Backup methodology for backup on Hyper-V environmen

Method 1: Back up the guest OS with PlanetPRO:

Backing up guest OS (on OS platforms supported by PlanetPRO):
Since the guest OS is running on a platform that is supported by PlanetPRO. Backing up the guest OS itself is only a matter of installing PlanetPROand performing both file, and system state backup with settings of your choice. This is essentially the same as configuring backup on a physical machine.

Backing up guest OS (on OS platforms with database hosted):
If the database hosted on the guest OS is supported by PlanetPRO. Simply install PlanetPRO on the guest OS and perform file, system state, and database backup with the settings of your choice.

If the database hosted on the guest OS is not supported by PlanetPRO, then to handle the backup of such database, please follow the instructions below:

1. Use the pre/post backup command to shutdown and startup the applications before and after a backup job (assuming that the database or application does not need to be online 24x7 and the database file is small enough to be transmitted to the Backup Planet server each night.
   
   
2. Use the pre-backup command to run a database specific command to export all database data to a dump file and upload this dump file using a file-type backup set.

Example: PlanetPRO installation on Hyper-V guest OS



Method 2: Back up the Hyper-V virtual machine files:

Each Hyper-V virtual machine contain a number of files associated with each Hyper-V virtual machine, they includes the configuration file (.XML), saved state file (.BIN & .VSV) and virtual hard disk file (.VHD). The Hyper-V server places these files within their respective destination(s) according to the administrator's configuration. These data can be exported, and then backed up using a file-type backup set. Restoration of a virtual machine would simply require the restoration of the exported data associated with that virtual machine, and import of the data via the Hyper-V server console.

With this setup, PlanetPROis installed on the Hyper-V server. To ensure files that are backed up are not corrupt, all I/O operations to these files must be halted prior to the backup operation. We can accomplish this by exporting the virtual machine.

During the export, virtual machine(s) that is running will be shutdown (or be forced into a saved state depending on your setup), its corresponding data is quickly exported, the machine started up, and then the backup proceed. This technique provides a compromise backup methodology that limits the downtime of the virtual machine while assuring that the virtual machine backed up is recoverable.

Notes:
To import / restore the Hyper-V virtual machine onto a different Hyper-V server, it is required that a virtual machine be shutdown (instead of suspend) prior to the export procedure.

To backup Hyper-V virtual machine files, the following steps are required:

1. Using the PowerShell.exe tool to export the Hyper-V virtual machine (Pre-backup command)
   
2. Backup the exported data from the Hyper-V server onto Backup Planet server

Assumptions:
The following assumptions are made:

1. The Windows PowerShell feature has been installed on the corresponding Hyper-V server. If the Windows PowerShell feature has not been installed, you can enable the PowerShell feature by opening the Server Manager application.
   
   Example: Go to the Features section and select Windows PowerShell
   
   
   
   
   
2. You have set PowerShell execution policy to allow unsigned local scripts
   
   
   • The following error may be flagged for the first time the PowerShell script is ran:
     
     Example: File \${ScriptName.ps1} cannot be loaded because the execution of scripts is disabled on this system.
     
     
     
     The reason for this error is the security setting on the Hyper-V server that does not allow you to execute a script. By default, the Execution Policy is set to Restricted. This setting means that you may not run any PowerShell script.
     
     
   • You can execute the following command within PowerShell to allow the script to run:
     
     Example:
     >Set-ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned
     
     This will allow scripts written on the local computer to be executed without a digital signature, but any script downloaded from outside must have a signature to execute.
     
     Alternatively, you can also sign the downloaded PowerShell script file:
     http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/2008.04.powershell.aspx?pr=blog

Instructions:
To backup Hyper-V virtual machine files, please refer to the following instructions:

1. Download the HyperV-Export.zip file by Clicking Here
   
   
   
2. Extract the HyperV-Export.zip file to C:\
   
   Example:
   
   
   
   • HyperV-Export.bat is batch file run by PlanetPRO as a pre-backup command for the execution of the HyperV-Export.ps1 script
   • HyperV-Export.ps1 is the PowerShell script for the export of the Hyper-V virtual machine(s)
   
   
   
3. Open the extracted HyperV-Export.ps1 file with a text editor, modify the $dest parameter to reflect the Hyper-V export destination
   
   
   
4. Modify the $opt1 parameter to specify individual virtual machine(s) for the export, or all virutal machine(s) for the export
   
   
   
5. Modify the $opt2 parameter to configure the script to shutdown, or suspend the corresponding virtual machine(s) during the export
   
   Notes:
   To import / restore Hyper-V virtual machine onto another Hyper-V server (any server other than the original Hyper-V server), it is required that a virtual machine be shutdown prior to the export procedure.
   
