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Veeam B&R v12 and v13 · Microsoft 365 · Kasten

Ootbi with Veeam
Direct-to-object backups, SOBR tiers and SOSAPI

To Veeam, an Ootbi cluster is an S3-compatible object storage repository with a service point, a bucket and an access key. This page covers how it is added, the roles it can play, and the Veeam behaviour that decides how much space it needs.
v12, v13[src]
VEEAM B&R GUIDES
3 roles[src]
PRIMARY, PERFORMANCE, CAPACITY
SOSAPI[src]
SMART OBJECT STORAGE API
3 IPs[src]
FOR THE FIRST NODE
10 days[src]
VEEAM BLOCK GENERATION PERIOD
Compliance[src]
OBJECT LOCK MODE
Overview

How Ootbi with Veeam is set up

Ootbi with Veeam uses Veeam's direct-to-object mode: Veeam Backup & Replication writes straight to an Ootbi S3 bucket, and Object First says Ootbi fully supports Veeam's Smart Object Storage API[src].

Object First says configuration needs three IP addresses, a username, a password and MFA[src], and each added node brings two more data addresses[src]. In Veeam the repository is added as S3-compatible object storage, with the cluster IP as the service point, an access key created in Ootbi's web interface, the bucket and folder to use, automatic bucket creation turned off, and the immutability settings[src]. Object First's v13 guide also says to limit the repository's concurrent tasks to 4, because more connections add overhead on on-premises storage without improving performance[src]. Ootbi takes Veeam's standard block size and encryption as they are, so nothing in Veeam's storage or security settings needs changing[src].

From unboxing an Ootbi to the first Veeam backupExtra nodes join the existing cluster from the same text console, with no change to the Veeam repository.RACK AND CABLERack the node2U, or a desktop MiniTwo data portssame subnet, same typeTEXT CONSOLENew clustertwo NIC IPs and acluster IPNTP, update,passwordtelemetry optional onCapExWEB CONSOLECreate an S3 keyCreate a bucketversioning on forimmutabilityVEEAMAdd S3-compatiblerepositorycluster IP;immutability set herePoint a job at itforever-forwardincrementalExtra nodes join the existing cluster from the same text console, with no change to the Veeam repository.
The setup sequence from Object First's installation placemats and Help Center. Object First advertises the whole run, rack to first backup, as about 15 minutes; that is its claim, and assumes the network is ready.
Roles

The parts Ootbi can play in a Veeam estate

Object First documents Ootbi as primary backup storage, as the performance tier of a Scale-Out Backup Repository, or as the capacity tier alone, behind a primary tier of your choice[src].
Veeam roles Object First documents for OotbiVeeam: no file backup jobs on a SOBR performance extent; Plug-in for Kasten backups only on capacity or archive extents.Object First guideNotesB&R primary repository✓Direct to objectB&R SOBR performance tier✓No file backups there (Veeam)B&R SOBR capacity tier✓Behind another primaryB&R v12 and v13✓Separate guidesBackup for Microsoft 365✓Compliance mode onlyVeeam Kasten✓Kasten’s own snapshot exportVeeam: no file backup jobs on a SOBR performance extent; Plug-in for Kasten backups only on capacity or archive extents.
Veeam products and roles with a configuration guide in Object First's Help Center v1.7. Where Veeam's own documentation adds a limit, it is in the notes column.

SOSAPI is what makes Ootbi more than a generic S3 target to Veeam. Veeam describes the options it opens up: capacity reports with low-space warnings, a SOBR placement policy that keeps data even across extents, and, where a vendor implements it, load balancing across several vendor-defined IP addresses rather than one endpoint[src]. With several Ootbi clusters in one SOBR, the placement policy can spread the load between them.

Retention

How Veeam counts immutability on Ootbi

On S3-compatible storage such as Ootbi, Veeam uses a 10-day block generation period, extending locks by up to that much so it does not have to extend them on each incremental[src]. The result is that data can stay longer than either number you typed in.

Veeam offers two ways to set immutability on an object storage repository. If it follows the job retention, actual retention is the longer of the job retention and the minimum immutability period, plus block generation; if it is set to the minimum immutability period only, job retention is ignored and data is kept for that period plus block generation[src]. Amazon S3, IBM Cloud, Google Cloud and 11:11 get 30 days of block generation; every other object storage type, which includes S3-compatible appliances, gets 10[src].

