VM Restore¶
Veeam Backup & Replication allows you to restore an entire virtual machine from a backup stored in the Cloud4You Cloud Repository.
A machine can be restored:
- to the original location,
- to a new location,
- to the latest available state,
- to a selected earlier restore point.
Typical scenario:
Cloud4You Cloud Repository
│
▼
Selected restore point
│
▼
Entire VM Restore
│
├── Original location
│
└── New location
Important
Restoring an entire machine may replace an existing production machine. Before starting the operation, make sure that the correct restore point and restore mode have been selected.
Requirements¶
Before starting the restore, check that:
- Cloud4You has been added correctly as a Service Provider,
- the Cloud Repository is available,
- the machine backup is visible in the Veeam console,
- at least one valid restore point exists,
- the Veeam server can communicate with Cloud4You infrastructure,
- the virtualization environment to which the machine will be restored is available in Veeam Backup & Replication,
- enough free space is available on the target datastore or storage.
1. Open the machine backup¶
Open:
Go to:
If the backup is encrypted, it may be visible under:
Expand the appropriate backup job and find the machine you want to restore.
2. Start Entire VM Restore¶
Right-click the selected machine and select:
The full-machine restore wizard will start.
3. Select a restore point¶
In the:
step, select the machine and click:
Then select the appropriate restore point.
Example:
For a failure scenario, select the latest valid restore point.
For a security incident, ransomware, or data corruption, select a restore point created before the problem occurred.
Ransomware
The newest restore point is not always the correct choice. If system compromise is suspected, select the latest backup known to have been created before the incident.
Click:
4. Select the restore mode¶
In the:
step, select one of the available options.
Restore to the original location¶
The:
option restores the machine to its original location and settings.
This is the simplest option when:
- the original machine has been deleted,
- the machine is damaged,
- you want to restore its earlier state.
Production machine
If the original machine still exists, the restore operation may affect the running production environment. Before starting, make sure that you are restoring the correct machine and that any required downtime has been accepted.
Quick rollback¶
For restore to the original location, Veeam may provide:
Quick rollback uses changed-block tracking mechanisms and restores only the data blocks required to return the machine to the selected restore point.
This can significantly reduce restore time.
Note
Quick rollback availability depends on the platform, environment configuration, and the state of the source machine.
Restore to a new location¶
The:
option allows you to restore the machine without overwriting an existing VM.
In the following steps, you can specify, among other things:
- target host or cluster,
- resource pool,
- datastore or storage,
- folder,
- machine name,
- network mapping.
This option is particularly useful for:
- test restores,
- backup verification,
- recovery after infrastructure failure,
- migration to another host or storage,
- analysis of a machine after a security incident.
Test restore
For periodic backup testing, it is safer to restore the machine to a new location and use an isolated test network.
Click:
5. Select the target location¶
If you selected:
the wizard will ask for target parameters.
Depending on the virtualization platform, the available options may include:
Review all settings before proceeding.
Host or cluster¶
Select the host or cluster on which the restored machine should run.
Make sure that the target infrastructure has sufficient:
- CPU,
- RAM,
- disk space.
Datastore / Storage¶
Select the location where the machine disks should be stored.
Before starting the restore, check the available free space.
Warning
Entire VM Restore writes the machine data to the target storage. The available capacity must be sufficient for the restored disks.
Machine name¶
When restoring to a new location, it is worth using a name that clearly distinguishes the restored machine from the production one.
Example:
or:
6. Configure networking¶
In the network step, verify the mapping of the machine's network interfaces.
For a test restore, we recommend:
if doing so could cause a conflict.
This is especially important for systems such as:
- domain controllers,
- DHCP servers,
- DNS servers,
- ERP systems,
- database servers,
- systems using static IP addresses.
Production conflict
Starting a copy of a machine with the same IP address, hostname, or active services on the same network as the production system may cause conflicts or disruptions.
For testing, it is best to use:
or a network without connectivity to production.
7. Secure Restore¶
If the feature is available in your configuration, Veeam may display the:
step.
Secure Restore allows machine data to be checked before the machine is restored to the production environment.
Depending on the configuration, Veeam can use:
- antivirus scanning,
- YARA rules.
This is particularly useful when restoring after:
- ransomware,
- malware infection,
- suspected intrusion,
- another security incident.
