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V12 IS HERE! Much like last year’s V11 Upgrade Center we are doing one for V12! Similar format and check back for updates, as we will have additional resources and I’ll get the latest information from the product management and support teams that should be relayed here. 

This text was last updated:   1-August 2023 (All subsequent updates in the Post-Publish Updates section)

Pre-Installation Section

Licensing

  • A valid universal license for V11 will work for V12, so if you’ve sorted that already you are good to go and that license will carry the same expiration date over to an upgraded Veeam Backup & Replication Server
  • You may need to obtain a license or ensure you have access to the licensing portal.
  • Note that if you do not have access to the licensing portal (including for your current license), such as if the person who used to do this is no longer in your organization, you can open a Licensing type of case:

Must-See Information

  • As listed in the What’s New Document, NAS backup to tape is a new capability. There is a small note to share, generally speaking the advice is to make sure that you do not make a NAS to disk backup job and a separate NAS to tape backup job; that would consume two licenses. See the text from What’s New below, with the underlined parts of most important. 
    NAS backup to tape — By popular demand, you can now use file share backups as a source for Backup to Tape jobs, thus enabling the classic Disk to Disk to Tape (D2D2T) backup approach for your enterprise NAS filers and file shares. To ensure recoverability at any point in time, this functionality exports files and folders to tape in the native format as opposed to copying blobs of the proprietary NOSQL database behind NAS backups. Since it’s a secondary backup, this functionality does not consume a license.
  • The “Transform previous backup chains into rollbacks" has been deprecated, see this Veeam KB: KB4390: Feature Deprecation: "Transform previous backup chains into rollbacks" (veeam.com)
  • VERY IMPORTANT:  If you are using a service from a Veeam Cloud Service Provider (VCSP), ensure that the service provider is ready for your upgrade. The Early Availability Release or RTM release, build #1402 will need a patch upon GA to go to build #1420. This patch is due later the week of GA, will update here soon. The Installer will warn you in advance, but it is essential you do not upgrade until the Provider informs you that they have upgraded, as this will impact all Cloud Connect functionality with that Provider adversely.
  • Updated 17-Feb: RTM Builds: If the RTM build (#1402) is in use - the GA .ISO build (#1420) will not upgrade to the GA build; please install the RTM to GA Patch: KB4415: Release Information for Veeam Backup & Replication 12 Day 0 Update
  • If cloud plug-ins are used… At GA the Veeam Backup for Google Cloud v4 plug-in is ready, the AWS and Azure plug-ins will be GA a few weeks after V12’s GA. (See Post-Publish Updates - AWS plug-in has taken an update).
  • If the orchestrator product is used… Soon after V12’s GA, we expect Veeam Recovery Orchestrator to GA with the new capabilities.
  • VMware vCloud Director 10.4 is supported with V12, replacing the previous hotfix workaround in this Veeam KB: KB4352: VMware Cloud Director 10.4 Compatibility Patches (veeam.com)
  • Over the coming days, watch the Veeam Ready list for any updates post-v12 for partner solutions that you may have of interest: https://www.veeam.com/alliance-partner-technical-programs.html?page=1

Upgrading an Installation to V12

  • From Veeam.com, clicking on Downloads, find the download for V12 that you want. I recommend downloading the “Veeam Data Platform — Advanced” bundle that includes Veeam Backup & Replication V12 and Veeam ONE V12
  • Before an upgrade, ensure your configuration backups are running, are successful, and you know how to get to that storage resource as well as an encryption password if used.
  • Before an upgrade, obtain your single-use credentials on Linux for the VHR if that is used (hardened repository).
  • Support has advised me throughout the RTM phase to ensure that a correct order of operations on an upgrade is followed:
    • First upgrades:  Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager, Veeam ONE
    • Second upgrade: Veeam Backup & Replication
    • Third upgrade: Remote components & agents

Post-Publish Updates

 

Upgrading to V12 Videos

We’ve created a few videos (four are planned) on upgrading to V12, and we’ll share these with some context. Before you do an upgrade, I recommend taking a backup of the components in play (an image-based backup) and also ensure the Veeam Configuration backup is running. You can also download Veeam Community Edition to make a backup of the key Veeam components completely out of band if you want.

Veeam ONE V12 Upgrade:  The first video is from @kirststoner12 on upgrading Veeam ONE to V12:
 

 

Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager Upgrade: The second video is upgrading one of my environments from V11A to V12:

Veeam Backup & Replication Upgrade: The third video is upgrading one of my VBR servers from V11A to V12:

 

While my environment proceeded without issue, we realize not all environments will behave the same. If you need help, you can open a case at the Customer Portal.

A question on upgrade sequence. I have a VM running Veeam One and Backup Enterprise Manager and a separate VM running VBR and SQL2016. I know I have to upgrade BEM first then VBR, but do I have to do them concurrently, ie one outage, stop all job, upgrade BEM, then upgrade VBR, test and restart jobs? Or can I upgrade BEM on one day and then VBR on a different day? 

 

You can do it on different days. Have a look at the prerequisites here: Before You Begin - Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager Guide

“To upgrade Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager to version 12, you must be running version 10a (build 10.0.1.4854) or later”

Thanks for the quick response @dips and yes, I think a ‘staggered’ upgrade is totally fine. If you had multiple Veeam B&R Servers running under one Veeam BEM server; you could consider one at a time too.

A question on upgrade sequence. I have a VM running Veeam One and Backup Enterprise Manager and a separate VM running VBR and SQL2016. I know I have to upgrade BEM first then VBR, but do I have to do them concurrently, ie one outage, stop all job, upgrade BEM, then upgrade VBR, test and restart jobs? Or can I upgrade BEM on one day and then VBR on a different day? 

Youi will want to also upgrade VONE first before VEM/VBR otherwise it will not connect to your VBR/VEM server.  Just an FYI

I heard a rumor that V12  patch release is coming soon. Any truth in it ?

I heard a rumor that V12  patch release is coming soon. Any truth in it ?

Yes, there will be a comprehensive patch. I plan on updating this right away when that KB lands.

@Rick Vanover 

KB is now updated for the new patch release.

https://www.veeam.com/kb4420

@Rick Vanover

KB is now updated for the new patch release.

https://www.veeam.com/kb4420

Time to update 😎

@Rick Vanover

KB is now updated for the new patch release.

https://www.veeam.com/kb4420

Time to update 😎

Update was easy and no issues.  👍

I will upgrade with new iso from V11  tomorrow. 

Good to hear that the KB update for V12 went well. I updated the main part of this in Post Publish Updates on Friday. I expect we’ll have a combined ISO at some point, which I’ll note. 

Combined ISO is already there isn't it ?   

 

Combined ISO is already there isn't it ?   

 

Yes, if you use the Download ISO link it will download the one with the latest patch.

Funny,  Veeam chose to name/number  the iso release 413 and not 412 :

 

Funny,  Veeam chose to name/number  the iso release 413 and not 412 :

 

This is the date, not the version number….

KB Update done without issues

Upgrade done, no issues: 

 

Updated today (and last month) with two updates KB4420 and KB4443.

Hi. Since it’s a multi-site Veeam architecture (all components at V11a latest build) already running in prod i.e. Ent Mgr, Veeam One, ten+ VBR (no VCSP or backups to cloud yet in any form) all at v11a. We want to upgrade the entire  environ to v12 and also move to Postgres for each component. We are looking at best strategy over a 2 week project hopefully. Question is: Can Ent Mgr at v12 (postgres) & veeam one at v12 (postgres) coexist (aka sit) with mixed VBRs (some VBRs still at 11a (sql) ready to be upgraded to v12 (postgres), and some VBRs already upgraded to v12 (upgraded to postgres also). All pointers welcome. Thx

Hi. Since it’s a multi-site Veeam architecture (all components at V11a latest build) already running in prod i.e. Ent Mgr, Veeam One, ten+ VBR (no VCSP or backups to cloud yet in any form) all at v11a. We want to upgrade the entire  environ to v12 and also move to Postgres for each component. We are looking at best strategy over a 2 week project hopefully. Question is: Can Ent Mgr at v12 (postgres) & veeam one at v12 (postgres) coexist (aka sit) with mixed VBRs (some VBRs still at 11a (sql) ready to be upgraded to v12 (postgres), and some VBRs already upgraded to v12 (upgraded to postgres also). All pointers welcome. Thx

VEM and VBR can run on Postgres but VONE does not support it yet.  Just FYI.

