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Ahsay Online Backup Manager v7
VMware vCenter/ESXi Guest Virtual
Machine Backup & Restore Guide
Ahsay Systems Corporation Limited
19 November 2018
This is the original Ahsay manual
Depending on the service you have with us, some of the content won’t be applicable to you.
Note:
We don’t supply the following services, Open direct, Run Direct,or Run on Server on our
BOBcloud service. These are only provided on our System Provider service.
All accounts must be created on our reseller portal https://portal.data-stor.net
Any Ahsay professional services are provided by them and not us.
Definitions:
Our Desktop version is named ACB \ AhsayACB in this manual.
Our Server version is named OBM \ AhsayOBM in this manual.
The AhsayCBS Web Console is mapped to our own portal https://portal.data-stor.net
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Copyright Notice
© 2018 Ahsay Systems Corporation Limited. All rights reserved.
The use and copying of this product is subject to a license agreement. Any other use is prohibited. No part of this publication
may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system or translated into any language in any form by any
means without prior written consent of Ahsay Systems Corporation Limited Information in this manual is subject to change
without notice and does not represent a commitment on the part of the vendor, Ahsay Systems Corporation Limited does not
warrant that this document is error free. If you find any errors in this document, please report to Ahsay Systems Corporation
Limited in writing.
This product includes software developed by the Apache Software Foundation (http://www.apache.org/).
Trademarks
Ahsay, Ahsay Cloud Backup Suite, Ahsay Online Backup Suite, Ahsay Offsite Backup Server, Ahsay Online Backup Manager,
Ahsay A-Click Backup, Ahsay Replication Server, Ahsay BackupBox Firmware, Ahsay Universal Backup System, Ahsay NAS
Client Utility are trademarks of Ahsay Systems Corporation Limited.
Amazon S3 is registered trademark of Amazon Web Services, Inc. or its affiliates.
Apple and Mac OS X are registered trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc.
Dropbox is registered trademark of Dropbox Inc.
Google Cloud Storage and Google Drive are registered trademarks of Google Inc.
Lotus, Domino, Notes are registered trademark of IBM Corporation.
Microsoft, Windows, Microsoft Exchange Server, Microsoft SQL Server, Microsoft Hyper-V, Microsoft Azure, One Drive and
One Drive for Business are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
Oracle and Java are registered trademarks of Oracle and/or its affiliates. Other names may be trademarks of their respective
owners.
Oracle, Oracle 10g, Oracle 11g and MySQL are registered trademarks of Oracle Corporation.
Rackspace and OpenStack are registered trademarks of Rackspace US, Inc.
Red Hat, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, the Shadowman logo and JBoss are registered trademarks of Red Hat, Inc.
www.redhat.com in the U.S. and other countries. Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds.
ShadowProtect is registered trademark of StorageCraft Technology Corporation.
VMware, ESX, ESXi, vCenter are registered trademarks of VMware, Inc.
All other product names are registered trademarks of their respective owners.
Disclaimer
Ahsay Systems Corporation Limited will not have or accept any liability, obligation or responsibility whatsoever for any loss,
destruction or damage (including without limitation consequential loss, destruction or damage) however arising from or in
respect of any use or misuse of reliance on this document. By reading and following the instructions in this document, you
agree to accept unconditionally the terms of this Disclaimer and as they may be revised and/or amended from time to time by
Ahsay Systems Corporation Limited without prior notice to you.
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Revision History
Date
Descriptions
Type of modification
23 Jun 2017
Updated Ch.4, Ch.5, Ch.7, Ch 14, Updated all
granular screen shots
Modified
13 Jul 2017
Updated Ch.5, Ch.10, Ch.14, Updated all granular
screen shots
Modified
26 Jul 2017
Updated Ch2.4 Granular Restore section; Updated
Ch3.2 Software Requirement; Updated Ch3.4.6
Disk Space Available on Backup Client Computer
(or the vCenter computer) ; Updated Ch14
Granular Restore steps order
New / Modified
18 August 2017
Modified Ch2.4 Features Comparison between
VDDK and Non-VDDK Modes; Add License
Specification to Ch3.3; Add Cloud Destination for
comparison between Run Direct and Non-Run
Direct in Ch3.5
New / Modified
11 October 2017
Modified Ch.5.1; Added note of restore using
Windows File Explorer for Ch.14;
New/ Modified
3 April 2018
Updated screen shot for supported VMware
version for Ch.7, 11.2, 12.2; Updated the hyperlink;
Added item of SSH for VMware vCenter / ESXi
Server Requirements for Ch.3.3.4; Added item of
VDDK mode description for VDDK Backup Mode
Requirement for Ch.3.6; Added Note for Changed
Block Tracking (CBT) on VMs for Ch.3.6.2; Added
description for VMware snapshot for Ch.3.6.3;
Added File Name Requirement for Ch.3.6.5; Added
items for Best Practices and Recommendations for
Ch.4
New/ Modified
14 September 2018
Added requirement of Antivirus Exclusion for
Ch.3.3
New
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Table of Contents
1 Overview ..............................................................................................................1
What is this software?.......................................................................................................1
System Architecture..........................................................................................................1
Why should I use AhsayOBM to back up my VMware vCenter/ESXi? .............................2
What is the purpose of this document?.............................................................................7
What should I expect from this document? ...........................................................7
Who should read this document?..........................................................................7
2 Understanding Backup Mode ............................................................................8
Backup Mode ....................................................................................................................8
Non-VDDK Backup Mode .................................................................................................8
VDDK Backup Mode .........................................................................................................8
Features Comparison between VDDK and Non-VDDK Modes ........................................9
3 Requirements ....................................................................................................10
Hardware Requirement...................................................................................................10
Software Requirement ....................................................................................................10
Antivirus Exclusion Requirement ....................................................................................10
VMware vCenter / ESXi Server Requirements ...............................................................10
ESXi / vCenter Patch Release ............................................................................10
License Specification ..........................................................................................10
ESXi Shell Access...............................................................................................10
SSH.....................................................................................................................10
Root Account.......................................................................................................11
Port Requirement ................................................................................................11
Disk Space Available on Datastore.....................................................................11
Maximum Virtual Disk Size .................................................................................11
VMware Tools .....................................................................................................11
ESXi/ESX Hosts and Virtual Machine Hardware Versions Compatibility............12
Backup Client Computer Requirements..........................................................................12
Hardware and Software Requirement.................................................................13
Add-on Module Requirement ..............................................................................13
Backup Quota Requirement................................................................................13
Port Requirement ................................................................................................13
Backup Client Computer on Linux.......................................................................14
Disk Space Available on Backup Client Computer (or the vCenter computer) ...14
Windows OS Requirement for VDDK and Non-VDDK Modes Backup ...............14
Run Direct Requirements................................................................................................14
VDDK Backup Mode ...........................................................................................14
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Backup Destination Requirement........................................................................15
VDDK Backup Mode Requirements................................................................................16
License Requirement ..........................................................................................16
Changed Block Tracking (CBT) on VMs .............................................................17
VMware Snapshot...............................................................................................17
Virtual Machine State ..........................................................................................17
File Name Requirement ......................................................................................18
Non-VDDK Backup Mode Requirements........................................................................18
4 Best Practices and Recommendations...........................................................19
5 Granular Restore Technology..........................................................................21
What is Granular Restore Technology?..........................................................................21
How does Granular Restore work?.................................................................................22
Benefits of using Granular Restore.................................................................................22
Requirements..................................................................................................................24
Supported Backup Modules ................................................................................24
License Requirements ........................................................................................24
Backup Quota Storage........................................................................................24
Operating System ...............................................................................................24
Temporary Directory Requirement......................................................................24
Available Spare Drive Letter ...............................................................................24
Network Requirements........................................................................................24
Other Dependencies ...........................................................................................25
Permissions.........................................................................................................25
6 Starting AhsayOBM ..........................................................................................26
Login to AhsayOBM ........................................................................................................26
7 Creating a VMware VM Backup Set .................................................................27
8 Overview on Backup Process..........................................................................39
9 Running a Backup.............................................................................................40
Start a Manual Backup....................................................................................................40
Configure Backup Schedule for Automated Backup.......................................................42
10 Restore Methods ...............................................................................................46
11 Method 1 - Restoring a Virtual Machine with Run Direct ..............................48
Login to AhsayOBM ........................................................................................................48
Running Direct Restore via AhsayOBM..........................................................................48
Verifying Run Direct Restore Connection .......................................................................54
Manage Run Direct VM...................................................................................................56
Finalize VM Restore............................................................................................57
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Stop Run Direct VM ............................................................................................57
Run Direct Restore via User Web Console.....................................................................59
12 Method 2 - Restoring a Virtual Machine without Run Direct.........................61
Login to AhsayOBM ........................................................................................................61
VM Restore without Run Direct.......................................................................................61
13 Method 3 - Restoring a Virtual Machine in Raw File (VMDK Format)...........66
Restoring a VM in VMDK format.....................................................................................66
14 Method 4 – Granular Restore ...........................................................................73
Requirements and Limitations ........................................................................................73
15 Contact Ahsay ...................................................................................................82
Technical Assistance ......................................................................................................82
Documentation................................................................................................................82
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1 Overview
What is this software?
