Restoring VMware data

VMware restore jobs support Instant VM Restore and Instant Disk Restore scenarios, which are created automatically based on the selected source.

To define a VMware restore job, complete the following steps:

1. In the navigation pane, click Manage Protection > Virtualized Systems > VMware > Create job, and then select Restore to open the Restore wizard.
   Tips:

   • You can also open the wizard by clicking Jobs and Operations > Create job > Restore > VMware.
   • For a running summary of your selections in the wizard, click Preview Restore in the navigation pane in the wizard.
   • The wizard is opened in the default setup mode. To run the wizard in advanced setup mode, select Advanced Setup. With advanced setup mode, you can set more options for your restore job.
2. On the Select source page, take the following actions:
   1. Review the available sources, including virtual machines (VMs) and virtual disks (VDisks). Use the View filter to toggle the displayed sources to show hosts and clusters, VMs, or tags and categories. You can expand a source by clicking its name.

      You can also enter all or part of a name in the Search for box to locate VMs that match the search criteria. You can use the wildcard character (*) to represent all or part of a name. For example, vm2* represents all resources that begin with "vm2".

   2. Click the plus icon next to the item that you want to add to the restore list next to the list of sources. You can add more than one item of the same type (VM or virtual disk).

      To remove an item from the restore list, click the minus icon next to the item.

   3. Click Next.
3. On the Source snapshot page, select the type of restore job that you want to create:

   On-demand

   Runs a one-time restore operation. The restore job starts immediately upon the completion of the wizard.

   Recurring

   Creates a repeating point-in-time restore job that runs on a schedule.

4. Complete the fields on the Source snapshot page and click Next to continue.
   The fields that are shown depend on the number of items that were selected on the Select source page and on the restore type. Some fields are also not shown until you select a related field.

   Fields that are shown for an on-demand, single resource restore

   Option	Description
   Date range	Specify a range of dates to show the available snapshots within that range.
   Backup storage type	All backups in the selected date range are listed in rows that show the time that the backup operation occurred and the service level agreement (SLA) policy for the backup. Select the row that contains the backup time and SLA policy that you want, and then take one of the following actions: Click the backup storage type that you want to restore from. The storage types that are shown depend on the types that are available in your environment and are shown in the following order: Backup Restores data that is backed up to a vSnap server. Replication Restores data that is replicated to a vSnap server. Object Storage Restores data that is copied to a cloud service or to a repository server. Archive Restores data that is copied to a cloud service archive or to a repository server archive (tape). Click anywhere on the row. The first backup type that is shown sequentially from the left of the row is selected by default. For example, if the storage types Backup, Replication, and Archive are shown, Backup is selected by default.
   Use alternate vSnap server for the restore job	If you are restoring data from a cloud service or a repository server, select this box to specify an alternative vSnap server, and then select a server from the Select alternate vSnap menu. When you restore data from a restore point that was copied to a cloud resource or repository server, a vSnap server is used as a gateway to complete the operation. By default, the vSnap server that is used to complete the restore operation is the same vSnap server that is used to complete the backup and copy operations. To reduce the load on the vSnap server, you can select an alternative vSnap server to serve as the gateway.

   Fields that are shown for an on-demand snapshot, multiple resource restore or recurring restore

   Option	Description
   Restore Location Type	Select a type of location from which to restore data: Site The site to which snapshots were backed up. The site is defined in the System Configuration > Site pane. Cloud service The cloud service to which snapshots were copied. The cloud service is defined in the System Configuration > Backup Storage > Object Storage pane. Repository server The repository server to which snapshots were copied. The repository server is defined in the System Configuration > Backup Storage > Repository Server pane. Cloud service archive The cloud archive service to which snapshots were copied. The cloud service is defined in the System Configuration > Backup Storage > Object Storage pane. Repository server archive The repository server to which snapshots were copied to tape. The repository server is defined in the System Configuration > Backup Storage > Repository Server pane.
   Select a location	If you are restoring data from a site, select one of the following restore locations: Demo The demonstration site from which to restore snapshots. This menu item is available only if you updated the product from IBM Spectrum Protect Plus Version 10.1.6 or earlier. Primary The primary site from which to restore snapshots. Secondary The secondary site from which to restore snapshots. If you are restoring data from a cloud or repository server, select a server from the Select a location menu.
   Date selector	For on-demand restore operations, specify a range of dates to show the available snapshots within that range.
   Restore Point	For on-demand restore operations, select a snapshot from the list of available snapshots in the selected date range.
   Use alternate vSnap server for the restore job	If you are restoring data from a cloud service or a repository server, select this box to specify an alternative vSnap server, and then select a server from the Select alternate vSnap menu. When you restore data from a restore point that was copied to a cloud service or repository server, a vSnap server is used as a gateway to complete the operation. By default, the vSnap server that is used to complete the restore operation is the same vSnap server that is used to complete the backup and copy operations. To reduce the load on the vSnap server, you can select an alternative vSnap server to serve as the gateway.

