---
title: "Creating Periodic Full Backups in Command Line Interface"
description: "You can create an ad-hoc full backup — active full backup, and add it to the backup chain on the target storage. The active full backup resets the backup chain. All subsequent incremental backups use the active full backup as a starting point."
canonical: "https://helpcenter.veeam.com/docs/agentforaix/userguide/backup_active_full.html"
breadcrumb: "User Guide > Performing Backup > Starting and Stopping Backup Jobs > Creating Periodic Full Backups in Command Line Interface"
dateModified: "2026-11-03"
---

# Creating Active Full Backups in Command Line Interface

You can create an ad-hoc full backup — active full backup, and add it to the backup chain on the target storage. The active full backup resets the backup chain. All subsequent incremental backups use the active full backup as a starting point. The previously used full backup will remain on the target storage until it is removed from the backup chain according to the retention policy.

Before you create an active full backup, check the following prerequisites:

- The backup job must be configured.
- You cannot create an active full backup if a backup task of any type is currently running.

To perform active full backup, use the following command:

```
veeamconfig job start --name <job_name> --activefull
```

or

```
veeamconfig job start --id <job_id> --activefull
```

where:

- `<job_name>` — name of the backup job that you want to start to create an active full backup.
- `<job_id>` — ID of the backup job that you want to start to create an active full backup.

For example:

```
$ veeamconfig job start --name SystemBackup --activefull
Backup job has been started.
Session ID: [{ce864e24-8211-4df7-973a-741adce96fe7}].
Logs stored in: [/var/log/veeam/Backup/SystemBackup/Session_20250311_150046_{ce864e24-8211-4df7-973a-741adce96fe7}].
```

Veeam Agent will start the backup job. You can view the progress for the active full backup session in the same way as for any other backup job session: you can [check the backup job session status](session_status.md) or [view the backup job session log](session_logs.md).


You can also monitor the backup job performance in the Veeam Agent control panel. To learn more, see [Viewing Real-Time Session Statistics and Log](session_realtime_statistics.md).

## Related Topic

[Active Full Backup](active_full_backup.md)