Blogs and Podcasts

The HPE Discovery 2026 concluded just two days ago, and important initiatives were announced that significantly strengthen the 15-year partnership between Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Veeam.As we know, many companies are moving their AI projects from the pilot phase to production.However, capabilities and requirements related to data governance, compliance, sovereignty, security, and resilience are becoming essential. It´s necessary to ensure that AI models have access to reliable information and that confidential data remains compliant with regulatory requirements.These challenges are directly related to the growing use of AI applications and autonomous agents interacting with enterprise data and business systems.For all interested in this topic, I recently explored some of the governance and security challenges associated with autonomous AI systems in a separate article: Agentic AI: Managing the Autonomous Risk - CloudnRollAt the same time, cyber threats, ransomware attacks, and da

 Unofficial, community-built tool — not an official Veeam product and not supported by Veeam Support. Results are estimates derived from a parsed log and should be validated against the official Veeam calculators, the Veeam Help Center, and Best Practices documentation. For final sizing decisions, loop in a Veeam SE / Solution Architect.When reviewing a Veeam environment— usually because there's a sizing conversation coming, or someone wants a second opinion on whether a setup is sane. And almost every time, the information I actually need is sitting right there in the VMC.log. Proxy count, repository layout, retention, GFS, agent jobs, whether immutability is on, what the NICs are doing. All of it.The problem is it's buried in a few thousand lines of log, and after the third or fourth time of Ctrl-F-ing my way through one of these to pull out proxy task counts and squint at retention policies, I got tired of it.So I built something to do the reading the log file for me.It's called Vee

I recently stood up a new Nutanix cluster and needed it protected with Veeam before workloads went live. If you are used to doing this with VMware or Hyper-V, the Nutanix AHV workflow in VBR v13 feels different. The proxy model is different, and the old AHV proxy appliance is no longer part of the setup.This walkthrough covers the adding the Nutanix environment, configuring AHV workers, running the first backup, and proving both full VM and file-level restores. What you should have before you start VBR v13 with the Veeam Plug-in for Nutanix AHV installed on the backup server. Veeam documentation currently lists VBR 13.0.1.1071 or later with AHV plug-in 13.9.0.212+ as the supported baseline. Nutanix AOS 6.8.1.6+ Prism Central pc.2022.6 through pc.2024.3.1.10, or pc.7.3+. Versions 7.3.1.2, 7.3.1.3, and 7.5.0.0 are explicitly excluded. Admin credentials for Prism Central or Prism Element. iSCSI Data Service IP configured in the Nutanix cluster settings. If it is not set, backup jobs can f

 Hello guys, if you don't remember which version of Veeam Backup & Replication (VBR) was used to create a configuration backup, this command can be extremely helpful. It allows you to analyze the configuration backup file and identify the VBR version information, making it easier to determine the correct Veeam release to install before attempting a configuration restore. Veeam.Backup.Configuration.Tool.exe /file:"D:\Backup\ConfigBackup.bco" /analyzefile The command analyzes the specified .bco file and displays metadata about the configuration backup, including the Veeam version that created it. This is particularly useful during disaster recovery scenarios, migrations, or when restoring an environment after a long period without documentation.

I’m wrapping up the first phase of my Veeam for AWS journey.I actually started this lab from some ideas I shared in the post below: In this video, I go through the full workflow:• Protecting AWS workloads like EC2, RDS, DynamoDB, VPC, EFS, and FSx• Creating Replicas, Snapshost, Backups and performing restores• Testing cross-region recovery (Virginia, Ohio, and California) Link bellow:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j76Xt0R55Pg&t=63s(It’s only in Portuguese, but the YouTube subtitles work really well.) The architecture looks something like this:Not exactly — I made a few changes along the way. I’ve organized the entire video into timeline chapters, like this:You can jump to any section you want. I hope this material can help someone who needs it.Thanks to ​@Madi.Cristil , ​@NikolaPejkova , ​@safiya , ​@Rick Vanover  for all the support you’ve given us.Thanks ​@NikolaPejkova for the licenses! Next up is Redshift! 

