What is Reddit's opinion of Veeam Agent?

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Uhh, Veeam Agent is free, on both platforms. Sure you can buy licenses for extra features, but for standard incremental backups, it'll do that fine for free

https://www.veeam.com/windows-cloud-server-backup-agent.html

You don't have to backup to cloud, you can backup to any SMB share for example

I used to run use Veeam EndPoint. It's free and allows backup scheduling https://www.veeam.com/windows-cloud-server-backup-agent.html

To offload/safely store backups on a second site (over VPN), I use Rclone that backups data to S3 Compatible cloud/gateway (Scality S3 server). https://vmwareblog.org/single-cloud-enough-secure-backups-5-cool-cross-cloud-solutions-consider/

Unfortunately this ransomware doesn't have a decryption tool and likely won't for a long while.

You'll want to restore from a backup.

In the future you may want to look into data protection software and backup software for your server.

Use Duplicaty or Clonezilla to safely copy data from a drive to a drive. https://www.vmwareblog.org/single-cloud-enough-secure-backups-5-cool-cross-cloud-solutions-consider/

Also, you can use VeeamEnpoint for the purpose. https://www.veeam.com/windows-cloud-server-backup-agent.html

https://www.veeam.com/windows-cloud-server-backup-agent.html

One installed you can backup the image to a NAS or to an existing Veeam Server. You can restore individual files, or the entire machine to bare metal or as a VM.

>I am going to be making a master backup of my current install of Win10Pro

I can recommend Veeam Agent for Windows 10 workstation backup. Veeam allows you to recover a file-level, volume, or entire system (disk images) and store backups on local and network storage. https://www.veeam.com/windows-cloud-server-backup-agent.html

>I can just go back and restore my backup if things go bad, correct

Veeam allows doing so. Aside from the main Veeam backup functionality, Veeam will guide you to preparing the USB Live system, which is needed to boot your computer from. Ensure you have prepared it and are able to boot from it before installing the new Windows 11.

Veeam + Rclone. Veeam Agent creates an encrypted backup of Windows and Linux workstations to local and network storage. Rclone allows offloading Veeam backups to cloud storage. https://www.veeam.com/windows-cloud-server-backup-agent.html

Duplicati. If system backup is not needed but just data backup, Duplicati builds the 3-2-1 backup by creating a local, network and cloud copy of your data on a schedule. https://www.vmwareblog.org/single-cloud-enough-secure-backups-5-cool-cross-cloud-solutions-consider/

Veeam + Rclone. While Veeam Agent/B&R allows backup Windows and Linux workstations, rclone allows uploading them to any S3 compatible storage offsite. https://www.veeam.com/windows-cloud-server-backup-agent.html

Otherwise use Duplicati. It can make the backup of selected data to local and network or cloud storage on a schedule. https://www.vmwareblog.org/single-cloud-enough-secure-backups-5-cool-cross-cloud-solutions-consider/

1. Back up the workstation using Veeam Agent. https://www.veeam.com/windows-cloud-server-backup-agent.html
2. Boot Gparted or Windows PE to partition the disk as you need, e.g. 100MB, 499.4GB, and 500MB. https://www.geckoandfly.com/32030/bootable-windows-pe-recovery-repair/
3. Boot from Veeam's recovery media, and recover system to new partitions. https://helpcenter.veeam.com/docs/agentforwindows/userguide/baremetal\_disk\_mapping.html?ver=50

Another vote for Veeam for personal backups. It is free for a single backup job allowing to backup and restore a file, volume, and entire system. https://www.veeam.com/windows-cloud-server-backup-agent.html

Veeam Agent will do so (also free). It can drop backups to an SMB share fairly easily. The down side is it happens from inside the VM so needs to be installed on each VM. ANything not VM based will probably need a licensed version of ESXi. GhettoVCB doesn't I don't think, but you're going to want to be comfortable with command line interactions to use it

Not sure there's a documented way to do that specific conversion. However, you could try the following....

