Skip to main content
  • EN

Hello,

we want to use VEEAM for a backup on a WORM Drive. It is some kind of NAS with a WORM partition. 

The Problem is, that the after the first backup the backup job ends with an error. This is because the meta file (.vbm) needs to be altered for every backup. But since it is a WORM system, this is not possible.

I searched and found out, that there is a possibilty for a tape WORM server in VEEAM. But firstly, the NAS is not a tape server und secondly this option is greyed out, maybe it is some sort of license problem.

Has anyone an idea of how to resolve this issue?

One way around this would be to create a backup to a normal repository and then a Backup Copy job to the WORM repository.  The VBM is the metadata file and needs to be updated every job run and if the system is not allowing it then you need to work around that.

Hi @NRM -

Here is info on WORM tapes from the Guide:

https://helpcenter.veeam.com/docs/backup/vsphere/worm_tapes.html?zoom_highlight=worm&ver=120

I’m not seeing anywhere where Veeam states it supports WORM NAS/storage.

@Chris.Childerhose - Good suggestion; but I’m pretty sure Backup Copies use metadata files as well..not sure that’d work.

https://helpcenter.veeam.com/docs/backup/vsphere/backup_copying_process.html?ver=120

@Chris.Childerhose - Good suggestion; but I’m pretty sure Backup Copies use metadata files as well..not sure that’d work.

https://helpcenter.veeam.com/docs/backup/vsphere/backup_copying_process.html?ver=120

That is true as I missed that.  Thanks for catching that one was worth a shot.  Looks like the only option is not using the WORM device.

@NRM -

The only WORM info I found Veeam supports is presenting the storage as a Hardened Repo to a Linux server as suggested by the Veeam Best Practice Guide:

https://bp.veeam.com/security/Design-and-implementation/Hardening/WORM_Storage_with_Veeam_Hardened_Repository.html

Last I checked, NAS is not a WORM device unless you are saying you have something in your own that acts like a WORM device on a NAS in which case I’d be curious to see what that device is.

 

That said, if you don’t have something in place already, you could possibly virtualize that by placing something like a VTL in the middle.  I’ve never tried it, but I believe I’ve heard of others using the Starwind VTL to as as a tape library and I assume can use standard storage behind it and I’m sure there are probably other solutions available as well.  However, note that you’d still be subjected to all the security of having a NAS on the network where if Malware or bad actors get to your backing storage, the VTL may not offer you much if any protection if they simply go around it.

In all honesty, if you’re looking for immutable storage I’d probably be looking at something like a VHR or immutable object storage like a cloud provider like Wasabi or on-prem like Object First.

Last I checked, NAS is not a WORM device unless you are saying you have something in your own that acts like a WORM device on a NAS in which case I’d be curious to see what that device is.

 

That said, if you don’t have something in place already, you could possibly virtualize that by placing something like a VTL in the middle.  I’ve never tried it, but I believe I’ve heard of others using the Starwind VTL to as as a tape library and I assume can use standard storage behind it and I’m sure there are probably other solutions available as well.  However, note that you’d still be subjected to all the security of having a NAS on the network where if Malware or bad actors get to your backing storage, the VTL may not offer you much if any protection if they simply go around it.

In all honesty, if you’re looking for immutable storage I’d probably be looking at something like a VHR or immutable object storage like a cloud provider like Wasabi or on-prem like Object First.

For example, Synology offers a WORM-supported shared folder. In this case, I would recommend @NRM not to enable this feature.

Thank you all for your advices and help.

 

I guess then, that it is really not possible and we need to think of a bigger workaround.

Not a problem.  Let us know how things go.

One way around this would be to create a backup to a normal repository and then a Backup Copy job to the WORM repository.  The VBM is the metadata file and needs to be updated every job run and if the system is not allowing it then you need to work around that.

Hi Chris,

I did excactly that on my forst attempt to make a secure backup for my servers. But the problem is that you have to copy the .vbm file to the WORM folder, every day, because it gets modified at every backup job. 

So the way I see it, you have to make a workarround for just the .vbm file.

Maybe send it via mail and then pair it with the date, that the backup was taken, if you need to restore.

Maybe copy the file to an “auto date generated folder” if that is possible, in the WORM folder.

 

One way around this would be to create a backup to a normal repository and then a Backup Copy job to the WORM repository.  The VBM is the metadata file and needs to be updated every job run and if the system is not allowing it then you need to work around that.

Hi Chris,

I did excactly that on my forst attempt to make a secure backup for my servers. But the problem is that you have to copy the .vbm file to the WORM folder, every day, because it gets modified at every backup job. 

So the way I see it, you have to make a workarround for just the .vbm file.

Maybe send it via mail and then pair it with the date, that the backup was taken, if you need to restore.

Maybe copy the file to an “auto date generated folder” if that is possible, in the WORM folder.

 

The backup copy job takes care of that VBM file.  Veeam will copy what is required over to the media.

Comment


Terms & Conditions