How to Use Instant VM Recovery with Quick Rollback

How Veeam Instant VM Recovery Quick Rollback Work

When recovering with the Quick Rollback option, Veeam Backup & Replication skips calculating differences for the entire VM disk. Instead, it uses CBT (Changed Block Tracking) to identify and process only the modified disk sectors, speeding up the summary calculation. Recovery then proceeds as usual: transferring the changed blocks to the source VM, shutting down the VM copy, and syncing the source VM with the copy.

Veeam Quick Rollback is ideal for guest OS-level issues, like application errors or accidental file deletions. However, avoid using it for hardware, storage, or power-related problems.

Requirements and Restrictions for Veeam Quick Rollback

💡Requirements

To use Quick Rollback, the following conditions must be met:

• Failback Location: The operation must target the original source virtual machine.
• CBT Enabled: Changed Block Tracking (CBT) must be active on the source virtual machine.
• Option Selection: The "Use Changed Block Tracking Data" option must be enabled when creating the VM copy.

💥Restrictions

Consider these limitations when performing a Quick Rollback:

1. VMware vSphere 7.0 and Later: Due to changes in VMware vSphere 7.0+, replica failback forces a full recalculation of summaries for source and target VMs, making Quick Rollback ineffective on ESXi hosts from version 7.0 onward.
2. CBT Reset: After failback using Quick Rollback, the first replica job session resets CBT on the source VM. This causes Veeam Backup & Replication to read the entire VM data.
3. Transport Modes: Quick Rollback supports direct NFS access, virtual appliance, and network transport modes. However, direct SAN access transport mode is not supported due to VMware limitations.

Quick Rollback offers a targeted restoration method, saving time by only recovering altered data blocks.

AOMEI Cyber Backup for Instant VM Recovery

A reliable instant VM recovery with quick rollback techniques ensures swift, reliable disaster recovery for virtual machines.

AOMEI Cyber Backup emerges as a reliable solution for VM instant recovery, offering unique advantages for virtual machines. The Instant Recovery feature restores the backed-up virtual machines and business systems in a very short time, thereby minimizing the time of business interruption and ensuring business continuity.

✐ Ease of Use: Intuitive interface simplifies backup and recovery processes.
✐ Flexibility: Supports full and incremental backups, ensuring optimized storage usage.
✐ Granular Recovery: Instantly restore individual files, folders, or entire VMs with precision.
✐ Cost-Effectiveness: Ideal for small and medium-sized businesses with budget constraints.

Simple Steps to Perform Instant Restore of Virtual Machines

✍ Prerequisites for instant restore
• Computer with AOMEI Cyber Backup installed
• VMware ESXi backups created by AOMEI Cyber Backup

Step 1. Navigate to Task > Instant Recovery > + New Instant Recovery, and choose Restore from task.

Step 2. Choose the virtual machine and backup version in Source.

Step 3. Choose the target device in the Restore to section.

Step 4. Set the hardware settings for the new virtual machine, including CPU quantity, CPU Cores, and memory size.

Step 5. Click Start Restore to start the instant recovery.

Step 6. Click Start Migration to restore the virtual machine to the production environment after the production environment resumes normal.

AOMEI Cyber Backup provides a versatile, cost-effective alternative for businesses of all sizes, emphasizing simplicity and reliability in VM recovery.

FAQs

What is the difference between instant VM recovery and entire VM?

Instant VM recovery is a fast method that boots a virtual machine directly from backup storage, minimizing downtime while the full data restoration occurs in the background. In contrast, entire VM recovery involves fully transferring and rebuilding the VM from backup before it becomes operational, which takes more time. Instant recovery prioritizes speed, while entire VM recovery ensures a complete rebuild before use.

Does Veeam automatically delete old backups?

Backup files created with Veeam Agent for Microsoft Windows are removed automatically according to the retention policy settings. If necessary, you can remove a backup file manually with a file manager, for example, Microsoft Windows Explorer. Always delete the whole backup chain from the target location.

What are the common risks of relying on VM rollback?

The primary risks include restoring outdated data or unverified backups, which can lead to inconsistencies.

Conclusion

Downtime in a virtualized environment can result in productivity loss, financial repercussions, and customer dissatisfaction. Features like Veeam Quick Rollback and solutions like AOMEI Cyber Backup ensure businesses have access to rapid, efficient recovery options.

Investing in the right recovery tools not only guarantees minimal disruptions but also protects your organization’s reputation and bottom line.