In this article, we shall discuss how to Fix broken Repository Path in Veeam Scale-Out Backup Repository. In the past, we fixed a very similar error but we employed a different approach here “Fix missing path and delete a Veeam Backup Repository“. Here is how to leverage Azure Blob Storage as an Object Storage Repo in Veeam. A repository in Veeam Software Backup & Replication is the storage location where backup files, backup chains, metadata, and restore points are stored.

This repository can reside on local disks, SAN storage, NAS systems such as Synology as it is in my case, or cloud-integrated storage targets. On the other-hand, a Scale-Out Backup Repository (SOBR) is an advanced Veeam storage architecture that combines multiple backup repositories, known as extents, into a single logical backup pool.

SOBR enables you to improve scalability, simplify backup management, distribute backup workloads, and extend backups across performance, capacity, and archive tiers. Instead of managing several individual repositories separately, Veeam treats the SOBR as one unified backup storage environment.

Please see how to setup DS923+ Synology NAS as a Backup Repository for VBR, and how to setup iSCSI Target and Storage LUN on Synology DS923+ for VBR.

What you should not attempt “Change Repository Path”

Note: In Veeam Backup & Replication, you cannot directly change the path of an existing backup repository or SOBR extent. That is from E:\ to F: via the UI. You can attempt to do this by editing the Repository as shown below.

Under the Server, cölick on populate as shown below.

As you can see, we are faced with an error “Cannot find drive informastion for path. Failed to get drive infor: Failed to revoke RPC command”.

This error message mesna that Veeam cannot communicate properly with the repository server over RPC. Thereby, preventing it from retrieving drive information for the configured repository path.

Please Fix SMB Freezes That Break Backups on Critical Linux Servers. Also, see how to extend Proxmox Local Container Storage, and how to Fix The Local Device Name is Already in Use.

Do Not Change Repository Drive Letters Directly Under a SOBR

Note: Changing the drive letter of a backup repository that is already attached to the Scale-Out Backup Repository (SOBR) without properly reconfiguring or re-adding a new Repository will also not work as will not be able to locate the repository path.

You can attempt this by modifying the SOBR repository as shown below.

Use the “Populate” button under the Server window below

As shown above, the Repository Server was successfully detected and the available drives were properly enumerated by Veeam. In this scenario, we assume the original repository drive letter was changed unintentionally and cannot simply be reverted.

Even when you revert to the previous drive letter, it will also not work.

As you can see we are prompted with a new error “Unable to investigate path”. Please proceed with the rest guide on how we resolved this issue.

Please see PXE Boot Failure: “Access Denied or Aborted” with Secure Boot on [Part 4], and Advanced Tape Troubleshooting: Diagnosing Veeam LTO Drive Issues with ITDT.

Replacing an Overprovisioned Storage LUN

Since repository paths within a SOBR extent cannot be edited directly. The supported method is to create a new repository path or extent and then safely evacuate the backup data if need be.

Due to an initial over-provisioning of a LUN on my Synology storage system. A 500 GB thick-provisioned LUN was created and used as a Veeam backup repository. To optimize storage allocation and align with the actual backup capacity requirements.

The existing LUN will be decommissioned and replaced. A new, appropriately sized 100 GB LUN will be provisioned and presented to the Veeam backup server. This new LUN will then be configured as the updated SOBR performance tier extent for the repository.

This change ensures more efficient storage utilization, reduces wasted allocated space, and maintains proper alignment between repository capacity and actual backup workload requirements.

Please see Azure Resource Locks: Protecting Critical Cloud Resources from Accidental and Malicious Deletion, and Fix Operating System Loader failed signature verification” on Dell Safe BIOS Systems via PXE [Part 3].

Create a LUN in Synology

A LUN (Logical Unit Number) is a virtual storage block presented by a storage system (such as a SAN or NAS like Synology) to a server. Then, made available to a server as if it were a physical drive.

Since you cannot modify the already ceated LUN to reflect a new block size. I will delete and have it recreated.

To create a LUN, access your Synology NAS. Select the main menu and launch the SAN Manager. Click on the Create button as shown below. Enter the LUN name, enter a description, select the right location, and space allocation type.

Note: Thick Provisioning provides better stability in LUN performance. Thin Provisioning provides on-demand-allocation ability and all advanced features

Create New Lun — You cannot simply “shrink” a thick-provisioned iSCSI/Fibre Channel LUN on Synology DSM and let Windows resize the underlying file system. Reason we must delete and recreate the LUN

I will cick on Next to proceed on the Configure SAN protocol as shown below.

Assign access permissions. I am fine with the first option below “allow all”.

Confirm the settings and click Done to finish the wizard.

Edit and Delete Over-Provisined LUN

I have decided to modify the LUN name to align with my naming convention as shown below. You can do this by selecting the LUN and click on “Edit”.

Now, we can safely delete the previouly over provisioned LUN as shown below.

You will be required to enter your password to confirm the LUN deletion.

Now, we have our desired LUN. I will also have to modify the other LUN (LUN-02) to ensure I have the neeeded resources to run the new VSA.

Initialise Disk and Create Volume

Note: To proceed, you must ensure that you have the configured the iSCSI Initiator as referenced in the guide above in order t proceed with the steps below. As you can see, the patition is not yet available.

