VMCA2022 Veeam Certified Architect 2022 Free Practice Exam Questions (2025 Updated)

The best option to still satisfy the requirement for offsite, immutable or air gapped backups if the cloud provider selected for archive storage does not support immutability is to set up Scale-out Backup Repository capacity tier to a different cloud provider than the archive tier. Scale-out Backup Repository is a logical entity that groups several backup repositories into a single pool of storage, and allows to move backup files between performance and capacity tiers1. The capacity tier can be configured to use Amazon S3 or Microsoft Azure Blob Storage, which support Object Lock feature for immutability2. By using a different cloud provider for the capacity tier than the archive tier, the backup data can be stored in two separate locations, with one copy being immutable or air gapped. The other options are either not feasible (option A, as the scenario does not mention another site), not secure (option C, as the backup data can still be accessed or modified when the repository is online), or not offsite (option D, as the scenario requires a copy of backup data in a public cloud). References: Scale-out Backup Repository, Object Storage Immutability.

The component that will help the customer meet their stated objectives is to leverage Backup Enterprise Manager to allow end-users to restore files within their scope. Backup Enterprise Manager is a web-based interface that provides access to Veeam Backup & Replication functionality, such as backup, replication, and restore1. One of the customer’s business requirements is to develop a self-service portal and integrate it with the new backup solution. Backup Enterprise Manager can fulfill this requirement by enabling self-service file-level restores for end-users, as well as integration with help desk systems2. The other options are not related to the customer’s recovery requirements, as they are either not necessary (option A, as indexing and RBAC policies are optional features), not sufficient (option B, as deploying the console and setting RBAC policies do not enable self-service restores), or not native to Veeam software (option C, as the technical requirements state that Oracle backups must be managed by Veeam, not RMAN). References: Backup Enterprise Manager, Self-Service File Restore.

The additional information that is necessary for sizing the backup solution and must be gathered during further discovery are the amount of virtual machines to be protected and the total amount of production storage provisioned space. These metrics are used to calculate the backup storage requirements, the backup proxy and transporter resources, and the backup job configuration. The other options are either not relevant for sizing the backup solution (repository storage file system, replication schedule) or already provided in the scenario (the available bandwidth per site). References: Veeam Certified Architect 2022 Exam Guide, page 10; Veeam Backup & Replication v11: Architecture and Designcourse, module 3.

The configuration that is unsupported by Veeam Plug-in for Oracle RMAN based on the technical requirements is physical windows server with Oracle. Veeam Plug-in for Oracle RMAN only supports Oracle databases running on Linux, Solaris, or AIX operating systems1. The other configurations are supported by either Veeam Plug-in for Oracle RMAN or Veeam Backup & Replication. References: Veeam Plug-in for Oracle RMAN, Oracle | Veeam Backup & Replication Best Practice Guide.

The Veeam backup method that should be used for the virtualized stock trading application is to separate the virtual machine into its own job and enable application aware processing. This method allows Veeam Backup & Replication to create transactionally consistent backups of the application, by quiescing the application and creating a snapshot of its data1. This ensures that the application can be restored to a working state, without data loss or corruption. The other options are either not suitable for the application (option A, as Veeam agent is designed for physical machines or cloud instances2), not sufficient for the application (option C, as pre-freeze and post-thaw scripts do not guarantee transactional consistency3), or not related to the backup method (option D, as replication is a different process from backup). References: Application-Aware Processing, Veeam Agent Management, Pre-Freeze and Post-Thaw Scripts, [Replication].

Changing the backup window from 12 hours to 14 hours means that the backup jobs will have more time to complete, and therefore less concurrency will be required. This will reduce the load on the proxies, which are the data movers that perform backup, replication, and restore tasks1. The proxies will need fewer resources, such as CPU and memory, to handle the same amount of data.

The other options are incorrect because:

A) Proxies will not require more resources, as explained above.

B) Mount servers will not require fewer resources, as they are not affected by the backup window. Mount servers are used to mount backup files and restore data from them2. Their resource consumption depends on the restore frequency and performance, not the backup window.

D) Repositories will not require more storage space, as the backup window does not affect the backup size. Repositories are storage locations where the backup files are stored3. Their storage space consumption depends on the amount of data to be backed up, the backup method, the retention policy, and the compression and deduplication settings, not the backup window.

You can find more information about the backup window and the Veeam components in the following resources:

Backup Window

Mount Server

Backup Repository

The Veeam component that will be required at each site for disaster recovery with a one minute recovery point objective is the Veeam CDP proxy. Veeam CDP proxy is a data mover that transfers data between the source and target hosts, using VMware vSphere APIs for I/O Filtering (VAIO) to capture the changes in real time1. Veeam CDP proxy can achieve near-zero recovery point objectives for business critical virtual machines, as well as provide short-term restore points and data encryption2. The other components are not required for this scenario, as they are used for different purposes, such as guest processing, backup storage, or backup jobs3. References: VMware CDP Proxies, Continuous Data Protection, Backup Proxies.

