Installation guide

Disk backup

Disk-level data protection is based on backing up either a disk or a volume file system as a whole,

along with all information necessary for the operating system to boot; or all the disk sectors using the

sector-by-sector approach (raw mode.) A backup that contains a copy of a disk or a volume in a

packaged form is called a disk (volume) backup or a disk (volume) image. It is possible to recover

disks or volumes as a whole from such backup, as well as individual folders or files.

File backup

File-level data protection is based on backing up files and directories residing on the machine where

the agent is installed or on a network share accessed using the smb or nfs protocol. Files can be

recovered to their original location or to another place. It is possible to recover all files and

directories that were backed up or select which of them to recover.

Conversion to a virtual machine

Agent for Linux performs the conversion by recovering a disk backup to a new virtual machine of any

of the following types: VMware Workstation, Microsoft Virtual PC, Citrix XenServer Open Virtual

Appliance (OVA) or Red Hat Kernel-based Virtual Machine (KVM). Files of the fully configured and

operational machine will be placed in the directory you select. You can start the machine using the

respective virtualization software or prepare the machine files for further usage.

1.3.2.1 Universal Restore

The Universal Restore add-on enables you to use the restore to dissimilar hardware functionality on

the machine where the agent is installed and create bootable media with this functionality. Universal

Restore handles differences in devices that are critical for the operating system start-up, such as

storage controllers, motherboard or chipset.

1.3.2.2 Deduplication

This add-on enables the agent to back up data to deduplicating vaults managed by Acronis Backup &

Recovery 11.5 Storage Node.

1.3.3 Agent for VMware vSphere ESX(i)

Acronis Backup & Recovery 11.5 Agent for VMware vSphere ESX(i) enables backup and recovery of

ESX(i) virtual machines without installing agents into the guest systems. This backup method is

known as agent-less backup or backup at a hypervisor level.

The agent is delivered in two versions:

 Agent for VMware vSphere ESX(i) (Virtual Appliance) can be imported or deployed to a VMware

ESX(i) host.

 For off-loaded backup, Agent for VMware vSphere ESX(i) (Windows) can be installed on a

machine running Windows.

Acronis Backup & Recovery 11.5 Agent for VMware vSphere ESX(i) is referred to as Agent for ESX(i)

later in this document.