Blogs and Podcasts

Hola!Para todos aquellos que hablais Español - Castellano,recordaros que vamos a celebrar un webinar el 13/12/2022 a las 09:00am. CEST“Protección moderna de datos” Animaros a participar en invitar a todos los “colegas” que queráis y creáis que les interese! Saludos.

Hi everyone,I assume some of you already know about this, but I think is interesting and also a good resource, being in the same path Veeam and VMware.VMware user group has a yearly subscription, for less than 200 dollars a year, you have access to a lot of 1 year licenses for many products, for lab and study proposes.It also offers discounts on official courses, certification exams and so on,so please, if you run a home lab, you want to grow it, and don’t have licenses to do so, check it out! VMUG ADVANTAGE Now includes also ESXi 8 and VCENTER 8!cheers!Luis F.

IntroductionWith backup direct to object being one of the most anticipated features in v12 AND with the ever-increasing number of cyber-threats, it is paramount to secure access to our buckets.In this series of posts, I will explore v12's direct to object capabilities and offer some suggestions to batten down the hatches.Note: For this post, I will use Wasabi and Minio as my Object Stores of choice. While some slight variations are expected, keep in mind that the same concepts should apply to any S3 compatible target. Restrict bucket access with a simple User IAM policyYou can find the Amazon S3 Object Storage Permissions in the User Guide for VMware vSphere and kb3151 highlights the required steps.Let's review what that looks like in Wasabi's console. For this example, I will configure a simple S3 bucket without immutability. Step 1: Create the policy as described in kb3151This policy grants access to the <<orossisecurebucket01>> bucket to the identity it is associated wit

Alt Text: Title “In The Lab With: Windows” Subtitle: “Endpoint Management” Subtitle Two: “Delaying Windows Feature Updates with Group Policy”There was recently a lively discussion on the Veeam R&D forums that inspired me to write this post. The essence of the disagreement on there was about Veeam’s inability to support new Windows Feature Updates sooner. I won’t repeat all of my points on the topic as they’re available for reading freely on the R&D forums already. What I do want to focus on however, is providing support to the thinly-stretched sysadmin who needs to get a grip on the Windows Update Lifecycle, to avoid issues with the Veeam Agent, and other applications that don’t have ‘Day One’ support for a new Operating System (Yes, Feature Updates are considered upgrades).So, what is a feature update? Please the quote below directly from Microsoft’s own documentation.Feature updates: Previously referred to as “upgrades,” feature updates contain not only security and quality r

VMware Tools is a set of services and modules that enable several features in VMware products for better management of guests operating systems and seamless user interactions with them. VMware Tools has the ability to pass messages from the host operating system to the guest operating system. Therefore, VMware Tools is a suite of utilities that enhances the performance of the virtual machine guest operating system and improves the management of the virtual machine. Without VMware Tools installed in your guest operating system, guest performance lacks important functionality. Installing VMware Tools improves these issues low video resolution, inadequate color depth, incorrect display of network speed, restricted movement of the mouse, inability to copy and paste and drag and drop files, missing sound, and provides the ability to take quiesced snapshots of the guest OS, and synchronises the time in the guest operating system with the time on the host Impacted ProductVMware Tools for Wind

December Chocolatey Month banner; Alfred, a cat and community mascotte, is wearing a Christmas hat and licking a Chocolate bar with the Chocolatey logo on it. On the background pine trees are draw, a green heart and some festive swirls.As you might have noticed, the Automation Desk is doing a December Chocolatey Month, and December starts tomorrow! There are prizes to win, so make sure you read the rules and you are ready for this! More info: 

Hi Everyone, More and more of us are spending our days wandering around various CLIs. There are times when you need to jump out into a file explorer in the precise location where your pwd command locates you.on windows simply type start .on a Mac doopen .and on Linux (I will demo this since I am in my basement on one of my stashed Linux machines hidden away :) xdg-open .So here I am in my Pictures directory I would like to see the thumbnails quickly so here it goes  and Voila!   If the xdg-open command is too long for you go ahead and create an alias in your .bashrc file  

