Veritas NetBackup™ for VMware Administrator's Guide

Last Published:
Product(s): NetBackup (8.2)
  1. Introduction
    1.  
      About NetBackup for VMware
    2.  
      About the virtual machine backups that include database data
    3.  
      About the NetBackup appliance as a VMware backup host
    4.  
      NetBackup for VMware components
    5.  
      Appliance as backup host: component overview
    6.  
      Media servers as backup or discovery hosts
    7.  
      Overview of the VMware backup process
    8.  
      NetBackup for VMware license requirement
    9.  
      NetBackup for VMware terminology
  2. Required tasks: overview
    1.  
      Overview of VMware tasks
    2.  
      Overview of NetBackup tasks
  3. Notes and prerequisites
    1.  
      NetBackup for VMware prerequisites
    2.  
      NetBackup for VMware: notes and restrictions
    3.  
      Notes on VMware Virtual Volumes (VVols)
    4.  
      NetBackup IPv6 parameter required for backups in VMware IPv6 environments
    5.  
      NetBackup for VMware: notes on Linux virtual machines
    6.  
      Notes on the NetBackup appliance as a VMware backup host
    7.  
      NetBackup for VMware support for SAN multi-pathing
    8.  
      NetBackup for VMware support for fault tolerant VMs
    9.  
      NetBackup character restrictions for the Primary VM identifier
    10.  
      In the policy Query Builder, display names, resource pool names, and vApp names are case-sensitive
    11.  
      Notes on the hotadd transport mode
    12.  
      Notes and limitations for tag usage in VMware Intelligent Policy queries
    13.  
      Notes and limitations for the backup and restore of VMware tag associations
  4. Configure NetBackup communication with VMware
    1.  
      Adding the VMware backup host to NetBackup
    2. Adding NetBackup credentials for VMware
      1.  
        Using the VMware Managed Object Browser to verify the server name
    3.  
      Changing the host name of a VMware server in NetBackup
    4.  
      Setting privileges for posting events to vCenter
    5.  
      Authentication token for the NetBackup vSphere plug-ins
    6.  
      Setting global limits on the use of VMware resources
    7. Validating VMware virtualization server certificates in NetBackup
      1.  
        ECA_TRUST_STORE_PATH for NetBackup servers and clients
      2.  
        ECA_CRL_PATH for NetBackup servers and clients
      3.  
        VIRTUALIZATION_HOSTS_SECURE_CONNECT_ENABLED for servers and clients
      4.  
        VIRTUALIZATION_CRL_CHECK for NetBackup servers and clients
  5. Configure NetBackup policies for VMware
    1.  
      Configuring a VMware policy from the Policy Wizard
    2.  
      Configuring a VMware policy from the Policies utility
    3.  
      Limit jobs per policy on the Attributes tab (for VMware)
    4. VMware backup options
      1.  
        VMware backup host
      2.  
        Optimizations options (VMware)
      3.  
        Primary VM identifier options (VMware)
      4.  
        Existing snapshot handling options (VMware)
      5.  
        Transport modes options (VMware)
      6.  
        Application protection options (VMware)
      7.  
        VMware - Advanced Attributes dialog
      8.  
        About the Post vCenter events option (VMware Advanced Attributes)
    5. Exclude Disks tab
      1.  
        About the exclude disk options for virtual disk selection
      2.  
        Exclude disks from backups: an example to avoid
      3.  
        Restoring data from the backups that excluded the boot disk or data disks
    6.  
      Browse for VMware virtual machines
    7.  
      Limiting the VMware servers that NetBackup searches when browsing for virtual machines
    8.  
      Virtual machine host names and display names should be unique if VMs are selected manually in the policy
    9.  
      Primary VM identifier option and manual selection of virtual machines
    10.  
      About incremental backups of virtual machines
    11.  
      Configuring incremental backups
    12.  
      Storage Foundation Volume Manager volumes in the virtual machine
  6. Configure a VMware Intelligent Policy
    1.  
      About automatic virtual machine selection for NetBackup for VMware
    2.  
      Support and use of VMware tag associations
    3.  
      The basics of a NetBackup query rule
    4.  
      Important notes on automatic virtual machine selection
    5.  
      NetBackup requirements for automatic virtual machine selection
