Linux VMware Restore

[nandolester]

Hi Everybody

Here at my company we regurlar do Windows VMware backup but almost never needed a restore. Now we are starting to backup Linux VMware with frequent restore.

I could configure the policy as normal and do a Full Backup. When i try to do a restore i'm able to do only restore of VMDK file.

This restore is taking hours to complete. It's normal?

Another thing to do a single file restore i read at the forum that to do a single file restore is necessary to have the NBU client installed on the server and the SYMCquiesce to guarantee that the shadow copy was sucess.

My doubt is: Can i restore a file from Linux to Windows? and If i delete the server at Vcenter and need to restore a file from this server to another one i will be able to do this just installing the client on the destiny or i need to restore the full VMDK first?

Best Regards...

[sri_vani]

http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=HOWTO70958

On Linux virtual machines, NetBackup requires a special utility (SYMCquiesce) to quiesce the file system in preparation for taking the snapshot. Without SYMCquiesce, NetBackup cannot guarantee that data in the file system is in a consistent state when the snapshot occurs.

It may be a Linux/Windows ,you cant restore individual files/folders to a physical or virtual machine witout NBU client installation

and also u can restore to another client and copy files to VM.

Please verfiy this excellent artical related to ur question :

Mark and Marianne explained it very well:

https://www-secure.symantec.com/connect/forums/individual-file-restores-linux-vms-netbackup-7104

[nandolester]

For example if i have a server 1 ("source") and server 2 ("destiny").

I do a full backup from Server 1. Delete the whole VM (VMDK, logs....) from Vcenter. I need to do a restore from Server 1 to Server 2. Install the NBU client on Server2. This restore is gonna work even if i had deleted the Server 1?

[sri_vani]

Yes,Restore will work to my knowledge.

[nandolester]

I tried to restore 3 files from the Linux Backup to my Master Server and got the error below:

11/4/2013 5:47:54 PM - begin Restore
11/4/2013 5:47:54 PM - restoring image SAOSX0000093_1383330810
11/4/2013 5:48:03 PM - end Restore; elapsed time: 00:00:09
FlashBackup-Windows policy restore error(2817)

Do you know if this is occuring because i have not installed the SYMCquiesce on the Linux server?

[Will_Restore]

http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=TECH184598

Issue

Backup done using Windows FlashBackup for VM client.
When performing restore files/folders to a destination client (other than backuphost), for example master server, the restore completes with a status code 2817. However, all files and folders are restored on the destination client.

 

Solution

The status code 2817 returned is by design. The requirements for the destination client selected for a restore from a Windows-FlashBackup or VMware backup type is either:

• The host name of the VMware virtual machine that was backed up, if NetBackup client software has been installed on the virtual machine. Specify the hostname even if the policy identified the virtual machine by its VMware display name or UUID.

     OR

• The NetBackup recovery/backup host.

The files/folders from the Windows-Flashbackup backup type can only be recovered to a VM client or the backup host.

As a workaround, files can be restored via the Window share on the Backup Host using the UNC path.

[sri_vani]

Also plz verify this:

http://www.mass.dk/netbackup/quick-hints/86-flashbackup-error-2817-when-performing-vmware-redirected-restore.html

[BTLOMS]

Are you trying to restore a VM from one host to another?

Yes you can backup a Vm from one host and restore to another. If the original host is online, Netbackup will complain about this so you will have to rename the old one or the new one.

[nandolester]

The point is: I'm trying to restore any file from VM to another VM that has NBU Client but always return the status 2817 for me. I've tried with different files and host but always the same issue.

One point that i tried were if i install the NBU client on the source and on the destiny the restore works properly but i don't want to install the NBU client on each server that i have on the VM policy.

Any suggestion?

[BTLOMS]

you have to install the client on source and destination for any client based backup and restore.

A full VMDK file ( or VM restore) is written directly to the LUN via the vcenter server and therefore does not require the client.

[nandolester]

So if i need to do a single file restore i need to have the NBU client installed on the source and destination even if the source server has already been deleted on Vcenter?

[BTLOMS]

the destination needs to have the client installed on it.

[nandolester]

The destination part i understood but what about the source. on your second post you just said that we need to have the NBU client on both sides but and if i delete the source server how i proceed with the restore? I need to restore the full VMDK first then i will be able to restore a single file?

[Marianne]

BTLOMS said:

.....you have to install the client .... for any client based backup  .....

meaning no VMDK backup.

Have another look at wr's post:

When performing restore files/folders to a destination client (other than backuphost), for example master server, the restore completes with a status code 2817. However, all files and folders are restored on the destination client.

Have you checked if files are actually restored?

You also forgot to mention your NBU version and patch level? If 7.1 - hopefully 7.1.0.4?

[RamNagalla]

Hi Nandolester,

when you make a backup using the Vmware  type policy, you can actaully do the 2 types of restores

1) Full VM restore (VMDK  file restore)

2) files and Folders restores.

for Full VM restore you does not needs to have anything.. just having the access to Vcenter or ESXi host from netbackup is more than enough.. you can start and compleate the Full VM restore

for File and Folder restore..the destination that you are trying to use should have the netbackup installed...

Source is only considered at the time of backup.. No matter how the source is when you are going for restore.. you just need to make sure destination have netbackup installed and have good communication with media server. 

and in your case... if you want to do the restore use th UNC names

so if you trying to restore to D Drive of the windows system the path should be \D\restore

so make sure are using the UNC path while doing the file restore to Windows destination

[BTLOMS]

ok let me establish what you are trying to acheive here:

You have backed up a client that is a VM. The backup was done either as a

1. Flashbackup-windows / VMware backup / VMDK

or

2. Client based backup

Now, your server is gone/deleted

You want to recover the data, a few files, from this deleted VM.

You DONT want to recover the whole VM

For this:

Your destination MUST have netbackup client installd on it.

Secondly:

If you are running the restore from the master , then you already have the netbackup restore GUI / CLI on it.

If you are running the restore from another server (maybe the destination client), THEN TOO, you already have the netbackup client on it. If you dont have the clilent on the server you are restoring from, how will you browse the backups of the dead server?

[BTLOMS · Accepted solution]

Regarding your second Question:

Cross-platform restore is not supported. You can restore Linux files to supported Linux guest operating systems but not to Windows.

If the Linux file system was not quiesced before the snapshot, some files may be inconsistent. Such files can be recovered from the NetBackup.lost+found directory.

see here:

http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=HOWTO44535