How to upgrade Veeam Backup and Replication v11 to 12.1
This article will walk you through the steps to upgrade Veeam Backup and Replication v11 to 12.1. These steps are straightforward and similar to the steps discussed here “how to upgrade VBR version 11 to 11a” and some of the prerequisites apply to version 12. Please see How to setup Veeam ONE v11, Set up Veeam Backup for Microsoft Azure, and how to Install VBR With Dedicated SQL Server.
The Veeam Data Platform comprises a unified platform that safeguards and manages ALL workloads, applications, and data, encompassing Cloud, Virtual, Physical, SaaS, Kubernetes, VMware, Hyper-V, Windows, Linux, UNIX, NAS, AWS, Azure, Enterprise Apps, and more. The Veeam Data Platform includes Veeam Backup & Replication, Veeam ONE, and Veeam Recovery Orchestrator. Below are the Key capabilities!
Upgrade Checklist and System Requirements
Before proceeding with the upgrade of Veeam Backup and Replication. You must ensure that you are running version 10a (build 10.0.1.4854) or later on the supported operating system according to the official documentation. Please see this guide for a comprehensive list of system requirement.
You should also pay great attention to the upgrade path for Veeam Backup and Replication.
Note: If your Veeam Backup and Replication installation is tied to a Veeam Cloud Service Provider. You should contact your Service Provider before upgrading to ensure that the intended upgrade will not break compatibility.
Great attention needs to be paid to the prerequisites before performing the upgrade of Veeam Backup & Replication. Kindly use the upgrade checklist to ensure that your environment is ready for the VBR upgrade.
It is worth noting that the built-in configuration check mechanism of the Veeam Backup & Replication upgrade wizard performs some of the checks. Therefore, it is worth the effort to manually control these before starting the upgrade procedure.
Upgrade Veeam Backup & Replication to V12.1
Before proceeding to perform the upgrade, ensure that the latest run for all existing jobs has been completed successfully. If any of the jobs fails, please rerun the failed jobs. You must also ensure that there are no running jobs, restore sessions, Instant Recovery sessions, and SureBackup jobs.
Please ensure to disable any periodic and backup copy jobs temporarily to prevent them from starting during the upgrade. All CDP Policies must be disabled, or else the CDP filter will not be upgraded.
Last, but not least, do well to pull the configuration backup. You may want to see this guide on how to perform this operation “How to migrate Veeam MsSQL Database to a new MsSQL Server“. Since I am currently running VBR v11, I will proceed with the steps below.
Launch the Upgrade Wizard for Veeam Backup and Replication
Kindly Download the trial version. In this way, you will achieve resilience which comes from confidence in your production, response and recovery. Download Veeam Data Platform v12.1 installation iso and required licenses.
Note: You will be required to fill out the web form and verify your email in order to be able to download the ISO.
Mount the installation image to the machine where Veeam Backup & Replication is installed, or burn the image file to a flash drive or other removable storage device
Note: After you mount the image or insert the disk, Autorun opens a splash screen. If Autorun is not available or disabled, run the Setup.exe file from the image or disk.
The Setup.exe recognizes the existing installation and displays the upgrade button as shown below. Click on upgrade.
Select Veeam Backup & Replication 12.1.
Select Upgrade Veeam Backup & Replication.
Accept the license agreement
Read and accept the license agreement. To accept the license agreements and continue installing Veeam Backup & Replication, click I Accept.
Review the components that will be upgraded.
Note: To also upgrade the the remote components after the Veeam Backup & Replication server is upgraded, select the Update remote components automatically check box.
Choose the license provisioning method
Since I also requested a trial licence, I will be using this solely for demonstration. To install a license, you have 2 options to choose from. I will have to browse the locations of my license file.
Select the license file for Veeam Backup & Replication, and click on open as shown below.
Kindly take a look at the license details as shown below.
The setup wizard checks whether the machine has the necessary software installed during the System Configuration Check step. If any required components are missing, the setup attempts to install them automatically. After successful installation, the machine must be rebooted. To initiate the reboot, click on “Reboot.”
If the setup wizard is unable to install certain required software components automatically, you must install them manually. If any compatibility issue is found, it will be thrown here. Click on “Retry or fix the issue outlined manually.
Specify service account settings, click Next
Specify the database engine and instance, and click Next.
Click on Yes to connect the installation to the database to begin the upgrade process
Next, the configuration check will be performed. This addresses all the compatibility issues before proceeding with the upgrade. On the Ready to upgrade, click upgrade!
As you can see below, the upgrade is in progress
Click Finish when the upgrade process is complete.
Components Update
Note: Open the Veeam Backup & Replication console. If necessary, the automated upgrade wizard will automatically appear, prompting you to upgrade the product components running on remote servers. Follow the wizard to complete the upgrade process.
If some remote servers are unavailable at the time of upgrade, you can run the upgrade wizard at any time later from the main product menu, or by closing and re-opening the Veeam Backup & Replication console. Note that the out-of-date product components cannot be used by jobs until they are updated to the backup server version.
Note: You must upgrade Veeam components on all remote servers with which the backup server communicates during data protection and disaster recovery tasks. If you do not upgrade components on remote servers, Veeam Backup & Replication jobs will fail.
Note that immediately after the upgrade, the backup server performance may decrease. This happens due to the maintenance job that optimizes the configuration database. The process may take up to an hour depending on the database size.
Important! The machine on which you plan to install Veeam Backup & Replication does not necessarily need to be a domain member. However, if you plan to restore Microsoft Exchange items from the Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager UI, you must install Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager on the domain member server from the Microsoft Active Directory forest in which Microsoft Exchange mailboxes are located.
FAQs on Upgrading Veeam Backup and Replication v11 to 12.1
Can I upgrade directly from version 11 to version 12.1?
You can perform a direct upgrade from Veeam Backup and Replication version 11 to version 12.1 according to the documentation. A crucial check on the Veeam documentation for any specific considerations or requirements related to the upgrade path is vital.
Why should I upgrade to Veeam Backup and Replication version 12.1?
Veeam regularly releases new versions that include improvements, enhancements, and new features. Version upgrades often provide better performance, increased security, and support for the latest technologies. Check the release notes for version 12.1 to see the specific benefits and features introduced.
Are there any licensing considerations for the upgrade?
Veeam Backup & Replication 12.1 uses the same license file format introduced with version 10, so you can use your existing version 10 or 11 license file to install version 12.1. Your support contract must be active as of the date when the product version you are installing was built.
Also, your support contract must be active as of the date when the product build you are installing was built.
I hope you found this blog post on how to Upgrade Veeam Backup and Replication v11 to 12.1 helpful. Please let me know in the comment section if you have any questions.