    6.  
      Automatic virtual machine selection: Task overview
    7.  
      Options for selecting VMware virtual machines
    8.  
      Configuring automatic virtual machine selection
    9.  
      Editing an existing query in Basic Mode
    10.  
      Using the Query Builder in Advanced Mode
    11.  
      AND vs. OR in queries
    12.  
      Examples for the NetBackup Query Builder
    13.  
      The IsSet operator in queries
    14.  
      About selecting virtual machines by means of multiple policies
    15.  
      Order of operations in queries (precedence rules)
    16.  
      Parentheses in compound queries
    17.  
      Query rules for resource pools
    18.  
      Query rules for datacenter folders (host folder)
    19.  
      Query rules for duplicate names
    20.  
      Query rules for tags
    21.  
      Query Builder field reference
    22.  
      Test Query screen for VMware
    23.  
      Test Query: Failed virtual machines
    24.  
      Effect of Primary VM identifier parameter on Selection column in Test Query results
    25.  
      Effect of Primary VM identifier parameter on VM Name column in Test query results
    26.  
      Refreshing the display of virtual environment changes in the Query Builder
  7. Reduce the size of backups
    1.  
      About reducing the size of VMware backups
    2.  
      Block-level backup (BLIB): full vs incremental
    3.  
      Deleting a vSphere Client snapshot
  8. Back up virtual machines
    1.  
      Backing up virtual machines
    2.  
      Using the Activity Monitor to monitor virtual machine backups
    3.  
      Restarting jobs individually in the Activity Monitor
    4.  
      Viewing NetBackup activity in vSphere Web Client or vSphere Client (HTML5)
    5.  
      Using OpsCenter to report on virtual machine backups
  9. Use Accelerator to back up virtual machines
    1.  
      About the NetBackup Accelerator for virtual machines
    2.  
      Accelerator: full vs. incremental schedules
    3.  
      How the NetBackup Accelerator works with virtual machines
    4.  
      Accelerator notes and requirements for virtual machines
    5.  
      Accelerator forced rescan for virtual machines (schedule attribute)
    6.  
      Accelerator requires the OptimizedImage attribute
    7.  
      Accelerator backups and the NetBackup catalog
    8.  
      Accelerator messages in the backup job details log
    9.  
      NetBackup logs for Accelerator with virtual machines
    10.  
      About reporting the amount of Accelerator backup data that was transferred over the network
    11.  
      Replacing the Accelerator image size with the network-transferred data in NetBackup command output
  10. Restore virtual machines
    1.  
      Restore notes and restrictions
    2.  
      Restore notes and restrictions on Linux
    3. Restoring the full VMware virtual machine
      1. Virtual Machine Recovery dialog boxes (restore to original location)
        1.  
          Recovery Destination dialog box
        2.  
          Recovery Options dialog box
        3.  
          Virtual Machine Options dialog box
        4.  
          Perform Recovery dialog box
      2. Virtual Machine Recovery dialogs boxes (restore to alternate location)
        1.  
          Recovery Destination dialog box (restore to alternate location)
        2.  
          Recovery Options dialog box (restore to alternate location)
        3.  
          Select ESX server dialog box (restore to alternate location)
        4.  
          Select Folder dialog box (restore to alternate location)
        5.  
          Select Datastore or Datastore Cluster dialog box (restore to alternate location)
        6.  
          Storage Destination dialog box (restore to alternate location)
        7.  
          Network Connections and Other Recovery Options dialog box (restore to alternate location)
        8.  
          Perform Recovery dialog box (restore to alternate location)
    4.  
      About VMware virtual machine disk restore
    5. Restoring VMware virtual machine disks by using Backup, Archive, and Restore
      1.  
        Select Virtual Disks panel
      2.  
        Recovery Destination panel
      3.  
        Virtual Disk Destination panel
      4.  
        Storage Destination panel
      5.  
        Recovery Summary panel
    6. Restoring VMware virtual machine disks by using NetBackup commands
      1.  
        Determining the backup image ID from which to restore a VMware virtual machine disk
      2.  
        Creating the VMware virtual machine disk restore file
      3.  
        Modifying the virtual machine disk restore file
      4.  
        Validating the virtual machine disk restore file
      5.  
        Restoring the virtual machine disk or disks by using the nbrestorevm command
      6.  
        VMware virtual machine disk restore file
    7.  
      About restoring individual VMware files
    8. Restoring individual VMware virtual machine files
      1.  
        Setting up NetBackup Client Service for VMware restores to a Windows shared virtual machine drive
      2.  
        Restore Marked Files dialog for restore of VMware files
    9.  
      How NetBackup handles VMware tag associations at restore
    10. Browse and search virtual machines for restore
      1.  
        Search Virtual Machines for Restore dialog
      2.  
        Browse the vCloud or vSphere view for virtual machine clients
      3.  
        Search results dialog
    11.  
      If the recovery host is not at the same NetBackup release level as the backup host
  11. Restore virtual machines with Instant Recovery
    1.  
      About Instant Recovery for VMware
    2.  
      Task overview for Instant Recovery for VMware
    3.  
      Performance recommendations for Instant Recovery for VMware
    4.  
      Requirements for Instant Recovery for VMware
    5.  
      Notes on Instant Recovery for VMware
    6.  
      Restarting the Client for NFS service on a Windows restore host
    7.  
      Instant Recovery options on the nbrestorevm command
    8.  
      Restoring a virtual machine with Instant Recovery for VMware
    9.  
      Restoring a virtual machine to a different location with Instant Recovery for VMware
    10.  
      Restoring individual files with Instant Recovery for VMware while the current virtual machine is running
    11.  
      Job types for Instant Recovery for VMware
    12.  
      Reactivating a restored virtual machine with Instant Recovery for VMware
  12. Use NetBackup for vCloud Director
    1.  
      About NetBackup for vCloud Director
    2.  
      Notes on creating a NetBackup policy for vCloud
    3.  
      Notes on restoring virtual machines into vCloud Director
    4.  
      Restoring virtual machines into vCloud Director
    5.  
      Reducing the time required for VM discovery in a large vCloud environment
    6. Virtual machine recovery dialog boxes for vCloud Director
      1.  
        Recovery Destination dialog box (vCloud Director)
      2.  
        Recovery Options dialog box (vCloud Director)
      3.  
        Recovery vApp Options for vCloud Director dialog box (restore to original location)
      4.  
        Virtual Machine Options dialog box for vCloud Director
      5.  
        Perform Recovery dialog box for vCloud Director
      6.  
        Recovery Options dialog box for vCloud Director (restore to alternate location)
      7.  
        Recovery vApp Options for vCloud Director dialog box (restore to alternate location)
      8.  
        Select a vApp dialog box
      9.  
        Recovery Destination Options for vCloud Director dialog box (restore to alternate location)
      10.  
        Virtual Machine Options (restore to alternate location)
      11.  
        Network connections (restore to alternate location)
      12.  
        Perform Recovery dialog box for vCloud Director (restore to alternate location)
  13. Best practices and more information
    1. NetBackup for VMware best practices
      1.  
        NetBackup for VMware with deduplication
    2.  
      Best practices for VMware tag usage
    3.  
      Further assistance with NetBackup for VMware
  14. Troubleshooting
    1.  
      Notes on troubleshooting NetBackup for VMware
    2.  
      Beware of unsupported backup host
    3.  
      How to determine the ESX network that NetBackup used for the backup or restore
    4.  
      NetBackup logging for VMware
    5.  
      Configuring VxMS logging
    6.  
      Format of the VxMS core.log and provider.log file names
    7.  
      Configuring the VDDK logging level
    8.  
      Preventing browsing delays caused by DNS problems
    9.  
      Changing the browsing timeout for virtual machine discovery
    10.  
      Changing timeout and logging values for vSphere
    11.  
      Credentials for VMware server are not valid
    12.  
      Snapshot error encountered (status code 156)
    13.  
