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SnapCenter Plug-in for VMware vSphere 4.7
A newer release of this product is available.

Restore VMs from backups

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When you restore a VM, you can overwrite the existing content with the backup copy that you select or you can make a copy of the VM.

You can restore VMs to the following locations:

  • Restore to original location

    • To the original datastore mounted on the original ESXi host (this overwrites the original VM)

  • Restore to alternate location

    • To a different datastore mounted on the original ESXi host

    • To the original datastore mounted on a different ESXi host that is managed by the same vCenter

    • To a different datastore mounted on a different ESXi host that is managed by the same vCenter

    • To a different datastore mounted on a different ESXi host that is managed by a different vCenter in linked mode

Note You cannot restore vVol VMs to an alternate host.
Note The following restore workflow is not supported: Add a storage VM, then perform a backup of that VM, then delete the storage VM and add a cluster that includes that same storage VM, and then attempt to restore the original backup.
Tip For improved performance of restore operations in NFS environments, enable the VMware application vStorage API for Array Integration (VAAI).
Before you begin

  • A backup must exist.

    You must have created a backup of the VM using the SnapCenter VMware plug-in before you can restore the VM.

    Note Restore operations cannot finish successfully if there are Snapshot copies of the VM that were performed by software other than the SnapCenter Plug-in for VMware vSphere.

  • The destination datastore must be ready.

    • The destination datastore for the restore operation must have enough space to accommodate a copy of all the VM files (for example: vmdk, vmx, vmsd).

    • The destination datastore must not contain stale VM files from previous restore operation failures. Stale files have the name format restore_xxx_xxxxxx_<filename>.

  • The VM must not be in transit.

    The VM that you want to restore must not be in a state of vMotion or Storage vMotion.

  • HA configuration errors

    Ensure there are no HA configuration errors displayed on the vCenter ESXi Host Summary screen before restoring backups to a different location.

  • Restoring to a different locations

    • When restoring to a different location, SnapCenter Plug-in for VMware vSphere must be running in the vCenter that is the destination for the restore operation. The destination datastore must have sufficient space.

    • The destination vCenter in the Restore To alternate Location field must be DNS resolvable.

About this task

  • VM is unregistered and registered again

    The restore operation for VMs unregisters the original VM, restores the VM from a backup Snapshot copy, and registers the restored VM with the same name and configuration on the same ESXi server. You must manually add the VMs to resource groups after the restore.

  • Restoring datastores

    You cannot restore a datastore, but you can restore any VM in the datastore.

  • Restoring vVol VMs

    • vVol datastores that span VMs are not supported. Because attached VMDKs in a VM-spanning vVol datastore are not backed up, the restored VMs will contain only partial VMDKs.

    • You cannot restore a vVol to an alternate host.

    • vVol automatic rebalance is not supported.

  • VMware consistency snapshot failures for a VM

    Even if a VMware consistency snapshot for a VM fails, the VM is nevertheless backed up. You can view the entities contained in the backup copy in the Restore wizard and use it for restore operations.

  • A restore operation might fail if the storage tier of the FabricPool where the VM is located is unavailable.

Steps

  1. In the VMware vSphere web client GUI, click Menu in the toolbar, and then select VMs and Templates from the drop-down list.

    Note If you are restoring a deleted VM, the storage VM credentials that were added to the SnapCenter VMware plug-in must be vsadmin or a user account that has all the same privileges as vsadmin. The host must be on a storage system that is running ONTAP 8.2.2 or later.

  2. In the left Navigator pane, right-click a VM, then select NetApp SnapCenter in the drop-down list, and then select Restore in the secondary drop-down list to start the wizard.

  3. In the Restore wizard, on the Select Backup page, select the backup Snapshot copy that you want to restore.

    You can search for a specific backup name or a partial backup name, or you can filter the backup list by clicking the filter icon and selecting a date and time range, selecting whether you want backups that contain VMware Snapshots, whether you want mounted backups, and the location. Click OK to return to the wizard.

  4. On the Select Scope page, select Entire virtual machine in the Restore scope field, then select the restore location, and then enter the destination information where the backup should be mounted.

    In the VM name field, if the same VM name exists, then the new VM name format is <vm_name>_<timestamp>.

    When restoring partial backups, the restore operation skips the Select Scope page.

  5. On the Select Location page, select the location for the restored datastore.

    In SnapCenter Plug-in for VMware vSphere 4.5 and later, you can select secondary storage for FlexGroup volumes.

  6. Review the Summary page and then click Finish.

  7. Optional: Monitor the operation progress by clicking Recent Tasks at the bottom of the screen.

    Refresh the screen to display updated information.

After you finish

  • Change IP address

    If you restored to a different location, then you must change the IP address of the newly created VM to avoid an IP address conflict when static IP addresses are configured.

  • Add restored VMs to resource groups

    Although the VMs are restored, they are not automatically added to their former resource groups. Therefore, you must manually add the restored VMs to the appropriate resource groups.