Enable Self-Hosted Standby Image plan
Devices cannot be added to a Standby Image plan if already assigned to a Recovery Testing plan.
From Main Dashboard
To enable Self-Hosted Standby Image on a device from the Management Console's main Dashboard, follow the steps below:
- Log in to the Management Console under a SuperUser or Manager account
- Select the device(s) you wish to assign a plan to using the checkboxes to the left of the device name
- From the beta Dashboard:
- click Add to recovery plan from the Toolbar
- Select Standby Image (self-hosted)
- click Add to recovery plan from the Toolbar
- From the classic Dashboard, click Assign then Standby Image plan
- Select the customer the device(s) you wish to apply the Standby Image plan belong to
- Choose the recovery location as was configured in Add Recovery Locations
If the selected customer does not have any locations, you must add one before continuing by selecting Add recovery location. See Add Recovery Locations for full details of adding a location.
If the Recovery Location does not have a drive letter, one must be provided before continuing
It is not possible to assign a location for which the Host availability is "Offline"
- Click Next
- Confirm compatibility of the device(s) you want to apply the Standby Image plan on
- Click Next
- Enter the security code/encryption key or passphrase for the device(s). This can be either:
- Private encryption key - Created by yourself when installing Backup Manager on the device. If you have lost the encryption key/security code for the device, you will need to Convert devices to passphrase-based encryption
- Passphrase encryption - These are generated on demand for automatically installed devices. You can find information on this here
If you are logged in as a security officer, this will be detected automatically.
- Click Next to continue
- Choose the restore format:
- Hyper-V
- Local VHDX
- Configure the Optional Recovery Settings for the restore format selected by clicking Optional Settings to the right of the storage location:
- Hyper-V optional settings:
- Boot VM after restore and take a screenshot - If this option is enabled, the new virtual machine is booted up after recovery and a confirmation screenshot is created. The results of recovery sessions together with screenshots of the booted systems come in email notifications if an email address was provided to receive a report
The screenshots are also available in the Management Console see the "Screenshot" column in the Standby Image overview
Use the feature carefully if there is another virtual machines in the local network offering the same services (for example, the Active Directory) as it can result in a conflict with subsequent data loss.
- Repair files replication service - If you are restoring Active Directory with multiple domain controllers, you should change the FRS and DFSR services to authoritative in the domain controller that will be started in the first place. Avoid marking several FRS/DFSR services as authoritative in the production environment as it can result in data loss. When the feature is on, the FRS and DFSR services are started on the target VM in the authoritative mode. The NETLOGON and SYSVOL shares become available, so the Active Directory and DNS services become functional again
More information about FRS/DFSR is available in the Microsoft Knowledge Base. Article IDs: KB2218556 and KB290762
- LocalSpeedVault - If a LocalSpeedVault (LSV) is enabled on a backup device, the data is sent to both the LSV and the cloud or private storage location. During a restore, data is automatically downloaded from the LSV first to the local device which makes restore faster. If the LSV is not available or not synchronized, the restore data will be pulled from the cloud or private storage location. This takes place automatically and cannot be reconfigured
- CPU Cores - Select the number of CPU Cores to be allocated to the new virtual machine
- RAM (GB) - Select the amount of RAM in Gigabites to be allocated to the new virtual machine
- Virtual switch – Enter the Hyper-V network adapter that will be used by your new virtual machine
- VM subnet mask – Assign a custom subnet mask to the virtual machine
- VM gateway – Assign a custom gateway to the virtual machine
- VM DNS servers – Assign the list of custom DNS servers (separated by comma), Example:
- VM IP address – Assign a custom IP address to the virtual machine
8.8.8.8 or 8.8.8.8,7.7.7.7
- Boot VM after restore and take a screenshot - If this option is enabled, the new virtual machine is booted up after recovery and a confirmation screenshot is created. The results of recovery sessions together with screenshots of the booted systems come in email notifications if an email address was provided to receive a report
