With the release of version 8.3.0 and the new Scale-Out Cloud storage architecture, x360Recover now offers the ability to perform near-instant virtualization within the Axcient Cloud using our Continuity Cloud recovery services.

Note: Using Instant Virtualization requires that your cloud data be migrated onto the new Scale-Out Cloud storage system.  Migration of all partner cloud data is in progress now and partners will be notified once their existing x360Recover vaults have been converted to Scale-Out Cloud.  

Prerequisites

Instant Virtualization has the following prerequisites: 

• All x360Recover appliances and vaults must be upgraded to 8.3.0 or higher
• x360Recover vaults must be converted to Scale-Out Cloud mode
• An Axcient Continuity Cloud node must be provisioned for the partner

For details on Axcient Continuity Cloud, see these KB Articles:

• Axcient Continuity Cloud Overview
• Virtual Firewall Guide
• Demo-Trial-Request-Form

Cloud Disaster Recovery Process  

A. Request access to the Axcient Continuity Cloud service

To begin a cloud disaster recovery, you first need to request access to the Axcient Continuity Cloud service.

1. Submit a critical (highest priority) support ticket and include: 

• Details for all resources needed (number of servers, total RAM, disk space, and so forth)
• Account(s) containing the data for the computers to be virtualized

2. Axcient will respond to your requests 24/7/365 and will provision one or more Continuity Cloud compute nodes for your dedicated use.

Once provisioned, you will have full self-management capabilities of the resources on the compute node and will be able to continue with the recovery of individual protected systems without requiring further assistance from the Support team.

• Once you agree to the Acceptable Use Terms, you are given RDP access to the compute node(s).
• After logging in to a compute node, you will have full access to self-configure the virtual router and virtual firewall, allowing the configuration of any needed VPNs and NAT/PAT policies.

For assistance with setting up your recovery environment or configuring your virtual firewall, refer to the KB article links above or contact Axcient Support.  

B. Recover a protected system from Scale-Out Cloud

Once you have access to your Continuity Cloud environment and have configured your virtual firewall, login to your x360Recover vault to begin the recovery process.

1. After you have logged in to the vault, navigate to the Protected Systems page on the lefthand navigation. Click on the name of the System Name of the Protected System you wish to recover.

2. From the Protected Systems Details page, expand the Snapshots section at the bottom of the page and locate the snapshot you wish to recover from.

4. Under the Actions menu for the snapshot that you selected, click on Start iSCSI.

5. When the iSCSI settings screen appears, select Live Mode and enter the encryption password for the protected system (if any) then click Start.

6. The Snapshot actions buttons will be updated. 

Notice that three of the options for the selected snapshot will be unavailable. The buttons for Start VM, Mount, and Export will be grayed out and the Start iSCSI action button will become Stop iSCSI, as shown below:

7. Next, click the iSCSI option from the lefthand navigation. 

8. Locate the protected system you are recovering and note these iSCSI connection details:

• Portal – iSCSI Target address to be connected to
• CHAP User – Username required by iSCSI Target
• Password – Password required by iSCSI Target
• IQN Names – Each Windows Volume (Drive) will have an IQN identifier listed

Note:  Clicking Dismount from this page is equivalent to clicking Stop iSCSI on the Protected Systems Details page.  If you are performing a live recovery in the cloud, do not dismount the iSCSI target until you are ready to tear down the cloud recovery environment and return operations to the customer’s on-prem environment.  

9.  Once you have the iSCSI target connection details noted, continue configuration from the Continuity Cloud node.

Using the connection credentials you were provided by the Axcient Support team when you requested access to the Continuity Cloud, connect to the node using an RDP client.

10. From within the Windows Control Panel, expand Administrative Tools and open iSCSI Initiator.

11. Select the Discovery tab and click Discover Portal...

12. Enter the portal address displayed on the vault iSCSI page into the IP address or DNS name field.

13. After you enter the connection address, click Advanced.

14. Check the Enable CHAP log on box and then enter the Name and Target secret password provided on the Vault iSCSI page.

Click OK to close the Advanced Settings window.

Click OK to close the Discover Target Portal window.

15.   Select the Targets tab on the iSCSI Initiator Properties window and locate the IQN name(s) matching the disk(s) belonging to the protected system you are recovering. 

For each IQN, click Connect...

 ...and then click Advanced to configure connection properties.

Check the Enable CHAP log on box and then enter the Name and Target secret password provided on the Vault iSCSI page.

Click OK to close the Advanced Settings window.

Click OK to close the Connect to Target window. 

Repeat for any additional IQN’s being configured

The iSCSI disk(s) exported by the x360Recover vault are now connected as locally attached devices on the Windows Continuity Cloud hypervisor node and are ready to be used to create a virtual machine.

• To determine exactly which local disk volume a given IQN name is associated with, select the IQN from the targets page within iSCSI Initiator Properties and click Properties.

From the Properties page, click Devices.

On the Devices page, note the disk's Name from the Name column.  

This corresponds to the disk name within Disk Management on the Windows host.

C. Create a virtual machine with disk images exported by the vault

1. On the Continuity Cloud node, open Hyper-V Manager from within Control Panel -> Administrative Tools.

b. Right-click the host from the left menu pane, navigate to new, and click Virtual Machine to open the New Virtual Machine Wizard. 

c. Click Before You Begin on the left-hand navigation panel of the New Virtual Machine Wizard screen, go to the bottom of the page and click Next to begin.

1.  Enter the host Name of the protected system being recovered and click Next.

2. If the system you are recovering is a legacy / MBR BIOS-style machine, select Generation 1.

3. If the system you are recovering is an EFI BIOS-style machine, select Generation 2.

4. Click Next to continue.

5. Enter the amount of RAM you would like to assign to the virtual machine and click Next to continue. 

6.  Select the network profile to be connected with the virtual machine. Typically, you will select Internal-LAN, which will place the virtual machine behind the pfSense virtual firewall inside your Continuity Cloud environment.

7. Click Next to continue.

9. Select the option to Attach a virtual hard disk later and click Next to continue.

10. Review the summary information and click Finish to create the virtual machine.

D. Configure the new virtual machine

1.  Locate your new Virtual Machine within the Virtual Machines pane of Hyper-V Manager.

2. Right-click the virtual machine and select Settings

• If this is a Generation 1 virtual machine, select IDE Controller 0
• If this is a generation 2 virtual machine, select SCSI Controller
  (IDE Controller will not be present)

Select Hard Drive and click Add.

3.  Under Hard Drive,  select Physical Hard Disk and then select the physical disk to be connected. (This disk was identified earlier when attaching the iSCSI targets.)  Click OK to continue.

Generation 1 Example: IDE Controller 0

Generation 2 Example: SCSI Controller

E. Boot the virtual machine

To boot your virtual machine, right-click the VM from within the Virtual Machines pane of Hyper-V Manager and click Connect. 

Then click the power icon to turn the machine on.

For additional assistance with virtual machine configuration, troubleshooting, virtual firewall management, or other concerns, contact Axcient Support. 

SUPPORT  | 720-204-4500 | 800-352-0248

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