Ahsay brings you specialized client backup software, namely AhsayOBM, to provide a
comprehensive backup solution for your VMware virtual machine backup. The VMware VM module
of AhsayOBM provides you with a set of tools to protect your virtual machines in VMware
environment. This includes a VM backup feature and instant recovery feature (with the use of Run
Direct technology), to ensure that mission critical virtual machines are back up and running within
minutes of a disaster.
System Architecture
Below is the system architecture diagram illustrating the major elements involved in the backup
process among the VMware server, AhsayOBM and AhsayCBS.
In this user guide, we will focus on the software installation, as well as the end-to-end backup and
restore process using the AhsayOBM as a client backup software.
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Why should I use AhsayOBM to back up my VMware
vCenter/ESXi?
We are committed to bringing you a comprehensive VMware backup solution with AhsayOBM.
Below are some key areas we can help making your backup experience a better one.
Easy Setup & Professional Services
Setup is a few clicks away - our enhanced AhsayOBM v7 can be easily downloaded and
installed in just a few clicks. The refined user interface also provides user-friendly instructions to
guide you through installation, configuration, backup and restore. The intuitive setup procedures
together with instructions in this user guide makes the software installation and operations easy
even for layman users. That being said, if you do run into any problems during setup, we are
here to help out. Visit the URL below for details on technical assistance.
https://www.ahsay.com/jsp/en/contact/kbQuestion.jsp
Professional Services
AhsayOBM Installation and Configuration Service
If you would like to save the time of reading through this document for setup, we have introduced
this service to take care of all the installation and setup for you. On top of the installation and setup
services, we also have a whole series of premium after-sales services to provide you with the best
user experiences possible.
Valid Maintenance
Our Valid Maintenance provides you with professional and timely customer support along the way.
You are entitled to the Valid Maintenance for free during the first year of your service subscription,
and recurring annual fee at 20% of your annual subscription fee.
Refer to our Professional Services webpage for further details and subscription.
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Instant VM Restore with Run Direct
What is Run Direct?
Run Direct is a feature introduced since AhsayOBM version 7.5.0.0, that helps reduce
disruption and downtime of your production VMs.
Unlike normal VM restore procedure where a VM is extracted from backup files and copy to the
production storage, which can take hours to complete. Restore with Run Direct can instantly
power up a VM by running it directly from the backup files in the backup destination and the VM
can be put into production.
How does Run Direct work?
When a Run Direct restore is performed, the backup destination is mounted as a NFS datastore
from the VMware host, where the VM is run directly from the backup files.
The backup destination can either be the AhsayCBS server or a local drive that can connect
with AhsayOBM. Initiating a Run Direct from the AhsayCBS (also known as agentless restore)
will trigger a connection directly with the VMWare host (ESXi server and the direction shown in
orange indicator below), while initiating the same action on the AhsayOBM requires the
connection to route through the OBM (shown in green indication below).
The restored virtual machine, at this stage (e.g. before the restore is finalized) is in a read-only
state to preserve its integrity. All changes made to the virtual disks (e.g. operation within the
guest virtual machine) are stored separately in transaction logs stored on the NFS datastore or
the original datastore, depending on the setting selected. These changes are discarded when
Run Direct is stopped, where the restored VM will be removed and all changes will be discarded,
or the changes will be consolidated with the original virtual machine data when the restore is
finalized.
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Settings Differences between Run Direct and Non-Run Direct Backup Set on
VMware
Run Direct Backup Set
Non-Run Direct Backup Set
Encryption
NO
YES
Compression
NO
YES
VDDK (CBT)
YES
YES
AhsayCBS
YES
YES
Local Destination
YES
YES
Cloud Destination
NO
YES
Finalizing a VM Recovery (Migrating VM to permanent location)
To finalize recovery of a VM, you will still need to migrate it to a permanent location on the
VMware host. The following steps are taken when you finalize a Run Direct restore:
NOTE
For vCenter VM backup set, provided that the vMotion feature of the vCenter set is working properly,
the VM will not be suspended during the data consolidation.
VMware Snapshot
A VMware snapshot is created for the VM
Copying Files
Backup files from the NFS datastore are copied to the production
datastore on the VMware host.
Copying Changes
Changes made to the VM after the snapshot creation are moved to the
new location.
Data Consolidation
The VM is temporarily suspended to consolidate the changes made after
the snapshot creation.
Resume VM
After all changes are consolidated, the VM is resumed.
Dismount NFS datastore
The NFS datastore is dismounted.
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For more details on how to setup a VMware VM backup set with Run Direct, refer to the chapter
on Configuring a VMware VM Backup Set.
Fast and Efficient
We understand that backup could be a time and resources consuming process, which is why
AhsayOBM is designed with advanced technologies to make backup a fast and efficient
process.
We also understand that you may wish to run backup at a specified time interval of your choice,
that’s why we also allow you to set your own backup schedules so that you can take full control
of the time when to perform backup.
Multi-threading – this technology utilizes the computing power of multiple CPU cores for
creating multiple backup and restore threads to produce fast backup and restore
performance.
Block Level Incremental Backup – this technology breaks down the backup files into
multiple blocks and only the changed blocks will be backed up each time.
Centralized Management Console
Our enriched features on the centralized web console offers you a one-stop location for
monitoring and managing your backup and restore, whether you are a system administrator or
backup user. Below is an overview of what you can do with it depending on your role. For more
details regarding the setup and operations of the centralized management console, refer to the
administrator guide via the URL below.
System Administrator – full control over the user accounts and their backup and restore
activities, as well as all system related settings. For more details regarding the centralized
management console, refer to the user guide via the URL below.
Backup User – configure backup settings, monitor backup and restore activities, and
initiate a Run Direct activity.
Cloud Destinations Backup
To offer you with the highest flexibility of backup destination, you can now back up server data
to a wide range of cloud storage destinations. Below is a list of supported cloud destinations.
Aliyun (阿里云) *
CTYun (中国电信天翼云 )*
Amazon S3
Amazon Cloud Drive
Google Cloud
Storage
Google Drive
OneDrive
Microsoft OneDrive /
OneDrive for
Business
Rackspace
OpenStack
Microsoft Azure
Dropbox
FTP
SFTP
AWS S3
Compatible
Cloud Storage
* Available on computers with China or Hong Kong local settings
Cloud backup gives you two major advantages:
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Multi-destination Backup for Extra Protection – you can now back up your VM to both
local drive and cloud destination. While local drive backup gives you the convenience of
faster backup and restore as a result of the locally resided infrastructure, you can take a
further step to utilize the cloud backup to give you an extra layer of protection in the event
of a local drive corruption, where you will still be able to retrieve data from the cloud
destination.
Eliminate Hardware Investment – with the increasingly affordable cloud storage cost,
you can deploy on cloud platform and utilize cloud storage as your centralized data
repository, or simply expand your cloud storage as a backup destination without having to
invest on hardware.
High Level of Security
We understand your VM may contain sensitive information that requires to be protected, that is
why your backup data will be encrypted with the highest level of security measure.
Un-hackable Encryption Key – to provide the best protection to your backup data, you
can turn on the encryption feature which will be default encrypt the backup data locally
with AES 256-bit truly randomized encryption key.
Encryption Key Recovery – Furthermore, we have a backup plan for you to recover
your encryption key in case you have lost it. You backup service provider can make it
mandatory for you to upload the encryption key to the centralized management console,
the encryption key will be uploaded in hashed format and will only be used when you
request for a recovery.
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What is the purpose of this document?
This document aims at providing all necessary information for you to get started with setting up your
system for VMware VM backup and restore, followed by step-by-step instructions on creating
backup set, running backup job and restoring backed up data.
The document can be divided into 3 main parts.
Part 1: Preparing for VMware VM Backup & Restore
Understanding Backup Mode
Introduce the differences between Non-VDDK and VDDK backup modes
Requirements
Requirements on hardware, software, VMware server, Client Backup Computer,
Run Direct, and Non-VDDK/VDDK backup modes
Best Practices and Recommendations
Items recommended to pay attention to before backup and restore
Part 2: Performing VMware VM Backup
Creating a Backup Set
Log in to AhsayOBM and create backup set
Running a Backup Set
Run and backup set & configure backup schedule for automated backup
Part 3: Performing VMware VM Restore
Restoring VM with Run Direct
Steps on performing a VM restore with Run Direct
Restoring VM without Run Direct
Steps on performing a VM restore without Run Direct
What should I expect from this document?
After reading through this documentation, you can expect to have sufficient knowledge to set up
your system to backup VMware VM on AhsayOBM, as well as to carry out an end-to-end backup
and restore process.
Who should read this document?