      The origin of the snapshot failure: NetBackup or VMware?
    14.  
      Conflict between NetBackup and VMware Storage vMotion with vSphere 5.0 or later
    15.  
      Incremental backups of the VM may fail if the NTFS file system in the guest OS is corrupted and the backup uses MSDP storage
    16.  
      The restore fails when you restore individual files to a virtual machine that has NetBackup client software
    17.  
      Backup or restore job hangs
    18.  
      VMware SCSI requirements for application quiesce on Windows
    19.  
      Mount point missing on a restored Windows virtual machine
    20.  
      Mount points not available when restoring files from a Linux virtual machine
    21.  
      Invalid client error when you restore files using NetBackup BAR interface installed on the virtual machine
    22.  
      VMware virtual machine does not restart after restore
    23.  
      A restored VM may not start or its file system(s) may not be accessible
    24.  
      NetBackup job fails due to update tasks on the VMware server
    25.  
      The vSphere interface reports that virtual machine consolidation is needed
    26.  
      The Enable file recovery from VM backup option does not work if a volume disk set contains a mixture of disk types
    27.  
      Linux VMs and persistent device naming
    28.  
      For a VMware virtual machine with Windows dynamic disks, a restore from incremental backup fails with a Windows restore host and the hotadd transport mode
    29.  
      Simultaneous hotadd backups (from the same VMware backup host) fail with status 13
    30.  
      Troubleshooting VMware tag usage
    31.  
      Ensuring that guest customizations can be restored in vCloud Director
    32.  
      Troubleshooting vmdk restore to existing VM
    33.  
      Issues with the CA certificate during installation of the NetBackup client on VMware Cloud (VMC)
  15. Appendix A. NetBackup commands to back up and restore virtual machines
    1. Using NetBackup commands to create a VMware policy
      1.  
        Notes on creating a VMware policy for vCloud Director
      2.  
        VMware policy: bpplinfo options and keywords
      3.  
        bpplinclude options for modifying query rules in a VMware policy
    2.  
      Using the nbdiscover command to search the virtual environment
    3.  
      Using the nbrestorevm command to restore virtual machines into vSphere
    4.  
      Using the nbrestorevm command to restore virtual machines into vCloud Director
    5.  
      Using the nbrestorevm command to restore virtual machine disks
    6.  
      The nbrestorevm -R rename file for restoring virtual machines
    7.  
      Logs for troubleshooting the nbrestorevm command
    8.  
      Query format and examples for searching virtual machine backups
    9.  
      Allowing other servers or clients to restore virtual machines
  16. Appendix B. Configuring services for NFS on Windows
    1.  
      About installing and configuring Network File System (NFS) for Granular Recovery Technology (GRT)
    2. About configuring services for NFS on Windows 2012 or 2016 (NetBackup for VMware)
      1.  
        Enabling Services for Network File System (NFS) on a Windows 2012 or 2016 media server (NetBackup for VMware)
      2.  
        Enabling Services for Network File System (NFS) on a Windows 2012 or 2016 restore host (NetBackup for VMware)
    3. About configuring services for NFS on Windows 2008 and 2008 R2 (NetBackup for VMware)
      1.  
        Enabling Services for Network File System (NFS) on Windows 2008 or 2008 R2 (NetBackup for VMware)
    4.  
      Disabling the Server for NFS (NetBackup for VMware)
    5.  
      Disabling the Client for NFS on the media server (NetBackup for VMware)
    6.  
      Configuring a UNIX media server and Windows backup or restore host for Granular Recovery Technology (NetBackup for VMware)
    7.  
      Configuring a different network port for NBFSD (NetBackup for VMware)
  17. Appendix C. The Reuse VM selection query results option
    1.  
      About the Reuse VM selection query results option
    2.  
      The effect of virtual machine discovery on vCenter
  18. Appendix D. Backup of VMware raw devices (RDM)
    1.  
      About VMware raw device mapping (RDM)
    2.  
      Configurations for backing up RDMs
    3.  
      About alternate client backup of RDMs
    4.  
      Requirements for alternate client backup of RDMs
    5.  
      Configuring alternate client backup of RDMs

