Frequently Asked Questions

How can I back up my Hyper-V virtual machines?

To back up your Hyper-V virtual machines,

1. Sign in to the IDrive 360 desktop application and click 'Server Backup'. A slider menu will appear.
2. Click 'Hyper-V'. The Hyper-V backup/restore console appears, with 'Hyper-V backup' selected by default.
   
3. Select 'Online Backup', 'Local Backup', or 'IDrive^® 360 Express™ Backup'.

   Note: ‘Online Backup’ stores the data in the IDrive 360 cloud. ‘Local Backup’ and ‘IDrive^® 360 Express™ Backup’ store the data on the local drive.

4. Select the virtual machines from the list and specify a temporary path for the local backup.

   Note: Once the local backup is initiated, '.ServerBackup' folder is automatically created.

5. Click 'Schedule Now'.
   
6. The 'Scheduler' screen appears, where you can schedule the backup for a future date and time or perform an immediate backup of the selected virtual machines.

Does IDrive 360 support incremental backups for Hyper-V virtual machines?

Yes. For Hyper-V virtual machines with configuration version 8.0 or later, IDrive 360 supports incremental backups following the initial full online backup, optimizing both Internet bandwidth and storage usage.

Can I back up Hyper-V virtual machines to a network-mapped or NAS drive?

Yes, you can back up Hyper-V virtual machines to a network-mapped drive or NAS drive. While selecting the local backup path, choose the network-mapped or NAS drive and provide the necessary authentication.

To back up Hyper-V virtual machines to a network-mapped or NAS drive,

1. Sign in to the IDrive 360 desktop application and click 'Server Backup'.
2. Click 'Hyper-V'. The Hyper-V backup/restore console appears, with ‘Hyper-V backup' selected by default.
   
3. Select 'Online Backup', 'Local Backup', or 'IDrive^® 360 Express™ Backup'.
4. Select the virtual machines from the list.
5. Choose the network-mapped or NAS drive as the location for creating the disk image.
6. Click 'Schedule Now'.
   
7. The 'Scheduler' appears, where you can schedule the backup for a future date and time or perform an immediate backup of the selected virtual machines.

What are the system requirements for IDrive^® 360 Hyper-V backup?

The system requirements for IDrive 360 Hyper-V backup are,

• Hyper-V server versions: Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2008 R2 SP1, 2012, 2012 R2
• Supported Windows OS: Windows Server 2008, 2012, 2016, 2019, 2022
• Memory: 2 GB RAM
• Storage: Sufficient hard disk space to store virtual machine files for temporary backup and restore

Do I need to turn off or shut down the virtual machines in Hyper-V Manager to take a backup?

No. You do not need to shut down active virtual machines to perform a backup. IDrive 360 allows you to back up virtual machine(s) while they are running.

How secure is the data transfer during backup and restore using IDrive 360 Hyper-V backup?

IDrive 360 uses military-grade 256-bit AES encryption to secure all data transferred during backup and restore operations for Hyper-V virtual machines.

How do I restore virtual machines to the Hyper-V Server?

To restore virtual machines to the Hyper-V server,

1. Sign in to the IDrive 360 desktop application and click 'Restore'.
2. Select 'Online Restore', 'Local Restore', or 'IDrive^® 360 Express™ Restore'.
3. Locate and select the 'IDHyperVData' folder from your IDrive 360 account or local drive.

   Note: If 'Local Restore' is selected, you can choose the required version from the 'Version' list.

4. Click 'Restore Now' to restore the 'IDHyperVData' folder to the local computer.
5. Once the folder is successfully restored, click 'Server Backup'. A slider menu appears.
6. Click ‘Hyper-V’. The Hyper-V backup/restore console appears.
7. Click 'Hyper-V restore'.
8. Browse and select the 'IDHyperVData' folder (restored from your IDrive 360 account or local drive).
   
9. Select the virtual machines you want to restore to your Hyper-V server.
10. Click 'Restore Now' to begin restoring the virtual machines.
    

Can I restore Hyper-V virtual machines from a network-mapped or NAS drive?

Yes. IDrive 360 allows you to restore Hyper-V virtual machines from a local path, including network-mapped and NAS drives.

To restore virtual machines from a network-mapped or NAS drive,

1. Open the IDrive 360 desktop application and click ‘Server Backup’. A slider menu will appear.
2. Click 'Hyper-V'. The Hyper-V backup/restore console appears.
   
3. Click 'Hyper-V restore'.
4. Browse and select the 'IDHyperVData' folder saved on your network-mapped or NAS drive.
   
5. Select the virtual machines you want to restore.
6. Click 'Restore Now' to start the restore process.

Is there a need for additional or external storage for Hyper-V virtual machine backups?

No. However, ensure that the temporary location selected during the Hyper-V backup has sufficient disk space to accommodate the selected virtual machines during the backup process.

Can I attach a VHD file from IDrive^® 360 Hyper-V backup to a different Hyper-V server?

Yes. You can attach a VHD file from an IDrive 360 Hyper-V backup to a different Hyper-V server.

How do I restore a Hyper-V virtual machine backup to a different server?

To restore a Hyper-V virtual machine to a different server,

1. Open Hyper-V Manager and create a new virtual machine.
2. In 'Specify Name and Location', provide a name for the virtual machine.
   
3. In 'Assign Memory', allocate the required memory.
4. In 'Connect Virtual Hard Disk', select 'Use an existing virtual hard disk'.
   
5. Browse and select the 'VHD/VHDX' file from the IDrive 360 backup folder.
6. Click 'Finish' to complete the setup.

How do I merge snapshots (AVHD/AVHDX) to the parent disk?

To merge snapshots,

1. Identify the newest AVHD file in the IDrive 360 backup folder.
2. Rename the newest AVHD (example: AVHD4) to VHD.

   Note: Rename only the newest AVHD first; do not rename all snapshots simultaneously.

3. In Hyper-V Manager, select the virtual machine and click ‘Edit Disk’ under ‘Actions’.
   
4. Click 'Next' on the initial screen and select the snapshot file on the following screen.
   
   
5. Select 'Merge', then select 'To parent virtual disk'.
6. Click 'Finish'.
   - After merging, the renamed snapshot (e.g., AVHD4) will be deleted automatically.
7. Rename the next newest AVHD (e.g., AVHD3) to VHD and repeat the steps until the oldest snapshot (e.g., AVHD1) is merged with the parent VHD.

Which configuration version of virtual machines is supported on Windows Server 2016 and above for incremental backup and restore of Hyper-V virtual machines?

For Windows Server 2016 and above, configuration version 8.0 is supported for incremental online backup and restore of Hyper-V virtual machines.

How do I upgrade my Hyper-V virtual machine to configuration version 8.0 or above?

To upgrade your Hyper-V virtual machine,

1. Shut down the virtual machine in 'Hyper-V Manager'.
2. Select 'Action'.
3. Click 'Upgrade Configuration Version'.

Note:

• You cannot upgrade a virtual machine that is already at the highest configuration version supported by your Hyper-V host.
• .ISO files are not included in the backup.