Dell Appassure 5 User Guide

							Dell AppAssure User Guide
Version 5.4.3 Revision B239
Launching a bare metal restore for 
Windows
Before launching a bare metal restore (BMR) for a Windows machine, certain conditions are required.
To restore a recovery point saved on the Core, you must have the appropriate hardware in place. For more 
information, see Prerequisites for performing a bare metal restore for a Windows machine.
The BMR destination Windows machine must be started using the boot CD image. For more information, see 
Managing a Windows boot image.
The first step is to select the appropriate recovery point, then initiate the restore to the hardware by specifying 
the IP address and temporary password you obtained from the Universal Recovery Console.
You must then map the drives and start the restore.
The recovery point includes drivers from the previous hardware. If restoring to dissimilar hardware, then you 
must inject storage controller drivers into the operating system being restored using the URC after the data has 
been restored to the drive, This allows the restored operating system to boot using the new set of hardware. 
Once the OS is booted after the restore, you can then download and install any additional drivers needed by the 
OS to interact with its new hardware.
To launch a BMR from the AppAssure Core Console, perform the following tasks.
•Selecting a recovery point and initiating BMR
•Mapping volumes for a bare metal restore
•Loading drivers using the Universal Recovery Console
•Injecting drivers to your target server
This process is a step in Performing a bare metal restore for Windows machines.
Selecting a recovery point and initiating BMR
Once the Universal Recovery Console is accessible on the machine on which you want to perform a BMR, you 
must select the recovery point that you want to restore. Navigate to the Core Console to select which recovery 
point you want to load, and designate the recovery console as the destination for the restored data.
This task is a step in Performing a bare metal restore for Windows machines. It is part of the process for 
Launching a bare metal restore for Windows.
If performing a BMR for a Linux machine from the Core Console, then this task is also a step in Performing a bare 
metal restore for Linux machines It is part of the process for Launching a bare metal restore for a Linux machine 
using the command line.
Complete the steps in this procedure to select a recovery point on the Core to restore to the physical or virtual 
BMR target machine.
To select a recovery point and initiate BMR
1 Navigate to the AppAssure Core Console and, in the list of protected machines, click the name of the 
protected server you want to restore to bare metal.
The Summary tab for the selected machine appears.
2 Click the Recovery Points tab.
3 In the list of recovery points, click the right angle bracket > symbol to expand the recovery point that 
you want to restore.
NOTE: This step is required to perform BMR on all Windows machines and optional to perform BMR on 
Linux machines. 
						

							Dell AppAssure User Guide
Version 5.4.3 Revision B240 4 In the expanded details for that recovery point, from the Actions menu, click Restore.
The Restore Machine Wizard appears.
5Select Recover to any target machine using a boot CD.
6Select I already have a boot CD running on the target machine.
The authentication fields become accessible.
7 Enter the information about the machine to which you want to connect as described in the following 
table.
8Click Next.
If the connection information you entered matches the URC, and if the Core and the target server can 
identify each other properly on the network, then the volumes for the selected recovery point are 
loaded, and the Disk Mapping page appears, In this case, your next step is to map volumes.
Mapping volumes for a bare metal restore
Once connected to the Universal Recovery Console, you will need to map volumes between those listed in the 
recovery point and volumes existing on the target hardware to perform the restore.
AppAssure attempts to automatically map volumes. If you accept the default mapping, then the disk on the 
destination machine is cleaned and re-partitioned and any previously existing data is deleted. The alignment is 
performed in the order the volumes are listed in the recovery point, and the volumes are allocated to the disks 
appropriately according to size, and so on. Assuming there is enough space on the target drive, no partitioning 
is required when using automatic disk alignment. A disk can be used by multiple volumes. If you manually map 
the drives, note that you cannot use the same disk twice.
For manual mapping, you must have the new machine correctly formatted already before restoring it. The 
destination machine must have a separate partition for each volume in the recovery point, including the system 
reserved volume. For more information, see Launching a bare metal restore for Windows.
This task is a step in Performing a bare metal restore for Windows machines. It is part of the process for 
Launching a bare metal restore for Windows.
If performing a BMR for a Linux machine from the Core Console, then this task is also a step in Performing a bare 
metal restore for Linux machines. It is part of the process for Launching a bare metal restore for Linux.
Complete the steps in this procedure to map a volume.Table 121. Target machine information
Te x t  B o x D e s c r i p t i o n
IP Address The IP address of the machine to which you want to restore. This is identical 
to the IP address displayed in the URC.
Authentication Key The specific password to connect to the selected server. This is identical to 
the Authentication Key displayed in the URC.
NOTE: While AppAssure supports FAT32 and ReFS partitions, at present, only full restore and BMR 
are supported as a driver limitation exists with ReFS, so restore is implemented in user mode, VM 
export, and so on. If a Core is protecting at least one agent volume that contains the ReFS file 
system, it should be installed on Window 8, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012, and Windows 
Server 2012 R2 machines, which provide native support of ReFS. Otherwise, functionality will be 
limited and operations that involve such things as mounting a volume image will not work. The 
AppAssure Core Console will present applicable error messages in these occurrences.