VMware virtual machine disk restore file

This topic describes the parameters that NetBackup uses to restore a virtual machine disk or disks. NetBackup requires that the parameters be described in a text file that uses the JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) format. The NetBackup nbrestorevm command reads the file to obtain the necessary information about the virtual machine disks. NetBackup has no requirements for the file name other than those imposed by the operating system.

You can use the nbrestorevm command to generate the file from an existing backup. How to do so is described in a different topic.

See Creating the VMware virtual machine disk restore file.

The following is an example template of the required file:

{
  "ClientType": "VMware",
  "ClientName": "VM-client-name",
  "RestoreType": "SelectiveDiskRestore",
  "BackupImageSelection": {
    "MasterServer": "Master-server-name",
    "StartDate": "mm/dd/yy hh:mm:ss",
    "EndDate": "mm/dd/yy hh:mm:ss",
    "BackupId": "clientname_timestamp"
  },
  "VMwareRestoreParameters": {
    "vCenterServer": "vCenter-name-for-restore",
    "VMwareRecoveryHost": "Recovery-host-name",
    "DefaultDiskProvisioning": "thin",
    "TransportMode": "san:hotadd:nbd",
    "VMwareVirtualMachineDestination": {
      "VMName": "Restore-vm-name",
      "AttachDisksToExistingVM": "No",
      "PowerOn": "No",
      "Datacenter": "Path-of-Datacenter-for-destination-vm",
      "ESX": "Hostname-of-the-ESX-host",
      "Folder": "Path-to-destination-VM-folder",
      "ResourcePool/Vapp": "Path-of-vApp-or-resource-pool-destination",
      "VmxDatastore": ""
    },
    "VMwareVirtualDiskDestination": [
      {
         "VirtualDisk" : "/DS1/BackedupVM/BackedupVM.vmdk",
         "OverwriteExistingDisk": "No",
         "Datastore": "[Datastore-name]",
         "Path": "",
         "Provisioning": "thin"
         "Controller": "scsi0-0"     
      },
      {
         "VirtualDisk": "/DS2/BackedupVM/BackedupVM_1.vmdk",
         "OverwriteExistingDisk": "No",
         "Datastore": "",
         "Path": "[datastore_name] MyVm/MyVM_1.vmdk",
         "Provisioning": "eagerzeroed"
         "Controller": "scsi0-1"
      }
    ]
    "VMwareAdvancedRestoreOptions": {
      "DeleteRestoredVMOnError": "No",
      "VMShutdownWaitSeconds": 900
    }
  }
}

The following subsections describe the parameters in the file. The optional sections or optional fields that you do not want to use must be omitted from the file.

See About VMware virtual machine disk restore.

Global fields

The first section of the file specifies the required information about the client that contains the disks that you want to restore. The following table describes the fields in the first, global section:

Table: Global fields (required)

Field name

Description

Required?

ClientType

The client type as configured in the backup policy. For Vmware virtual machine disk restore, use VMware.

Required.

ClientName

The client name as configured in the backup policy.

Required.

RestoreType

The type of restore. For Vmware virtual machine disk restore, use SelectiveDiskRestore.

Required.

BackupImageSelection

The BackupImageSelection section of the file specifies the information that NetBackup requires to identify the backup image to restore. If this section is not specified, NetBackup restores the most recent backup. The following table describes the fields in the BackupImageSelection section:

Table: The BackupImageSelection section (optional)

Field name

Description

Required?

