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Veeam Backup & Replication Platform Migration Guide
(Windows to Linux)

KB ID: 4800
Product: Veeam Backup & Replication | 13
Published: 2026-02-19
Last Modified: 2026-05-08
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Article Applicability

This article is related to a new capability to migrate the configuration of a Windows-based Veeam Backup & Replication deployment to a Veeam Software Appliance. Due to the variability in how Veeam Backup & Replication can be used, configured, and deployed, and the complexity of migrating software configuration between platforms, this guide may not cover every possible limitation or consideration.

This article will be updated as more migrations occur and as customer feedback is received.

Purpose

This article documents potential limitations and considerations when performing a Veeam Backup & Replication configuration migration from a Windows-based deployment to a Linux-based (Veeam Software Appliance) deployment.

Note: Platform migration is supported only from Windows-based Veeam Backup & Replication to the Veeam Software Appliance (Linux-based). Reverse migration from Linux to Windows is not available, and no such functionality is currently planned.

Before You Begin

Before reviewing limitations or proceeding with the migration guidance, please complete the following mandatory preparation steps.

Pilot migration projects are currently being performed in close cooperation with Technical Support, Sales Engineers, and Product Management. If you are considering migrating from a Windows-based installation to the Veeam Software Appliance (VSA) to take advantage of all supported features, complete the steps below before continuing with this article.

Preparation Steps
  1. Ensure that you have instance-based licenses.
    The Veeam Software Appliance supports only instance-based Veeam Universal License (VUL). To verify your license type, open the Veeam Backup & Replication Console and review the License Information. If the license specifies "Sockets," it is a legacy socket-based license and must be migrated to VUL before proceeding. For details on migration and pricing, contact your preferred reseller or the Veeam Renewals Team.
  2. Update your Windows deployment to the latest available patch level.
    This ensures your current installation is ready for migration and includes the most recent fixes that may affect the migration process.
  3. Sign in and register on the VSA conversion portal.
  4. Enable the “Receive proactive support” option in the product.
    This allows Veeam to evaluate whether your backup server configuration can be migrated to VSA without issues.

 

VSA Conversion in Pilot Phase

After registering for the VSA Conversion pilot program, an email will be sent to you when Veeam is ready to proceed with your migration request. As this is a pilot program, only a limited number of migrations are performed at a time so that Veeam can monitor for potential issues.

We understand how excited you are about the new Veeam Software Appliance, and we ask for your patience while we process each registration. Creating additional registrations on the VSA conversion portal or creating Veeam Technical Support cases will not affect the speed at which you will be contacted about the migration.

Solution

Limitations due to Veeam Software Appliance Capabilities

  • Veeam Cloud Connect deployments cannot be migrated to Veeam Software Appliance.
  • Storage system snapshot integration support may differ between Windows-based Veeam Backup & Replication deployments and Veeam Software Appliance (Linux-based) deployments. Customers considering migration are encouraged to review the User Guide and be aware that integration with their storage system may be affected.

    Note: For HPE Alletra 5000, 6000, Nimble, some versions of Nimble OS may not be supported when the Veeam Software Appliance operates in FIPS-compliant mode.
  • Any configuration associated with the Veeam Plug-in for Google Cloud will not be migrated because the Veeam Plug-in for Google Cloud is only available for Microsoft Windows-based backup servers.
  • The Veeam Software Appliance is only compatible with version 13 of Veeam Agents (Veeam Agent for Microsoft Windows, Veeam Agent for Linux, or Veeam Agent for Mac). All remote machines operating Veeam Agents that will communicate with the Veeam Software Appliance after migration must be upgraded to version 13 to ensure communication is maintained.

