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Booting a virtual failover client in live mode

Use the instructions described here to boot the virtual failover client (VFC) in live mode. The original client should be shut down before you boot the VFC in live mode.

To boot a virtual failover client in live mode

1 In the Navigation pane, select the backup system or replication target managing the VFC.
2 Select Settings > Instant Recovery > Windows.
3 Select the VFC you want to boot. You see the Modify Virtual Failover Client window.
4 Check the box next to Set the virtual failover client to go into live mode.
5 Click Confirm to initiate the operation.

Note:  If a restore to the VFC is in progress, the VFC does not boot until the restore completes.

6 Complete one of the following, depending on where your virtual failover client resides:

VFC location

Steps

Recovery Series appliance (backup system or replication target)

Connect to the VFC using VNC, then log in.

To connect using a VNC viewer, specify the IP address of the Unitrends appliance followed by a colon and the VNC Port.(Go to Settings > Instant Recovery > Windows, and the VNC port is on the Windows Instant Recovery Clients screen.)

External hypervisor

Connect to the VFC using the hypervisor manager.

Note:  If you access the VFC before it has booted, you might see the first screen of the Windows Integrated Bare Metal Recovery Wizard. This screen displays because the instant recovery and integrated bare metal recovery features use the same ISO image to boot a recovered Windows machine. You should not attempt to complete the steps on the bare metal screen. After several seconds, the login screen for the original client displays.
7 If you see a message about needing to reactivate Windows, you must activate the operating system using your product key. Click Activate Now and register the client.

Perform the next few steps in this procedure to ensure that the hardware, disks, volumes, and network access are available.

8 Reboot the VFC, if prompted. On first boot, Windows automatically performs some driver updates. When this is complete, the system prompts you to reboot.
9 Check the disk configuration using Windows Disk Management. (These steps might be slightly different depending on the Windows version.)
• Press the Start button.
• Right-click the Computer item.
• Choose Manage.
• Choose Storage > Disk Management. This application shows a graphical view of all disks and volumes.
• If the disk manager shows any disks in the Offline state, then right-click the disk icon and choose Online.
• If it shows any dynamic disks as Foreign, right-click the disk icon and click Import.

Note:  After this is complete, all volumes should appear as they did on the original client.

10 Set the system clock. The client may be running with the system clock time that existed during the latest backup. This may cause the client to boot with a date/time in the past.
11 From the Windows Control Panel, update the network properties for the adapter (the TCP/IPv4 address).

Note:  For a VFC residing on an external hypervisor. The network settings you configured when creating the VFC are used only for virtual restores. You must assign new network settings after booting the VFC in live mode.

Perform one of the following depending on your environment:

ClosedVFC running on a Recovery Series appliance
• If the original client has a static IP address, assign the live VFC the same network settings as the original client. This ensures that the VFC functions as the original client and that the original client’s scheduled backup and archive jobs continue for the VFC.
• If you are using DHCP to assign IP addresses and you registered the original client to the backup system using only the client’s name, the backup system detects the live VFC after you connect it to your network. The backup system then treats the live VFC as if it is the original client. No additional network configurations are necessary to ensure that scheduled backup and archive jobs continue for the client.
ClosedVFC running on an external hypervisor
• If the original client has a static IP address, assign the live VFC the same network settings as the original client. This ensures that the VFC functions as the original client and that the original client’s scheduled backup and archive jobs continue for the VFC.
• If the original client has a static IP address and the hypervisor running the VFC does not have a network interface on the same subnet as the original client, assign the VFC new network setting using the same subnet as the hypervisor. You must then modify the settings for the original client in the Unitrends backup system and enter the new IP address. This enables the appliance to treat the VFC as if it is the original client. For instructions, see To modify a client.
12 In the Unitrends backup system protecting the original client, perform the steps listed below. These steps are required to finish the preparation of the VFC and make the applications, like SQL, on the VFC available on the network.

Note:  If you have created and updated the VFC using replicated backups, be sure to perform these steps from the backup system to which you added the original client rather than from the replication target.

• Select Settings > Clients, Networking, and Notifications > Clients.
• Select the original Windows client.
• Click Okay.
• Once the client is saved, SQL databases and other applications may require a few minutes to become available.

The VFC can now perform the role of the original Windows client.

Note:  About restored Exchange servers. If you have trouble mounting the restored databases, they may be in a Dirty Shutdown state. See this Microsoft article to determine whether this is the problem: Exchange Database is in a Dirty Shutdown State.

13 Proceed to one of the following topics depending on the location of the VFC:
• Live mode recommendations for a virtual failover client running on a Recovery Series appliance
• Live mode recommendations for a virtual failover client running on an external hypervisor