Feature Request: Bare-Metal restore from Tape restore point improvement

[Tomas Snajdar]

Hello all,

Few days ago we were troubleshooting with Veeam Support issue, where we urgently needed to restore physical server via Veeam Recovery Media Tool from restore point, which was imported from tape.

Everything goes well, until we found, that we do not see restore point imported from tape. Later we found, that in current version of Veeam B&R 10 it is necessary to have also metadata file (.VBM) linked to required restore point in case, that you want to use BARE-METAL RECOVERY. If we are correct, then in previous version ( Veeam B&R 7-8), you was able to use Bare-Metal recovery only with restore point (.VBK).

So we had to contact Veeam Support and wait for script (as script on web/Veeam KB does not work with current version), which create .VBM from .VBK. After this all, we were finally able to use Bare-Metal Recovery and restore physical server.

Now the main problem is, that in case you lost everything, including restore points on repository servers, your only way how to restore data are tapes.

Restoring process for VMs from tape is clear and without any addition steps as recovery point importing process will create .VBK and also .VBM. Plus if we are correct, that you should be able to restore VMs from .VBK and there is not necessary to have .VBM.

Problem comes, if you want restore physical machine as importing process from tape will create on target ONLY .VBK and .VMB is missing (Support told us, that this is the limitation of Veeam Agent).

So in this case you have to deploy Veeam B&R server, start Veeam PowerShell console, execute script to learn system required CMDLET commands. Then generate with correct commands .VBM from .VBK and after this all you are FINALLY able use Bare-Metal Recovery.

Our customer take this as un-acceptable, take current version of Veeam B&R not 100% safe for their data and demand to find another solution how to fast and smoothly recovery data from tapes (in Bare-Metal recovery process) without any additional (complicated) steps. In some point of view we understand this status as in case of total disaster you need to recovery data ASAP and you do not have time for playing with script or any additional steps.

Veeam Support created internal feature-request as we are not first, who had problem with current steps during Bare-Metal Recovery and suggest us to create also personal feature-request here on Veeam Forum.

It would be great, if Backup to tape from physical devices will write to tape also .VBM file or if Recovery Media Tool automatically (internally) create .VBM file from .VBK (without manual steps mentioned above) or if Bare-Metal Recovery works as before, without necessary to have .VBM just .VBK.

Thank you.

[Dima P.]

Hello Tomas,

Thank you for your feedback and sorry to hear that you've faced such issue. Can you please share the original case ID with me? Can you please confirm that agent backup was taped out via backup to tape or file to tape job? Cheers!

[Tomas Snajdar]

Hello Dima,

sure, here is original case ID: Case #04584060 — Bare-metal restore from tape restore point

regarding to your question, yea, we are backing up everything with standard Veeam B&R features, so yes data from agents are backing up via Backup To Tape jobs.

[Dima P.]

Thanks for the details, checking the case with RnD folks.

[Dima P.]

We've reviewed the case, can you please clarify how agent backup was restored from tape? Any chance that you've used file from tape restore instead of restoring machine backup? Thanks!

[Tomas Snajdar]

Hello Dima,

sorry for late answer, I did not receive notification about new post.

Right now I am not 100% sure which method we tested, but I am sure, that our customer used file from tape restore and .VMB file was not created.

[Dima P.]

Tomas,

Thanks for the update! During file from tape recovery you must select all required files (i.e. vbk / vbm / vib). To avoid such complicity you can rely on backup to repository type of restore where all requited files will be recovered from tape automatically. Hope that helps!

[Tomas Snajdar]

Hello Dima,

could you please give me few days to perform tests as right now I am not able to do it?

Thank you.

[Dima P.]

Sure, let us know how it goes!

[Tomas Snajdar]

Hello Dima,

so I tested it and you was correct. System will create also .VBM file, when it is restored via Tape Restore Backup and not via Tape File restore.

But still, what to do in case, that everything was lost and only data for recovery are on tapes.

In this case will be no time for rebuilding Veeam Infrastructure, but starting servers ASAP.

How to start Bare-Metal restoring process in this case, when nothing is available. There will be only RAW restore points on tapes.

1.)
Is it possible to prepare Recovery Media Tool and use it for all physical devices or it is necessary to prepare recovery media specifically for each physical device?
2.)
How to use Bare-Metal recovery, when you have only restore points on tapes, with some luck before prepared Recovery Tool Image and nothing else. And let say, there will be not possible at the moment deploying Veeam B&R server + repository server and use CMDLETs commands to create .VBM or anything else.

Long story short, what to do, when everything is un-available and only option is to use tapes to start restoring physical devices.

Thank you and have a nice day.

[Dima P.]

Hi Tomas,

How to start Bare-Metal restoring process in this case, when nothing is available. There will be only RAW restore points on tapes... How to use Bare-Metal recovery, when you have only restore points on tapes, with some luck before prepared Recovery Tool Image and nothing else.

In case of total disaster you still must:

1. Spin up a new Veeam B&R server
2. Add tape infrastructure to the Veeam B&R
3. Catalog tape media
4. Restore backup either as file from tape or as backup from tape. So I'd say that you are not losing any time preferring backup from tape restore over file from tape restore.

Worth mentioning that tape catalog is included in the Veeam Configuration Backup, so you can potentially skip steps 2-3 and perform configuration restore to a brand new Veeam B&R server.

Is it possible to prepare Recovery Media Tool and use it for all physical devices or it is necessary to prepare recovery media specifically for each physical device?

It's not required to create recovery media for every machine. I'd recommend to keep one recovery media per every operating system type and/or hardware configuration (say, I have one image for Lenovo laptops running Windows 10 and another image for HPE gen10 plus microservers with Windows 2012R2 on board). Cheers!

[Tomas Snajdar]

Hello Dima,

thank you for explanation.

We are gone do few tests to practices total disaster state with tapes. If it is possible, then please keep this thread open for upcoming few weeks in case, that we want to ask few things.

Thank you and have a nice day.