When attempting to add a pre-created (provisioned) PC to a domain or reuse an existing computer account, the following error below is encountered.An account with the same name exists in Active Directory. Re-using the account was blocked by the security policy.Microsoft released this update on October 11, 2022, thereby introducing additional protections (hardening) for your environment. This hardening mitigates the following “CVE-2022-38042 (Active Directory Domain Services Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability)”.Legacy behaviourBefore the installation of the October 11, 2022 update, or later cumulative updates, the client computer queries Active Directory for an existing account with the same name. This query occurs during domain join and computer account provisioning. If such an account exists, the client will automatically attempt to reuse it.Note: During this time, the re-use computer account will only fail if the user does not have the appropriate permission to join the device to th

Hi Everyone,So as stated before my University decided to switch providers for their Alumni email accounts from gmail to O365 and that has forced me to create a new channel. This week I am getting deep into SAML territory and experiencing issues, always fun while connecting Okta and then later Auth0 for SSO.  You can get a free Auth0 account here and try this yourself:https://a0.to/signup-for-auth0

This is part three of the blogpost. If you want to read it from the beginning, head here: SOBR Archive Tier – Explained and Configured – Part 1 of 4 | Veeam Community Resource HubIn this part 3 of 4, I will walk you through all the things to set up for the archive tier in Azure. How to setup the archive tier for your SOBR in Microsoft AzureLet’s assume we already have a SOBR using a capacity tier to offload data to Azure in a specific schema. Could be either copy or move or even a combination of both to fulfill the 3-2-1 rule. A nice walkthrough of the capacity tier setup could be found e.g. here: https://jorgedelacruz.uk/2019/05/14/veeam-cloud-tier-capacity-tier-in-microsoft-azure-blob-how-to-configure-a-veeam-backup-replication-scale-out-backup-repository/This would be our starting point to enable another shift of the already offloaded data into the cheaper archive tier.Therefore, first of all we have to define another storage account in the correct tier level. In our example for Azu

Because we had already the option to backup files directly to tape, it was already possible to backup file shares to tape without backing it up to disk before. But this was limited at least to performance. This will be be much better in v12.Another limitation was that it was not possible to copy a NAS backup to tape. This will be available in v12.At least in v12 beta media pools are limited to Standard media Pools and WORM Media Pools.

Recently I had to troubleshoot an error in Veeam Backup and Replication. Error appeared at File Level Restore operations. In detail: restore Windows files from a Veeam Hardened Repository.Environment consists of existing and freshly installed proxies and repositories servers. New repository servers were Windows and Linux as hardened repository (LHR). Mount server was a physical Windows server.Problem that occurredWhen we tried to restore files from LHR we get errors like these:   We also could see that mounting of the restore point worked for a few moments. Restore Explorer also showed first directories. After a few seconds, mount point was disconnected automatically and browsing in Explorer resulted in an error.After some tests we found out, this only happens when we were using newly installed proxies as mount servers. It worked fine with already running proxies and even with new Windows repository server.That was solved the problemWhen we were checking the configuration of new proxy

IntroductionOne of the most notable upcoming Veeam Backup and Replication v12 capability is Direct to “Object Storage” backups.I thought it might come in handy to share a small AWS cli cheat sheet with the community. Initial AWS cli configurationThe first step is to run aws configureAll you need to provide are access key and secret key. You specify the --endpoint-url directly in the commands.Next, make sure you are using v4 signature aws configure set default.s3.signature_version s3v4 Creating a simple bucketaws s3api create-bucket --bucket <yourbucketname> --endpoint-url=<yourendpointurl> --no-verify-sslNote: You don’t necessarily need the --no-verify-ssl option except if like me you are lazy with certificates in your lab. Creating a bucket with object lockCheck out this great post from my colleague Steve Firmes where he discusses “How to avoid an Immutability Migraine”.The command is pretty straight forward:aws s3api create-bucket --bucket <yourbucketname> --object-

Account lockout help keep user accounts secure by preventing unauthorised users etc., from guessing the username and password. When your account is locked, you will have to wait for a specified amount of time before being able to log into your account again. Here is the link to the original blogpost. In the past, it was recommended to disable the local Administrator account due to several known vulnerabilities such as the built-in administrator account cannot be locked out no matter how many failed logins it accrues, making it a prime target for brute-force attacks that attempt to guess passwords. This is no longer true as beginning October 11, 2022, or later Windows cumulative updates, a local policy will be available to enable local administrator account lockouts.  Brute force attacks are one of the prevalent ways Windows devices are attacked today. Previously, Windows devices did not allow local administrators to be locked out. This leads to scenarios where, without the proper netwo

