Free recovery Tool: Veeam Backup & Replication Community Edition - Storage snapshots

Last time we introduced the Free Backup tool VeeamZIP, now today it's another free tool: Storage snapshots

Introduction

Data protection is essential in modern IT environments. For small businesses and home labs, cost is often a barrier to deploying enterprise-grade backup solutions. That’s why Veeam Backup & Replication Community Edition is a game-changer—it delivers powerful backup and replication features for VMware and Hyper-V at no cost.

Storage snapshots are an advanced feature of Veeam, typically found in the Enterprise Plus edition. Because configuration is somewhat complex, requiring knowledge of both virtualization and storage infrastructure, many entry-level administrators don't commonly use this feature.

However, if your storage is NetApp, Dell EMC SC or Unity, HPE 3PAR or Nimble, Lenovo V-series or DM-series, or Huawei OceanStore series storage, you can fully and freely use the storage snapshot recovery feature in the Community Edition at no cost. This feature will significantly expand these storage systems' capabilities in virtualized environments. Leveraging Veeam's storage snapshot parsing and recovery capabilities, any volume snapshot taken on these storage systems can be utilized with Veeam's full-featured recovery technology, including:

• Performing instant single VM recovery from volume snapshots;
• Performing instant single virtual disk recovery from volume snapshots;
• Recovering guest OS granular files from volume snapshots;
• Recovering application objects, including SQL, Oracle, Exchange, AD, and more.

This recovery capability operates without backup tasks and doesn't require Veeam to run backup jobs, making it completely free for snapshot users. Whether your environment has 100 ESXi hosts, 10 enterprise storage systems, 1000 virtual machines, or 1PB of data, recovering data from storage snapshots using this feature remains entirely free. It essentially provides these storage systems with powerful, additional value-added functionality.

So stop saying storage snapshots aren't useful! If you haven't used storage snapshots yet, go ahead and give them a try!

Why Choose Veeam Community Edition?

The Community Edition is designed for small infrastructures, offering protection for up to 10 VMs, servers, or workstations completely free.

Key Benefits

• Agentless backup for VMware and Hyper-V

• Fast recovery options (full VM restore, file-level recovery)

• Application-aware backups for SQL, Exchange, and Active Directory

• Replication capabilities for disaster recovery

• Free forever, no license expiration

📌 According to Veeam’s official site, the Community Edition includes most features of the paid version but with resource limits.

Best Use Cases for Veeam Free Edition

• Small businesses with limited infrastructure

• IT pros running lab environments

• Developers testing backup strategies

• Organizations needing low-cost disaster recovery

How to Get Started with Veeam Community Edition

1. Download the installer from the official Veeam website.

2. Install on a Windows Server or supported OS.

3. Add VMware ESXi or Hyper-V hosts.

4. Configure backup jobs and test recovery.

Conclusion

The Veeam Backup & Replication Community Edition is an excellent free tool for VMware and Hyper-V environments, offering enterprise-grade features without cost.

By leveraging Veeam’s backup, replication, and recovery capabilities, IT admins can ensure data resilience and disaster recovery readiness for small-scale deployments.

 Free Backup for VMware and Hyper-V with Veeam Community Edition VeeamZIP

Today, I want to introduce Veeam Software's excellent free tools, recommended for every IT administrator. As a leader in the backup solutions field, Veeam not only offers its powerful flagship product, Veeam Availability Suite, but also provides a full suite of free tools for every IT administrator. These tools are completely ad-free, have no restrictions, and can be used freely. However, they differ from open-source software; Veeam refers to them as Community Edition software.

Veeam's Community Edition software is slightly different from its full-featured commercial versions. Some advanced product features are limited, and there are restrictions on the number of licenses. For detailed limitations, see the Veeam official website:

Nevertheless, despite these restrictions, countless administrators have come to love this powerful Community Edition software. Below, I'll discuss what the Veeam Backup & Replication Community Edition can do in an administrator's daily operations. Using these features doesn't consume any Veeam licenses, including the built-in 10 free gift licenses, yet they bring tremendous convenience to our operational management.

VeeamZIP, Free Compression Software from Veeam

This is one of Veeam's classic features, hidden within Veeam products since the first generation, and included as a standard function. As the name suggests, it essentially allows you to package a VMware or Hyper-V virtual machine into a compressed file, turning it into a ZIP archive—similar to how we compress files normally. During restoration, you can extract the original data you need from this compressed archive.

However, VeeamZIP is more than just that; its powerful functionality doesn't stop at ZIP files. VeeamZIP uses Veeam's standard backup engine, but it's not an ordinary backup scheduled task. It's a full backup of the entire virtual machine. Each VeeamZIP operation triggers the backup engine to perform a full backup of the virtual machine, resulting in a .vbk full backup archive.

