New Veeam Backup & Replication v11 Features: License and Deployment FAQs


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Veeam launched the veeamazing new v11 last week and with it, some amazing new features. In this blog post I’ll be highlighting the licensing requirements for these new features and a few other pre-requisites to use them.

 

Veeam Continuous Data Protection (CDP)

Veeam CDP enables organisations to achieve aggressively low RPO whilst still retaining the flexibility required by organisations for their retention needs. To utilise Veeam CDP your environment needs to be:

  • VMware Environment using vSphere 6.5 or newer.
  • Veeam needs to have either a Veeam Universal License or Enterprise Plus when using a socket-based license.
  • Replication target can’t be a Veeam Cloud Connect Replica.

 

Veeam Hardened Repository

The Veeam hardened repository is designed to help keep backups safe and data integrity assured. It’s great to see this feature requires no specific licensing from Veeam, however there are some pre-requisites to be considered:

  • Only Linux repositories currently provide immutability
  • Only certain tasks will support immutability, there’s full support for backup & backup copy jobs however other tasks aimed at the repository such as log shipping are still supported, but won’t have an immutability flag set.

 

Scale-out Backup Repository (SOBR): Archive Tier

The new Veeam Archive Tier of SOBR enables you to utilise Amazon S3 Glacier & Microsoft Azure Blog Storage Archive Tier. Backups stored within this are expected to most likely be of the “Write Once Read Never” use case, best used for long term archival. This requires either Veeam’s VUL license or Enterprise Plus socket licensing. Remember that cloud storage is charged by your cloud vendor of choice based on:

  • Bandwidth.
  • Transactions (Requests).
  • Total Capacity utilised.

 

Instant SQL Recovery & Instant File Share Recovery

The expanded instant recovery capabilities of v11 are extremely powerful yet flexible, enabling you to recover databases or file shares from either the latest or earlier point in times available within your backups. Whilst traditionally Instant VM, Disk and File recovery have all been supported by any license, Instant SQL Recovery and Instant File Share/NAS recovery require certain licenses. In all cases VUL will give you full licensing for these features but Instant File Share Recovery requires Enterprise Plus when utilising socket licensing and Instant SQL Recovery requires Enterprise edition or higher. I’d like to personally thank @Rick Vanover and @Laurent G. of Veeam for their help in clarifying this one as there was a discrepancy between two initially released Veeam documents regarding this subject.

 

PowerShell Module & RESTful API for Backup Server

New for v11 Veeam have replaced the PowerShell snap-in with the PowerShell module, to the cheers of many! They’ve also added RESTful API suppport for the backup server itself, previously this had to be aimed at an Enterprise Manager server. Both of these features require the use of either the VUL license or the Enterprise Plus license.

Updated: Thanks @Rick Vanover for getting clarification, PowerShell is supported by all editions!

 

Veeam Backup & Replication Integration with Veeam Backup for Microsoft Azure v2

A key highlight of Veeam B&R v11 with Veeam Backup for Microsoft Azure (VBfMA) v2 is the ability to manage VBfMAv2 via the main Veeam B&R console. This integrations allows for cool new use cases such as Backup Copy Targets that are on-premises allowing you to escape single vendor lock-in! It’s important to note the following:

  • Protecting Microsoft Azure workloads requires a VUL license. If you are using a per-socket license, you can licence one free instance per socket (up to a maximum of 6 free instances across all sockets). You can’t use a Veeam Cloud Connect Service Provider license or the community edition of Veeam Backup & Replication.
  • By connecting your Veeam Backup & Replication server to a Veeam Backup for Microsoft Azure Appliance, the BYOL license will become invalid and VBfMC will start to consume license instances from the Veeam B&R license.
  • If connection to Veeam Backup & Replication is lost then you’ll be able to protect new instances until connectivity is restored, protection for existing instances won’t be impacted by loss of connectivity however.

Instant Recovery of ANYTHING to Microsoft Hyper-V

Veeam have recently expanded their instant recovery of anything to the Microsoft Hyper-V world! Just like its VMware vSphere counterpart this feature is available to all license editions!