A new feature in vSphere 7 is the ability to configure a VMkernel port used for backups in NBD (Network Block Device) respectively Network mode. This can be used to isolate backup traffic from other traffic types. Up to this release, there was no direct option to select VMkernel port for backup. In this post I  show how to isolate NBD backup traffic in vSphere.ConfigurationIt is quite simple to configure backup traffic isolation. With vSphere 7 there is a new service tag for Backup: vSphere Backup NFC. NFC stands for Network File Copy. By selecting this, vSphere will return the IP address of this port when the backup software asks for ESXi hosts address.So all you need to do is to add a new VMkernel port, enable Backup service and set IP and VLAN ID. Host does not need to be rebooted. Now NBD backup traffic will be routed through this port.   How does it look likeFor verification there are a few options. You can check log file or monitor ESXi network throughput. On my demo ESXi host, I

Complementing my last post highlighting the Veeam software releases reaching end of support in 2023, I’m once again providing an expanded list of software that Veeam works with, that will be approaching end of life in 2023. Why does this matter when I’m just trying to protect the data? Times change, and software changes with them, until it’s no longer supported. At any point, a patch to an operating system, a .NET framework update, or anything else really, could end up with the software no longer being backed up properly, or not working at all in production. Without valid support there’s no process to get a fix, and whilst your backup software may still be in support with Veeam, if the vendor won’t fix the problem, it’s time to start panicking.With this in mind, let’s explore the software & operating systems being declared end of life in 2023 so we can start planning our upgrades/migrations if necessary. Microsoft We may as well start with one of, or potentially the largest softwar

It’s that time again to remind everyone that all good things run out of support eventually. The 2023 calendar year has the following products reaching end of support status for the following products.February 2023Veeam Backup & Replication v10 Veeam ONE v10 Veeam Agent for Microsoft Windows v4 Veeam Agent for Linux v4March 2023Veeam Backup for Nutanix AHV v2 Veeam Service Provider Console v4June 2023Veeam Agent for Oracle Solaris v2July 2023Veeam Disaster Recovery Orchestrator v3 (Formerly known as ‘Veeam Availability Orchestrator’)September 2023Veeam Agent for IBM AIXDates To Be Defined:Veeam Backup for Microsoft 365 v5 (Formerly known as Veeam Backup for Office 365) Veeam Backup for AWS v4 Veeam Backup for Microsoft Azure v3 Veeam Backup for Google Cloud v2As a footnote to this section, why do I say ‘dates to be defined’? This is because Veeam’s support for these products is based on ‘Next GA Date + 1 Version’ for the cloud protection products (AWS/Azure/GCP), and ‘Next GA date +

Hi! Thinking about Polish M365 users i prepared short article about Veeam Backup for MS365. https://inleo.pl/blog/veeam-backup-for-ms365-czyli-gdzie-zaczyna-sie-twoja-odpowiedzialnosc/Here is English summary. Microsoft’s Shared Responsibility Model, in the simplest words, says “Your data – your matter.”Many people aren’t aware of that and think they are protected against data loss. They are partially right, but only in case of internal Microsoft infrastructure failures. Microsoft replicates its regions between each other to maintain the continuity of the services. But replication and backup are different things. If your file gets damaged, it will be replicated in its current state, and you will not be able to restore it. If you delete a file accidentally, and 93 days are left (the time of MS Data retention), you will not be able to restore it. So how do you cope with it?The solution is Veeam Backup for M365, a great tool that allows you to protect data stored in M365, Hybrid, or On-Pre

I’d like to first thank Rick Vanover, Madalina Cristil, Nikola Pejková, Aubrey Galen, and everyone at Veeam for their efforts and support leading into the Veeam 100 Summit. It’s a HUGE undertaking that requires many levels of coordination. This was my first time attending the event in person. It was an honour to attend such a prestigious event and meet many fellow Vanguards, Legends and MVPs in person.  It is amazing how being at an event and being able to speak to others of the same mindset makes you feel great.  As for the host city of Prague, it never fails.Day 1 included a Welcome Reception.A big thanks to Jim Jones and 11:11 Systems for sponsoring our Go Kart event earlier in the day! It’s safe to assume everyone thoroughly enjoyed this experience!Day 2 was the official kickoff for the Veeam 100 Summit. Rick, Madalina, and Hannes Kasparick started the day with a presentation in which we learned more about the various Community groups managed by each.  If you’re not familiar with e

