This is an archive version of the document. To get the most up-to-date information, see the current version.

Creating Backup Copy Jobs

To follow the 3–2–1 backup best practice, you can configure a backup copy job and target it at the cloud repository. Backup copy jobs allow you to create several instances of the same backup file in different locations, onsite or offsite. For example, you can configure a backup job to create a VM backup on the local backup repository, and use the backup copy job to copy the created VM backup from the local backup repository to the cloud repository. Copied backup files have the same format as those created by backup jobs, and you can use any data recovery option for them.

During the backup copying process, Veeam Backup & Replication does not simply copy a backup file from one backup repository to another. Instead, Veeam Backup & Replication retrieves data blocks necessary to create a restore point as of the latest point in time and copies this data to the cloud repository. The backup chain produced on the target backup repository is forever-incremental: the first file in the chain is a full backup while all subsequent restore points are incremental.

The backup copy process is job-driven. When you create a backup copy job, you define what backup file you want to copy, the target repository for storing the copy, retention policy and other settings for the copying process. The backup copy job supports the GFS retention scheme, allowing you to design a long-term archiving plan.

The backup copy process differs depending on the backup copy mode: immediate copy or periodic copy.

  • In the immediate copy mode, once a new restore point has been added to the primary backup chain, the backup copy job immediately copies it to the target backup repository. After that, the backup copy job stops until a new restore point appears on the source backup repository. You can specify the backup copy window to allow the job to copy restore points during specific time periods only.
  • In the periodic copy mode, the backup copy job runs continuously, in cycles. A new backup copy cycle begins every day; however, you can specify any time interval needed. At the beginning of every backup copy interval, Veeam Backup & Replication checks the source backup repository: if a new restore point has been added to the primary backup chain, Veeam Backup & Replication automatically copies it to the target backup repository. After that, the backup copy job is put on hold until a new backup copy interval begins, and a new point appears on the source backup repository.

Creating Backup Copy JobsNote

This section describes only basic steps that you must take to create a backup copy job. To get a detailed description of all backup copy job settings, see the Creating Backup Copy Jobs section in the Veeam Backup & Replication User Guide.

To create a backup copy job:

  1. On the Home tab, click Backup Copy and select one of the following options depending on the type and OS of machines whose backup data you want to copy:
  • Virtual machine > VMware vSphere backup
  • Virtual machine > VMware vCloud director backup
  • Virtual machine > Microsoft Hyper-V backup
  • Windows computer backup
  • Linux computer backup
  • Veeam Agent for Mac backup
  • IBM AIX computer backup
  • Solaris SPARC computer backup
  • Solaris x86 computer backup
  • AWS EC2 backup
  • Azure IaaS backup
  • GCE backup
  • Nutanix backup
  1. At the Job step of the wizard, specify a name and description for the backup copy job and select the backup copy mode:
  • Select Immediate copy to copy new restore points and, if required, database log backups as soon as they appear in the source backup repository. In this mode, Veeam Backup & Replication copies data of all machines that source backup jobs process.
  • Select Periodic copy to copy the most recent restore points once per backup copy interval. In this mode, you can copy data of individual machines.
  1. [For the periodic copy mode] In the Copy every field, specify the time interval according to which the synchronization process must start. Veeam Backup & Replication will check if new restore points are available in the source backup repository. If a new restore point is found, it will be copied to the target backup repository within the backup copy interval.

Creating Backup Copy Jobs 

  1. At the Objects step of the wizard, click Add and select what data Veeam Backup & Replication will copy to the cloud repository:
  • [For the immediate copy mode] Select backup jobs that contain VMs or physical machines whose restore points you want to copy from the local backup repository to the cloud repository. To quickly find the necessary object, use the search field at the bottom of the Add Objects window.

Creating Backup Copy Jobs 

  • [For the periodic copy mode] Select VMs or physical machines whose restore points you want to copy from the local backup repository to the cloud repository. To quickly find the necessary object, use the search field at the bottom of the Add Objects window.

Creating Backup Copy Jobs 

  1. [For the immediate copy mode] If you enabled database log backup for the source backup jobs and want to copy log backups to the cloud repository, select the Include database transaction log backups check box.
  2. If you want to exclude VMs from a VM container added to the job, click Exclusions and specify what objects you want to exclude.
  3. At the Target step of the wizard, from the Backup repository list, select the cloud repository to which you want to copy the backup.
  4. To use the GFS (Grandfather-Father-Son) retention scheme, select the Keep certain full backups longer for archival purposes check box and click Configure. In the Configure GFS window, define when to create full backups for archival purposes and how long to keep these backups.

It is recommended that you enable GFS retention settings for the backup copy job if the SP has enabled the deleted backups protection option in the properties of your tenant account. This way, Veeam Backup & Replication will be able to protect backups created by the job against an attack when a hacker reduces the job's retention policy and creates a few incremental backups to remove backed-up data from the backup chain.

If you do not enable GFS retention settings for the backup copy job, the job will complete with a warning. In the job statistics window, Veeam Backup & Replication will display a notification advising to use the GFS retention scheme for the job.

Creating Backup Copy Jobs 

  1. To encrypt the resulting backup file on the cloud repository, click Advanced. On the Storage tab, select the Enable backup file encryption check box. From the Password field, select a password that you want to use to encrypt the backup file. If you have not created a password beforehand, click Add or use the Manage passwords link to specify a new password.

Creating Backup Copy Jobs 

  1. At the Data Transfer step of the wizard, specify a data transfer path for the backup copy job:
  • If the cloud repository does not use WAN accelerators, select Direct.
  • If the cloud repository uses WAN accelerators, select Through built-in WAN accelerators. In the Source WAN accelerator field, select the WAN accelerator that you have configured on your side.

Creating Backup Copy Jobs 

  1. At the Schedule step of the wizard, define the time span in which the backup copy job must not transport data over the network. You can use this option, for example, to disable the backup copy job during production hours to avoid producing workload on the production environment.

Creating Backup Copy Jobs 

  1. At the Summary step of the wizard, select the Enable the job when I click Finish check box if you want to start the created job right after you complete working with the wizard.
  2. Click Finish.