Unitrends provides a variety of methods for recovering image-level backups of Windows assets. You can recover entire Windows assets or selected files from backup. See these topics for details:
• | Selecting a backup to recover |
• | Considerations for recovering SQL clusters, SQL availability groups, and Exchange DAGs |
• | Recovering files from Windows image-level backups |
• | Instant recovery of Windows image-level backups |
• | Windows unified bare metal recovery |
To perform the recovery, you will start by selecting a backup or backup copy. For backups, you can do this in the Backup Catalog or in the Backup Browser. For backup copies and imported backups, you must use the Backup Catalog.
In the Backup Catalog, backups and backup copies display under the protected asset. You can modify the display by entering filter criteria. Expand an asset to view its backups and backup copies:
The Backup Browser provides advanced search and filter options. Backups are not grouped under the protected asset. Search for backups by selecting an appliance and date range. Filter the display by entering text in the column fields. Click an arrow to sort by column:
Before recovering from the image-level backup, review the following considerations:
• | SQL clusters – The following apply when recovering from an image-level backup of a clustered SQL instance: |
– | You are able to recover the cluster node and clustered SQL instance from an image-level backup. Depending on the configuration and cluster dynamics, after a restore and reboot, the cluster may accept the restored system back into the cluster. If not, it may have to be removed from the cluster and re-added. |
– | By definition, database files for a clustered instance have to be on shared storage, so they are not included in the image-level backup of the clustered node. |
– | Image-level backups of nodes containing Cluster Shared Volumes (CSVs) are not supported, hence clustered SQL instance nodes using CSVs are also not supported. |
• | SQL availability groups – The following apply when recovering from an image-level backup of SQL instances that contain SQL availability groups: |
– | You are able to recover the cluster node and availability groups from an image-level backup. Depending on the configuration and cluster dynamics, after a restore and reboot, the cluster may accept the restored system back into the cluster. If not, it may have to be removed from the cluster and re-added. |
– | Availability group databases with a secondary role on the node will have to be deleted and re-added. |
– | Availability group databases with a primary role on the node may have to be re-synced to secondary mirrors. In some cases, the availability group may have to be deleted entirely and re-added on the node. Consult Microsoft’s documented procedures for dealing with SQL availability groups and databases. |
• | Exchange DAGs – You are able to recover a DAG node from an image-level backup, but the integrity of Exchange on the recovered node is not guaranteed. |