How to place Veeam Agent backup chain on Veeam backup repository, so backup job continues chain

Challenge

You need to place a Veeam Agent backup chain on the Veeam backup repository in such a way that the Veeam Agent backup job continues the existing backup chain.

Cause

By default, a new Veeam Agent backup job starts a new backup chain. A Veeam Agent backup job also starts a new backup chain when you change a target location in the backup job settings. If you do not want the backup job to start a new backup chain, you can map a backup job to the previously made backups.

The current article describes the following scenarios applicable to the Veeam Agent for Microsoft Windows operating in the standalone mode:

1. You need to move a backup file that is stored locally to the Veeam backup repository. This may be required in case you want to back up a large amount of data to the Veeam backup repository using a slow network connection. In this case, the Veeam Agent backup job may fail to transfer a full backup to a remote location in a limited time period of 168 hours. To resolve this, you need to create a full backup on a local storage, move the backup file to the Veeam backup repository with external tools, and use the backup file as a "seed" for a new backup chain.
2. You need to replace the initial Veeam backup repository with another Veeam backup repository. For example, you want to back up to a repository that has more storage capacity.

Solution

Scenario 1

In this scenario, assume the following:

• The initial backup job name is BackupJob1.
• The initial backup job created one full backup file that you need to move to the Veeam backup repository. In this case, a new backup job will create incremental backups for the full backup. If an initial backup job created a full backup file and several incremental backup files, you must move all the backup files to the Veeam backup repository to continue the backup chain. 
• The initial backup job created a backup file on a local storage in the C:\VeeamBackup\BackupJob1 folder.
• The Veeam backup repository stores backup files in the C:\Backup folder.
• The account name used to connect to the Veeam backup repository is user1.
• The domain used to connect to the Veeam backup repository is DOMAIN1.

To move a backup file that is stored locally to the Veeam backup repository, do the following:

1. Browse to the C:\Backup folder located on the Veeam backup repository.
2. In the C:\Backup folder, create new folders so that you get the following path: C:\Backup\DOMAIN1_user1\BackupJob1.
3. Move a full backup file to the C:\Backup\DOMAIN1_user1\BackupJob1 folder.
4. Rescan the Veeam backup repository. To learn more, see the Rescanning Backup Repositories section of the Veeam Backup & Replication User Guide. As a result of rescanning:
   • If the backup file is not encrypted, the imported backup chain appears in the Backups > Disk (Imported) node.
   • If the backup file is encrypted, the imported backup chain appears in the Backups > Disk (Encrypted) node. In this case, you must decrypt the backup chain before proceeding to the next step. To learn more, see the Decrypting Data with Password section of the Veeam Backup & Replication User Guide.
5. Create a new Veeam Agent backup job or edit the existing one:
   1. At the Name step of the wizard, set the same name for the backup job as was specified in the path to a full backup file (step 2).
   2. At the Destination step of the wizard, target the backup job at the Veeam backup repository. 
   3. At the Backup Repository step of the wizard, select a backup repository where you want to store backups in the Backup repository field.
   4. If you use Veeam Backup & Replication 10 / Veeam Agent for Microsoft Windows 4.0 / Veeam Agent for Linux 4.0, at the Backup Repository step of the wizard, click the Map backup link and select the backup file. If you use earlier versions of Veeam software, just proceed to the next step.
   5. At the Summary step of the wizard, make sure that the Run the job when I click Finish check box is not selected and click Finish to save changes. 
6. Check that the backup has moved from the Backups > Disk (Imported) tab to the Backups > Disk tab on the Veeam Backup & Replication side.
7. Run the Veeam Agent backup job. The backup job will continue the backup chain: create an incremental backup for the full backup that was moved to the Veeam backup repository.

Scenario 2

In this scenario, assume the following:

• The Veeam Agent backup job name is BackupJob1.
• The Veeam Agent backup created one full backup file that you need to move to a new Veeam backup repository. In this case, a new backup job will create incremental backups for the full backup. If an initial backup job created a full backup file and several incremental backup files, you must move all the backup files to a new Veeam backup repository to continue the backup chain. 
• The new Veeam backup repository stores backup files in the C:\Backup folder.
• The account name used to connect to the new Veeam backup repository is user1.
• The domain used to connect to the new Veeam backup repository is DOMAIN1.

To replace the Veeam Backup & Replication repository, do the following:

1. Delete the existing Veeam Agent backup job as described in the Disabling and Removing Jobs section of the Veeam Backup & Replication User Guide.
2. Delete configuration database records about backups created by Veeam Agent backup job as described in the Removing from Configuration section of the Veeam Backup & Replication User Guide.
3. Browse to the C:\Backup folder on the Veeam backup repository.
4. In the C:\Backup folder, create new folders so that you get the following path: C:\Backup\DOMAIN1_user1\BackupJob1.
5. Move a full backup file to the C:\Backup\DOMAIN1_user1\BackupJob1 folder.
6. Rescan the Veeam Backup & Replication repository. To learn more, see the Rescanning Backup Repositories section of the Veeam Backup & Replication User Guide. As a result of rescanning:
   • If the backup file is not encrypted, the imported backup chain appears in the Backups > Disk (Imported) node.
   • If the backup file is encrypted, the imported backup chain appears in the Backups > Disk (Encrypted) node. In this case, you must decrypt the backup chain before proceeding to the next step. To learn more, see the Decrypting Data with Password section of the Veeam Backup & Replication User Guide.
7. Edit the Veeam Agent backup job:
   1. At the Name step of the wizard, set the same name for the backup job as was specified in the path to a full backup file (step 2).
   2. At the Destination step of the wizard, target the backup job at a new Veeam backup repository. 
   3. At the Backup Repository step of the wizard, select a backup repository where you want to store backups in the Backup repository field.
   4. If you use Veeam Backup & Replication 10 / Veeam Agent for Microsoft Windows 4.0 / Veeam Agent for Linux 4.0, at the Backup Repository step of the wizard, click the Map backup link and select the backup file. If you use earlier versions of Veeam software, just proceed to the next step.
   5. At the Summary step of the wizard, make sure that the Run the job when I click Finish check box is NOT selected and click Finish to save changes. 
8. Check that the backup moved from the Backups > Disk (Imported) tab to the Backups > Disk tab on the Veeam Backup & Replication side.
9. Run the Veeam Agent backup job. The backup job will continue the backup chain: create an incremental backup for the full backup that was moved to the Veeam backup repository.

More Information

See the following scenarios in other KB articles:

1. How to migrate a backup chain to Scale-Out Backup Repository (SOBR) — KB2236.
2. How to migrate a backup chain created by Veeam Agent operating in the standalone mode to the Veeam Cloud Connect Repository — KB3158.
3. How to migrate a backup chain created by Veeam Agent operating in the managed mode to the new Veeam backup repository or Cloud Connect repository — KB2849.
4. How to migrate a backup chain created by Veeam Backup & Replication to the new Veeam backup repository — KB1729.