Using Veeam Backup Validator
Veeam Backup Validator is located on the backup server in the installation folder of Veeam Backup & Replication — by default, %ProgramFiles%\Veeam\Backup and Replication\Backup\Veeam.Backup.Validator.exe. If the default path was changed, you can find the actual path in the following registry value: [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Veeam\Veeam Backup and Replication] CorePath.
To run the utility, open the command prompt on the backup server and change the current folder to the folder where Veeam Backup Validator is located.
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Consider the following:
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Syntax
Veeam Backup Validator provides parameter sets that allow you to:
- Display Veeam Backup Validator help information.
Veeam.Backup.Validator /? |
- Validate integrity of the content of all VMs or selected VMs in the specified backup.
Veeam.Backup.Validator.exe /backup:backupname|backupid [/vmname:vmname] [/point:pointid] [/date:pointdate] [/time:pointtime] [/silence] [/skip] [/report:reportpath [/format:xml|html]] |
- Validate integrity of the VM content in the specified backup file.
Veeam.Backup.Validator.exe /file:backupfile{1..*} [/username:username /password:password] [/vmname:vmname] [/silence] [/skip] [/report:reportpath [/format:xml|html]] |
Parameters
Parameter | Description | Required/Optional | Parameter Type | Notes | |
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/backup: | Specifies a name or an ID* of a backup or backup copy job that you want to validate. | Required | String | Consider the following:
If you want to validate the whole backup copy job, you must run the utility for each child job.
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/file:backupfile{1..*} | Specifies a backup file (VBM, VBK, VIB, VRB) to be validated. | Required | String | Consider the following:
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/username: | To access files on network shares. | Required for network share | String | If you want to validate files located on different shares, make sure this account has access rights to all these shares. | |
/vmname:vmname | Specifies a name of the VM in the backup file to be validated. | Optional | String | If not specified, Veeam Backup Validator will check all VMs in the backup file. | |
/point:pointID | Specifies an ID* of the restore point to be validated. Note: You must provide this parameter after the /backup parameter. To get the restore point ID, run the Get-VBRRestorePoint cmdlet and retrieve the PointID property. | Optional | String | If not specified, Veeam Backup Validator will verify the latest restore point, that is, all backup files the restore point consists of. | |
/date:pointdate | Specifies the date when the validated restore point was created. | Optional | Date | Make sure to specify the date in the same format as used on the Veeam Backup server. For example:
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/time:pointtime | Specifies the approximate time when the validated restore point was created. | Optional | Time | — | |
/silence | Defines whether to run validation in the silence mode. | Optional | Boolean | — | |
/skip | Defines whether to skip from processing VMs listed in the vmname parameter. | Optional | Boolean | In the vmname parameter, list all VMs that you want to skip. | |
/report: | Specifies a full path of a file where you want to store a report on validation results. The utility will generate a report on validation results and store it at the specified path. | Optional | String | Consider the following:
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* You can get IDs of backup jobs and restore points from the Veeam Backup & Replication database using scripts or Management Studio.
Example 1
This command validates the winsrv29 VM in the incremental backup file and writes the results in the report.html file.
Veeam.Backup.Validator.exe /file:"C:\Backup\Backup Job Single Storage\Backup Job Single StorageD2022-10-03T132735_1E50.vbk" /file:"C:\Backup\Backup Job Single Storage\Backup Job Single StorageD2022-10-28T122338_3EE4.vib" /vmname:winsrv29 /report:"C:\report.html" |
Example 2
This command validates the exch01 VM in the Exchange Backup Job file.
Veeam.Backup.Validator /backup:"Exchange Backup Job" /vmname:exch01 |
Example 3
This command validates all VMs in the Exchange Backup Job file created on December 18, 2018 around 12:00 AM.
Veeam.Backup.Validator /backup:"Exchange Backup Job"/date:12.18.2018 /time:12:00 |