Veeam 7 SureBackup is a feature that runs some checks against backed up VMs inside an independent network (Virtual Lab) on a ESXi host to verify a successful backup.
The verification doesn’t have any impact in the production environment since the process runs in an isolated network. Checking backup images on regular basis helps administrators to prevent errors during the restore process in case of corrupted backups.
Requirements
To create a SureBackup Job, three components need to be configured.
- Virtual Lab
- Application Group
- SureBackup Job
Add Virtual Lab
First step is the creation of the Virtual Lab to run the backups verification. Open Veeam Backup and Replication management console and access the Backup Infrastructure section. Right click the SureBackup item on the left side of the screen then select Add Virtual Lab option.
Type a Name then click Next.
Select the host to run the Virtual Lab clicking the Choose button. Select desired host and click OK to confirm.
Click Configure button to specify Destination Options then click OK.
Click Choose button to select Datastore used by the Virtual Lab during the backup verification. Click OK to confirm the selection.
The Datastore info are displayed. Click Next to continue.
Click Configure button to specify custom Network Settings of the Virtual Lab appliance. If a DHCP is configured in the network, you can leave default values (Obtain automatically). Click OK to save settings.
Click Next to continue.
Depending on the available infrastructure, you can specify how virtual machines are connected to the network. Select Advanced single-host (manual configuration) option then click Next.
If only one isolated network is used, leave default and click Next.
Specify the network parameters isolated networks will use to connect the Virtual Lab appliance.
When parameters have been specified, click Next to continue.
Leave default and click Next.
Click Next to apply the configuration.
When the new Virtual Lab has been configured click Finish to exit the wizard.
Looking at the VMware vCenter Server, you can notice a new Resource Pool and the Veeam appliance have been created.
Add App Group
From the Backup Infrastructure section, right click SureBackup item and select Add App Group option.
Type a Name then click Next.
Click Add Backup button to select VMs
Select the VM to specify Roles then click Edit button.
Select the Roles to assign. In this example the selected VM is a Domain Controller.
Select Startup Options tab to modify default settings. Leave default.
Select Test Scripts tab to add specific scripts for the selected VMs. Click OK to close the window.
Once Roles have been assigned, click Next to continue.
Click Finish to exit the wizard.
Add SureBackup job
As soon as both Virtual Lab and Application Groups have been created, it’s time to configure the SureBackup job. Click Add SureBackup Job option.
Type a Name then click Next.
Select the Virtual Lab to run the job then click Next.
Select Application Group for the job. Click Next.
Click Add button to select the jobs to link to the SureBackup job.
When the Linked jobs have been set, click Next to continue. You can also set how many VMs should be processed simultaneously.
To test just the selected VM instead, leave Link jobs blank and click Next to continue.
Optionally set the Job Results notifications then click Next.
Specify scheduling settings then click Next.
Click Finish to exit the wizard.
Run SureBackup job
Once the required components have been created, it’s time to run the just configured SureBackup job. In Backup & Replication section select SureBackup item, right click the SureBackup job name and select the Start option.
The job starts powering on the Virtual Lab appliance then the selected VM is processed.
In the vCenter Server, the Virtual Lab appliance and the selected virtual machines are powered on.
When the procedure completes, you can check if the verification was successful.
If the email notification has been configured, you will receive in your inbox the SureBackup job report.
Once again, backups are the only way to restore data in case of a disaster and administrators should guarantee the integrity of backup images to prevent errors during restore due to corrupted backups.
