Individual file recovery from VMware backup

[Gurjeet_Singh]

Hi team,

I am using Netbackup 7.5 with VMware (Vsphere5). 

as per the netbackup VMware guide page 17

About the virtual machine backups that include database data

When NetBackup backs up a VMware virtual machine, database data in the virtual

machine is backed up with the rest of the virtual machine. A new feature in

NetBackup 7.5 allows the recovery of individual database files from the backup.

This feature supports Microsoft Exchange Server, SQL Server, and SharePoint

Server.

Note the following:

Introduction

About NetBackup for VMware

16

■ To enable restore of individual database files, a NetBackup Windows client

must be installed in the virtual machine during the backup. 

I need your help in below queries :-

1)   in case vertual machine having only files & folders & we have not installed netbackup client on vertual machine. Will we be able to restore individual files  from VM ?

[RLeon · Accepted solution]

If your Windows VM does not have SQL, Exchange or Sharepoint, then you do not need to install the NetBackup Client, unless you need to be able to restore files directly back to the VM.

Without a Nbu Client installed, to put restored files back inside the VM, you can use share folders (CIFS UNC paths: \\server\folder)

This is actually documented in the Nbu VMware guide under Restoring individual files:

7. For Windows systems, if NetBackup client software is not installed on the destination virtual machine, select one of the following (some steps about UNC path restores)...

This sentence confirms that individual files can be restored from a VM backup image even when the Nbu Client wasn't installed.

[RamNagalla]

yes,

you would need to use the alternate client restore method, (alternate client should have the NBU install) and provide the Network share of the original client where you want to do the restore.

but i would recommend you to have the Netbackup installed on the client and make use of it when ever you need to the restore of files and folder.

Withoout Netbackup Installation  you need to use the share path of the desired client and to the alternate client restore where Netbackup is installed.

in simple words,

the destination that you specifiy in BAR window should have the Netbckup installed and configured, which can be used the Share path of the final destination.

if no share path manual copy is required to move the data from BAR destination client to final destination.

[Gurjeet_Singh]

Thanks team for your reply. it serves my concern.