMware Cloud on AWS. With Veeam Backup & Replication, you can administer
backup, replication and restore operations in VMware Cloud on AWS environments.
Deployment
To perform data protection and disaster recovery tasks in VMware Cloud on AWS, consider the following
recommendations and requirements on the backup infrastructure deployment:
• Backup Server: it is recommended to deploy Veeam backup server in the VMware Cloud on AWS
environment. The machine must run Microsoft Windows.
• Backup Proxy: you must deploy a backup proxy in the VMware Cloud on AWS environment. The machine
must run Microsoft Windows. You can assign the role of the backup proxy to a dedicated VM or to the
backup server.
To provide sufficient resources, deploy at least one backup proxy per each SDDC cluster in the VMware
Cloud on AWS. This is required for VMware Cloud on AWS specific Hot-Add processing.
• Backup Repository: it is recommended to use a backup repository created outside of the VMware Cloud on
AWS environment, for example, on the Amazon EC2 server. This type of deployment allows for efficient
data transfer over the fast ENI connection used by VMware to communicate with AWS.
Alternatively, you can store backups in a Veeam backup repository in the on-premises VMware
environment or use Veeam Cloud Connect to transfer backups to the cloud. Note that in this scenario you
may be charged additional fee for the traffic from VMware Cloud on AWS to the Internet.
To add VMware Cloud on AWS to the backup infrastructure, follow the same steps as described in the Adding
VMware vSphere Servers section.
Simple Deployment
Simple deployment is preferable for VMware Cloud on AWS environments with low traffic load. Per this
deployment type, you can install the backup server and the backup proxy on the same VM.
In a simple VMware Cloud on AWS deployment the backup infrastructure includes the following components:
• Source ESXi host
• Veeam backup server
• Veeam backup proxy
• Veeam backup repository: an EC2 instance in AWS
Advanced Deployment
Advanced deployment is intended for large-scale VMware Cloud on AWS environments with a large number of
backup and replication jobs. Per this deployment type, it is recommended to install several backup proxies on
dedicated VMs to move the workload from the backup server.
In an advanced VMware Cloud on AWS deployment the backup infrastructure includes the following
components:
• Several Veeam backup proxies for better performance and workload distribution
To increase scalability and optimize performance in an advanced deployment, follow the recommendations
below:
• Deploy additional backup proxies.
• Scale accordingly CPU and RAM resources of the EC2 instance used as a backup repository. Make sure it
has enough free space for storing backups.
Deployment Scenarios for Offsite Backup

To keep up with the 3-2-1 backup rule, it is recommended that you have a copy of your backups in an offsite
location. To transfer your backups offsite, you can leverage Veeam backup copy.
Mind that transferring backups over the Internet may require paying additional fees. As a cost-effective
alternative, you can store backups in a different AWS geographical location. In this case, backup copies are
transferred through the AWS backbone. Using such AWS network solution provides data transfer at lower
latency and cost when compared to the public Internet.
To perform backup copy to a different AWS location, the backup infrastructure must contain the following
components:
• Veeam backup repository for backup copy: an EC2 instance in another AWS location
TIP:
As an offsite backup solution, you can copy backups to virtual tapes and store them in Amazon S3/Glacier
cloud storage. In this case, AWS Storage Gateway performs the role of a Virtual Tape Library (VTL).
Deployment Scenarios for Capacity Tier

If you have a scale-out backup repository with a capacity tier option configured, you can transfer your backups
to the capacity tier for long-term storage. To do it, you can leverage Veeam capacity tier copy mode.
Note that capacity tier is available only as part of scale-out backup repository. For more information on capacity
tier, see Capacity Tier.
To transfer backup files to the capacity tier, the backup infrastructure must contain the following components:
• A configured scale-out backup repository with an object storage added as a capacity extent
Considerations, Limitations and Troubleshooting

Some of VMware features and permissions are not granted by default at the start of VMware Cloud on AWS. For
details, see this Veeam KB article.
WAN Acceleration
WAN acceleration is a Veeam technology that optimizes data transfer to remote locations. It is specific for
offsite backup copy jobs and replication jobs.
Offsite backup copy and replication always involve moving large volumes of data between remote sites. The
most common problems that backup administrators encounter during offsite backup and replication are
insufficient network bandwidth to support VM data traffic and transmission of redundant data. To solve these
problems, Veeam Backup & Replication offers the WAN acceleration technology that combines:
• Network traffic compression
• Multistreaming upload
• Global data deduplication
• Variable block size deduplication.
These technologies help optimize the data transfer and reduce the amount of data going over WAN.
NOTE:
WAN acceleration is included in the Veeam Universal License. When using a legacy socket-based license,
the Enterprise or Enterprise Plus editions of Veeam Backup & Replication are required. For details, see
Veeam Editions Comparison.
High Bandwidth Mode

Starting with Veeam Backup & Replication 10, Veeam WAN acceleration introduces the High bandwidth mode.
We recommend to use it for WAN connections faster than 100 Mbps. If compared with the Low bandwidth
mode, it does not leverage the global cache, but utilizes a faster compression method, optimized digests
processing and an alternative deduplication mechanism. As a result, the new mode provides better performance
and higher speed of data transfer.
Mind that to use the High bandwidth mode, you must enable this option for WAN accelerators at both sites of
the data transfer: the source and the target. If the target WAN accelerator has the High bandwidth mode
enabled, different source accelerators can parallelly interact with it in different modes, depending on the mode
selected for each source WAN accelerator.
Global Data Deduplication
The goal of WAN acceleration is to send less data over the network. To reduce the amount of data going over
WAN, Veeam Backup & Replication uses the global data deduplication mechanism.
1. When you first run a job to the remote location, Veeam Backup & Replication analyzes data blocks going
over WAN.
2. With every new cycle of a job to the remote location, Veeam Backup & Replication uses the data
redundancy algorithm to find duplicate data blocks in copied files. Veeam Backup & Replication analyzes
data blocks in files on the source side and compares them with those that have been previously
transferred over WAN. If an identical data block is found, Veeam Backup & Replication deduplicates it.
As a result, only unique data blocks go over WAN. Data blocks that have already been sent are not sent. This
way, Veeam Backup & Replication eliminates transfer of redundant data over WAN.
Veeam Backup & Replication uses three sources for data deduplication:
• VM disks. Veeam Backup & Replication analyses data blocks within the same VM disk. If identical blocks
are found, duplicates are eliminated.
For example, in case of a virtualized Microsoft Exchange server, the same email is typically stored in
sender’s Outbox folder and recipient’s Inbox folder, which results in duplicate data blocks. When a job to
the remote location runs, Veeam Backup & Replication detects such VM data blocks and performs
deduplication.
• Previous restore points for the processed VM on the target repository. Veeam Backup & Replication
analyses data in the restore point that is about to be copied and the restore points that are already stored
on the target side. If an identical block is found on the target side, Veeam Backup & Replication eliminates
the redundant data block in the copied restore point.
• Global cache. Veeam Backup & Replication creates a global cache holding data blocks that repeatedly go
over WAN. In a new job session, Veeam Backup & Replication analyzes data blocks to be sent and
compares them with data blocks stored in the global cache. If an identical data block is already available in
the global cache, its duplicate on the source side is eliminated and not sent over WAN.
NOTE:
Mind the following:
• Veeam Backup & Replication deduplicates data blocks within one VM disk and in restore points for
one VM only. Deduplication between VM disks and restore points of different VMs is performed
indirectly, via the global cache. For more information, see WAN Global Cache.
• Global data deduplication and deduplication within the same VM disk are not used if both WAN
accelerators in the pair (the source one and the target one) operate in the High bandwidth mode.
WAN Accelerators
For WAN acceleration, Veeam Backup & Replication uses dedicated components — WAN accelerators. WAN
accelerators are responsible for global data caching and data deduplication. Technically, WAN accelerators add a
new layer in the backup infrastructure — between the Veeam Data Movers on the source side and the Veeam
Data Mover on the target side.
WAN Accelerators Deployment

To enable WAN acceleration and data deduplication technologies, you must deploy a pair of WAN accelerators in
your backup infrastructure.
• One WAN accelerator is deployed on the source site, closer to the source backup repository or source host.
• The other WAN accelerator is deployed on the target site, closer to the target backup repository or target
host.
On each WAN accelerator Veeam Backup & Replication creates the VeeamWAN folder containing the following
data:
• The VeeamWAN folder on the source WAN accelerator stores files with digests required for deduplication.
For more information, see How WAN Acceleration Works.
• The VeeamWAN folder on the target WAN accelerator stores global cache data.
NOTE:
Global cache is not used if both WAN accelerators in the pair (the source one and the target one)
operate in the High bandwidth mode.
To learn how to add a WAN accelerator to the Veeam Backup & Replication infrastructure, see Adding WAN
Accelerators.
Recommendations for WAN Accelerators
You should not assign one source WAN accelerator to several jobs to remote locations that you plan to run
simultaneously. The source WAN accelerator requires a lot of CPU and RAM resources, and does not process
multiple tasks in parallel. As an alternative, you can create one job to the remote location for all VMs you plan
to process over one source WAN accelerator.
The target WAN accelerator, however, can be assigned to several jobs to remote locations.
How WAN Acceleration Works
When you create a job to the remote location, you can select to use WAN acceleration in its properties.
The procedure of data copying with WAN acceleration enabled is performed in the following way:
1. [For backup copy job] Veeam Backup & Replication decompresses the backup file to analyze its content.
2. The Veeam WAN Accelerator Service on the source WAN accelerator analyzes data blocks of the file to be
transferred and creates a file with digests for these data blocks. The created file with digests is stored to
the VeeamWAN folder on the source WAN accelerator.
3. Veeam Backup & Replication compresses the backup file data (for backup copy) or VM data (for
replication) and copies it to the target side.
At this point, Veeam Backup & Replication can perform deduplication within the VM itself — that is,
deduplicate identical data blocks in every VM disk.
4. During the data transfer process, the Veeam WAN Accelerator Service on the target WAN accelerator
populates the global cache storage with data blocks from the copied file.
5. During the next job cycle, the Veeam WAN Accelerator Service on the source WAN accelerator analyzes
data blocks in the file that must be transferred this time and creates digests for these data blocks.
6. The Veeam WAN Accelerator Service compares the created digests with the digests that have been
previously stored to the VeeamWAN folder on the source WAN accelerator. If duplicate data blocks are
found, the actual data block in the backup file is not copied over WAN. Instead, it is taken from the global
cache and written to the restore point in the backup copy folder or on the target data volume.
7. Additionally, Veeam Backup & Replication analyzes restore points that have been previously copied to the
target side. If duplicates are found, Veeam Backup & Replication does not copy such blocks over WAN but
takes them from the previously copied restore points.
As a result, Veeam Backup & Replication copies only new data blocks to the target side and uses data blocks
that are already stored in the global cache or in restore points in the target backup repository.
If the target WAN accelerator is used by several jobs, the target backup repository may already contain data
blocks of the necessary VM type. In this situation, Veeam Backup & Replication will copy the required data
blocks to the global cache before the copying process starts and use these data blocks further on. For more
information, see Many to One WAN Acceleration.
If WAN acceleration is performed in the High bandwidth mode, the procedure of data transfer with WAN
acceleration has the following peculiarities:
• Global cache is not used. Thus, the target WAN accelerator does not need extra disk space to store the
global cache folder.
• Deduplication is performed only by using previous restore points for the processed VM on the target
repository. Therefore, Veeam Backup & Replication performs less deduplication operations and saves
resources and time for data processing.
• The data chunk size used by the Changed Block Tracking mechanism during deduplication is smaller if
compared with the Low bandwidth mode. This reduces the size of redundant data to transfer.
WAN Global Cache
From the technical point of view, the global cache is a folder on the target WAN accelerator. By default, global
cache data is stored in the VeeamWAN folder on the disk with the most amount of space available. However, you
can define any folder of your choice when you configure the target WAN accelerator.
NOTE:
Global cache is not used if both WAN accelerators in the pair (the source one and the target one) operate in
the High bandwidth mode.
By default, the size of the global cache is 100 GB. You can increase the size or decrease it if necessary. The more
space you allocate, the more repeating data blocks will be written to the global cache and the more efficient
WAN acceleration will be. It is recommended that you allocate at least 40 GB to the global cache storage.
The global cache size is specified per source WAN accelerator. That is, if you plan to use one target WAN
accelerator with several source WAN accelerators, the specified amount of space will be allocated for every
source WAN accelerator that will be working with the target WAN accelerator and the size of the global cache
will increase proportionally. For more information, see WAN Accelerator Sizing.
The WAN global cache is a “library” that holds data blocks repeatedly going from the source side to the target
side. The global cache is populated at the first cycle of a job to the remote location. The priority is given to data
blocks of Windows-based OSes, other OSes like Linux/Unix, and Microsoft Exchange Server.
Veeam Backup & Replication constantly maintains the global cache in the actual state. To do that, it
continuously monitors data blocks going over WAN and data blocks in the global cache.
• If some new data block is constantly sent over WAN, it is added to the global cache.
• If some data block in the global cache is not sent over WAN and are not re-used for some period of time, it
is removed from the global cache to make room for new data blocks.
Veeam Backup & Replication also performs periodic consistency checks. If some data block in the global cache
gets corrupted, Veeam Backup & Replication removes it from the global cache.
The efficiency of the WAN acceleration increases with every new backup copy interval in the backup copy job.
During the first backup copy interval in the backup copy job, the WAN acceleration level is minimal.
Veeam Backup & Replication populates the global cache. With every new job cycle, Veeam Backup & Replication
updates the global cache to include the most “popular” data blocks and the WAN acceleration efficiency
increases.
NOTE:
You can populate the global cache before you run the job to the remote location for the first time. In this
case, Veeam Backup & Replication will use the global cache starting from the first session of the job to the
remote location, and the WAN traffic will be minimal. For more information, see Population of Global
Cache.
Many to One WAN Acceleration

The WAN global cache can be used by several source WAN accelerators simultaneously. For example, if you have
several remote/branch offices, you can configure several source WAN accelerators in remote sites and one
target WAN accelerator in the head office.
In this case, the global cache will hold cache data for separate source WAN accelerators. The cache data for
every source WAN accelerator will be stored in a dedicated subfolder in the global cache folder.
When one target WAN accelerator is used by several source WAN accelerators, Veeam Backup & Replication can
copy data blocks between global cache of these WAN accelerators. This mechanism works if there are no
matching backups of VMs in the target backup repository, but matching data is available in cache of other WAN
accelerators.
For example, you have two backup copy jobs: Job 1 and Job 2. The Job 1 uses the source WAN accelerator Source
1 and the target WAN accelerator Target 3. The Job 2 uses the source WAN accelerator Source 2 and the same
target WAN accelerator Target 3. In the global cache folder, Veeam Backup & Replication will store data for 2
WAN accelerators: Source 1 and Source 2.
• Job 1 processes a VM running Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2, and it has been running for some time.
In the global cache, there is already data for this type of OS.
• Job 2 also processes a VM running Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2. When you start Job 2 for the first
time, there is no data for this type of OS in the global cache for Source 2 WAN accelerator. In such
situation, Veeam Backup & Replication will copy the necessary data block from the Source 1 cache to the
Source 2 cache and will not transport this data block over WAN.
NOTE:
Beside using global cache of other WAN accelerator, Veeam Backup & Replication also utilizes backup files
residing in the backup repository. For example, if the backup repository contains a backup file created with
a backup job and the backup copy job starts copying a backup of a VM of the same type,
Veeam Backup & Replication will populate global cache on the WAN accelerator from the backup file not to
transfer redundant data over WAN.
Manual Population of Global Cache

You can manually pre-populate the global cache to avoid the situation where the cache remains empty. As a
result, by the time a job to the remote location starts, the global cache will contain data blocks that can be used
for data deduplication.
Manual population of the global cache can be helpful in the following scenarios:
• First run of a job to the remote location. When you run a first session of a job to the remote location, the
global cache is empty, and the whole amount of VM data needs to be transferred over WAN. It is
recommended that you manually populate the global cache before you start a job to the remote location
for the first time.
• Global cache corruption. If the global cache gets corrupted for some reason, Veeam Backup & Replication
needs to perform at least one session of the job to the remote location to replace corrupted data blocks
with valid data blocks. In this situation, you can clean the global cache and manually populate it with valid
data before the job to the remote location begins.
IMPORTANT!
Veeam Backup & Replication does not use encrypted backups for manual global cache population.
Limitations for Manual Population of Global Cache

The manually performed global cache population task has the following limitations:
• Veeam Backup & Replication does not use encrypted backups for global cache population.
• Veeam Backup & Replication writes only data blocks for Windows-based OSes to the default cache. Data
blocks for other OSes like Linux/Unix and application data blocks are not written to the cache.
• You can start the global cache population task for the target WAN accelerator that is not currently used by
any job to the remote location.
• If the global cache population task is currently running, the corresponding target WAN accelerator is
locked. You cannot start any job to the remote location by using this target WAN accelerator.
• [For global cache corruption scenario] You must clean the global cache before you populate it with valid
data.
• [Veeam Cloud Connect] Veeam Backup & Replication does not use tenant backups to populate global
cache on the service provider side.
How Manual Population of Global Cache Works

Global cache population is a manual operation performed by the user. When you run the global cache
population task, Veeam Backup & Replication creates a ‘default cache’ on the target WAN accelerator. The
default cache is used as a basic, universal cache for every new job to the remote location.
To populate the default cache, Veeam Backup & Replication uses backup files stored in backup repositories as a
source of data.
The procedure of global cache population includes the following steps:
1. The user manually starts the global cache population tasks and selects backup repositories from which
data blocks should be retrieved.
2. Veeam Backup & Replication scans backup repositories and makes up a list of OSes whose data blocks are
available in backup files.
3. Veeam Backup & Replication copies data blocks from backup repositories and populates the default cache
with these data blocks.
When a job to the remote location starts, Veeam Backup & Replication renames the default cache to a folder for
the source WAN accelerator engaged in the job. As a result, Veeam Backup & Replication can use data blocks in
this folder for deduplication starting from the very first session of the job to the remote location.
In many-to-one WAN accelerator deployment scenarios, the global cache may have folders for other source
WAN accelerators, and these folders may contain data blocks for some OSes. If the global cache already contains
some data, the procedure of global cache population includes the following steps:
1. The user manually starts the global cache population tasks and selects backup repositories from which
data blocks should be retrieved.
2. Veeam Backup & Replication scans backup repositories and makes up a list of OSes whose data blocks are
available in backup files.
3. Veeam Backup & Replication scans folders for other source WAN accelerators in the global cache and
makes up a list of OSes whose data blocks are available there.
4. The list of OSes in the global cache is compared to the list of OSes in backup repositories. This way,
Veeam Backup & Replication detects data blocks for which OSes are missing in the global cache.
5. In the global cache, Veeam Backup & Replication detects a folder with the maximum amount of data. This
folder is used as a basis for the default cache.
6. Veeam Backup & Replication copies data blocks only for missing OSes from backup repositories and
populates the default cache with these blocks. Data blocks for OSes available in folders for other source
WAN accelerators are not copied to the default cache during the population task.
Veeam Backup & Replication copies these data blocks on the fly, when a job to the remote location runs.
For more information, see Many to One WAN Acceleration.
Manually Populating Global Cache
To manually populate the global cache:
2. In the inventory pane, select the WAN Accelerators node.
3. In the working area, right-click the target WAN accelerator and select Populate cache.
If the selected WAN accelerator is not assigned as a target WAN accelerator to any job to the remote
location, Veeam Backup & Replication will display a warning.
4. In the Source Backup Repositories window, select backup repositories from which OS data blocks must be
retrieved.
It is strongly recommended that you select backup repositories on the same site where the target WAN
accelerator is located. In the opposite case, the traffic will travel between sites, which will increase load
on the network.
5. Click OK.
Clearing Global Cache

You can clear the global cache on the target WAN accelerator. It is recommended that you clear the global cache
in the following situations:
• Global cache is corrupted.
• Global cache contains data that is no longer needed. This situation may occur, for example, if you have
decided to fully switch to the High bandwidth mode that does not use the global cache data.
In such cases, it is recommended that you clear the global cache and populate it anew before you start jobs to
remote locations processing new types of VMs.
To clear the global cache:
2. In the inventory pane, click WAN Accelerators.
3. In the working area, right-click the target WAN accelerator and select Clear cache.
IMPORTANT!
Mind the following:
• Before you clear the global cache, make sure that you do not have any running jobs that use this
target WAN accelerator. When the global cache is cleared, Veeam Backup & Replication will restart
the Veeam WAN Accelerator Service, and running jobs will complete with the Failed status.
• When you clear the global cache, you also clear all digest data stored at this WAN accelerator.
WAN Accelerator Sizing
To ensure correct work of remote jobs over WAN accelerators, you must provide enough free space for service
data on source and target WAN accelerators.
When configuring WAN accelerators, mind that there can be situations when WAN acceleration switches from
the High bandwidth mode to the Low bandwidth mode: for example, the link to the remote location changes
and you decide to disable the High bandwidth mode for one of the accelerators in the pair. If you disable the
High bandwidth mode and start a job which utilizes this WAN accelerator, Veeam Backup & Replication deletes
digest data that was used in the High bandwidth mode and recreates it for the Low bandwidth mode. Besides,
Veeam Backup & Replication will also use the global cache at the target WAN accelerator.
To avoid problems caused by the lack of free space when switching from the High bandwidth mode to the Low
bandwidth mode, we recommend that you configure WAN accelerators as if you planned to use them in the Low
bandwidth mode.
Source WAN Accelerator