Ransomware and data attacks are everywhere and, unfortunately, have become part of daily life. A very practical protection against this is the proven Veeam 3-2-1-1-0 rule: multiple copies, different media, at least one copy external/offsite, and one copy immutable/offline, with 0 restore errors ensured by regular testing.However, once you plan to use and implement immutability, you also need to look at the storage logic of your backup data—in other words, how full backups and incrementals are linked together as a backup chain. Depending on the method, these chains may need to merge, transform, or create new full backups in the background. It’s only logical that this doesn’t always align perfectly with Immutable/WORM.To make immutability and retention work together cleanly in practice, you typically use regular full backups (Synthetic or Active) and/or, in Backup Copy jobs, the GFS function as a “chain breaker”. In this article we’ll look at:what immutability means how different backup

Veeam Backup & Replication v13 has arrived with significant improvements in security, performance, and data governance. I recently performed the upgrade from version 12.3, and in this article I share the entire process, from preparation to post-upgrade validation, following the official Veeam documentation. The goal is to present a practical, real-world experience while highlighting what’s new in this anticipated release. Preparing for the UpgradeBefore starting the upgrade, I followed Veeam’s recommended best practices to ensure a smooth and safe process. This included: Checking system compatibility, supported OS, storage repositories, hypervisors, and all backup infrastructure components. Ensuring no backup jobs were running. Updating the Guest Catalog and cleaning up old sessions. Performing a Configuration Backup, which stores all settings from the Veeam server. Creating a server backup or snapshot as an additional safety measure—especially recommended for production en

The phone rings and someone asks you to restore a file for them.  You look at your furthest restore point and notice the date they gave you is before that.  You restore the file anyways and find out it was off by only a few days. What do you do? Do you give up, or do you check to see if there is something running keeping data for just a little bit longer? Many users forget that windows can take VSS Snapshots, ShadowCopies, and restore points that often hang around, or are even automated to run. Depending on how much space is provisioned determines how many you can have and the retention.  These snapshots can even help during Veeam restore by sneaking out a few extra weeks from what you thought was the furthest restore point in your environment.   Lets start with the basic commands on adding VSS Shadow Storage on your disks. This is a per drive setting, and it is also selecting the target drive.   In this command, I’m keeping it on the same drive, allowing 5% of my disk to store shadow

Greetings friends,I wanted to share a new community-driven PowerShell report for Microsoft Entra ID protection in Veeam Backup & Replication.VBR can protect Microsoft Entra ID, which is great. But I wanted a cleaner way to answer a few simple questions without jumping between logs, CSVs, SQL queries, or job sessions.This is how it looks like: Why this report?Microsoft Entra ID is now one of the most critical identity layers in most organizations. It contains users, groups, applications, service principals, role assignments, conditional access policies, and many other objects that are essential for Microsoft 365, Azure, SaaS access, and automation.Having the backup is step one.Being able to report on it, search it, export it, and send it to the right people is the next step.This report helps answer:Are my Entra ID backup sessions running successfully? What completed with warnings or failures? How many objects were discovered and stored? Which users, groups, applications, service pri

Today while I was working in the Veeam Windows Console for v13 I hit a strange error when copying a job error message to the clipboard.  It let me paste but the error noted is just a minor annoyance.  I have reported this and you can read it below and on my blog.  Once confirmed I will update things on the community and my blog post.Veeam Console – Possible BUG – Copying to Clipboard Veeam Console – Possible BUG – Copying to Clipboard I have been using Veeam v13 more frequently lately, particularly the VSA and the Windows Console application. Today, I encountered an unusual issue with the Console application while copying an error message from a job to the clipboard for investigation. The message below appeared, but I was still able to paste the clipboard contents regardless.Copy to Clipboard Error (Potential Bug?)I have posted this in the Veeam 100 thread (not everyone will see this, as it is a special section of the Forums) as a possible bug, which you can see here if you have access

