Veeam Support Knowledge Base
How to migrate Veeam Backup & Replication or Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager

How to migrate Veeam Backup & Replication or Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager

KB ID:	1889
Product:	Veeam Backup & Replication \| 12 \| 12.1 \| 12.2
Published:	2014-05-29
Last Modified:	2025-03-28

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Veeam Backup & Replication Migration

Details regarding Veeam Backup & Replication migration are now fully documented in the product user guide.

Please review the following documentation:

Migrating Veeam Backup & Replication to Another Server

Other Migration Types:

Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager Migration

Migration Terminology Clarification

This article documents migration by moving the Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager software or its configuration database to a different machine. The migration procedures in this article are intended only for moving from and to the same database engine.

For information about migrating the Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager configuration database from Microsoft SQL Server to PostgreSQL, please review KB4409.

Note: Migration of the Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager configuration database from PostgreSQL to Microsoft SQL Server is not supported.

Impact of changes in Veeam Backup & Replication/Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager 12

Starting with Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager 12, the installer automatically deploys and uses PostgreSQL. It is possible to customize the installer settings to use an existing Microsoft SQL Server Instance, but the installer no longer has the option to deploy a new Microsoft SQL Server Express Instance.

Review the following Limitations & Considerations before migrating Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager 12 or newer to a different machine:

The database engine (Microsoft SQL Server or PostgreSQL) used by Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager and all Veeam Backup & Replication servers it manages must match.
If you are migrating Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager to a new server, and the old Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager install was using Microsoft SQL Server, you must manually install Microsoft SQL Server Express on that new machine. During the installation, customize the Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager installer settings to use that SQL Instance. Failure to select an existing Microsoft Server SQL Instance during the installation will cause the Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager installer to deploy PostgreSQL, causing that new deployment of Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager to be unable to manage the Veeam Backup & Replication servers that are still using Microsoft SQL Server.
If you want to use an existing PostgreSQL instance, you must ensure that that instance can use sufficient resources. For more information, see Configuring PostgreSQL Instance.
If Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager is storing its configuration database on a Microsoft SQL Server Instance, you must ensure that if you deploy a new Veeam Backup & Replication server, it too must use Microsoft SQL Server. Failure to match the database engine will prevent Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager from managing that Veeam Backup & Replication server.

Expand the section below that best matches the type of Migration needed:

Migrate Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager and its Configuration Database

Upgrade Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager Before Migration

Due to improvements that have been made to Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager and to prevent issues that may hinder the ability to migrate the software, we strongly recommend that you upgrade Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager to the latest version available before attempting to migrate.

Support Assistance Required to Complete Migration

When migrating the Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager deployment from one machine to another and using version 12.x (12.0, 12.1, or 12.2) consider the following:

For Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager versions 12.0 and 12.2, if the mail server settings are configured, you must contact Veeam Support after completing the migration steps in this article for assistance with clearing the email client settings in the configuration database (reference Issue ID# 614693).
For Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager version 12.1, you must either contact Veeam Support before migration for specific steps and database modifications that must occur or upgrade to the latest version of Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager (12.2 at the time of writing) and review the prior bullet point.

Moving Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager Will Necessitate Reentering Credentials

Credentials and keysets are encrypted in the configuration database in such a way that they become invalid if the Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager software is moved. Therefore, if you plan to move the Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager to a different machine, you must first export keysets and be ready to re-enter all credentials for connections to Veeam Backup & Replication servers managed by Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager. However, if you only relocate the Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager configuration database, the credentials and keysets will remain valid.

Use case examples:

Veeam Backup & Replication and Backup Enterprise Manager were installed on the same machine, and you want to move Backup Enterprise Manager off to its own server.
You want to move Backup Enterprise Manager and its configuration database to a new server.

Export all Keysets from the old Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager web console. Take note of which keyset was Active
Stop the following services on the old Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager server.
- Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager
- Veeam Guest Catalog Service
- Veeam RESTful API Service
  ^{Note: On combined VBEM and VBR deployments, there are two Veeam services with RESTful API in their name. Stop the one named Veeam RESTful API Service, not the one named Veeam Backup Server RESTful API Service.}
Back up the old Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager configuration database.
Refer to KB1471: How to Manually Back up Veeam Configuration Databases
Uninstall Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager from the old server.
If Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager was installed on the same server as Veeam Backup & Replication, at this point, all Veeam services on the old server may be started.
Install Backup Enterprise Manager on the new server.

