Recently, I’ve been creating videos to help others get started with Veeam Backup for Microsoft Azure. While I was working on the videos, things got meta because I realized I needed to update my own environment. That evening, I sat down to play Sims and needed to run game and mod updates. As I ran those updates, I thought about how I had just gone through a similar process earlier that day at work. So today I want to talk about software updates and share how to update Veeam Backup for Microsoft Azure, part of the Veeam Data Platform. 

Why Update?
Even though I know they’re important, unmanaged software updates can be inconvenient, especially if you’re in the middle of something. As a general piece of advice, schedule software updates when they’re convenient to you rather than letting the software decide for you. Just remember that the longer you push off a software update, the more risks you run. In addition to missing features, outdated software is more likely to have compromised security, incompatible features, missing functionalities, and decreased performance. Not only do software updates reduce these risks, then often give you access to cool or useful new features. 

New Features
When Veeam released Veeam Backup for Azure v. 7 last month, it added new features and capabilities to Veeam Data Platform. Most notably, v.7 added support for Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB NoSQL database. The product now includes native, orchestrated Cosmos DB snapshots to allow more effective recovery and restoration. In addition, v.7 introduces customizable PostgreSQL that allow you to control backup intervals, timing, and retention. Veeam also increased its scalability support, allowing organizations to scale large deployments as needed. Additional enhancements included UI/UX updates and blob storage support. You can find a full overview of the new features at Veeam Backup for Azure v7: Scalable Cloud Solutions.
 

How-To
Before updating, it’s always important to make sure your system meets the requirements. Next, disable and stop backup policies and ensure that no restore tasks are executing. Otherwise, if the update process interrupts any running activities, you risk data loss. Once that’s verified, you have two options to install your updates – Immediate or Scheduled.

Immediate Installation
For immediate installation, start by downloading and installing the available product and package updates. To find them, open the Veeam Updater tool and do the following: 

• Switch to the Configuration page.

• Navigate to Support Information.

• Switch to the Updates tab.

• Click Check and View Updates

To continue, on the Veeam Updater page, review the Updates are available for this system section. Determine the updates you need and select the check boxes next to them. You will be directed to the Choose Action section and can install your updates by doing the following: 

• Select the Install updates now option.

• Select the Reboot automatically after install if required check box to allow Veeam Backup for Microsoft Azure to reboot the backup appliance if needed.

• Click Install Updates Now and allow the updater to run. 

Scheduled Installation
To install the update at a preset time and date, start by opening the Veeam Updater tool and review the Updates are available for this system section. Review the list of updates and select the ones you need. You will again be directed to the ‘Choose action’ section where you should take the following steps:

• Select the Schedule updates installation option and configure the necessary schedule.

• Select the Reboot automatically after install if required check box to allow Veeam Backup for Microsoft Azure to reboot the backup appliance if needed.

• Make sure that no backup policies are scheduled to run at your selected time because doing so could result in data loss. Then click Schedule Updates. 

While both immediate and scheduled updates have their place, it’s probably no surprise that I prefer Scheduled Installations. I like being able to run updates when they won’t interrupt my day or activities. Regardless of the method you choose, I suggest setting an update reminder in the Veeam Updater service to help manage your updates. If you use that tool and follow these steps to update Veeam Backup for Azure v.7, you’re providing yourself or your organization with greater data protection, new features, and better functionality.