Sign in
 
HomeWindows Server 2012Windows Server 2008 R2Windows Server 2003LibraryForums
Windows Server TechCenter >
> 
> 
Restore a Hyper-V from VHD

Unanswered Restore a Hyper-V from VHD

  • Wednesday, January 23, 2013 6:34 AM
     
     
    Sign In to Vote
    0

    Hi,

    I have taken backup of my VHD using Volume shadow copy (VSS - vshadow.exe). Now i want to restore the vhd to a new or existing machine. What im currently doing now is attaching the backped up VHD to a new new machine or change the vhd to exiting machine. Is this the standard procedure of restoring the a hyper-v from vhd? OR is there something better and different way of doing it. 

    System config:

    Host (Hyper-V manager): Windows 2008 R2 Standard

    Guest (VM): Windows 2008 R2 Standard.

     

All Replies

  • Thursday, January 24, 2013 6:49 AM
    Moderator
     
     
    Sign In to Vote
    0

    Hi,

    There are two basic methods you can use to perform a backup:

    • Perform a backup from the server running Hyper-V
    • Perform a backup from within the guest operating system of a virtual machine

    Which kind of backup did you use?

    Using Windows Server backup you can restore VMs. If you need the entire VM, including its configuration, snapshots, and virtual disks (in the event of a complete host failure, for example), select Application Restore and then Hyper-V. In this case, you do not have the option to restore individual files. You will have to restore everything included in that backup set. Note that this will not overwrite existing Hyper-V and VM configuration data that has changed since the backup.

    The method you used, restore the single VHD file, I think this is the easiest and common way.

    For more information please refer to following MS articles:

    Planning for Backup
    http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd252619.aspx
    Backup and Disaster Recovery for Server Virtualization
    http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/2008.10.disasterr.aspx
    How to back up Hyper-V virtual machines from the parent partition on a Windows Server 2008-based computer by using Windows Server Backup
    http://support.microsoft.com/kb/958662/en-us

    Lawrence

    TechNet Community Support

     
  • Thursday, January 24, 2013 8:00 AM
     
     
    Sign In to Vote
    0

    Hello

    except what Lawrence told you, i would had that as you say you used vss, so i guess what's inside that vm, you can use those methods despite of what's in the vhd.

    if just files ok.. if you have applications like exchange, sql, active directory or else.. mine its just an example.. use the windows server backup feature.. it could be not good to attach the disk on the fly et voila'.

    Regards

    ------------------------------------------------------- I understand a little computers.

     
  • Thursday, January 24, 2013 4:47 PM
     
     
    Sign In to Vote
    0

    Hi,

    Thanks for you reply!

    I'm performing a backup from the server running hyper-v 

    I'm trying to backup a guest virtual machine (entire virtual machine which is running on hyper-v manager). 

    Using VSS i created a snapshot of volumes effected (all drives which holds the vhd's of the guest machine) and copied the vhd files. Now i want to restore the machine from the vhd that i have copied earlier. How can i go about this?

    --

    Bharath

     
  • Thursday, January 24, 2013 4:50 PM
     
     
    Sign In to Vote
    0

    Hi,

    Thanks for you reply!

    I'm performing a backup from the server running hyper-v 

    I'm trying to backup a guest virtual machine (entire virtual machine which is running on hyper-v manager). 

    Using VSS i created a snapshot of volumes effected (all drives which holds the vhd's of the guest machine) and copied the vhd files. Now i want to restore the machine from the vhd that i have copied earlier. How can i go about this? 

    I want to restore entire vm, including all applications, nic and other settings. 

    --

    Bharath

     
  • Saturday, January 26, 2013 6:57 AM
     
     
    Sign In to Vote
    0

    Hello

    well.. i am not saying that you can't achieve the result with this  method .. but.. if you are backin up a guest vm from hyper v host, i really dont see any reason why you shouldn't use the windows server backup to do it.

    with it you are sure that everything will work fine and especially restores of vss data you may have will be good too.

    i assumed that you performed vss shadow copies of vm vhd's and that's fine, then what ? you mounted shadow copies and copied them as vhd somewherelse ? all right..  then, you want to use these new vhd's created from shadows to restore the vm ? 


    Regards. 

    ------------------------------------------------------- I understand a little computers.

     
  • Thursday, January 31, 2013 9:21 AM
     
     
    Sign In to Vote
    0

    Hi,

    I perform a vss shadow copy of drives on which vhd files are located (snapshot of hyper-v manger / host). Copy the vhd from the shadow copy. From the VHD which i copied from after vss, i want to restore the virtual machine (guest).