- Local VHDX optional settings:
- Repair files replication service - If you are restoring Active Directory with multiple domain controllers, you should change the FRS and DFSR services to authoritative in the domain controller that will be started in the first place. Avoid marking several FRS/DFSR services as authoritative in the production environment as it can result in data loss. When the feature is on, the FRS and DFSR services are started on the target VM in the authoritative mode. The NETLOGON and SYSVOL shares become available, so the Active Directory and DNS services become functional again
More information about FRS/DFSR is available in the Microsoft Knowledge Base. Article IDs: KB2218556 and KB290762
- LocalSpeedVault - If a LocalSpeedVault (LSV) is enabled on a backup device, the data is sent to both the LSV and the cloud or private storage location. During a restore, data is automatically downloaded from the LSV first to the local device which makes restore faster. If the LSV is not available or not synchronized, the restore data will be pulled from the cloud or private storage location. This takes place automatically and cannot be reconfigured
- Repair files replication service - If you are restoring Active Directory with multiple domain controllers, you should change the FRS and DFSR services to authoritative in the domain controller that will be started in the first place. Avoid marking several FRS/DFSR services as authoritative in the production environment as it can result in data loss. When the feature is on, the FRS and DFSR services are started on the target VM in the authoritative mode. The NETLOGON and SYSVOL shares become available, so the Active Directory and DNS services become functional again
- Hyper-V optional settings:
- Click Next
- Click Next to progress to the Report window to enter one or more email addresses to receive a report when recovery has completed (separate multiple email addresses using a comma or semi-colon)
If you do not want to add an email address to receive reports, click Skip this step
- Confirm assigning the plan to the device(s)
- Wait for the plan to be assigned until you see a confirmation banner on the page
- Click Finish
From Device Properties
As with any normal device, when you click on the device name, you will see the Device Properties dialogue. If no plan is assigned to a compatible device, the Settings tab will display an option to add the device to plan.
- Click the Device name from the Backup Dashboard
- Navigate to the Settings tab
- Select Add to Standby Image
- You will now be taken to the Add devices wizard. Follow the steps from enabling the Standby Image Plan starting at #6 by selecting the recovery location.
You can also add Recovery testing report recipient email addresses via the devices Settings tab, when the plan is already in place, along with changing the recovery format and the settings for the selected format.
From Standby Image Overview
- Log in to the Management Console under a SuperUser or Manager account
- Navigate to Recovery Dashboard > Standby Image
- Click Add to Plan
- Select Standby Image (self-hosted)
- You will now be taken to the Add devices wizard. Follow the steps to enable the Standby Image Plan starting at #6 by confirming the Customer selected is correct.
From Recovery Locations dashboard
Devices can be added to a Recovery Location one at a time, thereby enabling the Standby Image Plan, from the Recovery > Recovery Locations page using one of three methods.
Devices can only be added to the Recovery Location using these methods one at a time.
These will only be available if the Recovery Location is Online.
- Top bar menu
- Select the checkbox for the Recovery Location to add the device to
- At the top of the Recovery Locations page, select Add device to location
- You will now be taken to the Add devices wizard. Follow the steps to enable the Standby Image Plan starting at #6 by confirming the Customer selected is correct.
- Location context menu
- Right-click on the Recovery Location to add the device to
- Select Add device to location
- You will now be taken to the Add devices wizard. Follow the steps to enable the Standby Image Plan starting at #6 by confirming the Customer selected is correct.
- Right hand menu
- Click the action item button for the Recovery Location, seen as three dots in a vertical line to the right of the location's storage drive
- Select Add device to location
- You will now be taken to the Add devices wizard. Follow the steps to enable the Standby Image Plan starting at #6 by confirming the Customer selected is correct.
Recovery Report
Where the plan has report recipient email address(es) configured, once the test has completed those recipients will receive the report in their email in-box. Below is an example of a successful test email:
