Veeam Data Platform Reviews

Veeam is our primary backup system used with the DD2500 for the repository. We use Veeam 9.5 Update 3 on a physical Windows 2016 server with Proxy servers deployed one per host in our HA Cluster. We also use the Enterprise Plus licensing for Nimble Snapshot Integration for backups and this allows our backup window to be reduced.

With moving the Veeam server to a physical server and creating a Proxy server on each of the hosts, we are able to leverage SAN based backup which is very fast. Jobs are completed overnight and never run in to the business hours.

Features with the most value are Instant VM Recovery, SQL Explorer and Exchange Explorer. Allowing our Veeam Agents access to the repositories for backups is another big plus.

Physical backup is always where room for improvement could be but Veeam has always stated they are not going in that direction. However, with Veeam Endpoint Backup, physical server backup is possible.

I have been using this solution for more than five years.

Stability has always been the best part of Veeam and never has there been an issue with this.

The scalability of Veeam is endless depending on your needs and there were no issues for us.

Customer Service:

Customer service is always been top notch and I rate it a 10/10.

Technical Support:

Technical support is 10/10. They are always fast with responding to tickets and help you in the best way possible. They even arrange discussions with Architects if you have questions on best practices or environment setup.

Positive

We still use Symantec Backup Exec but only due to having physical Exchange 2010 servers. Once we virtualize this will be decommissioned. Having Veeam Endpoint Backup may be the alternate solution to fast-track this.

The initial setup was very straightforward and there never seems to be issues with Veeam.

We completed the implementation in-house using local resources.

ROI has been about six months.

Be sure as always to evaluate products, get licensing costs, etc. Choose what is right for your business model.

No other options were evaluated as we knew Veeam was one of the better solutions for Virtual Backup.

Veeam is a great product and always works. The product setup is easy and learning of the product for someone technical is straightforward. I look forward to the improvements in this product as it progresses.

We have used the solution for combining cloud and on-premise storage, like a hybrid repository for storing our data and offloading. We have also created backups for Exchange and SQL. We also use the solution for endpoint protection like laptops and bare metal restore.

The product has introduced cloud storage, which can be used directly for backing up the data. We need not have an on-premise storage location. It makes everything easy. The product’s configuration and settings are very easy.

The endpoint protection console is not centralized. It needs to be improved. The product must improve its reporting features so that it can be used for audit purposes.

I have been using the solution for at least eight years.

The initial setup is straightforward. If everything is in place, deploying the solution takes one to two hours.

One or two people from our team can handle the deployment process. They have admin-level access to the server. It is easy. No other intervention is required.

I rate the tool’s pricing a seven out of ten. The product is expensive for small businesses. However, it is not that expensive.

The product is suitable for a BDM organization that does not have the option to store data on-premise. It is really easy to manage. It can also be restored very easily. If we have a good network speed, it does a quicker restore. Overall, I rate the solution an eight and a half out of ten.

We use the solution to back up all our products, like Exchange, SharePoint, Linux, Windows, Oracle, and SQL.

The solution has a user-friendly interface.

The solution's admin scheduling scripts need improvement. Also, import and export processes for information and policies could be better.

I have been using the solution for six months.

I rate the solution's stability as a nine.

I rate the solution's scalability as a nine.

The solution's customer support team is responsive and efficient. It resolves the issues promptly.

We have used IBM TSM and Symantec NetBackup before. In comparison, the solution is simple to use, integrates well with third-party solutions, and has dedicated technical experts.

I rate the solution as a nine out of ten.

I use the solution to backup the VMware environment and Linux servers.

The fast backup and restore feature is the most valuable.

The interface and cluster environments could be improved in the future as presently they are using agent interface instead of user interface. Also, the backup for the Oracle WAC environment can be improved.

I have been using the solution for two years.

The tool is stable. I rate it nine out of ten.

The tool is scalable. 

The technical support team is good.

Positive

Previously, I used Data Protector, EMC network test and Commvault.Veeam is the master for handling the VMware environment. If you need a backup solution to backup your virtual environment, Veeam is the one.