Actual retention on Ootbi under Veeam's rulesResults: 23, 17, 17 and 40 days. Blocks reused by newer restore points move into new generations and stay locked longer.Days after the restore point is writtenJob retentionLocked (immutable)Block generation added by Veeam010203040Veeam scenario 1Job 13 days, immutability 7Deletable from day 23Veeam scenario 2Job 3 days, immutability 7Deletable from day 17Veeam scenario 3Immutability 7, jobretention ignoredDeletable from day 1730 and 30Job 30 days, immutability 30Deletable from day 40Results: 23, 17, 17 and 40 days. Blocks reused by newer restore points move into new generations and stay locked longer.
The first three rows are Veeam's own worked scenarios from its v13 documentation: scenarios 1 and 2 with immutability following job retention, scenario 3 with the minimum immutability period only. The fourth applies the retention-following rule to a 30-day setting. Each bar is the restore point that starts a block generation; its end is the earliest day its unshared blocks can be removed.

Two exceptions matter for sizing. Backups with GFS flags, VeeamZIP backups and exported backups take the repository's immutability period, whatever their own retention says[src]. And when object storage is a SOBR capacity extent, Veeam switches a retention-based immutability setting to the minimum immutability period[src]. A worked sizing example →

Getting it right

Backup chain settings that save capacity

Chain

Forever-forward incremental

Object First's setup checklist says forever-forward incremental should be used[src]. Veeam reuses existing blocks for synthetic fulls and merges, so they cost little extra space[src].
Avoid

Active fulls on cloned jobs

Active fulls and incrementals do not reuse blocks[src]. Object First warns that cloned jobs carrying active fulls store extra full backups that eat capacity[src].
Upgrade

v11 chains to v12 format

v12 introduced a per-VM backup format; existing chains have to be upgraded to be used on Ootbi[src].
Do not

S3 Lifecycle on Veeam buckets

Ootbi 1.7 added S3 Lifecycle rules, but Object First says not to configure them on buckets holding Veeam Backup & Replication repositories[src].
Monitor

Capacity in the Veeam console

Through SOSAPI, Veeam shows free space on the repository and warns as it fills[src].
Microsoft 365

Tick “Make recent backups immutable”

In Veeam Backup for Microsoft 365, enable that option on an immutable bucket; governance mode is not offered[src].
Network

Ports and addresses Ootbi needs

WhatDetailWhy
Data interfacesTwo ports of the same type on one subnet[src][src]Backup and restore traffic, web console
Cluster IPVirtual address on the same subnet[src]Veeam service point and web console
Outbound HTTPSTCP 443 to the internet[src]Updates, support and telemetry; mandatory on Consumption
TimeNTP on UDP 123, NTS on TCP 4460[src]Time synchronisation for the cluster
iDRACDedicated 1 Gb RJ45, optional[src]Setup console only; restrict or disable afterwards

Telemetry is optional at setup on a CapEx appliance[src], but a Consumption appliance without it stops accepting new backups after a grace period[src]. Sites without internet access can apply updates from an offline bundle[src].

Supply & quote

Get Ootbi designed into your Veeam estate

  • We choose direct-to-object or SOBR placement from your current repositories and offsite copy.
  • We size for actual retention, block generation, GFS and the chain type your jobs use.
  • We check Veeam versions, proxies and network before anything ships.
  • We quote Ootbi appliances and Object First support together.

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FAQs

Ootbi with Veeam: common questions

Which Veeam versions work with Ootbi?

Object First lists Veeam Backup & Replication 12 and later, and its Help Center has separate configuration guides for v12 and v13. It also documents Veeam Backup for Microsoft 365 and Veeam Kasten. If you are still on v11, Object First’s checklist says existing backup chains have to be upgraded to v12’s per-VM backup format to be used.

Is Ootbi a direct-to-object target or a SOBR extent?

Either. Object First documents Ootbi as a primary backup repository written to directly, as the performance tier of a Scale-Out Backup Repository, or as the capacity tier behind another primary target. Several Ootbi clusters can also sit in one SOBR, which is how Object First reaches capacities beyond 7 PB.

