Backup from Primary Storage Arrays

To use Backup from Storage Snapshots, you must select the Enable backup from storage snapshots check box in backup or replication job settings.

Backup from Primary Storage Arrays 

When you run a job with Backup from Storage Snapshots enabled, Veeam Backup & Replication performs the following actions:

  1. Veeam Backup & Replication analyzes which VMs in the job host their disks on the storage system, and triggers the vCenter Server to create VMware vSphere snapshots for these VMs.
  2. Veeam Backup & Replication gets Changed Block Tracking information for VMs hosted on the storage system.
  3. Veeam Backup & Replication instructs the storage system to create a snapshot of the storage volume or LUN that hosts VM disks and VMware vSphere snapshots.
  4. Veeam Backup & Replication instructs the vCenter Server to remove VMware vSphere snapshots on the production storage system. The 'cloned' VMware vSphere snapshots remain on the created storage snapshots.
  5. Veeam Backup & Replication checks the backup infrastructure and detects if there is a backup proxy that has a direct connection to the storage system. Veeam Backup & Replication mounts the storage snapshot as a new volume to this backup proxy.
  6. Veeam Backup & Replication reads and transports VM data blocks through the backup proxy to the backup repository. For incremental backup or replication, Veeam Backup & Replication uses obtained CBT data to retrieve only changed data blocks from the storage snapshot.
  7. When VM data processing is finished, Veeam Backup & Replication unmounts the storage snapshot from the backup proxy and instructs the storage system to remove the storage snapshot.

Backup from Primary Storage Arrays 

Mixed Job Scenarios

Backup from Storage Snapshots is used only for those VMs whose disks are hosted on supported storage systems. As backup and replication jobs typically process a number of VMs that may reside on different types of storage, Veeam Backup & Replication processes VMs in mixed jobs in the following way:

  • If a job processes a number of VMs whose disks are hosted on different types of storage, Veeam Backup & Replication uses Backup from Storage Snapshots only for VMs whose disks are hosted on supported storage systems. Other VMs are processed in a regular manner.
  • If a VM has several disks, some hosted on supported storage systems and some hosted on another type of storage, Veeam Backup & Replication does not use Backup from Storage Snapshots to such VM. All disks of such VM are processed in a regular manner.

During a job, Veeam Backup & Replication processes VMs residing on different types of storage at different time:

  1. Veeam Backup & Replication first triggers VMware vSphere snapshots and storage snapshots for VMs hosted on supported storage systems.
  2. After the storage snapshot is created, Veeam Backup & Replication triggers VMware vSphere snapshots for other VMs. These VMs are processed in a regular manner further on, in parallel with VMs whose disks are hosted on supported storage systems.

Related Topics

Configuring Backup from Storage Snapshots