MasterServer

The fully-qualified domain name of the NetBackup master server to use to query the VM details.

If not specified, NetBackup uses the master server that backs up the VM.

Optional.

StartDate

The start date to look for backup images, in mm/dd/yy hh:mm:ss format. If more than one backup image exits in the date range, NetBackup selects the most recent backup.

If not specified, the start date is 6 months earlier than the current date.

Optional.

EndDate

The end date to look for backup images, in mm/dd/yy hh:mm:ss format. If more than one backup image exits in the date range, NetBackup selects the most recent backup.

If not specified, NetBackup uses the current date.

Optional.

BackupId

The ID of the backup image to use for the restore, in clientname_backuptime format. The backuptime is the decimal number of seconds since January 1, 1970.

If not specified, NetBackup uses the most recent backup image. If you specify a StartDate, EndDate, and a valid BackupId, NetBackup restores from the BackupId image.

Optional.

VMwareRestoreParameters

The VMwareRestoreParameters section of the file contains the following:

Table: The VMwareRestoreParameters section (required)

Field name

Description

Required?

vCenterServer

The host name of the destination vCenter for the restore, in the same format as specified in the NetBackup Virtual Server credentials.

To restore to a standalone ESXi hypervisor when the backup was through a vCenter, the value of this field must be None.

Optional.

VMwareRecoveryHost

The host that performs the restore.

If not specified, NetBackup uses the backup host value from the backup image.

Optional.

DefaultDiskProvisioning

The default disk provisioning for all of the disks to be restored: thin, thick, eagerzeroed, or unknown.

For each disk, you can override this default by specifying a different Provisioning value in the VMwareVirtualDiskDestination section of the file.

If neither DefaultDiskProvisioning or Provisioning are specified, NetBackup uses the provisioning specified in the backup.

Optional.

TransportMode

The transport mode combination to use for the restore as specified in lowercase, colon separated values: hotadd:nbd:nbdssl:san. The order of the specification is significant; NetBackup attempts each method in turn until the restore succeeds. If all methods fail, the restore fails.

If not specified, NetBackup uses the transport mode combination that was used for the backup.

Optional.

VMwareVirtualMachineDestination

The VMwareVirtualMachineDestination section of the file specifies the destination parameters for the restore. The following table describes the fields in the VMwareVirtualMachineDestination section. This section is subordinate to the VMwareRestoreParameters section.

Table: The VMwareVirtualMachineDestination section (required)

Field name

Description

Required?

VMName

The unique display name of the new virtual machine for the restored disk or disks. The nbrestorevm command adds a timestamp to the name of the original VM client when it populates this field. The timestamp is the decimal number of seconds since January 1, 1970.

NetBackup restores the virtual machine disks to a new VM. Therefore, if this name conflicts with an existing display name, the restore fails.

Required.

AttachDisksToExistingVM

Whether to restore the selected VMDKs to an existing VM or to a new VM, as follows:

  • If the value is Yes, the VM specified in the VMName field must exist in the target vCenter or ESX server. If it does not exist, the restore fails with status code 2820.

  • If the value is No, the VM specified in the VMName field must not exit in the target vCenter or ESX server. If it exists, the restore fails with status code 2820.

The default value is No.

Required.

PowerOn

Whether to turn on the target VM after the restore, as follows:

  • If the value is Yes, the target VM is powered ON at the end of a successful restore.

  • If the value is No, the target VM is not turned on after the restore.

If the restore is to an existing VM, the VM is turned off before the virtual disks are attached to it during the restore.

The default value is No.

Required.

Datacenter

The name of the VMware Datacenter for the virtual disk, in pathname format.

To restore to a standalone ESXi hypervisor when the backup was through a vCenter, the value of this field must be None.

If not specified, NetBackup uses the value from the backup.

Optional.

