Repository Types
Recommendations for general repositories are outlined in VBR best practices.
Yet, the need for scalability and multitenancy in IaaS data protection brings about specific considerations that affect the choice of repository type.
As immutable storage is key in data protection scenario, it’s advised to use VHR (Veeam Hardened Repository) or on-premises S3-compatible object storage as a landing zone, expanding it with capacity and archive tiers.
It’s advisable to follow best practices by utilizing SOBR offloading via the capacity tier (rather then using Backup Copy to S3). The fundamental reasons are:
- It removes the necessity for configuring manual Backup Copy jobs.
- It offers clear visibility of tenants’ backups across all tiers during self-service restore.
- Optimizing restore performance and cost through the reuse of matching blocks from on-premises repositories.
Since VBR servers cannot share components, opting for VHR would exponentially increase the number of required physical repositories. This is illustrated in the example below.
That’s why in environments with multiple active sites and a need for cross-site copies, one possible recommended choice is to use S3-compatible object storage, so to leverage its native replication capabilities. The adoption of S3-compatible object storage significantly streamlines the architecture, offering a more efficient solution.
Scale-Out Backup Repository
Due to complications in obtaining accurate repository consumption per tenant, one widely used approach is to use a dedicated repository for each customer.
Keep in mind these validated numbers during internal tests, using VBR v12.3 and Block storage (latest update, April 2025):
1 VBR
150 SOBR
4 performance extents on each SOBR
each SOBR has 1-4 S3 extents for capacity tier
- Maximum total amount of Extents is 600 - maximum amount of extents in a SOBR should be 16
Different combinations are possible, as long as the limits are respected. For example, we can have 60 SOBR with 10 extents each, or others possibilities.
For Object-based storage solution, Veeam tested up to 400 S3 buckets connected to one VBR server.
Please also check with your storage vendor and Veeam technical representative for specific design, as performance are very variable depending on the selected vendor.