What's new in release 1.24
This document describes new features introduced in release 1.24.
Endpoint Backup agent
This release includes agent version 1.24. Unitrends recommends upgrading to the latest agent version to benefit from fixes and performance enhancements. A system state backup run by Agent version 1.24 is required to use the new bare metal recovery feature.
Bringing Full System Recovery Protection to Endpoint Backup
We are incredibly excited to announce the general availability of bare metal recovery in Endpoint Backup. Adding on to our existing and robust file & folder protection, Endpoint Backup now allows you to take a full system backup and restore either a few business-critical files or the entire system back to the same hardware, dissimilar or virtualized.
Profile changes
To take a backup sufficient for bare metal recovery, the system state and all critical volumes essential to OS functions must be backed up with agent version 1.24 or higher. Endpoint Backup now supports profiles that can capture this data during scheduled backups.
A system state backup behaves in a few different ways:
- Critical volumes cannot be excluded
- Unlike a file & folder backup, it includes the system state
- System state backups are typically larger in average than targeted data backups
- System state backups allow for both file/folder-level and bare metal recovery
System state profile:
Prerequisites for bare metal recovery
The following requirements must be met to perform a bare metal recovery (BMR).
| Requirement | Description | ||
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| Operating systems |
Recovery to identical or dissimilar physical hardware and VMware virtual machines is supported
Supported server operating systems:
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| An eligible system state backup |
The backup used for recovery must meet these requirements:
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| Recovery ISO |
For the recovery, you must use the Endpoint Backup BMR ISO image, baremetal-recoverymedia.iso, provided on the Endpoint Backup Restore > Recovery Media page. The ISO contains WinPE (a minimal version of Windows used for installations) and the BMR UI. To prepare for DR, it is recommended that you do the following:
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| Firmware interface type |
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| Disk configuration |
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| Software RAID volumes |
Software RAID configurations are not supported. | ||
| Network adapter |
Wireless network adapters cannot be used for the recovery. | ||
| Processor features on the recovery target |
These processor features must be enabled on the recovery target machine: NX, PAE, and SSE2. Ensure that these features are enabled on the target before booting from the ISO image. For instructions, see KB 360013249658. Machines that do not have these processor features cannot be used for the recovery. | ||
| Disk space on recovery target | Make sure the target machine has enough disk space for the recovery. The recovery target can have smaller disks than the failed asset, but the recovery fails if the disks do not have enough space for the data on the critical volumes. | ||
| Supported recovery scenarios |
Use the procedures in Performing unified bare metal recovery for the following recovery scenarios:
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Recovery Changes
Once you’ve successfully taken a system state backup, you have the option to perform either a file/folder-level or bare metal recovery.
File and folder recovery works the same way it does today.
To perform a bare metal recovery:
1. On the Restore > Recovery Media page, click Download ISO. The ISO, baremetal-recovery-media.iso, is downloaded.
2. Click Create Access Key.
The key is created and displays in the list below. For easy identification, you can click above and add a custom label.
3. Prepare the recovery media:
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- To recover to a VM, save the ISO in a location that you can access from your hypervisor. Power down the recovery VM and edit its settings to boot from the ISO.
- To recover to a physical machine, burn the ISO to USB or DVD (see this KB article for details). Power off the recovery machine and attach the recovery media.
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4. Power on the recovery target machine. The machine boots from the ISO and the BMR interface displays.
5. In the Access Key field, enter the access key you created in step 2. Be sure to include the hyphen (-).
6. Click Create Session.
7. The key is saved and a secure session is created between the VM and Endpoint Backup in the Unitrends Cloud. (This may take a few minutes.)
Note the session ID as you will use it to identify your recovery session in Endpoint Backup.
8. Return to the Endpoint Backup Restore > Recovery Media page.
9. Select the customer whose backup you will recover
10. Locate your recovery session and click Restore.
| NOTE: |
To view information about the machine you are recovering to, click > to expand session details. |
11. Select the failed asset and the backup to recover.
| NOTE: |
You can filter the asset list by entering text in the Choose Asset field. Only assets containing the string you entered display in the list. |
12. Select disks to recover by dragging each source disk to a disk on the target machine. In our example, source disks 2, 3, and 4 will be recovered to Disk 0 on the target machine.
| NOTES: |
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13. Click Restore. Click Delete Data & Start Restore to confirm.
14. The recovery starts. When recovery is complete, simply restart your machine and get back to business!
Known bare metal recovery issue
In certain cases the Windows Start button does not function on the recovered asset. This will be fixed in an upcoming release.