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Backup VMware environment with Veeam 9.5 Backup & Replication

  • February 22, 2017
  • 11 min read
IT and Virtualization Consultant. Romain is specializing in Microsoft technologies such as Hyper-V, System Center, storage, networking, and MS Azure. He is a Microsoft MVP and MCSE in Server Infrastructure and Private Cloud.
IT and Virtualization Consultant. Romain is specializing in Microsoft technologies such as Hyper-V, System Center, storage, networking, and MS Azure. He is a Microsoft MVP and MCSE in Server Infrastructure and Private Cloud.

Part 1: Deploy Veeam 9.5 Backup & Replication

Part 2: Prepare backup repository & Connect Veeam to vCenter

Part 3: Backup and restore your first VMware VM 

Veeam Backup & Replication is a backup solution which works for VMware & Hyper-V VM and physical servers (Windows and Linux). Veeam has many advantages over the other solutions on the market such as Instant VM Recovery, the easy graphical interface and the host-level backup for SQL Server, Active Directory or file servers. In this series, I’ll show step by step how to deploy Veeam, backup a first virtual machine and restore it.

Architecture overview

For this series, I have a cluster of two ESXi 6.5 nodes. The cluster storage is based on iSCSI and a Synology NAS. A vCenter 6.5 (VCSA) is deployed also in the cluster. I have created a VM called BK01 which hosts the Veeam Backup & Replication software. A Raw Device (RDM) is added to BK01 to mount a Synology LUN in the VM. This is the backup repository.

cluster storage is based on iSCSI and a Synology NAS

VM Size

For this lab, I have created the following VM:

  • 2x vCPU
  • 4GB of memory
  • 1x OS Disk (40GB) – C: – Windows Server 2016
  • 1x Data disk (40GB) – D: – Veeam binaries
  • 1x Data disk (40GB) – E: – NFS Datastore
  • 1x RDM disk (50GB) – R: – Backup volume

virtual hardware edit settings

For the production environment, you can review this guide for the VM size.

Install Veeam Backup & Replication 9.5

For this installation guide, I have downloaded the following binaries from the Veeam download center:

  • Veeam Backup & Replication 9.5 (Veeam B&R)
  • Veeam Backup & Replication 9.5 update 1

Once you have downloaded the above binaries, you can mount the Veeam B&R ISO in the VM and run the setup.exe.

In the first screen, you can click on Install.

Veeam Backup and Replication Install view

Next, you have to accept the license agreement to continue to deploy Veeam.

Veeam Backup and Replication license agreement

In the next window, provide a license file (*.lic format). If you have no license file, you can click on next and use Veeam Free Edition.

Veeam Backup and Replication Setup view

Next, specify an install directory. I install Veeam B&R in another storage device than the OS virtual disk.

Veeam Backup and Replication Program features

In the next screen, Veeam B&R setup checks prerequisites. If the required features are not installed, just click on Install to deploy the requirements.

Veeam Backup and Replication System Configuration Check view

If you have selected install, you should have the following window while installing required features.

Veeam Backup and Replication System Configuration check

Once all requirements are deployed in the server, all status are Passed.

Veeam Backup and Replication System Configuration check view

Next, you can review configuration settings. If the configuration doesn’t fit with what you want, you can check the box Let me specify different settings.

Veeam Backup and Replication Default Configuration view

In the next screen, you can choose either a local system account or a domain account to run the Veeam service. I choose the recommended settings: LOCAL SYSTEM account.

Veeam Backup and Replication Service Account view

Next, you can choose the SQL Server. If you have no SQL Server, you can install a new instance based on SQL Server Express 2012 locally.

Veeam Backup and Replication setup SQL Server Instance view

Then you can change the port of each Veeam service. I leave default port.

Veeam Backup and Replication setup Port Configuration

In the next screen, you can choose the vPower NFS write cache folder and the Guest file system catalog.

The Veeam guest file system collects indexing data for backup jobs. These data are stored in the guest file system catalog directory.

The vPower NFS technology is used when you start a VM from backup (typically when using Instant VM Recovery). vPower NFS emulate the VM VMDKs inside the vPower NFS datastore (but the real VMDKs are still located in the backup repositories). Then the vPower NFS datastore is mounted on ESXi by using NFS protocol.

Veeam Backup and Replication setup Data Location

In the next screen, you can review the configuration. Once you have validated the configuration, you can install Veeam B&R 9.5.

Veeam Backup and Replication setup Ready to install view

While installation process, you can see that SQL Server 2012 Service Pack 3 Express is installed (only if you have not specified another SQL Server instance).

Installing Veeam Backup and Replication view

Once this installation is done, you can click on finish.

Completing Veeam Backup and Replication 9.5 setup view

Install Veeam B&R Update 1

Now that Veeam B&R is installed, you can run the Update 1. This update is required in order to Veeam works with vSphere 6.5.

Veeam Backup and Replication 9.5 Update 1 Installation Wizard

If all the prerequisites are met, the wizard tells that you can install the update by clicking on … Install.

Veeam Backup and Replication 9.5 Update 1 Ready to Install view

While installation process, the Veeam services are stopped. Be careful to apply the update when no backup /restore jobs are running.

Installing Veeam Backup and Replication 9.5 Update 1 view

Once the installation is done, you can click on finished.

Veeam Backup and Replication 9.5 Update 1 Wizard

Deploy Veeam console in another server

I usually install console in a management server. So, the following section describes how to install the console in another computer. To install the console, mount the Veeam B&R 9.5 ISO and select Veeam Backup & Replication Console.

Veeam Backup & Replication Console

In the next screen, accept the license agreement and click on next.

Veeam Backup & Replication Console setup license agreement

If the requirements are not met, you can click on Install in the following window.

Veeam Backup & Replication Console setup system configuration check view

Once all the requirements are installed, all components should be marked as Passed.

Veeam Backup & Replication Console setup system configuration check view

Next, you can specify an installation folder. I leave the default configuration and I click on Install.

Veeam Backup & Replication Console setup default configuration

Update console and Veeam components

Once the console is installed, I specify the backup server FQDN and I click on Connect.

Veeam Backup & Replication 9.5 backup server specification

Because I have installed the update 1 of Veeam B&R 9.5, Veeam asks me to install an update for the console. I click on Yes.

Veeam Backup & Replication 9.5 installation updates view

When you are connected, Veeam asks you to update components. Just click on Upgrade.

Veeam Backup & Replication 9.5 server selection for updates view

Once all components are upgraded, you can click on finish.

Veeam Backup & Replication 9.5 server components update view

Install Veeam license

The last step regards the Veeam license installation. If you have not specified a license file in the installation wizard, you can provide it in Veeam GUI. In Veeam, click on the “Hamburger” menu and select license.

Veeam Backup & Replication 9.5 license installation

In the next screen, click on Install license.

Veeam Backup & Replication 9.5 license installation free edition

Then select your license file.

Veeam availability suite nfr selecting

If your license file is valid, the license information are shown as below:

Veeam Backup & Replication 9.5 license validation information

Once the license is installed, all the features should be available in the GUI.

Veeam Backup & Replication 9.5 features in GUI

 

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Taras Shved
Taras Shved StarWind HCI Appliance Product Manager
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