How to integrate ObjectFirst OOTBI Appliance with VBR

In this article, we shall be discussing extensively the steps on how to integrate ObjectFirst OOTBI Appliance with VBR (Veeam Backup and Replication). Object First Out-of-the-Box Immutability (OOTBI) provides true data immutability and is very simple to deploy, as we will see shortly. It meets security compliance requirements and addresses the issue of slow recovery times that can make ransomware attacks damaging to operations and reputation. Please see Deep Dive into Protecting AWS EC2, RDS Instances and VPC, and how to Integrate Pleasant Password Server with Active Directory.

Here is how to Perform System State Restore of Active Directory via Windows Server backup utility, how to configure Windows LAPS, and How to update Object First OOTBI Cluster.

Why should you purchase an OOTBI appliance?

I will make this section very short as this guide itself will be very detailed. Since Cyber attacks are pervasive, and cyber risks continue to increase, cybercriminals increasingly target backups and data protection infrastructure.

Therefore, data protection solutions must incorporate cyber-recovery, user-friendly, and cost-effective solution in today’s challenging market where IT resources are scares. Therefore, I urge Veeam customers to consider using Object First appliances to effectively stop ransomware with a cost effective appliance purposely built for Veeam.

Before using this guide, read the following article on Object First OOTBI Appliance Unboxing and Quick Setup, and How to Configure Object First OOTBI Appliance.

Create an S3 Key on OOTBI

In the previous guide, we have discussed the various ways to access Object first OOTBI web interface. Upon login, we will have to create an s3 key.

To do this, click on S3 Keys

In the windows prompted, click on Create Key

As you can see, our key has been created. Please endeavour to save the Secret Access Key as you may not be able to view this in the future upon closing the window.

Note: If for any reason you are unable to view this secret access key, you can create a new access key and utilise it for your backup need.

Below is the access key we have have created. Also, note that you cannot access the OOTBI appliance with these keys.

Please see how to “Fix Error 1069: Windows could not start the Veeam backup service on local computer“, and steps in Deploying Next.Js App Using Heroku Cloud Application Platform.

Create S3 Bucket on OOTBI

I will also utilise this opportunity to create an s3 bucket. To do this, click on S3 Buckets as shown below. Click On “Create a Bucket.

Enter the bucket name based on your naming conversion. What is OOTBI without immutability? Therefore, ensure you Enable versioning and this is a requirement for immutability.

Note: When this feature is enabled, you must check the box to make backup immutable for a period of time in Veeam Backup and Replication. Else, an error will be prompted. We will see this very shortly.

Our S3 bucket has been created. You can now close using any of the functionality below.

Below is our newly created bucket.

Integrate OOTBI With VBR (Veeam Backup and Replication)

In this section we will learn the steps on how to integrate ObjectFirst OOTBI Appliance with VBR. To do this, let us access the Veeam Backup and Replication console by clicking on the shortcut and connecting to it.

Please see Setup DS923+ Synology NAS as a Backup Repository for VBR, how to Setup iSCSI Target and Storage LUN on Synology DS923+ for VBR, and Step-by-step guide on how to set up the Synology DS923+ NAS.

Add a Backup Repository

Now that we have the Veeam Backup & Replication open. Navigate to Backup Infrastructure view and click on “Add Repository”. In VBR, there are different ways to achieve this as shown below.

Select “Object Storage”

Select s3 Compatible

I am fine with the first option “S3 Compatible” as my backup repository

Enter the name for your Object storage repository. You can also enter a description if you wish and click Next to proceed.

Note: I have decided to leave out the concurrent task. Limit the concurrent tasks value to 4. For on-premises storage, increasing the number of concurrent tasks does not improve performance and can cause resource overhead due to more connections involving more resources in data processing. Four connections avoid overhead and ensure optimal performance.

Note: Navigate to the OOTBI web UI. On the dashboard, you will be able to find the service point we will be using in the next VBR configuration.

Enter the Service Point URL and specify your region. Since this is deployed on-premise, leaving this field blank does not work. Next, add the previously created S3 Key by clicking on Add.

Note: For the connection mode, I am okay with the Direct Mode. This ensures that any job managed by the VBR can access he object storage directly.

Please provide the access key ID and secret access key and click on OK.

