Install SQL Server Always On & Configure Veeam Plug‑in for SQL

In today’s enterprise environments, ensuring high availability and disaster recovery for critical databases is paramount. In this guide, we shall discuss “how to Install SQL Server Always On & Configure Veeam Plug‑in for SQL”. Microsoft SQL Server’s Always On Availability Groups offer a robust solution for maintaining database uptime, providing automatic failover, and ensuring data redundancy across multiple nodes. Please, see Update Veeam Backup for Proxmox Plugin to support PVE 9.0, andhow to Uninstall Microsoft SQL Server 2025 from Windows.

However, the effectiveness of Always On relies heavily on correct configuration, ongoing monitoring, and rigorous validation. Misconfigurations or overlooked recovery procedures can lead to significant downtime and data loss, underscoring the need for a disciplined approach.

This document, “Anatomy of Veeam Plug-in for Microsoft SQL Server ‘Always On” provides a comprehensive guide to implementing and managing SQL Server Always On clusters with Veeam. Veeam’s integration enables reliable backups and streamlined restores of Always On databases, ensuring that critical systems remain recoverable in any scenario.

Properly configuring Always On, combined with scheduled backups and thorough restore testing, is not optional, it is essential. It guarantees that your databases are not only highly available but also consistently restorable, preserving business continuity and protecting against unforeseen failures.

Through this guide, readers will gain the knowledge required to deploy, maintain, and validate a resilient SQL Server Always On environment with Veeam, bridging high availability with disaster recovery in a seamless workflow.

Also, see how to Migrate Veeam One Database from SQL Server 2017 to 2025, how to Set up Veeam Backup for Microsoft Azure, and how to Install all Editions of Microsoft SQL Server 2025.

Veeam Plug-in for Microsoft SQL Server

How Veeam Plug-in for Microsoft SQL Server Works. Please, see this link for more information.

Parallel Database Processing

Supported Backup Repositories. Please, take a look at this link.

• Windows Server
• Linux Server
• CIFS (SMB) Share
• NFS File Share
• Dell Data Domain with Data Domain Boost (DDBoost)
• HPE StoreOnce
• Quantum DXi
• ExaGrid

Make sure the repository is configured as described in the ExaGrid section in the Veeam Backup & Replication User Guide.

• Hardened Repository
• Installing Veeam Plug-in for Microsoft SQL Server

Mount Iso Veeam and Install Veeam Plugin for SQL

D:\Plugins\Microsoft SQL\x64

Veeam Plugin for Microsoft SQL installation

Accept license agreement

Specify the data location and install

Installation in progress

Installation completed as shown below.

Access and Encryption Settings on Backup Repositories

To do this, follow the steps below

Create dedicated User

Permit the following group(s) as shown below.

Granting Permissions to Users

Run the command below to add the local administrator privilege

As you can see, the command completed successfully.

Create a new access control list (ACL) with Read and Write permissions using this set of commands:

$newACL = New-Object System.Security.AccessControl.FileSecurity #creates a dedicated ACL $newACL.SetAccessRuleProtection($true,$false) #disables inheritance and deletes all inherited permissions $newACL.AddAccessRule( (New-Object System.Security.AccessControl.FileSystemAccessRule("SQL-Plugin","Read","Allow"))) # allows read $newACL.AddAccessRule( (New-Object System.Security.AccessControl.FileSystemAccessRule("SQL-Plugin","Write","Allow")))# allows write

Assign ownership of the new ACL to the previously created user group by running the following command:

$newACL.SetOwner([System.Security.Principal.NTAccount]"SQL-Plugin") #sets owner for the ACL

Prima di lanciare questo comando è necessario configurare il Veeam Plug-in MS SQL per la creazione del file veeam_config.xml

set-acl -Path:%PROGRAMFILES%\Veeam\Plugins\Microsoft SQL\veeam_config.xml -AclObject:$newACL #apply ACL to the plug-in configuration fileset-acl -Path:"C:\Program Files\Veeam\Plugins\Microsoft SQL" -AclObject:$newACL #apply ACL to the plug-in configuration file

Configuring Veeam Plug-in for Microsoft SQL Server

In this section, we shall configuring Veeam Plug-in for Microsoft SQL Server to support for Always On Availability Groups

You can take a look at this link for more information. Here is a fantastic guide on “[AZURE] Security Service Edge (SSE) and Microsoft Entra ID“.

