Overview and system requirements

Module: Endpoint Backup v2

Datto Endpoint Backup v2 is a next-generation backup solution offering flexible configurations, seamless integrations, and scalability for businesses of all sizes.

Datto Endpoint Backup v2 is built to address the needs of modern data protection, offering selective backups, differential restore, policy-driven management, and deeper integrations with popular IT tools. Whether you are managing thousands of endpoints for clients or maintaining your internal IT infrastructure, Datto Endpoint Backup v2 provides a flexible and scalable solution.

This guide will help you understand the product's capabilities and make the most of its features for data protection.

NOTE  Datto Endpoint Backup v2 is managed through UniView Portal which is described in the UniView Guide.

Key features

  • Flexible backup configurations: Choose what to back up, set custom schedules, and control costs with policies.
  • Monitoring backups: Quickly restore only the changed blocks, reducing recovery times.
  • Scalability: Manage backups for unlimited devices through centralized policy controls.
  • Data security: Data is always encrypted in transit and at rest, with the option for customer-managed keys.
  • Cross-platform support: Available for Windows x64 and macOS.

Best practices

Backup scheduling: Set up custom schedules based on asset type.
Servers may need continuous backups, while desktops can be backed up during off-peak hours.

NOTE  Stagger the Datto Endpoint Backup v2 and Windows Server Backup schedules to prevent Volume Shadow Copy Service conflicts.

Domain Controllers and Active Directory: Datto Endpoint Backup v2 now supports disaster recovery of Domain Controllers and Active Directory through BMR and file-level restores.
Single file multi-version and download files restore modes do not apply to Domain Controllers and Active Directory.

Microsoft Structured Query Language (SQL): Datto Endpoint Backup v2 does not support in-flight SQL Server backups.
We recommend using the SQL Server native backup commands, then using Datto Endpoint Backup v2 to back up the resulting files.

Regular testing: Periodically test restore procedures to ensure data can be recovered efficiently.

Retention management: Regularly review retention settings to ensure compliance with business policies while controlling storage costs.

Selective backup: Configure backup policies to define custom inclusions and exclusions for folder paths or volumes you choose, so that all of your selected data, and only your selected data, is backed up.

Virtualization: Read the Virtualization best practices guide.

IMPORTANT  When you configure Selective backup, take special notice that inclusion restricts backups.

System requirements

Component Requirement
OS
  • Windows 11 (64-bit and x64)

NOTE  Support for Windows ARM64 is planned for release in Q4 2026.

  • Windows 10 (all 64-bit versions)
  • macOS
  • Windows Server 2012 R2
  • Windows Server 2016
  • Windows Server 2019
  • Windows Server 2022
  • Windows Server 2025

Latest updates and service packs should be installed

NOTE  Windows 10/11 Enterprise multi-session is not compatible, please consider Windows Backup for Microsoft Azure.
Hardware

Only 64-bit hardware.
Memory requirements

At least 1 GB of RAM must remain free during normal operations of the production machine for install and backups to run.

File system requirements

NTFS and Apple File System are supported.

Datto Endpoint Backup v2 does not support drives with Windows de-duplication or compression.
Disk space requirements

Each protected volume must have 10% of the volume's total size available.

NOTE  This behavior changed in version 1.15 for Windows NTFS volumes.
On Windows, Datto Endpoint Backup v2 now detects when a protected NTFS volume grows beyond its original size and expands the backup target to match, so backups continue without manual intervention.
A periodic capacity check catches growth before it causes an out of space failure.

IMPORTANT  This applies only to Windows NTFS volumes.
On macOS, do not expand a protected volume after the initial full backup.
If you need additional capacity on a macOS asset, contact support for alternative approaches.

NOTE  In versions before 1.15, expanding a volume after the initial full backup stopped backups from completing on every platform.
If you are running an earlier version, do not resize protected volumes.

NOTE  If backups on an expanded volume do not resume on their own, contact support.

Network

Allow outbound traffic on port 443 on the following host: *.datto.io

NOTE  Check that throttling settings are applied correctly in your backup policies.
Default exclusions

These directories are excluded from backups by default on Windows.

These directories are excluded from backups by default on macOS.

Anti-virus exceptions

Please read the Anti-virus exceptions article.

Other requirements

  • The System PATH variable must include PowerShell to allow pairing.
    PowerShell isn't recognized as an internal or external command (external link) has more information.

  • Datto recommends at least 2 CPU cores for the backup agent, depending on workloads. If the agent is experiencing high CPU usage during backups with fewer than 2 CPUs, the production machine may require additional resources.

  • All other backup software should be removed from the machine to be backed up.

  • The Datto Endpoint Backup v2 agent runs as NT Authority/System and requires Full Control permissions for all folders it protects.
    If you revoke permissions from NT Authority/System, Datto Endpoint Backup v2 will generate "Access is denied" errors.

  • The system time on the machine to be backed up must be synchronized with a system time service.

  • Datto Endpoint Backup v2 does not support backing up of external, removable, or network drives.

  • In Windows, the Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) sets a default maximum shadow storage limit of exactly 10% of the source volume's total size. If you reduce the space available to VSS on your disks below what is required to copy your content, Datto Endpoint Backup v2 will not be able to back up your data because Datto Endpoint Backup v2 relies on VSS.

IMPORTANT  Cloud folder locations like Microsoft OneDrive, Google Drive, and Dropbox are not supported.
On Windows, exclude them from backups in Datto Endpoint Backup v2 with selective exclusions.

NOTE  This behavior changed in version 1.15.
The macOS agent now excludes Dropbox, Google Drive, and OneDrive folders by default, so you no longer need to add selective exclusions for them on macOS.
See Default exclusions on macOS.

IMPORTANT  By default, Microsoft automatically excludes certain files, such as .OST files, from being captured in Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) snapshots. For more information, see Why are temp and .ost files excluded from backups?

Note on REFS support

Datto Endpoint Backup v2 does not support REFS (Resilient File System).

If you require REFS support, Datto BCDR provides compatibility with REFS volumes.

For more details, please refer to the following KB article: Datto BCDR REFS Support.

NOTE  The Datto BCDR REFS Support KB article specifically applies to Datto BCDR (On-Prem Datto appliances).
It does not apply to Datto Endpoint Backup v2.