Veeam Backup & Replication is a comprehensive solution for data protection across various environments, including cloud, virtual, and physical systems.

• Backup Server - The central management component, installed on a Windows-based machine or VM.
• Backup Proxy - Handles data processing and transfer, optimizing backup performance.
• Backup Repository - Storage location for backup files, supporting various repository types.

• Backup & Replication Console - Client-side interface for managing backup operations.
• Veeam Data Movers - Responsible for data retrieval, deduplication, compression, and storage.
• Gateway Server - Bridges the backup server and repository, required for certain storage types.
• Mount Server - Facilitates restores involving guest OS files and application items.

• .VBM - Metadata file for backup management.
• .VBK - Full backup file (active or synthetic).
• .VIB - Incremental backup file.

• VMware Proxy - Default role on the backup server, can be installed on other Windows/Linux servers.
• General Purpose Proxy - Used for NAS, file shares, and physical server backups.
• Hyper-V Off-Host Proxy - Reduces load on production Hyper-V hosts by handling backup operations separately.

For more details, visit the [Veeam Community Resource Hub](https://community.veeam.com/onboarding-for-veeam-data-platform-163/onboarding-for-veeam-data-platform-step-2-1-veeam-components-and-infrastructure-requirements-10012).

Veeam Backup & Replication supports various storage options and transport methods to optimize data protection and recovery.

• DAS (Direct Attached Storage) - Includes USB, eSATA, and raw device mapping (RDM).
• Linux Hardened Repository - Provides immutability and security against ransomware and insider threats.
• Object Storage - Supports AWS S3, Azure Blob, IBM Cloud, and S3-compatible storage.
• SAN (Storage Area Network) - Enables direct access via hardware, HBA, or iSCSI initiators.
• SMB/NFS - Supports SMB 3.0+ and NFS shares with proper permissions.
• Tape - Fully integrated native tape support for long-term storage.
• Deduplication Appliances - Hardware-based storage optimization with built-in deduplication and compression.
• External Repositories - Read-only repositories for cloud-to-on-premises data migration.

• Direct Storage Access - Provides the highest performance by accessing storage directly.
• Virtual Appliance (HotAdd) - Uses VMware SCSI HotAdd for efficient datastore access.
• Network Mode (NBD/NBDSSL) - Transfers data over TCP/IP, offering broad compatibility.
• Backup from Storage Snapshots - Reduces impact on production environments by leveraging storage snapshots.

The vPower NFS Service is a Microsoft Windows service that runs on a Microsoft Windows machine and enables this machine to act as an NFS server.

• SureBackup - Verifies backup integrity.
• SureReplica - Ensures replica reliability.
• Instant Recovery - Enables rapid VM recovery.
• Staged Restore - Facilitates compliance-driven restores.
• Universal Application-Item Recovery (U-AIR) - Allows granular application recovery.
• Multi-OS Guest OS File Restore - Supports file-level recovery across different operating systems.

For more details, visit the [Veeam Community Resource Hub](https://community.veeam.com/onboarding-for-veeam-data-platform-163/onboarding-for-veeam-data-platform-step-2-2-backup-repositories-and-transport-modes-10013).

Veeam Backup & Replication can be deployed in various environments, including on-premises, private, public, and hybrid clouds. The prerequisites and functionality remain consistent across these environments.

• On-Premises Deployment - Scales from simple installations to complex infrastructures.
• Service Provider Deployment - Used by providers offering Backup-as-a-Service (BaaS).
• Cloud Workload Deployment - Protects workloads running on cloud VMs.

• All components (server, proxy, repository) installed on a single machine.
• Suitable for small-to-medium businesses (SMBs) needing local backup copies.
• Can be deployed in public clouds like Azure, AWS, and others.
• Backup data can be stored in disk-/file-based repositories or object storage.

• Supports horizontal scaling to match data processing needs.
• Distributes backup workloads across multiple infrastructure components.
• Automated installation simplifies deployment and maintenance.
• Ideal for large environments requiring flexible storage solutions.

For more details, visit the [Veeam Community Resource Hub](https://community.veeam.com/onboarding-for-veeam-data-platform-163/onboarding-for-veeam-data-platform-step-2-3-deployment-options-10014).

Understanding key business considerations ensures a successful Veeam Backup & Replication deployment. These principles help optimize backup strategies, security, and recovery objectives.

A best practice for data protection:

• (3) Copies of Data - Maintain primary data and two backup copies.
• (2) Different Media - Store backups on separate storage types (e.g., local disk + cloud).
• (1) Offsite Copy - Ensure at least one backup is stored remotely.
• (1) Offline/Air-Gapped Copy - Use immutable storage (e.g., Hardened Linux Repository, Object Lock).
• (0) Errors - Automate testing and verification (SureBackup, SureReplica).

• Backup Window - Schedule backups outside business hours to minimize impact.
• Backup Type - Choose between incremental (efficient) or full (comprehensive) backups.
• Storage Optimization - Enable compression and deduplication to reduce storage usage.
• Data Encryption - Secure backups with encryption at rest and in transit.
• Bandwidth Throttling - Limit network usage for WAN replication.
• Repository Optimization - Match storage type to backup frequency (e.g., high-performance storage for frequent backups).
• Backup Copy Jobs - Create offsite copies for disaster recovery.
• Scale-out Backup Repository (SOBR) - Automate storage tiering and load balancing.

• Short-Term Retention - Locally stored restore points for quick recovery.
  • Forever-forward incremental - Efficient but not compatible with SOBR move functionality.
  • Forward incremental - Includes periodic full backups for better chain management.
• Long-Term Retention - Weekly, monthly, yearly restore points (GFS policy).
  • GFS (Grandfather-Father-Son) - Assigns flags to full backups for archival.
  • Cloud Tiering - Moves older backups to object storage.

• Recovery Point Objective (RPO) - Defines acceptable data loss period.
• Recovery Time Objective (RTO) - Determines downtime tolerance.
• Disaster Recovery Planning - Establish offsite backups, restore processes, and testing.

• Physical Security - Restrict access to backup infrastructure.
• Infrastructure Hardening - Implement role-based access control (RBAC).
• Network Segmentation - Separate backup traffic from production networks.
• Immutability & Air-Gapped Storage - Protect against ransomware with offline backups.
• Backup Verification - Schedule SureBackup jobs to validate recoverability.

For more details, visit the [Veeam Community Resource Hub](https://community.veeam.com/onboarding-for-veeam-data-platform-163/onboarding-for-veeam-data-platform-step-2-4-business-considerations-10015).