Critical Note: If the old Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager server was hosting the configuration database on Microsoft SQL Server, and you are installing Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager v12 or newer, you must select the "Customize settings" option during installation and specify an existing Microsoft SQL Server Instance. If there is no existing Microsoft SQL Server Instance on the machine where you are migrating Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager, you must install Microsoft SQL Server Express yourself.
Stop the following services on the new Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager server.
- Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager
- Veeam Guest Catalog Service
- Veeam RESTful API Service
Restore the backup of the old VeeamBackupReporting database over the new database created during the installation of Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager
- If the configuration database was hosted on Microsoft SQL Server, use SSMS to restore the backup.
  Note: Enable "Overwrite the existing database" in the Restore Database > Options menu of SSMS
- If the configuration database was hosted on PostgreSQL, we recommend using pgAdmin to restore the backup.
  Note: Enable "Clean before restore" in the Query Options tab of the Restore Dialog.
Using the dbconfig tool on the new server, reconfigure Backup Enterprise Manager to use the restored database. The tool will prompt stating that the database is in use by the old Backup Enterprise Manager server. Select Yes to update the database ownership to the new server.
At this point in the migration, there will be keysets visible in the Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager web console, but they are invalid. You must do the following to replace each keyset:
1. Import Keyset(s) from the old Backup Enterprise Manager server.
2. Set whichever keyset was Active in the old Backup Enterprise Manager console to be Active.
3. Delete the corresponding invalid keyset that was replaced by the import process.
Update passwords for each connected Veeam Backup & Replication server.
Reference Veeam KB1900 for information about password locations to update in Backup Enterprise Manager.
(Optional) Compare the following registry keys on the old and new Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager servers to identify if any custom registry values need to be brought to the new Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager server.
- HKLM\SOFTWARE\Veeam\Veeam Backup Catalog
- HKLM\SOFTWARE\Veeam\Veeam Backup Reporting
(Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager 12.0 & 12.2) If the mail server settings were configured prior to migration, you must contact Veeam Support for assistance with clearing the email client settings in the configuration database (reference Issue ID# 614693).

Migrate the Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager configuration database to an existing SQL Instance but keep the software in place.

Use case example:

You want to keep Backup Enterprise Manager installed where it is, but shift from using the default local SQL instance to a dedicated SQL server's instance. (SQL Requirements | Permissions Requirements)

Stop the following services on the Backup Enterprise Manager server.
- Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager
- Veeam Guest Catalog Service
- Veeam RESTful API Service
Back up the old Backup Enterprise Manager configuration database (VeeamBackupReporting).
Restore the backup of the old VeeamBackupReporting database to the new MSSQL\PGSQL server.
1. For Microsoft SQL Server, use SSMS to restore the backup.
2. For PostgreSQL, we recommend using pgAdmin to restore the backup.
  _{If you want to use an existing PostgreSQL instance, ensure that the instance can use sufficient resources. For more information, see Configuring PostgreSQL Instance.}
This step can be skipped if native Microsoft SQL\PostgreSQL authentication will be used for the remote connection.

If the database was restored to a Microsoft SQL Server instance that uses Windows Authentication or a PostgreSQL server that utilizes SSPI Authentication, the services associated with Enterprise Manager must be configured to 'Log on as' using an account that has the appropriate permissions to connect to the Microsoft SQL Server or PostgreSQL server. Below are the services that must be modified before continuing to the next step:
- Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager
- Veeam Guest Catalog Service
- Veeam RESTful API Service
Using the dbconfig tool reconfigure Backup Enterprise Manager to use the restored database.
Start all Veeam services on the Backup Enterprise Manager server.

If you have any issue during the migration of Backup Enterprise Manager, create a support case and include logs from %programdata%\Veeam\Setup\Temp

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How to migrate Veeam Backup & Replication or Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager

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