Backup Copy Fundamentals

Veeam’s Backup Copy feature is the backbone of the 3-2-1 rule and has been part of VBR since day one. Conceptually it’s simple: take an existing restore point and duplicate it as a fully functional restore point in another repository. A restore point might be a single .vbk full or a chain of .vbk + .vib files—Backup Copy preserves whatever structure the source job created.

Backup Copy typically uses a forever-incremental chain. The first run produces a .vbk full; every subsequent run writes .vib increments on top of that base. Synthetic fulls are created via the GFS schedule—for example:

After upgrading to V10, VBR gained lots of new features—and a surprising number of hidden shortcuts. Here are a few of my favorites.

Ctrl + Right-click

In many views you can hold Ctrl and right-click to reveal additional menu items that aren’t visible otherwise.

Start a Fresh NAS Backup Chain

NAS jobs are forever-incremental, but sometimes you just need a brand-new full. In the Files shares backup job list, select the job, hold Ctrl, right-click, and the Start new backup chain button appears.

Ever since I joined Veeam, people have been asking, “When will we get a Chinese UI?” It’s a tough challenge, and I’ve always been pessimistic about the timeline.

Still, where there’s a will, there’s a way. Today I’m sharing a small treat: a Chinese localization plug-in for the Veeam Enterprise Manager web interface.

Here’s a preview:

Download:

https://gitee.com/veeamchinadocs/veeam-webui-cn-plugin

Usage is simple: download the archive, place the Veeam-CN-WebUI-Beta-1.x.x folder on any machine running Chrome (it doesn’t need to be the Enterprise Manager server), and follow the included instructions.

Series Index

• VAO Basics (1) – Introduction
• VAO Basics (2) – Installation & Deployment
• VAO Basics (3) – Core Components · Part 1
• VAO Basics (4) – Core Components · Part 2
• VAO Basics (5) – Essential Configuration Notes
• VAO Basics (6) – The First Step to a Successful DR Plan
• VAO Basics (7) – Plan Steps · Part 1
• VAO Basics (8) – Plan Steps · Part 2
• VAO Basics (9) – Report Template Guide

For the final chapter of this series, let’s look at VAO’s documentation system.

Series Index

• VAO Basics (1) – Introduction
• VAO Basics (2) – Installation & Deployment
• VAO Basics (3) – Core Components · Part 1
• VAO Basics (4) – Core Components · Part 2
• VAO Basics (5) – Essential Configuration Notes
• VAO Basics (6) – The First Step to a Successful DR Plan
• VAO Basics (7) – Plan Steps · Part 1
• VAO Basics (8) – Plan Steps · Part 2
• VAO Basics (9) – Document Template Deep Dive

Previously we looked at the Plan Step library. Today we’ll zoom in on custom scripts—how to create them, where to run them, and how to pass parameters. I’ll walk through a working example so you can follow along.

Series Index

• VAO Basics (1) – Introduction
• VAO Basics (2) – Installation & Deployment
• VAO Basics (3) – Core Components · Part 1
• VAO Basics (4) – Core Components · Part 2
• VAO Basics (5) – Essential Configuration Notes
• VAO Basics (6) – The First Step to a Successful DR Plan
• VAO Basics (7) – Plan Steps · Part 1
• VAO Basics (8) – Plan Steps · Part 2
• VAO Basics (9) – Document Template Deep Dive

In Part 6 we walked through building Orchestration Plans. When designing DR, it’s best to start with a single application and scale gradually. By default, each plan includes the minimum steps required to restore or fail over a workload. VAO’s real power lies in the ability to add steps—pick what you need from the built-in library or layer on custom actions.