Bare metal restore of Storage Spaces disks configuration (a feature of Windows 8.1) is also not 
supported in this release. For details, see the Dell AppAssure Installation and Upgrade Guide. 
						

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To map volumes for a bare metal restore
1 If you want to map volumes automatically, do the following. If you want to map volumes manually, 
proceed to Step 2
a On the Disk Mapping page of the Restore Machine Wizard, select the Automatically Map Volumes 
tab.
b In the Disk Mapping area, under Source Volume, verify that the source volume is selected, and 
that the appropriate volumes are listed beneath it and are selected.
c Optionally, if you do not wish to restore a listed volume, clear the option under Source volume. At 
least one volume must be selected to perform the BMR.
d If the destination disk that is automatically mapped is the correct target volume, select 
Destination Disk and ensure that all appropriate volumes are selected.
eClick Restore, and then proceed to Step 3.
2 If you want to map volumes manually, do the following:
a On the Disk Mapping page of the Restore Machine Wizard, select the Manually Map Volumes tab.
b In the Volume Mapping area, under Source Volume, verify that the source volume is selected, and 
that the appropriate volumes are listed beneath it and are selected.
c Under Destination, from the drop-down menu, select the appropriate destination that is the 
target volume to perform the bare metal restore of the selected recovery point, and then click 
Restore.
3 In the confirmation dialog box, review the mapping of the source of the recovery point and the 
destination volume for the restore. To perform the restore, click Begin Restore.
Loading drivers using the Universal Recovery Console
When creating a boot CD, you can add necessary drivers to the ISO image. After you boot into the target 
machine, you also can load storage or network drivers from within the Universal Recovery Console (URC). This 
feature lets you add any forgotten drivers that were not included in the ISO image but are required for a 
successful bare metal restore.
This task is a step in Performing a bare metal restore for Windows machines. It is part of the process for 
Launching a bare metal restore for Windows.
Complete the steps in the following procedure to load drivers using the URC.
To load drivers using the Universal Recovery Console
1 On an internet-connected machine, download and save the necessary drivers onto a portable media 
device, such as a USB drive.
2 Remove the media from the connected machine and insert it into the boot target server.
3 In the URC on the target server, on the Console tab, click Load driver.
4 In the Select driver window, navigate to the driver location, select the driver, and click Open.
5 Repeat as necessary for each driver you want to load.
NOTE: Typically for a BMR, you should restore, at minimum, the system reserved volume 
and the system volume (usually, but not always, the C: volume).
NOTE: If no volumes exist on the drive of the machine on which you are performing a BMR, 
you will not be able to see this tab or manually map volumes.
CAUTION: If you select Begin Restore, all existing partitions and data on the target drive will be 
removed permanently, and replaced with the contents of the selected recovery point, including the 
operating system and all data. 
						