Note: You can modify these credentials as you wish in the future. To do this, click on manage cloud accounts.

Now that we are done configuring the account, we can click on Next to proceed.

On the Certificate Security Alert, I will click on Continue

Add s3 Bucket

To do this, let us click on “Browse” as shown below.

In the lists of Buckets, please select your bucket and click on OK

Also, let us select the folder. By default, these folders are not created. We will have to create on. To do this, click on”Browse”.

Click on New Folder

Enter the Folder name and click on OK. When this folder is created, the folder name cannot be changed, and the folder can only be removed using an S3 browsing tool.

Note: If the bucket already contains folders, the folder selection will be available in the “Select Folder” view. Because, an existing folder has been created previously, we had to create one.

Next, we will have to enable the checkbox to make recent backup immutable for 31 days.

Note: If you do not select to make the recent backup immutable. You would get the error below. Why is this so? This is because, we had previously configured the the bucket as immutability in the OOTBI web UI above.

I am fine with the mount server, and the instant recovery write cache folder. I will just click on next to proceed here.

The following components already exists. Click on Apply to proceed with the  creation of a new object storage repository.

The settings have been applied. Click on Next to continue.

Click Finish on the Summary window as shown below.

As you can see below, we have successfully created our OOTBI Object Storage Repository, and this is all that is needed to integrate ObjectFirst OOTBI Appliance with VBR.

Please see How to perform DriveLock quick setup, How to backup Azure VM with VM Settings, and Set up Veeam Backup for Microsoft Azure.

Create Backup Job

Now that we have our Repository setup successfully. It is time to create our backup. To do this, click on the “Home” view and then select Backup Job. You will also need to select the job type. In my case, it is a Virtual Machine as shown below.

Enter the Backup Name and description.

Click on Add to select from the list of VMs and click on Next.

I am interested in selecting TechDC01 as shown below. When done, click on Add. You can also use the “Search Field”.

Click on Next to proceed

In this field, you must ensure that the right Object Storage Repository is selected. You should configure a secondary location for this backup as a best practice. Configuring a secondary backup location is important to ensure redundancy and reliability in case the primary backup location fails or becomes inaccessible.

Choose Application-Aware Processing

I will select “Enable application-aware processing” as shown below as this is a Domain Controller (DC). This will require you to enter the Guest OS credentials. Click on Next to proceed.

At this time, I do not care about automatic job schedule because this is different for everyone. Click on Apply.

In order to run the job, click on “Run the job when I click Finish”.

Backup Job Progress

As you can see, we have successfully created our backup job and we can see the job progress as shown in the image below.

Our backup is 99% complete right now.

Gladly, our backup succeed without errors.

VM Restore

Since our backup succeeded without errors, it makes sense to show you the steps on how to perform a restoration from the backup we have created.

I really appreciate how Veeam allows you to execute processes in multiple ways similar to Windows. You can initiate a restore by clicking on the Home view, using the navigation pane, or accessing the ribbon for your backup restoration.

From the inventory pane, I will select Object Storage and locate the Job as shown below. I will right click and select “Restore Entire VM” or use the Entire VM restore from the ribbon.

Add the VM restore as shown below

I will be restoring to the original location as shown below.

At this time, I am not interested in any of the secure restore scan. I will show you this in the next guide. Click next to proceed.

Enter a reason for performing the backup and click Next.

As you can see below, the original VM has been marked for deletion.

I want the VM to be powered on after restoring it. Therefore, I will click on the checkbox and then click on Finish.

As you can see below, the VM has been deleted.

Our VM has been successfully restored as you can see from the log.

Here is our VM up and running again. You can see the creation date below as well. You will find this guide referenced very useful on some best practices for restoring Active directory.

OOTBI Dashboard

The Dashboard in the OOTBI Web Management Console centrally displays essential data, including available storage capacity, storage capacity trends, system alerts, network throughput, S3 operations, and overall system I/O.

The S3 Buckets view displays cluster capacity utilization and data distribution by nodes. This menu also allows for S3 bucket management, including the creation and deletion of buckets as demonstrated earlier

I hope you found his article useful on how to integrate ObjectFirst OOTBI Appliance with VBR (Veeam Backup and Replication). Please feel free to leave a comment below.