Using Veeam Agent for Microsoft Windows with a Microsoft Failover Cluster

Challenge

Veeam Agent for Microsoft Windows is installed in a Microsoft Failover Cluster.

Cause

Veeam Agent for Microsoft Windows does not support Microsoft Failover Clusters. The behavior you can expect when Veeam Agent for Microsoft Windows is installed on a cluster node is described below. Veeam Agent for Microsoft Windows is not cluster aware, so failover may cause unexpected and unsupported results. 

Solution

Clusters
Backup is supported, but without any support of application consistency. There is no guarantee of application transaction consistency when the application files are located on clustered disks, RDMs or other shared media. Such objects have to be excluded from backup in order for the node protection to be successful. A possible workaround is to use a native application backup utility for storing the backup of the disk in question.

SQL Always-ON 
The primary node backup is supported. Transaction log backup is disabled and not supported when Veeam Agent for Microsoft Windows is installed on the Always-On node. The entire computer, volume level or file level backup and log truncation will work unless failover is performed. Veeam Agent for Microsoft Windows does not track node state changes, and it might affect the backup. To continue backup, such node needs to be switched back to the primary state. Simultaneous backup of the primary and the secondary node is not supported.

Exchange DAG
Separate backup of active or passive node is supported. The entire computer, volume level or file level backup and log truncation will work unless failover is performed. Veeam Agent for Microsoft Windows does not track node state changes, and it might affect the backup. To continue backup, such node needs to be switched back to it’s original state. Simultaneous backup of the primary and the secondary node is not supported.