How to Restore a Lost MC3 that was hosting Veeam Backup using its Veeam backup

Scenario:

What you need:

MC1, keyboard, mouse

MC2

MC3 backup Veeam Files

New 960GB drive 

External HDD with large capacity

1. Install Veeam Backup and Replication AND Veeam Agent for Windows on the MC1
   
2. Create Veeam Bootable Recovery Media .iso (this tool is installed as part of Veeam Agent for Windows)
   
3. Replace the failed 960GB SSD with a new one. Boot up and RAID0 in the BIOS
   
4. Reinstall ESXi on new SSD – configure networking, etc. in console
   
5. Log into ESXi WebUI 172.16.199.11, configure the vSwitches as you would for an HA, configure other settings for MC2 (time+date, hyperthreading mitigation, licensing, etc.)
   
6. Rename datastore1 to MC2 Datastore.
   
7. Note: MC2 Backup should still be present and contain the .vmdk file of the MC3 that you are trying to restore
   
8. Once MC2 host is all configured, upload the Veeam Bootable Recovery Media .iso to the MC2 Datastore, place in ISOs folder
   
9. Create blank VM (MC3temp) with basic VM hardware + USB3.0 BUT at least 100GB hard disk from MC2 Datastore (this value must be higher than the VM you are trying to restore. In this scenario, MC3’s full backup is about 60GB)
   
10. In VM hardware settings of MC3temp, for CD/DVD Drive 1 select Datastore ISO file from the drop-down menu and navigate to the Veeam Bootable Recovery Media .iso that you placed in the datastore earlier. Click Select and Connect
    
11. In VM hardware settings of MC3temp, click Add other device  USB Device and add your external USB HDD with mass storage
    
12. In VM hardware settings of MC3temp, click Add Hard Disk  Existing Hard Disk. In the datastore browser view, navigate to the MC3 .vmdk file containing all the backups and click Select
    
13. Click finish to save the MC3temp VM hardware settings
    
14. Open VMware workstation, power on MC3temp, Press any key to boot from the CD/DVD…
    
15. When Veeam Recovery Media (dark green) window pops up, select Bare Metal Recovery
    

1. In Volume Level restore wizard, with Local storage selected, click Browse…
   

1. In the file explorer browser window that pops up, click This PC.  Data D: containing the backups should be present, as well as your E:\ or F:\ (External USB HDD)
   

1. Navigate to D:\Backup\ShortTerm and look for the MC3 folder
   

1. Right Click and COPY this ENTIRE folder. Navigate to your External USB HDD and PASTE.
   
2. Note: it’s gonna freeze up and give you the hourglass. It will not show progress. Please be patient as it is a 50+GB file transfer within a temp bootable volume. Give it time.
   
3. Eventually the transfer will complete. From your External USB HDD the MC3 folder (containing Veeam backup files) needs to be moved to the MC1. Copy these files to a new folder.
   
4. Open the new folder on MC1 that you copied to and double click the most recent Veeam FULL Backup file.
   

1. Select Veeam Backup & Replication as the application to open this backup file with 
   
2. Select the correct restore point (Type should be Full, from more recent date) in the popup window and select Open
   
3. The console will open. Allow it to load and process the file you just opened.
   
4. Eventually you will get a popup window like this:
   

1. Select MC3 and Restore  Entire VM (Including registration)
   
2. On the Full VM Restore wizard, click Next on Virtual Machines
   
3. On the Restore page, select “Restore to a new location, or with different settings”
   
4. On the Host page, highlight MC3, click Host… and select MC2 (172.16.199.11), click OK
   

1. On the Resource Pool page, click Next
   
2. On the Datastore page, verify that under MC3 is listed Configuration files, Hard Disk 1 (60GB) and Hard disk 2 (500GB), all tied to the MC2 Datastore
   

1. On the Folder page, deselect “Restore VM tags” and click Next
   
2. On the Network page, ensure PDH is the target and click Next
   

1. On the Secure restore page, click Next
   
2. On the Reason page, click Next,
   
3. On the Summary page, review your choices and click Finish to allow MC3 to be fully Restored. The Full VM Restore window will show a green check “Success” when finished.
   
4. Open up MC3temp hardware and disconnect the MC3 vmdk.
   
5. Open up newly restored MC3 VM hardware settings to make sure they are all good and mapped. Add existing hard disk  navigate to the MC3 vmdk located in MC2 Backup
   
6. Power up. You’re good to go.