Launch the %PROGRAMFILES%\Veeam\Plugins\Microsoft SQL\Veeam.Backup.MSSQLPlugin.UI.Configuration.exe file.

Enter the following information as it applies to you.

Select the backup repository

Set ACL

To do this, locate the Veeam_Config.xml file as shown below

It is now possible to set ACLs with the command

Specifying the Version of Microsoft ODBC Driver for SQL Server

Download and Install ODBC driver 18

Please, use this link to download ODBC driver 18 & install if you need it

Proceed with the installation as shown below.

Accept Terms and Condition

Select features and click Next

Click Install to proceed

Click Finish to complete the ODBC Driver installation.

Specifying the Version of Microsoft ODBC Driver for SQL Server

Add the following parameter to the <PluginParameters /> line in the Veeam configuration XML file:

C:\Program Files\Veeam\Plugins\Microsoft SQL\veeam_config.xml

Please, see  How to migrate Active Directory Domain & Forest with Veeam Replica, Hardening Active Directory – GPO MSCT 1.0 CIS Benchmark – Poicy Analyser, and how to Add a Delete Lock on Azure Resources.

Support for Always On Availability Groups

Copy the executable to both Always On nodes. Install and configure Veeam Plug-in for Microsoft SQL Server on each node of the cluster that runs Always On Availability Groups

Follow the steps below to install the Veeam Plugin for Microsoft SQL Server

Accept license

Click on install as shown below.

The installation of the Veeam Plugin for Microsoft SQL has completed.

Configuring Veeam Plug-in for Microsoft SQL Server

Follow the steps to configure Veeam Plug-in for Microsoft SQL Server to support for Always On Availability Groups

Launch the %PROGRAMFILES%\Veeam\Plugins\Microsoft SQL\Veeam.Backup.MSSQLPlugin.UI.Configuration.exe file.

Select the repo as shown below

Configure backup settings in Veeam Plug-in on each node and save backup settings as SQL Agent jobs in Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio

Configuring Backup Settings

To do this, please follow the link for more information and the steps we have provided below.

Or lunch SQL Server Management Studio 19 from primary node Always On

In Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio on each node, configure the same schedule settings for SQL Agent jobs so that database backup will start at the same time on each node.

Create a SQL Agent job and do not forget to save as an SQL agent job

Create a Secondary Backup Job

Do the same on the secondary node as shown below.

Monitor Backup Process

Schedule job agent

Create backup jon for Logs

Configure schedules as shown below

Primary Node Log

Secondary node Log there is no backup log as it is skipped.

Managing Backup Job in Veeam Backup & Replication

Please, take a look at this link discussing the steps in Managing Backup Job in Veeam Backup & Replication.

Generating Backup Job Reports & Disabling Backup Job & Disabling Backup Job. If you wish to disable backup jobs. Please, see this link.

Deleting Backup

Press and hold the [CTRL] key, right-click the backup and select Remove from configuration  &“Repair”

Repairing Backup

Please, take a look at this link for more information.

Performing Restore

Restore of Always On Availability Groups

To restore a database that operates as part of an Always On availability group, complete the following steps:

1. Restore the database on the primary replica. During the restore process, Veeam Plug-in will remove the original database from the availability group and delete it from Microsoft SQL Server.
2. Perform log backup for the restored database.
3. Remove the original database from the secondary replica.
4. Add the restored database to the availability group.

Select the below option

Click on OK

From the timestamp, you can see that the DB has been successfully restored.

Primary node check the DB was dropped from the Alwayson instance

Go to the secondary node and drop the DB

Run the below SQL Statement

Re-insert the rewritten DB via the Alwayson wizard

Click on “Connect”

Select “Automatic Seeding”.

Click Next on the validation window

Click on Finish on the summary window

On the result window, click on Close.

I hope you found this guide on how to Install SQL Server Always On & Configure Veeam Plug‑in for SQL very useful. Please, feel free to leave a comment below.