Veeam Data Platform Reviews

We use it at our site for our nightly backup and for disaster recovery (DR) replication to another site. So, we use WAN Accelerator. We use scheduled copies to another datastore, and then, of course, we do it for our backups for SQL servers and other servers.

WAN Accelerator helps tremendously with replicating our data because we have a large chunk of data that gets replicated between our two facilities. We're getting ready to purchase Nimble Storage that has Veeam integration, and it is supposed to improve our replication even more.

The SME that helped us with the implementation would probably have more insight because he used it way more than we have. We just use it for making sure that our backups are done daily, and the replications are being performed between sites. We haven't had any issues at all with it other than the fact that there is a slight process to acquire additional licenses if we want to expand our number of hosts. That's because it is based on the number of cores and threads that are used. 

I have been using this solution for three or four years.

So far, it has been pretty steady and stable. I haven't run into any type of issues with it.

It is scalable. What they definitely don't recommend is running it off a virtual machine rather than its own physical machine, but then we have some replication servers that we use for VM. So, the actual Veeam installation is set up on a physical Dell server, and then it is almost like they are sub engines. You would use these other processes to kick off the replication for whatever you want to be replicated to your DR. So, it is not all functioning from a single server. We have like three or four of those forms of replications.

The tech support and the training are pretty good. I sent one of my former employees, who was an intern and also my main Veeam administrator, for the training. He said it was very technical, and there was a lot to digest. He couldn't just do a transfer of knowledge because someone would have to go through that program to get a good understanding of how the solution works. He had gone through a lot of reference documents that came from it, and based on his feedback, it was pretty good.

We used to have Symantec Netbackup, and we replaced it with Veeam. Symantec Netbackup was clunky in terms of the upgrades. The other issue was that you couldn't throttle the replication bandwidth. 

It had the capability of doing a DR replication, but if you fall a couple of versions behind, there was no gradual update. If you fell behind by four versions or something like that, it was a nightmare trying to get it upgraded to the latest version. We had to have a consultant come in who worked with Dell but was intimate with Symantec products. He had to spend a week or two weeks with us to go through that upgrade process. It was more designed for backup to tape, and that was the main function for which we were using it. When we decided to go away from backup to tape and we wanted to do site-to-site replication, we didn't think that it had that inline capability. It was also costly.

From my understanding it was straightforward. A colleague in one of our other facilities was more intimate with the solution. Basically, we bought a physical box. It was a Dell box that had storage on it. It was our main Veeam backup server that handled the replications because it was used to store the backups. So, we didn't back up to tape. We back up to disk, and it replicates to the DR disk. Setting that up wasn't a problem. 

We also had to expand our local backup by using an additional span and then configuring that in order to work with Veeam as well. We didn't have any issues with it. 

In terms of maintenance, we only assign one person who manages it. So, it is a part of his daily tasks. This person looks for success and failure, and, if needed, kicks off a backup that failed. He also does the quarterly review to make sure that it is up to date and addresses any replication issues. 

If you are trying to replace an existing solution, you need to map out how to integrate Veeam while not impacting the current backup. That's what we did. We had to look at how do we continue our Symantec backups while implementing our Veeam. We slowly graduated at it. 

If you are doing any replication with Veeam, you need to determine the tier of the replication to a DR site. We broke out our SAN datastore so that the storage for what we would consider critical backups are done from a different datastore versus the entire SAN. Instead of implementing it first and then trying to change everything around, we did a lot of such pre-work prior to implementing it.

One of the things that Veeam doesn't like is a major change. In such a case, you will lose your data points or restore points. This means that if you've done 14 restore points and you go and make some major change to it, it could break that 12 restore point chain, and now you basically have to start all over again.

I would rate Veeam Backup & Replication a nine out of 10. 

Our primary use case with Veeam Backup & Replication is to backup critical data. We would recommend that a person put on a Veeam backup service so that in a disaster recovery scenario you set what has to come back up first because that is going to be the critical information that has to go back up as quickly as possible. You can put anything on critical servers, but we recommend that you use it for critical data that it is going to be restored within a four hour timeframe.