When you run a remote job over WAN accelerators, Veeam Backup & Replication analyses data blocks going to
target and calculates digests for these data blocks. Digests data is stored on the source WAN accelerator, in the
VeeamWAN folder on the disk that you select when you configure the WAN accelerator.
You must make sure that there is enough disk space on the source WAN accelerator to store digest data.
The amount of disk space required for a source WAN accelerator operating in the Low bandwidth mode is
calculated by the following formula:
Digest Size = 2% of Provisioned VM Size
For example, if you plan to process 10 VMs whose provisioned size is 2 TB, you must allocate 40 GB of disk
space for digest data on the source WAN accelerator operating in the Low bandwidth mode.
The amount of disk space required for a source WAN accelerator operating in the High bandwidth mode is
calculated by the following formula:
For example, if you plan to process 10 VMs whose provisioned size is 2 TB, you must allocate 20 GB of disk
space for digest data on the source WAN accelerator operating in the High bandwidth mode.
Target WAN Accelerator

You must make sure that you provide enough free space for the following data on the target WAN accelerator:
• Global cache data
• Digest data
NOTE:
For the target WAN accelerator operating in the High bandwidth mode only, you must provide enough free
space to generate digest data. Global cache data is not used in the High bandwidth mode.
When you enable the High bandwidth mode for an existing WAN accelerator, Veeam Backup & Replication
does not automatically remove the global cache that was previously used for acceleration. If you are
planning to use the High bandwidth mode for WAN acceleration and you do not need the global cache
anymore, you can free the disk space by manually removing the cache. If you are planning to use WAN
acceleration in the Low bandwidth mode in the future, we recommend that you keep the global cache. You
can disable the High bandwidth mode and switch back to the Low bandwidth mode at any time.
Global Cache Data
Global cache is stored on the target WAN accelerator, in the VeeamWAN folder on the disk that you select when
you configure the WAN accelerator. The size of global cache is specified in the properties of the target WAN
accelerator.
You must provide enough free space for global cache data. It is recommended that you provide 10 GB per every
type of OS on VMs that you plan to process. By default, Veeam Backup & Replication allocates 100 GB for the
global cache size.
For example, you want to process the following VMs:
• 1 VM that runs Microsoft Windows 7
• 3 VMs that run Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2
• 2 VMs that run Microsoft Windows Server 2012 R2
There are 3 types of OSes so you must allocate 30 GB for the global cache on the target WAN accelerator.
NOTE:
Global cache is stored only on the target WAN accelerator. You do not have to provide space for global
cache on the source WAN accelerator.
Digest Data
In some cases, Veeam Backup & Replication may require more space on the target WAN accelerator than
specified in the WAN accelerator properties. This can happen if digest data on the source WAN accelerator is
missing or cannot be used. For example:
• You have performed the Clear Cache operation on the source WAN accelerator and it no longer contains
digest data. For more information, see Clearing Global Cache.
• Veeam Backup & Replication has attempted to resume operation of backup data transfer, but the backup
file was not prepared for the operation in a proper way. The digest data must be re-calculated.
In such situations, the target WAN accelerator calculates digest data on its own, which requires additional space.
After the digest data is calculated, the target WAN accelerator transfers it to the source WAN accelerator. After
the transfer, the copy of the digest data is removed from the target WAN accelerator.
For safety reasons, it is recommended that you provide the following amount of space for digest data on the
target WAN accelerator:
The amount of disk space required for digest data at a target WAN accelerator operating in the Low bandwidth
mode is calculated by the following formula:
The amount of disk space required for digest data at a target WAN accelerator operating in the High bandwidth
mode is calculated by the following formula:
This amount of space is required for digest data recalculation. If you do not provide this amount of space and a
situation where Veeam Backup & Replication needs to recalculate digest data occurs, the job to the remote
location will work in the limited mode. Veeam Backup & Replication will not deduplicate data against the
previous restore points copied to target. For more information, see Global Data Deduplication.
IMPORTANT!
When you specify the global cache size for a target WAN accelerator, you do not allocate any space for
storing digest data. To let Veeam Backup & Replication recalculate digest data, you must make sure that
necessary amount of free space is available on the target WAN accelerator (in addition to the space
allocated for the global cache).
For example:
• You have allocated 100 GB for global cache on the target WAN accelerator operating in the Low
bandwidth mode.
• Provisioned size of VMs to be processed is 2 TB.
In this case, the needed amount of free disk space for the global cache on the target WAN accelerator is:
100 GB + 40 GB = 140 GB
Many-to-One WAN Acceleration Scenario
Global cache size is calculated per 1 source WAN accelerator working with the target WAN accelerator. If you
plan to use several source WAN accelerators with 1 target WAN accelerator, you must increase the size of the
global cache proportionally. The cache data for every source WAN accelerator will be stored in a dedicated
subfolder in the global cache folder of the target WAN accelerator. The global cache size is calculated by the
following formula:
Total Global Cache Size = (# of Source WAN Accelerators) * (Size of Global Cach
e Configured in Target WAN Accelerator Properties)
Total Free Disk Space to Provide = Total Global Cache Size + Digest Size
For example:
• You have 4 source WAN accelerators in the source side working with 1 target WAN accelerator in the
disaster recovery (DR) site.
• The global cache size configured in properties of the target WAN accelerator is 100 GB.
• The size of VMs to be processed is 2 TB.
In this case, the needed amount of free disk space for the global cache and digests on the target WAN
accelerator is:
4*100 GB + 40 GB = 440 GB
NOTE:
For more information and recommendations on WAN accelerator cache sizing, see the Veeam KB1877
article.
Adding WAN Accelerators
To add a WAN accelerator, you must assign the WAN accelerator role to a Microsoft Windows server added to
the backup infrastructure.
You must deploy a pair of WAN accelerators: one WAN accelerator on each side of the WAN link.
Before you add a WAN accelerator, check prerequisites. Then use the New WAN Accelerator wizard to add a
WAN accelerator.
Before You Begin

Before you add a WAN accelerator, check the following prerequisites:
• The machine that will operate as a WAN accelerator must meet the system requirements. For more
information, see System Requirements.
• You must assign the WAN accelerator role to a Microsoft Windows server (physical or virtual). The WAN
accelerator role can be assigned to backup proxies and Microsoft Windows backup repositories already
configured in the backup infrastructure.
• You must use 64-bit Microsoft Windows machines as WAN accelerators. Veeam Backup & Replication does
not support 32-bit versions of Microsoft Windows used as WAN accelerators.
• WAN acceleration operations are resource-consuming. When assigning the WAN accelerator role, mind
available CPU and memory resources of the Microsoft Windows server. It is recommended that you assign
the WAN accelerator role to servers with 8 GB RAM and more.
• The machine must have enough free disk space to store digests or global cache data. For more
information, see WAN Accelerator Sizing.
• You must add the machine to the Veeam Backup & Replication console as a managed server before adding
it as a WAN accelerator.
Step 1. Launch New WAN Accelerator Wizard
To launch the New WAN Accelerator wizard, do either of the following:
• Open the Backup Infrastructure view, in the inventory pane select WAN Accelerators and click Add WAN
Accelerator on the ribbon.
• Open the Backup Infrastructure view, in the inventory pane right-click WAN Accelerators and select Add
WAN Accelerator.
Step 2. Choose Server
At the Server step of the wizard, select a Microsoft Windows server that you plan to use as a WAN accelerator
and define port and connection settings for this server.
1. From the Choose server list, select a Microsoft Windows server added to the backup infrastructure. If the
server is not added to the backup infrastructure yet, you can click Add New to open the New Windows
Server wizard. For more information, see Adding Microsoft Windows Servers.

It is recommended that you describe the added WAN accelerator as the source or target one. When you
create a job to the remote location, this hint will be displayed in brackets next to the WAN accelerator
name, which will help you choose the necessary WAN accelerator to be used on the source or target side.
3. In the Traffic port field, specify the number of the port over which WAN accelerators must communicate
with each other. By default, port 6165 is used.
4. In the Streams field, specify the number of connections that must be used to transmit data between WAN
accelerators. By default, 5 connections are used.
This setting applies only to the source WAN accelerator. The greater is the number of streams, the more
bandwidth resources Veeam Backup & Replication will use. A great number of streams engage more CPU
and memory resources of the source WAN accelerator.
5. If your network bandwidth is more than 100 Mbps, we recommend that you use the High bandwidth mode
option. This mode provides significant bandwidth savings comparable to the direct mode on WAN links
under 1 Gbps.
To use the High bandwidth mode, enable the option for WAN accelerators at both sites of the data
transfer: the source one and the target one. If the High bandwidth mode is enabled for the target WAN
accelerator, different source accelerators can parallelly interact with it in different modes, depending on
the mode selected for each source WAN accelerator.
When you enable the High bandwidth mode for an existing pair of WAN accelerators,
Veeam Backup & Replication does not automatically remove the global cache that was previously used for
acceleration. If you are planning to use only the High bandwidth mode for WAN acceleration and you do
not need the global cache anymore, you can free the disk space by manually removing the cache. If you
are planning to use WAN acceleration in the Low bandwidth mode in the future, we recommend that you
keep the global cache. You can disable the High bandwidth mode at any time.
Step 3. Define Cache Location and Size
At the Cache step of the wizard, define settings for the folder where service files and global cache data will be
stored.
NOTE:
If both WAN accelerators (the source one and the target one) work in the High bandwidth mode, WAN
acceleration does not use the global cache. But bear in mind that you can disable the High bandwidth
mode and switch back to the Low bandwidth mode at any time, which will require to use the global cache.
To provide correct operation of WAN accelerators, we recommend that you allocate enough disk space for
the global cache folder when adding a new WAN accelerator, no matter if the High bandwidth mode is
enabled for it or not.
1. In the Folder field, specify a path to the folder in which service files (for source and target WAN
accelerators) and global cache data (for target WAN accelerator) must be stored. When selecting a folder
on the target WAN accelerator, make sure that there is enough space for storing global cache data.
2. [For target WAN accelerator] In the Cache size field, specify the size for the global cache. The global cache
size is specified per source WAN accelerator. If you plan to use one target WAN accelerator with several
source WAN accelerators, the specified amount of space will be allocated to every source WAN accelerator
and the size of the global cache will increase proportionally. For more information, see WAN Accelerator
Sizing.
IMPORTANT!
Do not nest the global cache folder deep in the file tree. During WAN acceleration operations,
Veeam Backup & Replication generates service files with long file names. Placing such files to a folder of
significant depth may cause problems on the NTFS file system.
Veeam Backup & Replication installs the following components on the server used as a WAN accelerator:
• Veeam Data Mover Service
• Veeam WAN Accelerator Service
At the Review step of the wizard, review what components are already installed on the server and what
components will be installed.
2. Click Next to install the components on the server.
Step 5. Apply WAN Accelerator Settings
At the Apply step of the wizard, wait till Veeam Backup & Replication installs and configures all required
components. Click Next to complete the procedure of creating the WAN accelerator and adding it to the backup
infrastructure.
At the Summary step of the wizard, review details of the added WAN accelerator and click Finish to exit the
wizard.
Removing WAN Accelerators
You can permanently remove a WAN accelerator from the backup infrastructure. When you remove a WAN
accelerator, Veeam Backup & Replication unassigns the WAN accelerator role from the server, and this server is
no longer used as a WAN accelerator. The server itself remains in the backup infrastructure.
To remove a WAN accelerator:
2. In the inventory pane, select WAN accelerators.
3. In the working area, select the WAN accelerator and click Remove WAN Accelerator on the ribbon or right-
click the WAN accelerator and select Remove.
Data Block Verification
During the VM copy process, Veeam Backup & Replication performs a CRC check for the VM traffic going
between the source and target WAN accelerators. The CRC check helps ensure that the correct VM data goes to
the target side and no corrupted data blocks are written to the global cache or to backup files in the target
backup repository.
The check is performed in the following way:
1. Before sending a data block to the target side, Veeam Backup & Replication calculates a checksum for the
copied data block.
2. Once the data block is copied over WAN and before it is written to the global cache or to the target
backup repository, Veeam Backup & Replication re-calculates the checksum for this data block on the
target side.
3. The source and target checksums are compared. If the checksums do not coincide, the target WAN
accelerator sends a request to the source WAN accelerator for the correct data block. The source WAN
accelerator re-sends the necessary data blocks to the target WAN accelerator as is and the re-sent data
block is written to the global cache or to the backup file in the target backup repository on the fly.
Data Transport on WAN Disconnect
If you replicate VMs over WAN accelerators, and a WAN connection drops for short periods of time (less than 30
minutes), Veeam Backup & Replication transparently handles disconnect issues. It automatically resumes the
data transport process from the point when the connection was lost. The resume on disconnect capability
improves the reliability of offsite replication, reduces the backup window and minimizes the load on the WAN
link.
If a WAN connection is lost for more than 30 minutes, Veeam Backup & Replication still does not finish the job
with a failed status. After a WAN connection is resumed, Veeam Backup & Replication starts a new data transfer
cycle. Data transported with every new transport cycle is written to a new working snapshot of a VM replica. As
the WAN connection may drop several times, Veeam Backup & Replication can create a number of working
snapshots.
Not to keep long snapshot chains, Veeam Backup & Replication merges earlier snapshots and maintains only two
working snapshots for the VM replica. When all VM data is transferred to the target host, the two working
snapshots are also merged to create one fully functional VM restore point.
If the WAN link is weak and drops constantly, Veeam Backup & Replication may fail to transport VM data by the
time a new replication job session starts. In this case, during a new replication job session
Veeam Backup & Replication attempts to transfer VM data that have changed since the last replication job
session and VM data that were not transferred during the previous replication job session.
Data Encryption
Data security is an important part of the backup strategy. You must protect your information from unauthorized
access, especially if you back up sensitive VM data to offsite locations or archive it to tape. To keep your data
safe, you can use data encryption.
Data encryption transforms data to an unreadable, scrambled format with the help of a cryptographic algorithm
and a secret key. If encrypted data is intercepted, it cannot be unlocked and read by the eavesdropper. Only
intended recipients who know the secret key can reverse encrypted information back to a readable format.
In Veeam Backup & Replication, encryption works at the following levels:
• Backup job
• Transaction log backup job
• Backup copy job
• VeeamZIP
• Tapes in media pools
Veeam Backup & Replication uses the block cypher encryption algorithm. Encryption works at the source side.
Veeam Backup & Replication reads VM or file data, encodes data blocks, transfers them to the target side in the
encrypted format and stores the data to a file in the backup repository or archives the data to tape. Data
decryption is also performed on the source side: Veeam Backup & Replication transfers encrypted data back to
the source side and decrypts it there.
NOTE:
Veeam Backup & Replication will pass encryption keys to the target backup repository or cloud repository
in the following cases:
• If you run a backup copy job over WAN accelerators

• If you perform health check for the encrypted backup files
Beside the job-level encryption, Veeam Backup & Replication allows you to encrypt network traffic going
between the primary site and the disaster recovery site. Network traffic encryption is configured as part of
global network traffic rules that are set for backup infrastructure components. For network traffic encryption,
Veeam Backup & Replication uses the 256-bit Advanced Encryption Standard (AES).
Data Encryption and Deduplication
Data encryption has a negative effect on the deduplication ratio if you use a deduplicating storage appliance as a
target. Veeam Backup & Replication uses different encryption keys for every job session. For this reason,
encrypted data blocks sent to the deduplicating storage appliances appear as different though they may contain
duplicate data. If you want to achieve a higher deduplication ratio, you can disable data encryption.
Data Encryption and Compression

If data compression and data encryption are enabled for a job, Veeam Backup & Replication compresses VM data
first and after that encodes the compressed data blocks. Both operations are performed at the source side.
Note, however, that if the Decompress backup data blocks before storing check box is selected in the backup
repository settings, Veeam Backup & Replication does not compress VM data before encryption. Therefore, in
the job statistics, you may observe a higher amount of transferred data (the Transferred counter) as compared
to a job for which encryption is disabled. For details on job statistics, see Viewing Real-Time Statistics.
Encryption Standards
Veeam Backup & Replication uses the following industry-standard data encryption algorithms:
Data Encryption
• To encrypt data blocks in backup files and files archived to tape, Veeam Backup & Replication uses the
256-bit AES with a 256-bit key length in the CBC-mode. For more information, see Advanced Encryption
Standard (AES).
• To generate a key based on a password, Veeam Backup & Replication uses the Password-Based Key
Derivation Function, PKCS #5 version 2.0. Veeam Backup & Replication uses 10,000 HMAC-SHA1
iterations and a 512-bit salt. For more information, see Recommendation for Password-Based Key
Derivation.
Enterprise Manager Keys

• To generate Enterprise Manager keys required for data restore without a password,
Veeam Backup & Replication uses the RSA algorithm with a 4096-bit key length.
• To generate a request for data restore from a backup server, Veeam Backup & Replication uses the RSA
algorithm with a 2048-bit key length.
For more information, see RSA Cryptography Specifications.
Hashing Algorithms
Veeam Backup & Replication uses the following hashing algorithms:
• For digital signature generation: SHA-1, SHA-256
• For HMAC generation: HMAC_SHA-1
• For random number generation: SHA-1
Encryption Libraries
For Microsoft Windows-based repositories and software-based encryption for tapes,
Veeam Backup & Replication uses the Windows Crypto API complying with the Federal Information Processing
Standards (FIPS 140). For more information, see this Microsoft article.
Veeam Backup & Replication uses the following cryptographic service providers:
• Microsoft Base Cryptographic Provider. For more information, see Microsoft Docs.
• Microsoft Enhanced RSA and AES Cryptographic Provider. For more information, see Microsoft Docs.
• Microsoft Enhanced Cryptographic Provider. For more information, see Microsoft Docs.
For Linux-based repositories, Veeam Backup & Replication uses a statically linked OpenSSL encryption library,
without the FIPS 140 support. For more information, see OpenSSL.
Veeam Backup & Replication encrypts stored credentials using the Data Protection API (DPAPI) mechanisms. For
more information, see Microsoft Docs.
Encryption Algorithms
To encrypt data in backups and files, Veeam Backup & Replication employs a symmetric key encryption
algorithm.
The symmetric, or single-key encryption algorithm, uses a single, common secret key to encrypt and decrypt
data. Before data is sent to target side, it is encoded with a secret key. To restore encrypted data, you must have
the same secret key. Users who do not have the secret key cannot decrypt data and get access to it.
Veeam Backup & Replication relies on a hierarchical encryption scheme. Each layer in the hierarchy encrypts the
layer below with a key of specific type.
Encryption Keys
An encryption key is a string of random characters that is used to bring data to a scrambled format and back to
unscrambled. Encryption keys encode and decode initial data blocks or underlying keys in the key hierarchy.
Veeam Backup & Replication uses 8 types of keys:
• 3 service keys generated by Veeam Backup & Replication:
o Session key
o Metakey
o Storage key
• 1 key generated based on a user password: a user key.
• A pair of keys used for data recovery without a password — Enterprise Manager keys.
• A pair of keys used for identity verification of the backup server — backup server keys.
Session Keys and Metakeys