​Hi folks,If some of you have already try to delete a S3 bucket from the Object First interface you probably got the following error, even if you have delete all backups. S3 protocol does not allow deleting the bucket that contains any objects. In case the bucket was already in use, it should be cleared before deleting.Good new ! There is an utility to delete all the data from a bucket, including buckets with enable versioning.😮Oh god ! What could happen if I have some backups protected with immutability ?Don’t worry,  in case if the bucket has immutable data, it can not be deleted before the immutability period is expired. 💪 1. Installationclear-bucket utility does not require installation.Download it with Web browser using the following link: https://repo.objectfirst.com/helpers/clear-bucket.zip Unpack the zip file2. UsageStart the clear-bucket.exe program as usual. It interactively requests the information required to connect to S3 storage Endpoint URL: use the same format you use

One consequence of the market changes resulting from Broadcom VMware's new positioning of its software solutions and licenses is that the topic of “hypervisors” is now being analyzed in greater technical detail than ever before.In search of more realistic alternatives that fit IT departments’ budgets, organizations are turning their attention to market options.On the other hand, there is the open-source software community. I truly have a great admiration for the thousands of programmers, engineers, and software architects who dedicate their efforts to free software communities.Today, alternatives to the VMware hypervisor are solutions built on a stack of open-source projects, with varying degrees of customization and architectural differences.The purpose of this post is to analyze how a generic hypervisor architecture, based on QEMU and KVM, handles disk write I/O requests.It´s a fascinating topic (at least for me).Let’s explore the rationale behind the development of each component of

  When running a Veeam backup, you may encounter the following error:One or more errors occurred. (The remote certificate was rejected by the provided RemoteCertificateValidationCallback.)This issue is typically caused by a trust problem between the Veeam Backup & Replication (VBR) server and a managed server or backup component.ResolutionTo resolve the issue:Open the Veeam Backup & Replication console. Navigate to Inventory. Trust allRetry the backup job.Once the certificate trust is restored, the backup should complete successfully.ConclusionIn most cases, this error indicates that the remote certificate is no longer trusted by the VBR server. Re-establishing the certificate trust relationship resolves the problem quickly.

  Back in the days...Do you remember the Matrix screensavers from back in the day? Green characters cascading down your screen while your PC idles away. Everyone had one at some point. And somehow — it was just cool.The idea hit me during one of those moments where you should really be doing something else: What if the characters weren't random glyphs, but instead IMMUTABILITY, RANSOMWARE RECOVERY, ZERO-TRUST RESILIENCE and VEEAM DATA CLOUD VAULT?As some of you may know, I have absolutely no clue about coding — but every now and then I get crazy ideas. This one is for you.     From One Idea to Almost 100 VersionsWhat started as a small weekend experiment turned into a real project. I had the idea, the direction, the requirements — and with Claude as a coding partner, we built it step by step. Every version tested, verified, adjusted. Comments added, fine-tuning done. Across multiple evenings and iterations.Then, somewhere around version 35, another idea: What if there was also a Star W

​@Rick Vanover  announced (thanks Rick!) during today’s Weekly Recap the new #EmpowHerVMCE+ Accelerator, and I can’t describe how proud I am. A lot of people worked on this initiative, but special recognition goes to ​@ertelle1, who first had this idea and whose drive, vision, and collaboration made this happen.I took part in leading the 2023 edition of EmpowHer VMCE+, and I saw firsthand how this program was an opportunity to change trajectories. Participants did not just become better technical professionals, they strengthened their confidence and sense of empowerment. They confidently stepped into the room and proved that they belong in this industry, and that they have a place on the front line.And that is powerful.Some of them changed roles, many progressed in their careers, and some, like ​@leaha  and ​@brnavarro, became familiar names in the community and are now leading the WA-IT! conversation. The impact they created is significant, they became role models and are inspiring ot

