In the world of data protection, the “air-gap” provided by tape remains the gold standard for cyber-resilience. If you are running Veeam tape backups, you already know the value of having an offline copy for long-term retention.
However, many modern IT environments hit a “virtualization wall.” While most Veeam environments are fully virtualized, tape backups often remain tethered to the physical world because hypervisors cannot easily pass SAS or Fibre Channel devices to virtual machines.
Why SymplyPRO Ethernet is the Future of Veeam Tape Backups
This technical limitation often forces a compromise: even if your Veeam Backup Server runs as a VM, the Veeam Tape Server role usually requires a dedicated physical server. This leads to extra hardware, complex cabling, and a departure from the consolidated promise of virtualization.
This is where SymplyPRO Ethernet changes the model. By presenting LTO drives and libraries over iSCSI, hypervisors like VMware, Hyper-V, Nutanix, and Proxmox let a VM’s guest OS connect directly. Now, your virtualized Veeam servers can use shared tape resources as if they were locally connected.
Scaling Your Veeam Tape Backups via iSCSI
Modernizing your Veeam tape backups with an Ethernet-based appliance provides several immediate advantages:
- Total Virtualization: Run Veeam tape jobs directly from VMs without fighting hardware pass-through issues.
- Scalability: Each appliance features dual 10Gb ports, supporting up to four LTO drives.
- Improved Redundancy: Quickly reattach iSCSI tape devices to another virtual tape server during disaster recovery.
- Lower TCO: Simpler cabling and fewer specialized components lead to a cleaner, more efficient rack.
Physical, Virtual, or Hybrid?
Even if you aren’t ready to go 100% virtual and are still running Veeam on physical servers today, the transition to iSCSI pays off immediately. You get simpler installs and flexible library placement today, with a clear, “re-engineering-free” path to a virtualized or hybrid tape workflow tomorrow.
So, stop fighting the fabric. SymplyPRO Ethernet brings standalone LTO drives and libraries to where your Veeam environment actually lives: on your network.
Reach out to our team for professional guidance and support with your backup workflow.
More about: SymplyPRO Ethernet LTO
More about: Veeam Backup & Replication