The session key is the lowest layer in the encryption key hierarchy. When Veeam Backup & Replication encrypts
data, it first encodes every data block in a file with a session key. For session keys, Veeam Backup & Replication
uses the AES algorithm with a 256-bit key length in the CBC-mode.
Veeam Backup & Replication generates a new session key for every job session. For example, if you have created
an encrypted backup job and run 3 job sessions, Veeam Backup & Replication will produce 3 backup files that
will be encrypted with 3 different session keys:
• Full backup file encrypted with session key 1
• Incremental backup file encrypted with session key 2
• Incremental backup file encrypted with session key 3
The session key is used to encrypt only data blocks in backup files or files archived to tape. To encrypt backup
metadata, Veeam Backup & Replication applies a separate key — metakey. Use of a metakey for metadata raises
the security level of encrypted backups.
For every job session, Veeam Backup & Replication generates a new metakey. For example, if you have run 3 job
sessions, Veeam Backup & Replication will encrypt metadata with 3 metakeys.
In the encryption process, session keys and metakeys are encrypted with keys of a higher layer — storage keys.
Cryptograms of session keys and metakeys are stored to the resulting file next to encrypted data blocks.
Metakeys are additionally kept in the configuration database.
Storage Keys
Backup files in the backup chain often need to be transformed, for example, in case you create a reverse
incremental backup chain. When Veeam Backup & Replication transforms a full backup file, it writes data blocks
from several restore points to the full backup file. As a result, the full backup file contains data blocks that are
encrypted in different job sessions with different session keys.
To restore data from such “composed” backup file, Veeam Backup & Replication would require a bunch of
session keys. For example, if the backup chain contains restore points for 2 months, Veeam Backup & Replication
would have to keep session keys for a 2-month period.
In such situation, storing and handling session keys would be resource consuming and complicated. To facilitate
the encryption process, Veeam Backup & Replication introduces another type of service key — a storage key.
For storage keys, Veeam Backup & Replication uses the AES algorithm. A storage key is directly associated with
one restore point in the backup chain. The storage key is used to encrypt the following keys in the encryption
hierarchy:
• All session keys for all data blocks in one restore point
• Metakey encrypting backup metadata
During the restore process, Veeam Backup & Replication uses one storage key to decrypt all session keys for one
restore point, no matter how many session keys were used to encrypt data blocks in this restore point. As a
result, Veeam Backup & Replication does not need to keep the session keys history in the configuration
database. Instead, it requires only one storage key to restore data from one file.
In the encryption process, storage keys are encrypted with keys of a higher layer — user keys and optionally a
public Enterprise Manager key. Cryptograms of storage keys are stored to the resulting file next to encrypted
data blocks, and cryptograms of session keys and metakeys.
Storage keys are also kept in the configuration database. To maintain a set of valid storage keys in the database,
Veeam Backup & Replication uses retention policy settings specified for the job. When some restore point is
removed from the backup chain by retention, the storage key corresponding to this restore point is also
removed from the configuration database.
User Keys
When you enable encryption for a job, you must define a password to protect data processed by this job, and
define a hint for the password. The password and the hint are saved in the job settings. Based on this password,
Veeam Backup & Replication generates a user key.
The user key protects data at the job level. In the encryption hierarchy, the user key encrypts storage keys for all
restore points in the backup chain.
During the encryption process, Veeam Backup & Replication saves a hint for the password to the encrypted file.
When you decrypt a file, Veeam Backup & Replication displays a hint for the password that you must provide.
After you enter a password, Veeam Backup & Replication derives a user key from the password and uses it to
unlock the storage key for the encrypted file.
According to the security best practices, you must change passwords for encrypted jobs regularly. When you
change a password for the job, Veeam Backup & Replication creates a new user key and uses it to encrypt new
restore points in the backup chain.
IMPORTANT!
You must always remember passwords set for jobs or save these passwords in a safe place. If you lose or
forget the password, you can restore data from a backup file by issuing a request to Veeam Backup
Enterprise Manager. For more information, see How Decryption Without Password Works.
Enterprise Manager Keys

In some cases, a password required for data decryption may be lost or forgotten, or a user who knows the
password may leave your organization. As a result, you cannot recover data from backups or tapes encrypted
with this password, and encrypted data becomes unusable.
Veeam Backup & Replication offers you a way to restore encrypted data even if you do not have a password. For
this purpose, Veeam Backup & Replication employs an additional pair of keys in the encryption process —
Enterprise Manager keys.
Enterprise Manager keys is a pair of matching RSA keys: a public key and a private key. The public Enterprise
Manager key is used to encrypt data, while the private Enterprise Manager key is used to decrypt data encrypted
with the public key.
In the encryption process, Enterprise Manager keys perform a role similar to the user key: the public Enterprise
Manager key encrypts storage keys and the private Enterprise Manager key decrypts them. Technically,
Enterprise Manager keys offer an alternative to the user key. When you create an encrypted backup file or
archive encrypted data to tape, Veeam Backup & Replication encrypts storage keys with two types of keys
simultaneously:
• User key
• Public Enterprise Manager key
When you decrypt a file and the password is lost, Veeam Backup & Replication cannot derive the user key from
the password. In this situation, you can send a request to Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager. Veeam Backup
Enterprise Manager will employ the private Enterprise Manager key instead of the user key to unlock storage
keys and decrypt the file content. For more information, see How Decryption Without Password Works.
Enterprise Manager keys take part in the encryption process if the following two conditions are met:
1. You have the Enterprise or Enterprise Plus edition of Veeam Backup & Replication.
2. You have Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager installed and your backup servers are connected to Veeam
Backup Enterprise Manager.
Enterprise Manager keys make up a pair of matching keys – a keyset. Enterprise Manager keysets are created
and managed on the Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager server. During installation of Veeam Backup Enterprise
Manager, the setup automatically generates a new keyset containing a public Enterprise Manager key and a
private Enterprise Manager key. You can use Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager to create new Enterprise
Manager keysets, activate them, import and export keysets and specify retention for their lifetime.
The public Enterprise Manager key is made publicly available to backup servers. When you connect backup
servers to Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager, the public Enterprise Manager key is automatically propagated to
these backup servers.
Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager acts as a manager for public Enterprise Manager keys but does not store
these keys. After the public Enterprise Manager key is propagated to the backup server, it is kept in the
configuration database.
Private Enterprise Manager keys, on the contrary, are not distributed anywhere: they are kept only on Veeam
Backup Enterprise Manager.
Backup Server Keys

Eavesdroppers may potentially use Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager to unlock files encrypted with
Veeam Backup & Replication. If the eavesdropper intercepts an encrypted file, s/he may generate a request for
file unlocking and send such request to Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager Administrators. Having received a
response from Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager, the eavesdropper will be able unlock the encrypted file
without a password.
To protect you against the “man-in-the-middle” attack, Veeam Backup & Replication uses backup server keys.
Backup server keys are a pair of RSA keys, public and private, that are generated on the backup server.
• The public backup server key is sent to Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager to which the backup server is
connected, and saved in the Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager configuration database.
• The private backup server key is kept on the backup server in the Veeam Backup & Replication
Backup server keys are used to authenticate the identity of the request sender. When the backup server
generates a request to unlock a file, it adds a signature encrypted with the private backup server key to this
request.
When Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager processes the request, it uses the public backup server key to decrypt
the signature and identify the request sender. If the backup server used for request generation is not added to
Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager, Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager will not find a matching public key in its
database. As a result, Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager will not be able to identify the sender and the storage
key decryption process will fail.
How Data Encryption Works
Data encryption is performed as part of backup, backup copy or archiving to tape processes. Encryption works at
the source side, before data is transported to the target. Encryption keys are not passed to the target side,
unless you run a backup copy job over WAN accelerators or perform health check for the encrypted backup files.
NOTE:
The procedure below describes the encryption process for backup, backup copy jobs and VeeamZIP tasks.
For more information about encrypting data on tapes, see Tape Encryption.
The encryption process includes the following steps:
1. When you create a new job, you enable the encryption option for the job and enter a password to protect
data at the job level.
2. Veeam Backup & Replication generates a user key based on the entered password.
3. When you start an encrypted job, Veeam Backup & Replication creates a storage key and stores this key to
the configuration database.
4. Veeam Backup & Replication creates a session key and a metakey. The metakey is stored to the
5. Veeam Backup & Replication processes job data in the following way:
a. The session key encrypts data blocks in the backup file. The metakey encrypts backup metadata.
b. The storage key encrypts the session key and the metakey.
c. The user key encrypts the storage key.
d. If you use the Enterprise or Enterprise Plus edition of Veeam Backup & Replication and the backup
server is connected to Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager, the Enterprise Manager key also encrypts
the storage key.
6. Encrypted data blocks are passed to the target. The cryptograms of the public Enterprise Manager key (if
used), user key, storage key, session key and metakey are stored to the resulting file next to encrypted
data blocks.
If you use the Enterprise or Enterprise Plus edition of Veeam Backup & Replication and the backup server
is connected to Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager, Veeam Backup & Replication saves two cryptograms of
the storage key to the resulting file: one encrypted with the user key (c) and one encrypted with the
Enterprise Manager key (d). Saving the cryptogram twice helps Veeam Backup & Replication decrypt the
file even if a password is lost or forgotten. For more information, see How Decryption Without Password
Works.
How Data Decryption Works
When you restore data from an encrypted backup file, Veeam Backup & Replication performs data decryption
automatically in the background or requires you to provide a password.
• If encryption keys required to unlock the backup file are available in the Veeam Backup & Replication
configuration database, you do not need to enter the password. Veeam Backup & Replication uses keys
from the database to unlock the backup file. Data decryption is performed in the background, and data
restore does not differ from that from an unencrypted one.
Automatic data decryption is performed if the following conditions are met:
a. You encrypt and decrypt the backup file on the same backup server using the same
Veeam Backup & Replication configuration database.
b. [For backup file] The backup is not removed from the Veeam Backup & Replication console.
• If encryption keys are not available in the Veeam Backup & Replication configuration database, you need
to provide a password to unlock the encrypted file.
Data decryption is performed at the source side, after data is transported back from the target side. As a result,
encryption keys are not passed to the target side, which helps avoid data interception.
NOTE:
The procedure below describes the decryption process for backup, backup copy jobs and VeeamZIP tasks.
For more information about decrypting tape data, see Tape Encryption.
The decryption process includes the following steps. Note that steps 1 and 2 are required only if you decrypt the
file on the backup server other than the backup server where the file was encrypted.
1. You import the file to the backup server. Veeam Backup & Replication notifies you that the imported file is
encrypted and requires a password.
2. You specify a password for the imported file. If the password has changed once or several times, you need
to specify the password in the following manner:
o If you select a .vbm file for import, you must specify the latest password that was used to encrypt
files in the backup chain.
o If you select a full backup file for import, you must specify the whole set of passwords that were used
to encrypt files in the backup chain.
3. Veeam Backup & Replication reads the entered password and generates the user key based on this
password. With the user key available, Veeam Backup & Replication performs decryption in the following
way:
a. Veeam Backup & Replication applies the user key to decrypt the storage key.
b. The storage key, in its turn, unlocks underlying session keys and a metakey.
c. Session keys decrypt data blocks in the encrypted file.
After the encrypted file is unlocked, you can work with it as usual.
If you have lost or forgotten a password for an encrypted file, you can issue a request to Veeam Backup
Enterprise Manager and restore data from an encrypted file using Enterprise Manager keys. For more
information, see Enterprise Manager Keys and How Decryption Without Password Works.
How Decryption Without Password Works
When you import an encrypted backup file or tape media to the backup server, you need to enter a password to
decrypt data. In some cases, however, a password can be lost or forgotten. Veeam Backup & Replication offers a
way to restore data from encrypted backups or tapes even if a password is not available.
You can restore of data from encrypted backups or tapes without a password only if your backup infrastructure
meets the following conditions:
1. You use the Enterprise or Enterprise Plus edition of Veeam Backup & Replication.
2. The backup servers on which you encrypted data is added to Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager.
3. The backup server on which you generate a request for data decryption is added to Veeam Backup
Enterprise Manager.
If the backup server on which you encrypt data is added to Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager,
Veeam Backup & Replication employs the public Enterprise Manager key in the encryption process. To decrypt
backups or tapes encrypted with the public Enterprise Manager key, you can apply a matching private Enterprise
Manager key, instead of a password. The private Enterprise Manager key unlocks the underlying storage keys
and lets you access the content of an encrypted file.
The restore process is accomplished with the help of two wizards that run on two servers:
1. The Encryption Key Restore wizard on the backup server.
2. The Password Recovery wizard on the Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager server.
The restore process includes the next steps:
1. You start the Encryption Key Restore wizard on the backup server to issue a request for data recovery.
2. The Encryption Key Restore wizard generates a request to Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager. The request
has the format of a text document and contains cryptograms of storage keys that must be decrypted,
together with information about the public Enterprise Manager key that was used to encrypt data. At the
end of the request, the backup server adds a signature encrypted with a private backup server key.
3. You send the request to the Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager Administrator, for example, via email.
4. The Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager Administrator starts the Password Recovery wizard on Veeam
Backup Enterprise Manager and inserts the text of the request to the wizard.
5. Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager finds a matching public backup server key in Veeam Backup Enterprise
Manager configuration database and decrypts the signature with this key.
6. Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager decrypts storage keys with the private Enterprise Manager key
available on Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager, and generates a response in the Password Recovery
wizard. The response has the format of a text document and contains decrypted storage keys.
7. The Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager Administrator sends the response to you, for example, via email.
8. You input the request to the Encryption Key Restore wizard. Veeam Backup & Replication processes the
response, retrieves the decrypted storage keys and uses them to unlock encrypted backups or tapes and
retrieve their content.
IMPORTANT!
You can recover data only if Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager has a private Enterprise Manager key
matching the public Enterprise Manager key that was used for data encryption. If a matching private
Enterprise Manager key is not found in the Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager configuration database, the
Password Recovery wizard will fail. In such situation, you can import a necessary private Enterprise
Manager key via the import procedure. For more information, see Exporting and Importing Enterprise
Manager Keys in Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager User Guide.
Encrypted Objects
The encryption algorithm works at the job level and media pool level. You can enable encryption for the
following types of jobs:
• Backup job
• Backup copy job
• Backup to tape job
• VeeamZIP
• Tape encryption
Backup Job Encryption
Encryption for a backup job is configured in the advanced job settings. You should enable the encryption option
and specify a password to protect data in backup files produced by the backup job.
The backup job processing with encryption enabled includes the following steps:
1. You enable encryption for a backup job and specify a password.
2. Veeam Backup & Replication generates the necessary keys to protect backup data.
3. Veeam Backup & Replication encrypts data blocks in the backup proxy, either the dedicated or default
one, and transfers them to the backup repository already encrypted.
4. On the backup repository, encrypted data blocks are stored to a resulting backup file.
Restore of an encrypted backup file includes the following steps:
1. You import a backup file and define a password to decrypt the backup file. If the password has changed
once or several times, you need to specify the password in the following manner:
o If you select a metadata file (VBM) for import, you must specify the latest password that was used to
o If you select a full backup file (VBK) for import, you must specify the whole set of passwords that
were used to encrypt files in the backup chain.
2. Veeam Backup & Replication uses the provided passwords to generate user keys and unlock the
subsequent keys for backup file decryption.
3. Veeam Backup & Replication retrieves data blocks from the backup file, sends them to the source side and
decrypts them on the backup proxy, either the dedicated or default one.
Backup Copy Job Encryption
Encryption for a backup copy job is configured in the advanced job settings. You should enable the encryption
option and specify a password to protect data in backup files produced by the backup copy job.
The workflow of the encrypted backup copy job depends on the path for data transfer:
• Direct data path
• Over WAN accelerators
Direct Data Path

If you use a direct data path to transfer backups to the target backup repository, the encrypted backup copy job
includes the following steps:
1. You enable encryption for a backup copy job and specify a password.
2. Veeam Backup & Replication generates the necessary keys to protect backup files produced by the backup
copy job.
3. Veeam Backup & Replication encrypts data blocks on the source side and transfers them to the target
backup repository.
4. On the target backup repository, encrypted data blocks are stored to a resulting backup file.
An encrypted backup copy job may use an encrypted backup file as a source. In this situation,
Veeam Backup & Replication does not perform double encryption. The backup copy job includes the following
steps:
1. Veeam Backup & Replication decrypts data blocks of the encrypted source backup file. For the decryption
process, it uses the storage key and metakeys stored in the configuration database.
2. Veeam Backup & Replication generates the necessary keys to protect backup files produced by the backup
copy job.
3. Veeam Backup & Replication encrypts data blocks on the source side using these keys and transfers
encrypted data blocks to the target backup repository.
4. On the target backup repository, encrypted data blocks are stored to a resulting backup file.
The restore process for backups produced by backup copy jobs does not differ from that for backup jobs.
Over WAN Accelerators

WAN accelerators require reading data on the target side to perform such operations as global data
deduplication, backup health check and so on. For this reason, if you use WAN accelerators for backup copy jobs,
the encryption process is performed on the target side.
The backup copy job processing over WAN accelerators includes the following steps:
1. You enable encryption for a backup copy job and specify a password.
2. Veeam Backup & Replication generates necessary keys to protect backup files produced by the backup
copy job.
3. Data blocks are passed to the target backup repository in the unencrypted format.
4. Received data blocks are encrypted on the target site and stored to a resulting backup file in the target
backup repository.
The restore process in this case does not differ from that for backup jobs. Veeam Backup & Replication retrieves
data blocks from the backup file in the target backup repository, sends them to the source side and decrypts
them on the source side.
When transporting data between WAN accelerators that face external networks, Veeam Backup & Replication
encrypts the network traffic by default. For network traffic encryption, Veeam Backup & Replication uses the
256-bit Advanced Encryption Standard (AES). For more information, see Enabling Network Data Encryption.
VeeamZIP Encryption
If you want to create an encrypted VeeamZIP file, you should enable the encryption option and specify a
password in VeeamZIP task options.
Data processing during VeeamZIP file creation and restore from a VeeamZIP file does not differ from that of a
backup job.
Tape Encryption
Veeam Backup & Replication supports two types of encryption for tape media:
• Hardware level: library- and driver-managed encryption mechanisms provided by the tape vendor
• Software level: the encryption mechanism provided by Veeam Backup & Replication
Hardware encryption has a higher priority. If hardware encryption is enabled for the tape media,
Veeam Backup & Replication automatically disables its software encryption mechanism for such tape libraries.
The Veeam encryption mechanism can only be used if hardware encryption is disabled at the tape device level or
not supported.
To use the Veeam encryption mechanism, you need to enable encryption at the level of media pool. In this case,
Veeam Backup & Replication will encrypt data for all jobs that use tapes from this media pool. Encryption is
supported for both types of tape jobs:
• Backup to tape jobs
• File to tape jobs
Encryption of data on tapes includes the following steps:
1. You enable encryption for a media pool and specify a password.
2. You select the media pool as a target for a backup to tape or file to tape job.
3. Veeam Backup & Replication generates the necessary keys to protect data archived to tape.
4. During the backup to tape or file to tape job, the key is passed to the target side. In case of hardware
encryption, Veeam Backup & Replication passes the key to the tape device, and the tape device uses its
mechanism to encrypt data on tapes. In case of software encryption, Veeam Backup & Replication passes
the keys to the tape server, and encrypts data when it is archived to tape.
Backup to tape jobs allow double encryption. The backup to tape job uses a backup file as a source of data. If the
backup file is encrypted with the initial backup job and the encryption option is enabled for the backup to tape
job, too, the resulting backup file will be encrypted twice. To decrypt such backup file, you will need to
subsequently enter two passwords:
• Password for the initial backup job
• Password for the media pool
Restore of encrypted data from tape includes the following steps:
1. You insert tape with encrypted data into the tape drive and perform tape catalogization. The
catalogization operations lets Veeam Backup & Replication understand what data is written to tape.
2. You provide a password to decrypt data archived to tape.
3. Veeam Backup & Replication uses the provided password to generate a user key and unlock the
subsequent keys for data Veeam Backup & Replication retrieves data blocks from encrypted files on tapes
and decrypts them.
Encryption Best Practices
To guarantee the flawless process of data encryption and decryption, consider the following recommendations.
Password
1. Use strong passwords that are hard to crack or guess:
o The password must be at least 8 characters long.
o The password must contain uppercase and lowercase characters.
o The password must be a mixture of alphabetic, numeric and punctuation characters.
o The password must significantly differ from the password you used previously.
o The password must not contain any real information related to you, for example, date of birth, your
pet’s name, your logon name and so on.
2. Provide a meaningful hint for the password that will help you recall the password. The hint for the
password is displayed when you import an encrypted file or tape to the backup server and attempt to
unlock it.
3. Keep passwords in the safe place. If you lose or forget your password, you will not be able to recover data
from backups or tapes encrypted with this password, unless you use Enterprise Manager keys in the
encryption process.
4. Change passwords for encrypted jobs regularly. Use of different passwords helps increase the encryption
security level.
Data recovery without a password and Enterprise Manager

keys
1. If you use the Enterprise or Enterprise Plus edition of Veeam Backup & Replication, connect backup
servers to Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager. In this case, Veeam Backup & Replication will employ
Enterprise Manager keys in the encryption process, which will let you to recover data from encrypted
backups and tapes even if the password is lost or forgotten. For more information, see Decrypting Data
Without Password.
2. Create and activate new Enterprise Manager keysets regularly. When you activate a keyset, the public
Enterprise Manager key is automatically propagated to backup servers connected to Veeam Backup
Enterprise Manager and used for encrypted jobs on these servers.
3. Create backup copies of Enterprise Manager keysets and keep them in a safe place. If your installation of
Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager goes down for some reason, you will lose private Enterprise Manager
keys. As a result, you will not be able to use the Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager functionality to
recover data from backups and tapes without a password. For more information, see Decrypting Data
Without Password.
Encryption for Existing Jobs

