The way Veeam secures Microsoft Teams chat data will significantly alter in the upcoming Veeam Backup for Microsoft 365 version. Veeam will facilitate backing up Teams chats – starting with version v6a – by utilizing the recently published Teams Export APIs. How should you get ready for this new release, and what does this mean for you, your employees, and business?
The Past…
Because there were no particular APIs to access and get messages, backing up Teams chat has always been difficult. Since Veeam added Teams support, they have been able to back up the messages from the TeamsMessageData folder of the Exchange group mailbox to secure the chats. Microsoft used this secret location to store communications in a team channel, or between users or groups. Microsoft began putting extra limits on who could access this folder in the past few months, which occasionally caused problems for our customers’ Teams protection. In a few months, everyone will be subject to these limitations.
The Future…
Microsoft has unveiled a new set of Teams Export APIs that allow users to access Teams chats directly and get messages from the Cosmos DB server that powers the chats. Teams Export APIs will continue to be the sole way to work with Teams message data going forward, as Microsoft will entirely stop access to the TeamsMessageData folder by October 1 of this year.
The APIs are secured, and in order to make them available in your Microsoft 365 tenant you must be given privileged access and permissions. Additionally, Microsoft charges users for using these APIs.
The Effect…
After upgrading to the future Veeam Backup for Microsoft 365 v6a, you will have the option to manually change the product to the new Teams Export APIs. Your Teams communications will continue to be backed up through the group mailbox folder until you make the changeover – and until October 1, 2022. Remember that regardless of when and if you migrated to the new method of storing up Teams chats, all other Teams data – such as metadata, channels, tabs, files, and membership – will always be safeguarded.
The Cost…
Depending on the chosen license option, fees for using Teams Export APIs apply per tenant and each message. Model B will be supported by Veeam Backup for Microsoft 365, meaning you will pay $0.00075 per message to have your Teams message data protected. Veeam does not impose any fees; the cost of accessing the APIs will be reflected in your Microsoft invoice at the end of the month.
And I’m sure your next question is, “How can I estimate my costs?” Right now, the ideal approach would be to decide which team chats are essential for your company, look at the typical usage statistics, and perform some manual calculations. You can utilize reports from the Microsoft Teams admin center to base your calculations on the number of channel messages that were sent, and the number of answers to those messages:
You must complete a special application form provided by Microsoft to request access to Teams Export APIs. When you have access to the Teams Export APIs and are prepared to switch backups, you must configure certain settings in Veeam Backup for Microsoft 365 v6a. You can look here for more information regarding this, or contact us for more information.
If you have any additional questions or concerns, please call 502-240-0404 or send us an email at info@mirazon.com.