Veeam Backup & Replication can be deployed as agent-based or you can set it up to replicate back to a NAS, some sort of device onsite, so that a copy of your data goes to the device onsite and another copy goes to a data center for a backup as well. Then, if that server crashes, the device that's at the location has the latest copy of the good data from where they get the backup.

Veeam Backup & Replication has most definitely improved our organization because it saves the IT a lot of headache. 

Veeam Backup & Replication is a great alternative to what is out there. Some of the backups just allow an agent backup to the cloud. You can back up a thousand different ways, but this is a great way to keep a customer and a company in compliance in that they've got their data secure onsite and offsite. The data being transferred to the NAS at the customer's location and also the data being sent to the cloud is encrypted in transit and it's also encrypted at rest so that nobody is going to be able to hack into that. No one will have the keys to do that.

The dashboard is very, very easy to understand. We do demonstrations all the time with customers just to show them. If they've lost particular files because of a server going down, we can retrieve those files for them and quickly bring those files back up. So in a disaster recovery where you've got a location that's either been hit with a tornado, a hurricane, an earthquake, or whatever the disaster might be, this company and customer has to be up, then this data is secured offsite as well, and can be pulled down either to a VM, a virtual machine, or to another physical server. It is just a matter of how fast your internet connection is.

Until internet connectivity becomes standard all over the country and all over the world, as far as minimum speeds, the main thing would be just making sure that your data is being transferred as quickly as possible, that the data transfers are seated correctly, and that the replication takes place and is monitored. The service can be managed or unmanaged, it just depends on the customer's IT ability as to how much or how little we can help.

There is always room for improvement on anything, but at this point I think it's perfect. But I'm sure there are other things that customers are wanting that Veeam could probably put in their next update or patch. But at this point I don't have any information on that.

As companies grow, it just depends on what their needs are as to what we can help them with as far as the recovery is concerned. Larger businesses with more than 300 VMs would be a perfect scenario for Rubrik. Veeam, I think is good up until 300 VMs. With other services that we have, it could be lower than a hundred VMs, but it seems that Veeam is in a good spot.

I have been using Veeam Backup & Replication for probably the last four years.

This solution runs very smoothly unless there is a server that goes offline on a customer's site that we don't know about, but other than that, the service is rock solid.

The scalability is pretty much straightforward. It's just like updating software. For anybody that has a little bit of sense about how to update services it is pretty straightforward and simple.

Our clients are a mixture of small, medium and large businesses and they are all over the country.

I do sales, so I'm the one that is responsible for selling the sizzle. My IT folks, my engineers, are the ones that face Veeam the company. I would say that the majority of the companies that we deal with in backup and recovery are very, very responsive and I feel Veeam is the same way. It's a great software package, it is inexpensive and it does a lot of things that IT companies and people in general want to see.

We use EVault software and Carbonite backups, it just depends on the customer. If you can tolerate 12 to 24 hours of being out of service, then we have other backup services that are right in the ballpark in pricing, but just older technologies. Nowadays everything is like McDonald's and I want it now. I want my hamburger now and I want my data now. It is getting to where customers want that faster RTO and RPO so that they can have their company back up and making money as quickly as possible.

The initial setup is pretty straightforward if you've got a person that knows how things go. Most midsize and large companies will have an IT person on staff that would understand that. If they don't understand it, of course our guys, our engineers, can train them for that and show them which way to go. But normally IT people are pretty familiar with dashboards.

My advice to anyone considering Veeam Backup & Replication would be to definitely demo it and see what you think about it because you can't try it before you buy it, and see how it works in your environment. I'm not too sure if there are any trials that go on for a month at a time, but it depends on the customer. If they decide that this is something good for them, then we move forward with it and adjust as we go. But the majority of our customers know what Veeam is and have seen the product out there, because I send a lot of information out via LinkedIn and send emails to my customers about those services. It would just depend on whether it was an attorney's office, a hospital, whatever he is, but those folks would want to have their data as quickly as possible.

On a scale of one to ten, I would give Veeam Backup & Replication a 10.

