VMware released Update 1 to vSphere 6.7 the end of September with a lot of cool, new features. However, like always, it’s extremely important to first verify compatibility with your third-party vendors before you pull trigger on major updates. This past month, we’ve had several issues with clients and compatibility with their Veeam Backup & Replication.
VMware changed their API versioning without notifying third-party partners, like Veeam. This API name change breaks the connection between VMware and Veeam Backup & Replication. Veeam matches up a specific name on a version list, and if it can’t find it the entire backup process is broken. Backups won’t run if you apply this update. You can modify the registry and force it to use the 6.7.0 API, which allows you to re-enable your backups.
According to Veeam’s KB article, you need to create the following registry value under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Veeam\Veeam Backup and Replication key on the Veeam Backup and Replication server as explained below:
(Please note that value and data fields should not contain any spaces.)
Value: VMwareOverrideApiVersion
Type: Multi-String Value (REG_MULTI_SZ)
Data: 6.7.1=6.7
Then reboot your Veeam server.
It should look like this when you finish editing:
This is a quick fix, but it isn’t ideal because we’re still not sure what other impacts this incompatibility might have. We expect this fix to come with Veeam’s Update 4, which should be out before 2019.
If you have any questions about this process or if you want guidance on whether you’re ready to do major upgrades, we’re here to help. Send us an email or give us a call at 502-240-044 to get started!