If you enable encryption for an existing job, during the next job session Veeam Backup & Replication will create
a full backup file. The created full backup file and subsequent incremental backup files in the backup chain will
be encrypted with the specified password.
NOTE:
After enabling or disabling encryption for an existing backup copy job you will need to create an active full
backup manually. For more information, see Creating Active Full Backups.
Encryption is not retroactive. If you enable encryption for an existing job, Veeam Backup & Replication does not
encrypt the previous backup chain created with this job. If you want to start a new chain so that the
unencrypted previous chain can be separated from the encrypted new chain, follow this scenario: this Veeam KB
article.
If you change the password for the already encrypted job, during the next job session
Veeam Backup & Replication will create a new incremental backup file. The created backup file and subsequent
backup files in the backup chain will be encrypted with the new password.
NOTE:
To unlock a backup encrypted with several passwords, you must decrypt it in the following manner:
• If you import a metadata file (VBM), provide the latest password that was used to encrypt files in the
backup chain.
• If you import a full backup file (VBK), provide the whole set of passwords that were used to encrypt
files in the backup chain.
For more information, see Decrypting Data with Password.
Restoring Data from Encrypted Backups
When you restore data from an encrypted backup, Veeam Backup & Replication performs data decryption
automatically in the background or requires you to specify a password.
• If encryption keys required to unlock the backup file are available in the configuration database, you do
not need to specify the password. Veeam Backup & Replication uses keys from the database to unlock the
backup file. Data decryption is performed in the background, and data restore from the encrypted backup
does not differ from that from an unencrypted one.
Automatic backup file decryption is performed if the following conditions are met:
a. You encrypt and decrypt the backup file on the same backup server that uses the same configuration
database.
b. The backup is not removed from the Veeam Backup & Replication console.
• If encryption keys are not available in the configuration database, you can restore data from the encrypted
backup with the following methods:
o You can provide a password or a set of passwords to unlock an encrypted file. For more information,
see Decrypting Data with Password.
o You can use Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager to unlock an encrypted file without a password. For
more information, see Decrypting Data Without Password.
Decrypting Data with Password
To unlock an encrypted file, you must specify a password. The password must be the same as the password that
was used to encrypt the backup file.
To decrypt a backup file:
1. Import an encrypted backup file to the Veeam Backup & Replication console. After the import, the
encrypted backup will appear under the Backups > Disk (encrypted) node in the inventory pane.
2. In the inventory pane, select Disk (encrypted).
3. In the working area, select the imported backup and click Specify Password on the ribbon or right-click the
backup and select Specify password.
4. In the Description field of the Specify Password window, Veeam Backup & Replication displays a hint for
the password that was used to encrypt the backup file. Use the hint to recall the password.
5. In the Password field, enter the password for the backup file.
If you changed the password one or several times while the backup chain was created, you must enter
passwords in the following manner:
• If you select a metadata file (VBM) for import, you must specify the latest password that was used to
• If you select a full backup file (VBK) for import, you must specify the whole set of passwords that were
used to encrypt files in the backup chain.
If you enter correct passwords, Veeam Backup & Replication will decrypt the backup file. The backup will be
moved under the Backups > Disk (imported) node in the inventory pane. You can perform restore operations
with the backup file in a regular manner.
NOTE:
If you use the Enterprise or Enterprise Plus edition of Veeam Backup & Replication and the backup servers
are connected to Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager, you can recover data from an encrypted backup even
if the password is lost. For more information, see Decrypting Data Without Password.
Decrypting Data Without Password
If you have lost or forgotten a password, you can unlock an encrypted file with the help of Veeam Backup
Enterprise Manager.
You can restore data without a password only if your backup infrastructure meets the following conditions:
2. The backup server on which you encrypted data is connected to Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager.
3. The backup server on which you generate a request for data decryption is connected to Veeam Backup
Enterprise Manager.
IMPORTANT!
Backup servers that you use for data decryption must be connected to the same instance of Veeam Backup
Enterprise Manager. If you connect a backup server to several instances of Veeam Backup Enterprise
Manager, this may cause unexpected behavior, and the decryption process may fail.
1. The Encryption Key Restore wizard on the backup server.
To restore encrypted data without a password:
1. Create a request for data restore
2. Process the request in Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager
3. Complete the key restore process
Step 1. Create Request for Data Restore
This procedure is performed by the Veeam Backup Administrator on the backup server.
1. Import encrypted backup to the Veeam Backup & Replication console.
2. Select the imported backup and click Specify Password on the ribbon or right-click the backup and select
Specify password.
3. In the Specify Password window, click the I have lost the password link.
4. Veeam Backup & Replication will launch the Encryption Key Restore wizard. At the Request step of the
wizard, review the generated request for data recovery. Use buttons at the bottom of the wizard to copy
the request to the Clipboard or save the request to a text file.
5. Send the copied request by email or pass it in any other way to the Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager
Administrator.
TIP:
You can close the Encryption Key Restore wizard on the backup server and start it anew when you receive a
response from the Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager Administrator.
Step 2. Process Request in Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager
This procedure is performed by the Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager Administrator on the Veeam Backup
Enterprise Manager server.
1. Copy the obtained request to the Clipboard.
2. In Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager, go to the Configuration > Key Management section.
3. Click Password Recovery at the top of the section to open the Password Recovery wizard.
4. Paste the request that you have received from the Veeam Backup Administrator. You can use the
[CTRL+V] key combination or click Paste at the bottom of the wizard.
5. Follow the next steps of the wizard. At the Response step of the wizard, copy the text displayed in the
wizard to the Clipboard.
6. Send the copied response by email or pass it in any other way to the Veeam Backup Administrator working
on the backup server.
Step 3. Complete Key Restore Process
This procedure is performed by the Veeam Backup Administrator on the backup server.
1. In Veeam Backup & Replication, get back to the Encryption Key Restore wizard.
2. Enter the copied response to the text window at the Response step of the Encryption Key Restore wizard.
3. Follow the next steps of the wizard. At the last step, click Finish. Veeam Backup & Replication will retrieve
the decrypted storage keys from the response, apply them to the encrypted file and unlock the file
content.
Restoring Encrypted Data from Tapes
When you restore data from encrypted tapes, Veeam Backup & Replication performs data decryption
automatically in the background or requires you to provide a password.
• If encryption keys required to unlock the tape are available in the Veeam Backup & Replication database,
you do not need to enter the password to decrypt the tape. Veeam Backup & Replication uses keys from
the database to unlock the encrypted tape. Data decryption is performed in the background and data
restore from encrypted tapes does not differ from that from an unencrypted ones.
Automatic tape decryption is performed if the following conditions are met:
o You encrypt and decrypt tapes on the same Veeam backup server.
o The tape is loaded to the tape library and information about this tape is available in the catalog.
o The password specified in the settings of the media pool to which the tape belongs is the same as the
password that was used for tape encryption.
• If encryption keys are not available in the Veeam Backup & Replication database, you can restore data
from encrypted tapes with the following methods:
o You can provide a password or a set of passwords to unlock the encrypted tape. For more information,
see Decrypting Tapes with Password.
o You can use Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager to unlock the encrypted tape without a password. For
more information, see Decrypting Data Without Password.
Decrypting Tapes with Password
When you restore encrypted files or backups from tape, you need to specify a password that was used to
encrypt data archived to tape.
To unlock encrypted tapes:
1. Insert encrypted tapes into the tape library.
2. Catalog the tapes so that Veeam Backup & Replication can read data archived on tape. After you perform
catalogization, encrypted tapes will be displayed under the Media > Encrypted node in the corresponding
tape library. On the cataloged tape, Veeam Backup & Replication displays the key icon to mark it as
encrypted.
3. In the inventory pane, select the Encrypted node under Media node.
4. In the working area, select the imported tape and click Specify password on the ribbon or right-click the
tape and select Specify password.
5. In the Description field of the Specify Password window, Veeam Backup & Replication displays a hint for
the password that was used to encrypt the tape. Use the hint to recall the password.
6. In the Password field, enter the password for the tape.
7. If the imported tape is a part of a backup set but is not the last tape in this set, perform catalogization
once again.
When Veeam Backup & Replication creates a backup set, it writes catalog data to the last tape in this set.
o If the imported group of tapes contains the last tape in the backup set, Veeam Backup & Replication
retrieves catalog data from the last tape during the initial catalogization process (see point 2 of this
procedure).
o If the imported group of tapes does not contain the last tape in the backup set,
Veeam Backup & Replication needs to additionally catalog files on imported tapes.
If you enter a correct password, Veeam Backup & Replication will decrypt the tape media. The tape will be
moved under the corresponding media pool in the inventory pane. You can perform restore operations for data
archived to tape as usual.
If you import a backup file from tape and the backup file was encrypted twice, with the initial backup job and
with the backup to tape job, you must sequentially specify two passwords:
1. Password that was used to encrypt tapes in the media pool.
2. Password for the primary backup job.
After you enter the first password, backups from the tape will be moved under the Backup > Encrypted node in
the inventory pane. You must then enter the second password to decrypt the backup and get access to its
content.
NOTE:
If you use the Enterprise or Enterprise Plus edition of Veeam Backup & Replication and your Veeam backup
servers are connected to Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager, you can recover data from encrypted tapes
even if the password is lost. For more information, see Decrypting Data Without Password.
Decrypting Tapes Without Password
If you have lost or forgotten a password, you can unlock encrypted tapes with the help of Veeam Backup
Enterprise Manager.
You can restore data from tapes without a password only if your backup infrastructure meets the following
conditions:
2. Veeam backup server on which you encrypted tapes is added to Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager.
3. Veeam backup server on which you generate a request for data decryption is added to Veeam Backup
Enterprise Manager.
1. The Encryption Key Restore wizard on the Veeam backup server.
To restore encrypted data from tapes without a password:
1. Create a request for data restore.
2. Process the request in Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager.
3. Complete the key restore process.
Step 1. Create Request for Data Restore
This procedure is performed by the Veeam Backup Administrator on the Veeam backup server.
1. Import encrypted tapes to the Veeam backup server.
2. Select the imported tape and click Specify Password on the ribbon or right-click the tape and select
Specify password.
3. In the Specify Password window, click the I have lost the password link.
4. Veeam Backup & Replication will launch the Encryption Key Restore wizard. At the Request step of the
wizard, review the generated request for data recovery. Use buttons at the bottom of the wizard to copy
the request to the Clipboard or save the request to a text file.
5. Send the copied request by email or pass it in any other way to the Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager
Administrator.
TIP:
You can close the Encryption Key Restore wizard on the Veeam backup server and start it anew when you
receive a response from the Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager Administrator.
Step 2. Process Request in Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager
This procedure is performed by the Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager Administrator on the Veeam Backup
Enterprise Manager server.
1. Copy the obtained request to the Clipboard.
2. In Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager, go to the Configuration > Settings > Key Management section.
3. Click Password Recovery to open the Password Recovery wizard.
4. Use the [CTRL+V] key combination to paste the request that you have received from the Veeam Backup
Administrator. You can also use the Import from File link to import the request from a text file.
5. Follow the next steps of the wizard. At the Response step, copy the text displayed in the wizard to the
Clipboard.
6. Send the copied response by email or pass it in any other way to the Veeam Backup Administrator working
on the Veeam backup server.
Step 3. Complete Key Restore Process
This procedure is performed by the Veeam Backup Administrator on the Veeam backup server.
1. In Veeam Backup & Replication, get back to the Encryption Key Restore wizard.
2. Enter the copied response to the text window at the Response step of the Encryption Key Restore wizard.
3. Follow the next steps of the wizard. At the last step, click Finish. Veeam Backup & Replication will retrieve
the decrypted storage keys from the response, apply them to the encrypted tape and unlock the tape
content.
NAS Backup Support
With Veeam Backup & Replication you can easily back up and restore content of various NAS file shares. The
solution can be flexibly scaled to reliably protect massive amounts of data, even for the largest of enterprise
organizations.
To protect your NAS file shares, you can use your existing Veeam Backup & Replication infrastructure. Just
configure the following components:
• File share
• File proxy
• Cache repository
• Storage repositories
For system requirements for NAS backup components, see System Requirements.
To learn how NAS backup components interact during file share backup, see How File Share Backup Works.
File Share
A file share is a storage device or data source available to multiple hosts through a computer network.
For supported file shares, see Platform Support.
File share backup jobs in Veeam Backup & Replication can read data from the following sources:
• CIFS path
• NFS path
• Path to the storage snapshot folder
• VSS snapshot
NOTE:
Reading from VSS snapshots is available only if the following conditions are met:
• The source file share is running on the machine with SMB v3 feature enabled.
• The file proxy role is assigned to the machine running Microsoft Windows Server 2012 R2 or later
with SMB v3 feature enabled.
To learn how to add NAS file shares to the backup infrastructure, see Adding File Share.
File Proxy
A file proxy is an architecture component that sits between the file share and other components of the backup
infrastructure. The file proxy operates as a data mover that transfers data between the source file share and the
backup repository. The file proxy processes jobs and delivers backup and restore traffic.
You can assign the role of a file proxy to any Windows-managed server added to your
Veeam Backup & Replication infrastructure. By default, this role is assigned to the backup server. But this option
is sufficient only for small installations where all components are located in the same network segment. For
larger installations with larger workload, assign the role of a file proxy to a dedicated server, as described in
Adding File Proxy. After that, choose this file proxy to process the backup traffic from file shares, as described in
Adding NFS File Share and Adding SMB File Share.
To optimize performance of several concurrent tasks, you can use several file proxies. In this case,
Veeam Backup & Replication will distribute the backup or restore workload between available file proxies on
per-task basis, taking into account proxy connectivity and their current load. You can deploy file proxies both in
the primary site and in remote sites.
Cache Repository
A cache repository is a storage location where Veeam Backup & Replication keeps temporary metadata and uses
it to reduce the load on the file share during the backup procedure. The cache repository keeps track of all
objects that have changed between each backup session. This allows performing incremental backups from the
file share super fast and very efficiently.
You can assign the role of a cache repository to a simple backup repository added to the
Veeam Backup & Replication infrastructure. To assign this role, select the backup repository as a cache
repository, as described in Specify File Share Processing Settings.
To minimize the network load during backup, locate the cache repository closer to the file share in the computer
network: at the best they should be one hop away from each other.
Storage Repositories
A backup repository is a main storage location where Veeam Backup & Replication keeps all versions of backed
up files for the configured period and metadata files. Backups stored in the backup repository can be used to
quickly restore the entire file share to the state as of a specific restore point.
[Optional] If you want to retain specific files for a longer period of time, you can use cheaper devices for archive
purposes. To enable file archiving, configure Veeam Backup & Replication to move backup files and metadata
files from the backup repository to an archive repository. By default, usage of the archive repository is disabled
and, after the retention period for the backup repository is over, backup files are deleted.
[Optional] If you want to store a copy of the file share backup in a different repository, you can configure a
secondary repository where Veeam Backup & Replication will copy all backups created in the backup repository.
The secondary repository can have its own retention policy and encryption settings. By default, no secondary
repository is configured.
The table below describes which roles can be assigned to the different storage types.
Secondary
Storage Type Backup Repository Archive Repository
Repository
Microsoft Windows server
Linux server
SMB (CIFS) share 1
NFS share
ExaGrid
Quantum DXi
HPE StoreOnce 2
Scale-out backup repository (SOBR) 3
Object storage repository 4
Repository with rotated drives
Veeam Cloud Connect repository
1
If you use a Dell EMC Isilon storage system in the CIFS Share Access mode, make sure that you have assigned your service
account to the built-in BackupAdmin role within Isilon. Otherwise, the access to the share will be denied.
2
If you plan to use HPE StoreOnce storage appliances added via SMB, NFS, or Catalyst, mind that due to performance
considerations the vendor recommends to use the repository of this type to store up to 1,000,000 backup files per storage
system including different versions of files and not more than 10 TB of backup data.
3
The object storage repository added as a Capacity Tier in SOBR is not used for storing NAS backups. To archive NAS backup
files to an object storage repository, assign it as an archive repository when creating a file share backup job.
4
You can create two object storage repositories pointing to the same folder/bucket and use these repositories for storing
both NAS backups and Capacity Tier backups at the same time. However, these object storage repositories (mapped to the
same cloud folder) must not be used across multiple Veeam Backup & Replication servers for the same purposes as it leads
to unpredictable system behavior and inevitable data loss.
Deployment of Backup, Archive and Secondary Repositories

To use a storage, which is already added to the Veeam Backup & Replication Backup Infrastructure, to store file
share backups, define it as a target storage when creating a file share backup job:
• Configure the backup repository and the archive repository as described in Define Target Backup Storage
Settings.
• Configure the secondary repository as described in Specify Secondary Repository.
If the required storage is not added as a backup repository in your Veeam Backup & Replication Backup
Infrastructure, add it as described in Adding Backup Repositories.
Data Structure in Backup, Archive and Secondary Repositories

Backup, archive and secondary repositories store file share backups as objects in VBLOB files (up to 64 MB each)
of unstructured data. They also store metadata about the original files and folders on the file share and their
structure.
When you run the file share backup job for the first time, Veeam Backup & Replication creates a full backup for
all files and folders of the file share. During subsequent backup job sessions, Veeam Backup & Replication copies
only files and folders that have changed since the last backup job session.
Although the file share backup job first creates a full backup and afterwards incremental backups,
Veeam Backup & Replication does not create a separate file for each backup job run as it does during VM backup.
Instead of this, it consistently creates multiple VBLOB files accompanied by metadata files that track all the
changes on the file share.
How File Share Backup Works
Veeam Backup & Replication performs file share backup to the backup storage in the following way:
1. When a new backup job session starts, Veeam Backup & Replication assigns a file proxy to process the file
share data.
2. The file proxy enumerates files and folders on the file share and creates a cyclic redundancy check (CRC)
tree.
3. The file proxy transfers the CRC tree to the cache repository.
4. The cache repository saves the CRC tree.

When the cache repository receives a new CRC tree structure from the proxy, it compares it with the CRC
tree created during the previous run of the backup session. If any files or folders of the file share have
changed since the previous backup session run, the cache repository instructs the file proxy to start
reading changed data from the source file share.
5. The file proxy reads new data from the file share.
6. The file proxy creates data packages and transfers them to the target backup repository.
Data packages comprise backup data files (each 64 Mb in size) and metadata files that contain names and
versions of backup files and allocation of data in backup files.
7. Veeam Backup & Replication checks file versions in the backup repository against retention settings and
moves backup data from the backup repository to the archive repository if necessary.
Retention Scenarios
There can be a number of backup retention scenarios depending on the configuration of backup and archive
repositories. Below you can find example cases that illustrate NAS backup retention with different settings.
Case 1
Only 1 file version is created. The file does not change.
File version 1 remains in the backup repository and is not moved to the archive repository even if it is enabled
and configured.
Case 2
Retention for the backup repository is set to 5 days. No archive repository is configured. The file changes once a
day. The backup is performed once a day.
On day 6, file version 6 is added to the backup repository, file version 1 is deleted by retention.
Case 3
Retention for the backup repository is set to 3 days. The file changes every hour. The backup is performed 2
times a day.
On day 4, versions 7 and 8 are added to the backup repository, file versions 1 and 2 added to the backup
repository on day 1 are deleted by retention.
Case 4
Retention for the backup repository is set to 3 days. The file changes once a day.
On day 3, the source file is deleted from the source share, the backup repository considers file version created
on this day as deleted.
On day 4, the backup repository still detects the file as deleted, file version 1 is deleted from the backup
repository by retention.
On day 5, the backup repository still detects the file as deleted, file version 2 is deleted from the backup
repository by retention.
Thus, no file versions are stored in the backup repository for this file any longer.
Case 5
Retention for the backup repository is set to 5 days. The archive repository is enabled with default settings. The
file changes every day. The backup is performed once a day.
On day 6, file version 6 is added to the backup repository, file version 1 is moved to the archive repository by
retention.
Case 6
Retention for the backup repository is set to 3 days. The archive repository is enabled with DOCX files to be
excluded from archiving. The files change once a day. The backup is performed once a day.
On day 4, file versions created on day 1 are removed from the backup repository. File version 1 for DOCX file is
deleted, file version 1 for XLSX file (non-DOCX) is moved to the archive repository.
Case 7
Retention for the backup repository is set to 4 days. The archive repository is enabled and configured to keep 3
versions of active files and 2 versions of deleted files.
On day 8, file version 8 is added to the backup repository, file version 4 is moved from the backup repository to
the archive repository to keep file versions for 4 days, file version 1 is deleted from the archive repository to
keep 3 file versions of the active file (versions 2, 3, 4).
On day 9, the file is removed from the source, file version 9 (denoting the missing file) is added to the backup
repository, file version 5 is moved from the backup repository to the archive repository, file versions 2 and 3 are
deleted from the archive repository to keep 2 file versions of the deleted file (versions 4 and 5).
On day 10 and 11, file versions 6 and 7 are successively moved from the backup repository to the archive
repository. File versions 4 and 5 are deleted from the archive repository.
On day 12, file version 8 (the last file version) is moved from the backup repository to the archive repository, file
version 6 is deleted from the archive repository. After that, versions 7 and 8 are stored in the archive repository
further on.
Adding File Share
You must add to the backup infrastructure file shares that you plan to use as sources for backup.
You can add file shares of the following types:
• Windows-managed or Linux-managed server
• Enterprise NAS system
• NFS file share
• SMB file share
Adding Managed Server File Share
Before you add a Windows- or Linux-managed server as a file share to the inventory of the virtual infrastructure,
check the following prerequisites:
• This server meets requirements listed in Platform Support.
• You have this server added in Backup Infrastructure.