This documentation is intended for backup administrators and IT professionals who are
responsible for the VMware VM backup and restore.
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2 Understanding Backup Mode
Backup Mode
There are two backup modes available for VM backup:
Non-VDDK backup mode
VDDK backup mode
NOTE
For VDDK backup mode, AhsayOBM must be installed on a supported Windows operating system platform.
The backup mode is chosen by AhsayOBM at the start of a backup, according on the license level of
the VMware host, as well as other requirements outlined in Preparing for Backup and Restore.
Non-VDDK Backup Mode
For VM on free version of VMware hosts, backup is performed in non-VDDK mode. Backup in non-
VDDK mode produces a backup chain that consists of a full file and a set of delta files:
During the first backup, full files (e.g. virtual disk file (*.vmdk)) are created in the backup
destination.
During subsequent backup, In-file delta - an AhsayOBM feature is employed, to track only data
blocks that have change since the last backup. All changed data blocks are saved as
incremental / differential delta files in the backup chain.
During a subsequent backup in non-VDDK mode, VM files are streamed to the Backup Client
Computer, for delta generation:
Pros
Free version of ESXi is supported.
Cons
Slower backup speed for subsequent backup compared to VDDK backup, as a
result of having the entire VM backed up every time regardless of the actual used
size.
VDDK Backup Mode
For VM on VMware host on Enterprise Standard, Enterprise and Enterprise Plus Edition, backup is
performed in VDDK mode. Backup in VDDK mode produces a backup chain that consists of a full
VDDK file and a set of VDDK incremental files.
During the first backup, full files (*.F.vddk) are created in the backup destination.
During subsequent backup, Changed Block Tracking (CBT) - a VMware native feature
(https://kb.vmware.com/kb/1020128) is employed, to identify disk sectors altered since the last
backup. Altered blocks are saved as incremental VDDK file (*.I.vddk) in the backup chain.
During a subsequent backup in VDDK mode, AhsayOBM queries CBT through VADP (vSphere
APIs for Data Protection) to request for transmission of all altered blocks since the last backup.
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As there is no need to stream the VM files to the Backup Client Computer for delta generation,
backup in VDDK mode will greatly enhance the speed of subsequent backup.
Pros
Faster backup speed for subsequent backups compared to non-VDDK backup, as
a result of backing up only the used size of your VM instead of the entire machine
to enhance backup efficiency. This also helps with minimizing the storage size
requirement and saving storage cost.
Cons
Require paid license, i.e. VMware Essentials License for usage of vSphere API.
Further to the VMware license requirement described above, there are other requirements for
VMware VM backup in VDDK backup mode. Refer to the chapter on Preparing for Backup and
Restore for details.
Features Comparison between VDDK and Non-VDDK Modes
VDDK (CBT)
Non-VDDK
Full Backup
Used data size of guest
Provisioned data size of guest
Incremental /
Differential
Generated by VMware Host
using CBT
Generated by AhsayOBM on the
staging machine using in-file delta
Storage Size
Uses less storage quota
Uses more storage quota
Storage Cost
Lower storage cost
Higher storage cost
Backup Speed
Faster backup speed due to
smaller data size
Slower backup speed due to larger
data size
Run Direct Support
YES
NO
Restore from VDDK
to VMDK format
YES
NO
Granular Restore
YES
YES
AhsayOBM on
Windows Platform
YES
YES
AhsayOBM on Non
Windows Platform
NO
YES
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3 Requirements
Hardware Requirement
Refer to the following article for the list of hardware requirements for AhsayOBM: FAQ: Ahsay
Hardware Requirement List (HRL) for version 7.3 or above.
Software Requirement
Refer to the following article for the list of compatible operating systems and VMware platforms:
FAQ: Ahsay Software Compatibility List (SCL) for version 7.3 or above.
Refer to the following article for the list of compatible operating systems for Granular Restore:
FAQ: Ahsay Software Compatibility List (SCL) for Granular and OpenDirect Restore
Antivirus Exclusion Requirement
To optimize performance of AhsayOBM on Windows, and to avoid conflict with your antivirus
software, refer to the following KB article the list of processes and directory paths that should be
added to all antivirus software white-list / exclusion list:
http://wiki.ahsay.com/doku.php?id=public:5352_suggestion_on_antivirus_exclusions
NOTE
For AhsayOBM version 7.17 or above, the bJW.exe process is automatically added to Windows Defender
exclusion list for Windows 10 and 2016, during installation / upgrade via installer or upgrade via AUA.
VMware vCenter / ESXi Server Requirements
For backup of virtual machines on vCenter / ESXi servers, make sure the following requirements are
met.
ESXi / vCenter Patch Release
Make sure that the latest supported patch release is installed on the vCenter / ESXi hosts to
prevent critical issue, such as corruption to change tracking data in certain situation
(https://kb.vmware.com/kb/2090639)
License Specification
Paid License (VMware Essentials License or above): VMware ESXi and vCenter v5, v6 and
v6.5
Free License: VMware ESXi v5, v6 and v6.5
ESXi Shell Access
ESXi Shell access must be enabled on the ESXi servers. Refer to the following VMware KB
article for instruction: https://kb.vmware.com/kb/2004746
Consult with VMware support representatives if you are unsure on the process.
SSH
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SSH must be enabled on the hypervisor (ESXi Server). To enable root SSH login on an ESXi host,
please follow the below instructions from VMware.
http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&extern
alId=8375637
Root Account
AhsayOBM requires root account access to the ESXi server to perform backup and restore.
Port Requirement
For environment with firewall, the vCenter, ESXi servers and Backup Client Computer must be
able to communicate with each other.
Ensure that ports 22, 80, 111, 443 and 902 allow outbound communication on the vCenter and
ESXi servers. Refer to the link below for details on port usage:
https://kb.vmware.com/s/article/2012773
https://kb.vmware.com/s/article/2106283
https://kb.vmware.com/s/article/2039095
https://kb.vmware.com/s/article/2131180
NOTE
Ports 443 and 902 are default ports for VMware.
If these have been changed from the default in your VMware environment, the firewall requirements
will change accordingly
Disk Space Available on Datastore
Sufficient disk space must be allocated on the datastore (e.g. 1.2 x size of the largest virtual
machine selected for backup), where the virtual machine(s) to be backup are located.
Maximum Virtual Disk Size
For VMware ESXi version 5.1 and earlier, the maximum size of a virtual disk to be backup
cannot exceed 1.98 TB (or less, depending the block size setting of the datastore).
Details - http://kb.vmware.com/kb/1003565
VMware Tools
VMware Tools are used to quiesce VMs prior to backing them up. To create consistent backup for
your VMs on Windows platforms, ensure that VMware Tools are installed, and up-to-date on all
VMs to be backup.
NOTE
Quiescing is a process that ensures that the disk data is in a state suitable for backups to reduce the
possibility of data corruption upon restore. This is especially important for transactional-based applications
running on VMs like MS SQL Server.
There are different types of quiescing mechanisms, according to the guest operating systems (e.g. Crash-
consistent, File-system-consistent and Application-consist quiescing).
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ESXi/ESX Hosts and Virtual Machine Hardware Versions Compatibility
Refer to the link below for information on the supported and compatible virtual machine hardware
versions in VMware vSphere.
ESXi/ESX hosts and compatible virtual machine hardware versions list (2007240)
Backup Client Computer Requirements
For backup of virtual machines on ESXi server (with no vCenter setup), a separate Backup Client
Computer must be prepared for AhsayOBM to install on.
IMPORTANT
AhsayOBM cannot be installed on an ESXi server directly.
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For environment with vCenter setup, AhsayOBM is installed on the vCenter computer for best
performance.
Ensure that the following requirements are met by the Backup Client Computer or the vCenter
computer:
Hardware and Software Requirement
Ensure that the hardware and software requirements are met by the Backup Client Computer or
the vCenter computer.
Add-on Module Requirement
Make sure that the VMware VM backup add-on module is enabled for your AhsayOBM user
account, and that sufficient number of guest / socket is assigned. Contact your backup service
provider for more details.
Backup Quota Requirement
Make sure that your AhsayOBM user account has sufficient quota assigned to accommodate the
storage for the guest virtual machines. Contact your backup service provider for details.
Port Requirement
For environment with firewall, the vCenter, ESXi hosts and Backup Client Computer must be
able to communicate with each other.
Make sure that ports 22, 80, 111, 443 and 902 allow outbound communication on the Backup
Client Computer. Refer to the link below for details on port usage:
https://kb.vmware.com/s/article/2012773
https://kb.vmware.com/s/article/2106283
https://kb.vmware.com/s/article/2039095
https://kb.vmware.com/s/article/2131180
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NOTE
Ports 443 and 902 are default ports for VMware.
If these have been changed from the default in your VMware environment, the firewall requirements will
change accordingly.
Backup Client Computer on Linux
For Backup Client Computer running on Linux operating system platform, Graphical User Interface
(GUI) environment (e.g. GOME or KDE) must be installed.