I've been using Veeam Data Platform in our data protection strategy regularly for the past year. We rely on it daily to manage our information.

The most critical features of Veeam Data Platform for ensuring availability and integrity are its fast virtual machine restoration using duplication for quick backups and the COBRA point functionality that allows us to run regular tests in our environment.            

I have been using Veeam Data Platform for the past two years. 

As for stability, I'd also rate it as an eight out of ten. We haven't encountered any issues with stability in the two years we've been using it.

I'd rate the scalability of this solution as an eight out of ten. 

I've contacted Veeam's technical support, and I found it to be very good. They responded promptly within two hours when I had an issue with restarting a process, and they were able to solve the problem effectively.

Positive

The initial setup is straightforward.I'd rate my experience with the initial setup as an eight out of 10 for ease.  The solution is deployed on the cloud using CrownCloud as the provider. The deployment took approximately thirty minutes, and it was done by an integrator, requiring two people for the deployment.

I've observed a return on investment mostly during problem instances where quick recovery or restarts are crucial. It's akin to having insurance; you might not use it often, but when needed, it's invaluable to have.

We dont have the exact licensing costs, but we pay for a comprehensive service package that includes technical support, cloud services, and data center services. There may be additional costs beyond the standard license, but I'm not sure about the specifics. However, I believe the yearly cost is around five thousand dollars.

Before using Veeam Data Platform, I evaluated other options such as Big Kapolei and SZAC. However, I decided to go with VMware Data Platform because it seemed more appropriate for our virtual machine environment and the integration looked good.

I would rate Veeam Data Platform an eight overall.

Using Veeam Data Platform, I manage data migration to the cloud, business recovery, and various configurations.

The most valuable data protection features in Veeam are encryption and error handling. Encryption safeguards sensitive information like credit card data, while robust error handling ensures data integrity.

Apart from security improvements, enhancing compatibility with various platforms and addressing limitations related to integration and verification would be beneficial. For instance, ensuring seamless integration with AWS and overcoming hardware-related constraints for incremental verification would enhance overall usability and reliability.

I have had a great experience with their support team. They are highly professional, knowledgeable, and always willing to help, providing valuable assistance in improving our product. I would rate the support at a nine out of ten.

Positive

Veeam's security might be weaker than Dell's, but in terms of performance and reliability, Veeam often matches or surpasses Dell. For tasks like isolating areas for maintenance, Veeam offers more automated solutions compared to Dell's manual processes.

The initial setup of Veeam is easy, typically requiring minimal personnel for maintenance.

The pricing for Veeam Data Platform varies based on functionality needs. While it can be costly for clients requiring application backup, it is generally considered reasonable considering the extensive features offered.

We use Veeam for backup and disaster recovery because of its ease of use and our team's expertise. However, we are exploring other options, like daily security solutions, to ensure we provide the best fit for our clients' needs, rather than sticking to just one tool.

Veeam works best in Azure environments, but it might not be ideal for security-focused solutions like ADAP. However, it excels in hyper-converged infrastructure setups, making it a strong choice for those environments.

Veeam's scalability and flexibility benefit our organization by seamlessly integrating into existing environments, especially with popular hypervisors. This ease of integration simplifies management and allows for efficient testing, making it straightforward to use and manage.

Overall, I would rate Veeam Data Platform as an eight out of ten.

We use it to back up all of our virtual machines, including those on hardware and Hyper-V solutions, and some of our physical machines.

It allows us to perform instant recovery for SIM machines. This means that we can quickly install the configuration and check whether the machine is operational or not. This efficient process allows us to assess the status and decide to proceed or make necessary adjustments. Unlike traditional methods that may take up to two hours for restoration, our instant recovery feature enables us to recover in as little as five minutes, providing a prompt evaluation of the machine's functionality.

The standout feature for us is instant recovery. Additionally, we have the capability to replicate our repository in various clouds. It proves highly beneficial as we only need to configure a single repository and instruct it to replicate all backups that we have on-premises.

I would like to improve Cloud application, as well as disaster recovery since we must export our data from our buildings to another location. It would be beneficial to have enhanced solutions for database backup, particularly for Oracle databases in the context of SAP systems.