Pre-Migration Considerations

  • If the Windows-based Veeam Backup & Replication deployment, whose database is hosted on Microsoft SQL, was at any time in the past upgraded from a version older than v12, and there are still job history sessions in the database from prior to that upgrade, the migration to Veeam Software Appliance will fail. If this occurs, the solution is to reduce the session history retention to a number of weeks that is less than the last pre-v12 historical job session entry (the day the machine was upgraded to v12).
  • Make sure all machines managed by the current Veeam Backup & Replication deployment on Windows are accessible by the Veeam Software Appliance (consider: networks, firewalls, and DNS). This is important because the existing deployment and the new Veeam Software Appliance might be on separate networks or domains, so after migration, you need to confirm that the Veeam Software Appliance can connect to the current infrastructure.
  • If the original Veeam Backup & Replication server was used as the source for a file-to-tape job, the original backup server's short hostname must be used when selecting the Source server during migration. That short hostname must be resolvable from the Veeam Software Appliance.
  • During the migration to Veeam Software Appliance, Entra ID Tenant Backup jobs are migrated, but the primary backup data associated with those jobs is not migrated and remains on the original PostgreSQL instance. There are three options for ensuring backup continuity, listed below from least to most complicated:
    • [Easy] Prior to migration, configure the original Entra ID Tenant Backup jobs to use a secondary destination. After the migration, use the secondary backup data to restore it to the new PostgreSQL instance used by the Veeam Software Appliance to store Entra ID Tenant backups. Then use the map function within the Entra ID Tenant Backup job to connect the job to the restored backup data.
    • [Advanced] If the migration has already been completed and the jobs did not have a secondary destination configured, it is possible to configure the Veeam Software Appliance's Entra ID Tenant Backup Repository to use the original PostgreSQL Instance. Then, use the map function within the Entra ID Tenant Backup jobs to reconnect the job to the backup data. This solution requires keeping the machine that hosts the original PostgreSQL instance available to capture Entra ID Tenant backups.
    • [Expert] If the migration has already been completed, the jobs did not have a secondary destination configured to restore, and you do not wish to keep the machine hosting the original (pre-migration) PostgreSQL instance storing the Entra ID Tenant backups in service, the database storing the Entra ID Tenant backups must be migrated manually. Use 'pg_dump' to export the existing database from the original PostgreSQL instance, move that database dump to the Veeam Software Appliance, access the root shell of the Veeam Software Appliance via the Terminal UI, and use 'pg_restore' to restore the database to the local PostgreSQL instance. Then, use the map function within the Entra ID Tenant Backup jobs to reconnect the job to the backup data.
  • Configuration information for CDP jobs will not be migrated and must be reconfigured manually after the migration is complete.
Agent Management Related
  • Before migration, all Veeam Agent Backup Policies that are disabled must have their configurations applied successfully. Additionally, machines included in these backup policies and part of a Protection Group for Computers with Pre-installed Backup Agents need to be synced with Veeam Backup & Replication after the policy is disabled. This ensures that the agents recognize the policy as disabled. If these steps are not completed, the migration will fail.
  • All Veeam Agents (Veeam Agent for Microsoft Windows, Veeam Agent for Linux, or Veeam Agent for Mac) installed on remote machines communicating with Veeam Backup & Replication must be upgraded to version 13 prior to migration. The Veeam Software Appliance only supports version 13 and higher of Veeam Agents.
  • Before migrating, remove all local (non-Domain) account entries from the access permissions of any repositories where granular permissions have been configured. If the entries for local (non-domain) accounts remain after migration, the Veeam Software Appliance will be unable to resolve Windows local account SIDs, resulting in a "SID not found" error that prevents editing repository access permissions until all local accounts are removed.
Storage Management Related
  • If either of the following Storage Systems were added to Veeam Backup & Replication, you must ensure that the timezone set within the Veeam Software Appliance settings matches the timezone used by the Windows machine where Veeam Backup & Replication was installed. This will ensure important data created by the old Veeam Backup & Replication deployed associated with the Storage Snapshots is not lost. Due to plugin limitations, the timezone of the machine hosting the Veeam Backup & Replication deployment, whether Windows-based or Veeam Software Appliance, must match the storage system's time zone.
    • Hitachi
    • HPE XP

Migration Procedure

To minimize downtime, this procedure recommends deploying the Veeam Software Appliance (VSA) first so that it is ready to receive the migration. Please closely review all system requirements for the VSA and take your time to ensure it is deployed with system resources appropriate for the environment.

