{"id":765,"date":"2026-06-22T11:35:39","date_gmt":"2026-06-22T11:35:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lighthouse-program.com\/?p=765"},"modified":"2026-06-24T14:14:29","modified_gmt":"2026-06-24T14:14:29","slug":"lessi-learned-week-25-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lighthouse-program.com\/?p=765","title":{"rendered":"Lessi learned \u2013 week 25\/2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Welcome to the \u201cLessi Learned\u201d Newsletter!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In today\u2019s edition, I take a slightly different approach and focus on two major topics that deserve closer attention.<\/p>\n\n\n

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On one side, Microsoft is introducing fundamental changes in the Microsoft 365 ecosystem, particularly around data access and APIs, that have direct implications for how backup and recovery strategies should be designed going forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other, we look at the Veeam Software Appliance and, more importantly, the current migration path for organizations planning to move from a Windows-based VBR deployment to the Linux-based model.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Both topics may require timely action or at least careful planning\u2014so it\u2019s worth taking a few minutes to dive in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Enjoy the read.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Newsflash<\/strong><\/h1>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Microsoft 365 Changes Ahead<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Microsoft is continuing its strategic shift toward modern, API-driven services in Microsoft 365. One of the most impactful changes currently underway is the retirement of Exchange Web Services (EWS), which has significant implications for backup and restore operations across the platform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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EWS Retirement: A Fundamental Change<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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EWS has long been a core technology for accessing Exchange Online data, widely used by backup solutions and third-party applications. However, Microsoft is phasing out EWS in favor of the Microsoft Graph API as the single, standardized interface for accessing Microsoft 365 services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once EWS is fully retired, all backup and restore operations for Exchange Online must be performed exclusively via the Microsoft Graph API. This change is not just technical, it directly affects performance, scalability, and operational planning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For a detailed breakdown of the transition and its implications, refer to the official Veeam knowledge base article: Veeam KB4820 \u2013 EWS Retirement and Graph API Transition<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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API Throttling and Data Throughput Limits<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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While the Microsoft Graph API provides a modern and unified interface, it introduces a key constraint: API rate limiting<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unlike EWS, Graph API usage is governed by strict throttling policies enforced by Microsoft. These limits directly impact how much data can be processed for backup and restore operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A practical rule of thumb is:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

~1 TB of data per day (combined backup and restore) per tenant<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This limitation can become a bottleneck, especially for large environments or organizations with strict recovery objectives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Microsoft does offer options to increase these limits, potentially doubling throughput, but this typically involves additional licensing or commercial considerations. Each organization should carefully evaluate whether this investment aligns with its operational and financial goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Mitigating the Impact<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The good news: Veeam has already adapted to these constraints.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Veeam Backup for Microsoft 365<\/strong> and Veeam Data Cloud for Microsoft 365 (VDC)<\/strong> include several optimizations to reduce API consumption and improve efficiency:<\/p>\n\n\n\n