Backup Copy Modes

Veeam Backup & Replication offers two backup copy modes:

• Immediate copy

In the immediate copy mode, Veeam Backup & Replication copies restore points as soon as they appear in a source backup repository. Veeam Backup & Replication copies only restore points created by source backup jobs (backup jobs that you select when configuring a backup copy job). Veeam Backup & Replication can also copy transaction log backups if you enable this capability in job settings.

The immediate copy mode is supported for the following backup types:

• Backups of VMware vSphere and Microsoft Hyper-V VMs created with Veeam Backup & Replication
• Backups created with Veeam Agent for Microsoft Windows, Veeam Agent for Linux or Veeam Agent for Mac operating in the managed mode

Only backups created by backup jobs managed by the backup server are supported.

• Backups created with Veeam Plug-ins for Enterprise Applications (Oracle RMAN, SAP HANA, SAP on Oracle)

• Periodic copy

In the periodic copy mode, Veeam Backup & Replication copies restore points once in an interval specified in backup copy job settings. This interval is also known as backup copy interval. For more information, see Backup Copy Intervals.

Veeam Backup & Replication can copy restore points created by backup jobs or restore points of individual machines. If you select backup jobs when configuring copy job settings, Veeam Backup & Replication copies only restore points that selected backup jobs create. If you select machines, Veeam Backup & Replication copies all restore points of the selected machines — even restore points created by different backup jobs.

The periodic copy mode is supported for the following backup types:

• Backups of VMware vSphere and Microsoft Hyper-V VMs created with Veeam Backup & Replication
• Backups created with Veeam Agent for Microsoft Windows, Veeam Agent for Linux or Veeam Agent for Mac operating in the standalone or managed mode

For the managed mode, backups created by both backup jobs managed by the backup server and jobs managed by Veeam Agent are supported.

• Backups created with Veeam Agent for Oracle Solaris

• Backups created with Veeam Backup for Nutanix AHV
• Backups created with Veeam Backup for AWS
• Backups created with Veeam Backup for Microsoft Azure
• [Starting from Veeam Backup & Replication 11a (build 11.0.1.1261)] Backups created with Google Cloud Platform
• [Starting from Veeam Backup & Replication cumulative patch P20211211 for v11a] Backups exported with K10 policies

Changing Backup Copy Modes

Veeam Backup & Replication does not allow you to change the selected backup copy mode because the operating logic and created data are very different in these modes.

Changing the backup copy mode is possible by creating a new backup copy job in the new required mode and copying all the backup data again from the source to the target. Using data from a previous backup copy job is only possible if both jobs are using the same copy mode.