I have been working with it for two years now.

I would rate its stability eight out of ten.

Scaling up the system requires significant resources, necessitating the use of knowledge base tools dedicated to both storage and virtualization. I would rate it seven out of ten. We utilize it daily with a user base of a thousand individuals. Going forward, we have plans to expand its usage further.

The customer support is outstanding. Whenever I open a case, there is always a prompt and highly effective real-time response. I find it fair, quick, and competent. I would rate it ten out of ten.

Positive

We initially employed Active View, and transitioning to Veeam proved to be a beneficial decision. However, due to the company's shift to another provider, we were unable to continue using the product. The integration with Google Cloud was limiting, and as we required an on-premises solution, we had to explore alternatives.

Setting up the system was a straightforward process for us. We were able to do it independently without the need for a solution partner, making it a convenient and practical experience. I would rate it eight out of ten.

The installation is straightforward, but managing the system can be challenging, as it may require installing various tools on different machines. Consequently, a substantial infrastructure is necessary, involving approximately ten servers for the complete solution. The deployment process took approximately three weeks. Initially, we devised a plan, followed by the design phase. Once the design was finalized, we proceeded with the installation and implementation. The deployment was carried out in-house, with the involvement of two to three individuals.

I would rate it ten out of ten in terms of ROI.

It comes with a higher cost and it is an all-inclusive solution. I would rate it nine out of ten.

We evaluated three products, namely Cohesity and Rubrik, and after careful comparison, we opted for Veeam.

It necessitates careful consideration of factors such as the volume of data to be backed up, the number of servers in play, and the requirement for proxy servers. Overall, I would rate it eight out of ten.

We are using it as a data platform, with a specific focus on backup, recovery, and reporting requirements.

It offers a user-friendly approach and simplicity in operating, especially in comparison to other backup software options. A very notable feature is its ability to perform Instant VM Recovery, providing quick restoration of virtual machines. Its interface is designed to be intuitive and it also offers seamless integration with VMware storage, additionally enhancing its ease of use.

Enhancing the level of automation in IT processes would be beneficial.

I have been using it for four years.

It is a stable solution.

It offers good scalability capabilities. I would rate it eight out of ten.

Their technical support is good. After the request is raised through the portal, the technical support team will investigate the issue and provide assistance through either a call, email, or a Webex link for further help.

Positive

We had experience with EMC NetWorker, but we switched to Veeam Data Platform due to its cost-effective functionality and balancing capabilities.

The initial setup was seamless and fast. I would rate it nine out of ten.

The deployment process was done in one day.

It is an affordable solution.

It is a specific software in terms of its ease of implementation, as it provides a user-friendly interface and supports various forms of backup without the need for additional agents. It doesn't require any extra servers, licenses, or specialized configurations for applications such as SQL or Accelerator backups. I would rate it eight out of ten.

Veeam ONE is for dashboarding purposes. Veeam ONE has the ability to forecast how the infrastructure will be working in the future. You can visualize how you manage your resources or forecast storage. Veeam ONE can also forecast the usage of servers or the lifecycle of servers. It can tell you how your server's working currently and if you use X in the future, how many servers you require for new deployments. 

It's very useful, customizable, and scalable.

It's good for forecasting future needs.

The dashboard has been very useful. It has good reporting on offer. 

The solution offers a very straightforward setup. 

It's stable. 

There aren't really any areas for improvement. 

The pricing is very high. 

I've been working with the solution for about five years. 

The scalability is very good. I'd rate it nine out of ten. It's easy to expand.

We have five to ten users on the product right now. They monitor 500 or 600 users from the dashboard. 

I haven't used technical support. I haven't had any issues. I've been able to manage everything so far. 

The setup is very simple and straightforward. That said, it can get complex once you add servers. It takes time to sync the server, for example.

It takes one to two hours to deploy the solution.

The whole process is very simple. You just click next, next, next, and you are done. 

The stability is good. In a previous version, the stability was good, however, in the newer version, it is working properly. It's reliable. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. 

It's an expensive solution. Clients sometimes wonder why they pay so much if they only want reporting. 