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Injecting drivers to your target server
If you are restoring to dissimilar hardware, you must inject storage controller, RAID, AHCI, chipset and other 
drivers if they are not already on the boot CD. These drivers make it possible for the operating system to 
operate all devices on your target server successfully once you reboot the system following the restore process.
If you are unsure which drivers are required by your target server, click the System Info tab in the Universal 
Recovery Console. This tab shows all system hardware and device types for the target server to which you want 
to restore.
This task is a step in Performing a bare metal restore for Windows machines. It is part of the process for 
Launching a bare metal restore for Windows.
Complete the following task to inject drivers to your target server.
To inject drivers to your target server
1 Download the drivers from the manufacturer’s Web site for the server and unpack them.
2 Compress each driver into a .zip file using an appropriate compression utility (for example, WinZip) and 
copy it to the target server.
3 In the Universal Recovery Console, click Driver Injection.
4 Navigate through the filing system to locate the compressed driver file and select the file.
5 If you clicked Driver Injection in step 3, click Add Driver. If you clicked Load driver in step 3, click Open.
The selected drivers are injected and will be loaded to the operating system after you reboot the target 
server.
6Repeat Step 3 through Step 5, as appropriate, until all drivers have been injected.
Verifying a bare metal restore
Once you perform a bare metal restore, you can verify the progress of the restore. When the action is 
completed successfully, you can start the restored server. Some troubleshooting steps are included if you 
encounter difficulties connecting to the Universal Recovery Console to complete the restore, and to repair 
startup problems with the restored machine.
You can perform the following tasks:
•Viewing the recovery progress
•Starting a restored target server
•Troubleshooting connections to the Universal Recovery Console
•Repairing startup problems
This process is a step in Performing a bare metal restore for Windows machines.
NOTE: Your target server automatically contains some generic Windows 7 PE 32-bit drivers which will work 
for some systems. 
						

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Viewing the recovery progress
Complete the steps in this procedure to view the progress of restoring data from a recovery point (including 
bare metal restore) initiated from the AppAssure Core Console.
This task is a step in Performing a bare metal restore for Windows machines. It is part of the process for 
Verifying a bare metal restore.
To view the recovery progress
1 After you initiate the process restoring data from a recovery point, while the task is in process, you can 
view its progress from the Running Tasks drop-down menu on the Core Console.
2 Optionally, you can view detailed information in the Events tab. Fore more information about monitoring 
AppAssure events, see Viewing tasks, alerts, and events.
Starting a restored target server
Complete the steps in this procedure to start the restored target server.
This task is a step in Performing a bare metal restore for Windows machines. It is part of the process for 
Verifying a bare metal restore.
To start a restored target server
1 Navigate back to the target server, and verify that the AppAssure Universal Recovery Console is active.
2 Eject the boot CD (or disconnect physical media with the boot CD image) from the restored server.
3 In the Universal Recovery Console, from the Console tab, click Reboot.
4 Specify to start the operating system normally.
5 Log on to the machine. The system should be restored to its state captured in the recovery point.
Troubleshooting connections to the Universal 
Recovery Console
The following are troubleshooting steps for connecting to the boot CD image as part of the process for Selecting 
a recovery point and initiating BMR.
This task is a step in Performing a bare metal restore for Windows machines. It is part of the process for 
Verifying a bare metal restore.
If an error displays indicating that the Core could not connect to the remote server, then any of several possible 
causes are likely.
•Verify that the IP address and Current Password displayed in the URC is identical to the information you 
entered in the Recovery Console Instance dialog box.
•To reach the server on which to restore data, the Core must be able to identify the server on the 
network. To determine if this is possible, you can open a command prompt on the Core and ping the IP 
address of the target BMR server. You can also open a command prompt on the target server and ping the 
IP address of the AppAssure Core.
•Verify that the network adapter settings are compatible between Core and target BMR server.
NOTE: Before starting the restored target server, you should verify that the recovery was successful. For 
more information, see Viewing the recovery progress. 
						

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Repairing startup problems
Complete the steps in this procedure to repair startup problems. Keep in mind that if you restored to dissimilar 
hardware, you must have injected storage controller, RAID, AHCI, chipset and other drivers if they are not 
already on the boot CD. These drivers make it possible for the operating system to operate all devices on your 
target server successfully. For more information, see Injecting drivers to your target server.
This task is a step in Performing a bare metal restore for Windows machines. It is part of the process for 
Verifying a bare metal restore.
Complete the following procedure to repair startup problems on your target server.
To repair startup problems
1 Open the Universal Recovery Console by reloading the boot CD.
2 In the Universal Recovery Console, click Driver Injection.
3 In the Driver Injection dialog, click Repair Boot Problems.
The startup parameters in the target server boot record are automatically repaired.
4 In the Universal Recovery Console, click Reboot. 
						