Part 1: Deploy Veeam Software Appliance
  1. Set up a Veeam Software Appliance server running Veeam Backup & Replication 13.0.1 P2.
  2. Install your license on the Veeam Software Appliance and provide the Support ID from this license to the Support team.
  3. Install the private fix (.bndl) provided by Veeam Support to the Veeam Software Appliance.

Note: The Veeam Backup & Replication Web UI has limited functionality; therefore, we strongly recommend that you install the Windows-based Veeam Backup & Replication Console to access all Veeam Backup & Replication features of the Veeam Software Appliance.

Part 2: Prepare Windows-based Veeam Backup & Replication Server and Export Configuration Backup
  1. Upgrade your Windows-based Veeam Backup & Replication to 13.0.1 P2
    Ensure all managed servers are up to date and that there are no issues with existing installed components.
  2. Stop and disable all scheduled jobs (if any).
  3. Install the provided private fix (.exe) provided by Veeam Support to the Veeam Backup & Replication server.
  4. Create an encrypted Backup Configuration file.
  5. Stop and Disable the following specific services:
    Nested entries represent services that are stopped by association but must still be disabled manually.
    Warning: Do not stop all Veeam services, only the ones listed.
    PowerShell script available below the list.
    • Veeam AHV Service
    • Veeam AWS Service
    • Veeam Azure Service
    • Veeam Backup Server RESTful API Service
      Stopping this service will also stop:
      • Veeam Web Service.
    • Veeam Backup Service
      Stopping this service will also stop:
      • Veeam Broker Service
      • Veeam CDP Coordinator Service
      • Veeam Cloud Connect Service
      • Veeam Data Analyzer Service
    • Veeam GCP Service
    • Veeam Kubernetes Service
    • Veeam KVM Service
    • Veeam PVE Service
    • Veeam SC HyperCore Service
    • Veeam Orchestrator Agent Service

PowerShell script to stop and disable services:

$services = @("Veeam AHV Service","Veeam AWS Service","Veeam Azure Service","Veeam Web Service","Veeam Backup Server RESTful API Service","Veeam Broker Service","Veeam CDP Coordinator Service","Veeam Cloud Connect Service","Veeam Data Analyzer Service","Veeam Backup Service","Veeam GCP Service","Veeam Kubernetes Service","Veeam KVM Service","Veeam PVE Service","Veeam SC HyperCore Service","Veeam Orchestrator Agent Service")

foreach ($service in $services) {
    $svc = Get-Service -DisplayName $service -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
    if (-not $svc) { Write-Host "[$service] Not found." -ForegroundColor Yellow; continue }
    if ($svc.Status -ne 'Stopped') {
        Write-Host "[$service] Stopping..." -ForegroundColor Cyan
        Stop-Service -Name $svc.ServiceName -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
        $svc.WaitForStatus('Stopped', '00:02:00')
    }
    Set-Service -Name $svc.ServiceName -StartupType Disabled
    Write-Host "[$service] Stopped and disabled." -ForegroundColor Green
}
Part 3: Import Configuration Backup
  1. Open the Veeam Host Management Console for the Veeam Software Appliance.
  2. Within the Veeam Host Management Console, click Start configuration restore.
    (Review the procedure: Launch Configuration Database Restore Wizard)
    1. On the Restore Mode step, select Migrate.
    2. On the Configuration Backup step, provide the Encrypted Configuration Backup file created on the Windows-based Veeam Backup & Replication server and enter the Encryption password.
    3. On the Source Server step, specify the hostname of the Windows-based Veeam Backup & Replication server and enter credentials.
    4. On the Authorization Key step, enter the authorization key provided by Veeam Support.

