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Mount Server

The mount server is required if you restore VM guest OS files and application items to the original location or perform secure restore. The mount server lets you route VM traffic by an optimal way, reduce load on the network and speed up the restore process.

When you perform file-level, application item or secure restore, Veeam Backup & Replication needs to mount the content of the backup file to a staging server (or the original VM for restore to the Microsoft SQL Server and Oracle VMs). Once the VM backup is mounted, Veeam Backup & Replication copies files or items to their destination through this mount server or VM. For more information about possible mount points, see File-Level Restore Scenarios.

The staging server must be located in the same site as the backup repository where backup files are stored. In this case, you will be able to keep the VM traffic in one site. If the staging server is located in some other site, the data will need to travel across the network between the sites.

Mount Server

Mount Server Deployment

The mount server is created for every backup repository and is associated with it. When you configure a backup repository, you define which server you want to use as a mount server for this backup repository. By default, Veeam Backup & Replication assigns the mount server role to the following machines:

Backup repository. For Microsoft Windows backup repositories, the mount server role is assigned to the backup repository server itself.
Veeam backup server. For Linux, shared folder backup repositories and deduplicating storage appliances, the mount server role is assigned to the Veeam backup server.
Veeam Backup & Replication console. The mount server role is also assigned to a machine on which the Veeam Backup & Replication console is installed. Note that this type of mount server is not registered in the Veeam Backup & Replication configuration database.

For scale-out backup repositories, you must define the mount server for every extent.

If you do not want to use default mount servers, you can assign the mount server role to any 64-bit Microsoft Windows machine in the backup infrastructure. It is recommended that you configure at least one mount server in each site and associate this mount server with the backup repository residing in this site. The mount server and backup repository must be located as close to each other as possible.

Mount Server Note:

For cloud repositories and hosts that store replicas or backups from storage snapshots, the mount server role is assigned to the Veeam backup server. For such repositories, you cannot assign the mount server role to a different machine.

Mount Servers Services and Components

On the mount server machine, Veeam Backup & Replication installs the Veeam Mount Service. The Veeam Mount Service requires Microsoft .NET Framework 4.7.2. If Microsoft .NET Framework 4.7.2 is not installed on the machine, Veeam Backup & Replication will install it automatically.

Requirements for Mount Servers

A machine that performs the role of a mount server must meet the following requirements:

You can assign the role of a mount server to a Microsoft Windows machine.
You can assign the role of a mount server to a 64-bit machine.
The mount server must have access to the backup repository with which it is associated and to the original VM (VM to which you restore files or application items). For restore from storage snapshots, the mount server must also have access to the ESXi host on which the temporary VM is registered.