For more information on how to add servers, see Adding Microsoft Windows Servers and Adding Linux
Servers.
• If you plan to use a devoted file proxy server or cache repository, make sure these components are added
in Backup Infrastructure.
Step 1. Launch New File Share Wizard
To launch the New File Share wizard:
2. Do one of the following:
o In the inventory pane, right-click the File Shares node and select Add File Share.
o Select the File Shares node and click Add File Share on the ribbon.
o Select the File Shares node and click Add File Share in the working area.
3. In the Add File Share window, click File server.
Step 2. Add Managed Server as File Server
At the File Server step of the wizard, choose the server, which you want to use as a file share server. Select it
from the Managed Server drop-down list.
NOTE:
If you plan not only to back up the Linux-managed file share, but also to restore files to it, use an account
with root access when adding the server to the backup infrastructure.
If the drop-down list does not display the required server, you must add it to the backup infrastructure. To add
the server, do the following:
1. Click Add New.
2. Select New Windows Server or New Linux Server.
3. Add a new Windows or Linux server to the backup infrastructure as described in Adding Microsoft
Windows Servers and Adding Linux Servers.
4. Select the newly added server from the Managed Server drop-down list.
Step 3. Specify File Share Processing Settings
At the Processing step of the wizard, define file share processing settings:
1. From the Cache repository drop-down list, select a cache repository where temporary cache files must be
stored. This repository must be located as close to the source file share as possible.
2. Use the Backup I/O control slider to define how fast the file proxy can read data from the source file share.
This setting is based on the number of parallel threads that can be used by the proxy configured for
processing the file share. If resources of your NAS device are limited, it is recommended that you select
the Lower impact option. If your NAS device is powerful enough, select the Faster backup option.
3. Click Next to save the configure settings.
Step 4. Review Components to Install
the server and click Apply to start installation of missing components.
Step 5. Apply File Share Settings
components. Click Next to complete the procedure of the file share role assignment to the managed file server.
At the Summary step of the wizard, review details of the file server added as a file share and click Finish to exit
the wizard.
Adding Enterprise Storage System as NAS Filer
Before you add an enterprise storage system as a NAS filer to the inventory of the virtual infrastructure, check
the following prerequisites:
• The NAS device meets requirements listed in Platform Support.
3. In the Add File Share window, click NAS filer.
Step 2. Select NAS Device
At the NAS Filer step of the wizard, choose the NAS device, which you want to use as a NAS filer where
protected file shares reside.
1. Select the required NAS device from the Select NAS filer drop-down list.
If the drop-down list does not display the required device, you must add it to the storage infrastructure.
To add the NAS device, click Add New and follow the instructions described in Adding NetApp Data
ONTAP, Adding Lenovo ThinkSystem DM Series, or Adding Dell EMC Isilon, depending on the type of the
storage system you use.
2. If you must specify user credentials to access the storage system, select the Use the following account to
access the NAS filer check box. From the Credentials drop-down list, select a credentials record for a user
account that has Full Control permissions on the storage system.
At the Processing step of the wizard, define file share processing settings:
stored. This repository must be located as close to the NAS filer with file shares as possible.
NOTE
Mind that you cannot use a Linux-based server as a cache repository to process content of the
protected shares on enterprise storage systems if you enable the Use native changed files tracking
option.
2. Use the Backup I/O control slider to define how fast the file proxy can read data from the source file share.
This setting is based on the number of parallel threads that can be used by the proxy configured for
processing the file shares on the NAS filer. If resources of your storage system are limited, it is
recommended that you select the Lower impact option. If your storage system is powerful enough, select
the Faster backup option.
3. [Optional for Dell EMC Isilon] Select the Use native changed files tracking check box if you want to use the
file change tracking technology provided by the storage system manufacturer.
4. Click Next to save the configure settings.
components. Click Next to complete the procedure of adding the storage system as a NAS filer.
At the Summary step of the wizard, review details of the storage system added as a NAS filer and click Finish to
exit the wizard.
Adding NFS File Share
Before you add an NFS file share to the inventory of the virtual infrastructure, check the following prerequisites:
• The file share meets requirements listed in Platform Support.
3. In the Add File Share window, click NFS share.
Step 2. Specify Path to NFS File Share
At the NFS File Share step of the wizard, specify the path to an NFS file share in the server:/folder format.
You can add the root server folder in the server:/ format to protect all NFS file shares residing on this server.
After that, create a single file share backup job to protect the added server, as described in Creating File Share
Backup Jobs. Then all NFS file shares added on this server will be automatically processed with the file share
backup job and protected. If you previously had several separate non-root shared folders residing on the same
server and want to switch to using a single root shared folder to cover the same shares, you do not have to run
full backups to update data of protected shares. Instead, you can convert existing backups and update existing
file share backup jobs to protect single root shared folders comprising all other non-root shared folders residing
on the same server. To learn more about the conversion, see Converting Backups from Non-Root to Root Shared
Folders. Perform the conversion with extreme caution.
Step 3. Specify Advanced NFS File Share Settings
You can instruct Veeam Backup & Replication to back up data from native storage snapshots. During backup
jobs, Veeam Backup & Replication will read data of shared files and folders from snapshots, which speeds up
backup operations and improves RPOs.
To define if Veeam Backup & Replication will use snapshots for backups:
1. At the NFS File Share step of the wizard, click Advanced.
2. In the Advanced window, select one of the following options:
o To ignore the snapshot functionality, select Backup directly from the file share.
Veeam Backup & Replication will ignore locked files and folders. When creating a backup job, you can
configure notifications to list files and folders that are skipped during the backup procedure. For more
information see Notification Settings.
o To back up files from the native storage snapshot, select Backup from a native storage snapshot at
the following path and specify the path in the server:/folder format to the folder on the NFS file share
where the file share snapshot is saved.
If you select this option, you can additionally use custom scripts written by you, for example, to
create a snapshot before the backup and remove it after the backup. You can define these scripts
when creating a new file share backup job, as described in Script Settings.
NOTE:
Mind that Veeam Backup & Replication does not take snapshots itself, but it can use a snapshot
taken by the storage system.
File share backup jobs do not trigger the storage snapshot creation and deletion automatically. You
can specify the folder where the storage snapshot is stored. In this case file share backup jobs can
access this folder and read data from the storage snapshot.
3. Select Failover to direct backup if a snapshot is not available if you want Veeam Backup & Replication to
read data for backup directly from the file share when the snapshot is unavailable. If you do not select the
option and the snapshot is unavailable, the file share backup job will stop with a failure.
At the Processing step of the wizard, do the following:
1. Click Choose next to the File proxy field to select a file proxy.
2. In the File Proxy window, select backup proxy servers:
o If you select All proxies, Veeam Backup & Replication will use all available file proxies for file backup.
The number of proxies in use defines the number of data threads that transfer data from the file share
to the backup repository. The more data transfer threads Veeam Backup & Replication uses, the
higher is the data transfer speed.
If the file share is used as a source for a file to tape backup job, the tape server utilized for this job is
added as yet another file proxy when creating a file to tape backup job. This file proxy has the highest
priority over all others and is used by default if it has access rights to the file share. For details on file
to tape backup jobs, see File Backup to Tape.
o If you select Use the selected file proxies only, you can explicitly specify file proxies that
Veeam Backup & Replication must use for file backup.
It is recommended that you select at least two file proxies to ensure that the backup jobs start even if
one of the proxies fails or loses its connectivity to the source file share. The more proxies you select,
the more data transfer threads Veeam Backup & Replication will use for backup jobs, thus improving
performance.
Even if the file share is used as a source for file to tape backup jobs, Veeam Backup & Replication will
use only proxies selected in the list to process the backup data traffic.
stored. This repository must be located as close to the source file share as possible.
4. Use the Backup I/O control slider to define how fast all proxies can read data from the source file share.
This setting is based on the number of parallel threads that can be used by all the proxies configured for
5. Click Apply to save the configured settings.
components and adds the NFS file share to the backup infrastructure. Click Next to proceed.
At the Summary step of the wizard, review details of the added NFS share and click Finish to exit the wizard.
Adding SMB File Share
Before you add an SMB file share to the inventory of the virtual infrastructure, check the following
prerequisites:
• The file share meets requirements listed in Platform Support.
3. In the Add File Share window, click SMB share.
Step 2. Specify Path to SMB File Share and Access Credentials
At the SMB File Share step of the wizard, specify access settings for the SMB file share:
1. In the SMB server of file share field, specify the path to an SMB file share in the \\server\folder format.
You can also click Browse and select the shared folder from the list of available network shares.
You can add the root server folder in the \\server format to protect all SMB file shares residing on this
server. After that, create a single file share backup job to protect the added server, as described in
Creating File Share Backup Jobs. Then all SMB file shares added on this server will be automatically
processed with the file share backup job and protected. If you previously had several separate non-root
shared folders residing on the same server and want to switch to using a single root shared folder to cover
the same shares, you do not have to run full backups to update data of protected shares. Instead, you can
convert existing backups and update existing file share backup jobs to protect single root shared folders
comprising all other non-root shared folders residing on the same server. To learn more about the
conversion, see Converting Backups from Non-Root to Root Shared Folders. Perform the conversion with
extreme caution.
2. If you must specify user credentials to access the shared folder, select the This share requires access
credentials check box. From the Credentials drop-down list, select a credentials record for a user account
that has Full Control permissions on the shared folder.
To access the SMB share, you must use an account that meets either of the following requirements:
o If you only plan to back up the share, you can use an account with read-only permissions.
o If you plan not only to back up the share, but also to restore files to it, use an account with read/write
permissions.
NOTE:
Accessing the SMB file share with credentials in the User Principal Name format (user@domain.xxx)
is not supported.
NOTE:
If the This share requires access credentials check box is not selected, to access the file share
Veeam Backup & Replication uses the computer account of the file proxy server.
Step 3. Specify Advanced SMB File Share Settings
You can instruct Veeam Backup & Replication to back up data from Microsoft VSS snapshots or native storage
snapshots. During backup jobs, Veeam Backup & Replication will read data of shared files and folders from
snapshots, which speeds up backup operations and improves RPOs.
To define if Veeam Backup & Replication will use snapshots for backups:
1. At the SMB File Share step of the wizard, click Advanced.
2. In the Advanced window, select one of the following options:
o To ignore the snapshot functionality, select Backup directly from the file share.
Veeam Backup & Replication will ignore locked files and folders. When creating a backup job, you can
configure notifications to list files and folders that are skipped during the backup procedure. For more
information see Notification Settings.
o To back up files from Microsoft VSS snapshots, select Backup from Microsoft VSS snapshot.
If you select this option, make sure that the file share and the file proxy used for the file backup job
support SMB protocol version 3.0 or later.
o To back up files from the native storage snapshot, select Backup from a native storage snapshot at
the following path and specify the path in the \\server\folder format to the folder on the SMB file
share where the file share snapshot is saved.
If you select this option, you can additionally use custom scripts written by you, for example, to
create a snapshot before the backup and remove it after the backup. You can define these scripts
when creating a new file share backup job, as described in Script Settings.
NOTE:
Mind that Veeam Backup & Replication does not take snapshots itself, but it can use a snapshot
taken by the storage system.
File share backup jobs do not trigger the storage snapshot creation and deletion automatically. You
can specify the folder where the storage snapshot is stored. In this case file share backup jobs can
access this folder and read data from the storage snapshot.
3. Select Failover to direct backup if snapshot is unavailable if you want Veeam Backup & Replication to read
data for backup directly from the file share when the snapshot is unavailable. If you do not select the
option and the snapshot is unavailable, the file share backup job will stop with a failure.
At the Processing step of the wizard, do the following:
1. Click Choose next to the File proxy field to select a file proxy.
2. In the File Proxy window, select backup proxy servers:
o If you select All proxies, Veeam Backup & Replication will use all available file proxies for file backup.
The number of proxies in use defines the number of data threads that transfer data from the file share
to the backup repository. The more data transfer threads Veeam Backup & Replication uses, the
higher is the data transfer speed.
If the file share is used as a source for a file to tape backup job, the tape server utilized for this job is
added as yet another file proxy when creating a file to tape backup job. This file proxy has the highest
priority over all others and is used by default if it has access rights to the file share. For details on file
to tape backup jobs, see File Backup to Tape.
o If you select Use the selected file proxies only, you can explicitly specify file proxies that
Veeam Backup & Replication must use for file backup.
It is recommended that you select at least two file proxies to ensure that the backup jobs start even if
one of the proxies fails or loses its connectivity to the source file share. The more proxies you select,
the more data transfer threads Veeam Backup & Replication will use for backup jobs, thus improving
performance.
Even if the file share is used as a source for file to tape backup jobs, Veeam Backup & Replication will
use only proxies selected in the list to process the backup data traffic.
stored. This repository must be located in the close proximity to the source file share and file proxies.
4. Use the Backup I/O control slider to define how fast all proxies can read data from the source file share.
This setting is based on the number of parallel threads that can be used by all the proxies configured for
5. Click Apply to save the configured settings.
components and adds the SMB file share to the backup infrastructure. Click Next to proceed.
At the Summary step of the wizard, review details of the added SMB share and click Finish to exit the wizard.
Adding File Proxy
You must add to the backup infrastructure one or more file proxies that you plan to use for moving backup data
from the file share to the backup repository.
Before you add a file proxy to the inventory of the virtual infrastructure, check the following prerequisites:
• The file share meets system requirements.
• The file proxy is a Windows-managed server.
Step 1. Launch New Backup Proxy Wizard
To launch the New File Proxy wizard, do one of the following:
• Open the Backup Infrastructure view, in the inventory pane select the Backup Proxies node, click Add
Proxy on the ribbon and select Backup proxy.
• Open the Backup Infrastructure view, in the inventory pane right-click the Backup Proxies node and
select Add backup proxy.
Step 2. Choose Microsoft Windows Server
At the Server step of the wizard, specify server settings for the file proxy.
1. From the Choose server list, select a Microsoft Windows server that you want to use as a file proxy.
The list of servers contains only those managed servers that are added to the backup infrastructure. If the
server is not added to the backup infrastructure yet, you can click Add New to open the New Windows
Server wizard. For more information, see Adding Microsoft Windows Servers.
2. In the Proxy description field, provide a description for future reference. The default description contains
information about the user who added the file proxy, date and time when the file proxy was added.
3. In the Max concurrent tasks field, specify the number of tasks that the file proxy can process in parallel.
If the number of parallel tasks reaches this value, the file proxy will not start a new task until one of
current tasks completes. Veeam Backup & Replication creates one task per every source file share. The
recommended number of concurrent tasks is calculated automatically based on the amount of available
resources. File proxies with multi-core CPUs can handle more concurrent tasks.
For example, for a 4-core CPU, it is recommended that you specify a maximum of 4 concurrent tasks, for
an 8-core CPU — 8 concurrent tasks. When defining the number of concurrent tasks, keep in mind network
traffic throughput in the infrastructure.
Step 3. Configure Traffic Rules
At the Traffic Rules step of the wizard, configure network traffic rules. These rules help you throttle and encrypt
traffic transferred between backup infrastructure components. For more information, see Configuring Network
Traffic Rules.
The list of network traffic rules contains only rules applied to the file proxy: its IP address falls into the IP range
configured for the rule.
To view settings configured for the rule:
1. Select the rule in the list.
2. Click View. The View Network Traffic Rule window will display settings configured for the rule.
To modify network traffic settings:
1. Click the Manage network traffic rules link.
2. The Global Network Traffic Rules window will display the full list of all existing global network traffic
rules.
3. Select the rule that you want to modify and click Edit. For more information on how to configure network
traffic rules, see Configuring Network Traffic Rules.
Step 4. Review Components to Install
the server and click Apply to start installation of missing components.
Step 5. Apply File Proxy Settings
components. Click Next to complete the procedure of the file proxy role assignment to the server.
At the Summary step of the wizard, review details of the added file proxy and click Finish to exit the wizard.
Creating File Share Backup Jobs
To protect files and folders on the file share, you must configure a file share backup job. The backup job defines
how, where and when to back up data from the file share. One job can be used to process one or more file
shares. Jobs can be started manually or scheduled to run automatically at a specific time.
Before you create a file share backup job, check prerequisites.
Before You Begin
Before you create a file share backup job, check the following prerequisites:
• Backup infrastructure components that will take part in the file share backup process must be added to
the backup infrastructure and properly configured. These include source file shares to back up, file proxy,
and all repositories, including cache, backup and archive repositories.
• The target backup repository must have enough free space to store created backup files. If you want to
receive notifications on the repository running low on free space, configure global notification settings as
described in Specifying Other Notification Settings.
• If you plan to map a file share backup job to a backup that already exists in the backup repository, you
must perform the rescan operation for this backup repository. Otherwise, Veeam Backup & Replication will
not be able to recognize backup files in the backup repository.
For more information on how to rescan backup repositories, see Rescanning Backup Repositories.
• If you plan to use pre-job and/or post-job scripts, you must create scripts before you configure the file
share backup job.
Antivirus software may significantly slow down file share backup jobs. To improve performance, we recommend
you exclude the c:\Program Files (x86)\Veeam\Backup Transport\x64\VeeamAgent.exe process from the
antivirus scan on machines running the file backup proxy and backup repository roles. Keep in mind that it can
weaken the security of these machines.
Step 1. Launch New File Backup Job Wizard
To launch the New File Share Backup Job wizard, do one of the following:
• On the Home tab, click Backup Job > File Share.
• Open the Inventory view. In the inventory pane, click File Shares. In the working area, click Create Job.
• Open the Home view. In the inventory pane, right-click Jobs and select Backup > File Share.
• You can quickly add the file share to an already existing job. Open the Inventory view. Under the File
Shares node in the inventory pane, select type of the file share you want to back up. In the working area,
right-click the file share you want to back up and select Add to backup job > name of the job.
At the Name step of the wizard, specify a name and description for the file share backup job.
1. In the Name field, enter a name for the file share backup job.
Step 3. Select Files and Folders to Back Up
At the Files and Folders step of the wizard, select files and folders that you want to back up.
1. Click Add.
2. From the Server list, select a file share on which the necessary files or folders reside.
NOTE
If you plan to protect file shares residing on the enterprise storage system, you can choose between
two different approaches. For more information, see NAS Backup Integration with Storage Systems.
3. In the Folders tree, select folders you want to backup.
NOTE
If you select a NAS filer from the Server list, but the Folders tree is empty, make sure that the
storage system rescan was performed and finished. For more information about the storage system
rescan process, see Storage Discovery Process.
To select multiple folders, hold [Ctrl] and click necessary folders. Although different folders of the same
share form separate records in the table, they will be processed by one job task.
Mind the following:
o Hard links in file shares are protected with content included.
o Symbolic links in file shares are protected as links, without the content they refer to.
4. In the Files and Folders screen, use the Up and Down buttons on the right to move sources up or down.
The sources of the job are processed in the order in which the list displays them.
5. If you add a folder to the job, all the folder contents will be processed.
If necessary, you can choose only specific files from the added folder.
Including/Excluding Files and Folders

To filter files and folders that you want to back up from the selected folder, you can specify the file name and
extension masks.
To specify filters:
1. Select a file share folder in the list and click Advanced.
2. In the File Filters window, use Include masks and Exclude masks fields to filter the folder contents:
o To include content, you can create name masks or use exact file names. For example:
 To backup only PDF files, enter *.PDF in the Include masks field and click Add.
 To backup all files with name sales_report.xlsx, enter sales_report.xlsx in the Include
masks field and click Add.
o To exclude content, you can use name masks, exact file names, or specify the path to the folder to
exclude. For example:
 To exclude PDF files from processing, enter *.PDF in the Exclude masks field and click Add.
 To exclude all files with name pricelist.xlsx from processing, enter pricelist.xlsx in the
Exclude masks field and click Add.
 To exclude folder 2016 from processing, you can enter the full path to it in the Exclude masks
field and click Add. For example, for an NFS file share this path looks like:
QA04:/NFS04/Documents/2016, for an SMB file share —
\\fileserv05\Documents\2016).
Alternatively, you can specify a relative path to the folder or file to exclude. In case of the NAS
filer, this is the only option to specify a path to exclude. For example, to exclude folders where
snapshots are located from all file shares residing on the NAS filer, specify /~snapshot (this
mask will exclude the snapshot folder from processing for all NFS file shares on this NAS filer)
and \~snapshot (this mask will exclude the snapshot folder from processing for all SMB file
shares on this NAS filer).
NOTE
You cannot mix different exclusion options, for example, you cannot use a mask to exclude files with
certain extensions from the specific folder. For example, QA04:/NFS04/Documents/2016/*.xlsx will
not work.
NAS Backup Integration with Storage Systems

There are two approaches in backing up file shares residing on enterprise NAS storage systems.
Integration with Storage System as NFS or SMB File Share
Server
You can add the storage system as a root folder of the server where NFS or SMB file shares reside. The
procedure of configuring the file share protection in this case will look as follows:
1. Add the storage system as an NFS file share to the inventory, as described in Adding NFS File Share, or as
an SMB fie share, as described in Adding SMB File Share. As a file share path, specify the root server
folder.
When adding the storage system in this way, you cannot configure what containers, volumes or file shares
will be available for further protection. Therefore, to configure them, you must carefully configure
inclusion/exclusion settings when creating a file share backup job.
Mind that servers accessed by NFS (with file shares and folders within them) and servers accessed by SMB
(with file shares and folders within them) are added to the inventory separately. For example, if the
storage system IP address is 173.25.136.64, add an NFS share for this server by specifying its root folder as
173.25.136.64:/, and add an SMB share for this server by specifying its root folder as
\\173.25.136.64.
2. Create a file share backup job, as described in Creating File Share Backup Jobs. As a source to protect, you
can select the following entities:
o whole server
o file share residing on the server
o separate folders within the share
To protect all file shares residing on one server, you must add to the file share backup job both NFS and
SMB shares previously added to the inventory.
3. Configure what files and folders must be included in or excluded from processing by the file share backup
job. For more information on how to include/exclude files and folders from processing, see Select Files
and Folders to Back Up.
Integration with Storage System as NAS Filer

