P2V physical windows server to VM

[ewing.ng]

We have one physical windows server in production site but don't have server in DR

Do you have any method can restore as VM in DR ESXi from the backup of that windows physical server ? [Veeam windows agent]

If possible we hope the flow as below
>>
- backup in prod physical windows server thru Veeam windows agent
- replication to DR Veeam
- then restore to VM in DR ESXi which looks as DR always ready with the latest

[Mike Resseler]

Hi,

First: Welcome to the forums!
Second: Sure this is possible.

Install VAW (veeam agent for windows) into that physical server and use the repository of the DR veeam server to store the backups. Once something goes wrong, you have 2 options:

1. Restore the backup as disks (VMDK's) and then create a new VM and attach the disks (not my preference)
2. Use the recovery media that you have built (as an ISO), create a new VM in ESXi, boot from that recovery media and do the restore. After the restore, you will have a running VM. You might need to clean-up some driver software after that, but it will work and lots of our customers are doing it this way, both for DR as for testing whether their application can actually run virtual

Hope it helps
Mike