Databack, Veeam data restoration expert
Databack can help you recover your Veeam backups in the event of data loss. We’ll quickly restore your Veeam data.
Whether it’s a ransomware attack, accidental deletion of VBK files, or a problem restoring Veeam Backup files, Databack is equipped to deal with them all. We use proven and innovative methods to restore and rebuild Veeam backups, even when they become inaccessible.
How does the Veeam backup solution work?
Veeam is one of the world’s leading providers of backup and disaster recovery solutions. Designed for virtual environments, Veeam is particularly popular with companies using virtualization infrastructures such as VMware and Microsoft Hyper-V. The Veeam solution is renowned for its ease of use, reliability and ability to offer comprehensive data protection.
Veeam uses an incremental backup approach to save storage space. It generates three types of file to store backed-up data:
- VBK (Virtual Backup): this is the complete backup file for a virtual machine. The VBK contains all virtual machine data at the time of the initial backup, plus any incremental data stored in VIB files. The VBK is usually created when a virtual machine is first backed up, and is then updated with each subsequent backup. This file is the complete recovery point from which a virtual machine can be restored.
- VIB (Virtual Incremental Block): this file is a key component in the incremental backup of virtual machines. When Veeam performs a backup, it creates a VIB for each virtual machine backed up. The VIB contains only those blocks of data that have changed since the last backup, thus reducing the storage space required for backups. VIB files are stored on a storage location, usually disk or network storage.
- VRB (Veeam Reverse Backup): this file is generated during a Reverse Incremental backup, during which Veeam modifies the VBK file to match the most recent state of the VM. Replaced data blocks in the VBK are saved in a VRB file instead of being overwritten. If necessary, the VRB file can be used to restore the VM to a previous state.
Types of problems encountered with Veeam
Although data backup solutions are becoming increasingly sophisticated, they are not infallible. Hardware failures, human error or cyber attacks are frequent causes of data loss on Veeam. These scenarios are numerous, and can take many forms:
- Malicious attacks: Ransomware and other malware can infect backup systems, leading to corruption or encryption of Veeam VBK and VIB backup files, or backup server partitions.
- Human error: Errors made by users in configuring, manipulating or accidentally deleting Veeam files can lead to lost or corrupted backups.
- Storage media degradation: Over time, storage media such as magnetic tapes or hard disks can suffer physical degradation, leading to data loss or corruption.
- Network problems: Network interruptions or connectivity problems during the backup process can corrupt backed-up data.
- Natural incidents: Events such as fires, floods or earthquakes can cause physical damage to data centers and storage equipment, resulting in the loss of backups.
- Hardware failures: Hard disk and RAID system failures, NAS server problems and other hardware component failures can corrupt backup files stored on these devices. In particular, these failures can occur when backing up to tape, restoring virtual machines, or merging full and incremental Veeam files.
Finally, Veeam backups, like all data backup solutions, can be subject to the risk of data loss.
Databack solutions for recovering your Veeam data
To recover data from corrupted Veeam backups (encryption, failure…), Databack engineers have developed solutions based on their experience and expertise in this type of format.
These methods can be applied in the laboratory to guarantee an optimized result, but can also be deployed directly on the customer’s premises, in certain circumstances. In all cases, an integrity test is carried out on the data recovered from Veeam backups, to guarantee the results of the operation.
Success story Databack: restoring Veeam data after a ransomware attack
The Databack laboratory is regularly called upon followingransomware attacks on Veeam environments. Among our many interventions is one on behalf of a government agency that was paralyzed by a large-scale attack.
The ransomware had penetrated right down to the content of the virtual machines, directly impacting data. Veeam backup tools dedicated to VMware and HyperV environments had also been corrupted.
After repatriating the physical servers to the laboratory, we proceeded to secure the disks in order to freeze the information. This essential operation prevented any alteration of the data during the analysis work carried out by our experts.
After 72 hours of continuous work, our expertise in Veeam file formats enabled us to fully recover the VMs contained in the encrypted backups. After testing them, we were able to restore the virtual machines essential for restarting the customer’s information system.
