Test 2b. Restore – Instant Access

Instant Access exploits iSCSI target-attach technology to provide rapid temporary access to data stored on a storage system. Once Instant Access is initialized, volumes appear as local, fully accessible read and write drives.

Note. iSCSI Initiator is required to be running on any node used for Instant Access mapping or for manual verification functions. This must be initiated at any time in the setup process before mapping or verification. The following are requirements for each node type:

  • Windows 2008, 2012, 2016 and Vista. iSCSI Initiator generally comes pre-installed with these operating systems, however it is disabled by default. On those nodes, manually start iSCSI and set the service to automatic.

  • Other versions of Windows. Install iSCSI Initiator on the node prior to mapping or verification. To download the latest iSCSI Initiator, go to the Microsoft download center at http://www.microsoft.com/download.

  • Linux. iSCSI Initiator is normally a standard component of the Linux installation package. Install the open-iscsi package by running rpm -q open-iscsi. For more information about implementing iSCSI on a Linux platform, refer to the documentation that accompanies your Linux installation package.

To restore using Instant Access:

  1. Open the Block Restore window by selecting the Restore tab at the top of the window then selecting Block Restore from the task pane.

  2. In the Sources pane, expand the display and browse to a backup Snapshot. The Snapshot appears as a date and time. Right-click on the Snapshot to open a context menu.

  3. In the context menu, choose Map. The Instant Access Mapping dialog box appears.

  4. From the Node List, select the node to map to. This node must have iSCSI Initiator installed. In the Mount Point List, select an unutilized drive letter to map to. Click OK.

  5. A message indicates a mapping operation. Click OK to confirm.

  6. When you receive a message indicating a successful mapping, click OK. You can now access the recovered data on the selected drive from the node that you mapped to.

  7. After you’ve confirmed that Instant Access mapping was successful, unmap to recover storage space. To unmap, click Refresh in the task pane. In the Restore Sources pane, right-click the node where the drive was mapped. From the context menu, choose Show Mapped Drives. From the drive list, select the mapped drive. Click Unmap. Click OK to confirm.

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