The component sizing that should be adjusted is the physical storage in the repositories. The repositories are the backup storage locations where Veeam Backup & Replication stores backup files, VM copies and metadata for replicated VMs1. Increasing the retention period from four to five years means that more backup files will be kept on the repositories, and thus more storage space will be required. The other options are not affected by the retention period change, as they are either related to off-site backups (option A), Veeam Backup & Replication server performance (option C), or backup proxy performance (option D). References: Backup Repositories.

The Veeam feature that can be used to help achieve compliance with privacy regulations is location tags on repositories. Location tags are labels that can be assigned to backup repositories to indicate their physical or logical location, such as country, region, or data center1. Location tags can help ensure that backup data is stored and processed in compliance with data residency and privacy laws, such as GDPR or CCPA, by allowing backup administrators to create backup policies based on the location of the source and target data2. The other options are not related to privacy compliance, as they are either used for network optimization (preferred networks), server identification (location tags on Veeam Backup & Replication servers), or backup scope (location tags on subnets). References: Location Tags, Using Location Tags.

The retention requirement for this project is 12 weekly backups, six monthly backups and seven yearly backups. This is stated in the business requirements section of the scenario, where it says “To meet regulatory requirements, backups must be retained for four years.” This implies that the backup data must be archived for long-term retention, and the Veeam solution supports the 3-2-1 rule, which means having three copies of data, on two different types of media, with one copy off-site1. The other options are not retention requirements, but rather technical requirements or design choices, such as having on-premises backups on hardened repositories, having at least one copy of data on-premises, or having 14 daily backups on-site. References: Veeam Certified Architect 2022 Exam Guide, page 9; Veeam Backup & Replication v11: Architecture and Design course, module 4.

Based on the requirements, one of the factors that should be considered in the physical design when implementing the virtual machine replication between sites is to ensure that the proper firewall ports are open between the proxies at each site. This is because Veeam Backup & Replication uses network ports to communicate with backup infrastructure components and transfer data during replication. You need to make sure that the required ports are not blocked by firewalls or other network devices. For a list of ports used by Veeam Backup & Replication, see this article2

To design a disaster recovery solution that meets the requirement of having the replicated virtual workloads data not more than one hour old, you need to consider some of the potential risks and challenges that may affect the service level agreement (SLA) for the offsite disaster recovery aspect of this requirement. This will help you to ensure the availability and reliability of the replication and failover processes, as well as the recovery time objective (RTO) and recovery point objective (RPO) of the organization.

According to the Veeam Backup & Replication Best Practice Guide, one of the potential risks to the SLA for the offsite disaster recovery aspect of this requirement is B. Data change rate.

This risk means that:

•The data change rate is the amount of data that is modified, added, or deleted in a given time period. It is usually measured in percentage or megabytes per hour.

•The data change rate affects the replication performance and efficiency, as it determines how much data needs to be transferred and processed between the source and target sites.

•The data change rate also affects the replication frequency and consistency, as it determines how often and how accurately the replicas are updated and synchronized with the source workloads.

•The data change rate may vary depending on the type and activity of the workloads, such as database, file server, web server, etc. Some workloads may have a high data change rate, while others may have a low data change rate.

•The data change rate may exceed the available bandwidth or storage capacity between the source and target sites, which may result in replication failures, delays, or errors. This may compromise the SLA for the offsite disaster recovery aspect of this requirement, as it may cause the replicated virtual workloads data to be more than one hour old.

This risk has some implications for designing a solution with Veeam products and features, such as:

•The customer or a third-party vendor must monitor and measure the data change rate of the workloads that need to be replicated, as well as the available bandwidth and storage capacity between the source and target sites. This will help to plan and optimize the replication infrastructure, such as the proxy servers, repository servers, WAN accelerators, and failover plans, based on the data change rate.

•The customer or a third-party vendor must configure and adjust the replication settings and policies, such as the replication method, schedule, frequency, retention, compression, deduplication, etc., based on the data change rate. This will help to improve the replication performance and efficiency, as well as to meet the SLA for the offsite disaster recovery aspect of this requirement.

