A Guide to Backing Up VMware ESXi with Veeam Backup & Replication

Introduction

Backing up VMware ESXi environments is a critical task for ensuring business continuity and disaster recovery. Veeam Backup & Replication offers a robust solution for protecting virtual machines running on VMware ESXi. This tutorial will guide you through the process of setting up and configuring Veeam Backup & Replication to back up your ESXi environment effectively.

Veeam Backup & Replication is a powerful and versatile tool designed to provide backup, recovery, and replication capabilities for virtualized environments. It supports a wide range of platforms, including VMware vSphere, Microsoft Hyper-V, and various cloud services.

Key Benefits of Using Veeam for ESXi Backups

• Fast and Reliable Backups: Veeam provides efficient backup solutions with built-in WAN acceleration, allowing faster transfers compared to traditional methods.
• Comprehensive Data Protection: Offers image-level backups, ensuring that all VM data, including system state and applications, are fully protected.
• Easy Recovery: Facilitates quick and reliable recovery options, from full VM restores to file-level recoveries.
• Centralized Management: Provides a single pane of glass to manage backups across multiple sites and cloud environments.

Prerequisites for Backing Up ESXi with Veeam

Before you begin the backup process, ensure you have the following prerequisites in place:

VMware ESXi Environment: A functional VMware ESXi environment, including vSphere and ESXi servers. For tutorial purpose we have installed VMware ESXi version on our physical machine. There are 3 VMs installed on one vCenter on this software.

Veeam Backup & Replication Installation: Veeam Backup & Replication installed on a server that can communicate with your ESXi servers.

Network Configuration: Adequate network connectivity between the Veeam server and the ESXi servers.

Storage Repository: A storage repository accessible to Veeam for storing backups. This can be local storage, NAS, or cloud storage. For our lab environment we have Windows Server as a storage, where we installed the Veeam Backup software.

Administrative Credentials: Type administrative credentials for both VMware ESXi/vCenter and Veeam Backup & Replication. Click apply to continue.

Once the credential is accepted, click next to finish the process.

Step-by-Step Guide to Backing Up ESXi with Veeam

1. Installing Veeam Backup & Replication

If you haven’t already installed Veeam Backup & Replication, follow these steps:

1. Download Veeam Backup & Replication: Visit the Veeam website and download the latest version of Veeam Backup & Replication.
2. Run the Installer: Execute the installer and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation process.
3. Configure Initial Settings: During installation, configure the necessary settings such as the service account and database options.

2. Adding VMware Infrastructure to Veeam

1. Open Veeam Backup & Replication Console: Launch the Veeam Backup & Replication console from your server.
2. Add VMware vSphere Infrastructure:
   • Navigate to the “Inventory” tab.
   • Click on “Add Server” and select VMware vSphere.
   • Enter the vCenter Server or ESXi host details and provide the necessary credentials.
3. Validate Connection: Ensure that Veeam can connect to and inventory the vSphere environment without any issues.

3. Configuring Backup Repository

1. Navigate to Backup Infrastructure: In the Veeam console, go to the “Backup Infrastructure” tab.
2. Add Backup Repository:
   • Click on “Backup Repositories” and then Add Repository.
   • Choose the type of repository (e.g., local disk, NAS, cloud storage) and follow the wizard to configure it.

4. Creating a Backup Job

Open Backup Job Wizard: Open Veeam application. Go to the Home tab.

Name and Description: Provide a name and description for the backup job. Click next.

Select Virtual Machines:

• Click Add to select the VMs you want to back up. You can choose individual VMs or entire clusters.

Type IP address of VMware ESXi if not added previously. Click on the ip address to select it for the backup process and click next.

Configure Backup Settings:

Select the backup repository you configured earlier. Set the backup schedule and retention policies according to your needs.

Advanced Settings: Configure advanced settings such as compression, deduplication, and encryption if required.

If want to schedule a backup process, then click on the check box to set scheduling of backup process.

Review and Finish: Review the backup job settings and click Finish to create the job.

Click on Backup Job and select Virtual machine to start the Backup Job Wizard.

5. Monitoring and Managing Backups

1. Monitor Backup Jobs:
   • Navigate to the “Home” tab and select “Jobs” to monitor the progress of backup jobs.
   • Ensure that backup jobs complete successfully by checking the “Last Result” column.
2. Review Job Details: Select a backup job to view detailed statistics, including the summary, data processed, and job status.

6. Testing Recovery

1. Perform Recovery Test: Regularly test your backups by performing recovery tests to ensure data integrity and backup reliability.
   • Navigate to the “Home” tab and click on “Restore” to initiate a recovery process.
2. Verify Recovery Points: Ensure that recovery points are valid and that VMs can be successfully restored from backups.

Conclusion

Backing up your VMware ESXi environment with Veeam Backup & Replication is a critical step in ensuring business continuity and disaster recovery. By following the steps outlined in this tutorial, you can set up and manage your backups effectively, ensuring that your virtual machines are protected against data loss and downtime.

Click here to download Veeam Backup and Replication