During the upgrade of Veeam Backup & Replication to version 13.2.29, I encountered the following warning during the Configuration Check phase:Trusted hosts hardeningYour remote host trust option is set to Manual. After the upgrade, open a backup console and make sure all your backup infrastructure servers are trusted. At first glance, this message may seem concerning, but it is important to note that it is not a blocking issue and does not prevent the upgrade from completing successfully.Why Does This Warning Appear?Starting with recent Veeam releases, the platform has introduced additional security controls to strengthen communication between backup infrastructure components.In my environment, the Remote Host Trust policy was configured as Manual. This means that Veeam does not automatically trust remote infrastructure servers such as:Backup Repositories Backup Proxies Mount Servers WAN Accelerators Other managed Linux or Windows hostsBecause the trust relationship must be verifie

...don't let them drift apart With Veeam Backup & Replication v13 and the new Veeam Software Appliance (VSA), many of us are enjoying the convenience of components that keep themselves up to date. The VSA is deployed and updates itself automatically — convenient, right? Yes, mostly!But there's a catch that just bit me in my lab environment, and I wanted to share it quickly before it trips someone up in production. The ScenarioImagine you already have one or more Veeam VSA appliances deployed. They update themselves — in this case to 13.0.2. So far so good.But not everything in your environment is an appliance. Your Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager might still be running on a Windows server (it happens). Enterprise Manager was therefore not automatically updated alongside the VSA — and suddenly your backup server shows up as offline in the Enterprise Manager console.  Cannot add backup server version 13.0.2.29 to Enterprise Manager server version 13.0.1.2067. Upgrade the Enterprise M

One of the most common things I notice during Veeam deployments, health checks, training that I deliver and customer workshops is that email notifications, Syslog and SNMP integration are often left unconfigured.The backup jobs work. The repositories are available. The backups complete successfully.But when I ask about notifications or centralized logging, the answer is frequently:"We haven't configured that yet." Why This MattersVeeam provides native integration with email systems, SNMP and Syslog servers, allowing administrators to receive immediate visibility into backup activities, warnings, and failures.These integrations are not just operational conveniences, they are important security controls.When a backup job finishes, Veeam can automatically send a notification email. Likewise, relevant events can be forwarded to a SNMP and Syslog server for centralized monitoring, retention, and correlation with other infrastructure events.This means:Faster detection of backup failures Bett

The ultimate test of cyber resilience: recovering when all you have left are your backup files  Most organizations spend significant time and effort protecting their backup data.They implement:Immutable repositories Air-gapped storage Tape archives Object storage with Object Lock The 3-2-1-1-0 or 3-2-1-2-0 ruleAs a result, they feel confident that their data is safe.But let me ask a different question:What if your Veeam Backup & Replication server no longer exists?What if ransomware, a hardware failure, human error, or even a disaster destroys:The Veeam Backup Server The configuration database Enterprise Manager Credentials Documentation Recovery runbooksAnd all that remains are your protected backup copies?Could you still recover your business?If you cannot confidently answer "yes", then you may have discovered the biggest gap in your disaster recovery strategy.Backup Data vs. Recovery CapabilityMany organizations focus on protecting backup files.That is important.However, cyber r

In today’s threat landscape, backup and management platforms have become prime targets for cyberattacks, particularly in multi-tenant service provider environments. Ensuring the security and integrity of these systems is no longer optional—it is a critical operational requirement.Recently, a critical vulnerability (CVE-2026-32998) with a CVSS v3.1 score of 9.4 has been identified in Veeam Service Provider Console (VSPC) version 9 builds. This vulnerability can potentially allow remote code execution (RCE) through specific features such as alarm script execution, exposing service providers to severe risks including unauthorized access, system compromise, and lateral movement across managed infrastructures. [community.veeam.com]All versions prior to VSPC 9.2.1.33875, including 9.0.0.29860, are affected, making it imperative for organizations to take immediate action. [community.veeam.com]This guide is designed to provide a clear and practical walkthrough on how to safely upgrade Veeam Se