Tip
After a security incident, do not automatically restore the machine directly to the production network. If possible, use Secure Restore or start the restored machine in an isolated environment first.
8. Enter the restore reason¶
In the:
step, enter a description of the operation.
Example:
or:
or:
The reason will be stored in the Veeam session history.
Click:
9. Review the summary¶
In the:
step, check:
- machine name,
- restore point,
- restore mode,
- target host or cluster,
- datastore / storage,
- network configuration,
- Secure Restore settings.
If you want the machine to start automatically after the operation, select:
Warning
For a test restore or after a security incident, we recommend leaving automatic startup disabled and verifying the network configuration first.
Click:
10. Monitor progress¶
After the restore starts, Veeam will download data from the Cloud Repository and write it to the selected storage.
You can monitor progress in the Veeam console.
Restore time depends on:
- machine size,
- amount of data in the backup,
- Internet connection bandwidth,
- target storage performance,
- Veeam infrastructure performance,
- current environment load.
Example:
Info
Restoring an entire machine from the Cloud Repository may require transferring a large amount of data over the Internet. For very large machines, take the connection bandwidth and expected RTO into account.
11. Verify the restored machine¶
After the restore completes, do not limit verification to the:
status.
Also check:
- whether the machine was created correctly,
- whether all disks are available,
- whether the operating system starts correctly,
- whether the filesystem is consistent,
- whether applications start correctly,
- whether databases work,
- whether network interfaces have the correct configuration,
- whether system services are running,
- whether the data comes from the expected restore point.
Only after this verification should the restore be considered complete.
Restore to the original or a new location?¶
Original location¶
Choose this option when:
- the production VM has been deleted,
- the VM is damaged,
- a previous state must be restored quickly,
- you accept the impact of the operation on the existing machine.
New location¶
Choose this option when:
- you are testing the backup,
- you want to verify the data,
- you do not want to overwrite the production VM,
- you are analyzing an incident,
- you are restoring the VM to another host or storage.
For testing, this is usually the safer option.
Restore after ransomware¶
If the restore is required because of ransomware or another security incident:
- do not assume that the newest restore point is clean,
- determine the approximate time the incident started,
- select a restore point from before the compromise,
- if possible, use Secure Restore,
- restore the machine to an isolated network,
- verify the system before reconnecting it to production,
- change credentials if they may have been compromised.
Example flow:
Cloud Repository
↓
Restore point from before the incident
↓
Secure Restore
↓
Isolated network
↓
Verification
↓
Production
Common issues¶
Restore entire VM option is missing¶
Check:
- whether the correct backup has been selected,
- whether the backup contains a virtual machine image,
- whether the operation is started from
Home → Backups, - whether the backup type supports Entire VM Restore.
No restore points¶
Check the history of the backup job or Backup Copy Job.
Go to:
and make sure that at least one valid restore point exists for the machine.
Related guides:
Restore is very slow¶
Check:
- Internet connection bandwidth,
- bandwidth usage by other services,
- target storage performance,
- VM size,
- current infrastructure load.
When restoring an entire VM from the cloud, link speed may directly affect the RTO.
The restored machine has no network connectivity¶
Check:
- network mapping during the restore,
- vNIC configuration,
- VLAN,
- IP addressing,
- availability of the correct port group / virtual switch,
- operating system configuration.
The restored machine was started together with the production VM¶
If both machines have the same:
- hostname,
- IP configuration,
- application role,
immediately isolate the restored VM from the production network and verify its configuration.
Best practices¶
When restoring an entire machine, we recommend:
- performing restore tests regularly,
- keeping the DR procedure outside the backed-up environment,
- documenting the required RTO and RPO,
- knowing the bandwidth available to Cloud4You,
- testing large VMs before an actual failure,
- using an isolated network for restore testing,
- using Secure Restore after an incident,
- verifying the application after the system starts.
Important
A backup is part of the Disaster Recovery process, but only a successfully tested recovery procedure confirms that the required RTO and RPO can be achieved.
Summary¶
The basic path for restoring an entire VM from the Cloud Repository is:
Home
↓
Backups
↓
Cloud
↓
select VM
↓
Restore entire VM
↓
select Restore Point
↓
Original location / New location
↓
Host / Storage / Network
↓
Secure Restore (optional)
↓
Reason
↓
Summary
↓
Finish
After the operation completes, always verify that the system and applications work correctly.