Best Practice for Migrating Veeam v12 (Windows) to Veeam v13 Software Appliance with Repository Migration

Hello

For a migration to VSA, you need to be already on version 13.0 (13.1 is not possible)

So, first stept is to upgrade your Windows VBR to 13.0.x (latest). 

After that deploy a VSA and follow the official migration guide which you can find here: KB4800: Veeam Backup & Replication Platform Migration Guide (Windows to Linux)

There are a lot of limitations, considereations and post-migration checks. Have a good look at those

Timo

Hi and welcome!

Migrating from Windows-based VBR to VSA unfortunately isn’t that simple, so - hopefully I’m completely up-to-date on this - you can do this:

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1. Move to Windows-based v13 and remain on Windows

There is no key feature that I’m aware of for “default backup operations” that are only available on the VSA, so the most simple approach would be to stay on Windows if that is an option. You can and should harden it accordingly, of course.

2. Greenfield-deployment VSA

The best approach to eliminate potential issues during the migration is to work with a greenfield approach and deploy a new VSA and configure it from scratch. Of course, you can import existing backups (as “imported objects” then) but will need to configure new jobs. Depending on the environment, this is possible or not.

Advantage would be: You’re able to change some key settings etc. with architectural changes you might not have done in the past.

3. Migration from Windows-based VBR to VSA

It is now possible, but you need a Veeam Support authorization code, so you will not be able to do this completely on your own without pinging Support, but this doesn’t take too much effort. Here is the guide: https://www.veeam.com/kb4800

In general, pay attention to the key things when upgrading major versions since v13 is one of the biggest releases Veeam has ever released:

• Check firewall policies and update them (they changed many things)
• Check AV and network scanners and create / update exclusions
• Familiarize with the new and deprecated / discontinued features of the v13 release and determine if you will see any side effects (not supported old OS on guests etc.)
• Update documentations to follow regulatories and internal policies
• VRO first, then VONE, then VBEM, then VBR / VSA - stick to that strictly

Good thing about any approach: You will be able to work with existing backups and chains either way, because you can import them even if you don’t take the configuration with you.

Switching to a hardened repo is a good call, but I wouldn’t “migrate” to any hardened repo. If you can, I suggest using Veeam-native approaches (new, primary backup jobs or backup copy jobs pointing to VHR) to be consistent and reduce risk.

For your DC to DR questions: There are many things to consider, network and bandwidth is key imho. I’d greenline the VBR environment first and work with new v13 features (when they apply to you) for DR scenarios shortly after to be consistent.

The overall process and experience is good, from what I heard from the field. Again - please keep in mind, that an update is not only changing v12 to v13 on the version number perspective. The whole framework has to be maintained, so you want to plan and test properly to reduce risk as good as you can.

Hope that helps!

Lukas

Further to all the details above you need to contact support as well to get a migration key used during the configuration restore.  Otherwise you will get nowhere.

I have just completed about 30 migrations so happy to answer any questions.

You have to create a technical support case not general and select the VSA as the product if you want to go that route.

You can upgrade windows to v13 as well just depends your end goal.  We migrated to get off windows and save costs.  Either path works just depends on your end goal.

Not a problem at all. Happy to help as I have done many migrations over the last few months. 😁