IMPORTANT
Run Direct restore, VDDK backup mode and Granular Restore is not supported for Backup Client
Computer on Linux / Mac OS X platforms.
Disk Space Available on Backup Client Computer (or the vCenter
computer)
Sufficient disk space must be allocated on the Backup Client Computer (or the vCenter computer)
for the temporary directory configured for the backup set, and the formula of calculation of disk
space is like following:
(Total File Size * Delta Ratio) * number of backup destinations = Maximum Free Space Required
NOTE
The calculation is based on the current guest VM size, and it does not take into account guest VM growth
over time. It is recommended for fast growing guest VM the maximum free space required should be
reviewed on regular basis to avoid potential backup problems.
Refer to the link below for details of the maximum free space required for temporary directory.
FAQ: Tips On How To Setup The Temporary Directory For Your Backup Set (#5247)
Windows OS Requirement for VDDK and Non-VDDK Modes Backup
Make sure AhsayOBM is installed on:
64-bit Windows OS if you will back up VM data from VMware vCenter/ESXi 6.5 or above in
VDDK mode.
Either 32-bit or 64-bit Windows OS if you will back up VM data from VMware vCenter/ESXi 6.5
or above in Non-VDDK mode (Free VMware version).
Run Direct Requirements
Run Direct is a feature introduced since AhsayOBM version 7.5.0.0, that helps reduce disruption
and downtime of your production VMs.
For more details on Run Direct, refer to the chapter on Instant VM Restore with Run Direct.
To utilize the Run Direct feature, ensure that the following requirements are met:
VDDK Backup Mode
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Run Direct restore is only supported for virtual machine that is backed up in VDDK mode. Make
sure that the VDDK backup mode requirements are met.
Backup Destination Requirement
When a Run Direct restore is performed, the backup destination containing the guest VM files
is mounted on the VMware host as NFS datastore.
Ensure that the following requirements are met by the backup destination of the VMware VM
backup set:
Destination Type of the backup destination must be set to a Single storage
destination.
Destination must be accessible to the VMware host.
Destination must have sufficient disk space available for the Run Direct restore. There
should be 1.5 x total provisioned size of all VMs selected for backup.
For Run Direct restore of 1 VM with provisioned size of 100GB, there should be 150GB
(e.g. 1.5 x 100GB) of free space available in the Destination.
No Compression and Encryption
Data backed up to a Run Direct enabled destination is not compressed or encrypted to
optimize restore performance as Run Direct will make the VM restored by running the data
directly form the backup files in the backup destination.
Operation System of the Backup Client Computer
Run Direct restore is only supported by AhsayOBM installation on Windows.
To utilize the Run Direct feature, make sure that AhsayOBM is installed on a supported
Windows platform.
Restore to Alternate Location
When performing a Run Direct restore to Alternate Location, only one VM can be
selected per restore session.
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Consider to create separate VMware VM backup set for each VM that you intend to
perform Run Direct restore (e.g. VMs that you may restore to alternate location).
Dedicated NFS Service
Starting from AhsayOBM version 7.9.0.0, a dedicated AhsayOBM NFS Windows service is
introduced to allow Run Direct session to continue even if the AhsayOBM user interface is
closed.
By default, the AhsayOBM NFS service is started as Local System, which does not have
sufficient permission to access any network resources (e.g. the AhsayOBM NFS service does
not have sufficient permission to access the VM backup files on network drive).
Make sure that the Log on setting of the Ahsay Online Backup Manager NFS Service is
configured with an account with sufficient permission to access the network backup destination
where the backed up VM data are stored.
1. Under Control Panel, open Administrative Tools then Services.
2. Right click on Ahsay Online Backup Manager NFS Service, select the Log on tab.
3. Select the This Account option.
4. Enter the login credentials of an account with sufficient permission.
5. Restart the service afterward.
VDDK Backup Mode Requirements
AhsayOBM supports VDDK backup mode (Virtual Disk Development Kit) for ESX/ESXi and vCenter
setup. The backup speed is enhanced because the generation of the delta file of the VM are
performed directly by the ESX/ESXi or vCenter itself. With VDDK backup mode, the following are
supported:
Backup / restore of the resource pool and 'roles' settings, and support of restoration to another
name or alternation location on the ESX/ESXi platform.
VM hardware version upgrade, change tracking option and change tracking data option when
a new backup set is created.
Add or remove VM hard disk without uploading the existing hard disk again on the vCenter
backup.
For VDDK backup mode, AhsayOBM must be installed on a supported Windows operating system
platform.
License Requirement
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The VMware vSphere Storage APIs, which are essential for VDDK backup mode, are included
with the VMware vSphere Enterprise Standard, Enterprise and Enterprise Plus Edition:
http://www.vmware.com/products/vsphere/features-storage-api
Ensure that the license requirement is met.
NOTE
For VM on free version of ESXi without a Run Direct backup destination, backup will be performed in
non-VDDK mode.
For VM on free version of ESXi with a Run Direct backup destination, the following error message
would be returned during a backup:
”Skip backing up Virtual Machine “name". Reason = "Run Direct is only support to VDDK backup
mode"”.
Changed Block Tracking (CBT) on VMs
CBT must be enabled for the VM to be backed up in VDDK mode. Make sure that the following
requirements are met:
The VM must be hardware version 7 or later.
The VM must have zero (0) snapshots when CBT is enabled.
The virtual disk must be located on a VMFS volume backed by SAN, iSCSI, local disk, or a
NFS volume.
NOTE
For virtual disk on VMFS, the initial backup (e.g. full file backup) will be of size similar to used size;
while for virtual disk on NFS, the initial backup will be of the provisioned size.
RDM (Raw Device Mapping) in physical compatibility mode is not supported.
The virtual disk must not be in Independent Mode (Persistent or Nonpersistent).
NOTE
Once the backup job executed on a VM which change block tracking option was enabled by the VDDK,
please do not off this option in the VM for consequence backup jobs. If you need to disable this option, you
are suggested to create a new backup set with requires to disable this option.
VMware Snapshot
VDDK backup mode does not support backup of virtual machine snapshot.
For backup of individual virtual disk, the restored virtual machine does not support the reversion of
previous snapshots, if the snapshot contains disks which are not previously backed up by
AhsayOBM.
Virtual Machine State
VDDK backup mode does not support backup of virtual machine state (e.g. power on state /
suspend state).
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File Name Requirement
If the file name of the virtual machine contains the following special characters, https access to the
virtual machine’s files will fail:
` ^ ~ = ; ! / ( [ ] { } @ $ \ & # % +
This is due to the percent-encoding specified in the URL standard is not supported for ESXi based
HTTP(S) file access. To resolve the issue, please rename the corresponding file to avoid special
characters. For instructions on renaming a virtual machine, please refer to the following knowledge
base article from VMware: https://kb.vmware.com/s/article/2031763
Non-VDDK Backup Mode Requirements
For VM that cannot be backed up in VDDK mode, non-VDDK backup mode will be used instead.
Independent Disk (Persistent or Non-persistent)
Independent disk can only be backed up if the VM is shutdown during a backup. If the VM is
started up during the backup, all independent disks selected for backup cannot be backed up.
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4 Best Practices and Recommendations
Please consider the following recommendations:
Use the latest version of AhsayOBM
Install the latest version of AhsayOBM on the staging machine or Backup Client Computer for
backup of VM hosted on a VMware ESX/ESXi server, or on the vCenter server.
Always stay up-to-date when newer version of AhsayOBM is released. To get our latest
product and company news through email, please subscribe to our mailing list:
http://www.ahsay.com/jsp/en/home/subscribe_mail_list.jsp
Install AhsayOBM on a physical staging machine
For best backup and restore performance, it is highly recommended that AhsayOBM is
installed on a server grade staging machine or backup client computer with sufficient memory
and processing power. As guest VM can be very large, during backups and restore this may
involve the compression & encryption of large amounts of data, which can be very resource
intensive.
VMware Tools
Make sure the latest version of VMware Tools is installed on each guest VM selected for
backup. VMware Tools is used by AhsayOBM to quiesce the guest VMs prior to backing them
up to create consistent backup for your VMs
Quiescing is a process that ensures that the disk data is in a state suitable for backups to
reduce the possibility of data corruption upon restore. This is especially important for
transaction-based applications running on VMs like MS SQL Server, MS Exchange etc. There
are different types of quiescing mechanisms, according to the guest operating systems (e.g.
Crash-consistent, File-system-consistent and Application-consist quiescing).
Do not use a guest VM as a staging machine
Although installing AhsayOBM on a guest VM as a staging machine is possible, the backup
and restore will work as on a physical staging machine. This setup is actually inefficient and
can lead to possible performance bottlenecks on the VMware host server, as in a VMware
host the virtualization layer separates guest VM OS layer and the VMware host physical
hardware layer.
As the guest VM operating system does not have direct access to physical hardware where
the data resides, a backup agent installed inside the guest VM must go through the
virtualization layer to access the guest virtual machine data.
