IBM Cloud Docs
Restoring a BMR system volume image

Restoring a BMR system volume image

If you need to restore a Bare Metal image backup from IBM Cloud® Backup for Classic, you can quickly restore it from the BMR Rescue Kernel system. With BMR, you can restore the system without the need of a bootable Windows operating system. It's useful when the OS is no longer usable or the drives in the server were replaced.

BMR is available only for Windows Bare Metal Servers. No BMR option is available for VSI.

Initiating the BMR Rescue Kernel system

You can initiate Bare Metal Restore in the IBM Cloud® console.

  1. Log in to the IBM Cloud UI. From the menu menu icon, select Infrastructure VPC icon > Classic Infrastructure.
  2. Click Storage > Cloud Backup to display the servers with backup service.
  3. Click the instance name to display the details of the Backup instance.
  4. In the Installed plug-ins section, click Initiate Bare Metal Restore.
  5. You're prompted to confirm the action. To proceed, click Initiate Bare Metal Restore*. The transaction takes a few minutes to complete. Afterward you can access the server by following the steps that are detailed in the next section. You're going to be emailed when the system completes the boot process.

Restoring from the BMR Rescue Kernel

  1. When the BMR Rescue Kernel transaction loads, you can choose to access it in two different ways. Both of these ways work well.

    • A VNC client and the private or public IP address of your server and the password that is listed in the IBM Cloud console.
    • The KVM console of your IPMI card.

  2. Upon logging in to the BMR Rescue Kernel for the first time, you're greeted with the language selection screen. Select the time zone and keyboard language of your choice and click Next.

    Figure 1 - BMR time zone and keyboard language selections are displayed.
    BMR time zone and keyboard language selections are displayed.

  3. The license agreement for the software is displayed. If you accept the terms, select the checkbox, and click Next to continue. The main IBM Cloud Backup for Classic system restore menu is presented.

  4. Select Restore My System.

    Figure 2 - The BMR main menu shows four options that are available to select.
    The System Restore main menu shows four options that are available to select.

  5. The system restore wizard appears. Select Next to continue.

    Figure 3 - BMR wizard provides an overview of the four steps if the BMR restoration process.
    BMR Wizard provides an overview of the four steps if the BMR restoration process.

  6. Select a backup type to restore from. Select EVault software then click Next to continue.

  7. On the backup location screen, select the vault, and enter in the vault address, account number, the username, and password. Then, click Next to continue.

    Figure 4 - Choose a backup location.
    Choose a backup location.

    For more information about viewing the username or changing the backup password, see Managing the username and password for the Cloud Backup service.

  8. The next screen displays your system in the list. Make sure it is highlighted and click Next.

    Figure 5 - Choose your system
    Choose your system.

  9. On the backup job selection screen, select the Job that you want to restore from and click Next.

    Figure 6 - Choose your Restore point
    Choose your Restore point.

  10. From the Select Restore Point menu, select the restore point that you want and click Next.

    Figure 7 - Choose Restore Point
    Choose Restore Point.

  11. Select the source and destination volumes. To restore the source to the destination, drag the source volume onto the destination volume.

    Figure 8 - Select Source and Destination Volumes
    Select Source and Destination Volumes.

  12. In the format or merge data confirmation box, you can select from two options. Select Format for a clean restore that formats the disk. If you want to merge the data on the destination volume, select Merge.

    Figure 9 - Choose Merge
    Choose Merge.

  13. On the main source and destination volume screen, click Next.

  14. On the restore plan summary screen, check the box to accept the plan and click Next.

    Figure 10 - Start the restore
    Start the restore.

  15. The restore progress screen appears and it shows you the progress of the restoration as it happens.

    Figure 11 - Restore Progress
    Restore in Progress.

  16. When complete, you receive a notification window that states that the restoration was completed successfully. Click OK.

  17. On the restore progress screen, click Next.

  18. On the final screen, check the box for restart system and select Finish and the server loads your restored volume image. The restoration is now complete.

    The first time the server restarts you might see the unexpected shutdown message. It's normal with this backup type and goes away after the first boot.