Creating a virtual failover client

This section describes the procedures for setting up a virtual failover client (VFC). The steps are the same whether the VFC resides on a Recovery-Series appliance (backup system or replication target) or an external hypervisor. After setting up a VFC on a hypervisor, you must configure the network settings for the VFC. For instructions, see Adding a virtual failover client to an external hypervisor and configuring network settings. Before setting up a virtual failover client, it is recommended that you review Steps for implementing Windows instant recovery.

Note: After setting up a VFC, you should not make any configuration changes to the original client (such as adding or removing a disk). Doing so causes the VFC to become Invalid for WIR. For details, see Invalid virtual failover clients.

To create a virtual failover client

1        In the Navigation pane, select the backup system or replication target where the Windows client backups reside.

2        Go to Settings > Instant Recovery > Windows.

You see any VFCs that are already set up. If you are on a Recovery-Series appliance, you may also see graphs of the allocation for processors, memory, and storage for any existing VFCs on the system. These graphs do not represent any VFCs on a hypervisor, since Unitrends system resources are not allocated to these VFCs.

3        Click Add in the bottom right of the screen. You see a list of all clients supported for WIR.

Note about a client that is not listed: If the client you want to add is not in this list, verify that client prerequisites have been met. See Windows client requirements for Windows instant recovery.

4        Click on the name of the desired client.

 You see a message that the client configuration is being retrieved. This might take a moment as the system scans over the latest eligible backup or the client itself for system/disk configuration, and then uses this configuration to create the VFC.

Note about UEFI-based clients: If the appliance is unable to determine if your client is BIOS or UEFI-based, you see a message about UEFI requirements. If your client is UEFI-based, be sure these requirements have been met. For details, see Firmware interface type and disk and volume configuration.

5        Once the configuration is retrieved, you see the Add Virtual Failover Client window, which displays the configuration of the original client and boxes used to configure the VFC. Use this window to perform Step 6 through Step 12.

6        Select an icon for the VFC location.

Icons representing possible VFC locations display. Select the icon for your desired location. The platform capabilities of your appliance determine which icons display, so an icon representing a hypervisor might display even if you have not added this hypervisor to the appliance. You must add the hypervisor to the appliance before a VFC can be created on the hypervisor.

Note about UEFI-based clients: If the client you selected in Step 4 is UEFI-based, the Recovery-Series icon will not display as a possible location because a UEFI-based VFC cannot run on a Recovery-Series appliance.

7        Assign processors to the VFC.

You can assign the VFC fewer processors than the original client, as long as the number of processors is not less than one. In most cases, WIR is a temporary solution, so you might want to assign the VFC fewer processors to conserve resources on the appliance or hypervisor.

8        Assign memory to the VFC.

This can be less than the amount of memory on the original client. In most cases, WIR is a temporary solution, so you might want to assign the VFC fewer processors to conserve resources on the appliance or hypervisor. For a VFC residing on a hypervisor, the memory must be at least 1024 MB. If it will reside on an ESX host, the memory must be a multiple of 4. For a VFC residing on a Hyper-V server, the memory must be a multiple of 2. The appliance rounds the number you enter up or down to the nearest multiple of 4 or 2, depending on the hypervisor you have selected.

9        Check the box beside E-mail the virtual failover client recovery verification recovery report to receive a daily email report with a screen shot of the VFC’s login screen in audit mode. This email verifies that the VFC boots successfully. The email verification report is not available for a VFC residing on an ESX host. For details, see Automated audits for a virtual failover client.

10    Select volumes from the original client that you want to restore to the VFC.

Consider the following when selecting volumes:

     All of the original client’s volumes display under “Volumes Available,” regardless of whether they have been backed up on the appliance.

     All volumes are added to the VFC by default, and you can use the buttons in the volumes box to add or remove volumes.

     Critical volumes are identified. System Reserved and Utility partitions are marked UnmountedVol:.

     If you remove critical volumes, the attempt to create the VFC fails.

     After creating a VFC, you cannot add or remove volumes. To add or remove volumes, you must delete the existing VFC and create a new one with the desired volumes selected.

Note about clients with SAN LUNs: If a SAN LUN is attached to the original client, it is recommended that the SAN volume be excluded from the VFC and reattached after it is booted in live mode.

11    If the client for which you are creating a VFC hosts Exchange or SQL applications, tabs for the applications display in the Add Virtual Failover Client window. Use these tabs to select databases to include in the VFC.

Consider the following when selecting databases:

     Only databases that have been backed up display. If you are using replicated backups to create the VFC, only databases for which replicated backups reside on the appliance display in the list of databases.

     System databases (such as master, model, and msdb) do not display because they are automatically included in the VFC.

Note: Hyper-V, Oracle, and Sharepoint applications do not display because they cannot be protected by WIR.

12    Click Confirm after you have configured all the settings in the Add Virtual Failover Client window. One of the following happens depending on the VFC location:

     Recovery-Series appliance: The VFC is created, and the last backup group is restored to it. Information for the VFC displays in the list of Windows Instant Recovery Clients, which you can view by selecting Settings > Instant Recovery > Windows. For more details, see Viewing virtual failover client details.

     External hypervisor: An Add Virtual Failover Client window displays. You must now configure the network settings for the VFC. Proceed to Adding a virtual failover client to an external hypervisor and configuring network settings.