Note: During the Configuration Restore, some infrastructure components may fail to update. After the configuration restore is complete you must recheck all managed components and ensure they are updated.

Part 4: Migration Verification
  •  After migration, check the remote hosts (especially the migrated host) and upgrade the components if needed.
  • Log in to Veeam Software Appliance using the Veeam Backup & Replication Console or the WebUI and check everything configured in Veeam Backup & Replication (e.g., Jobs, Repositories, Proxies, Managed Servers, etc).

    Note:     After configuration migration, everything that was default on the Windows-based Veeam Backup & Replication server (i.e., Default Backup Repository and Default Backup Proxy) will have the prefix "Migrated" added to their name. This is done to avoid name conflict with the VSA's default repository and proxies. (More details available in the next section.)
  • Review all of the Post-Migration Considerations in the next section.

Post-Migration Considerations

  • If Four-Eyes Authorization is enabled before the migration, it will be disabled during the migration and may be re-enabled by the user after the migration is complete.
  • After the migration, the old Windows-based Veeam Backup Server will be added to the Veeam Software Appliance as a managed server.

    Veeam recommends that, as soon as you can, migrate all roles from the old machine that hosted Veeam Backup & Replication to other machines managed by the Veeam Software Appliance, and then remove that machine from the Veeam Software Appliance configuration.
    • If the source Windows-based Veeam Backup & Replication server was added as a proxy to itself, those entries will be migrated and appear as disabled proxy entries in the Veeam Software Appliance configuration.
    • Any repositories that were associated with paths local to the old backup server will be migrated and continue to be accessible.
      • Those repositories that were local to the old backup server that also served as extents for a Scale-Out Backup repository will automatically be placed in Maintenance mode and must be manually removed from Maintenance mode by the user.
    • If the "Default Backup Repository" still existed on the old backup server, after migration, it will be renamed to "Migrated Backup Repository" to avoid a name conflict with the Veeam Software Appliance's own Default Backup Repository.
      • Any pre-migration jobs that targeted the "Default Backup Repository" must have their configurations manually reviewed to confirm they now target the "Migrated Backup Repository."

        For example, if a plugin job (Proxmox and others) was using the "Default Backup Repository" prior to the migration,  after the migration, you need to edit the job and change the target repository to "Migrated Backup Repository."
  • The Veeam Software Appliance exclusively uses Kerberos for handling domain credentials. As such, all domain usernames must be formatted in UPN format (user@fqdn). This applies to user accounts specified in Users and Roles and the Credentials Manager.

    Note: The Veeam Software Appliance does not support trusted domain authentication.
  • Files that were used by Veeam Backup & Replication and stored on the old server must be manually copied to the Veeam Software Appliance by the user, and the settings must be updated after migration to use those files from their new location.

    Tip: Use the Files view in the Veeam Backup & Replication Console to create a folder on the VSA under [Linux > This server], then use the copy-and-paste functions in the Files view to place the files in that folder.