You can add the storage system as a NAS filer. This option is preferable if you plan to leverage the file change
tracking technology provided by the NAS manufacturer.
NOTE
If you used to protect NFS and SMB file shares residing on the enterprise storage system and added as file
shares in inventory, and now you want to protect them using benefits of NAS filer, you can convert backups
created for existing SMB or NFS shares into the format of NAS filer shares. For more information, see
Converting Backups from SMB or NFS Shares to NAS Filer Shares.
The procedure of configuring the file share protection in this case will look as follows:
1. Add the storage system to the backup infrastructure, as described in Adding NetApp Data ONTAP, Adding
Lenovo ThinkSystem DM Series, or Adding Dell EMC Isilon, depending on the type of the NAS system you
use.
Depending on storage settings, the IP address for accessing the storage system can differ from one used
for accessing it as a server where file shares reside. You can also use the DNS name of the server.
When adding the storage system, make sure that you do not forget to perform the following steps:
a. Enable the NAS filer role for the added storage system.
b. Specify what protocols the storage should use as a NAS filer: NFS and/or SMB. Only file shares using
the selected protocols will be displayed when you add the storage as a NAS filer and thus available for
protection.
c. Select storage volumes to analyze for the presence of newly added file shares. You can either
configure Veeam Backup & Replication to analyze all storage volumes, or exclude some volumes from
processing, or specify only certain volumes that will be processed. Only file shares on the selected
storage volumes will be displayed when you add the storage as a NAS filer and thus available for
protection.
At this step, you must carefully consider what file shares on what volumes must be protected and via what
protocols. Limiting the number of volumes reduces the storage load.
2. Add the configured storage system as a NAS filer to the inventory, as described in Adding Enterprise NAS
System Share.
3. Create a file share backup job, as described in Creating File Share Backup Jobs. As a source to protect, you
can select the following entities:
o whole storage
o container (for Dell EMC Isilon — access zone, for NetApp Data ONTAP — SVM)
o volume
o file share
You cannot specify separate folders within file shares. Therefore, to configure files and folders to be
protected, you must properly configure inclusion/exclusion settings.
4. Configure what files and folders must be included in or excluded from processing by the file share backup
job. For more information on how to include/exclude files and folders from processing, see Select Files
and Folders to Back Up.
Step 4. Define Target Backup Storage Settings
At the Storage step of the wizard, define the backup and archive repositories where the file share backup job
must store backup files, and settings for moving files and folders to these repositories. To learn what storage
types you can assign the role of the backup or archive repository to, see NAS Backup Support.
NOTE:
Mind that if you use the option of limiting the number of file versions to keep that is configured in File
Version Settings, Veeam Backup & Replication first applies those file-version retention settings and only
after that applies time-based retention settings specified at this step.
1. From the Backup repository drop-down list, select a repository where backup files must be stored. When
you select a backup repository, Veeam Backup & Replication automatically checks the amount of free
space left. Make sure that you have enough free space to store backups.
2. You can map the job to a specific backup stored in the backup repository. Backup job mapping allows you
to move backup files to a new backup repository and to point the job to existing backups on this new
backup repository. You can also use backup job mapping if the configuration database got corrupted and
you need to reconfigure backup job settings.
To map the job to a backup, click the Map backup link. In the opened Select Backup window, select a
backup in the backup repository. Backups can be easily identified by job names. To find the backup, you
can also use the search field at the bottom of the window.
3. Use the Keep all file versions for the last field to specify how long copies of all recent file versions in the
selected file share must be kept in the backup repository. You can restore the entire file share to any
restore point within the period specified in this setting.
If, for example, Keep all file versions for the last is set to 30 days, the backup repository will store all file
versions that appeared at the file share during the last 30 days. At the scheduled time on the 31st day, the
file share backup job first backs up new file versions and saves them to the backup repository. Right after
that, file versions older than 30 days (created on the 1st day) are either deleted from the backup
repository or moved to the archive repository if the Keep previous file version for check box is selected
and the archive retention is configured.
4. If you need to keep versions of some files for a longer time after they are moved from the backup
repository, you can configure archiving options to move file versions to a cheaper archive storage, for
example, an object storage.
To use the archive repository, select the Keep previous file versions for check box. In the fields on the
right, specify the number of months or years during which backup files must be retained.
This setting denotes a time period starting from the creation of the backup files in the backup repository,
not from the moment when the file versions are moved from the backup repository to the archive
repository.
5. From the Archive repository drop-down list, select the storage to be used as a repository to store archived
files and folders.
By default, all files deleted from the backup repository will be moved to the archive repository. If you do
not need all the files in the archive, you can choose what files to keep.
6. To specify what files must be archived or excluded from the archive, do the following:
a. Click Choose to open the File Archive Settings window.
b. Under Files to archive, specify what files must be archived:
 All files — select this option to archive all files moved from the backup repository to the archive
repository.
 All files except the following extensions — select this option to exclude files with certain
extensions from the selection to be archived. Specify extensions for files to exclude from the
selection. Files with the specified extensions will not be copied from the backup repository to
the archive repository.
 Files with the following extensions only — select this option to archive files with certain
extensions only. Specify extensions for files to archive. Files with these extensions will be copied
from the backup repository to the archive repository.
Step 5. Specify Advanced Backup Settings
At the Storage step of the wizard, specify advanced settings for the file share backup job:
• File version settings
• ACL handling settings
• Script settings
TIP:
After you specify necessary settings for the backup job, you can save them as default settings. To do this,
click Save as Default at the bottom left corner of the Advanced Settings window. When you create a new
backup job, Veeam Backup & Replication will automatically apply the default settings to the new job.
File Version Settings

To configure how many file versions should be kept for protected files:
2. On the File Versions tab, specify to what file versions the settings should apply:
o Select Keep all file versions to keep all file versions for the time period specified in the main window
at the Storage step.
o Select Limit the number of archived file versions only to limit archived file versions to the numbers
specified below.
o Select Limit the number of both recent and archived file versions to limit recent and archived file
versions to the numbers specified below.
3. After you choose what file versions to keep, specify how many file versions to keep:
o Select Active file versions limit to keep the specified number of versions for files currently existing in
the source file share. Specify how many versions of active files copied from the backup repository to
store.
o Select Deleted file versions limit to keep the specified number of versions for files deleted from the
source file share. Specify how many versions of deleted files copied from the backup repository to
store.
ACL Handling Settings

To specify how the backup job will process permissions and attributes:
2. On the ACL Handling tab, specify how the backup job will process permissions and attributes:
o Select Folder-level only (recommended) to back up permissions and attributes from folders only. The
restored files will inherit permissions from the target folder.
o Select Files and folders (slower) to back up permissions and attributes from both folders and
individual files. This option can significantly reduce the backup performance.
NOTE:
Mind that Veeam Backup & Replication does not collect ACL handling settings of the source file share root
folder, so you cannot restore them. Before restoring an entire file share, you will have to specify required
ACL handling settings for the root folder of the target file share.
Storage Settings
To specify advanced storage settings for the file share backup job:
2. On the Storage tab, specify data reduction and encryption settings:
o From the Compression level list, select a compression level for the backup: None, Dedupe-
friendly, Optimal, High or Extreme.
o To encrypt the content of backup files, select the Enable backup file encryption check box. In the
Password field, select a password that you want to use for encryption. If you have not created the
password beforehand, click Add or use the Manage passwords link to specify a new password. For
more information, see Managing Passwords for Data Encryption.
If the backup server is not connected to Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager and does not have the
Veeam Universal License or a legacy socket-based Enterprise or Enterprise Plus license installed, you
will not be able to restore data from encrypted backups in case you lose the password.
Veeam Backup & Replication will display a warning about it. For more information, see Decrypting
Data Without Password.
NOTE:
If you enable encryption for an existing backup job, during the next job session
Veeam Backup & Replication will back up all the files of the file share to a new backup file
irrespective of whether they changed or not. The created backup files and subsequent backup files
will be encrypted with the specified password.
If you enable encryption for an existing job, Veeam Backup & Replication does not encrypt the
previous backup chain created with this job.
in the backup chain. The health check helps make sure that the restore point is consistent, and you will be able
to restore data from this restore point.
During the health check, Veeam Backup & Replication performs a CRC check for metadata and a hash check for
data blocks in the file share backup files to verify their integrity. For more information, see Health Check for File
Share Backup Files.
To configure the health-check settings for the backup job:
2. On the Maintenance tab, select Perform backup files health check to enable the health check option. It
allows ensuring that all data and metadata is backed up correctly.
3. Specify the time schedule for the health check.
Script Settings
You can configure custom scripts to run before or after the file share backup job. For example, you can configure
scripts to take a VSS snapshot before running the job and to delete it after completing the job.
To specify script settings for the backup job:
3. If you want to execute custom scripts, select the Run the following script before the job and Run the
following script after the job check boxes and click Browse to choose executable files from a local folder
on the backup server. The scripts are executed on the backup server.
You can select to execute pre- and post-backup actions after a number of backup sessions or on specific
week days.
o If you select the Run scripts every <N> backup session option, specify the number of the backup job
sessions after which the scripts must be executed.
o If you select the Run scripts on the selected days only option, click Days and specify week days on
which the scripts must be executed.
To specify notification settings for the backup job:
Settings.
5. You can choose to use global notification settings or specify custom notification settings:
o To configure a custom notification for the job, select Use custom notification settings specified
below. You can specify the following notification settings:
subject: %Time% (completion time), %JobName%, %JobResult%, %ObjectCount% (number of
file shares in the job) and %Issues% (number of files shares in the job that have finished with
ii. Select the Notify on success, Notify on warning, and/or Notify on error check boxes to receive
email notification if the job completes successfully, fails, completes with a warning or is waiting
for the tape to get available.
iii. Select the Suppress notifications until the last retry check box to receive a notification about the
final job status. If you do not enable this option, Veeam Backup & Replication will send one
notification per every job retry.
6. Specify severity options if required:
o Select the Make file or folder processing issues result in a job warning to receive a warning at the end
of the job processing session if any issues with file or folder processing occur.
o Select the Make file or folder attribute's processing issues result in a job warning to receive a warning
at the end of the job processing session if any issues with processing of file or folder attributes occur.
Step 6. Specify Secondary Repository
At the Secondary Target step of the wizard, you can specify a secondary repository that will be used to store
additional copies of backup files from the backup storage for redundancy. If you add a secondary repository,
Veeam Backup & Replication will create a separate job for backup copy to it. The data copy process will start
automatically after each primary job runs.
NOTE:
To learn what storage types you can assign the role of the secondary repository to, see NAS Backup
Support.
To add a secondary repository:
1. Click Add.
2. From the list of existing repositories, select a repository that will keep additional copy of the backup files.
You can add several secondary repositories for copying files of the primary backup job. To quickly find the
repository, use the search field at the bottom of the wizard.
3. By default, retention and encryption settings for the secondary target repository are inherited from the
primary job. To customize them, select the necessary repository in the Secondary repositories list and click
Edit.
o To enable custom retention settings:
i. Select Use custom retention policy.
ii. Specify how long all versions of each file will be kept in the secondary repository.
o To specify encryption settings different from those of the primary repository:
i. Select Use custom data encryption settings.
ii. In the Password field, select a password that you want to use for encryption. If you have not
created the password beforehand, click Add or use the Manage passwords link to specify a new
password. For more information, see Managing Passwords for Data Encryption.
If the backup server is not connected to Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager and does not have
the Veeam Universal License or a legacy socket-based Enterprise or Enterprise Plus license
installed, you will not be able to restore data from encrypted backups in case you lose the
password. Veeam Backup & Replication will display a warning about it. For more information,
see Decrypting Data Without Password.
o Configure time intervals at which the data can be copied to the secondary repository.
 If you select the Any time (continuously) option, Veeam Backup & Replication will copy backup
files to the secondary repository as soon as the primary file share backup job completes.
 If you want to specify time periods when copying backup to the secondary repository is
permitted, select the During the following time periods only option and configure allowed and
prohibited hours.
At the Schedule step of the wizard, select to run the backup job manually or schedule the job to run on a regular
basis.
job manually to create the file share backup.
NOTE:
o To run the job repeatedly throughout a day with a specific time interval, select Periodically every. In
the field on the right, select the necessary time unit: Hours or Minutes. Click Schedule and use the
time table to define the permitted time window for the job. In the Start time within an hour field,
specify the exact time when the job must start.
schedule.
list on the right. A new backup job session will start as soon as the previous backup job session
finishes.
3. In the Automatic retry section, define whether Veeam Backup & Replication must attempt to run the
backup job again if the job fails for some reason. During a job retry, Veeam Backup & Replication processes
failed file shares only. Enter the number of attempts to run the job and define time intervals between
them. If you select continuous backup, Veeam Backup & Replication will retry the job for the defined
number of times without any time intervals between the job runs.
4. In the Backup window section, define the time interval within which the backup job must complete. The
backup window prevents the job from overlapping with production hours and ensures that the job does
not provide unwanted overhead on the production environment. To set up a backup window for the job:
b. In the Time Periods window, define the allowed hours and prohibited hours for backup. If the job
NOTE:
The After this job function will automatically start a job if the first job in the chain is started automatically
by schedule. If you start the first job manually, Veeam Backup & Replication will display a notification. You
will be able to choose whether Veeam Backup & Replication must start the chained job as well.
At the Summary step of the wizard, complete the procedure of backup job configuration.
1. Review details of the backup job.
Starting New Backup Chain
You can start a new backup chain for the file share backup job. Veeam Backup & Replication then creates a new
active full backup that starts the new chain for the entire file share. All existing backup files are moved to the
Disk (Imported) node under the Backups node in the Veeam Backup & Replication Console. Data files are stored
to the same folder in the backup repository. The data files for the new backup chain are stored to a new
separate folder in the backup repository.
To start a new backup chain:
3. In the working area, select a job of the File Backup type, press and hold the [Ctrl] key, right-click the job
and select Start new backup.
Performing Health Check for File Share
Backup Files
You can manually perform a health check for the latest restore point in the backup chain. During the health
check, Veeam Backup & Replication performs a CRC check for metadata and a hash check for data blocks in
backup files to verify their integrity. The health check helps make sure that the restore point is consistent, and
you will be able to restore data from this restore point.
To run the health check:
3. In the working area, select a job of the File Backup type and click Run Health Check on the ribbon or right-
click the job and select Run health check.
To run the health check periodically, you must enable the Perform backup files health check option in the
backup job settings and define the health check schedule. By default, the health check is performed on the last
Friday of every month. You can change the schedule and run the health check weekly or monthly on specific
days. To learn how to configure periodic health check, see Maintenance Settings.
Viewing File Share Backup Properties
You can view summary information about the file share backup. The summary information provides the
following data:
• Name and path to the backup repository that stores file share backup files.
• Name and path to the archive repository that stores archived backup data.
• Path to the file share backup source and its original size.
• Available restore points: date of their creation, their type (Backup or Archive) and status.
For the Backup type, the table shows all restore points stored in the backup repository. You can restore
the file share to the state as of any of these points. To learn how to restore the file share, see File Share
Data Recovery.
For the Archive type, the table shows only a single record. The time stamp of this record denotes the date
and time of the restore point, which was created in the backup repository and files of which were the
latest to be moved to the archive repository according to retention settings. To learn how to restore files
from the archive, see Restoring Backup Files from Archive Repository.
To view summary information for backups:
4. To see the list of available restore points, select the required object from the Objects list.
Converting Backups from Non-Root to
Root Shared Folders
Starting from version 11, Veeam Backup & Replication allows you to add a server root folder as a source for file
share backup jobs. In this case, all changes to separate shared folders residing on this server will be reflected in
the file share backup job where the root shared folder of this server is added. You can even add shared root
folders using different protocols to one file share backup job and thus protect all file shares that are or will be
added on the server.
If you previously had several separate non-root shared folders residing on the same server and want to switch to
using a single root shared folder to cover the same shares, you do not have to run full backups to update data of
protected shares. Instead, you can convert existing backups and update existing file share backup jobs to
protect single root shared folders comprising all other non-root shared folders residing on the same server.
Perform the conversion with extreme caution.
To convert backups from non-root to root shared folders, do the following:
1. Disable file share backup jobs protecting file shares, for which you want to convert backups. To do that,
right-click the required job in the Jobs node of the inventory pane in the Home view and select Disable.
Alternatively, you can click Disable on the ribbon.
2. Make sure that your backup infrastructure has a root share (for example, NFS or SMB) added for the whole
server or storage system where existing non-root shares reside. These shares must reside on the same
server or storage system. The correspondence of the shares must be full except for the host name.
3. Use the Convert-VBRNASBackupRootFormat PowerShell cmdlet to convert backups created by one

file share backup job for separate non-root shared folders residing on the same server into the backup
created for the server single root folder with all the non-root shared folders of the same type under it. For
more information, see description of the Convert-VBRNASBackupRootFormat cmdlet in the Veeam
PowerShell Reference.
As a result, the backup will be moved from Backups > Disk node to Backups > Disk (Orphaned) node in the
inventory pane of the Home view.
At this step, you can check if the cmdlet has correctly converted the backup. To do that, check if backup
object names in the Disk (Orphaned) node have changed and now show the path to the server root folder.
If object names have not changed and show the paths to multiple separate non-root shared folders as
before, continuing the conversion process can lead to the unwanted result. For example, when you enable
the backup job for the converted backup, it will back up all shared folders under root folder not with an
incremental run, but with a full run instead, which may lead to extra costs.
4. Use the Edit File Backup Job wizard to edit the file backup job that protects the file shares:
a. At the Files and Folders step of the wizard, remove the existing non-root shared folders from the job
and add the server root folder instead.
b. At the Storage step of the wizard, map the job to the backup that was converted at step 2.
5. Enable file share backup jobs protecting file shares, for which you converted backups. To do that, right-
click the required job from the Jobs node of the inventory pane in the Home view and clear selection
Disable. Alternatively, you can click Disable on the ribbon.
Converting Backups from SMB or NFS
Shares to NAS Filer Shares
You can use enterprise storage systems integrated with Veeam Backup & Replication both to host simple SMB or
NFS shares and to act as NAS filer shares.
To use all the advantages of NAS filer shares, for example the native file change tracking technology, you can
convert backups created for existing SMB or NFS shares into the format of NAS filer shares. After that you can
continue to protect the file shares as NAS filer shares by running existing file share backup jobs and by using
existing backup files. Perform the conversion with extreme caution.
To convert SMB or NFS shares into NAS filer shares, do the following:
1. Disable file share backup jobs protecting SMB or NFS shares, for which you want to convert backups. To do
that, right-click the required job in the Jobs node of the inventory pane in the Home view and select
2. Make sure that you have created NAS filer, which corresponds to existing SMB or NFS shares, added to the
Veeam Backup & Replication inventory. The NAS filer and these shares must reside on the same storage
system. The correspondence of the shares must be full except for the host name.
3. Use the Convert-VBRNASBackupSANFormat PowerShell cmdlet to convert the format of the file share
backup to provide support of NAS filer shares. For more information, see description of the Convert-
VBRNASBackupSANFormat cmdlet in the Veeam PowerShell Reference.
As a result, the backup will be moved from Backups > Disk node to Backups > Disk (Orphaned) node in the
inventory pane of the Home view.
At this step, you can check if the cmdlet has correctly converted the backup. To do that, check if backup
object names in the Disk (Orphaned) node have changed and now show the path to the NAS filer share. If
object names have not changed and show the path to the SMB or NFS share as before, continuing the
conversion process can lead to the unwanted result. For example, when you enable the backup job for the
converted backup, it will back up the NAS filer share not with an incremental run, but with a full run
instead, which may lead to extra costs.
4. Use the Edit File Backup Job wizard to edit the file backup job that protects the file shares:
a. At the Files and Folders step of the wizard, remove the existing SMB and NFS shares from the job and
add the corresponding NAS filer shares.
b. At the Storage step of the wizard, map the job to the backup that was converted at step 2.
5. Enable file share backup jobs protecting file shares, for which you converted backups. To do that, right-
click the required job from the Jobs node of the inventory pane in the Home view and clear selection of
File Share Data Recovery
You can restore data previously backed up with file share backup jobs. You can restore the following data:
• SMB file share files and folders
• NFS file share files and folders
• Files and folders of a managed Microsoft Windows server
• Files and folders of a managed Linux server
Veeam Backup & Replication offers several recovery options for different recovery scenarios:
• Instant file share recovery allows you to publish a point-in-time file share state as a read-only SMB file
share to enable users to instantly access all protected files.
• Restore of the entire file share allows you to recover all files and folders of the file share to one of the
restore points.
• Rollback to a point in time allows you to restore only changed files to one of the restore points.
• Restore of files and folders allows you to select files and folders to restore to one of the restore points.
Performing Instant File Share Recovery
You can use the instant file share recovery feature to publish a point-in-time file share state as a read-only SMB
file share to enable users to instantly access all protected files.
Before you perform instant file share recovery, check prerequisites.
Before You Begin

