Using Extractor Utility with Veeam Agent backups

[itknight]

Our Veeam instance is a VM on the ESXi host where our main backup repository resides as DAS. We are using PCI passthru to connect an external/removable HDD to the Veeam VM for copy jobs to copy from the main repository. Since we're using passthru, we can't backup the Veeam VM using Veeam B&R. So we're using the free Veeam Agent to backup the Veeam VM directly to the external HDD.

In a DR scenario, we need to get the Veeam VM running first, scan the external drive's repo, and start restoring to the new hosts. Quickest way to do that, i think, would be to have the Veeam VM ready to be copied to whatever host we're going to run it on, rather than inside the VBK/VIB backup file.

When I run the VBK Extract utility it completes successfully. However I am left with three files, one looks like a VMDK based on the size, and two other "digest" files with no extension. I was expecting a VMDK and a VMX that could be copied to a host and added to inventory.

Using B&R 9.5 u4 and Veeam Agent 2.2.0.589

If there's a better way to prepare to restore the Veeam VM in our setup i'm open to suggestions on that as well.

TIA

[Dima P.]

Hello Ted,

Extract utility cannot convert volumes from the backup made with Veeam Agent for Windows to the virtual disk format (there is a special restore option in Veeam B&R to perform disk export - Export as virtual disk).

From the top of my head you can create a recovery iso from the Veeam VM, mount it to a blank VM at the DR site and then perform full restore from the backup made with agent. Makes sense?

[itknight]

OK, so when booting the blank VM with ISO mounted it will boot into a restore mode and restore the VM inside the ISO? That makes sense. I can just copy the ISO to the external drive and then copy it directly to the ESXi host.

How do i create this ISO? Using the Veeam Agent?

Thanks

[wishr]

Hi Ted,

Yes. Here is the procedure.

BR,
Fedor

[itknight]

Oh, i'd already created that Recovery Media ISO before, but it looked like all I could do was a bare metal recovery. This makes more sense now, it technically will only do a bare metal recovery, but by booting it within the blank VM it thinks it is doing a bare metal recovery.

I guess the blank VM will have to have the same PCI passthru enabled if i want to grab the backup directly from the external disk.

I'll try this out and report back if i have any issues.

Thanks again!