We were previously using VRanger to back up our VMs and then using HP data protector to copy the backups to tape. We have subsequently moved to Veeam, and have decommissioned both VRanger and Data Protector.
We now have a requirement to restore an old backup. I thought I'd start by inventorying the tapes in Veeam, but even this fails. Will I need to completely re-implement our legacy backup solution to get at this data?
I don't know anything about Veeam or VRanger/HP Data Protector but I wouldn't expect them to be compatible unless Veeam made specific statements about it.
Even if Veeam made those statements I would certainly have tested the claim before I needed to use it.
The last time I switched backup products I kept my legacy solution available until the retention policy on the data timed out. This is what I would consider normal.
Unless you have some specific reason to believe that your current solution is compatible with your legacy solution it looks like you're going to have to resurrect the legacy solution to get at your data.
If compatibility claims were made then you should work with you vendor's support to find a solution.
Yes, you should re-implement/re-install a legacy backup solution, just because different backup solutions use different backup formats and simply unable to read any other ones (not native to them). It's true unless legacy backup was NT backup which backup files some of modern solutions still can read.