Veeam Backup for Microsoft Office 365 (VBO) version 4.0 has been released, offering a range of new features and enhancements to the previous version. This latest release builds on the previous 3.0 release, which focused on improving performance for Exchange, SharePoint, and OneDrive. Version 4.0 is heavily focused on Object Storage support, which has been a top request from customers and partners for a long time.

One of the biggest pain points in terms of data growth has been solved with the leveraging of Object Storage. VBO now allows users to store backups in public or private cloud Object Storage, providing a cost-effective solution for managing large volumes of data produced by Office 365 organizations. In addition to Object Storage support, VBO version 4.0 also includes several other new features and enhancements, such as improved backup policies, reporting, and APIs.

The architecture of VBO has undergone significant changes with the introduction of Object Storage support. With this feature, only metadata and a cache are stored locally, while all backup data is located in Object Storage. This approach provides several benefits, including reduced storage requirements, faster backup and restore times, and better scalability.

Multiple repositories can be created and mapped to one or more users, providing flexibility in choosing between local storage and Object Storage platforms. Additionally, data can be protected with optional encryption at rest when using Object Storage. Proxies are the workhorses of VBO and can be scaled out depending on the size of the environment being backed up.

To install VBO version 4.0, you can download the latest version from the Veeam website. The download contains three installers that cover the VBO platform and two new versions of the Explorers. The Explorer for Microsoft OneDrive for Business is contained within the Explorer for Microsoft SharePoint package and installed automatically.

It’s important to read the release notes before installing, as there are several known issues related to specific situations and configurations. In conclusion, VBO version 4.0 offers a range of exciting new features and enhancements that address key pain points in backing up Office 365 data. With its focus on Object Storage support, improved backup policies, reporting, and APIs, VBO is well-positioned to meet the future needs of customers and partners.