During restoration, VeeamZIP is treated as a first-class citizen in Veeam, with access to the full suite of recovery features, including:

- Instant Recovery, including cross-platform recovery to VMware or Hyper-V in v11

- Instant Disk Recovery

- Full VM Restore

- Virtual Machine Disk Restore

- Virtual Machine File Restore

- Guest OS Granular File/Object Restore

- Restore to Amazon EC2

- Restore to Microsoft Azure

VeeamZIP doesn't consume any of the 10 built-in instance licenses 

More importantly, VeeamZIP is truly free and doesn't consume any of the 10 built-in instance licenses in the Community Edition. Whether your environment has 100 ESXi hosts, 1000 VMs, or 1PB of data capacity, you can use the Community Edition's VeeamZIP to create compressed archives for these virtual machines without any restrictions.

Additionally, there are automated scripts to back up your VMware or Hyper-V environment.  

1. Automate Backup

2. PowerShell Script for Automatic Backup with Veeam Backup Free Edition

3. Office Guide for Veeam Backup Free Edition with PowerShell 

Next Blog, I will introduce another free tool of Veeam Community Edition: storage snapshot

👉 Related reading: VMware Backup Best Practices

Disaster Recovery Success with Vinchin – Reliable Backup and Business Continuity Solutions

Introduction

When disaster strikes, businesses need fast recovery and reliable data protection to keep operations running. Vinchin has emerged as a trusted provider of enterprise backup and disaster recovery solutions, helping organizations achieve business continuity with confidence.

This article highlights how Vinchin delivers disaster recovery success, what makes its approach effective, and why enterprises are choosing it over traditional methods.

Are you worried about losing critical business data in a disaster? Disaster recovery is a game-changer for businesses aiming to protect data and ensure operations run smoothly. In this article, we dive into the inspiring journey of Vinchin Technology, a Chinese company that transformed from a small tech startup into a global disaster recovery leader. Led by founder Xiaoqin Hu, Vinchin’s story shows how innovation and grit can lead to massive growth.

Why Disaster Recovery Matters

Unexpected failures—whether caused by hardware crashes, ransomware attacks, or natural disasters—can cost enterprises millions in downtime.

According to Gartner Research, companies without a disaster recovery plan face 40% higher risks of permanent data loss.

Disaster recovery is the process of protecting and restoring data after unexpected events like cyberattacks, hardware failures, or natural disasters. It’s not just a nice-to-have—it’s critical for businesses. For example, after the 9/11 attacks, Morgan Stanley resumed operations the next day thanks to robust disaster recovery systems. Source: IDC

Vinchin Technology, based in Chengdu, China, saw this need early on. Starting in 2015, they focused on disaster recovery for virtual machines, filling a gap in the market. Their primary focus keyword, disaster recovery, drives their mission to safeguard data for businesses worldwide.

From Tech Nerds to Global Players: Vinchin’s Journey

Starting Small with Big Dreams

Xiaoqin Hu and his four co-founders began Vinchin with a simple goal: build a product that solves real problems. All tech enthusiasts, they aimed to create a Chinese version of Veeam, a global leader in data protection. But startups aren’t easy. With no initial funding, they poured their savings into research, studying Veeam’s tools to craft their own disaster recovery software. By late 2015, they faced a cash crunch. A $50,000 grant from Chengdu’s High-Tech Zone saved them, letting them focus on what they did best—building great tech. This is a classic example of how small business disaster recovery can start with limited resources but big vision.

Cracking the Overseas Market

Vinchin didn’t just stay local—they went global. In 2017, they launched an English website and began marketing abroad. By 2018, they landed their first overseas order from France. Small but exciting, it proved their cloud disaster recovery solutions worked. Fast forward to 2023, and a major shift in the industry—VMware’s switch to a subscription model—spiked demand for alternatives. Vinchin’s V2V disaster recovery tool, which helps businesses switch platforms like VMware to PVE or OpenStack, saw a surge in inquiries. Their overseas customer base grew four to five times in Q1 2023 alone, thanks to their early global disaster recovery focus. Source: Vinchin’s internal data shared with ITPlus

• Key Tip: Start small but think globally. Vinchin’s early investment in an English website opened doors to international markets.

• Fun Fact: Vinchin’s user-friendly interface and affordable pricing made them a hit abroad, even against bigger competitors.

Check out this YouTube video for a quick explainer on why disaster recovery matters for businesses.

Overcoming Challenges with Innovation

Building a disaster recovery solution isn’t just about tech—it’s about adapting to change. Hu faced tough challenges, like learning to control costs. He jokingly calls himself the “stingiest” person in the company, but it’s paid off. By carefully managing budgets, Vinchin turned profits even in tough years. Another hurdle was shifting from a tech-only mindset to a business-focused one. Hu now asks, “How will this feature drive sales?” before building it, ensuring every move supports enterprise disaster recovery goals.