Users can choose between monthly and yearly pricing. 

It is a very good product; however, it's expensive. I'd rate it nine out of ten based on the capabilities and value we get out of it. 

The features that I have found most valuable are its ease of management, it is not complicated, it is very reliable, has good support and a lot of knowledge on the market for integrators.

Ease of management was actually one of the main points for me. The second one is the SureBackup. SureBackup is the feature that allows you to automatically restore and check that the backups are consistent. 

Those are the two main points for our decision to choose Veeam. We made some POCs with some vendors and they took a lot of time and were really too complicated and required way more resources to invest.

I would want them to improve some technical features that are still missing because we are working with NetApp NVMe and they're not fully supporting it yet. But both NetApp and Veeam know about it and they're working on it. 

I'd like some improvements in ransom protection capabilities for Windows because they have some features with the Linux repositories but not with Windows.

There is no support for backing up snapshots from NVMe namespaces on NetApp.

For the cloud solution we need the Sophos backup solution, but I think that they are close to releasing this.

I have been using Veeam Backup & Replication for half a year.

Veeam Backup & Replication is stable. I think we have maybe one ticket open in Veeam support about something that's related to not being a stable system.

I'm not ready to answer that because we didn't scale it out or scale it up because we just started working with Veeam Backup & Replication. But our topology will be really easy to scale up. It actually doesn't depend on Veeam itself. It depends more on the storage systems where we're storing their backups or network capacity and not on Veeam.

There were two guys from my system IT teams and one from the integrator side managing the Veeam infrastructure, but anybody in the system IT team can use it. We use it for the user restoration process or adding systems to the backup. We automated the whole process of adding the system to the backup so we don't need to do that manually, but anybody can access the system and do what it can do according to their permissions.

I think we're using only about 50% of the features. There is a lot of functionality we've still not used so we are planning to increase our usage.

The technical support is really good. We don't spend any time waiting for them and they start working in an hour. But we also have a good local integrator so mostly we don't need the vendor support.

I will divide the initial setup into two separate answers. Veeam has the most speedy setup that I have ever seen, but because we make our backup architecture really complicated and really secured, it takes some time for the fine tunings. It is not directly Veeam's problem but it is my network or security perimeter's problem. There was a really funny story with that because it takes a lot of time to configure and to fine tune and so on. After your set up the EXE of Veeam in the next two hours you can start the back up, but if you want to make it really secure and immutable for attacks that we face, you need some time to build it.

in general it is pretty simple, but if you want to do something specific it can take a long time. Setup also depends on the facilities and resources inside the companies that they can use for that. But overall, it is really simple.

Our license is about 200K for three years. It includes everything. It includes support and it includes the Office 365 Backup as well for the whole environment. We have about 6,000 mailboxes to back up.

For Veeam it's a pretty standard license. We made a tender because we are a kind of public organization so I have to make it on the tender, but that's the reason there is no cost for the hardware that I need to power the Veeam infrastructure.

Veeam is the only software that is a real comparison with Commvault or NetBackup. It's not really good to compare because NetBackup and other solutions are providing hardware also. So here I have software on one side from Veeam and I have some storage systems or disk systems from other vendors. For now, I have NetApp, but tomorrow it could be EMC, HPE or whatever. That's maybe one of the disadvantages of these vendors, but for me it's not a disadvantage, I'm okay with that.

Most of the time it is more flexible to not be dependent on any one vendor. We have used previous systems for about 15 years and most of problems are coming from the hardware, but NetBackup does not produce hardware.

My advice to anyone considering Veeam Backup & Replication is to check what you need and then decide what you're going to buy. Don't think if you have X money and then go to the market you will get it for that money. You need to understand what the organization's needs are and then to check what our vendors are advising and proposing, because we have almost 100% VxRail and it's 100% VMware. I think Veeam is the most valuable vendor for backup and application systems for VMware. For virtualization no, but VMware yes. And we know that they're working very hard with the NetApp systems and most of their integrations are first coming with NetApp. That was also a point of decision.

On a scale of one to ten, I would give Veeam Backup & Replication a nine.