You can run a VMware vSphere VM directly from backup storage without performing a full restore. This lets you quickly power on VMs for validation, testing, or rapid recovery.
For general information about running VMs from backup, see Running VMs from backup.
Use this option when you need to restore a VM quickly with minimal downtime:
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You need to make the VM available immediately after a failure
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You want the VM to run while data is restored in the background
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You are recovering from an outage or disruption
To restore and run a VM using live recovery, follow these steps:
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From the Command Center navigation pane, go to Protect > Virtual machines.
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On the Virtual machines tab, click the VM.
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In the Recovery points tile, click the date of the backup to use, and then click Restore.
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Click Live recovery.
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Select the VM, and then click Next.
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On the Restore options page, configure the destination environment.
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Select the destination compute and storage.
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Configure network settings as needed.
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(Optional) Configure additional settings. For more information, see Common settings for virtual machine protection.
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Click Submit.
Use this option when you want to run a VM directly from backup storage without restoring it:
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You want to test or validate a VM
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You need temporary access to VM data
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You want to verify backups or troubleshoot issues
During a live mount, the VM runs using backup data, while remaining connected to your VMware environment. Performance depends on network connectivity and storage.
Requirements for live mount
To run a VM directly from backup storage, additional connectivity is required between your VMware environment and the backup infrastructure:
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The ESXi host must be able to access the access node or MediaAgent that hosts the backup data
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Network communication must be allowed for mounting backup data to the ESXi host
To run a VM from a backup using live mount, follow these steps:
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From the Command Center navigation pane, go to Protect > Virtual machines.
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On the Virtual machines tab, click the VM.
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In the Recovery points tile, click the date of the backup to use, and then click Live mount.
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Select the VM, and then click Next.
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On the Mount options page, configure the destination environment.
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Select the destination compute and storage.
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Configure network settings as needed.
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(Optional) Configure additional settings. For more information, see Common settings for virtual machine protection.
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Click Submit.