@Aman.Nangia

VBR and EM must run on the same configuration database engine.

Enterprise Manager server on PostgreSQL cannot manage a Veeam Backup & Replication server which is still on MSSQL. Your V11 servers will not show data in a Enterprise Manager v12 with PostgreSQL database.

But if you leave the database on MSSQL, your V11 server can be managed by the Enterprise Manager v12.
 

I recommend the following approach:

  1. Upgrade EM but stay on MSSQL
  2. Upgrade all VBR but stay on MSSQL
  3. Migrate all VBR databases to PostgreSQL 
  4. Migrate your EM database to PostgreSQL

 

Best,

Fabian

Thanks Fabian; spot on. And for Veeam One what should i do today. As step 1a), can i upgrade him to v12 and leave it at SQL, and will he able to communicate with EM v12 (postgresql) i.e. after step 4, and also can he maintain the historical data of VBR servers at v11 SQL prior to the upgrades? Thx to let me know

Veeam One only supports MSSQL and will work with either VBR/EM on PostgreSQL or MSSQL.

I would first upgrade Veeam One. As Step 0 🙂 Historical data from MSSQL will not be lost after step 4 + 5.

  1. Upgrade Veeam One
  2. Upgrade EM but stay on MSSQL
  3. Upgrade all VBR but stay on MSSQL
  4. Migrate all VBR databases to PostgreSQL 
  5. Migrate your EM database to PostgreSQL

 

Best,

Fabian

Thanks a LOT Fabian :)

Minor question on above upgrade path topic: The interm period between steps 4 & 5 bcz of the qty of VBR servers (10+) which will span over 2 days say, should be ok you think bcz some VBRs will be at sql and some will be already upgraded to postgress but EM is still at sql which is only until in step5 getting migrated to postgres. Thx again

You‘re welcome :)
It won‘t be an issue for the EM server. But you won‘t see (new) data or will able to restore data in EM of the already migrated VBR servers until you migrate the EM too.

 

Best,

Fabian

To get to target picture (there are 14+ VBRs), here is my high-level plan. Pls let me know your thoughts. Thank you

 

High-level Steps

 

  1. Stand up the new VM 2022 for EM (same hostname, with different or same IP as source EM) but not on network yet. (Do NOT install EM yet)
  2. Stand up the new VM 2022 for Veeam One (same hostname, with different or same IP as source VeeamOne) but not on network yet. (Do NOT install Veeam One yet)
  3. Take source EM v11 DB backup and shutdown services on source EM and disconnect from network
  4. Take source VeeamOne v11 DB backup and shutdown services on source VeeamOne & disconnect from network
  5. Update DNS accordingly per steps 1 & 2
  6. Install same v11 build for EM on new EM VM and import sql express DB
  7. Install same v11 build for VeeamOne on new VeamOne VM and import sql express DB
  8. Validate new EM & VeeamOne, working as normal with existing VBRs (all v11 & sql express)
  9. Upgrade veeamOne to v12
  10. Upgrade EM to v12
  11. Upgrade VBRs to v12
  12. Validate EM & VeeamOne, working as normal with existing VBRs (all v12 & sql express)
  13. Take VeeamOne v12 sql express DB backup (either thru SSMS and/or dbconfig tool) & migrate its DB to SQL Standard (DB on remote machine)
  14. Take EM v12 sql express DB backup (either thru SSMS and/or dbconfig tool) & migrate its DB to SQL Standard (DB on remote machine)
  15. Validate EM & VeeamOne, working as normal with existing VBRs (all v12, SQL std for EM/VeeamOne & sql express for VBRs)

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