If you use Veeam Backup & Replication 7 as backup solution, there's a quick way to restore backups without installing the full application.
If you need to quickly restore a VM, let's say the Veeam server, and both installation program file and license are temporarily not available, to reduce the offline time of your VM you just need three file contained in the Veeam program folder.
Procedure
You need to copy anywhere three files located in C:\Program Files\Veeam\Backup:
- Veeam.Backup.Extractor.exe
- Extract.exe
- Extract (used for Linux environments)
Run Veeam.Backup.Extractor.exe file to open the tool. Click Browse button to select the location where the .VBK backup files are stored.
Specify the correct path of the backup storage and select the full backup .VBK file that contains the VM to restore. Click Open.
The tool needs few seconds to retrieve VM info.
The VMs in the backup selected are shown. Click Browse button and select the path you want to extract the VM to (local folder or production storage). Click OK to confirm.
Thick the VM to restore then click Extract.
The VM is being extracted to selected Extract folder.
The VM files are extracted to selected folder. You can now power on the VM or move it wherever you like.
Following this procedure, you can extract the VM in any storage of the network to restore the VM functionality without installing the full Veeam application reducing the offline time.
