How to Connect to an Object Storage Repository via AWS Privatelink / Direct Connect

KB ID: 4226
Product: Veeam Backup & Replication | 12 | 12.1 | 12.2 | 12.3 | 12.3.1 | 12.3.2 | 13
Published: 2021-10-17
Last Modified: 2026-01-28
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Purpose

"This article documents the configuration of Veeam Backup & Replication for using AWS PrivateLink or AWS Direct Connect. These services enable Scale-Out Backup Repository offload to Capacity Tier or Archive Tier, as well as the connection to an Object Storage Repository, without the use of public endpoints.

The instructions are applicable to Veeam Backup & Replication version 12 or newer.

Solution

Prepare the AWS Environment

  1. (If using AWS Direct Connect, skip to step 2.) 
    For AWS PrivateLink, configure a VPN connection to the VPC where you plan to deploy the PrivateLink Endpoint. One way to do this is to create a tunnel on the VM gateway using AWS Client VPN.
  2. Create Endpoints in VPC:
    1. Create an S3 Interface Endpoint in your VPC. It will be assigned a DNS name that you can see in the AWS Console under VPC - Endpoints when selecting the corresponding Endpoint.
    2. An EC2 Endpoint must also be created if you intend to use the Archive Tier.

Prepare the Veeam Backup & Replication Environment

  1. Disable automatic updating of the AmazonS3Regions.xml file by configuring the following setting on the Veeam Backup Server.
    This will prevent Veeam Backup & Replication from overwriting the changes you'll make in the next section of this guide.
    • For Windows-based Veeam Backup & Replication Deployment, add this registry value:


      Key Location: 
      HKLM\SOFTWARE\Veeam\Veeam Backup and Replication\

      Value Name: CloudRegionsDisableUpdate
      Value Type: DWORD (32-Bit) Value
      Value Data: 1
    • For Veeam Software Appliance (Veeam Backup & Replication on Linux), add this value to the configuration settings:

      Configuration file: /etc/veeam/veeam_backup_and_replication.conf
      Section: [root]
      Setting: CloudRegionsDisableUpdate=1

      For more information on applying custom settings on the Veeam Storage Appliance, please review KB4779.
AmazonS3Regions.xml Overwritten During Product Update

The 'CloudRegionsDisableUpdate' registry value only disables Veeam Backup & Replication performing its daily check and update of the AmazonS3Regions.xml file.

This registry value does not prevent that file from being overwritten by an updated version of that file contained within and deployed by a product update.

You should keep a copy of your modified AmazonS3Regions.xml in a safe place so that you can restore it if a product update reverts the custom changes you make.

  1. Disable certificate revocation checks by creating the following setting on the machine that is assigned as the Gateway server within the Object Storage Repository settings:
    • For Windows-based Gateway servers, add this registry value:

      Key Location: HKLM\SOFTWARE\Veeam\Veeam Backup and Replication\
      Value Name: ObjectStorageTlsRevocationCheck
      Value Type: DWORD (32-Bit) Value
      Value Data: 0
    • For Veeam Infrastructure Appliance (JeOS) Gateways, add this value to the configuration settings:

      Configuration file: /etc/veeam/veeam_backup_and_replication.conf
      Section: [root]
      Setting: ObjectStorageTlsRevocationCheck=0
    • For Customer-deployed Linux-based Gateway servers, add this entry to the /etc/VeeamAgentConfigIf the /etc/VeeamAgentConfig file is not present, it must be created. file:
      ObjectStorageTlsRevocationCheck=0
      
  2. To configure the Helper Appliance used for Object Storage Repository Health Checks to use the private IP address, add the following setting on the Veeam Backup Server:
    • For Windows-based Veeam Backup & Replication Deployment, add this registry value:


      Key Location: HKLM\SOFTWARE\Veeam\Veeam Backup and Replication\
      Value Name: ArchiveUsePrivateIpForAmazonHelperAppliance
      Value Type: DWORD (32-Bit) Value
      Value Data: 1

    • For Veeam Software Appliance (Veeam Backup & Replication on Linux), add this value to the configuration settings:

      Configuration file: /etc/veeam/veeam_backup_and_replication.conf
      Section: [root]
      Setting: ArchiveUsePrivateIpForAmazonHelperAppliance=1
  3. If you plan to use Amazon Glacier for the Archive Tier, review the following:
    • Certificate revocation checks must be permitted. The Veeam Backup Server and the VPC where the Archiver Appliance is deployed must have access to the AWS certificate revocation lists over port 80 (*.amazontrust.com).
    • The following additional setting values must be created on the Veeam Backup Server:
      • For Windows-based Veeam Backup & Replication Deployment, add these registry values:

        Key Location: HKLM\SOFTWARE\Veeam\Veeam Backup and Replication\
        Value Name: ArchiveFreezingUsePrivateIpForAmazonAppliance
        Value Type: DWORD (32-Bit) Value
        Value Data: 1

        Key Location: HKLM\SOFTWARE\Veeam\Veeam Backup and Replication\
        Value Name: ArchiveFreezingSkipProxyValidation
        Value Type: DWORD (32-Bit) Value
        Value Data: 1

      • For Veeam Software Appliance (Veeam Backup & Replication on Linux), add these values to the configuration settings:

        Configuration file: /etc/veeam/veeam_backup_and_replication.conf
        Section: [root]
        Setting: ArchiveFreezingUsePrivateIpForAmazonAppliance=1

        Configuration file: /etc/veeam/veeam_backup_and_replication.conf
        Section: [root]
        Setting: ArchiveFreezingSkipProxyValidation=1

Modify the AmazonS3Regions.xml File

This Affects All Traffic to the Modified Region

The AmazonS3Regions.xml file contains a list of regions and their respective endpoints. Modifying a region's endpoints makes it possible to force Veeam Backup & Replication to connect to a specific endpoint when that region is selected in the UI. This modification will cause all tasks that utilize the region you modify to employ the customized S3 and EC2 endpoints. If you wish to avoid interference, we recommend altering a region that other tasks or objects in Veeam Backup & Replication are not using. Then, use that altered region exclusively when you want to direct traffic to use the custom endpoints.

Note: When editing the AmazonS3Regions.xml file, you can rename the modified region to make it easier to find in the UI. For example, if you modify the "US East (N. Virginia)" section in the xml file, the Name= value in quotes for that modified section can be modified.

  1. On the Veeam Backup Server, edit the AmazonS3Regions.xml file.
    • For Windows-based Veeam Backup & Replication Deployments, this file can be found in:
      C:\Program Files\Veeam\Backup and Replication\Backup\AmazonS3Regions.xml
      
    • For Veeam Software Appliance (Veeam Backup & Replication on Linux), use the Files view to locate the file within:
      Linux > This server > public_cloud > AmazonS3Regions.xml
      
The file manager in a backup or management console is open, showing the directory structure for a Linux server. The "public_cloud" folder is selected in the left pane. In the right pane, several XML files are listed, including "AmazonS3Regions.xml," which is highlighted. A context menu is open on this file, with the "Edit" option highlighted.
Veeam Software Appliance Example
  1. Identify an unused Region section that will be modified to use the PrivateLink or Direct Connect location.

    Example:
     <Region Id="ap-northeast-1" Name="Asia Pacific (Tokyo)" Type="Global">
    
  2. Within that region's section, find the line <Endpoint Type="s3"> and replace the existing DNS value with the S3 Interface Endpoint DNS created in Prepare the AWS Environment > Step 2.

    Note: In S3, the AWS console displays a DNS value that starts with an asterisk. When altering the AmazonS3Regions file, replace that asterisk with the word bucket.

    Example:
    <Endpoint Type="S3">s3-ap-northeast-1.amazonaws.com</Endpoint>
    
    Is changed to:
    <Endpoint Type="S3">bucket.vpce-00000000000000000-00000000.s3.ap-northeast-1.vpce.amazonaws.com</Endpoint>
    
  3. If multiple lines for <Endpoint Type="S3"> are in the Region section you are altering, remove all but the one you changed.

    Example:
    <Region Id="ap-northeast-1" Name="Asia Pacific (Tokyo)" Type="Global">
    <Endpoint Type="S3">bucket.vpce-00000000000000000-00000000.s3.ap-northeast-1.vpce.amazonaws.com</Endpoint>
    <Endpoint Type="S3">s3.dualstack.ap-northeast-1.amazonaws.com</Endpoint>
    
  4. If you plan to use Archive Tier: Within the same Region section, find the line <Endpoint Type="EC2"> and replace the existing DNS value with the EC2 Endpoint DNS created in Step 2.

    Example:
    <Endpoint Type="EC2">ec2.ap-northeast-1.amazonaws.com</Endpoint>
    
    Is changed to:
    <Endpoint Type="EC2">vpce-00000000000000000-00000000.ec2.ap-northeast-1.vpce.amazonaws.com</Endpoint>
    
  5. Save the file.
A section of XML code for the AWS region "eu-central-1" (Frankfurt) is shown. It contains three S3 endpoint entries: "s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com," "s3-eu-central-1.amazonaws.com," and "s3.dualstack.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com."
Before Changes
A section of XML code for the AWS region "eu-central-1" (Frankfurt) is shown. It contains a single S3 endpoint entry: "bucket.vpc.s3.endpoint.dns.name." The previous S3 endpoints are replaced.
After Adding Custom S3 and EC2 Endpoint
  1. Stop all tasks within Veeam Backup & Replication and restart the Veeam Backup Service to apply all changes.

    For Veeam Software Appliance, log in to the Veeam Host Management Console to manage the services.

Add Object Storage Repository

Now that the AmazonS3Regions.xml file has been modified, when you select the entry you changed within Veeam Backup & Replication, the software will connect to the specified endpoints.

  • For Object Storage Repository, Add Amazon S3 Storage repository. On the Bucket tab of the wizard, select the Region that matches the Region name you modified in the AmazonS3Regions.xml file.
  • For Capacity Tier, Add Amazon S3 Storage repository. On the Bucket tab of the wizard, select the Region that matches the Region name you modified in the AmazonS3Regions.xml file. Then add Capacity Tier to Scale-Out Backup Repository
  • For Archive Tier, Add Amazon S3 Glacier Storage repository. On the Bucket tab of the wizard, select the Data center that matches the Region name you modified in the AmazonS3Regions.xml file. Then, add Archive Tier to the Scale-Out Backup Repository.

If this KB article did not resolve your issue or you need further assistance with Veeam software, please create a Veeam Support Case.

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