Backup Repositories

A backup repository is a storage system where you can keep backups created by your backup jobs. Veeam Backup for Microsoft 365 uses Extensible Storage Engine (ESE) databases, also known as JET Blue, to store backed-up data.

You can add the following types of backup repositories to the Veeam Backup for Microsoft 365 infrastructure:

A local directory on a backup proxy server.

A default backup repository is the C:\VeeamRepository directory on a computer with Veeam Backup for Microsoft 365.

Direct Attached Storage (DAS) connected to the backup proxy server.
Storage Area Network (SAN).

A backup server must be connected to the SAN fabric using hardware, virtual HBA or software iSCSI initiator.

Network Attached Storage (SMB shares version 3.0 or later).

Experimental support.

Note

Consider the following:

Veeam Backup for Microsoft 365 does not support encryption at-rest for these types of backup repositories.
You can store your backups on volumes encrypted using the BitLocker technology if it applies to your system. After encryption, the I/O rate of the volume may change.

Extended Backup Repositories

You can optionally extend a backup repository with object storage. For more information, see Object Storage and Specify Object Storage.

If you extend a backup repository with object storage, you can do the following:

Back up your data directly to the supported cloud or on-premises service. This is not applicable to backup repositories extended with Azure Blob Storage Archive access tier and all Amazon S3 Glacier storage classes.
Transfer your backed-up data as backup copies to such repositories. Keep in mind that if you extend a backup repository with Azure Blob Storage Archive access tier or any of Amazon S3 Glacier storage classes, you can use such backup repository only to store backup copies and select it as a target for backup copy jobs.

Depending on whether a backup repository is extended and object storage usage scenario, backup repositories can be one of the following types:

Object storage. Backup repositories that are extended with S3 Compatible object storage, Azure Blob Storage Hot/Cool access tiers, Amazon S3 Standard and Amazon S3 Standard-Infrequent Access storage classes. Veeam Backup for Microsoft 365 uses such repositories to keep both backups and backup copies.

Local disk. Includes Default Backup Repository and other JET-based backup repositories. Veeam Backup for Microsoft 365 uses such repositories only to keep backups.

Archive. Backup repositories that are extended with Azure Blob Storage Archive access tier and all Amazon S3 Glacier storage classes. Veeam Backup for Microsoft 365 uses such repositories only as a target for backup copy jobs.

For more information about Azure Blob Storage and Amazon S3 object storage supported by Veeam Backup for Microsoft 365, see Supported Azure Storage Account Types and Supported Amazon S3 Storage Classes.

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