Tape as a Service¶
Tape as a Service is a Cloud4You service that allows you to create an additional backup copy on physical tape media using Veeam Backup & Replication.
The service is intended for customers using Cloud4You Veeam Cloud Connect who want to extend data protection with an additional tape backup layer without purchasing and maintaining their own tape library.
In simplified form:
Customer environment
│
▼
Veeam Backup & Replication
│
▼
Cloud4You Cloud Repository
│
▼
Tape as a Service
│
▼
Physical tape media
Managed by Cloud4You
The tape infrastructure and tape backup jobs are managed by Cloud4You. The customer does not need to own a tape library, tape drives, or configure a Tape Server in their own environment.
Why use an additional tape copy?¶
A backup stored in the Cloud Repository provides an additional copy of data outside the customer's local infrastructure.
Tape as a Service extends this model with another layer:
After data is written, the physical medium can be removed from the active tape library and stored for a defined period according to the selected service option.
As a result, a copy stored on an off-site tape does not remain continuously available as an active backup resource.
Important
Tape as a Service does not replace the primary backup. It is an additional layer of data protection and archiving.
How does Tape as a Service work?¶
Veeam Cloud Connect allows the Service Provider to write tenant backups stored in the Cloud Repository to tape.
All tape-infrastructure operations are performed by Cloud4You.
Flow:
Tenant / Customer
│
│ Backup / Backup Copy
▼
Cloud Repository
│
│ Tenant Backup to Tape
▼
Cloud4You Veeam Tape Infrastructure
│
▼
GFS Media Pool
│
▼
Tape
The customer does not directly manage:
- the Tape Server,
- the tape library,
- tape drives,
- Media Pools,
- GFS Media Pools,
- Backup to Tape jobs.
Cloud4You handles configuration and operation.
Which backups can be written to tape?¶
Veeam Cloud Connect allows the Service Provider to archive tenant backups stored in the Cloud Repository.
Supported backups include those created by:
- virtual machine backup jobs,
- Veeam Agent,
- Backup Copy Job processing VM or Veeam Agent backups.
Note
Detailed archiving capabilities depend on the source backup type and how it is stored. Before service activation, Cloud4You may verify whether a particular dataset is compatible with Tape as a Service.
Available service options¶
Tape as a Service can be provided as:
- a one-time backup,
- a recurring weekly backup,
- a recurring monthly backup,
- a multi-level GFS retention policy.
One-time backup¶
A one-time write of a selected backup to tape.
Typical use cases:
- creating a copy before a major infrastructure change,
- archiving a system that is being decommissioned,
- creating a copy before migration,
- protecting data at the end of a project,
- creating a long-term copy of a specific dataset.
Flow:
More information:
Recurring weekly backup¶
A tape copy is created on a recurring basis on a selected day of the week.
Example:
or:
After the retention period expires, the tape may be reused according to the agreed policy.
Recurring monthly backup¶
A copy is created once per month.
Example:
This option can be used for longer-term storage of historical backup points.
More information:
GFS retention¶
For more advanced requirements, Cloud4You can configure a GFS — Grandfather-Father-Son policy.
For tape backup, Veeam supports five independent cycles:
Not all cycles have to be used.
Each cycle can have its own retention period.
Example GFS policy¶
Example:
Weekly
├── 1 copy per week
└── retention: 4 weeks
Monthly
├── 1 copy per month
└── retention: 12 months
Quarterly
├── 1 copy per quarter
└── retention: 24 months
The policy can also be extended with yearly copies:
Info
Retention periods are agreed individually. The values above are only examples of possible configurations.
More information:
Taking tapes offline¶
One of the advantages of tape archiving is that a medium can be physically removed from the active library after writing is complete.
Example:
Veeam allows tapes outside the library to be organized using:
A Vault keeps records in Veeam of media that have been removed from the library and are stored offline.
Important
The exact storage method and storage period depend on the selected Tape as a Service option and are agreed when the service is ordered.
Tape retention¶
Retention defines how long data written to tape is protected from overwrite.
Example:
means that the weekly backup set is protected for four weeks.
Independent periods can be used for GFS cycles:
After retention expires, the medium may be reused according to the service policy.
How does Veeam write a backup to tape?¶
Veeam does not back up a virtual machine directly from production to tape.
In a Backup to Tape scenario, the source is an existing backup.
For Cloud4You, the flow is:
During the job, Veeam:
- identifies the appropriate backup,
- selects the data required by the GFS policy,
- transfers the data through Veeam Data Mover components,
- writes it to media from the appropriate Media Pool,
- updates the backup and tape catalogs.
Why GFS?¶
A GFS policy allows different levels of history to be retained without keeping every copy for the same amount of time.
Example:
This makes it possible to retain:
- short operational history,
- medium-term archival points,
- long-term historical copies.
When schedules overlap, Veeam applies the following hierarchy:
For example, if a yearly, quarterly, and monthly copy fall on the same day, Veeam creates the copy belonging to the highest-priority level — in this case, Yearly.
Data restore¶
If data in the Cloud Repository is unavailable or an older restore point exists only on tape, Cloud4You can start a restore from the media.
Flow:
Operations on backups stored on tape are performed by Cloud4You.
The customer does not see Tape Jobs or Tape Infrastructure contents in their own Veeam console.
More information:
When is Tape as a Service useful?¶
The service can be particularly useful when an organization:
- wants an additional physical backup copy,
- requires a long retention period,
- wants selected copies to be stored offline,
- does not want to build its own tape infrastructure,
- needs weekly, monthly, or quarterly copies,
- requires archiving of historical backup points,
- wants to add another protection layer to an existing backup strategy.
Example scenarios¶
One-time archive¶
Weekly backup¶
Monthly backup¶
Multi-level retention¶
Cloud Repository
↓
Tape GFS
│
├── Weekly → 4 weeks
├── Monthly → 12 months
├── Quarterly → 24 months
└── Yearly → 5 years
What do we define before service activation?¶
Before activating Tape as a Service, we define:
- the data or backups to be archived,
- backup frequency,
- required retention period,
- use of Weekly / Monthly / Quarterly / Yearly,
- media storage method,
- required off-site tape storage period,
- handling after retention expires,
- data restore requirements.
The appropriate service option is selected based on these requirements.
Important information¶
Note
Tenant Backup to Tape is performed on the Service Provider side. Tape jobs are not visible or managed from the customer's Veeam console.
Note
For tenant backups, Veeam uses GFS Media Pools as the target for the Tenant Backup to Tape Job.
Warning
Backups imported into Veeam that were not created by a job or mapped to a job configured on the customer server may not be processed by a Tenant Backup to Tape Job.
Next steps¶
Depending on your needs, continue to:
- One-time Backup
- Recurring Backup
- GFS Retention
- Available Retention Options
- Restoring Data from Tape
- Tape Security and Storage
- Ordering the Service
- FAQ