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dlt1928's avatar
dlt1928
Level 3
13 years ago
Solved

BE 2012 Hyper-V VM restore

I’m using BE 2012 to backup up a Windows 2008 R2 server with Hyper-v with 4 VM’s running on it.  I have the BE Hyper-V agent installed on the host 2008 R2 server.  I run a full backup on Fridays and incrementals during the week.  I have a couple of questions.

If/when I need to restore a VM in the middle of the week, in the restore wizard, do I check the last incremental AND the last full backup?

The second question – which may be out of the scope of this forum – can I do the restore to a different host?  (that host also running 2008 R2 with Hyper-V).

would like to get some input before I test this.

Thanks 

2012
Backup and Recovery
Backup Exec
Restore
  • pkh's avatar
    pkh
    13 years ago

    Unlike previous versions of BE, BE 2012 is smart enough to know that when you select an incremental backup, it needs to restore the last full backup and all the incremental backups between the last full backup and the incremental backup that you want to restore.  This applies to all backups, not just VM backups. See this blog

    https://www-secure.symantec.com/connect/blogs/simplified-restore-workflow-be-2012

    In your case, you should only select the Wed. incremental backup.  When you also select the full backup, it is restored twice.  Hence the warning message that you got.

7 Replies

  • Backup_Exec1's avatar
    Backup_Exec1
    Level 6
    13 years ago
    Hi If/when I need to restore a VM in the middle of the week, in the restore wizard, do I check the last incremental AND the last full backup? Ans No, it would be last full backup and all incremental till that date. The second question – which may be out of the scope of this forum – can I do the restore to a different host? (that host also running 2008 R2 with Hyper-V). Ans Yes ,you can restore virtual machine to different host.r You can also convert from virtual to physical see admin guide for more details on how to do it. Thanks
  • dlt1928's avatar
    dlt1928
    Level 3
    13 years ago

    Hi Sameer,

    On the question of ' do I check the last incremental AND the last full backup?' and your response of ' No, it would be last full backup and all incremental till that date.' - in going through the restore wizard and checking the last full and incremental boxes the below message pops up, which leads me to believe that I ‘should not’ select all incrementals and the last full.  (lets say I need to do a restore after a Wednesday night backup.  If I select the last Full and all the incrementals up to Wednesday night, the below box pops up).  The below pop up leads me to believe there is a possibility of  ‘some items being restored multiple times’.  Can you shed some light on what the below message is REALLY trying to tell me?

    Message that pops up:

    "Each point in time represents a combined view of all the data from the last full backup to the selected point in time.

    Backup Exec automatically restores the selected data from previous incremental or differential backups and the previous full backup as necessary, so it is usually no necessary to make selections from more than on point in time.  If you do, it could result in reduced performance due t some items being restored multiple times."

    Thanks much,

    dlt1928

     

     

     

  • pkh's avatar
    pkh
    Moderator
    13 years ago

    Unlike previous versions of BE, BE 2012 is smart enough to know that when you select an incremental backup, it needs to restore the last full backup and all the incremental backups between the last full backup and the incremental backup that you want to restore.  This applies to all backups, not just VM backups. See this blog

    https://www-secure.symantec.com/connect/blogs/simplified-restore-workflow-be-2012

    In your case, you should only select the Wed. incremental backup.  When you also select the full backup, it is restored twice.  Hence the warning message that you got.

  • dlt1928's avatar
    dlt1928
    Level 3
    13 years ago

    Ok people, I’m getting conflicting advice here.  PKH is telling me ‘In your case, you should only select the Wed. incremental backup. When you also select the full backup, it is restored twice. Hence the warning message that you got.’ and Sameer is telling me in an off post email ‘you always have to select last full backup & incremental till date.  So the message what you are getting is an informational message were Backup exec is smart enough to link all your incremental backup till the date you are looking to restore. So there should not be any duplicate entries’

    I’d test this but the server I need to test on doesn’t have the space if this thing tries to restore several copies of the VM.  Is there anybody out there that’s actually done this?  Or Sameer, you work for Symantec, can I assume your answer has been tested?  I need to get this figured out because I have to do a ‘demo’ for the execs on this procedure.

    dlt1928

     

  • Backup_Exec1's avatar
    Backup_Exec1
    Level 6
    13 years ago

    Hi

     

    Just to add a final comment .I have done testing yesterday

    So in your case please select the last incremental restore for the date your are looking to do restore with , It will merge your last full & incremental till date automatically. will not create mutiple copies.

     

    Thanks

  • pkh's avatar
    pkh
    Moderator
    13 years ago

    This contradicts your earlier advice, so my answer is correct.