Item: Veeam Backup for Azure
Rating: 7
Author: Verified User

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

We use Veeam Backup as part of our formal virtual server backup procedure. We have critical infrastructure in the cloud that we can't afford to lose that holds our applications, databases and file storage areas. We use Veeam as our main backup software. It backs up around 20 virtual machines and 2 storage accounts.

Pros and Cons

It's very reliable, once its setup it continues to run without issue.
It's relatively easy to setup, and doesn't need constant tweaking.
I can use it on all my workloads, I'm not limited to just VMs.

It's still very clunky compared to the older on-prem solution which was very slick.
You have to pay for the service and also the storage of the backups, meaning it's not so easy to calculate costs.
It's very easy to overspec your backups by having them too often or keeping them for too long meaning you and run into high storage costs.

Return on Investment

Less time managing backups
Less time restoring files/VMs
Peace of mind in case of a ransomware attack with immutable backups

Usability

Still clunky compared to the on-prem version but getting better with every release. It does what it needs to do, and does it well. They are stuck with some limitations in the way Azure works so I don't know how much better they can make it but they've just added 365 backup management all from the same pane so it seems they're not done yet.

Alternatives Considered

Azure Backup

Azure Backup services give reliable backups with the bare minimum needed to get the job done.
Veeam Backup takes it several steps further with better management, better features, better reporting and better integration with on-prem backups. It does the same job, it just does it better.

Key Insights

Do you think Veeam Backup for Azure delivers good value for the price?

Yes

Are you happy with Veeam Backup for Azure's feature set?

Yes

Did Veeam Backup for Azure live up to sales and marketing promises?

Yes

Did implementation of Veeam Backup for Azure go as expected?

Yes

Would you buy Veeam Backup for Azure again?

Yes

Other Software Used

Rubrik, Jira Service Management, Azure Backup

Likelihood to Recommend

If you're looking to backup your Azure estate, then Veeam is a good choice. It works well and does exactly what you'd want it to do. It gets constant improvements with every release.
Azure's built-in Backup process is pretty robust and reliable so that might be enough for you, but if you need more control, better visibility and more features then Veeam is definitely one to check out.

To Veeam or not to Veeam

Overall Satisfaction with Veeam Backup for Azure