Vinchin also tapped into Chengdu’s rich academic resources, collaborating with local universities to test new ideas. This helped them stay ahead in data backup and recovery, especially for open-source platforms like PVE and OpenStack, where competitors lagged.

How Vinchin Ensures Disaster Recovery Success

1. Advanced Backup Technology

• Support for VM-level backup across VMware, Hyper-V, XenServer, and Proxmox.

• Incremental and deduplication backups reduce storage costs.

2. Fast and Reliable Recovery

• Instant VM recovery reduces downtime.

• Cross-platform restore ensures flexibility across different hypervisors.

3. Ransomware-Resilient Architecture

• Immutable backups protect against malicious encryption.

• Offsite and cloud backup ensure safe copies.

👉 Related: VMware Backup Best Practices

Vinchin’s Next Level: Industry-Specific Solutions

In 2023, Vinchin made a bold move: they shifted from standard products to tailored industry disaster recovery solutions. Why? Bigger clients in sectors like finance and healthcare need customized tools to protect complex data. By focusing on specific industries, Vinchin can better meet unique needs, like securing sensitive patient data or ensuring bank transactions never stop. This strategic pivot is their “second growth curve,” blending disaster recovery technology with deep industry insights.

For example, their solutions now integrate seamlessly with clients’ existing systems, offering faster recovery times. This move not only boosts their market share but also builds stronger client relationships. Curious about building your own disaster recovery plan? Check out our guide to data protection strategies for practical tips.

Why Vinchin’s Story Inspires Us

Vinchin’s journey shows that disaster recovery isn’t just about tech—it’s about resilience and growth. From a cash-strapped startup to a global player, Xiaoqin Hu’s team proves that small businesses can compete with giants through innovation and adaptability. Their focus on affordable disaster recovery and compatibility with open-source platforms sets them apart.

Hu’s personal growth mirrors Vinchin’s. He transformed from a tech-focused founder to a savvy business leader, embracing challenges like cost management and market uncertainty. His story resonates with entrepreneurs everywhere: change is tough but necessary.

Ready to protect your business? Start exploring disaster recovery solutions today. Visit Vinchin’s website for tools to safeguard your data, or read our backup basics post to get started. Don’t wait for a data disaster—act now!

Best Practices for Using Vinchin in Disaster Recovery

• Follow the 3-2-1 backup rule (3 copies, 2 media types, 1 offsite).

• Regularly test recovery plans to ensure readiness.

• Monitor system health and backup job reports via the Vinchin console.

📌 For deeper insights, see Vinchin Official Website for enterprise case studies and technical documentation. and their Youtube Channel

PVE Virtualization Resource Allocation – Best Practices for CPU, RAM, and Storage in Proxmox VE

Introduction

Resource allocation is one of the most important tasks in Proxmox VE (PVE) virtualization. Poorly configured CPU, RAM, or storage limits can cause VM crashes, performance bottlenecks, and downtime.

This guide explains PVE resource allocation best practices, helping you balance workloads and optimize virtualization for stability, efficiency, and scalability.

1. Physical Hardware Configuration List

The basic hardware platform for this evaluation is as follows:

Hardware Component	Specifications	Remarks
CPU	8 Cores / 16 Threads	Assumed to be Intel Xeon E-2288G or equivalent CPU
Memory	32 GB DDR4 ECC	Core limiting factor
Storage	512 GB NVMe SSD	Strongly recommend SSD, HDD will directly collapse
Platform	Proxmox VE 8.x	Latest stable version

2. Core Resource Allocation Principles (The Rules of the Game)

2.1 CPU - The Art of Overselling

• Mechanism: vCPU is a time slice of a physical CPU thread. PVE schedules vCPUs through time-sharing multiplexing.

• Overselling Ratio (vCPU : pCPU):

• Light Load (Web, Proxy, Development Environment): 4:1 ~ 8:1 (Total vCPU ≈ 64+)

• Moderate Load (Application Servers, Small DBs): 2:1 ~ 3:1 (Total vCPU ≈ 32-48)

• Heavy Load (Databases, Compute-intensive): ~1:1 (Total vCPU ≈ 16) 🚨

• Conclusion:CPU is usually not a bottleneck, can be flexibly allocated.

Overcommitting CPU can lead to latency issues if multiple VMs compete for resources.

Best practices:

• Assign vCPUs based on actual workload demand.

• Use CPU pinning for latency-sensitive apps.

• Avoid allocating all host CPUs to VMs—reserve some for Proxmox processes.

👉 Related reading: VMware PowerCLI Super Detailed Guide 

2.2 Memory - The Hard Currency That Cannot Be Compromised (No Overcommit!)

• Mechanism: Memory can hardly be effectively over-provisioned. Ballooning and Swap will lead to a sharp decline in performance.