On the Parallels VM Install Veeam Windows Agent backup https://www.veeam.com/windows-cloud-server-backup-agent.html?ad=menu-products (scroll down a bit, there's a free version)

When Veeam is installed, create a recovery ISO. Copy that ISO over to an SMB share on your synology.

Perform a full backup of the Parallels VM to a share on your Synology.

On the Synology, create a VM and boot the Veeam recovery ISO. Then restore the backup into the VM.

Might not work, but worth a go.

Veeam + Rclone. Veeam Agent creates an encrypted backup of a Windows workstation to any local and network storage. Rclone allows offloading Veeam backups to cloud storage. https://www.veeam.com/windows-cloud-server-backup-agent.html

Otherwise use Duplicati. It makes the full or incremental backup of selected data to local and network or cloud storage on a schedule. https://www.vmwareblog.org/single-cloud-enough-secure-backups-5-cool-cross-cloud-solutions-consider/

Veeam Agent does what you have described. Veeam Agent allows to create a backup image of Windows and Linux workstations to any external or network storage. It is an industry-standard backup solution you can use to cover your workstations and servers.

https://www.veeam.com/windows-cloud-server-backup-agent.html

Too many unsafe shutdowns. Definitely backup and restore to a new drive.

Use Veeam Agent to backup the entire drive or duplicati to backup only user data.

https://www.veeam.com/windows-cloud-server-backup-agent.html

https://www.vmwareblog.org/single-cloud-enough-secure-backups-5-cool-cross-cloud-solutions-consider/

Another vote for Veeam. Veeam Agent allows backup Windows and Linux workstations to any external or network storage. It is an industry-standard backup solution.
https://www.veeam.com/windows-cloud-server-backup-agent.html

For 4 VM backup you can use Veeam Backup and Replication. The community edition is free for 10 VMs. https://www.veeam.com/virtual-machine-backup-solution-free.html

I can recommend either Veeam Agent + Rclone + Backblaze B2 and Veeam Agent + external drive and Backblaze Personal Backup combinations.

Veeam Agent creates an encrypted backup of Windows Server to your external storage. https://www.veeam.com/windows-cloud-server-backup-agent.html Rclone allows offloading Veeam backups to cloud storage such as Backblaze B2 and Wasabi https://www.vmwareblog.org/single-cloud-enough-secure-backups-5-cool-cross-cloud-solutions-consider/

>Goal is family and friends backup files to my NAS.

Veeam + Rclone. Veeam Agent allows backup Windows and Linux workstations to NAS. Rclone allows offloading Veeam backups from NAS to any storage endpoint. Both are free to use.
https://www.veeam.com/windows-cloud-server-backup-agent.html

https://rclone.org/overview/

>Although I wonder is there is an automated way of doing that instead of how I did things currently with copy and paste as that’s probably why I didn’t have a more robust back up system in place as I only copied and pasted files here and there when I had the chance/could be bothered.

Veeam + Rclone. Veeam Agent allows backup Windows and Linux workstations. Rclone allows offloading Veeam backups to any external storage endpoint. https://www.veeam.com/windows-cloud-server-backup-agent.html
https://rclone.org/overview/

I can recommend Veeam Agent for Windows workstation backup. Like Macrium, it allows you to make a file, volume, and disk image/ system-level backup from which you can restore a file, volume, or entire system to the same or new hardware. https://www.veeam.com/windows-cloud-server-backup-agent.html

Another vote for Veeam + Rclone. Veeam Agent allows backup Windows and Linux workstations. Rclone allows offloading Veeam backups to any cloud (S3 compatible) storage.

https://www.veeam.com/windows-cloud-server-backup-agent.html

https://rclone.org/s3/#

I can recommend Veeam Agent for Windows workstation backup. Veeam allows you to clone the entire system by making a system image from which you can restore a file, volume, or entire system to the same or new hardware. https://www.veeam.com/windows-cloud-server-backup-agent.html

Mentioned Macrium Reflect Free is an alternative and has similar functionality. Personally, I use free Veeam products for workstation and VM backup, which I have in my home lab.

I second this!

