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One-time Backup

A one-time backup within Cloud4You Tape as a Service allows a selected backup from the Cloud Repository to be written to physical tape media without enabling a recurring archival schedule.

The service is useful when you need an additional copy of data at a specific point in time, for example:

  • before a major infrastructure change,
  • before a system migration,
  • before an update of a critical environment,
  • when closing a project or system,
  • for long-term archiving,
  • as an additional offline data copy.

Service flow:

Customer backup
      │
      ▼
Cloud4You Cloud Repository
      │
      ▼
One-time Tenant Backup to Tape
      │
      ▼
Physical tape media
      │
      ▼
Storage for the agreed period

Service performed by Cloud4You

Tape backup is performed using the Cloud4You Veeam Backup & Replication infrastructure. The customer does not need their own tape library, Tape Server, or tape job configuration.

When is a one-time backup useful?

A one-time tape copy may be useful before:

migration
update
infrastructure redesign
system decommissioning
application change
removing data from active backup

It can also be used as an archival copy retained for an agreed period.

How does the service work?

In Veeam Cloud Connect, the customer backup is stored in a Cloud Repository provided by Cloud4You.

After the service is ordered, Cloud4You configures or uses an appropriate:

Tenant Backup to Tape

job and selects as the source:

  • a specific tenant,
  • a specific Cloud Repository,
  • the appropriate set of customer backups.

Veeam then reads the existing backups from the repository and writes the required data to tape.

Important

Veeam does not back up the production machine directly to tape. The source for the tape job is an existing backup stored in the Cloud Repository.

What can be included in a one-time backup?

The scope is agreed before the operation starts.

It may include, for example:

the entire Cloud Repository

or:

selected customer backups

Depending on the environment configuration, Cloud4You may select in the job:

  • one tenant,
  • multiple tenants,
  • one or more Cloud Repositories.

For a one-time service, the scope is agreed individually.

Requirements

To create a one-time tape copy:

  • the data must be stored in a supported Veeam backup,
  • the backup must be available in the Cloud4You Cloud Repository,
  • Cloud4You must have access to the relevant backup set on the Service Provider side,
  • sufficient tape capacity must be available,
  • the required data retention period must be agreed.

Note

Before starting the operation, Cloud4You may verify the backup type, size, and storage method to confirm that the backup can be written to tape.

How is the service delivered?

The process can be divided into several stages.

1. Select the data

The customer identifies the data that should be protected.

Example:

Cloud Repository:
CLOUD4YOU-REPO-01

Backup:
ERP-PRODUCTION

Data state:
latest available restore point

A specific date or a selected set of backups can also be specified if required by the scenario.

2. Define the retention period

Before the job starts, we define how long the copy should be retained.

For example:

3 months
6 months
12 months
24 months
5 years

or another agreed period.

Info

The retention period affects how the medium is used. While retention is active, the data should not be overwritten by subsequent tape operations.

3. Prepare the Media Pool

For tenant backups in Veeam Cloud Connect, the tape job target is:

GFS Media Pool

Cloud4You configures the appropriate Media Pool and retention period according to the ordered service.

Important

Veeam requires a GFS Media Pool for a Tenant Backup to Tape Job.

Even if the service is one-time, it is technically implemented using the Tenant Backup to Tape mechanism and an appropriate GFS Media Pool on the Service Provider side.

4. Start the job

Cloud4You starts the:

Backup to Tape

job for the selected data scope.

The job can be started manually after the configuration is complete.

Veeam:

  1. checks the Backup Catalog,
  2. identifies backups matching the job criteria,
  3. prepares the data for archiving,
  4. starts Veeam Data Mover,
  5. reads data from the Cloud Repository,
  6. writes it to tape,
  7. updates the Backup Catalog and Tape Catalog.

What data is written?

Backup to Tape operates on existing Veeam backups.

Example:

Cloud Repository

ERP01
├── Full
├── Incremental
├── Incremental
└── Incremental

        ↓

Tenant Backup to Tape

        ↓

Tape

Veeam selects the data required to create the appropriate archival set on tape.

This is not a simple manual copy of individual .vbk and .vib files outside Veeam.

Exporting the tape after completion

After the job completes successfully, the medium can be removed from the active library.

