Category: Veeam

Veeam does not have a built-in function to remove restore points manually, it took me a while but after trying a lot of different ways and scripts I have found a way to do it. (Please note that this is a last resort, Veeam should clean-up old restore points by itself)

1. Go to Backup & Replication -> Backups.
2. Right-click the job you want to edit and click ‘Remove from configuration’ (Do not delete from disk!).
3. Open the Windows Explorer and browse to the job’s folder in the backup repository.
4. Delete the restore points you want to remove, and delete the .VBM file.
5. Re-import the most recent .VBK file in the Veeam.
6. Run the following script using the Veeam Powershell to generate a new .VBM file:

   #[Veeam.Backup.Core.CCredentilasStroreInitializer]::InitLocal() to work with Lin repository
   
   $backupName = Read-Host "Enter backup name for meta regeneration"
   
   Add-Type -Path "C:\Program Files\Veeam\Backup and Replication\Backup\Veeam.Backup.Core.dll"
   [Veeam.Backup.Common.LogFactory]::InitializeConsoleLog()
   
   Try
   {
   $backup = [Veeam.Backup.Core.CBackup]::GetAll() | Where { $_.Name.Equals($backupName) } | Select -index 0
   
       if ($backup -eq $null)
         {
           throw ("There is no backup with specified name : " + $backupName)
         }
   
   $storageAccessor = [Veeam.Backup.Core.CStorageAccessorFactory]::Create($backup)
   
   [Veeam.Backup.Core.CCredentilasStroreInitializer]::InitLocal()
   
   
   
   $metaUpdater = New-Object Veeam.Backup.Core.CSimpleBackupMetaUpdater
   $metaEx = new-object Veeam.Backup.Core.CBackupMetaEx -ArgumentList $backup, $storageAccessor, $metaUpdater
   $metaEx.GenerateAndSave()
   
   $metaFilePath = $backup.GetMetaFilePath($storageAccessor.FileCommander)
   Write-Host "Successfully saved meta for backup $($backupName) on $($storageAccessor.Name) : $($metaFilePath)"
   }
   Catch
   {
   Write-Host $_.Exception.Message
   Write-Host $_.Exception.StackTrace
   Write-Host $_.Exception.InnerException.Message
   Write-Host $_.Exception.InnerException.StackTrace
   Break
   }
   
   $Reader = [System.IO.StreamReader] $metaFilePath 
   $MyString = $Reader.ReadToEnd();
   $Reader.Dispose();
   
   
   $removeString = 'LinkId="00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000"';
   $index = $MyString.IndexOf($removeString);
   $lengh = $removeString.Length;
   
   $start = $MyString.Substring(0, $index);
   $end  = $MyString.Substring($index + $lengh);
   
   $clean = $start + $end;
   
   
   
   $writer = [System.IO.StreamWriter] $metaFilePath
   $writer.WriteLine($clean);
   $writer.Close();

7. Remove the imported backup from Veeam
8. Re-scan the backup repository (Backup Infrastructure -> Backup Repositories)
9. Go to the associated backup job and re-map the backup. You can do this by editing the job, going to the Storage-tab and click Map backup.

And that’s it! Now you’ve reclaimed the disk space you needed, removed corrupted backups, or whatever reason you had for removing the restore points.