Veeam Agent for Windows Does the job. You install it. Create a Recovery media - will be used when a full system recovery is needed. Create a Backup job to local, network storage, or OneDrive. Run backup Job. Done. https://www.veeam.com/windows-cloud-server-backup-agent.html

I agree, it should take 4-5 hours depending on the type of you drives, their speed, lifecycle, and the data on the source drive. Personally, I prefer running Veeam Agent to do backups of volumes and workstations (laptops and PCs) automatically. It is free and allows you to do incremental backups. https://www.veeam.com/windows-cloud-server-backup-agent.html

Backup files and folders using Veeam Agent https://www.veeam.com/windows-cloud-server-backup-agent.html

Get a clean OS installed with drivers and up[updates, apply the license, recover your data.

If you have a physical disk split into multiple logical volumes, you can have a reinstall the system on C drive keeping all the data on D drive.

Consider Veeam over Windows Backup. Veeam Agent for Windows features a physical workstation backup allowing you to make a volume and file backups. With such backup, you can restore a file but more important entire machine. https://www.veeam.com/windows-cloud-server-backup-agent.html

I'm using Duplicati for Windows and Linux workstations. I had no issues with there restoring.

Alternatively, you can use Veeam Agent for Windows and Linux desktops to back up systems. https://www.veeam.com/windows-cloud-server-backup-agent.html

I was in the same situation. Best solution for me, was to make a full backup of all disks, swapped the SSD and then made a full restore on the new disk. (Booted from a usb recovery media from the backup software). Did the backup with the free edition "Veeam Agent for Windows"

Veeam can do this for you. You can manage Veeam Agents [1] from your side. You also can participate their Cloud Connect program and present cloud backup repository baked on your facilities (or cloud resources that you control). It's quite flexible in terms of final design and your eventual demand.

[1] https://www.veeam.com/windows-cloud-server-backup-agent.html

Remark: I run consultancy service in this area, feel free to DM for private assistance.

>So far I've created a share at /dev/md0/data.

I assume you've mounted /dev/md0 somewhere like /mnt/storage and created a data folder there?

>Should I continue to create shares under /data for /public, /music, /videos, /user1, /user2, etc. or can I simply use Windows to add these as folders?

This is probably a matter of preference, but the simplest solution would be to just mount the \\server\data share as a drive letter in Windows and start creating folders within that.

>I also want to start backing up the various machines on the network using Windows File History.

WFH is okay, but I recommend looking at a more robust solution if you're serious about backups. I recommend Veeam Agent for Windows, which is free. You can even do bare-metal restores if your machine's hard drive dies.

>Should I set up shares (or folders) for each machine?

When you point Windows File History to a drive, it will create a folder structure like F:\FileHistory\%USERNAME%\%COMPUTERNAME%. Veeam Agent will create F:\VeeamBackup\Backup Job %COMPUTERNAME%.

> Including 'you can't get there from here' if my half-baked plan isn't feasible.

This sounds feasible. I think you're on the right track.

Like you I have nearly zero experience running servers but have to do it anyway (small company, no money to spare, etc, etc). Take it from someone who has just gone though the experience of losing a server with no backups, put in a backup system now! By a stroke of exceedingly good luck we were able to recover our data but it was touch and go and we nearly lost our biggest contract over the down time it caused us.

For what it's worth I now use the free Veeam Agent to back up our server and offsite the backup every morning using FTP. It's not an idea solution but the price is right and it's super easy to install and configure. Get a backup solution in place!

https://www.veeam.com/windows-cloud-server-backup-agent.html

It looks to me like it is no longer free. Or at least if you want 24x7 support and extra features for enterprise then you need to move to a paid subscription model. I wouldn't use free for an important physical server because if you need support you can't get it reliably, it is just "best effort".

Free version doesn't include changed block tracking, application aware processing, continuous sheduling, agent management from the repository console etc.

According to Veeam, with VAW 2.0 (any edition), you can do:

"Instant Recovery to Microsoft Hyper-V VM: Quickly restore service to users by starting a VM directly from agent backup file."

https://www.veeam.com/windows-cloud-server-backup-agent.html