 

Veeam Agent for Mac

It’s official! Veeam supports protecting Mac! This release is slightly different to the traditional “Community”, “Workstation” and “Server” options available for Windows & Linux as Veeam only offer Community and Workstation licenses. Just like Veeam Agent for Windows/Linux you can license this with VUL, you can utilise your existing free instances with your socket licenses (one free instance license per socket up to six maximum) or if you’re using Veeam Cloud Service Provider licensing this can still be licensed in this way by licensing a “Workstation” workload.

 

Want to find out more?

Veeam have released their “What’s new” document as an astonishing 20 pages long! It’s available here. Veeam have also published their editions comparison document here for further reading. Finally the one and only RICKATRON himself has been keeping track of all things v11 upgrade related on his community thread, check it out!

Thanks!


22 comments

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Always a pleasure to help Michael!

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Michael, thanks for this summary!

@Rick Vanover I also recognized, PowerShell module is available for VUL and Enterprise Plus. What happens to customers bought a smaller license? I think PowerShell Snapin is gone for good, isn’t it? Do they have no PowerShell integration?

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Oh, indeed.

I have just upgraded a test server with enterprise licenses and there is neither a Powershell plugin nor a module.

This are very bad news, as we are using Powershell scripts in all our client environments.

Userlevel 7
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Oh, indeed.

I have just upgraded a test server with enterprise licenses and there is neither a Powershell plugin nor a module.

This are very bad news, as we are using Powershell scripts in all our client environments.

I liked this comment to support your point, then realised how harsh liking this actually sounded! Agreed that it is a concern.

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Oh, indeed.

I have just upgraded a test server with enterprise licenses and there is neither a Powershell plugin nor a module.

This are very bad news, as we are using Powershell scripts in all our client environments.

Thanks for Info, Joe!

Did you try to install console on a remote machine? There is PowerShell module registered after installation (was at least that way in beta). Would be interesting if you try to connect remotely to your VBR Server.

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I’m told PowerShell module is in all editions, this isn’t my area of expertise. But the snap-in may need to be added @JMeixner  @MicoolPaul 

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So one more on this RE: PowerShell - on my system post-upgrade, did you try this @JMeixner  @MicoolPaul  @vNote42 
 

Launch some PowerShell Soup

Once, I do that, I’m taken to the happy place:

 

 

Userlevel 7
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Oh, indeed.

I have just upgraded a test server with enterprise licenses and there is neither a Powershell plugin nor a module.

This are very bad news, as we are using Powershell scripts in all our client environments.

I liked this comment to support your point, then realised how harsh liking this actually sounded! Agreed that it is a concern.


Hello @MicoolPaul ,
I am not sure if I get your point…

It was not my intention to be rude or harsh. Perhaps my english is not good enough…

I apologize if my expression was rude.

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Oh, indeed.

I have just upgraded a test server with enterprise licenses and there is neither a Powershell plugin nor a module.

This are very bad news, as we are using Powershell scripts in all our client environments.

I liked this comment to support your point, then realised how harsh liking this actually sounded! Agreed that it is a concern.


Hello @MicoolPaul ,
I am not sure if I get your point…

It was not my intention to be rude or harsh. Perhaps my english is not good enough…

I apologize if my expression was rude.

Hi, @JMeixner  nope I was saying I didn’t want to come across rude! Of course you’re not rude :grin:

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I’m told PowerShell module is in all editions, this isn’t my area of expertise. But the snap-in may need to be added @JMeixner  @MicoolPaul 

Thanks @Rick Vanover  I’ll get the blog post updated, sourced this information from the edition comparison so good to know it’s a mistake!

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Hello @vNote42 , this is a small all-in-one test server. I have upgraded VBR from V10 P2 20201202 to V11. The Powershell module is not available in the Powershell ISE or Powershell Console on the system.

I have written a little script which test if the module or the snapin is available… (Sorry for German outputs)

Output from the powershell ISE on the Test Server with V11 - the scipt finds neither the module nor the snap-in.

With V11 Beta it was present.

Output from Powershell ISE on another system with V11 Beta - the script finds the module

@Rick Vanover , you are right, with the VEEAM Backup and Replication Powershell Toolkit started from the VBR Console the module is there. But not elsewhere as it was up to now. And I cannot find and install it, too.

Output from the Toolkit on the Test Server with V11 - the script finds the module.

