Item: Veeam Backup for Azure
Rating: 10
Author: Andrew Sparks

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

I utilize Veeam Backup for Azure as an offsite backup location that can easily be restored from virtually anywhere. I've tested restoring to on premise locations as well as cloud locations and the application works perfectly to fit our needs. Everyone is worried about not being able to keep their data safe, but you easily can keep your data safe when sending the data to Azure as well as your other backup locations.

Pros and Cons

Ease of Use
Fast and Simple Restore
Ease of Setup
Securely Migrates Backups

Built-in WAN Acceleration
Better naming convention in Azure
Ability to pick and choose VMs to send instead of entire storage location
Ability to assign multiple storage locations in a single job instead of multiple.

Return on Investment

This has prevented longer outages due to installing updates that have broken server functionality. Instead of rolling back updates and hoping for the best, you can immediately restore from your backup and resolve the issue quicker.
Cost savings due to only needing two connectors but can store data anywhere you choose with Azure locations.
Definitely resource saving instead of taking manual backup of infrastructure and databased to move them offsite via external hard drives or tape.

Usability

The product is very easy to setup and use. Existing jobs are easily exported when the target storage location is connected to Azure blob storage. You can setup specific data to go into performance, capacity, or archive tiers in Azure. This allows you to segment data easily to fit business needs as well. Most companies wouldn't want to hold onto a file server with outdated documentation residing on it for multiple years, but would keep backups of SQL databases for years. Veeam Backup for Azure can easily be utilized to remedy that.

Alternatives Considered

Veritas Backup Exec

Backup Exec was a very clunky application and took forever to backup to and restore from. We would backup to SSD external hard drives from a flash array, but the process still took forever to finish. Sending our data to the Azure blob storage via Veeam is a faster and more secure process than saving to the external hard drives with Backup Exec.

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

Microsoft 365, Microsoft 365 Defender, Microsoft SharePoint, OneDrive, Zoom, draw.io, VMware vCenter Server, Horizons, Cisco ASA 5500-X with FirePOWER Services, Cisco AnyConnect, Cisco Meraki Wireless Access Point, Cisco Meraki MR, Cisco Meraki MS, Cisco UCS Series, Veeam ONE, Dell PowerEdge R

Likelihood to Recommend

Veeam Backup for Azure is well suited for disaster recovery and business continuity. Veeam Backup for Azure grants peace of mind knowing that your backups are securely stored in the cloud and can be restored easily. Depending on the storage options you've chosen for Azure, you can have hot, warm, and cold backups setup for archival and retention purposes, as well as immediate restoration needs.

Fantastic Veeam Product

Overall Satisfaction with Veeam Backup for Azure