Use the VDDK backup mode / CBT feature
The CBT (Change Block Tracking) feature, which is required for backup in VDDK mode, is
supported by VM host with VMware Essentials License (or other paid licenses). The CBT
feature, which is utilized for tracking changes of data blocks since the last backup can be done
quickly and directly on the VM host. Therefore, the performance of incremental backups is
much faster with VDDK backup mode.
Another advantage of VDDK mode is the amount of data backed up is relatively smaller. The
used data size of the guest VM is backed up instead of the provisioned size, so the storage
cost of these backups will be less.
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The temporary directory of a VMware VM backup set is set to a local volume, and not to a
network volume (e.g. to improve I/O performance).
However, the temporary directory should not be set to the system volume (e.g. where the
operating system is installed).
Refer to the following article for details on setting up the temporary directory:
FAQ: Tips on how to setup the temporary directory for your backup set
Plan your backup schedules carefully to minimize any performance impact on the VMware
host.
To avoid concentrated disk I/O on the VMware host datastores which will have a negative
performance impact on the guest VMs residing on these datastores, you should schedule your
backups to limit the number of concurrent VM backups on a host and shared datastores. Hosts
typically share the same datastores in virtual environments, and bottlenecks caused by too
many simultaneous VM backups on a single datastore will affect all hosts that have VMs
running on that datastore.
Backup the guest VMs to more than one destination
To provide maximum data protection and recovery flexibility you should consider to store your
guest VM backups in multiple backup destinations, ideally both onsite and offsite locations.
Onsite locations on local or network drives will enable very quick recovery even for large guest
VMs. While offsite locations will ensure that if there is a site outage, the guest can be restored
from another location.
Consider to increase the Java memory allocation setting for AhsayOBM (Java heap space) if
you are using non-VDDK backup mode.
If you are using non-VDDK mode and or Granular restore, it is recommended to increase the
Java heap size space to at least 2GB or above for optimal performance.
Refer to the following KB article for further instruction:
http://wiki.ahsay.com/doku.php?id=public:5003_faq:how_do_i_modify_the_java_heap_size_se
tting_of_ahsayobm_or_ahsayacb&s[]=5003
It is highly recommended to backup of the whole VM instead of individual disk for backup of
virtual machine with snapshot.
Consider to perform routine recovery test to ensure your backup is setup and performed
properly.
Consider to disable the memory snapshot or quiesce guest options when taking snapshot for
VMware VM backup, to shorten the time required for the process.
Snapshot the virtual machine's memory
Quiesce guest file system (Needs VMware Tools installed)
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5 Granular Restore Technology
What is Granular Restore Technology?
AhsayOBM granular restore technology enables the recovery of individual files from a guest VM
without booting up or restoring the whole guest VM first.
Granular restore is one of the available restore options for VMware ESXi/vCenter backup sets from
AhsayOBM v7.13.0.0 or above. AhsayOBM makes use of granular restore technology to enable a
file level restore from a virtual disk file (VDDK) of guest VM backup possible. It is particularly useful if
you only need to restore individual file(s) from a guest VM which would normally a long time to
restore and then startup before you can gain access the files on the virtual disks. Granular restore
gives you a fast and convenient way to recover individual files on a guest VM.
During the granular restore process, the virtual disks of the guest VM can be mounted on the
Windows machine as a local drive. This will allow the individual files on the virtual disks to be viewed
via the file explorer within AhsayOBM or from the Windows File Explorer on the Windows machine
you are performing the restore on, without having to restore the entire virtual machine. Granular
restore can only mount virtual disks if the guest VM is running on a Windows Platform and it is
supported for all backup destinations, i.e. AhsayCBS, Cloud storage, or Local/Network drives.. The
mounting of Linux/Unix file systems from virtual disk file is currently not available due to limitations of
the file system drivers.
IMPORTANT
Granular Restore requires an additional OpenDirect / Granular Restore add-on module license to
work. Contact your backup service provider for further details.
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How does Granular Restore work?
Benefits of using Granular Restore
Comparison between Granular Restore and Traditional Restore.
Granular Restore
Introduction
Granular restore allows you to quickly mount virtual disk(s) directly from the backup file of a guest
VM, so that individual files from virtual disk(s) can be exposed via the file explorer on AhsayOBM,
or to be copied from the file explorer on to a 64 bit Windows machine you are performing the
restore.
Pros
Restore of
Entire Guest VM
Not Required
Compared to a traditional restore where you have to restore the entire guest
VM first, before you can access any individual files/folders, granular restore
allows you to view and download individual files, without having to restore
the entire guest VM first.
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Ability to
Restore
Selected Files
In some cases, you may only need to restore a few individual file(s) from the
guest VM, therefore, granular restore gives you a fast, convenient, and
flexible tool to restore selected file(s) from a guest VM quickly.
Only One
Backup Set
Required
With traditional restore methods, if you wish to restore individual file(s) from
a guest VM, you will have to create two different backup sets; a VMware
guest VM backup set and a separate file backup set for the file(s) you wish
to restore. You will required an additional AhsayOBM installation on the
guest VM environment, with Granular Restore feature, only one backup set
is required.
Fewer CAL (Client Access License) required - you will only need one
AhsayOBM CAL to perform guest VM, Run Direct, and Granular restore.
Less storage space required - as you only need to provision storage
for one backup set.
Less backup time required - As only one backup job needs to run.
Less time spent on administration - As there are fewer backup sets to
maintain.
Cons
No Encryption
and
Compression
To ensure optimal restore performance, the backup of the guest VM will
NOT be encrypted and compressed, therefore, you may have to take this
factor in consideration when using this restore method.
Traditional Restore
Introduction
The traditional restore method for guest VMs, restores the entire backup files to either to the
original VM location or another a standby location. The files or data on the guest VM can only be
accessed once the guest VM has been fully recovered and booted up.
Pros
Backup with
Compression and
Encryption
Guest VM is encrypted and compressed, therefore is in smaller file size,
and encrypted before being uploaded to the backup destination.
Cons
Slower Recovery
As the entire guest VM has to be restored before you can access any of its
file(s) or data, the restore time could be long if the guest VM size is large.
Two Backup Sets
and CALs
Required
If you only wish to restore individual files from VM, two separate backup
sets are required, one for the VM image and the other for the individual
files, and therefore two CAL (client access licenses) are required.
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Requirements
Supported Backup Modules
Granular restore is supported on VMware backup sets created and backed up using AhsayOBM
v7.13.0.0 or above installed on a Windows platform with the Granular Restore feature enabled on
the backup set.
License Requirements
An OpenDirect / Granular restore add-on module license is required per backup set for this feature
to work. Contact your backup service provider for more details.
Backup Quota Storage
As compression is not enabled for Granular backup sets, to optimize restore performance, the
storage quota required will be higher than non-Granular backup sets. Contact your backup service
provider for details.
Operating System
AhsayOBM must be installed on a 64 bit Windows machine as libraries for Granular only supports
64 bit Windows operating system for VMware ESXi/VCenter. AhsayOBM must be installed on the
following Windows Operating Systems:
Windows 2008 R2 SP1 or above
Windows 2012
Windows 2012 R2
Windows 2016
Windows 7 SP1 or above
Windows 8
Windows 8.1
Windows 10
Temporary Directory Requirement
Temporary Directory Folder should have at least the same available size as the guest VM to be
restored and should be located on a local drive to ensure optimal performance.
Available Spare Drive Letter
One spare drive letter must be available on the Windows machine for the granular restore process,
as the VDDK virtual disk is mounted on Windows as a logical drive. AhsayOBM will automatically
take the next available drive letter in alphabetical order for the mounted virtual disk.
NOTE
The Windows drive letters A, B, and C are not used by granular restore.
The granular restore assigned drive letter(s) will be released once you exit from AhsayOBM UI.
Network Requirements
Recommended minimum network speed is at least 100Mbps download speed.
The network bandwidth requirements will increase in proportion to the size of the guest VM and
the incremental delta chain length to ensure optimal performance. Working with limited network
bandwidth may severely affect the granular restore performance.
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You can use an online network speed test website (e.g. www.speedtest.net) to get an idea of the
actual bandwidth of the machine.
Other Dependencies
The following dependencies are restore related and therefore they will be checked by AhsayOBM
only when granular restore is performed. Absence of these elements will not affect the backup job
but would cause the restore to fail.
Microsoft Visual C++ 2015 Redistributable (x86) / (x64)
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=48145
Update for Universal C Runtime in Windows
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/2999226/update-for-universal-c-runtime-in-windows
For Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 only
Microsoft Security Advisory 3033929
https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/security/3033929.aspx
Permissions
The Windows login account used for installation and operation of the AhsayOBM client
machine requires Administrator privileges.
For Granular Restore, Windows User Account Control (UAC) must be disabled.
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6 Starting AhsayOBM
Login to AhsayOBM
1. Login to the AhsayOBM application user interface.
For Backup Client Computer on Windows / Mac OS X, double click the AhsayOBM desktop
icon to launch the application.
