Veeam Virtual Machine Backup & Restore

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.

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 on the backup repository in Veeam’s proprietary format.

How Backup Works

Veeam Backup & Replication performs VM backup in the following way:

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
• Backup repository
• [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 transport 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.

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 on the backup repository:

• VSB — virtual synthetic backup files used for generation of virtual full backups on tapes. 
• VLB and VSM — files that store Microsoft SQL Server transaction log data. 
• VLB and VOM — files that store Oracle archived log data.

Veeam Backup & Replication offers 3 backup methods to create backup chains:

• Forever forward incremental backup
• Forward incremental backup
• Reverse incremental backup

Creating Backup Job:

Launch New Backup Job and specify the job name.

Select the Virtual Machine to take a backup.

Same as you can select a multiple VM's also in the same backup job.

Specify the Backup Proxy and Backup Repository to store the Backup Image.

Select the Backup Mode and If required create a synthetic backup also.

Enable Data De-Duplication.

In Guest Processing, Enable the application aware processing and configure the application settings.

Application Level settings for SQL server and Oracle.

Set the schedule for the backup job.

Complete summary and ready to take a backup.

You can check and monitor the backup job statistics.

Then this will store the backup images in the backup repository location.

Backup Image Files.

Now the backup Job is done successfully.

One full backup is done and it creates one restore point.

If you run the backup job again, this take a incremental backup.

This will enable the CBT(Change Block Tracking) and starts the forward incremental backup.

Backup job report.

Backup job done successfully.

Now you will have a PIT two restore points.

Restore Job:

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.
• 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.
• 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.

Select your backup image to restore and select the data recovery type.(Instant VM Recovery)

Select the PIT image to restore and recover the data.

Select the restore location.

Select the destination ESXi Host and VM name.

Specify the Datastore to restore the VM.

Restore process started.

VM is Mounted in the destination ESXi host.

The datastore contains the new restore VM and power on.

Application Aware Restore:

Select the backup image and select the application items to restore.

Select the PIT copy.

For restoring applications, veeam MS sql server explorer will open and then select the restore options.

Specify the Database to restore.

Now database successfully restored.