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Retention and archiving
This chapter describes how to manage aging data with retention policies and then archive it for long-term 
storage. It includes the following sections:
•Managing retention policies
•Understanding archives
•Archiving to a cloud
Periodic backup snapshots of all of its protected machines accumulate on the Core over time. Retention policies 
are used to retain backup snapshots for longer periods of time and to help with the management of these 
backup snapshots. After the aged data reaches its predetermined limit (for example, one year), you can either 
delete the data or archive it to one of several locations, including a cloud account. The following topics 
describe how to set up retention policies and how to archive data from a protected machine.
Managing retention policies
The retention policy is enforced by a nightly rollup process that helps in aging and deleting old backups. For 
information about configuring retention policies, see Customizing retention policy settings for a protected 
machine.
Configuring Core default retention policy settings
The retention policy for the Core specifies how long the recovery points for an agent machine are stored in the 
repository. This retention policy is enforced by a rollup process which is performed as one component of running 
nightly jobs. Then, recovery points beyond the age specified in the retention policy are “rolled up” (combined) 
into fewer recovery points that cover a less granular period of time. Applying the retention policy on a nightly 
basis results in the ongoing rollup of aging backups. This eventually results in the deletion of the oldest recovery 
points, based on the requirements specified in that retention policy.
Different retention settings can be configured for source and target cores.
To configure Core default retention policy settings
1 Navigate to the AppAssure Core Console, click the Configuration tab, and then click Retention Policy.
The Retention Policy screen appears, displaying the retention policy options for the Core.
2 Specify the primary setting that determines how long initial backup snapshots are retained, and then 
proceed to define a cascading set of rollup requirements that determines the intervals between when 
recovery points should be rolled up.
The retention policy options are described in the following table.
NOTE: This topic is specific to customizing retention policy settings on the AppAssure Core. When you 
save customized retention policy settings on the Core, you establish the default retention policy settings 
which can be applied to all machines protected by this Core. For more information on customizing 
retention policy settings for individual protected machines, see Customizing retention policy settings for a 
protected machine. 
						

							Dell AppAssure User Guide
Version 5.4.3 Revision B246 The Newest Recovery Point text box displays the most recent recovery point. The oldest recovery point 
would be determined by the retention policy settings.
The following is an example of how the retention period is calculated.
Keep all recovery points for 3 days.
…and then keep one recovery point per hour for 3 days
…and then keep one recovery point per day for 4 days
…and then keep one recovery point per week for 3 weeks
…and then keep one recovery point per month for 2 months
…and then keep one recovery point per month for 1 year
Newest Recovery Point is set to the current day, month, and year.
In this example, the oldest recovery point would be 1 year, 4 months, and 6 days old.
3 Under Settings, in the Number of simultaneous Rollups text field, enter a numeric value. Table 122. 
Te x t  B o x D e s c r i p t i o n
Keep all Recovery Points for n 
[retention time period]Specifies the retention period for the recovery points.
Enter a number to represent the retention period and then 
select the time period. The default is 3 days.
You can choose from: Days, Weeks, Months, or Years
…and then keep one Recovery Point per 
hour for n [retention time period]Provides a more granular level of retention. It is used as a 
building block with the primary setting to further define how 
long recovery points are maintained.
Enter a number to represent the retention period and then 
select the time period. The default is 2 days.
You can choose from: Days, Weeks, Months, or Years
…and then keep one Recovery Point per 
day for n [retention time period]Provides a more granular level of retention. It is used as a 
building block to further define how long recovery points are 
maintained.
Enter a number to represent the retention period and then 
select the time period. The default is 4 days.
You can choose from: Days, Weeks, Months, or Years
…and then keep one Recovery Point per 
week for n [retention time period]Provides a more granular level of retention. It is used as a 
building block to further define how long recovery points are 
maintained.
Enter a number to represent the retention period and then 
select the time period. The default is 3 weeks.
You can choose from: Weeks, Months, or Years
…and then keep one Recovery Point per 
month for n [retention time period]Provides a more granular level of retention. It is used as a 
building block to further define how long recovery points are 
maintained.
Enter a number to represent the retention period and then 
select the time period. The default is 2 months.
You can choose from: Months or Years
…and then keep one Recovery Point per 
year for n [retention time period]Enter a number to represent the retention period and then 
select the time period.
You can choose from: Years 
						