    Impacted items:
  • After migrating to Veeam Software Appliance, any SureBackup Jobs or Application Groups that were configured to use the SQL Server Checker Script will fail during the "Running test scripts" step. These fail because the Microsoft SQL Server Checker Script requires a Windows-based Veeam Backup & Replication deployment. To resolve this, modify those SureBackup Jobs and Application Groups to remove the SQL Server test.
  • If the Veeam Backup & Replication server was added to Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager, and that same Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager server will manage the Veeam Software Appliance after the migration, then the entry for the old Veeam Backup & Replication server should be updated with the new hostname/FQDN/IP using the 'Edit' option (not deleting and adding the VSA as a new server).
  • If the original Windows-based Veeam Backup & Replication server was:
    • Added to Veeam ONE:
      After the migration, the Veeam Software Appliance must be added as a new backup server, and the entry for the old one must be deleted. Historical data in Veeam ONE for the old backup server will be lost.
    • Added to Veeam Recovery Orchestrator:
      After migration, the Veeam Software Appliance must be added to Veeam Recovery Orchestrator as a new backup server, and the entry for the old backup server must be removed (some configurations may be lost).
    • Added to Veeam Service Provider Console as a hosted deployment:
      After migration, the old backup server must be removed from the Veeam Service Provider Console, and then the new Veeam Software Appliance must be added. Reassign resources (e.g., tags, repositories, and VCD organizations), and then reassign jobs.
  • If a remote Linux mount server was used before the migration, after the migration, the entry for that Linux server must be edited, and then click Finish to force the credentials to be updated.
  • If a repository did not have a Linux mount server specified in its settings before the migration, that setting will be updated during the migration to select the machine that is assigned as the default Linux Mount server.
  • If backups are being sent to a Veeam Cloud Connect Repository, a default Windows mount server must be assigned to restore from them using certain Veeam Explorers (Veeam Explorer for Microsoft SQL Server, Veeam Explorer for Oracle, Veeam Explorer for Microsoft SharePoint, and Veeam Explorer for Microsoft Active Directory).
  • If inline malware scanning is enabled, the first run of backup jobs after the migration may take longer than expected, as a full disk read operation is performed to create a RIDX file. The job session will run longer than usual, but the size of the incremental backup file will not be affected. This is necessary because the malware indexes from the Windows-based backup server are not migrated.
  • During migration, jobs that were created by a user with a custom role will have their ownership reassigned to the primary backup admin. The user who created the jobs can still start and modify them, but will no longer be able to delete the jobs or restore points created by those jobs. New jobs created after the migration by those users with custom roles will not be impacted.
  • After the migration, it may take up to 24 hours for the internal list of unsupported Azure Archive regions to be updated. During this time, avoid creating or modifying Azure Archive repositories, as this may result in errors.
  • Continuous Data Protection (CDP) for VMware vSphere: Jobs and settings related to this feature will be migrated. However, after migration, you must open the I/O Filter Manager and Take Ownership of the existing filters. This process cannot be completed automatically by the migration, as taking ownership checks for updates of the I/O Filter components, and if an update is needed, the ESXi host must be placed in Maintenance mode to complete the update.
Agent Management Related Post Migration Limitations and Considerations

General (Applies to all Veeam Agents)

  • After migrating to the Veeam Software Appliance, all Protection Groups must be rescanned to update the Backup Server certificate expected by the Agents.
  • After migration, all agents managed Protection Groups for Computers with Pre-installed Backup Agents must be reconfigured with a new configuration file from the Veeam Software Appliance.
  • Managed agents and standalone agents that have backup jobs targeting a VBR repository, and whose operating systems are not compatible with v13 agents, will be unable to connect to the Veeam Software Appliance. This applies even if those agents are not using v13.
    Provided below are links to the System Requirements for Veeam Agent for Microsoft Windows and Veeam Agent for Linux 13, as there were changes.
  • After the migration is complete, all Veeam Agent Backup Policies whose destination was the Veeam Backup & Replication server must be updated to specify the DNS name or IP address of the new backup server in the policy settings.
  • On the remote Distribution Server specified in the Protection Group's settings, the Veeam Distribution Service must be restarted to ensure it properly communicates with the Veeam Software Appliance.
  • Depending on the backup destination repository type (object or block), certain considerations should be taken after migration:
    • If a Veeam Agent job was configured to connect to Veeam Backup & Replication using a local account on the Windows-based backup server, and the backup destination is an object storage repository, the backup chain cannot be continued after migration to the Veeam Software Appliance. Backup data on object storage is stored under a path tied to the account used to connect to Veeam Backup & Replication. After migration, this path changes even if a local account with the same name is created on the Veeam Software Appliance, resulting in a new active full backup being created under a new prefix.
      To restore from the previous backup chain, generate a recovery token for the affected backup in the Veeam Backup & Replication Console, then use the token to connect to the backup server during restore (VAW | VAL | VAM).
    • If a Veeam Agent job was configured to use a local account on the Windows-based Veeam Backup & Replication server (for example, Administrator) and backs up to a block storage repository, the backup chain can be continued after migration by performing the following steps, as the backup files are stored in a directory named after the account used and will need to be moved to match the new account on the Veeam Software Appliance.
      • For Veeam Agent for Microsoft Windows
        Move the backup files from the old account's directory to the new account's directory (as described above), then edit the job as described in Moving Backups to Veeam Backup & Replication, and run the backup job.
      • For Veeam Agent for Linux and Veeam Agent for Mac
        1. On the repository, move the backup files from the old account's directory (for example, Administrator) to the new account's directory (for example, veeamadmin). This can be done manually or through the Files tab in the Veeam Backup & Replication console.
        2. Rescan the repository on the Veeam Software Appliance.
        3. On the agent machine, edit the job to specify the new backup server and new account credentials.
        4. On the agent machine, run the following CLI command to rescan the repository: 
          veeamconfig repository rescan --all
          For more information, see Rescanning Backup Repositories.
        5. Verify that the backup is recognized by running 
          veeamconfig backup list
        6. Run the backup job. Automapping will execute, and incremental backup will resume.