   Please only use the suspend (saved state) option if you are planning for restore on the same, original Hyper-V server in the future. To import / restore the Hyper-V virtual machine onto a different Hyper-V server, it is required that a virtual machine be shutdown prior to the export procedure.
   
   
   
6. Create the Hyper-V export destination folder configured in Step 3
   
   Example:
   
   
   
   
7. Open the PlanetPRO console, create a file backup set for the Hyper-V backup under the PlanetPRO console
   
   
   
8. Select the Hyper-V export destination folder as backup source
   
   Example:
   
   
   
   
9. Accept the default encryption settings by pressing the [OK] button if no change is necessary
   
   
   
10. Select the Hyper-V backup set in the [Backup Setting] menu, select the [Command Line Tool]
    
    
    
11. Press the [Add] button under the Pre-Backup section on the right panel, enter the following entries in the corresponding text fields:
    
    
    • Working Directory: C:\
      
    • Command: HyperV-Export.bat
    
    Example:
    
    
    
    
12. Press the [OK] button to save this setting

The Hyper-V virtual machine files can now be backed up by pressing the [Backup] button on the PlanetPRO console.




Method 3: Back up the Hyper-V server and data volume (with MS Windows System Backup):

Perform full volume backup on the volume which the Hyper-V application is installed, and where the Hyper-V data is stored.

In this configuration, PlanetPRO is installed on the Hyper-V server. Restoration of virtual machines would require a full volume restore of the volume which the Hyper-V application is installed, and where the Hyper-V data is stored. A major benefit to performing volume backups at the host operating system level of your Hyper-V server is that doing so allows you to perform a bare metal recovery.

However, with the major benefit, there are also some major limitations that administrator needs to be aware of:

• Dynamic Disks -
  Virtual machines to be backed up cannot contain dynamic disks. All guest operating systems must treat all of their associated virtual hard drive files as basic disks.
  
  Example: Disk Managment Console on the guest OS
  
  
  
• Restore of individual virtual machines -
  You can not restore individual virtual machines. The restoration process at the host level is an all or nothing proposition.
  
  Example: [Administrative Tools] -> [Windows Server Backup] -> [Recovery Wizard]
  
  
  
• Virtual machines with Snapshot -
  If a virtual machine contains multiple snapshots, you can still perform the backup. However, you will not be able to restore the backup.

To backup the Hyper-V server and data volume, the following steps are required:

1. Create a MS Windows System backup set for the corresponding Hyper-V server
   
2. Configure the backup set to perform backup on the volume which the Hyper-V server is installed, and the volume which all virtual machines' data are stored

Assumptions:
The following assumptions are made:

1. PlanetPRO version 5.5.5.0 or above has been installed on the Hyper-V server
   
   
2. The Windows Server Backup features, including the Windows Server Backup, and Command-line Tools has been installed. If the Windows Windows Server Backup feature has not been installed, you can enable it by opening the Server Manager application.
   
   Example: Go to the Features section and select Windows Server Backup Features
   
   
   
   
3. The Hyper-V server is installed on C:\ and the Hyper-V virtual machines' data are stored under E:\

Instructions:
To backup the Hyper-V server and data volume, please refer to the following instructions:

1. Add the following registry keys to register the Hyper-V VSS Writer with Windows Server Backup (WBAdmin.exe):
   
   
   1. Open the Registry Editor by entering the command "regedit" in command prompt
      
      
   2. Create a new key "WindowsServerBackup" under:
      
      HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion
      
      Notes:
      Please note that the WindowsServerBackup key is not created when installing the Windows Server Backup feature, it must be created manually.
      
      
   3. Create a new key "Application Support" under the key created in the previous step:
      
      HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\WindowsServerBackup
      
      
   4. Create a new key "{66841CD4-6DED-4F4B-8F17-FD23F8DDC3DE}" under the key created in the previous step:
      
      HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\WindowsServerBackup\Application Support
      
      Example:
      
      
      
   5. Create a String Value with the following name, type and value:
      
      Name: Application Identifier
      Type: REG_SZ
      Value: Hyper-V
      
      The registry path should now resemble the following:
      
      HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\WindowsServerBackup\Application Support\{66841CD4-6DED-4F4B-8F17-FD23F8DDC3DE}
      
      Example:
      
      
   
   
2. Open the PlanetPRO console, create a MS Windows System backup set for the volume backup under the PlanetPRO console
   
   Example:
   
   
   
   
3. Select the volume which the Hyper-V server is installed, and the volume which all virtual machines' data are stored as backup source
   
   Example:
   
   
   
   
4. Accept the default encryption settings by pressing the [OK] button if no change is necessary

The Hyper-V server and data volume can now be backed up by pressing the [Backup] button on the PlanetPRO console.