• Reserved Overhead:

• PVE host system itself needs to occupy ~2 GB.

• Each VM has a small management overhead.

• Safety Red Line:Total allocated memory ≤ 90% of physical memory.

• Usable memory in this example:32GB * 0.9 ≈ 29 GB

• Conclusion:Memory is the primary and most rigid constraint when planning the number of VMs.

 VMs often consume more memory than expected, which may trigger swapping and slow performance.

Tips for memory allocation:

• Enable ballooning for dynamic memory allocation.

• Use hugepages for better performance with large VMs.

• Monitor usage with pveperf or Proxmox web GUI.

📌 According to Proxmox official documentation, proper memory planning reduces VM instability.

2.3 Storage - The Game of Capacity vs. IOPS

• Mechanism: Capacity is easy to calculate, but IOPS (I/O operations per second) is key to performance.

• Reserved Overhead: PVE system occupies ~20 GB.

• Key Technologies:

• Thin Provisioning: Allows over-allocation of storage space.It's great, but extremely dangerous! ⚠️ Must be strictly monitored!

• Thick Provisioning: Safe, but may waste space.

• Conclusion: SSD is a must-have, otherwise IOPS will become a system bottleneck, and the number of VMs will be out of the question.

Storage is often a bottleneck in virtualization.

Recommendations:

• Use fast SSDs or NVMe for critical workloads.

• Separate VM storage and backup storage to avoid I/O conflicts.

• Configure thin provisioning carefully to prevent over-allocation risks.

 2.4 Networking Considerations

Networking in PVE requires tuning for both speed and redundancy.

• Use bridges for VM connectivity.

• Bond multiple NICs for failover and load balancing.

• Assign dedicated NICs for storage traffic in clustered environments.

3. Scenario-based Estimation Model 

Based on the above principles, we estimate three typical scenarios.

Scenario 1: Lightweight Workload (Linux microservices, network tools, test environments)

Resource Type	Single VM Configuration	Calculation Process	Theoretical Maximum
vCPU	1 vCPU	Oversubscription at 6:1:16T * 6 = 96 vCPU	~96 😎
Memory 🚨	1 GB	29 GB / 1 GB = 29	~29
Storage	20 GB (Thin)	490 GB / (Actual usage 5GB) ≈ 98	~29 (Limited by memory)

 Final Recommended Value: ≈ 25-30 VMs ✅

Scenario 2: Medium Load (Web Servers, Middleware, Small Databases)

Resource Type	Single VM Configuration	Calculation Process	Theoretical Maximum
vCPU	2 vCPU	Oversubscription at 3:1:16T * 3 / 2 = 24	~24 units
Memory 🚨	4 GB	29 GB / 4 GB ≈ 7.25	~7 units
Storage	50 GB (Thick)	490 GB / 50 GB ≈ 9.8	~9 units

Final Recommended Value: ≈ 7 VMs ✅

Scenario 3: Heavy Load (Databases, CI/CD Build Machines, WinServer)

Resource Type	Single VM Configuration	Calculation Process	Theoretical Maximum
vCPU	4 vCPU	Allocation at 1:1:16T / 4 = 4	~4
Memory 🚨	8 GB	29 GB / 8 GB ≈ 3.6	~3
Storage	100 GB (Thick)	490 GB / 100 GB ≈ 4.9	~4

Final Recommended Value: ≈ 3 VMs ✅

4. Pro Tips and Pitfalls to Avoid

• 👉 Forget HDDs: Unless it's for pure cold storage, you must use SSDs. I/O latency is a silent killer.

• 👉 Memory is the Top Priority: When planning, first deduce how many VMs you can run based on memory, then verify CPU and storage.

• 👉 Make Good Use of LXC Containers: Running Linux services? Use LXC! Extremely low overhead, near-native performance, and you can run far more than VMs. (A game-changer!)

• 👉 Monitoring is Your Lifeline: Immediately after deployment, keep an eye on these two:

• Memory Usage: Long-term >90% indicates danger.

• Storage Latency (Disk Latency): Check on the PVE summary page; consistent > 20ms requires optimization.

• 👉 Don't overfill: Leave buffer resources for the host and burst traffic; otherwise, a simple backup task can cripple the entire server.

5. Conclusion

How many VMs can your 32G/8C16T/512G machine run? The answer completely depends on the workload type:

Workload Type	Recommended VM Count	Core Limiting Factor
Light	25 - 30	Memory
Medium	5 - 7	Memory
Heavy	3 - 4	Memory + CPU

Effective PVE virtualization resource allocation ensures stable VM performance, prevents resource starvation, and maximizes hardware efficiency.

By following best practices for CPU, RAM, storage, and networking, you can optimize Proxmox VE for enterprise-level workloads.

With ongoing monitoring and adjustments, your Proxmox VE environment will remain scalable and resilient to future demands.