5. On the Set destination page, specify the instance that you would like to restore for each chosen source and click Next:

   Original Host or Cluster

   Select this option to restore data to the original host or cluster.

   Alternate Host or Cluster

   Select this option to restore data to a local destination that is different from the original host or cluster, and then select the alternate location from the available resources. Test and production networks can be configured on the alternate location to create a fenced network, which keeps virtual machines used for testing from interfering with virtual machines used for production. From the vCenters section, select an alternative location. You can filter the alternative locations by either hosts or clusters.

   In the VM Folder Destination field, enter the virtual machine folder path on the destination datastore. Note that the directory will be created if it does not exist. Use "/" as the root virtual machine folder of the targeted datastore.

   When restoring a virtual disk to a new destination VM, select the virtual machine to which the virtual disk will be restored and the Destination Disk Mode. Optionally, you can set the Destination Controller to select a supported SCSI controller. Changing the SCSI controller type replaces the existing controller with a new controller, applies the common settings of the existing controller to the new controller, and reassigns all SCSI devices to the new controller. Optionally, you may also set the Destination Controller Address # and Destination Controller LUN # to select specific controllers or LUNs.

   ESX host if vCenter is down

   Select this option to bypass vCenter Server and to restore data directly to an ESXi host. In other restore scenarios, actions are completed through vCenter Server. If vCenter Server is unavailable, this option restores the virtual machine or virtual machines that contain the components that vCenter Server is dependent on.

   When you select an ESXi host, you must specify the host user. You can select an existing user for the host or create a new one.

   To create a user, enter a user name, the user ID, and the user password.

   If the ESXi host is attached to a domain, the user ID follows the default domain\name format. If the user is a local administrator, use the local_administrator format.

   To restore data to an ESXi host, the host must have a standard switch or a distributed switch with ephemeral binding. Review the information in Restoring data when vCenter Server or other management VMs are not accessible to ensure that you have the correct environment configured to use this option.

6. On the Set datastore page, take the following actions:
   • If you are restoring data to an alternate ESXi host or cluster, select the destination datastore and click Next.
   • If you are restoring data to the original ESXi host or cluster, this page is not displayed.
7. On the Set network page, specify the network settings to use for each chosen source and click Next.
   • If you are restoring data to the original ESXi host or cluster, specify the following network settings:

     Allow system to define IP configuration

     Select this option to allow your operating system to define the destination IP address. During a test mode restore operation, the destination virtual machine receives a new MAC address along with an associated NIC. Depending on your operating system, a new IP address can be assigned based on the original NIC of the virtual machine, or assigned through DHCP. During a production mode restore, the MAC address does not change; therefore, the IP address should be retained.

     Use original IP configuration

     Select this option to restore data to the original host or cluster using your predefined IP address configuration. During the restore operation, the destination virtual machine receives a new MAC address, but the IP address is retained.

   • If you are restoring data to an alternate ESXi host or cluster, complete the following steps:
     1. In the Production and Test fields, set virtual networks for production and test restore job runs. Destination network settings for production and test environments should point to different locations to create a fenced network, which keeps virtual machines used for testing from interfering with virtual machines used for production. The networks that are associated with test and production modes will be used when the restore job is run in the associated mode.
     2. Set an IP address or subnet mask for virtual machines to be repurposed for development, testing, or disaster recovery use cases. Supported mapping types include IP to IP, IP to DHCP, and subnet to subnet. Virtual machines that contain multiple NICs are supported.
        Take one of the following actions:

        • To allow your operating system to define the destination subnets and IP addresses, click Use system defined subnets and IP addresses for VM guest OS on destination.
        • To use your predefined subnets and IP addresses, click Use original subnets and IP addresses for VM guest OS on destination.
        • To create a new mapping configuration, select Add mappings for subnets and IP addresses for VM guest OS on destination, click Add Mapping, and enter a subnet or IP address in the Add Source Subnet or IP Address field.
          Choose one of the following network protocols:

          • Select DHCP to automatically select an IP and related configuration information if DHCP is available on the selected source.
          • Select Static to enter a specific subnet or IP address, subnet mask, gateway, and DNS. The Subnet / IP Address, Subnet Mask, and Gateway are required fields. If a subnet is entered as a source, a subnet must also be entered as a destination.
            Note: When a mapping is added, the source IP address must be entered into the field by the + button. The destination IP address information should be entered into the Subnet / IP Address, Subnet Mask, and Gateway fields. Re-addressing can only be performed on machines with VMware Tools installed prior to executing the backup job that is to be restored.

          IP reconfiguration is skipped for virtual machines if a static IP is used but no suitable subnet mapping is found, or if the source virtual machine is powered off and there is more than one associated NIC. In a Windows environment, if a virtual machine uses DHCP only, then IP reconfiguration is skipped for that virtual machine. In a Linux® environment, all addresses are assumed to be static, and only IP mapping will be available.

8. On the Restore methods page, select the restore method to be used for source selection. Set the VMware restore job to run in production, test, clone, or production restore (disk replace) mode. After the job is created, it can be run in production or clone mode through the Job Sessions pane. You can also change the name of the restored VM by entering the new VM name in the Rename VM (optional) field. Click Next to continue.
9. Optional: If you are running the restore job in advanced mode, you can set additional options as follows:

   Power® on after recovery

   Toggle the power state of a virtual machine after a recovery is run. Virtual machines are powered on in the order in which they are recovered, as set in the Source step. If Use original IP configuration is selected, the Power on after recovery option is not honored.

   Restriction: Restored virtual machine templates cannot be powered on after recovery.

   Overwrite virtual machine

   Enable this option to allow the restore job to overwrite the selected virtual machine. By default, this option is disabled.

   Continue with restore even if it fails

   Toggle the recovery of a resource in a series if the previous resource recovery fails. If disabled, the restore job stops if the recovery of a resource fails.

   Run cleanup immediately on job failure

   This option enables the automatic cleanup of backup data as part of a restore operation if recovery fails. This option is selected by default. Do not clear this option unless instructed by IBM® Software Support for troubleshooting purposes.

   Allow to overwrite and force cleanup of pending old sessions

   Enable this option to allow a scheduled session of a recovery job to force an existing pending session to clean up associated resources so the new session can run. Disable this option to keep an existing test environment running without being cleaned up.

   Restore VM tags

   Enable this option to restore tags that are applied to virtual machines through vSphere.

   Enable Streaming (VADP) restore

   Parallel streaming for virtual machine restore operations is set by default. You can deselect this option for virtual machine restore operations. VADP proxy selection for streaming restore is based on the site of the source snapshot being restored.

   Tip: When you are restoring virtual machines managed by a VMware Cloud (VMC) on AWS Software-Defined Data Center (SDDC), this option should always be enabled to allow streaming of the data.

   Append suffix to virtual machine name

   Enter a suffix to add to the names of restored virtual machines.

   Prepend prefix to virtual machine name

   Enter a prefix to add to the names of restored virtual machines.

10. Optional: On the Apply scripts page, choose the following script options and click Next.
    • Select Pre-script to select an uploaded script, and an application or script server where the prescript runs. To select an application server where the script will run, clear the Use Script Server check box. Go to the System Configuration > Script page to configure scripts and script servers.
    • Select Post-script to select an uploaded script and an application or script server where the postscript runs. To select an application server where the script runs, clear the Use Script Server check box. Navigate to the System Configuration > Script page to configure scripts and script servers.
    • Select Continue job/task on script error to continue running the job when the script that is associated with the job fails. When this option is enabled and the prescript completes with a nonzero return code, the backup or restore job continues to run and the prescript task status returns COMPLETED. If a postscript completes with a nonzero return code, the postscript task status returns COMPLETED. When this option is not selected, the backup or restore job does not run, and the prescript or postscript task status returns with a FAILED status.
11. Take one of the following actions on the Schedule page:
    • To run an on-demand job, click Next.
    • To set up a recurring job, enter a name for the job schedule, and specify how often and when to start the restore job. Click Next.
12. On the Review page, review your restore job settings and click Submit to create the job.

    On-demand jobs will begin immediately; recurring jobs will begin at the scheduled start time.