Veeam Agent for Microsoft Windows Specific

  • For Protection Groups for Microsoft Active Directory Objects that use port 636 (encrypted LDAP), open the Protection Group settings and, on the Active Directory tab, click "Change," then press "Ok" to have the software pull the domain Root CA certificate and add it to the trusted certificates.

    Note: The default for Protection Group for Microsoft Active Directory Objects is to use port 389, but the option to use port 636 is available if manually entered. As documented in the user guide, "If you want to use port 636, make sure that the domain Root CA certificate is properly published in the domain."

Veeam Agent for Mac Specific

  • If Veeam Agent for Mac jobs were configured to connect to the Windows-based Veeam Backup & Replication server using domain accounts, those jobs must be reconfigured after migration to use a local user account on the Veeam Software Appliance (e.g., veeamadmin). Domain accounts cannot be used because Veeam Agent for Mac does not support Kerberos authentication, and the Veeam Software Appliance does not support NTLM authentication.
  • After migration, Veeam Agent for Mac jobs must be edited to specify the new backup server. After saving the updated job settings, close the editing wizard before running the job. Due to a known issue, running a job directly from within the wizard will return a connection error referencing the old backup server, even though the new server details are correctly saved.
    • Workaround: Close the job editing wizard and start the job manually.
    • Note: As an alternative, update the backup server connection via CLI on the agent machine by running veeamconfig vbrserver edit. This updates the connection for all jobs simultaneously without encountering the wizard issue. For more information, see Editing Veeam Backup Server Settings.

Storage System Related

Standalone Enterprise Database Plug-ins Related

This section applies only to Standalone, non-managed, deployments of Enterprise Database Plug-ins (RMAN, HANA, SQL, DB2, SAP Oracle). After migration, those standalone Enterprise Plug-in deployments must be reconfigured in the following ways:

  • Endpoint (hostname or IP address): The address of the Veeam Backup & Replication server will change after migration to the Veeam Software Appliance (VSA). You must re-run the configuration wizard for the plug-in and specify the new Veeam Software Appliance address.
  • Credentials: If a local (non-Active Directory) Windows account was previously used to connect the plug-in to the Windows-based VBR deployment, you must reconfigure the plug-in after migration to specify new credentials (such as "veeamadmin" or another valid account) to connect to the Veeam Software Appliance, as it runs on Linux.
  • Repository: If the "Default Backup Repository" was used, it will be renamed to "Migrated Backup Repository." Reconfiguration is required to point the plug-in to the new repository name.

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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