Removing Backups from Object Storage Repository

To remove offloaded backup data from object storage repositories, use the Delete from disk feature to synchronize the state of backup chains located on your extents with that in object storage. For more information on how to use this feature, see Delete from Disk.

Consider the following:

• When removing offloaded backup files from the backup chain that was created with the Per-VM method, then all the associated offloaded blocks of data will be altogether removed from object storage.

For more information about Per-VM backups, see Per-VM Backup Files.

• When removing offloaded backup files from the backup chain that was created as a single storage backup file, then nothing will be removed until either of the following occurs:

• All the VMs were removed from the backup.
• The backup itself was removed.

• If an object storage repository has been put into maintenance mode, the removal of data from such a repository will not be possible until it is switched back to normal.

For more information, see Switching to Maintenance Mode.

• Data can only be removed from object storage repositories when no other backups have any references to it.

For example, you may want to remove a piece of data consisting of blocks being referred to by another backups (.vbk, .vib, or .vrb files). In such a scenario, the removal of such blocks will be skipped.

• Associated indexes will be updated for consistency purposes.

For more information, see Indexes.

• During data removal, not only will blocks be removed, but also the entire folder structure starting from the repository folder (<repository_folder_name>) will be completely purged.

For more information on how Veeam stores data in object storage, see Understanding Object Storage Repository Structure.

• If backup files with metadata that are located on your extents have been removed locally in any way other than by using the Deleting from Disk feature, Veeam will not be able to synchronize the backup chain state with that of object storage. Therefore, the offloaded blocks of data will continue to remain in cloud storage. To remove such blocks, use your cloud platform abilities.