Review: Veeam Backup Agent
I have been testing the Veeam Backup Agent, which is intended for my own free use, over the last few days. For the test, I chose an Intel Atom subnotebook from HP with MMC memory as the target device for my backup of a Windows server (with Xeon CPU).
The Veeam Agent is required for simple backups and not the large Backup & Replication package:
https://www.veeam.com/de/products/free/microsoft-windows.html
After the installation, the creation of the recovery medium is offered directly; this is an ISO file, which should also be kept well secured.
There are several options to choose from when creating the recovery medium.
Once the recovery medium has been created, the ISO file can be flashed to a USB stick using BalenaEtcher, for example.
The Veeam Agent control panel can be accessed via an icon in the taskbar.
New jobs can be added there, among other things.
In our short test, we start by creating a new job.
There are a few options available, I have opted for a volume level backup here as I do not want to back up all hard disks.
Nevertheless, it is possible to back up the entire operating system including the boot partition without rebooting.
The next step shows the possible backup destinations, including local storage media, a network folder or a Veeam backup repo.
I initially opted for a local backup to my second SSD.
There are numerous additional settings in the advanced settings, e.g. on which days a complete backup should be made.
There are also options for regularly checking the backup files for errors.
The compression level can also be freely selected and a password can be set to encrypt the backups.
In the next step, a schedule for the backups can be created.
The last step is an overview.
The created backup job then starts.
and was already completed after a short time.
Some details about the runs are also saved.
Unfortunately, the free version does not support object storage.
However, object storage support would be desirable in conjunction with the immutable storage on the Synology NAS.
See also: https://kb.synology.com/vi-vn/C2/tutorial/C2_Object_Storage_object_lock
Preliminary result
The backup appears to have been created successfully and relatively easily. However, a test of recoverability and driver compatibility on another system is still pending.
exFAT is not supported as a backup destination.
The RecoveryMedium has problems with SecureBoot.
It is not yet known whether TPM could cause problems in conjunction with BitLocker.
The USB drive flashed with BalenaEtcher could not boot. Therefore Rufus had to be used to flash the ISO to the USB stick.
Unexpected result
The installation of the backup software on the Windows server seems to have added new firewall rules without further inquiry, which allowed login attempts to the server from any IP address.
I therefore recommend everyone to check the Windows firewall settings again after the installation.
Recovery
I activated Legacy Support in the BIOS and deactivated Secore Boot. The TPM should not be deactivated or reset.
Slightly confusing but not tragic, the additional USB drive with the backup was given the letter C.
The backup could then be selected without any problems.
After entering the password, an overview of the backup is displayed.
As the partitions do not match at all, I selected “manual restore”.
The selection of the mapping is also slightly confusing: You have to right-click on the target drive to delete it.
You can then – also by right-clicking – make the assignment.
My backup partition was deliberately larger than on the target device. I was then offered the option of automatically reducing the size of the backup partition (if possible).
Alternatively, a network drive can also be selected, provided the network drivers are loaded successfully.
The recovery of my Windows Server image failed, the automatic reduction of the partition did not work, theoretically there would have been less disk space occupied on the source image than the target storage had.
A second attempt (with even less space occupied in the backup) also failed.
After the failed restore attempt, the memory on the notebook was of course already written to and damaged.
To continue my test, I restored the backup of the notebook using the Windows server’s restore medium (=without the correct drivers in the restore medium).
This worked well so far and the system started, including WLAN.
To be on the safe side, I then performed the restore once again using the restore medium of the notebook itself (which should contain the drivers for the notebook).
To my surprise, the WLAN driver was missing.
After the restore, the previously installed Bitlocker was of course no longer active.
Result
Veeam seems to be able to create a backup during operation relatively well, but the additional functions such as driver injection and automatic reduction/adaptation are not always reliable. Therefore, the actual recoverability of a backup should be checked regularly on a test system. In addition, separate backups of special applications such as the Microsoft SQL server should be carried out.
Finally, I would like to point out Veeam’s very strict terms of use, which also prohibit service providers from providing support for free Veeam editions, see EULA:
Without Licensor’s express prior written consent, End User may not (directly or indirectly through any employee, contractor, consultant, agent or other representative): […] (b) process third-party data (as a service provider), provide commercial hosting or support services, sublicense, rent or lease, in whole or in part, the Software to another party, or otherwise use the Software on a service bureau basis, without purchasing a specific license to do so;