The initial setup is straightforward. The deployment takes one hour. One engineer can look after the deployment. After the solution is setup it hardly requires any maintenance, just time-to-time updates are required.

I have seen a Return on Investment, in terms of saving time and money.

The pricing of the solution is fair.

Veeam is a good solution and one should be committed to it.

I rate it nine out of ten.

My customers rely on Veeam Backup & Replication primarily to safeguard their systems, secure their workloads, and support hybrid cloud and multi-cloud environments. It allows them to back up their data across various cloud platforms and perform cross-platform restoration. For instance, they can back up VMware and restore it on Azure, among other scenarios. In addition to this, they can efficiently back up mainstream applications such as VMware Internet workloads, Microsoft Hyper-V, and Microsoft applications, such as Active Directory, Exchange, and more.

The solution can be deployed on the cloud and on-premise.

One of the standout features of Veeam Backup & Replication is its exceptional restore capability, enabling users to recover their data seamlessly. Another valuable functionality is the automated verification of backup restorations, made possible through the Sure Backup feature. The software boasts numerous other noteworthy features that offer immense value, including the NAS backup feature.

There is room for improvement in the application backups, particularly for Oracle and SaaS systems. Veeam Backup & Replication offers a plugin specifically designed for Oracle and SAP HANA databases. In version twelve, they introduced enhancements that allow deploying the plugin from the backup server. However, manual configuration is still required on each server to schedule the backup and specify the backup repository. Additionally, transitioning from a Windows server to a Linux server requires converting the existing model. Previously, Veeam heavily relied on Windows and Microsoft SQL databases for their solution. Fortunately, in version twelve, they introduced an enhancement by offering the option to use a Postgres SQL database, which is an open-source alternative.

In a future version, it would be highly advantageous for the vendor to introduce a specific feature that addresses an important customer need. Many enterprise customers utilize deduplication appliances for storing their backups, particularly when compliance requirements demand data encryption during transit and at rest. While the current solution offers encryption during transit, there is a limitation when it comes to seamless integration with deduplication appliances. When encryption is enabled, backups are directed to a standard repository. Subsequently, enterprises are compelled to store encrypted backups on a staging repository before transferring them to the deduplication appliance. This approach affects deduplication ratios. Ideally, it would be beneficial for enterprises if there was a way to seamlessly encrypt backups on the staging repository and then move them to the deduplication appliance in their encrypted format without impacting deduplication ratios. Such an integration would greatly benefit enterprise customers.

I have been using Veeam Backup & Replication for approximately five years.

The solution is stable.

I rate the stability of Veeam Backup & Replication an eight out of ten.

Veeam Backup & Replication demonstrates impressive scalability through its modular architecture. By utilizing multiple proxies and repositories, users can effectively distribute the workload and achieve load balancing. This scalability feature allows the solution to adapt and accommodate varying environments. Thus far, there haven't been any encountered scenarios where scaling became a significant challenge.

We are focusing on enterprise customers at this time.

I rate the scalability of Veeam Backup & Replication an eight out of ten.

The support provided by Veeam Backup & Replication is truly exceptional and highly responsive. Whenever I encounter any issues on-site, I can confidently open a support case and reach out to their toll-free number. Their support team promptly connects with me and offers remote assistance almost instantly. While the quality of engineers may vary, Veeam has a commendable escalation process in place. If I encounter any difficulties with an engineer, I have the option to request a change or escalate the issue to a manager, who can assign a higher-tier engineer to provide the necessary support for the solution.

I rate the support from Veeam Backup & Replication a ten out of ten.

The initial setup of Veeam Backup & Replication is simple. However, the difficulty of integrating it with an environment comes down to the type of environment, it details that can take time.

The implementation process for Veeam Backup & Replication involves several essential steps. Firstly, you engage in planning activities such as sizing and designing the solution, ensuring that all three prerequisites are met. Once the planning is complete, you proceed to download the software and initiate the installation and integration process. This includes configuring firewall ports to be open and defining antivirus exclusions to optimize performance. Additionally, you need to manage permissions on the target machines that you intend to back up. These are just a few examples of the tasks involved in the implementation process.

I rate the initial setup of Veeam Backup & Replication an eight out of ten.

