Sign in to the IDrive application and click 'Server Backup'. A slider menu will appear.
Click 'Hyper-V'. The Hyper-V backup/restore console appears. By default, 'Hyper-V backup' is selected.
Select 'Online Backup', or 'Local Backup' or 'IDrive Express™ Backup'.
Note: On selecting 'Online Backup', the data will be stored on the IDrive cloud whereas on selecting 'Local Backup' or 'IDrive Express™ Backup' the data will be stored in the local drive.
Select the virtual machine(s) from the list and specify a temporary path for the local backup.
Note: Once the local backup is initiated, '.ServerBackup' folder is auto-created.
Click 'Schedule Now'.
The 'Scheduler' is displayed where you can schedule the backup for any future day and time or perform an immediate backup of the selected virtual machine(s).
Does IDrive support incremental backups for Hyper-V virtual machines?
Yes, for Hyper-V configuration version 8.0 or later, IDrive supports incremental backups after the initial full backup. This ensures optimal use of Internet bandwidth and storage space.
Can I backup Hyper-V virtual machines to a network-mapped drive or NAS drive?
Yes, you can backup Hyper-V virtual machines to a network mapped drive or NAS drive. While choosing a local backup path, select the network mapped drive / NAS drive and provide the necessary authentication.
To backup your Hyper-V virtual machine(s) to a network mapped / NAS drive,
Sign in to the IDrive application and click 'Server Backup'.
Click 'Hyper-V'. The Hyper-V backup/restore console appears. By default, 'Hyper-V backup' is selected.
Select 'Online Backup', or 'Local Backup', or 'IDrive Express™ Backup'.
Select the virtual machine(s) from the list.
Select the network mapped drive / NAS drive as the location for creating the disk image and click 'Schedule Now'.
The 'Scheduler' appears where you can schedule the backup for any future day and time or perform an immediate backup of the selected virtual machine(s).
Do I need to turn off or shutdown the virtual machine(s) in Hyper-V manager to take a backup?
No. You do not have to shut down your active virtual machine(s) to perform a backup. IDrive enables you to backup virtual machine(s) in their Running state.
How secure is the data transfer during backup/restore using IDrive Hyper-V backup?
IDrive uses military-grade 256-bit AES encryption to encrypt all data transferred during a backup/restore operation using IDrive Hyper-V backup feature.
Is there a need for an additional/external storage volume for Hyper-V virtual backup?
No. However, do ensure that the temporary location that you select while scheduling the Hyper-V backup has sufficient disk space to hold the selected items, during the backup process.
How do I merge the snapshots (avhd/avhdx) to Parent Disk?
To start the merge,
Identify the newest AVHD in the IDrive backup folder.
Rename the newest AVHD (AVHD4) to VHD.
Note: Do not rename all the AVHDs at the same time. Rename only the newest Avhd first.
Choose 'Edit Disk' from 'Actions' in the Hyper-V Management Console.
Click 'Next' through the first screen and select the snapshot file on the following screen.
Select 'Merge' on the next screen and choose 'To parent virtual disk'.
Click 'Finish'.
After merging, AVHD4 will be deleted automatically. Rename the second newest Avhd (AVHD3) to Vhd. Repeat all the steps until the oldest AVHD (AVHD1) gets merged with the parent VHD.
Which configuration version for virtual machines is supported on Windows server 2016 and above for incremental backup and restore of Hyper-V virtual machines?
Configuration version 8.0 for virtual machines is supported on Windows server 2016 and above for incremental backup and restore of Hyper-V virtual machines.