Before you perform instant file share recovery, consider the following:
• Instant file share recovery is supported for SMB file shares only.
• File shares recovered with instant recovery are available in the read-only mode.
Step 1. Launch Instant File Share Recovery Wizard
To launch the Instant File Recovery wizard, do one of the following:
• On the Home tab, click Restore > File Share > Instant file share recovery.
o Click the file share that you want to restore and click Backup > Instant Recovery on the ribbon.
o Right-click the file share that you want to restore and select Instant file share recovery.
You can perform the instant file share recovery by using a backup copy. Backup copies created in the
secondary repositories are represented in the Backups > Disk (Copy) node in the inventory pane.
Step 2. Select File Share to Restore
At the File Shares step of the wizard, select the file share for which you want to perform instant recovery:
1. Click Add.
2. In the Backups Browser window, expand the necessary backup job to select the required file share to
restore.
To quickly find a file share, you can use the search field at the bottom of the window.
1. Enter a file share name or a part of it in the search field.
2. Press [Enter] to start the search.
Alternatively, you can use the File shares to publish search field to quickly search the required file share and add
it to the list of file shares to publish.
Step 3. Specify Mount Server Settings
At the Mount Servers step of the wizard, specify mount server settings for published file shares.
• If you select the Automatic selection option, Veeam Backup & Replication will automatically choose the
mount server where to restore file shares. The job will use the mount server from the repository where the
backup files reside. For scale-out backup repositories, Veeam Backup & Replication will use the least
occupied mount server.
• If you select the Manual selection option, you can specify which mount server to use to individually
publish each file share:
a. In the Mount servers list, select a file share for which you want to assign a mount server.
b. Click Edit. Alternatively you can double-click the required file share in the list.
c. In the Select mount server window, select a mount server to use to publish the chosen file share.
To quickly find a mount server, you can use the search field at the bottom of the window.
d. Click OK to confirm selection.
Step 4. Specify Access Permissions
After you specify file shares and mount servers, Veeam Backup & Replication validates them. If
Veeam Backup & Replication detects missing security descriptors on the file shares, it adds the Access
Permissions step to the wizard. At this step you can specify the owner account and permissions for the file
share.
1. From the File shares list, select a file share for which you want to specify an owner account and
permissions.
2. Click Set Owner and specify the owner account for the file share.
3. Click Permissions and configure access permissions for the file share. The following options are available:
o Deny to everyone
o Allow to everyone
o Allow to the following accounts or groups only
Use Add and Remove buttons to configure accounts and groups to which you want to grant
permissions for accessing the file share.
Step 5. Specify Reason for Recovery
At the Reason step of the wizard, specify the reason for performing instant file share recovery. You can leave
the field blank.
If you do not want to specify the reason for instant file share recovery in the future, select the Do not show me
this page again check box.
At the Summary step of the wizard, review the instant file share recovery settings and click Finish.
Veeam Backup & Replication will publish the file share to the specified mount servers.
Restoring Entire File Share
You can restore the entire file share from the backup to a specific restore point. That can be helpful, for
example, if your file share device gets out of order and you need to restore the entire file share to the original or
other location.
Before you restore an entire file share, check prerequisites.
Before You Begin

Before you restore the entire file share, consider the following:
• You can restore files and folders of the file share from a backup that has at least one successfully created
restore point.
• The file share on which you plan to save restored files and folders must be added to the backup
infrastructure.
Step 1. Launch File Restore Wizard
To launch the File Restore wizard, do one of the following:
• On the Home tab, click Restore > File Share > Restore entire share.
o Click the file share that you want to restore and click Backup > Entire share on the ribbon.
o Right-click the file share that you want to restore and select Entire file share.
You can restore the file share to the state as of a specific restore point by using a backup copy. Backup
copies created in the secondary repositories are represented in the Backups > Disk (Copy) node in the
inventory pane.
Step 2. Select File Share to Restore
At the File Shares step of the wizard, select the file share that you want to restore:
1. Click Add.
2. In the Backups Browser window, select the file share backup job and a file share in it that you want to
restore. Click OK.
3. In the File shares table, select the file share to select a restore point to restore to. Click Point.
4. In the Select Restore Point window, select the restore point to which you want to restore the file share. To
select the required restore point, do one of the following:
o Use the Restore point slider.
o Click the date link under the Restore point slider. In the calendar in the right pane of the Restore
points window, select the date when the required restore point was created. The list of restore points
on the left pane displays restore points created on the selected date. Select the point to which you
want to restore the file share.
In the Files in backup tree, you can see what folders and files are covered by the selected restore point
and the date when each of them was modified.
Click OK.
To quickly find a file share, you can use the search field at the top of the window. Enter a file share name or a
part of it in the search field and press [Enter].
To exclude the file share from the restore process, select the file share in the table and click Remove.
Step 3. Specify Destination for Data Restore
At the Destination step of the wizard, specify the location to which you want to restore the file share.
• Select Original location to restore data to the location where the it resided originally. This type of restore
is only possible if the original device is connected to Veeam Backup & Replication and powered on.
• Select This server to restore data to another location:
a. In the This server field, select a file share to which files must be restored. You can select any file share
added to the backup inventory. If the required file share is missing in the drop-down list, click Add
and add a new file share to Veeam Backup & Replication. For more information on how to add a new
file share, see File Share.
b. In the Path to folder field, specify a path to the folder on the selected file share where files must be
restored.
To select a specific folder on the file share to restore files to, click Browse, in the Select Folder
window, select the target location for the file share.
If you want to restore the file share to a new folder, click New Folder at the bottom of the window,
enter the folder name and click OK to confirm the new folder creation.
c. Select Preserve folder hierarchy to keep the folder hierarchy of the original file share in the new
location.
Step 4. Specify Restore Options
At the Restore Options step of the wizard, specify overwrite options in case the file with the same name already
exists in the target folder:
• Skip restoring (keeps the existing file). Select this option if you do not want to overwrite the existing file
with the restored one.
• Replace older files only (use if a share was reverted to a storage snapshot). Select this option if you want
to overwrite the existing file only if it is older than the restored file.
• Replace newer files only (use to discard unwanted contents changes). Select this option if you want to
overwrite the existing file only if the restored file is older than the source share file.
• Restore anyway (overwrites the existing file). Select this option if you want to overwrite the existing file
with the restored file in all cases.
Select the Restore permissions and security attributes check box if you want the restored files to keep their
original ownership and security permissions. If you do not select this check box, Veeam Backup & Replication
will change security settings. The user account under which the Veeam Backup Service runs will be set as the
owner of the restored objects. Access permissions will be inherited from the target folder to which the objects
are restored.
NOTE:
Mind that Veeam Backup & Replication does not collect ACL handling settings of the source file share root
folder, so you cannot restore them. Before restoring an entire file share, you will have to specify required
ACL handling settings for the root folder of the target file share.
At the Summary step of the wizard, review the file share restore settings and click Finish.
Veeam Backup & Replication will restore the file share to the specified location.
Rolling Back to a Point in Time
You can roll back changes made to files and folders on the file share to a specific restore point. This option can
be useful, for example, when the original file share was attacked by ransomware. In this case you can roll back
all the files that were changed by the ransomware to the state before the attack.
Before you roll back the file share to a point in time, check prerequisites.
Before You Begin

Before you restore files and folders to a point in time, mind that you can restore files and folders of the file
share from a backup that has at least one successfully created restore point.
• On the Home tab, click Restore > File Share > Rollback to a point in time.
o Click the file share backup whose files you want to restore and click File Share > Rollback to a point in
time on the ribbon.
o Right-click the file share backup whose files you want to restore and select Restore > Rollback to a
point in time.
You can roll back the file share to a point in time by using a backup copy. Backup copies created in the
secondary repositories are represented in the Backups > Disk (Copy) node in the inventory pane.
Step 2. Select Object to Restore
At the File Shares step of the wizard, select the file share, whose files you want to roll back:
1. Click Add.
2. In the Backups Browser window, select the file share backup job and a file share in it, whose files you want
to roll back. Click OK.
3. In the File shares table, select the file share to select a restore point to rollback to. Click Point.
4. In the Select Restore Point window, select the restore point to which you want to roll back the files. To
o Click the date link under the Restore point slider. In the calendar in the right pane of the Restore
points window, select the date when the required restore point was created. The list of restore points
on the left pane displays restore points created on the selected date. Select the point to which you
want to roll back the files to.
and the date when each of them was modified.
Click OK.
To quickly find a file share, you can use the search field at the top of the window. Enter a file share name or a
part of it in the search field and press [Enter].
To exclude the file share from the rollback process, select the file share in the table and click Remove.
At the Summary step of the wizard, review the file share restore settings and click Finish.
Veeam Backup & Replication will restore the files to the specified point in time.
Restoring Specific Files and Folders
You can restore specific files and folders to the original or a new location. This option can be useful, for
example, if you need to get an older version of some files and folders from the backup.
When you restore specific files and folders you can extract file versions not only from the backup repository, but
also from the archive repository. Besides, you can restore multiple versions of the same file.
Before you restore specific files and folders, check prerequisites.
Before You Begin

Before you restore files and folders from the backup, mind the following:
• You can restore files and folders from a backup that has at least one created restore point, even if it is
incomplete.
• The file share on which you plan to save restored files and folders must be added to the backup
infrastructure.
• On the Home tab, click Restore > File Share > Restore individual files and folders.
o Click the file share backup whose files you want to restore and click File Share > Restore files and
folders on the ribbon.
o Right-click the file share backup whose files you want to restore and select Restore > Files and
folders.
In this case, you will pass directly to the Backup Browser.
You can restore files and folders from a backup copy. Backup copies created in the secondary repositories
are represented in the Backups > Disk (Copy) node in the inventory pane.
Step 2. Select Object to Restore
At the Backup step of the wizard, select the file share backup whose files you want to restore:
1. In the Object to restore list, expand the necessary backup job.
2. Select the file share.
To quickly find a file share, you can use the search field at the bottom of the window.
1. Enter a file share name or a part of it in the search field.
Step 3. Verify Restore Object Settings
At the Summary step of the wizard, review selected restore object and click Finish to switch to the Backup
Browser and select files and folders to restore.
Step 4. Select Files and Folders to Restore
In the Backup Browser, select files and folders to restore. Backup browser has three representations of restore
points. You can select one of the following options in the Restore Point group on the ribbon to display file
versions:
• Latest — the Backup Browser shows the latest versions of files and folders on the file share.
• All Time — the Backup Browser shows all files and folders ever backed up by the backup job. This option
retrieves file versions stored both in the backup and archive repositories. This representation additionally
shows how many file versions of each file are stored in the backup and the date when the latest file
version was created.
After you select this option:
o If you restore a whole folder, you will be prompted to the Select Restore Point to Use step to select a
restore point to restore files and folders from.
NOTE
Mind that during file-level restore you cannot restore whole folders from the archive restore
points. If the files are already moved to the archive repository, you have to restore them one by
one.
o If you restore a single file, you will be prompted to the Select File Version to Restore step to select a
file version to restore the file from.
• Selected — the Backup Browser shows versions of files and folders backed up as of the certain restore
point. Select the restore point in the list on the right of the Selected option on the ribbon.
You can use the search field at the top of the working area to search for specific files and folders.
NOTE:
In order to keep the operation of the Backup Server stable, the number of retrieved search result records is
limited to 1000. Therefore, if you work with backup folders that store large volumes of data, it is
recommended to narrow the search criteria to fit into the limitation.
You can restore files and folders to their original location or a new location.

To restore files and folders to the original location, in the Veeam Backup browser right-click a file or folder and
select one of the following commands:
• To overwrite the original file on the file share with the file restored from the backup, select Restore >
Overwrite.
Veeam Backup & Replication will add the _RESTORED_YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS suffix to the original file
name and store the restored file in the same folder where the original file resides.
Saving Files to New Location

To save files and folders to a new location, right-click the necessary file or folder and select Copy To. If you
restore files and folders to a new location, you will be prompted to the Specify Destination for File Restore step
to specify a new destination.
The Restore Mode step is required if you use the All Time option at the Select Files and Folders to Restore step
and the selected folders have more than one restore point.
Specify the restore point to which you want to restore files and folders:
• To restore the folder to the latest available restore point, select Latest state.
• To select a specific restore point, select Earlier restore point, click Next and specify the restore point. To
o Click the date link under the Restore point slider. In the calendar in the left pane of the Restore points
window, select the date when the required restore point was created. The list of restore points on the
left pane displays restore points created on the selected date. Select the point to which you want to
restore the file share.
and the date when files and folders were modified.
Step 6. Select File Version to Restore
The File Version step is required if you use the All Time option at the Select Files and Folders to Restore step
and the selected files have more than one file version.
Select one or more versions to restore. You can restore files both from the backup repository and archive
repository. To select several file versions, hold [Ctrl] and select multiple records in the table. Restore of
multiple file versions can be helpful, for example, when you need to search for a specific version of the file, but
you do not know for sure which one contains required changes.
Step 7. Specify Destination for File Restore
The Destination step is required if you choose the Copy To option at the Select Files and Folders to Restore step.
Specify the destination where the restored files must be stored:
1. In the Restore files and folders to field, select a file share to which the files must be restored. All file
shares added to the inventory of Veeam Backup & Replication are available. If the required file share is
missing in the drop-down list, click Add and add a new file share to Veeam Backup & Replication.
For more information on how to add a new file share, see Adding File Share.
2. In the Path to folder field, specify a path to the folder on the selected file share where files must be
restored.
To create a dedicated folder for restored files, click Browse. In the Select Folder window, select the target
location for the file share.
If you want to restore the file share to a new folder, click New Folder at the bottom of the window.
Confirm the new folder creation.
At the Summary step of the wizard, review the file restore settings and click Finish.
Restoring Backup Files from Archive Repository
You can restore any file from the archive repository to the state of any file version stored in the archive.
Depending on the circumstances, such a restore can require different actions.
Regular Restore from Archive

To perform a regular restore from the archive repository when you have all required backup data stored both in
the backup repository and archive repository, follow the instructions given in Restoring Specific Files and
Folders. Mind that to restore data from the archive repository, you must select the All Time option for selecting
files and folders to restore.
Emergency Restore from Archive

There can be different situations where backups are not available in the backup repository: for example, backup
files are broken or deleted from the backup repository, backup configuration files are removed from the
configuration, archive repository is added into backup infrastructure of another backup server, or backup archive
is moved from one archive repository to another one. In these cases, you can restore specific files and folders
from the backup archive.
To restore files from the archive repository, for example, from an object storage:
1. If necessary, add the storage that keeps the required archive to the backup infrastructure as described in
Adding Backup Repositories.
2. Rescan the added archive repository as described in Rescanning Backup Repositories.
3. Download metadata for the archive backup:
a. Locate the required file backup archive under Backups - Disk (Imported) node in the Home view.
b. Right-click the file backup and select Download backup metadata.
c. From the drop-down list, select a backup repository to store the downloaded metadata of files
archive and click OK.
4. Restore files and folders from the archive backup as described in Restoring Specific Files and Folders.
Integration with Veeam Backup for AWS
Veeam Backup & Replication allows you to create and manage data protection and restore tasks for Amazon
Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2) environments. For this, Veeam Backup & Replication uses a AWS Plug-in
for Veeam Backup & Replication component. This component extends Veeam Backup & Replication functionality
and provides access to Veeam Backup for AWS from the Veeam Backup & Replication console. For more
information, see the Integration with Veeam Backup for AWS Guide.
Integration with Veeam Backup for
Microsoft Azure
Veeam Backup & Replication allows you to create and manage data protection and restore tasks for Microsoft
Azure environments. For this, Veeam Backup & Replication uses a Microsoft Azure Plug-in for Veeam Backup &
Replication component. This component extends Veeam Backup & Replication functionality and provides access
to Veeam Backup for Microsoft Azure from the Veeam Backup & Replication console. For more information, see
the Integration with Veeam Backup for Microsoft Azure Guide.
Integration with Veeam Backup for
Nutanix AHV
Veeam Backup & Replication allows you to manage data protection and restore tasks for Nutanix AHV
environments. For this, Veeam Backup & Replication uses an additional component: Veeam Backup for Nutanix
AHV.
Veeam Backup for Nutanix AHV extends Veeam Backup & Replication functionality and allows to back up and
restore Nutanix AHV VMs. For more information, see the Veeam Backup for Nutanix AHV User Guide.
Veeam Agent Management
Veeam Backup & Replication lets you deploy and manage Veeam Agent for Microsoft Windows and Veeam
Agent for Linux (Veeam Agents) on computers in your infrastructure.
For more information about Veeam Agents, see the Veeam Agent Management Guide.
Veeam Cloud Connect
If you want to store your data in the cloud, you can connect to the service provider and write VM backups to
cloud repositories or create VM replicas on cloud hosts.
For more information about Veeam Cloud Connect, see the Veeam Cloud Connect Guide.
Advanced VMware vSphere Features
Veeam Backup & Replication lets you leverage the following VMware vSphere features and functionality during
data protection and disaster recovery operations:
• VM tags
• Encrypted VMs
• Storage policies
VM Tags
If you use vCenter Server tags to categorize objects in the virtual infrastructure, you can filter objects that you
add to data protection and disaster recovery jobs and tasks by these tags. Use of tags facilitates object
management. You can quickly configure jobs and tasks for VMs that belong to a specific category, for example, a
certain department or SLA level.
To add objects by tags, you must switch to the VMs and Tags view in the Add Objects window.
Veeam Backup & Replication will display objects categorized by tags.
Requirements and Recommendations for VM Tags

When you work with tags in Veeam Backup & Replication, mind the following requirements and
recommendations:
• The VirtualCenter.FQDN parameter in the Advanced Settings of vCenter Server must contain the real fully
qualified domain name of the vCenter Server host.
• A certificate installed on vCenter Server must contain the real fully qualified domain name of the vCenter
Server host.
• The fully qualified domain name of the vCenter Server host must be accessible and resolved to its IP (and
vice versa) from machines on which Veeam Backup & Replication services are installed (at least the Veeam
Backup Service and Veeam Broker Service).
• A user account used for specific data protection and disaster recovery operations must have sufficient
permissions on the vCenter Server. For more information, see Full VM Restore, Replica Failback and
Cumulative Permissions sections in the Required Permissions Reference.
• If VM tags are not displayed in the Veeam Backup & Replication console for some reason, try restarting
VMware vSphere services that are responsible for the tags functionality. In VMware vSphere earlier than
6.5, you must restart the vCenter Inventory Service. Starting from VMware vSphere 6.5, vCenter Inventory
Services functionality is replaced by the vCenter Content Library and other services that are part of
vCenter Server 6.5.
When you upgrade to VMware vSphere 6.5, data from vCenter Inventory Service is migrated to the new
database support services in vCenter Server 6.5. The vCenter Inventory Service may remain in the list of
services, however, it is no longer used.
• If you are using the vSphere Fault Tolerance feature, assign VM tags in one of the following ways in order
to provide proper VM backup processing by Veeam Backup & Replication:
o Assign the required VM tag to the primary VM. In case of the failover to the secondary VM, the VM tag
is copied to the secondary VM and this VM is used as a source for continuing
Veeam Backup & Replication jobs.
o Assign the required VM tag to the VM container that comprises the primary VM in the virtual
infrastructure inventory. The primary VM inherits this tag. In case of the failover to the secondary VM,
the VM tag is copied to the secondary VM and this VM is used as a source for continuing
Veeam Backup & Replication jobs.
Thus, there is no need to assign the VM tag to the secondary VM. Moreover, if you manually assign the
same tag both to the primary VM and the secondary VM and use this tag to add objects to a VM backup
job, this will result in the backup failure.
Limitations for VM Tags

The VM tags support functionality has the following limitation:
Veeam Backup & Replication ignores the cardinality setting for VM tag categories. For example, you create a tag
category Priority and set cardinality to One tag per object. In the tag category, you create two tags: Normal and
High. You assign the Normal tag to a VM folder and the High tag to a VM in this folder. If you now configure a
job that will process objects with the Normal tag, the VM with the High tag will also be added to this job (since
Veeam Backup & Replication regards that VMs and templates in the VM container inherit the tag assigned to the
container).
To overcome this situation, you can add to the list of exclusions the tag assigned to objects that you do not
want to process.
Encrypted VMs
Veeam Backup & Replication provides support for encrypted VMware vSphere VMs.
• Backup of encrypted VMs
• Replication of encrypted VMs
• Restore of encrypted VMs
• Failback of encrypted VMs
Backup of Encrypted VMs