Compared to other enterprise solutions, Veeam Backup & Replication generally offers a competitive price point. However, there has been a noticeable and concerning increase in pricing, particularly in the year 2023. The rate of price hikes has been significant, with prices escalating three times during the first quarter of the year. This trend indicates a substantial shift in the pricing structure, which may have implications for customers and their budgeting considerations.

The pricing model of Veeam Backup & Replication differs from other vendors in the industry. While many backup vendors base their pricing on the amount of storage in terabytes, Veeam opts for a server-based pricing approach. This server-based pricing has traditionally been more appealing to end customers, offering a simpler and more straightforward cost structure. However, as Veeam continues to grow and expand, it is encountering challenges in managing costs with this pricing model. From our company's perspective, the terabyte-based pricing model is more convenient and preferable.

There are not any additional costs other than the standard licensing fees.

Veeam Backup & Replication is an excellent choice for those seeking a generic backup solution. It caters to a wide range of requirements and fulfills approximately 80 percent of the market's needs. Customers running VMware, Hyper-V, Nutanix workloads, and more can readily utilize Veeam Backup & Replication. However, for those with highly customized or specific workloads, a more tailored solution might be necessary. While Veeam Backup & Replication is versatile and widely applicable, certain niche requirements may call for a specialized backup solution beyond the generic features of Veeam Backup & Replication.

I rate Veeam Backup & Replication an eight out of ten.

We are using Veeam Backup & Replication for backing data, such as our databases and VMs.

The most valuable feature of Veeam Backup & Replication is the ease of use.

Veeam Backup & Replication could improve by making it more user-friendly.

I have been using Veeam Backup & Replication for almost one year.

Veeam Backup & Replication is a stable solutions.

I have found Veeam Backup & Replication to be scalable.

We have one person using the solution in our company and they are doing the backup of our data. We plan to increase usage near the end of the year.

The technical support from Veeam is good.

We previously used Veritas NetBackup but it was having some issues and it is almost at its end of life. We moved to Veeam Backup Replication.

The initial setup was easy, and the whole process took two to three days.

We did the implementation of Veeam Backup & Replication ourselves. We only use one person for the maintenance and support of the solution.

We pay for the license of Veeam Backup Replication on an annual basis. The cost of the license is approximately 70,000 rials. The support and maintenance are included in the price.

My advice to others is Veeam Backup Replication is a good solution.

I rate Veeam Backup & Replication a ten out of ten.

It's used to replicate the production environment from the primary side to the backup, or between two data centres.

The most important are the snapshot and the replication features. VMotion for replication of the production is useful, but it's not really important. We don't use these features every day.

I'd like to have this kind of solution, but in the Cloud environment. I think there are other solutions that address the same requirements, like Commvault, which can be used easily in AWS on the S3 environment.

This VMotion feature is not mastered by any expert and we don't use it for replication. If we are migrating and relocating the primary site to another site, we do it in two steps. So at the primary site, we switch it with the backup and then vice versa. We then relocate it to another site. When we wanted to use VMotion to make the switch from the primary site to the backup site, there were some difficulties with it. It's not reliable enough to be 100% sure that there will be no failure in the operation.

I have been using it for eight months.

Once it's in place, the product is stable.

I don't haven't enough knowledge about that yet because I've only been using it for eight months. We haven't had enough transaction volume yet.

With this solution, I have an integrator helping me with all the infrastructure. I rely a lot on these experts because they know the solution very well.

It was quite difficult to put this solution in place and I don't think we use all the features, like VMotion. 

I would rate this solution a five out of ten. 

VM is suited for small and medium enterprises. In big enterprises with a complex IT infrastructure, the solution is not suitable. 

We use Veeam Backup for setting up backups, according to our directives and policies, such as encryption and high contention policies. We then do the backup to Wasabi or any other cloud area. We use these directives to configure the backups. 

This solution is deployed on-premises. 

Veeam Backup has many valuable features and every feature is different. I have created backups for file-level backup, VMware or hypervisor virtual machines, physical machines, and workstations as well. Every time, I learn something new. 

