Restoring a bare metal backup from a replication target

To recover a Windows or x86 client using a bare metal backup, you will need a replicated bare metal backup of the original source client you wish to restore. Note that you will need to create a new bare metal ISO to restore from the target. Any existing bare metal ISO you had created on the source system cannot be used for this procedure. You must restore the bare metal backup to a client that is directly attached to the target system. You will create a new directly-attached client and temporarily reassign the replicated bare metal backup to perform the restore.

Note 1: The procedure described here is used for the bare metal backup type only. For clients running Linux or non-x86 compatible platforms (such as Mac OS X and AIX), you do not typically have bare metal backups as the recommended strategy is to create a bare metal boot CD and run masters. To restore these clients, boot from the bare metal CD and restore the master backup as described in Restore a Linux or non-x86 client from the replication target.

Note 2: Windows Instant Recovery is supported on the replication target system, which might be necessary as a temporary solution until you can perform a bare metal restore. See Windows Instant Recovery for more information.

To restore a bare metal backup from the replication target

1        Directly attach to the target system the client to which you will restore.

This can be either a physical or virtual client.

2        Register the directly attached client to the target system. Be sure that both the Unitrends Windows and bare metal agents are installed.

To add the client to the target, be sure you are not in Replication View and select the target’s blue backup system icon in the Navigation pane. For more on adding clients, see About adding clients.

3        On the directly attached client, create a bare metal ISO. For details, see Creating the boot media for image-based recovery.

     Before creating the ISO, add the target system to the client’s host file by selecting Options > Choose Server/Device > Add Server to Host File in the Bare Metal Agent interface.

     For Server Name and Server IP, enter the hostname and IP of the target system.

     Client Settings contain information about the directly attached client. This information does not need to be modified.

Note: You must create a new ISO from the directly attached client. An ISO created on the source system cannot be used to restore from the target.

4        On the replication target, switch to Replication View by selecting the Gear icon at the bottom of the Navigation pane and checking the Show Replication View box.

5        Select the target system in the Navigation pane (brown vault icon).

6        Select Replication > Client Associations.

Current associations for the selected source system and client display in the grid. If an association exists for the desired bare metal backup and replication client, skip to Step 12.

7        In the Client list, select the directly attached client to which you will restore.

8        In the Source System list, select the source system where the protected client resides.

9        In the Replicated Client list, select the replicated client associated with the bare metal backup you wish to restore.

10    Click Find Backups to display the list of replicated bare metal backups for the selected client.

11    On the Select a Backup page, associate a bare metal backup with the directly attached client by selecting a backup and clicking Confirm.

     If desired, repeat this step to associate additional backups.

     Associations display on the Current Associations page.

12    Start the bare metal restore by booting the directly attached client from the ISO.

13    Restore the backup using the bare metal interface on the directly attached client. See one of the following sections for details:

     For Windows clients, see Image-based bare metal restore procedures.

     For other x86-compatible platforms, see Using the bare metal crash recovery boot CD.

     If you have created a cold bare metal for other client platforms, see the applicable section in the Bare Metal for Linux or Bare Metal for x86 Platforms chapters.

14    Once the restore is complete, remove the association to reassign the bare metal backup to the replicated client on the target system.

     In Replication View, select Replication > Client Associations.

     Select a row in the Current Associations grid.

     Select Yes to confirm that you wish to remove this association.

Important! If you do not remove the association, the bare metal remains associated with the directly attached client. If you remove the directly attached client from the target system, this backup is also deleted.