To access encrypted datastores in VMware, you need to use a transport mode that supports encryption. The following transport modes support encryption:

•Network mode with Encryption (NBDSSL): This mode uses an encrypted network connection between the backup proxy and the ESXi host to read and write data from the encrypted datastore. This mode does not require direct access to the datastore, but it can be slower than other modes due to network traffic and encryption overhead2

•Virtual Appliance (HotAdd) mode: This mode uses a virtual backup proxy that runs on an ESXi host and attaches virtual disks of the encrypted VMs to itself using the VMware vSphere API. This mode requires that the backup proxy and the source VMs reside on the same datastore or on datastores that are accessible by the same ESXi host. This mode can offer better performance than network mode, but it can also cause SCSI reservation conflicts if multiple backup proxies access the same datastore simultaneously3

•Direct SMB: This mode uses a physical backup proxy that accesses the encrypted datastore over the SMB protocol. This mode requires that the datastore is configured as an SMB share and that the backup proxy has read and write permissions on it. This mode can offer high performance and scalability, but it also requires additional configuration steps and security considerations4

The following transport modes do not support encryption:

•Network (NBD) mode: This mode uses an unencrypted network connection between the backup proxy and the ESXi host, which cannot access encrypted datastores2

•Direct SAN: This mode uses a physical backup proxy that accesses the encrypted datastore over the SAN fabric, which cannot decrypt encrypted data5

•Direct NFS: This mode uses a physical backup proxy that accesses the encrypted datastore over the NFS protocol, which does not support encryption6

References:

1: Hardened Repository - User Guide for VMware vSphere 2: Network Mode - User Guide for VMware vSphere 3: Virtual Appliance Mode - User Guide for VMware vSphere 4: Direct SMB Access Mode - User Guide for VMware vSphere 5: Direct SAN Access Mode - User Guide forVMware vSphere 6: Direct NFS Access Mode - User Guide for VMware vSphere

WAN accelerators are dedicated components that Veeam Backup & Replication uses for WAN acceleration. WAN accelerators are responsible for global data caching and data deduplication, which reduce the amount of data that needs to be transferred over the network. By adding WAN accelerators to each site, you can improve the performance of backup copy jobs between sites, and reduce the bandwidth consumption and network traffic3

References:

1: Gateway Server - User Guide for VMware vSphere 2: Gateway Server - User Guide for VMware vSphere 3: WAN Accelerators - User Guide for VMware vSphere

•Use Linux repositories as the performance tier, which are more secure and resilient than Windows repositories, as they support immutable backups and prevent ransomware from accessing or deleting backup files1.

•Use immutable cloud storage as the capacity tier, which will offload older backup files to a public cloud object storage that supports immutability, such as Amazon S3 Object Lock or Azure Blob Storage with immutable policies2. This will ensure that the backup files cannot be modified or deleted by ransomware or malicious users for a specified period of time.

•Use Scale-out Backup Repository, which is a logical entity that groups several backup repositories into a single pool of storage, allowing for better backup performance, scalability, and management3.

References: 1: Protect against Ransomware with Immutable Backups - Veeam 2: Ransomware Protection: Learn How Veeam Can Protect Your Data 3: Scale-Out Backup Repository - Veeam Backup & Replication Best Practice Guide

Option C uses replica seeding to reduce the network traffic during the initial replication. By creating a backup job of the source VM at the primary site and pointing the replica job to that backup repository at the secondary site, Veeam Backup & Replication can restore the VM from the backup and synchronize it with the latest state of the source VM. Then it can use the restored VM as a replica2

Based on the customer Windows and Linux file server backup requirements, the best component to help them meet their stated objectives is Backup Enterprise Manager with indexing enabled on virtual machine and Agent backups with RBAC policies. This is because:

•Backup Enterprise Manager allows the customer to manage and monitor backup jobs across multiple backup servers from a single web-based interface1.

•Indexing enables the customer to perform file-level recovery from the backups of Windows and Linux servers, as well as search for files across all backups2.

•RBAC policies allow the customer to delegate permissions to different users and groups for performing file-level recovery, based on their roles and restore scopes3.

References: 1: Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager Guide 2: Veeam Backup & Replication User Guide 3: Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager Guide > Configuring Accounts and Roles

To design a solution that meets the needs and requirements of Veeam University Hospital, you need to collect some critical information during the discovery phase. This information will help you to understand the current state of the environment, the goals and expectations of the stakeholders, and the constraints and challenges of the project.

According to the case study, some of the critical information that was missing from discovery are:

•Size of current data sets. This information is critical because it helps you to estimate the backup storage requirements, as well as the backup performance and efficiency, based on the size and type of data. You need to know how much data is stored on each workload, such as virtual machines, physical servers, NAS systems, etc., as well as how much data is changed or added on a daily or weekly basis.

•Backup retention policy. This information is critical because it helps you to define the backup retention settings and policies, such as the number and frequency of backup copies, the backup storage tiers, the backup deletion rules, etc. You need to know how long the backup data should be kept for compliance or historical purposes, as well as how much backup storage capacity is available or needed.

Option A follows the 3-2-1 rule by having three copies of data (the original production data, the backup at the primary site, and the backup copy at the secondary site), two different media types (local disk and object storage), and one copy off-site (the backup copy at the secondary site). This option also reduces the amount of traffic sent over the network by using existing backups as seeds for backup copies, and reduces the storage costs by using cloud tier to move older backups to cheaper and unlimited cloud storage1