I think Veeam needs to improve the file installation process, as well as more technical things like snapping feature issues. Sometimes during backup, when it's taking the scan snaps on the ESXi, it started and didn't remove the snapshot from there, which consumed storage on the EXSi. It could be improved with more technical depth. 

The response time for Veeam's technical support could also be improved. 

I have been working with Veeam Backup for about four to five years. 

Veeam Backup is stable. There is an issue, where if you lost the VBR machine that was taking the backups, it's a long process to reconfigure the VBR, attach the repositories with the new VBR machine, and restore things. It is a difficult process, but with Datto, they also contain the backup in the cloud—you can manage your cloud to the portal and then you can store the machines on their cloud. 

Maintenance is required from time to time, basically whenever you're upgrading your servers, workstations, or endpoint. According to that, you might need to improve your version of Veeam. I started working with VBR versions 8 and 9, and then upgraded to 10, and then 11. Different restoration features and backup features are available in different versions. 

This solution is easy to scale. You can scale it up—you just need to give it a repository and then assign the backup to those repositories. It is a little difficult moving the old backup change from one repository to another, and is not as simple as with Datto. Datto has a very simple process and when you continue with the Datto machine with a higher amount of space, they always have their pool containing all the previous backups. They also move all those backups to new storage, so their process is very easy, whereas it's a little difficult with Veeam. 

Veeam Backup is mostly suitable for small organizations. For large organizations, I recommend Datto because they're more reliable, in terms of the restoration process. Small organizations may have time to recover things or provide a solution. Basically, it depends on the queue scalability or the RPU and RTO, so you must plan the solution according to that. 

I'm satisfied with Veeam's technical support. Normally, we are able to solve issues ourselves, but if we have any issues that are unresolvable and we can't find a solution on the internet or on forums, then we contact the support team. 

They take a little bit longer to resolve issues because they often have call loads on the support, so you either need to wait one or two hours for someone to call you back or you need to wait on the phone. The other support teams are busy on other calls, so you have to wait for them or leave your number. 

In one scenario, different issues were occurring and we discussed them with the support team. I was working on license utilization of all the VBRs, which were integrated with my Veeam Service Provider Console. We identified that the license utilization was not generating properly through the Veeam Service Provider Console and it also wasn't integrating through to my PSA integration tools. So, he worked with me and they improved the database tables to get the proper report from the VBR. From time to time, these issues are identified and we resolve them. 

If you are installing it for the first time, you might feel that it's a little bit complex. I think that if you are using a backup product, it's easier to configure the backup through Datto, Acronis' business solutions, or Synology NAS. To me, those are the easiest ways to configure the backups. 

The timeframe for deployment depends on the client environment: how many servers, how many backups need to be configured, the size of the backups, etc. When you configure the backup, initially, you need to take the full backups in, which takes time if the backup size is too big and you need to configure it one by one. So, it depends on the infrastructure, bandwidth, and the size of the backup. 

We implemented this solution through an in-house team. 

Veeam products are less expensive than other products. The licensing costs are low and they're pretty affordable. 

I'm using the Veeam Service Provider Console for centralized management of all VBR, and I created the cloud VBR for taking backups off configuration and managing them through the Veeam Service Provider Console.

I also use Datto, which I recommend for large organizations, because they are more reliable, in terms of the restoration process. You can make a machine available for a client on the Datto machine as well as in the cloud. It also takes a shorter amount of time for recovery, whereas on Veeam, you must have additional space and additional hardware available to restore the full machine. They also have a limitation of file level storage. For example, if you are running VBR on a machine and restoring the file, you have two options: you can either restore the files on the original location first, or you can restore the file on the same VR machine. If you lost your original location and you're restoring files, then you must restore the files on one of those two locations because you can't store files on network parts or any external storage. Small organizations may have time to recover things or provide a solution. 

I rate Veeam Backup a seven out of ten. 

I would recommend Veeam Backup, especially for small businesses. Normally, small business owners have a small budget, so they need to configure Veeam, whereas large organizations have large budgets, so they go to Datto. Small businesses can deploy Veeam if they have four or five backups. Otherwise, I would recommend Datto if they can afford it.