What version of the agent are you trying to install?  Is it the latest one - 6.1?  If not try downloading that one and also look in the Add/Remove Programs to remove any SQL components related to the agent if they are there.

Possible leftover SQL installs -

MS SQL Svr 2012 Mgmt Objt x64, MS SQL Svr 2012 Express LocalDB, & MS Sys CLR Types for SQL Svr 2012 x64

Hi @wrbo -

I found this post which, removing SQL apps within the registry or Programs/Features resolved it for the user:

Saw another resolution on the Forums. See this one below:

https://forums.veeam.com/vmware-vsphere-f24/my-first-error-during-upgrade-since-version-6-t65430.html

Thank you for answers, but as I mentioned, this instance of Hyper-V Server 2019 has no additional software installed, and it never had. That includes SQL Server of any version.

The Agent version I’m trying to install is 6.1.0.349.

Yes, I understand there is no SQL installed but if you were trying to install the Agent it would have installed SQL components noted.  Check the Add/Remove Programs to see if they are there.

Yep...agree with Chris. As noted in my post, also please look in your registry.

It seems like the failed attempt at installing Agent did not install any SQL components, as “wmic product get name” continues to list no programs (Hyper-V Server does not have any of the Control Panel applets available, incl. “Programs and Features”) and registry keys that would usually contain information about installed applications (“HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall” and “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall”) remain empty. Additionally, searching the registry for anything that contains “SQL Server 2012”, “CLR Types” or “Management Object” returns no results, and the “*\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server Local DB\” registry key does not exist in this system.

Hi @wrbo -

Thank you for checking. Hmm...let me give it some more thought... 

Hi @wrbo -

After further investigation, I’m finding this type of deployment → Agent install on Hyper-V, isn’t a supported install in and of itself. I have seen a few posts of users who’ve been able to do this in older Agent versions, but according to Veeam via a couple forum posts here and here, doing this type of install is against Microsoft EULA and thus not recommended by Veeam. According to this Forum, I’m seeing it is possible to install the Agent if you’re doing so via Veeam Backup & Replication (VBR), but if you’re attempting to do so on Windows Core, this won’t work.

Is there a reason you’re wanting to install the Agent on Hyper-V, and not use VBR to backup VMs within Hyper-V? Just curious your use-case here as we try and work through the issue you’re encountering.

Thanks.

Thank you for your information.

My virtual machines are already backed up through different means, which means I’m looking for a way to backup the host OS only. One of my most important criteria is ease of restoration, which means reinstalling and reconfiguring the OS from scratch (as often recommended for Hyper-V Server) is not an option - I believe my best bet is a full system backup. The wbadmin tool integrated into Hyper-V Server fails to perform any backup due to errors which I’ve been trying to troubleshoot for a while, but failed.

This led me towards Veeam’s solution, which I wanted to evaluate for this use-case.

Morning @wrbo

To confirm, are you deploying the Veeam Agent as a “standalone” install, or deployed from your VBR?

As others have noted, if your server is purely a Hyper-V server instead of Windows Server running Hyper-V Role, then you’ll be violating the Microsoft EULA for Hyper-V (unless you’ve licensed the host for windows server anyway I believe, would need to double check this). And if you’re using Hyper-V/Windows Core, then you’ll need to push the agent out via VBR in a managed by VBR state. I don’t work on the development team but I believe this is because when you manage it by agent you’ve got GUI applications that wouldn’t be able to execute without a full GUI environment.

With all of that out of the way, where does your VBR server run? On the Hyper-V server? If so then we’d need to explore further what your backup repository looks like to determine if you could use a bare metal recovery without your VBR VM being operational.

So deploying the agent is out of the question because of Microsoft’s EULA for Hyper-V Server, do I understand this correctly?

I am in fact so early in trying to evaluate Veeam that I haven’t even deployed VBR anywhere yet - but my initial plan was to deploy it on a dedicated Windows 10 machine which already also manages a different backup solution I use.

What server version are you running @wrbo ? Core? Desktop Experience?

What makes Agent install against MS EULA, according to Gostev (1st link I shared) is: “It is against Microsoft EULA to install and run software in HV’s parent partition, as this effectively provides a no-cost Windows Server Core for everyone to use”. For understanding fully MS’s EULA, you would need to research through it (agreed...boring ...but one we have to abide by). 

And again...though there are some who’ve gotten this to install, it isn’t the best way to utilize it. Veeam recommendation..again, according to the 1st link I shared..is to reinstall HV if it ever crashes. Gostev states “Veeam Agent is for backing up physical servers, not hypervisor hosts”.

Also, if you choose to run VBR on Windows 10, it is a supported install. Just make sure your resources are sufficient (check VBR system req’s here)

I’m running Hyper-V Server 2019, which comes in only one variant - without the desktop environment, so similar to Windows Server Core.

I will look into other ways of getting my problem solved - maybe a clean install with an automated setup script will be simple enough... Thank you everyone for your input.

Glad to assist @wrbo 

Happy to have helped. Let us know what you finally do to resolve the issue.

HI @wrbo -

Just following up to see if you had any further questions? If any of the comments were beneficial to your question, it would be great to select a comment as ‘Best Answer’ so others with a similar issue/question can see what the resolution was.

Thank you.