Am I missing something?
With V11 Beta I did not have to install the module, it was available right after the installation of the Beta…

 

Additional test:

I installed on my test server temporarely an enterprise Plus license and the Powershell module is available in the Powershell ISE and “normal” Powershell Console…

 

Userlevel 7
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Hello @vNote42 , this is a small all-in-one test server. I have upgraded VBR from V10 P2 20201202 to V11. The Powershell module is not available in the Powershell ISE or Powershell Console on the system.

I have written a little script which test if the module or the snapin is available… (Sorry for German outputs)

Output from the powershell ISE on the Test Server with V11 - the scipt finds neither the module nor the snap-in.

With V11 Beta it was present.

Output from Powershell ISE on another system with V11 Beta - the script finds the module

@Rick Vanover, you are right, with the VEEAM Backup and Replication Powershell Toolkit started from the VBR Console the module is there. But not elsewhere as it was up to now. And I cannot find and install it, too.

Output from the Toolkit on the Test Server with V11 - the script finds the module.

Am I missing something?
With V11 Beta I did not have to install the module, it was available right after the installation of the Beta…

 

Additional test:

I installed on my test server temporarely an enterprise Plus license and the Powershell module is available in the Powershell ISE and “normal” Powershell Console…

 

Strange! Do you see the directory on your not-Enterprise Plus machines?

 

Userlevel 7
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OK, now I wanted to know this exctly.

I have set up a new VM with Windows Server 2019 (the other one was an old one with Windows Server 2012 R2). Installed VEEAM V10 with Enterprise licenses and upgraded to V11.

Now the powershell module is available, no problems.

So, either this was a problem with my VM or it is a problem with Windows Server 2012 R2…

Neither wil be a big issue. It works with a modern OS, so all is OK :grin:

Userlevel 7
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OK, now I wanted to know this exctly.

I have set up a new VM with Windows Server 2019 (the other one was an old one with Windows Server 2012 R2). Installed VEEAM V10 with Enterprise licenses and upgraded to V11.

Now the powershell module is available, no problems.

So, either this was a problem with my VM or it is a problem with Windows Server 2012 R2…

Neither wil be a big issue. It works with a modern OS, so all is OK :grin:

Joe, thanks for your troubleshooting!

Userlevel 6
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Great Summary @vNote42. Great collaboration and the mystery is solved.

Userlevel 7
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Great Summary @vNote42. Great collaboration and the mystery is solved.

Thanks to @MicoolPaul not me! :relaxed:

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Not directly a Veeam topic, but do we have any licensing requirements on the VMware side in order to use CDP? I thought that for the IO filters required an Enterprise Plus license for the ESXi hosts, but can’t find anything on that.

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Not directly a Veeam topic, but do we have any licensing requirements on the VMware side in order to use CDP? I thought that for the IO filters required an Enterprise Plus license for the ESXi hosts, but can’t find anything on that.

Morning, you might be thinking of VMware’s Storage DRS or IO Control features which require Enterprise Plus. Thankfully it’s neither of them, it’s delivered by Storage Policy Based Management which is available in vSphere Standard Edition 😊 I don’t believe this is available in essentials or essentials plus editions however.

Userlevel 7
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Thanks Michael, that’s great :blush: I must have confused I/O filters with something else then. SPBM isn’t listed in the feature list of Essentials/Essentials+ so you’re probably right, that you need Standard.

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Thanks Michael

This integrations allows for cool new use cases such as Backup Copy Targets that are on-premises allowing you to escape single vendor lock-in! 

 

I missed this one! So this means that we will be able to send from the Veeam Azure Backup Appliance backup copy jobs offsite? i.e. out of azure?

 

cheers

Userlevel 7
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Thanks Michael

This integrations allows for cool new use cases such as Backup Copy Targets that are on-premises allowing you to escape single vendor lock-in! 

 

I missed this one! So this means that we will be able to send from the Veeam Azure Backup Appliance backup copy jobs offsite? i.e. out of azure?

 

cheers

Hi Geoff, I’ve been labbing it so I’m still fleshing out the details but yep seems to work, I’ve yet to test a BCJ straight from Azure to Veeam Cloud Connect but to on-prem seems okay: https://helpcenter.veeam.com/docs/backup/azure_integration/backup_copy.html?ver=110

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Just found this, thanks for you summary.

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