Veeam Backup & Replication lets you back up encrypted VMs. The backup infrastructure must meet the
following requirements:
• VM encryption instances must be preconfigured in the virtual infrastructure: you must set up the key
management server, create the VM encryption policy and assign it to VMs in advance.
• The backup proxy used for backup must be working in the Virtual appliance transport mode or Network
transport mode with SSL encryption enabled.
• The backup proxy working in the Virtual appliance transport mode must be deployed on an encrypted VM.
Ensure either that you use a common Key Management Server (KMS) or that the Key Management Server
clusters at both sites use common encryption keys.
Replication of Encrypted VMs

Veeam Backup & Replication lets you replicate encrypted VMs. The backup infrastructure must meet the
• The backup proxy used for backup must be working in the Virtual appliance transport mode or Network
• You must place disks and the configuration file of the VM replica on datastores to which the VM
Encryption policy is assigned. To do this, at the Destination step of the wizard, click Datastore and select a
datastore under the VM Encryption Policy.
NOTE:
Multi-OS file-level restore for encrypted VM replicas is not supported.
Restore of Encrypted VMs

Veeam Backup & Replication supports restore of encrypted VMs. You have the following restore options:
• You can back up an encrypted VM and restore it as encrypted.
• You can back up an encrypted VM and restore is as unencrypted.
• You can back up an unencrypted VM and restore it as encrypted.
To let Veeam Backup & Replication successfully restore an encrypted VMs, the backup infrastructure must meet
the following requirements:
• The backup proxy used for restore must be working in the Virtual appliance transport mode or Network
• You must place VM disks on datastores to which the VM Encryption policy is assigned. To do this, at the
Datastore step of the wizard, select a VM disk, click Datastore and select a datastore under the VM
Encryption policy.
If a VM has several disks, you can optionally restore some disks as encrypted and some disks as
unencrypted. Keep in mind, however, that the VM configuration file must always be placed on a datastore
to which the VM Encryption policy is assigned.
Failback of Encrypted VMs

During failback, Veeam Backup & Replication lets you restore a VM as encrypted. To let
Veeam Backup & Replication successfully restore an encrypted VMs, the backup infrastructure must meet the
• The backup proxy used for failback must be working in the Virtual appliance transport mode or Network
• You must place VM disks on datastores to which the VM Encryption policy is assigned. To do this, at the
Datastore step of the wizard, select a VM disk, click Datastore and select a datastore under the VM
Encryption policy.
If a VM has several disks, you can optionally restore some disks as encrypted and some disks as
unencrypted. Keep in mind, however, that the VM configuration file must always be placed on a datastore
to which the VM Encryption policy is assigned.
Storage Profiles
During backup, Veeam Backup & Replication preserves information about the storage policy associated with the
VM, and stores this information to the backup file or replica metadata. When you restore the VM to its original
location, Veeam Backup & Replication also restores information about the VM storage policy. The restored VM
gets automatically associated with the original storage policy.
Veeam Backup & Replication restores the storage policy when you perform the following operations:
• VM failback
Veeam Backup & Replication restores the storage policy only if you restore the VM to the original location. If
you restore the VM to a new location, Veeam Backup & Replication does not preserve the storage policy for the
VM.
In some cases, the original storage policy may be changed or missing by the time when you restore the VM. For
example, the storage policy may be deleted, the original VM in the production environment may be associated
with another storage policy and so on. In such situation, Veeam Backup & Replication displays a warning and lets
you choose one of the following scenarios:
• Associate the VM with the current storage policy — the restored VM will be associated with the profile
with which the original VM in the production environment is currently associated.
• Associate the VM with the default storage policy — the restored VM will be associated with the profile that
is set as default for the target datastore.
• Associate the VM with the profile stored in the backup file — the restored VM will be associated with the
profile that was assigned to the original VM at the moment of backup, and whose information is stored in
the backup file.
Veeam Backup & Replication Utilities
You can use the following Veeam Backup & Replication utilities to perform advanced administration tasks in
your backup infrastructure:
• Extract.exe utility
• Veeam.Backup.DBConfig.exe utility
• Veeam backup validator
Extract Utility
Veeam Backup & Replication comes with an extract utility that can be used to recover machines from backup
files. The extract utility does not require any interaction with Veeam Backup & Replication and can be used as an
independent tool on Linux and Microsoft Windows machines.
The extract utility can be helpful, for example, if it is written to the tape next to machine backup files. In this
case, you get a possibility to recover machines from backups at any moment of time even if backups are
removed from Veeam Backup & Replication or Veeam Backup & Replication is uninstalled at all.
IMPORTANT!
The extract utility does not work with backups that are stored in scale-out backup repositories.
The extract utility can be used in two interfaces:
• Graphic user interface (GUI)
• Command-line interface working in the interactive and regular mode
The extract utility is located in the installation folder of Veeam Backup & Replication, by default:
%PROGRAMFILES%\Veeam\Backup and Replication\Backup. The folder contains three files for the
extract utility:
• Veeam.Backup.Extractor.exe — utility working in GUI (can be used on Microsoft Windows machines

only)
• extract.exe — utility working in the command-line interface, a version for Microsoft Windows
• extract — utility working in the command-line interface, a version for Linux
Using Extract Utility in GUI
To restore machine data in the extract utility GUI:
1. Run the Veeam.Backup.Extractor.exe file from the installation folder of

2. In the Backup file field, specify a path to the backup file from which you want to restore machine data.
3. If the backup file is encrypted, the extract utility will require you to provide a password to unlock the
backup file. Enter the password that was used for backup file encryption.
4. In the Target folder field, specify a path to the destination folder where machine data must be restored.
5. From the Machines list, select machines whose data you want to restore.
6. Click Extract. Machine data will be restored to the specified folder.
IMPORTANT!
If you restore machine data in the extract utility GUI, consider the following:
• The extract utility can be started on Microsoft Windows machines only.

• If you plan to start the extract utility on the machine other than the backup server, make sure that
you copy the Veeam.Backup.Extractor.exe file together with the extract.exe file from the
product installation folder and store these files to the same folder on the destination machine. In the
opposite case, the extract utility will fail to start.
Using Extract Utility in Interactive Mode
To start the extract utility in the interactive mode, run the extract.exe file from the product installation
folder(in case of a Linux machine, run the extract file).
You will have to sequentially enter the following arguments:
1. A path to the backup file from which the machine must be restored. After you enter the path, the extract
utility will display a list of all machines included in the backup and their description.
2. A name of the machine that you want to restore. If there is more than one machine with the specified
name in the backup, you will be asked to specify the host on which the backed-up machine resides. If you
want to restore all machines from the backup, press [Enter] on the keyboard.
3. If the backup was encrypted, password that was used to encrypt the backup file.
4. An output directory to which machines must be restored. If you want to restore machines to the current
directory, press [Enter] on the keyboard.
5. The operation confirmation. Press [Y] on the keyboard to restore a machine to the directory you specified.
If you want to abort the operation, press [Enter] on the keyboard.
Using Extract Utility from Command Line
To run the extract utility from the command line, do one of the following:
• In the command line, change the current directory to the directory where the extract utility locates.
• Add the directory where the extract utility locates to the PATH variable.
Then you can perform the following actions:
• Run the extract utility in the interactive mode
• Display help information for the utility usage
• Display the list of all VMs in the backup file
• Getting encryption status of a backup file
• Restore all or selected VMs from the backup
Running Extract Utility in Interactive Mode

This command runs the extract utility in the interactive mode.
Syntax
extract.exe [-password backupkey] [pathtobackup]
Parameters
Parameter Description Required/Optional
password Password for the encrypted backup file. Required for

encrypted backup
files
pathtobackup Path to the backup file from which machines must be restored. Optional
Displaying Help Information for Utility Usage

This command prints all variants of the extract utility usage along with required and optional parameters.
Syntax
extract.exe -help
Displaying List of Machines in Backup
This command displays the list of all machines in the backup file from which you want to perform restore.
Syntax
extract.exe -dir [-vm vmname] [-host hostname] [-password backupkey] pathtoback

up
Parameters
Name of the machine that you want to restore. Use this

vm Optional
parameter to filter machines in the backup.
Name of the host on which the initial machine resides.

Specify this parameter to filter machines that have the
host same name but reside on different hosts. Optional
Note: This parameter must be specified if the vm
parameter is used.
Required for encrypted

password Password for the encrypted backup file.
backup files
Path to the backup file from which the machine must be

pathtobackup Required
restored.
Getting Encryption Status of Backup File

This command gets the encryption status of the backup file: encrypted or not encrypted.
Syntax
extract.exe –getEncryptionStatus pathtobackup
Parameters
pathtobackup Path to the backup file from which the machine must be restored. Required
Restoring VMs from Backup

This command restores data for all machines or for the selected machine from the backup file.
Syntax
extract.exe -restore [-vm vmname] [-host hostname] [-password backupkey] pathto

backup [outputdir]
Parameters
Name of the machine that you want to restore. Use this

parameter to filter machines in the backup. If you want to
vm Optional
restore all machines from the backup file, do not specify this
parameter.
Name of the host on which the initial machine resides. Specify

this parameter to filter machines that have the same name
host but reside on different hosts. Optional
Note: This parameter must be specified if the vm parameter is
used.
Path to the backup file from which the machine must be

pathtobackup Required
restored.
Required for
password Password for the encrypted backup file.
encrypted backup files
Path to the directory to which machine data must be restored.

outputdir If this parameter is not specified, the machine will be restored Optional
to the current directory.
Veeam.Backup.DBConfig.exe Utility
Veeam Backup & Replication comes with the Veeam.Backup.DBConfig.exe utility that allows you to manage
connection settings for Veeam Backup & Replication and/or Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager configuration
database. Using this utility, you can:
• Connect to a different database on the same or another Microsoft SQL Server instance. If you specify a
database that does not exist yet, it will be created on the selected server.
• Change authentication method for database connection. Possible methods are Microsoft Windows
authentication and Microsoft SQL server authentication.
NOTE:
The Veeam.Backup.DBConfig.exe utility supports only connection to configuration databases of the

current version.
Using Veeam.Backup.DBConfig.exe Utility
You can launch the Veeam.Backup.DBConfig.exe utility from the Start menu by clicking Configuration
Database Connection Settings.
Alternatively, you can use the Veeam.Backup.DBConfig.exe file located in the installation folder. By
default, the path to the folder is the following: %PROGRAMFILES%\Common Files\Veeam\Backup and
Replication\DBConfig
To run the utility, you must have administrative rights on the local machine, as long as the utility makes changes
to the registry. If prompted at the launch, choose Run as administrator.
To manage connection settings for Veeam Backup & Replication and/or Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager
configuration database, use the launched Veeam Backup & Replication Configuration Database Connection
Settings wizard.
Step 1. Select Product
At the Product step of the wizard, select the database whose settings you want to configure.
The utility detects what server is installed on the local machine (backup server, Veeam Backup Enterprise
Manager server or both) and displays available products for your choice. If Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager is
not installed on the local machine, you will only have an opportunity to change Veeam Backup & Replication
database settings (and vice versa). In this case, the Product step of the wizard will be skipped.
Step 2. Specify Connection Settings
At the Connection Settings step of the wizard, provide the connection settings for the selected database.
1. Specify the Microsoft SQL Server\instance and database name to which you want the
Veeam Backup & Replication installation to connect. Both local and remote Microsoft SQL server instances
are supported. Microsoft SQL server instances available on the network are shown in the Server name list.
If necessary, click Refresh to get the latest information.
If a database with the specified name does not exist on the selected Microsoft SQL Server (instance), it will
be created anew.
NOTE
If you change the database to which Veeam Backup & Replication must be connected, make sure that
the database to which Veeam Backup & Replication is currently connected is available. If not, you
must stop the Veeam Backup Service on the machine where Veeam Backup & Replication is installed.
2. Select the authentication method that will be used for database connection:
o If you plan to use the Microsoft Windows authentication, consider that the current service account
will be used (that is, the account under which the Veeam Backup Service is running).
o If you plan to use the Microsoft SQL authentication, provide a login name and password. To view the
entered password, click and hold the eye icon on the right of the Password field.
Step 3. Apply Connection Settings
Before proceeding, the utility validates the specified settings to make sure that the user account has enough
privileges to access the database.
• If you have selected the Microsoft Windows authentication method, the utility will check the privileges of
the current user account (that is, the account under which the utility is running) to connect to specified
Microsoft SQL server.
• If you have selected the Microsoft SQL authentication method, the utility will check the privileges of the
account you have specified.
To ensure that these accounts (as well as the account under which the Veeam Backup Service is running) have
sufficient privileges for database access, you can contact your database administrator. Refer to the list of system
requirements for Veeam Backup & Replication for detailed information about required permission.
For the new settings to be applied, the utility needs to stop Veeam Backup & Replication services and jobs that
are currently running. Before proceeding to the Apply step, you must confirm the operation. After you confirm
the operation by clicking Yes, Veeam Backup & Replication will force services and jobs to stop, and will apply
database connection settings. For example, if you are configuring Veeam Backup & Replication database
settings, the following prompt will be displayed.
Wait for the operation to complete and click Next to proceed to the Summary step of the wizard. Previously
stopped services will be started again at this moment.
At the Summary step of the wizard, view the information about the changes in database connection settings. If
you were configuring Veeam Backup & Replication database settings and you want the Veeam backup
management console to be opened automatically after you finish working with the wizard, select the Start the
product automatically check box.
NOTE:
The Start the product automatically option is not available for Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager.
Veeam Backup Validator
In some cases, a backup can get corrupted due to accidental changes in the backup file data. For example, the
file can be damaged after transfer over the network or from hardware failures on the backup storage side. With
Veeam Backup Validator, you can quickly verify the integrity of any backup file, without extracting the VM data
from the archive.
Veeam Backup Validator is a command-prompt CRC check utility that tests a backup at the file level. For
integrity validation, Veeam Backup Validator uses the checksum algorithm. When Veeam Backup & Replication
creates a backup of a VM, it calculates a checksum for every data block in the backup file and attaches these
checksums to the data blocks. Veeam Backup Validator re-calculates checksums for data blocks and compares
them against the initial checksum values. If the results match, the backup file is viable. This works similarly to
the backup file integrity check performed at SureBackup.
Veeam Backup Validator is located in the installation folder of Veeam Backup & Replication — by default,
%ProgramFiles%\Veeam\Backup and Replication\Backup\Veeam.Backup.Validator.exe.
If the default path was changed, you can find the actual path in the registry value:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Veeam\Veeam Backup and Replication] CorePath.
Working with Veeam Backup Validator
You can run the utility from the command prompt on the backup server, the machine on which
To run Veeam Backup Validator, an account with administrative rights is required.
To display Veeam Backup Validator help information, run the following command:
Veeam.Backup.Validator /?
• In the Parameters section, you will see the list of all possible parameters and their descriptions
• In the Examples section, you will see the usage examples for each of these parameters:
Validating Content of Backup File
Syntax
The following command validates for integrity the content of all VMs or selected VMs in the specified backup:
Veeam.Backup.Validator.exe /backup:backupname|backupid [/vmname:vmname]

[/point:pointid] [/date:pointdate] [/time:pointtime] [/silence]
[/skip] [/report:reportpath [/format:xml|html]]
The following command validates for integrity the content of VMs in the specified backup file:
Veeam.Backup.Validator.exe /file:backupfile{1..*} [/username:username /passwor

d:password] [/vmname:vmname]
[/silence] [/skip] [/report:reportpath [/format:xml|html]]
IMPORTANT!
Veeam Backup Validator utility does not work with backups stored in scale-out backup repositories.
Parameters
Parameter Description Required/Optional Parameter Notes

Type
/backup: Specify a Required String —

backupname| name or an
backupID ID* of the
backup file
that you
want to
validate.
• If the file is located on a

/file:backupfile{1..*} Specify one Required String
or more network share, make sure
backup files you specify a full path, for
(VBM, VBK, example: \\172.16.16.198\
VIB).
TestShare\Empty VM
encryptedD2017-09-
22T172639.vbk
• Mapped network drives
(like net use z:
\\172.16.16.198\
TestShare) are not
supported.
Type
/username: To access Required for String If you want to validate files

username files on a network share located on different shares, make
/password: network sure this account has access rights
password share, to all these shares.
specify
account
credentials.
/vmname:vmname Specify a Optional String If not specified, Veeam Backup

name of the Validator will check all VMs in the
VM in the backup file.
backup file
that you
want to
validate.
/point:pointID Specify an Optional String If not specified, Veeam Backup

ID* of the Validator will verify the latest
restore restore point.
point that
you want to
validate
/date:pointdate Specify the Optional Date Make sure to specify the date in
date when the same format as used on the
the restore Veeam Backup server. For
point that example:
you want to
• For the mm/dd/yyyy
validate was
created. format, specify 08.30.2012.
• For the dd/mm/yyyy
format, specify 30.08.2012.
/time:pointtime Specify Optional Time —

approximate
time when
the restore
point you
want to
validate was
created.
Type
/silence Specify this Optional Boolean —

parameter if
you want to
run
validation in
the silence
mode.
/skip Specify this Optional Boolean In the vmname parameter, list all
parameter if VMs that you want to skip
you want to
skip VMs
listed in the
vmname
parameter.
/report: Specify this Optional String Supported report formats are

reportpath parameter if HTML and XML.
[/format:xml| you want to
html] generate a
report on
validation
results and
store it at
the
specified
path.
* You can get IDs of backup jobs and restore points from the Veeam Backup & Replication database, for
example, using scripts or using Management Studio.
Example 1
This command validates the exch01 VM in the Exchange Backup Job file.
Veeam.Backup.Validator /backup:"Exchange Backup Job" /vmname:exch01
Example 2
This command validates all VMs in the Exchange Backup Job file created on December 18, 2018 around 12:00
AM.
Veeam.Backup.Validator /backup:"Exchange Backup Job"/date:12.18.2018 /time:12:

00

Veeam Backup 11 0 User Guide Vsphere

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Veeam Backup 11 0 User Guide Vsphere

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Veeam Backup 11 0 User Guide Vsphere

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Veeam Backup & Replication

2 | Veeam Backup & Replication | User Guide for VMware vSphere

3 | Veeam Backup & Replication | User Guide for VMware vSphere

4 | Veeam Backup & Replication | User Guide for VMware vSphere

5 | Veeam Backup & Replication | User Guide for VMware vSphere

6 | Veeam Backup & Replication | User Guide for VMware vSphere

7 | Veeam Backup & Replication | User Guide for VMware vSphere

8 | Veeam Backup & Replication | User Guide for VMware vSphere

9 | Veeam Backup & Replication | User Guide for VMware vSphere

10 | Veeam Backup & Replication | User Guide for VMware vSphere

11 | Veeam Backup & Replication | User Guide for VMware vSphere

12 | Veeam Backup & Replication | User Guide for VMware vSphere

13 | Veeam Backup & Replication | User Guide for VMware vSphere

14 | Veeam Backup & Replication | User Guide for VMware vSphere

15 | Veeam Backup & Replication | User Guide for VMware vSphere

16 | Veeam Backup & Replication | User Guide for VMware vSphere

17 | Veeam Backup & Replication | User Guide for VMware vSphere

• Full documentation set: www.veeam.com/documentation-guides-datasheets.html

• Veeam R&D Forums at forums.veeam.com

18 | Veeam Backup & Replication | User Guide for VMware vSphere

19 | Veeam Backup & Replication | User Guide for VMware vSphere

• Backup Copy: copying backup files to a secondary repository.

• Tape Devices Support: storing copies of backups in tape devices.

• Recovery Verification: testing VM backups and replicas before recovery.

o VMware vSphere VMs

o Microsoft Hyper-V VMs

o Nutanix AHV VMs (requires an additional plug-in)

o AWS EC2 instances

o Microsoft Azure VMs

• NAS share files. For details, see NAS Backup Support.

20 | Veeam Backup & Replication | User Guide for VMware vSphere

• Microsoft SQL Server

Also, you can install the following additional tools:

Management and Reporting

21 | Veeam Backup & Replication | User Guide for VMware vSphere

22 | Veeam Backup & Replication | User Guide for VMware vSphere

• vSphere 7.0 (up to 7.0 U1)

• ESXi 7.0 (up to 7.0 U1)

• vCenter Server 7.0 (optional) (up to 7.0 U1)

Veeam Continuous Data Protection (CDP)

• Minimum ESXi version required is 6.5 U2.

• vCenter Server is required. Standalone ESXi hosts are not supported.

23 | Veeam Backup & Replication | User Guide for VMware vSphere

• All operating systems supported by VMware.

24 | Veeam Backup & Replication | User Guide for VMware vSphere

Windows file-level restore to original location is supported for Microsoft Windows

• ext2, ext3, ext4

DRBD (Distributed Replicated Block Devices) are not supported.

BSD UFS, UFS2

Mac HFS, HFS+ (volumes up to 2 TB)

Consider the following:

25 | Veeam Backup & Replication | User Guide for VMware vSphere

• Microsoft Windows- or Linux-managed server

• NFS file shares

• SMB file shares

Consider the following requirements and limitations:

• NFS file share must run NFS protocol version 3 or 4.1.

For more information on NAS backup, see NAS Backup Support.

26 | Veeam Backup & Replication | User Guide for VMware vSphere

• Veeam Backup & Replication console