Manually moving backup files to or from a Scale-Out Backup Repository

Challenge

You have backup files on a standard repository that you wish to move to a Scale-Out Backup Repository (SOBR).

Cause

Scale-Out Backup Repositories have special considerations for how backup files and metadata are distributed. Thus, simply copying files to one extent may be insufficient for a rescan of the repository to detect them properly and import them.

Solution

IMPORTANT: This process does not apply to Cloud Connect, and should not be used by providers. If you are a provider attempting to migrate tenant data to SOBR, please contact support for assistance.

If you have not yet created a SOBR:

1. Create simple repositories, and at least one of them should be a path where backup files to be imported are stored (e.g., if backup files are in D:\Backups\Backup_Job_1\ then create a repository referencing the path D:\Backups).
2. Re-scan the simple repository or repositories, and ensure all backups are imported.
3. Create the SOBR and add the relevant repositories as extents.
4. Within the creation process Veeam will inform via confirmation prompt that “Jobs and backups using this extent will be automatically updated to point to the scale-out backup repository.”
   
5. If any jobs are not mapped to the backup files now within the SOBR, map them per the standard process.

If you have a SOBR and need to introduce new backups:

1. Place the backup files to be imported in a temporary path. (e.g., if backup files are in D:\Backups, either copy or move them to D:\Backups-temp. A move is usually much faster.)
2. Create a new simple backup repository that references this path (in our example, D:\Backups-temp).
3. Re-scan the repository, and ensure all backups are imported.
4. You can map the pre-existing job to the backup files’ new location now, or at the end.
5. Edit your existing SOBR and add the new temporary repository to its list of extents.
6. Place the new temporary repository extent in “Maintenance” mode.
7. Evacuate the extent. Veeam will redistribute the backup files to other extents in the SOBR.
8. If you did not map the original job in step 4, do so now.

If redistribution of files is not desired or necessary, you can simply copy the folder containing VBM and backup files to an existing extent. Rename both path and VBM to ensure import, and re-scan.
 

If you need to move a backup from SOBR to a simple backup repository:

1. If you haven't done so yet, create a new simple backup repository.
2. In the root folder of the new simple backup repository, create a folder with the name of the job folder on SOBR.
3. (Optional) To avoid automatic rescans of SOBR finding the files during the move again, place the extents with the job files in "Maintenance" mode.
4. Remove the SOBR backup from Backups->Disk using the option "Remove from configuration" (not "delete from disk"!).
5. Move all VRB/VBK/VIB backup files from the folders of the job from all extents into the newly created folder on the simple backup repository.
6. Move one of VBM files from any job folder on SOBR to the newly created job folder on the simple backup repository.
7. Remove the leftover folders with the job name and VBM files from all extents of SOBR.
8. Rescan the simple backup repository. It will import the backup into configuration.
9. (Optional) Map the job which you want to use for this backup to the newly imported Backup.

More Information

Note that if the VBM or the path to it does not conform to naming standards, Veeam Backup & Replication will fail to import it.

• Allowed alphanumeric characters: a-z, A-Z, 0-9
• Allowed special characters: _ - . + = @ ^
• The path and .VBM file must not contain spaces. If the path or the .VBM file contain spaces, replace them with underscores.

 Moving backup files from one or multiple SOBR extents is viable as well. There are a few points to note:

• Make sure to copy files from the backup chain from all extents.
• SOBR backup chains are typically per-VM backup files. Simple repositories are typically per-job backup files. The chain will retain this method until an active full is run on the job to enforce the change.
• The VBM file will exist in all extents. All VBMs for a particular backup job within a single SOBR should be identical. As a result, the target simple backup repository needs only contain one VBM.