For Backup Client Computer on Linux, enter the following command to launch the
application user interface:
# sh /usr/local/obm/bin/RunOBC.sh &
2. Enter the Login name and Password of your AhsayOBM account.
3. Click OK afterward to login to AhsayOBM.
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4. Select the Version of the corresponding host:
Select VMware ESXi 5 / 5.5 / 6 / 6.5 for a VMware ESXi backup set
-OR-
Select VMware vCenter 5 / 5.5 / 6 / 6.5 for a VMware vCenter backup set
NOTE: Refer to the following article for the list of compatible VMware platforms:
http://wiki.ahsay.com/doku.php?id=public:5001_faq:ahsay_software_compatibility_list_scl_
for_version_7.3_or_above
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5. Enter the VMware host and access information.For a VMware ESXi backup set, enter the
Password of the root account, Host, Port and SSH Port information of the ESXi host.
For a VMware vCenter backup set, enter the Password of the administrator account, Host,
and Port information of the vCenter server.
Click Next to proceed when you have finished entering all necessary information.
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6. For VMware ESXi backup set, select the virtual machines or individual virtual disks that you
would like to backup.
For VMware vCenter backup set, select the settings, virtual machines or individual virtual
disks that you would like to backup.
In the Schedule menu, configure a backup schedule for backup job to run automatically at
your specified time interval. By default, this feature is turned on with a predefined
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scheduled backup to run at 20:00 daily. Click Add to add a new schedule if necessary.
If you will configure a scheduled backup, define the backup schedule details in the New
Backup Schedule section as shown below. Click OK when you have finsihed confgured a
backup schedule.
Click Next to proceed when you are done with the settings.
Note: For details about the options from the dropdown menus, please refer to Configure
Backup Schedule for Automated Backup.
7. In the Destination menu, select a backup destination where the backup data will be stored.
Click the “+” icon next to Add new storage destination / destination pool.
Select the appropriate option from the Backup mode dropdown menu.
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Sequential (default value) – run backup jobs to each backup destination one by one
Concurrent – run backup jobs to all backup destinations at the same time
To select a backup destination for the backup data storage, click the “+” icon next to Add
new storage destination / destination pool.
8. In the New Storage Destination / Destination Pool menu, select the storage type.
Single storage destination – the entire backup will be uploaded to one single
destination you selected under the Destination storage drop-down list. By default,
the destination storage is selected as CBS.
Run Direct
1. To utilize the Run Direct feature for your VMs recovery, enable the Run Direct option.
The Run Direct option is only available for single storage destination, and is enabled
by default.
2. Further to the above settings, there are also other requirements for the Run Direct
feature, refer to the chapter on Run Direct Requirement for more details.
Destination pool – the backup will be spread over on the destinations you have
selected. Enter a Name for the destination pool and then click the + icon next to Add
new storage destination to the pool to select the desired destinations.
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You can choose a storage combination of the Local/Mapped drive/Removable Drive,
Cloud storage or FTP.
If you have chosen the Local/Mapped Drive/Removable Drive option, click
Change to browse to a directory path where backup data will be stored. The
path must be accessible to the ESXi host.
If you have chosen the Cloud Storage, click Test to log in to the corresponding
cloud storage service.
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If you have chosen the FTP as the destination, enter the the Host, Username
and Password details.
Click OK to proceed when you are done with the settings.
NOTE
For more details on Backup Destination, refer to the following KB article for details:
http://wiki.ahsay.com/doku.php?id=public:5026_faq_on_backup_destination
9. You can add multiple storage destination if you wish. The backup data will be uploaded to
all the destinations you have selected in this menu in the order you added them. Press the
icon to alter the order. Click Next to proceed when you are done with the selection.
NOTE
Multiple backup destinations can be configured for a single backup set (e.g. one
destination with Run Direct enabled, and another with Run Direct disabled).
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10. If you wish to enable the granular restore feature, make sure you turn on the Granular
Restore switch in this menu. Refer to Granular Restore section for further details on this
feature.
Click Next to proceed.
Notes
Once the Granular Restore feature is enabled and the backup set is saved, it is NOT possible
to disable it afterwards, and vice versa. If you wish to change the Granular Restore settings, a
new backup set will have to be created.
It is possible to enable both Granular Restore and Run Direct restore on the same backup
set. However, AhsayOBM will only allow either Granular Restore or Run Direct restore to run,
but not both to run concurrently.
Granular Restore requires an additional OpenDirect / Granular restore add-on module license
to work. Contact your backup service provider for further details.
11. IMPORTANT: If you have enabled the Granular restore or Run Direct restore feature,
backup data will not be compressed and encrypted to optimize the restore performance,
therefore you can skip to step 14.
In the Encryption window, the default Encrypt Backup Data option is enabled with an
encryption key preset by the system which provides the most secure protection.
NOTE
For best practice on managing your encryption key, refer to the following KB article.
http://wiki.ahsay.com/doku.php?id=public:5034_best_practices_for_managing_encryption_key
You can choose from one of the following three Encryption Type options:
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Default – an encryption key with 44 alpha numeric characters will be randomly
generated by the system
User password – the encryption key will be the same as the login password of your
AhsayOBM at the time when this backup set is created. Please be reminded that if
you change the AhsayOBM login password later, the encryption keys of the backup
sets previously created with this encryption type will remain unchanged.
Custom – you can customize your encryption key, where you can set your own
algorithm, encryption key, method and key length.
Click Next when you are done setting.
12. If you have enabled the Encryption Key feature in the previous step, the following pop-up
window shows, no matter which encryption type you have selected.
The pop-up window has the following three options to choose from:
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Unmask encryption key – The encryption key is masked by default. Click this
option to show the encryption key.
Copy to clipboard – Click to copy the encryption key, then you can paste it in
another location of your choice.
Confirm – Click to exit this pop-up window and proceed to the next step.
13. Enter the Windows login credentials used by AhsayOBM to authenticate the scheduled or
continuous backup.
Click Next to proceed when you are done with the settings.
NOTE
If the backup schedule is turned off for the backup set the Windows User Authentication screen
will be automatically skipped. The Windows User Authentication login credentials can be added
or updated post backup set creation.
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9 Running a Backup
Start a Manual Backup
1. Click the Backup icon on the main interface of AhsayOBM.
2. Select the backup set which you would like to start a backup for.
3. If you would like to modify the In-File Delta type, Destinations and Retention Policy Settings,
click Show advanced option.
4. When advanced options are shown, it is recommended that you tick the checkbox next to
Run Retention Policy after backup in the Retention Policy section at the bottom. This will
help you save hard disk quota in the long run. In the In-File Delta type section, the following
three options are available:
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Full – A full backup captures all the data that you want to protect. When you run a
backup job for the first time, AhsayOBM will run a full backup regardless of the in-file
delta setting.
Differential – A differential backup captures only the changes made as compared with
the last uploaded full file only (i.e. changes since the last full backup, not since the last
differential backup).
Incremental – An incremental backup captures only the changes made as compared
with the last uploaded full or delta file (i.e. changes since the last incremental backup).
Click Backup to start the backup.
5. Click Backup to start the backup job. The status will be shown.
6. When the backup is completed, the progress bar will be green in color and the message
“Backup Completed Successfully will appear.
7. You can click the View icon on the right hand side to check the log. A window will pop
up to show the log. Click Close to exit the pop-up window.
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Configure Backup Schedule for Automated Backup
1. Click the Backup Sets icon on the AhsayOBM main interface.
2. All backup sets will be listed. Select the backup set that you would like to create a backup
schedule for.
3. Go to the Backup Schedule tab. If the Run scheduled backup for this backup set
option is off, switch it On. Existing schedules will be listed if any.
4. Click Add to add a backup schedule. The New Backup Schedule window will appear.
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5. In the New Backup Schedule window, you can configure your backup schedule settings. To
save hard disk quota in the long run, it is recommended that you tick the checkbox next to
Run Retention Policy after backup at the bottom. The rest of the setting options will vary
by which option you choose from the Type dropdown menu:
Daily – when to start the backup job
Weekly – which day of the week and what time that day to start the backup job
Monthly – which day of the month and what time that day to start the backup job
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Custom – which particular date to start a one-off backup job
The Stop dropdown menu offers two options:
until full backup completed – in case you prefer a complete backup
after [how many] hr – in case you prefer the backup job to stop after a certain
number of hours regardless of whether or not the backup job is complete
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10 Restore Methods
There are four methods to restore your backed up virtual machine.
Method 1 - Restoring a Virtual Machine with Run Direct
Introduction
This restore method can power up a VM instantly by running it directly from the backup files in
the backup destination.
Pros
Fast Recovery
Minimize VM server down time so as minimizing impact on your business
Cons
Changes made to the running VM during Run Direct power up process will be lost when the
VM is powered down if not committed to the VM by completing a successful migration.