What does SOSAPI do for Ootbi?

Object First says Ootbi fully supports Veeam’s Smart Object Storage API. Veeam describes what SOSAPI makes possible: capacity reports and low-space warnings for the repository, a SOBR placement policy that spreads backups evenly across extents, and, where the storage vendor implements it, load balancing across several IP addresses. Object First documents a single cluster IP as Ootbi’s service point.

Why are backups kept longer than my retention on Ootbi?

Because of block generation. On S3-compatible storage Veeam extends locks by up to 10 days so it does not have to extend them on every incremental. When immutability follows the job retention, actual retention is the longer of the two plus that block generation period: 30 days of retention with 30 days of immutability keeps data for up to 40. If the repository is set to the minimum immutability period only, job retention is ignored and data is kept for the immutability period plus block generation.

Should I run active full backups to Ootbi?

Usually not. Veeam reuses blocks already in object storage for synthetic fulls and merges, but not for active fulls, which write every block again. Object First’s setup checklist says forever-forward incremental should be used and that active fulls should be disabled on cloned jobs, because extra fulls cost capacity.

Can Veeam Backup for Microsoft 365 use Ootbi?

Yes. Object First documents adding an Ootbi bucket as an object storage repository in Veeam Backup for Microsoft 365, using the cluster’s management IP as the service point and enabling “Make recent backups immutable”. Ootbi runs compliance mode only, so the governance option is not offered.

How does Ootbi pair with Veeam Data Cloud Vault?

As the two halves of a 3-2-1 design: Object First’s solution brief puts Ootbi on site for fast immutable restores and Veeam Data Cloud Vault as the offsite copy. Veeam lists Data Cloud Vault as an object storage repository type in its own right.

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Sources

Every specification on this page comes from Object First's own datasheets, product pages and Help Center, and every statement about how Veeam behaves comes from Veeam's own documentation, listed below with their dates. Where Object First's web copy and a datasheet differ, we use the datasheet. Figures are confirmed against the current revision when we quote.

  1. Object First Help Center 1.7: About Ootbi (direct-to-object, SOSAPI, ZTDR) · Help Center v1.7, read 30 Oct 2026
  2. Object First Help Center 1.7: Integrating Ootbi in a backup infrastructure · Help Center v1.7, read 30 Oct 2026
  3. Object First Help Center 1.7: S3 repository for Veeam Backup & Replication v13 · Help Center v1.7, read 30 Oct 2026
  4. Object First Help Center 1.7: S3 repository for Veeam Backup for Microsoft 365 · Help Center v1.7, read 30 Oct 2026
  5. Object First Appliance datasheet (1.1_20260116) · PDF dated 13 Mar 2026
  6. Object First product overview · web page, read 30 Oct 2026
  7. Ootbi 18/36/72/144/216 TB installation placemat · PDF dated 29 Jul 2026
  8. Pre-Requisites Checklist to Achieve Box-to-Backup in 15 Minutes · PDF dated 28 Dec 2023
  9. Object First Help Center 1.7: Release notes · latest entry 1.7.99.15600, 1 Sep 2026
  10. CapEx and Consumption Acquisition Models for Ootbi · web page, read 30 Oct 2026
  11. Veeam Data Cloud Vault + Ootbi = 3-2-1 backup, solution brief · PDF dated 29 Jul 2025
  12. Veeam Backup & Replication 13 User Guide: Block Generation · page updated 6 Feb 2026, build 13.1.2.57
  13. Veeam Backup & Replication 13 User Guide: How Immutability Works · page updated 18 Mar 2026, build 13.1.2.57
  14. Veeam Backup & Replication 13 User Guide: Object Storage Repositories · page updated 11 Sep 2026, build 13.1.2.57
  15. Veeam Backup & Replication 13 User Guide: Smart Object Storage API (SOSAPI) · page updated 13 Aug 2026, build 13.1.2.57

Object First, Ootbi and Simply Resilient are trademarks of Object First; Veeam is a trademark of Veeam Software, which acquired Object First in January 2026. Servnet is an independent UK IT reseller; this page is our own guide to the range.

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