When IT professionals discuss availability, business continuity, and data protection, the conversation usually focuses on backup software, immutable storage, disaster recovery plans, and cybersecurity.Those technologies are critical.However, some of the most dangerous Data Center Risks have nothing to do with software, storage arrays, or backup systems.Sometimes, the real threat is much closer than we think.Recently, I was called onsite to investigate an issue involving a tape library. One of the drives had grabbed a tape cartridge and failed to release it properly. The task seemed simple: remove the tape, validate the drive, and confirm everything was operating normally.A routine service call.At least, that's what I thought.What I discovered that day had very little to do with backup infrastructure and everything to do with governance, operational discipline, and the hidden risks that can quietly develop inside critical environments.The First Sign Something Was WrongAs soon as I enter

Recently, a customer asked me:“Hey — is it possible that VMware tag backup isn’t working?”The reason: After a Full VM Restore (Restore to original location), the VM’s VMware tags were suddenly gone. In the restore log it basically said:“These tags were not present at the time of backup — so I’m removing them.” And that’s despite the fact that the tags were definitely set in production (otherwise the customer wouldn’t have been able to pick up the VM in their jobs using tag-based selection in the first place). A test with another VM showed the same behavior. At that point it was clear: this wasn’t a one-off. So how does Veeam get the idea that a VM has “no tags” — even though it does? What is a VMware Tag (and why is it relevant for backups)? VMware tags are metadata in vCenter that can be assigned to objects (for example, VMs). Typical use cases include:Organizational mapping (customer, environment, cost center) Technical classification (OS, SLA, app) Automation (backup scopes, policie

 Yesterday, I published an article on #CloudCity about my FinOps journey.Check here: FinOps in Practice: Optimizing Cloud Value with AWS, CloudCheckr, and VeeamI'd like to highlight some key initiatives that helped my team strengthen data protection while improving cost control and reducing expenses associated with backup infrastructure assets. Resilience, Backup & High Availability - by CLOUDCHECKRCloudCheckr identifies risks related to data protection and business continuity, ensuring workloads are prepared for failures, accidental deletions, and downtime.Examples of recommendations:• EBS volumes without snapshots (direct data loss risk)• EBS volumes without recent snapshots (outdated backup)• EC2 instances without termination protection enabled• Environments without multi-AZ deployment• Lack of automated backup and retention strategy• Critical resources without defined recovery (DR) policies• Low maturity in business continuity (BCP)• Workloads not prepared for availability zone

I recently worked on another project with a major customer where we unfortunately reached the limits of Veeam Backup & Replication’s out-of-the-box features for Scale-Out-Repositories and had to find a workaround. Our ChallengeOur challenge: The customer has over 100 scale-out repositories, each with different permissions depending on the application and operating system. We had to migrate the VBR server to a new Windows Server. However, this also meant that the users created locally on the old server were no longer available. In principle, this wasn’t a problem—we simply recreated the same users on the new server.However, this is where the problem comes in. The SOBR permissions include the old user as “OLDSERVERNAME\USERNAME,” which we then have to replace with “NEWSERVERNAME\USERNAME.” If we didn’t replace these, our Enterprise Plugins would no longer have permissions to write their backups.Unfortunately, there is no function to change permission settings across multiple reposito

Some days your job is just plain fun! No ifs or buts!This morning I had the immense pleasure to talk with 3 pillars of the Veeam Community, Senior Community Manager Nikola Pejkova ​@NikolaPejkova , Mr. Community himself Rick Vanover ​@Rick Vanover  and of course Vanguard/Legend/Object First Ace, author of Mastering Veeam Backup & Replication Chris Childerhose ​@Chris.Childerhose  !This is a conversation that could have lasted all morning, never a dull moment.Also courtesy of a fresh of the press Rickatron quote a potentially fantastic new title for a DR horror movie! I can see it now:  coming soon to a theater near you: “Agents gone wild”! Tune in to find out what it is like to write a book and the fun these three folks had collaborating together on this new edition!  https://www.buzzsprout.com/2545760/episodes/19293879 The Book is out, don’t you miss out!