ESX

The name of the ESX host to which NetBackup should restore the virtual machine disks.

If not specified, NetBackup uses the value from the backup.

Optional.

Folder

The pathname of the VM folder to which NetBackup should restore the virtual machine disks.

To restore to a standalone ESXi hypervisor when the backup was through a vCenter, the value of this field must be None.

If not specified, NetBackup uses the value from the backup.

Optional.

ResourcePool/Vapp

The pathname of the resource pool to which NetBackup should restore the virtual machine disks. If the restore is to a vApp, specify the path of the vApp.

If not specified, NetBackup uses the value from the backup.

Optional.

VmxDatastore

The name of the Datastore to which NetBackup should restore the .vmx configuration file and other VM configuration files. You may enclose the name in square brackets but do not have to.

If not specified, NetBackup uses the value from the backup.

Optional.

VMwareVirtualDiskDestination

The VMwareVirtualDiskDestination section of the file is a JSON array that specifies the disks to restore and the restore parameters for those disks. It can contain one or more sets of the fields that are described in the following table, one set per virtual machine disk. A comma must separate fields in a set, and a comma must separate sets. This section is subordinate to the VMwareRestoreParameters section.

Table: The VMwareVirtualDiskDestination section (required)

Field name

Description

Required?

VirtualDisk

The full pathname of the virtual disk to restore. This path must match exactly the path of the .vmdk file when it was backed up.

Required.

OverwriteExistingDisk

Whether to overwrite the existing virtual disk or disks on the target VM, as follows:

  • If the value is Yes, overwrite the original virtual disk and retain the disk UUID.

  • If the value is No, restore the virtual disk to the target VM as a new disk. VMware assigns a new UUID to the disk.

The default value is No.

Required.

Datastore

The name of the Datastore that is the destination for the restore. You may enclose the name in square brackets but do not have to. (VMware generates the Datastore pathname using the naming conventions for the VM.)

For a restore of virtual disks to a datastore cluster, specify the name of the datastore cluster in this field.

If not specified, NetBackup uses the value that is specified in the Path field. If neither Datastore or Path are specified, NetBackup uses the Datastore from the backup image.

Optional.

Path

The full pathname to the restore destination for the virtual disk, in the following format:

[datastore_name] MyVM/MyVM.vmdk

The nbrestorevm -restorespecout option does not populate the Path field.

If you specify a Path and it is not available or a disk already exists at that path, the restore fails. If neither Datastore or Path are specified, NetBackup uses the Datastore from the backup image.

If a specific vmdk name is not required, Veritas recommends that you leave this field empty.

Optional.

Provisioning

The disk provisioning for this specific disk: thin, thick, eagerzeroed, or unknown.

If not specified, the NetBackup uses the DefaultDiskProvisioning value.

Optional.

Controller

The virtual disk controller to which the disk is attached in the original VM.

This field is informational only to help you determine which virtual disk or disks to restore. The value is not used during a restore.

Optional

VMwareAdvancedRestoreOptions

The VMwareAdvancedRestoreOptions section of the file specifies parameters to restore to an existing VM. This section is subordinate to the VMwareRestoreParameters section.

Table: The VMwareAdvancedRestoreOptions section (optional)

Field name

Description

Required?

DeleteRestoredVMOnError

NetBackup creates a temporary VM during the restore process and then attaches the virtual disks to the target VM. The value of this parameter determines whether NetBackup deletes the temporary VM if the disk attach operation fails, as follows:

  • If the value is Yes, delete the temporary VM.

  • If the value is No, do not delete the temporary VM. If the disks are not successfully attached to the target VM, you can access the data on the temporary VM.

The default value is No.

Optional.

VMShutdownWaitSeconds

For restores to an existing VM, the restore process shuts down the target virtual machine before it attaches the disk or disks. The duration of the shutdown operation depends on the VMware workload. Use this parameter to specify how long the restore process should wait for shutdown before giving up on restore.

The default value is 900 seconds (15 minutes).

Optional.