Method 2 - Restoring a Virtual Machine without Run Direct
Introduction
This is the conventional restore method where VM data is restored from the backup destination
to the original VM host, another datastore of the original VMware host or another VMware host.
Pros
Complete VM restore can be done in one take; no data migration needed afterwards
Cons
Recovery time could be long if the VM size is large
Long VM server down time may cause greater impact on your business
Method 3 - Restoring a Virtual Machine in Raw File (VMDK Format)
Introduction
If you wish to restore the VM to another VMware host (ESXi server) directly without using
AhsayOBM
Pros
You can manually restore the VM to another VMware host (ESXi server) off-site without
having to use AhsayOBM as the restore channel
Cons
Restore procedures are relatively complicated
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Method 4 – Granular Restore
Introduction
AhsayOBM makes use of granular restore technology to enable a file level restore from a virtual
disk file (VHD) of guest VM backup possible. It is particularly useful if you only need to restore
individual file(s) from a guest VM, which would normally take a long time to restore and then
power up before you can gain access to the files on the virtual disks. Granular restore gives you
a fast and convenient way to recover individual files on a guest VM.
For more details about Granular Restore, refer to the Granular Restore section.
Pros
File level restore and access to files, without having boot up or to restore the entire Guest
VM.
Pin-point file restore to save time and promote efficiency
Only one backup set required as opposed to the traditional restore method where two backup
sets are required for file level restore
Cons
No encryption and compression for backup set
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11 Method 1 - Restoring a Virtual Machine with
Run Direct
Login to AhsayOBM
Log in to the AhsayOBM application according to the instructions provided in the chapter on Starting
AhsayOBM.
Running Direct Restore via AhsayOBM
1. Click the Restore icon on the main interface of Ahsay.
2. Select the backup set that you would like to restore the VM from.
3. Select the backup destination that contains the VM that you would like to restore.
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4. Select Restore virtual machines as the restore mode.
5. Select to restore VM from a specific backup job, or the latest job available from the Select
what to restore drop down menu.
6. Select the virtual machine that you would like to restore.
Important
When performing a Run Direct restore to Alternate Location, only one VM can be selected
per restore session.
If you wish to restore the VM to another VMware host (ESXi server), you can restore the
VM in raw file format, where the .vmdk disk format file will be included, by clicking the
Restore raw file button at the bottom left corner. Refer to the steps in Appendix Restoring
VM in VMDK format.
7. Select to restore the VM to its Original location (to the original VMware host and
datastore), or to an Alternate location (to another datastore of the original VMware host or
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another VMware host).
8. Enable the Run Direct option to run the VM directly from the backup files in the backup
destination. Configure the following options according to your restore requirement:
Auto migrate after Run Direct is running
Enable this option to auto migrate the VM to a permanent location on the original
VMware host \ another datastore of the original VMware host \ another VMware host,
according to the Restore virtual machines to option.
NOTE
This will finalize the recovery of the VM; The migration will be performed after the VM is
powered on.
Auto power on after Run Direct is running
Enable this option to power up the virtual machine automatically, after Run Direct is
running for the VM.
Use existing storage as VM working directory to improve performance
Enable this option to enhance performance of the restored VM. Click Next to proceed
when you are done with the settings.
9. This step applies only for restoring to Alternate location. For restoring to Original
location, skip to step 10.
Enter the VMware host and access information of where you would like the VM to be
restored to.
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For restoration to another VMware host (ESXi server), select Version VMware ESXi 5
/ 5.5 / 6 / 6.5, then enter the Password of the root account, Host, Port and SSH Port
of the new / original host.
For restoration to another VMware host (vCenter server), enter the Password of the
administrator account, Host, and Port information of the new / original vCenter server.
Press Next to proceed when you are done with the settings.
Enter a new Name for the VM, then Browse to modify the Inventory Location,
Host/Cluster, Resource Pool and Storage settings, according to where you would
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like the VM to be restored to.
Click Next to proceed when you are done with the settings.
10. Select the temporary directory for storing temporary files, then click Restore to start the
restoration.
11. When restoring your guest VM to another VMware host, the following message will be
prompted. Since each virtual machine is automatically assigned a universally unique
identifier (UUID), a new UUID must be created when you restore the guest VM to another
host because it is not possible to have two identical UUID running at the same time.
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Verifying Run Direct Restore Connection
When a run direct restore is initiated, the following steps are taken at the backend.
Create NAS datastore
The backup destination is turned into a NFS (also known as NAS) datastore
Mount VM on VMware Host
The NFS datastore is mounted on the VMware Host
Create Virtual Machine Snapshot
A snapshot of the virtual machine is created. All changes made during Run Direct
is taken place will be stored temporarily in this snapshot, and the changes will not
be committed to the virtual machine until a migration is done.
Power on Virtual Machine
The virtual machine is being powered on so it can be run directly from the backup
files.
Check the following items to verify if the run direct restore connection has been established between
the backup destination and the VMware host.
The following screen with the text Restore Completed Successfully displayed in your
AhsayOBM.
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You should also be able to see the restored VM being run directly from the backup files in the
backup destination.
NOTE
Do not exit from the AhsayOBM application when a Run Direct restored VM is still running. Run
Direct must be stopped (e.g. by finalizing recovery of the VM or stopping the VM) before exiting
AhsayOBM.
When the restored VM is starting up, there may be an error screen prompted to alert you that
Windows was not shut down properly. This message shows as a result of the VM’s runtime
status not being backed up. You may simply select to start up Windows as normal to proceed
with the startup.
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Manage Run Direct VM
Manage a Run Direct restored virtual machine, by finalizing the VM recovery (e.g. migrating it to a
permanent location on the VMware host), or stop the virtual machine when it is no longer needed.
1. Click the Restore icon on the main interface of AhsayOBM.
2. Click Manage Run Direct virtual machines to manage all Run Direct virtual machines.
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Finalize VM Restore
To finalize recovery of a VM, migrate it to a permanent location on the VMware host:
1. Select the backup set which contains the Run Direct VM that you would like to finalize.
2. Click Browse to select the datastore where you would like to migrate the VM to.
3. Click Migrate Virtual Machine to start the migration process.
NOTE
For VM on ESXi host, the VM may be suspended temporarily during the migration process.
The downtime of the VM should be minimal.
Stop Run Direct VM
To stop all virtual machines, or individual virtual machine that is running with the Run Direct
feature:
1. Click Stop all Run Direct virtual machines to stop all VMs that are currently running
with the Run Direct option.
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Run Direct Restore via User Web Console
Besides using the AhsayOBM, you can now utilize the AhsayCBS User Web Console to initiate a
run direct restore (also known as Agentless Restore) which is supported since AhsayCBS version
7.9.0.0.
Why using the User Web Console?
Unlike starting a Run Direct restore on AhsayOBM which you have to be physically with the client
backup agent, you can now access the User Web Console to perform the same action as long as
you have Internet connection and a web browser.
How to do it?
In the AhsayCBS User Web Console landing page, click on the Run Direct icon to start a run direct
restore. For details on the operations, please refer to the AhsayCBS User Guide. The steps below
give you a high level overview of how a Run Direct is initiated on the AhsayCBS User Web Console.
Start a Run Direct Session
Select the Backup Set
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12 Method 2 - Restoring a Virtual Machine without
Run Direct
Login to AhsayOBM
Login to the AhsayOBM application according to the instruction provided in the chapter on Starting
AhsayOBM.
VM Restore without Run Direct
1. Click the Restore icon on the main interface of AhsayOBM.
2. Select the backup set that you would like to restore the VM from.
3. Select the backup destination that contains the VM that you would like to restore.
4. Select to restore VM from a specific backup job, or the latest job available from the Select
what to restore drop down menu.
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5. Select the virtual machine that you would like to restore.
6. Select to restore the VM to its Original location (to the original ESXi host and datastore),
or to an Alternate location (to a different VMware host or to another datastore).
7. Disable Run Direct.
8. Click Next to proceed.
9. This step applies only for restoring to Alternate location. For restoring to Original
location, skip to step 10.
i. Enter the VMware host and access information of where you would like the VM to
be restored to.
For restoration to another VMware host (ESXi server), select Version
VMware ESXi 5 / 5.5 / 6, 6.5, then enter the Password of the root account,
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Host, Port and SSH Port of the new / original host.
For restoration to another VMware host (vCenter server), enter the
Password of the administrator account, Host, and Port information of the
new / original vCenter server.
Click Next to proceed when you are done with the settings.
ii. Enter a new Name for the VM, then Browse to modify the Inventory Location,
Host/Cluster, Resource Pool and Storage settings, according to where you would
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like the VM to be restored to.
Click Next to proceed when you are done with the settings.
10. Select the temporary directory for storing temporary files.
11. When restoring your guest VM to another VMware host, the following message will be
prompted. Since each virtual machine is automatically assigned a universally unique
identifier (UUID), a new UUID must be created when you restore the guest VM to another
host because it is not possible to have two identical UUID running at the same time.
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Therefore, make sure you click Yes when you see the prompt below.
