Assuming the iSCSI data is mounted as volumes on a Windows/Linux server, you can simply back up the VM and the volumes will be backed up as well (in most circumstances).

Alternatively, Veeam can back up network shares, so you might want to back up the NAS data directly if that’s a better/workable solution.

Cheers, Rob

It should be able to as @ratkinsonuk states. At the very least, you could also install the Veeam Agent on the system and choose to backup the ‘entire computer’ or ‘volumes’ and backup the iSCSI Volume you have connected.

It depends on how you attach the NAS via iSCSI. 

If you’re talking about an iSCSI datastore in VMware, where you place the VMDK(s) of your email archive, then Veeam will be able to backup those via a VMware backup.

If you want to use in-guest iSCSI, so inside the guest OS, then you’ll have to use the Veeam agent, as @coolsport00 says. In-guest iSCSI can’t get backed up via VMware backup.

Ok so the ISCI would be a mapped drive on the VM. I would go into ISCI Initiator and create the connection. Go into Disk management enable the new disk Windows sees and then format, assign drive mapping and treat it like disk on the Windows VM. 

It sounds like I would need to go the agent route which isn’t ideal, plus I replicate this VM so moving the data to the NAS is sounding less and less of an option without creating unneeded complexity. 

Thanks

Yeah...other than doing what you currently are...having the data on a VM disk in vSphere, the Agent would be the only way to go. 

Yes, for that case an agend-based backup is the only way to go. Replication will work, but ignorie the content of the in-guest iSCSI disk which means you’ll still be dependent on the availability of the NAS.

Any reason why you don’t use the NAS as an iSCSI datastore and place the archive inside a VMDK?

The NAS is a Synology and not spec out to run VM’s. so not an option. Someday I will get the cool toys. 

I didn't mean that you should run the VM on the Synology. Instead you could just mount an iSCSI LUN on your ESXi hosts and use it as a datastore for your VM or the archive disk.