To initialize the iSCSI virtual disk and ensure the disk is available. Please follow these steps:

Open Control Panel.
Navigate to Administrator Tools.
Click on Computer Management.

Alternatively, from the search button, search for Disk Management or Computer Management as shown below. Click “Create and Format Disk Partitions”.

As you can see in the above image, an unallocated partition has been created. To use it first, we must initialize the disk as shown below.

Next, a dialog box “Initialize Disk” opens. Ensure “GPT” is selected and click on OK

Create Simple Volume

Once the disk is online, we will create a volume. To do that, right-click on “Disk 1” and click on “New Simple Volume.”

Click Next on te New Simple Wizard Volume

On the specify the volume size, I will click on Next to consume the disk space and will click next.

I have decided to assigned the drive letter “F” based on our defined requirement, and will clixk on Next to continue.

On the Format partition screen, you can specify the File system type, allocation unit size, and volume name. We will choose REFSfile system type from the “File System” drop-down box, and select the size of the allocation unit of “64” from the drop-down box. Also provide the desired volume name in the “Volume Label” text box. Then click on Next to proceed.

In the below window, I have select NTFS, and will show you how to modify and format witht the right file system as mentioned above.

Click on Finish to create a new volume

As you can see, we have the volume available to be utilised in the disk management snap-in.

REFS File System

Since Veeam recommends using ReFS, we will modfiy our disk to reflect this. ReFS offers speed and space consumption similar to XFS Data Block Sharing (Reflink) and click on OK.

When prompted to confirm whether you want to format the volume, click OK.

Please see Update WinPE Boot Images with Windows UEFI CA Certificates [Part 2], and Active Directory Vulnerability Assessment with Purple Knight: Domain Controller Owner Is Not an Administrator.

Add a New Repository

A backup repository is a main storage location where Veeam Backup & Replication keeps all versions of backed up files for the configured period and metadata files as discussed above.

To do this, open the Veeam Backup & Replication console. In the menu on the left-hand side, click on “Backup Infrastructure”. Right-click anywhere in the main working area and select “Add Backup Repository” or from the tabs.

In the “Add Backup Repository” wizard, select “Direct attached storage” as the type of repository.

Select Microsoft Windows

Enter a Repo name and optionally provide a description and click Next.

Select the Repository Server from the list and click on populate as shown below.

Paths correctly identified. Click on Next to proceed.

Click Populate to check capacity and available free space in the selected location, and click Next.

Also, do not forget to check the box to limit maximum concurrent tasks to 4 and read and write data rate as shown below.

At the Mount Server step of the wizard, specify settings for the mount server that you plan to utlize.

Review your settings. As you can see, the below components already exists on the VBR server and click apply.

Click Next to continue

Click “Finish” to complete the wizard as shown below.

The rpository has now be added to the list of our repositories.

Please see How to Backup MacOS to Synology NAS via Time Machine, how to Set up Veeam Backup for Microsoft Azure, and AGMP extended support ends April 2026: Find alternative solution.

Evacuate data from the old repository

Note: In VBR, evacuating data from a repository extent is done when you need to safely move backup chains away from storage that is being removed, replaced, or reconfigured.

Before doing this, we need to place the extent in a “Maintenance Mode” as shown below.

As you can see below, this has been successfully put in the maintenance mode.

If you wish to move the backup chain, please click on “Evacuate Backups”.

I will abandon evacuation regardless as this is a lab environment. Evacuating data from extents with block cloning support to extents without block cloning support may result in a significant growth of physical disk space consumed by backups. Proceed anyway?

Remove Extent

To remove the broken extend, we will have to modify the SOBR as shown below.

I will proceed and select the broken repository and click on Remove. From this window also, I will click on Add to add the new extend to the performance tier.

Click on the newly added repository and click on OK.

Note: Note: The performance extents of the scale-out backup repository should be located in the same site. Please refer to Veeam User Guide for what is technically possible when performance extents resides in a different site. Also, you cannot have a mixed configuration and use different types of repositories within one performance tier.

As you can see below, we have the two extents added to the performance tier.

Click on Next to proceed as we do not have a concern with the Capacity Tier.

Note: Veeam Backup and Replication uses a “SOBR Offload” background task to copy and/or move the backup data to the Capacity Tier. The SOBR Offload background task uses “Repository Tasks” to transfer the data to the object storage.

Also, click on Next to proceed as we do not have a concern with the Archive Tier.

On the sumarry Window, click on Finish.

You can see below that we have correctly fixed the broken path.

Please see Steps to customize Windows PE boot images, Tape Backup Troubleshooting in Veeam: Real Cases, and [World Backup Day] V13 Upgrade Failure: Veeam Configuration Backup Saved the Day.

Remove the old repository in VBR

Lastly, we will navigate to the Backup Repositories and remove the problematic repository as shown below.

In the delete backup and repository confiromation prompt, click Yes.

As shown below, the repository list is fully synchronized and up to date with no errors.

Note: After the volume is created. You can access it in Windows Explorer.

I hope you found this article on how to Fix broken Repository Path in Veeam Scale-Out Backup Repository very useful. Please feel free to leave a comment below.