A quick note on an important point that I missed originally in Microsoft’s announcement. As users are starting to find their basic authentication mechanisms are being actively disabled, Microsoft have provided one last mechanism to prevent a complete outage if you rely on basic authentication currently. Which Protocols Are Impacted? If you’re using basic authentication for any of the following protocols, you might find that suddenly it has stopped working:Exchange ActiveSync (EAS) Exchange Web Services (EWS) IMAP MAPI Offline Address Book (OAB) POP Remote PowerShell RPC I Think This Impacts Me, What Do I Do? Microsoft are offering one final time to re-enable Basic Authentication, via the self-service diagnostics, direct link here.From this link, you can see which protocols are disabled, and choose a specific protocol that you can re-enable. Warning: Microsoft Are Serious This Time Microsoft have stated that any protocols that are re-enabled will be automatically disabled in the first c

Why protecting Microsoft 365 data is so important Your organization's data is one of its most valuable assets. That's why it's so important to have a plan in place to protect it. Microsoft 365 provides a comprehensive set of tools and services to help you safeguard your data, but it's up to you to put them to use.In this post, we'll explore some of the key ways you can protect your Microsoft 365 data, including enabling multi-factor authentication, using Azure Information Protection, using Veeam Backup for Microsoft 365, and more.Don't wait until it's too late to start protecting your data. Read on to learn more about how you can keep it safe with Microsoft 365.The Importance of Data Protection Data protection is critical for any organization that relies on Microsoft products and services. By ensuring that data is protected, organizations can maintain the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of their data. Additionally, data protection can help organizations meet compliance req

Hey guys, here are some cool gears for grabs! This is the right time to learn about VMware Aria Hub.This offer is only available during the VMware Explore Europe 2022 period which is from the November 7th through November 11th, 2022. Go to the Hands-on-Labs area and request HOL-2301-08-ISM “VMware Aria Hub – A look at what’s next in Multi-Cloud Management”.At the completion of the lab, you will be able to order Cloud Management gear as a gesture of our appreciation to be shipped to you*.Hey guys, let’s run with this….  

Thinking of becoming a Veeam Vanguard or a Veeam Legends and you want to know what is all about the Veeam 100 Summit that everyone talking about?When you read this recap of the first day you will understand what you  can expect when you are a Veeam Vanguard or a Veeam Legend and join in the Veeam 100 Summit.The Veeam 100 Summit is all about content sharing and also a get together with a group of people from all over the world and talk about technology and other subjects. And yes you can make good friends in this group. And of course, the summit is just a part of this great Veeam community program #Veeam100In this first day there was a lot of content sharing.First Day:First Session - Introduction and 2022 Veeam 100 Summit KickoffThe first session starts with a welcome to everyone and the new arrivals(new Vanguards, Legends, and MVP). In this session, Rick, Madi, and Hennes talk about Vanguard, Legends, and MVP.A lot of information about what the program is (for the new ones) and what to

Hi Folks, It will be a great honour and huge pleasure to have a chat with Mumshad Mannambeth from Kodekloud. I found all the Kubernetes certifications to be very challenging exams. Kodekloud’s courses are excellent and the practice exams prepared me for what was going to come. All of the Linux Foundation exams (except for the entry level KCNA) are hands on from the command line. There are time restraints and you have to solve real problems that can occur in production. The experience was like dealing with multiple priority 1 emergencies one after the other. The key is learning the material but also putting the kubectl commands to muscle memory. Of course keeping your cool is a huge priority. I hope to find out a lot of interesting details from Mumshad about how he created Kodekloud but also get some tips on what is coming and what are the hot topics in the Devops education world.  

Last week Veeam did release Veeam Backup for Salesforce (VBSF). VBSF is a completly new product which offers backup for the Salesforce CRM plattform.Salesforce only has very limited possibilities for backing up your data & metadata, just like many other PaaS vendors (plattform as a service). On the other hand they recommend their customers to regularly create backups. For more informations see this article: Best practices to backup Salesforce dataInstallationVBSF is supported to run on CentOS 7, RedHat Linux 7/8 and Oracle Linux 7/8, and uses PostgreSQL as a database. So in order to install and manage it, you should have at least some basic Linux skills. You can choose to install the software and it’s dependencies manually, or use the setup script provided by Veeam, which automates all the necessary steps:sudo curl https://repository.veeam.com/yum/el/vbsf-install-script.sh --output ./vbsf-install-script.shsudo sh ./vbsf-install-script.shhttps://helpcenter.veeam.com/docs/vbsf/usergu