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Protecting Hyper-V virtual machines at the asset level

In most cases, Unitrends recommends that you use host-level backups to protect your Hyper-V virtual machines. However, in some instances, you might wish to protect your VMs at the guest level in the same way you would protect physical machines, using asset-level backups. Host- and asset-level backups provide you with different options.

Use the following tables to determine whether to run host- or asset-level backups of Hyper-V virtual machines.

General features of Hyper-V host-level and asset-level protection are given here:

Hyper-V protection strategy

Considerations

Host-level backups

Quickest setup, do not need to add VMs individually or install the agent on each VM.
Automatically include new VMs in backup schedules.
Recover individual files from backups for VMs running Windows or Linux.
Rapid disaster recovery of a failed VM using Instant recovery.

Asset-level backups

Backup appliance treats the VM like a physical asset.
All backup options are supported, including options to exclude files, directories, or volumes from backup, and run pre- and post-backup commands. Recommended for VMs where more granular exclusion of data is required.
Provide application and operating system consistent backup and restore.
For SQL, Exchange, Oracle, and SharePoint backups, perform application-level post backup processing, such as log truncation.
Support all SQL database recovery models. Must run asset-level backups for all recovery models other than simple.
Support backup of multi-node SharePoint farms.
Protect VMs configured with shared VHDXs.
Support Windows instant recovery (WIR) to quickly spin up a virtual replica of a failed Windows asset.

Specific instances when you might want to protect VMs at the asset level are described below. For instructions on setting up asset-level protection, see Protected assets.

Important! Do not run host-level backups for VMs that you are protecting at the asset level. Doing so can lead to data corruption and other undesirable results.

VM configuration

Protection considerations

Hosted applications

 

Hosted applications for which you need more granular control.

Use asset-level application backups to select individual databases to back up and recover.

Application versions that are not supported by Integration Services

Use asset-level application backups to protect the databases. Use asset-level protection for the VMs’ file and operating systems.

Exchange

Use either host-level or asset-level protection.

SQL

For simple recovery model databases, use either host-level or asset-level protection.

For full or bulk-logged recovery model databases, use asset-level protection. (Host-level protection is not supported.)

SharePoint

Use asset-level protection. (Host-level protection is not supported.)

Oracle

Use asset-level protection. (Host-level protection is not supported.)

VMs running operating systems that are not supported by Integration Services

With host-level backups, these VMs are temporarily put in a saved state for a brief time during the backup. If you cannot permit a brief VM downtime during the backup,use asset-level protection instead.

VMs in a cluster configuration with only one cluster shared volume

Unitrends recommends that you use asset-level protection.

VMs for which you would like to exclude volumes or large numbers of files when running backups

Use asset-level protections and exclude files from backups.

VMs functioning as large file servers for which you may need to frequently recover files.

Use asset-level protections so you can search for files to recover by name.

Windows VMs that you would like to protect with the Windows instant recovery (WIR) feature

Use asset-level protection.