If you are using Hyper feature in your production environment and looking for efficient ways to avoid data loss and protect business security, you can backup your Hyper-V using the methods in this article.
I am testing the following scenario: on a physical machine I have installed Hyper-V Server 2019 and this is the host of 2 VMs. The one VM is a Domain Controller (Win Serv 2019) and on the other VM there is auditing software (the OS is Win Serv 2019). What would you suggest for backing up these 2 VMs?
Hyper-V Server 2019 is a standalone, free product only including roles related to virtualization. It has an unlimited evaluation period and includes the same hypervisor technology as in Hyper-V role of Windows Server 2019.
Just like other versions of Hyper-V, backing up VMs is a critical task, especially when they carry some mission-critical workloads, or when you have to perform some risky operations. It's best to make regular backups to avoid any unwanted data loss.
Luckily, whether you install Hyper-V role on Windows Server 2019 or download Hyper-V Server 2019, you can create Hyper-V 2019 backup with some built-in features or a third-party backup solution. Keep reading to get a clear answer.
Before making a backup of Hyper-V Server 2019 virtual machines, here are some tips you should know:
1. If the density of VMs on the host is high, it is worth planning the backup time to prevent a high load on the productive systems during working hours.
2. Do not forget to delete the unwanted Hyper-V backups. If you are regularly backing up Hyper-V VM, you should manage the multiple Hyper-V copies, and you can automatize backup management using scripts or your backup tools.
3. Better to delete the Hyper-V checkpoints and power off the virtual machine before backup.
4. Prepare sufficient space for backups. The more often you make checkpoints, the more place you need in the backup storage. Typically, you can use the Data Deduplication technology (integrated into Windows Server) or the deduplication solution from the backup provider.
5. Use the 3-2-1 backup rule to protect virtual machines in Hyper-V Server 2019.
6. If you are running Hyper-V Server 2019 on Hyper-V and run into issues starting new VMs you may need to shut down and enable nested virtualization for that VM: Set-VMProcessor -VMName "Hyper-V Server 2019" -ExposeVirtualizationExtensions $true
In Windows Server 2019 or Hyper-V Server 2019, Windows Server Backup is an official software for basic Hyper-V backup and restore. Alternatively, you can use flexible and powerful Hyper-V backup software. In this part, we will focus on these 2 ways to help you backup Hyper-V VMs easily.
Windows Server Backup is available both on Windows Server 2012 (and later) and on Hyper-V Server. You can use WSB via the graphic backup/restore wizard or the wbadmin command-line tool.
Note. Run this command to install WSB in Server Manager console: Install-WindowsFeature Windows-Server-Backup -IncludeManagementTools
1. Access to Windows Server Backup, select Backup Schedule to create an automatic backup.
2. On Select Backup Configuration wizard, you can choose to backup Full server or select Custom to backup Hyper-V certain files. If you select Custom, then go to specify the items. Click Next.
3. Select Add Items to backup Hyper-V virtual machines. Click OK.
4. On Specify the Backup Time wizard, set up when and how often to backup Hyper-V virtual machines.
5. On Specify Destination Type wizard, 3 options to store the Hyper-V backups. Select Backup to a hard disk that is dedicated for backups as an example. Then click Show All Available Disks to select the dedicated disk.
✶ Backup to a hard disk that is dedicated for backups(recommended): It’s the fastest way to store Hyper-V backups, and the hard disk will be formatted and dedicated to only store backups. ✶ Backup to a volume: If you don’t have a dedicated disk for backups, storing backups to the volume that can reduce the performance of this volume by up to 200 percent. ✶ Backup to a shard network folder: Choose this portion if you don’t want to store backups locally. You can only have one backup at a time because when you create a new backup it erases the previous backups and the latest backup is available.
6. Confirm the information and click Finish.
The process of Hyper-V 2019 backup is not complicated, but WSB still has its disadvantages: 1. It is hard to manage backup in medium and large Hyper-V installations (it is suitable only for small environments with 1-3 Hyper-V hosts) 2. You cannot automatically recover the specific file or the app state. (You will have to manually mount a .vhdx file of a backup and manually copy the file you need). 3. If there are many high density and large sizes of VMs on the host, you will have to schedule backups using Windows Task Scheduler to prevent server overloads and high load on LAN/SAN/iSCSI network during business hours.
So, many users search for a professional backup program to perform Hyper-V backups.
As we mentioned, if you are managing multiple virtual machines in Hyper-V Server 2019, you could need a third-party backup software to perform Hyper-V 2019 backups.
AOMEI Cyber Backup is a free Hyper-V backup tool. It's ideal for businesses of all sizes. With this professional backup software, you can easily and quickly create and manage multiple Hyper-V 2019 backups from a centralized console.
And it allows you to enjoy the following benefits for free.
Perpetual Free: no time limit for AOMEI Cyber Backup Free Edition. Easy-to-use: Offer an intuitive interface for backup deployment and management. Easily add all Hyper V VMs and create backup tasks with a few clicks. Automatic backup: Setup backup schedule, this software will automatically run backups (full/incremental/differential backup) at your preset time. And the smart monitor mechanism for backup status. It sends email notifications for successful backups and errors. Flexible data protection: recover your VM backup from any point and you can easily restore the VM to another host without any complicated reinstallation and configuration. Instant disaster recovery: Its quick backup and recovery speeds save time and ensure business continuity.
Please hit the button below to download and use AOMEI Cyber Backup for free. Then we will walk you through how to backup Hyper-V virtual machines with this solution.
*You can choose to install this VM backup software on either Windows or Linux system.
How to backup Hyper-V 2019 VMs with AOMEI Cyber Backup easily
Step 1. Download, install, and run AOMEI Cyber Backup. On its interface, click Source Device >> Hyper-V >> Add Hyper-V. Then enter the Hyper-V host information. Click confirm to add all VMs on the host.
Step 2. Then click Backup Task >> Create New Task. On the Create New Task dialogue, choose Hyper-V as the backup type. And configure the other settings as you need.
✦ Target: select backup destination as local or network. You can also connect an external hard drive to VM to store H✦yper-V 2019 backups.
✦ Schedule: choose the full/differential backups and set up when and how often (daily/weekly/monthly) to execute the backup plan.
Step 3. Click Start Backup to complete the Hyper-V 2019 backup plan. You can monitor the backup process in the main interface.
Step 4. When you need to restore your VM backups, click the 3-dot icon and click Restore.
✦ Select a backup version and choose to Restore to original location.
✍ While the Free Edition covers most of the VM backup needs, you can also upgrade to Premium Edition to enjoy: ✦ Batch VM Backup: Batch backup large numbers of VMs managed by vCenter Server or standalone ESXi hosts. ✦ Backup Cleanup: Configure retention policy to auto delete the old backup files and save storage space. ✦ Restore to new location: Easily make a clone of a virtual machine in the same or another datastore/host, without reinstalling or configuring a new VM.
AOMEI Cyber Backup helps protect multiple Hyper-V virtual machines for free and is easy to restore Hyper-V VM in case of disaster. It is ideal for you to build a secure virtualized environment.
This article provides you with safe and effective Hyper-V 2019 backup solutions. If you have a small virtual environment, you can use Windows Server Backup to back up Hyper-V 2019. However, AOMEI Cyber Backup offers an automatic backup and cleanup plan for multiple Hyper-V backups that saves disk space and time cost and comprehensively protects your virtual environment.
With a free Hyper-V backup solution, you can protect your Hyper-V virtual machines from data loss caused by natural disasters, malware, power failure, etc.