This is an archive version of the document. To get the most up-to-date information, see the current version.Upgrading Backup Files
Since version 11, Veeam Plug-in uses a new format of backup files: instead of one metadata file for all backup files there are separate metadata files (.vasm) for each database backup file (.vab). The new metadata format allows to optimize the productivity of backup and restore operations.
For Veeam Plug-in 11, the backup files upgrade is not obligatory. However, in the next version, backup files created by Veeam Plug-in version 10 will not be supported.
Important |
If you do not upgrade backup files, you will get the following warning in the job session logs: Backup metadata is not up to date. Please upgrade the backup. If you want to disable the warning, see instructions in this Veeam KB. |
Prerequisites
Before upgrading backup files, make sure the following requirements are met.
- Make sure that you have upgraded Veeam Plug-in on the source server. If the plug-in is not upgraded to version 11 and you upgrade the backup files, then all next backup job runs will fail.
- Make sure that you have disabled the backup job whose backup files you want upgrade. You must also disable the backup copy jobs that use these backup files as a source.
- If the backup files reside on the scale-out backup repository, all repository extents must be available. Also, the extents must not be in the Seal or Maintenance mode.
- If you want to upgrade backup files created by a backup copy job, you must meet the same requirements as for the backup job files.
- During the process of the metadata upgrade, you cannot run the target backup job and you cannot restore from the backup files.
The upgrade process duration depends on the number of backup files in the backup set, type of the backup repository and workload level on the file system.
For example, there are backup files of an Oracle server that contains 10 instances and is backed up every 15 minutes with the retention policy set for 2 weeks. The upgrade of backup files can have the following duration on not overloaded file systems:
- Microsoft Windows: 30 minutes
- Linux: from 30 minutes to 3 hours
- SMB/NFS: 1.5 hours
- Data Domain Boost/Quantum DXi/ExaGrid/CIFS (SMB)/NFS file share: 3-4 hours
- HPE StoreOnce: up to 10 hours (due to specifics of this repository type for processing large number of files)
Upgrading Backup Files in Veeam Backup & Replication Console
To upgrade backup files in the Veeam Backup & Replication console, do the following:
- Open the Home view.
- In the inventory pane, expand the Backups view and select Disk.
- In the working area, right-click the job or the restore point and select Upgrade.
Alternatively, you can select the job or the restore point and click Upgrade on the ribbon.