12. The following screen shows when the VM has been restored successfully.
NOTE
When the restored VM is starting up, there may be an error screen prompted to alert you that Windows was
not shut down properly. This message shows as a result of the VM’s runtime status not being backed up. You
may simply select to start up Windows as normal to proceed with the startup.
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13 Method 3 - Restoring a Virtual Machine in
Raw File (VMDK Format)
Restoring a VM in VMDK format
Since AhsayOBM v7.11.0.0, we have introduced a new feature to enable guest VMs that are backed
up in VDDK mode to be restored in VMDK raw file format. This feature is useful if you wish to
restore the backed up VM to another VMware host (ESXi server) even without using the AhsayOBM.
IMPORTANT
Restoring guest VMs from VDDK to VMDK format only supports backup sets that are created in
AhsayOBM v7.9.0.0 or later version. Backup sets created with AhsayOBM before v7.9.0.0, or VMware
VDDK backup sets migrated from v6 are NOT supported.
Follow the steps below for details.
1. Click the Restore icon on the main interface of AhsayOBM.
2. Select the backup set that you would like to restore the VM from.
3. Select the backup destination that contains the VM that you would like to restore.
4. Select to restore VM from a specific backup job, or the latest job available from the Select
what to restore drop down menu.
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5. Select the virtual machine that you would like to restore in .vmdk format, then click the
Restore raw file checkbox at the bottom left corner. It is possible to select multiple VM to
restore in .vmdk format.
6. Select the virtual machine that you would like to restore in .vmdk format, then click the
Restore raw file checkbox at the bottom left corner. It is possible to select multiple VM to
restore in .vmdk format.
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7. Select the virtual machine that you would like to restore in .vmdk format, then click the
Restore raw file checkbox at the bottom left corner. It is possible to select multiple VM to
restore in .vmdk format.
8. Select a location where you wish to restore the VM to. Click Browse to select a location
and the click Next to confirm.
9. Select a temporary directory for storing restore files.
10. Click Restore to start the VM restore.
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11. Open the folder where you have the VM restored. Check whether the .vmdk file has been
successfully restored.
12. Open the VMware vSphere agent and log in to the ESXi server you wish to restore the VM
to.
13. Click on the VM machine’s name at the top, then look for the Summary tab on the right.
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14. Right click on the Datastore where you wish to deploy the restored VM to, then click
Browse Datastore…
15. Right click on the right panel to open a new folder for uploading the VM you are going to
import.
16. Open the newly created folder then click the Upload Folder option at the top menu bar to
select the VM you wish to restore.
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17. Open the folder you have just uploaded, then right click on the .vmx file and click on Add to
Inventory.
18. Follow the screen prompts and name the imported VM and confirm the resource pool. You
should see the imported VM display on the left on the main page of vSphere if the VM has
been successfully imported to the ESXi server.
19. Right click on the newly imported VM and then click Power On to turn it on.
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14 Method 4 – Granular Restore
IMPORTANT
Before you proceed with the Granular Restore, make sure the following dependencies are fulfilled
on the restore machine. Failure to do so may cause the granular restore to fail.
Microsoft Visual C++ 2015 Redistributable (x86) / (x64)
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=48145
Update for Universal C Runtime in Windows
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/2999226/update-for-universal-c-runtime-in-windows
Microsoft Security Advisory 3033929 (for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2)
https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/security/3033929.aspx
Requirements and Limitations
1. Granular restore does not support the mounting of virtual disks, if the disk itself is encrypted,
for example using Windows Bitlocker or other third party security features.
2. If any folders or files on a virtual disk are encrypted, these files/folder cannot be supported
with Granular Restore. For example, if the “Encrypt contents to secure data” is selected in
Advanced attributes.
3. The mounting of Linux/Unix file systems from virtual disk file is currently not available due to
limitations of the file system drivers.
4. Granular restore can only be performed on one guest VM at a time with no limitation on
number of virtual disk than can be mounted on the guest VM, however, only files/ folders from
one virtual disk can be retrieved at a time.
5. Windows User Account Control (UAC) must be disabled to apply granular restore.
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4. Select to the Restore individual files in virtual machine (Granular Restore) option.
NOTE
The Mount virtual disks automatically option is selected by default. If the guest VM contains a
multiple virtual disks and you only require the restore of files from a single or certain virtual disk(s),
then unselect this option to speed up the virtual disk mounting. Otherwise, granular restore will
connect and mount all available virtual disks and this process could take longer time.
You may select the Read timeout limit by clicking Show advanced option.
This selection defines the duration when the granular restore session will be disconnected
if there is no response from the mounted virtual machine.
Default – This setting should be suitable for guest VMs located on a local, removable,
or network drive. The time out value is 15 seconds.
Unlimited – the connection will not be time out when this is selected. This selection is
recommended when:
Backup destination is a cloud stroage.
AhsayCBS over the Internet.
A large guest VM or guest VM with large incremental delta chain.
NOTE
If in doubt or unsure about the guest VM size or network stability, it is recommended to
use Unlimited.
Click Next to proceed when you are done with the selection.
5. The following screen will be shown when you perform Granular Restore for a backup set on
this machine for the first time only. Make sure you click Install to confirm starting the
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installation of the drivers on this machine. Clicking No will exit the restore process.
6. Select the virtual machine that you would like to perform Granular Restore for, then click
Next to proceed.
7. Select a temporary directory for storing restore files, then click Restore to start the
Granular Restore.
8. When the virtual disk(s) are in the process of being prepared for mounting on the
AhsayOBM machine, you will see the following screen.
Please wait as the process could take some time depending on the size of the virtual disk,
network bandwidth, and storage location.
9. If the Mount virtual disks automatically option is unselected then click on the disk icon to
mount the virtual disk you wish to restore files from.
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Otherwise, all the virtual disks will be automatically mounted.
10. When the virtual disk are mounted, you will see the following screen showing the
information of the mounted virtual disk with the available volume shown.
There are two options to restore individual files from here.
Option 1: Restore Using AhsayOBM File Explorer
This method allows you to use the file explorer in AhsayOBM to browse through the files
from the mounted virtual disk and select files you wish to restore.
i. Click to browse the files in the mounted virtual disk. If there are multiple
volumes in the guest VM, you can only select one volume to restore indidual files at a
time.
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You will then see a file explorer menu as shown below. Select the file(s) you wish to
restore, then click Next to proceed.
NOTE
Some system folder(s) / file(s) (e.g. System Volume Information) are only shown in the
AhsayOBM File Explorer and will not be restored, therefore, those folder(s) / file(s) will not
be shown in the mapped drive shown in step iv below.
ii. Select a path where you wish the files to be restored to, then click Restore.
iii. The following screen shows when the selected files have been restored to the
defined destination.
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iv. Open the defined restore path and you should be able to see the files being restored
there.
Option 2: Restore Using Windows File Explorer
This method allows you to browse through the files from the mounted virtual disk through
the Windows File Explorer on the machine where you have AhsayOBM installed on.
NOTE
Granular restore of Hyper-V backup sets performed using Windows File Explorer :
1. Will not show up on the [Restore Status] tab in Live Activities of the backup service provider
AhsayCBS.
2. Will not generate restore reports on backup service provider AhsayCBS.
3. Will not generate restore log on AhsayOBM.
i. Click and then you will be prompted to select a driver letter where you wish the
mounted backup image to be mapped on your machine, click OK when you have
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finished selection.
ii. The selected drive letter will be mapped and prompted in the Windows Files Explorer
with the files you wish to restore shown.
iii. You can now click on the files to view them directly from here, which will be in read-
only mode, or copy them to your local machine.
NOTE
Viewing the files directly is enabled only if the source application is already installed on the
machine. i.e. “MS Word” must have already been installed for viewing the “.doc” file.
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iv. The mounted drive letter cannot be ejected from the Windows File Explorer, and it
will only be closed when you exit AhsayOBM.
11. When you have finished restoring the necessary files, you can go back to AhsayOBM and
click on Cancel.
12. Then click on Stop the granular restore and unmount the virtual disk(s).
IMPORTANT
Due to the limitation of the virtual file system library, the mounted virtual disks will only be
unmounted from your machine when you exit AhsayOBM.
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15 Contact Ahsay
Technical Assistance
To contact Ahsay support representatives for technical assistance, visit the following website:
https://www.ahsay.com/jsp/en/contact/kbQuestion.jsp
Also use the Ahsay Knowledge Base for resource such as Hardware Compatibility List, Software
Compatibility List, and other product information:
http://wiki.ahsay.com/doku.php?id=public:home
Documentation
Documentations for all Ahsay products are available at:
https://www.ahsay.com/jsp/en/home/index.jsp?pageContentKey=ahsay_downloads_documentation
_guides
You can send us suggestions for improvements or report on issues in the documentation, by
contacting us at:
https://www.ahsay.com/jsp/en/contact/kbQuestion.jsp
Please specify the specific document title as well as the change required/suggestion when
contacting us.