Virtualization
Virtualization is the process of restoring Block backups by creating a separate virtual machine with the restored data. Such restore process requires BMR backups. The virtualization itself may be instant or full. Full Virtualization creates a production VM. Instant Virtualization creates a temporary VM, which is typically used for setup or testing purposes. In addition, you can convert the temporary VM that were created with Instant Virtualization into a production VM by using the Rapid Return to Production (RRP) feature.
Creating a Virtualization Job
Go to Job Manager in the sidebar.
Click New Restore Job to open the New Restore dialog.
Select Virtualization and click Next.
The Object to Restore list shows all machines backed up using the DPX BMR Backup. The available objects can be sorted Name, Type, associated Job Name, or Backup Date/Size. Find the VM that contains the files or directories in the VM object list you want to restore. Click Next.
From the list of recovery points of the VM object, select the desired recovery point. By default, Latest Recovery Point is selected. Click Next.
Note. Both Instant and Full virtualization are based on a very similar flow, where a virtual machine is created within the specified location. The difference consists in how the VM will access the backup data:
Instant Virtualization – the BMR backup from vStor is mapped to the VM as an external volume; this method is intended for temporary access only due to potentially high latency;
Full Virtualization – the BMR backup from vStor is transferred to the VM’s internal volume; this method is fully reliable and the VM can be used in the production environment.
Specify the Job Name. The name may be up to 64 characters long and may only contain letters, digits and
-
_
characters.
Restrictions. The Job Name must be unique within your Enterprise.
Specify job options using toggles. See below.
Basic Job Options
Power on the virtual machine after restoring
Toggle on | The newly restored virtual machine will be powered on when restore is completed. |
Toggle off | The VM will be restored in the powered-off state. |
Delete the restore job on successful completion
Toggle on | The restore job defined in this process will be deleted upon successful completion. If the job fails, it will not be deleted. |
Toggle off | The restore job will be saved and will be accessible later in Job Manager. |
Job e-mail notification
Toggle on | The notification is sent as specified below the toggle (additional fields will appear – see below). |
Toggle off | The notification is sent to the default e-mail address configured in the Administrator E-mail Settings section. |
Other Job Options
Optionally, you can specify an Alternate Secondary Node.
Specify the Target Host, selecting Node Name and the Host available within this Node from respective drop-down lists.
Select the Target Resources for the new VM.
Select Resource Pool or VApp.
Select the network you want to use to connect to the new VM.
Select the iSCSI Adapter.
Select the VM Folder where the new VM will be located within the virtual machine manager.
Select Target Datastore. Use the Search input field or select one of the available datastores from the list.
Tip. You can control the Datastore view by ordering items by Name, Status, overall Capacity, Free space or Type, ascending or descending. Note also the Items per page value which can be useful when managing the display.
Specify the properties of the new virtual machine.
The Virtual Machine Name cannot exceed 256 characters and must be unique within the virtual machine manager.
Assign Virtual Machine Memory. You also need to specify whether the memory is thin-provisioned (only actually consumed memory is used by the VM) or thick-provisioned (the allocated amount of memory will be reserved for the VM’s exclusive use).
Select the virtualization proxy server. For more information, see DPX Proxy Server.
Indicate the Virtual ISO Location. You will need a virtualization ISO of the operating system required for your machine (Linux or Windows). Normally, you will obtain it from the appropriate MySupport DPX Virtualization Support section. If in doubt, contact our Technical Support team.
(Optional) By default, the Static Virtual Machine Network toggle is in the disabled position. When enabled, additional fields are shown.
Specify the static IP address for the machine.
Specify the subnet mask.
Specify the gateway.
Specify the DNS server. Additionally, you may specify the DNS search path. This field is optional.
After setting all the options, click Next. The Summary screen will be displayed.
Click Save. A Run Job prompt will be shown.
Click Yes to run the job immediately or No if you want to run it later from the Job Manager. After a successful job run, the restored virtual machine will be visible in the vCenter: