Alternate Single File Restore Method for VSC 2.X Environments

[keitha]

Problem Statement

The existing Single File Restore (SFR) mechinism contained in the Virtual Storage Console (VSC) Backup and Recovery Module (formally SMVI) was designed to facilitate Administrator initiated, end user completed restores. In Customer environments where the Administrator performs the file restores, this process is not ideal and can be labour intensive.

Solution Description

This document provides an alternate means to access and restore single files from VMs backed up with the VSC B&R module. Although this is a manual process the restores are very fast, very reliable and very repeatable. A Powershell script written by Seth Forgosh is also provided which simplies the mounting of the backed up VMDK disk which further simplifies the SFR process.

The document explains how to create a writtable copy of the backup, mount it to the VMware environment, then access the files contained within. The Powershell script mounts the file system contained in the VMDK and preps it for file level restore.

Version

1.1 Initial Release

1.2 Added in Alternate restore method and corrected formatting issues

[rblokland]

Hi,

Thanks. I'm going to test this in our Test environment. Just one remark, the .pdf seems to miss pictures. I don't know yet if they are essential. Just thought I'd let you know.

Greeting,

Rob

[keitha]

Thanks Rob. Odd, I double checked and the images are in the PDF, perhaps the upload or download is stripping them. If you need just let me know and I can email you the document directly. Let us know how it works for you.

Keith

[MARTINNR5]

Hi Keith.

Would it be possible to fully automate this process, including mounting the VMDK to the restore VM through the SFR function in VSC?

We would like to strip out all human interaction besides initiating the script.

Thanks!

[keitha]

Yes you certainly fully automate this, both VMware vSphere and the NetApp controllers support Powershell which would be the easiest way to automate this. It's a little out of my Powershell ability but certainly can be done. The difficult bit would be selecting the particular backup you want files from and to which VM you want to restore it to. Inventory calls to vCenter could certainy be done but as I said it's out of my scripting league...

Keith

[maliu]

Hi Keith,

Please can you email the doc to me as it appears pictures are missing after download.

Thanks,

[MARTINNR5]

Thanks Keith.

I'll talk to our VMware experts to see if they have any scripts lying around.

[MARTINNR5]

Hello again.

I'd very much like to have the images as well for the PDF.

Thanks!

[MSEBEL1980]

Thanks for the write-up, but I'm confused on how to use the powershell script. The doc seems to skip some info:

2.2.1 SRF Online Disk Powershell

a) Connect to the target VM via RDP

b) Download the PowerShell script called Diskonline.x.x.ps1 from the NetApp

Communities.

     ?? And then what?

c) Within the VM, double-click the SFR Online Disks icon. When complete,

the FlexClone copies of the disks are available as new drives in Windows

Explorer.

     ?? What "SFR Online Disks icon?" ??

     ?? How does it know what to connect to?

d) Using Windows Explorer, simply drag and drop the desired files and

folders to the desired destinations.