Veeam allows configuration of, among other things:

Eject media upon job completion

and export of selected media sets:

Export the following media sets upon job completion

This makes it possible to physically remove the medium from the active tape device and place it into storage.

Flow:

Backup completed
      ↓
Eject / Export
      ↓
Tape outside the active drive
      ↓
Storage

Note

The exact tape storage method depends on the service option agreed with Cloud4You.

Offline storage

After the medium is removed from the active library, the data can be stored without continuous access from the backup environment.

This model can reduce risks associated with:

  • ransomware,
  • deletion of data from the active environment,
  • administrative error,
  • failure of primary repositories.

Warning

A tape copy alone does not replace the other layers of data protection. Tape as a Service should be part of a broader backup strategy.

Tape inventory

Veeam allows media outside the library to be tracked using:

Media Vault

This allows Veeam to retain information about tapes stored offline and their contents.

How long does the backup take?

The duration depends on:

  • data size,
  • number of backups,
  • Cloud Repository performance,
  • read speed,
  • tape generation and number of drives,
  • current infrastructure load.

For example:

5 TB of data

does not automatically correspond to a specific completion time.

Before a large one-time backup, Cloud4You may estimate the expected duration based on the size of the selected dataset.

How many tapes are required?

The number of media required depends on, among other things:

  • amount of data,
  • tape type,
  • actual compressibility of the data,
  • backup structure,
  • required retention.

For example, one archival set may require:

1 tape

or:

several tapes

forming a single archive set.

The exact number of media is determined after analyzing the amount of data.

What happens after retention expires?

After the agreed retention period ends, the medium may be:

  • reused,
  • kept in the archive for another agreed period,
  • handled according to individual service arrangements.

Before starting the backup, it is worth clearly defining:

retention period
+
handling after retention expires

Restoring data from a one-time backup

If data must later be recovered from tape, the operation is performed by Cloud4You.

Flow:

Tape
   ↓
Import / load media
   ↓
Veeam Backup & Replication
   ↓
Restore backup from tape to repository
   ↓
Repository
   ↓
Required restore operation

Veeam allows the Service Provider to restore tenant data:

  • to the original Cloud Repository,
  • to another repository,
  • to the latest available state,
  • to a selected point in time.

More information:

Restoring Data from Tape

Example 1 — before migration

A customer plans to migrate a large ERP system.

Before starting the changes, they order a one-time copy:

ERP-PRODUCTION
        ↓
Cloud Repository
        ↓
Tape
        ↓
Retention: 12 months

After writing, the medium is stored for the agreed period.

Example 2 — decommissioning a system

An organization is shutting down an older application but must retain the backup for several years.

LEGACY system
        ↓
final backup
        ↓
one-time tape write
        ↓
Retention: 5 years

After archiving, the active copy in the Cloud Repository can be handled according to separate arrangements.

Warning

Do not remove the active backup from the Cloud Repository before receiving confirmation that tape archiving has completed successfully.

Example 3 — additional copy before a change

Before a major environment upgrade:

Current backup
      ↓
one-time tape copy
      ↓
upgrade

If the change completes successfully, the tape remains as protection of the historical environment state for the agreed period.

How to order a one-time backup

When ordering, prepare:

1. Company name / service identifier
2. Cloud Repository
3. Backup or systems to be archived
4. Approximate data size
5. Required retention period
6. Preferred execution date
7. Additional media requirements

Example:

Service:
Tape as a Service - one-time backup

Cloud Repository:
CLOUD4YOU-REPO-01

Scope:
ERP01
SQL01
FILE01

Size:
approximately 8 TB

Retention:
24 months

Requested date:
by 15.09.2026

Based on this information, Cloud4You can confirm the scope, required media, and service conditions.

Checklist

Before the one-time backup:

[ ] correct data has been selected
[ ] backup size has been confirmed
[ ] retention period has been agreed
[ ] execution date has been agreed
[ ] sufficient tape capacity has been prepared
[ ] storage method has been confirmed

After completion:

[ ] Backup to Tape completed successfully
[ ] the write was verified in Veeam
[ ] the medium was exported / placed in storage
[ ] retention information was recorded
[ ] the customer received completion confirmation

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