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Version 5.4.3 Revision B247 This setting determines how many rollup operations can be performed at the same time. Setting the 
number above 1 will result in a shorter time to complete the rollup process, but will place a heavier load 
on the Core while rollups are occurring.
4Click Apply.
The retention policy you defined be applied during the nightly rollup.
You will also be able to apply these settings when specifying the retention policy for any individual agent 
machine. For more information about setting retention policies for an agent machine, see Customizing 
retention policy settings for a protected machine.
Customizing retention policy settings for a protected 
machine
The retention policy for an agent machine specifies how long recovery points are stored in the repository. 
Typically, each agent uses the default retention policy established for the core unless you specify a custom 
retention policy, as described in this procedure. 
Starting with version 5.4.1, AppAssure includes the ability to set disparate retention policies between an agent 
on the source core and the corresponding replicated agent on the target core.
Use this procedure to define a custom retention policy for an agent, including a replicated agent.
This task is also a step in the Modifying cluster node settings.
To customize retention policy settings for a protected machine
1 From the AppAssure Core Console, navigate to the machine that you want to modify.
2 Click the Configuration tab.
The Settings page displays.
3 In the Nightly Jobs pane, click Change.
The Nightly Jobs dialog box displays.
4 To specify the time intervals for retaining the backup data as needed, select the Rollup option and then 
click Settings.
The Configuration dialog box for retention policy displays.
5 If customizing retention policies settings for a replicated agent, and if you see a caution notifying you to 
perform an Integrity Check on your repository, proceed with this step. Otherwise, skip to Step 6.
a If you are prepared to perform the job, click Check Integrity
bClick Ye s to confirm the Integrity Check job.
NOTE: As a rule of thumb, set this value to 1. If rollup operations take too long, increment by one 
digit, and check system performance to ensure the change is constructive in your environment.
NOTE: In environments upgrading from AppAssure release 5.3.x to release 5.4.1 or later, if you want to 
customize a retention policy for any replicated agent, you must first upgrade the source and target cores 
to release 5.4.1, and then perform the Integrity Check job on each repository in that target core. 
Completing this job is likely to take a substantial amount of time, based on the size of your repository and 
the underlying storage system. For information about this job, see About the repository Integrity Check 
job. For information on performing this job, see Running the Integrity Check job on a repository.
CAUTION: This could take a substantial amount of time, based on the size of your repository. 
During this time, you can perform no other actions (snapshots, replication, virtual export, and 
so on) in the repository. For information about this job, see About the repository Integrity 
Check job.  
						

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Version 5.4.3 Revision B248 •Once the Check Integrity job completes all child job successfully, return to this procedure and 
continue with the next step.
6 In the Configuration dialog box, do one of the following:
•To use the default retention policy for this agent, select the Use Core default retention policy 
option, and then click Save. The default policy is applied to this agent.
•To define a custom retention policy for this agent, select the Use custom retention policy 
option, and then continue with the next step.
7 Enter the custom schedule for retaining the recovery points as described in the following table.
The Newest Recovery Point text box displays the most recent recovery point. The oldest recovery point 
would be determined by the retention policy settings.
The following is an example of how the retention period is calculated.
Keep all recovery points for 3 days.
…and then keep one recovery point per hour for 3 days
…and then keep one recovery point per day for 4 days
…and then keep one recovery point per week for 3 weeks Table 123. 
Te x t  B o x D e s c r i p t i o n
Keep all Recovery Points for n 
[retention time period]Specifies the retention period for the recovery points.
Enter a number to represent the retention period and then 
select the time period. The default is 3 days.
You can choose from: Days, Weeks, Months, and Years
…and then keep one Recovery Point per 
hour for n [retention time period]Provides a more granular level of retention. It is used as a 
building block with the primary setting to further define how 
long recovery points are maintained.
Enter a number to represent the retention period and then 
select the time period. The default is 2 days.
You can choose from: Days, Weeks, Months, and Years
…and then keep one Recovery Point per 
day for n [retention time period]Provides a more granular level of retention. It is used as a 
building block to further define how long recovery points are 
maintained.
Enter a number to represent the retention period and then 
select the time period. The default is 4 days.
You can choose from: Days, Weeks, Months, and Years
…and then keep one Recovery Point per 
week for n [retention time period]Provides a more granular level of retention. It is used as a 
building block to further define how long recovery points are 
maintained.
Enter a number to represent the retention period and then 
select the time period. The default is 3 weeks.
You can choose from: Weeks, Months, and Years
…and then keep one Recovery Point per 
month for n [retention time period]Provides a more granular level of retention. It is used as a 
building block to further define how long recovery points are 
maintained.
Enter a number to represent the retention period and then 
select the time period. The default is 2 months.
You can choose from: Months and Years
…and then keep one Recovery Point per 
year for n [retention time period]Enter a number to represent the retention period and then 
select the time period.
You can choose from: Years