To set up Windows instant recovery (WIR), first back up the Windows asset and then create the virtual failover client (VFC).
Step 1: | Back up the Windows server |
WIR starts with an agent-based backup of the physical Windows server. The file-level full backup backs up:
• | System files and folders. |
• | The system state, which includes the registry, IIS metabase, COM+ certificates, active directory information, and other key components necessary to restore the Windows machine. |
• | Disk metadata and layout, file system configurations, and other hardware-related information that enables WIR to reconstruct the standby VFC |
Important! Ensure that you have protected the Windows servers with the latest available release of the agent. With an agent older than release 8.0, the Windows server cannot acquire, from a full backup, the hardware metadata necessary to reconstruct the VFC. WIR can only create the VFC if it can find the original Windows protected asset.
If the Windows server acts as a host for mission-critical applications like SQL Server or Microsoft Exchange, use a scheduled backup strategy to protect the applications. With the application data and the operating system data protected, WIR can reconstruct the VFC to match the original Windows server.
Step 2: | Create the VFC |
After configuring the Windows protected asset with scheduled backups, create the VFC as described in Setting up a virtual failover client. You can configure the VFC on the Unitrends appliance itself, or on a VMware or Hyper-V host.
You can use the following failover virtualization targets, whether the appliance protects onsite data or acts as a backup copy target:
VFC Target |
Advantages |
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On-appliance failover virtualization |
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VMware or Hyper-V host |
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When you have created the VFC, all backups for the original protected Windows server automatically apply to the VFC. WIR keeps the VFC up-to-date with all backups. If the original Windows server then fails, the VFC can rapidly assume its identity.
Besides assuming the identity of the protected Windows asset, the VFC has two additional modes of operation:
Mode |
Description |
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Live |
The VFC assumes the identity of the original Windows server in a live production capacity. |
Audit |
The VFC can run on a private network, inaccessible from the production network, to verify the integrity of the VFC and the applications and data within it. |