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

How SureBackup Works

In this article

    For SureBackup, Veeam Backup & Replication uses a regular image-based backup. During recovery verification, Veeam Backup & Replication performs the following actions:

    1. Veeam Backup & Replication publishes VMs from the application group and the verified VM in the isolated environment — virtual lab. VMs are started directly from compressed and deduplicated backup files that reside on the backup repository. To achieve this, Veeam Backup & Replication utilizes Instant VM Recovery.
    2. Veeam Backup & Replication performs a number of tests against VMs in the application group and verified VM: heartbeat test, ping test and application test.
    3. If the SureBackup job is configured to validate backup files, Veeam Backup & Replication performs a CRC check for the backup file from which the verified VM is started and, optionally, for backup files from which VMs in the application group are started. The backup file validation is performed after all verification tests are complete.
    4. When the recovery verification process is over, Veeam Backup & Replication unpublishes VMs and creates a report on their state. The report is sent to the backup administrator by email.

    Veeam SureBackup – Automatic Recoverability Verification for VM Backups 

    During verification, a backed up VM image remains in read-only state. All changes that take place when the VM is running are written to the differencing disk (AVHD/AVHDX file) created for the recovered VM. When the recovery verification process is complete, the changes are discarded.

    To perform recovery verification, you need to create the following objects:

    1. Application group. During recovery verification, the verified VM may need to be started with a group of VMs on which it is dependent. The application group enables full functionality of applications running inside the VM and lets you run these applications just like in the production environment.
    2. Virtual lab. The virtual lab is the isolated virtual environment in which the verified VM and VMs from the application group are started and tested.
    3. SureBackup job. The SureBackup job is a task to perform recovery verification. You can run the SureBackup job manually or schedule it to run automatically by schedule.