Hyper-V VM based GRT encrypted duplicate backup sets on Tape storage, Cloud Storage and Cloud-deduplication storage (MSDP-C) cannot be restored

Severity

High

Description

Hyper-V VM based GRT encrypted duplicate backup sets on Tape storage, Cloud Storage and Cloud-deduplication storage (MSDP-C) cannot be restored. Restore works from Hyper-V VM non-GRT duplicate encrypted sets on any storage.

What is the impact? A Hyper-V virtual machine and its data cannot be restored in a particular condition when Hyper-V GRT set is duplicated to a Cloud Storage, Tape, and Cloud Deduplication device with encryption.

What workloads are affected? Hyper-V Virtual Machine (GRT duplicate set on some device when encrypted).

Is the primary backup copy impacted? No. Restoration is possible from an encrypted, non-encrypted primary backup set from any storage device.

Is the duplicate copy impacted? Yes. When the primary Hyper-V GRT set is duplicated to a Cloud Storage, Tape, and Cloud Deduplication device with encryption, restore does not work with those encrypted duplicate copies.

Restore works from duplicate copy (encrypted) residing on disk storage, deduplication storage(non-cloud) and disk-cartridge device (RDX).

Is an agent-based Hyper-V Virtual Machine backups restore impacted in any scenario? - No

Would restore jobs work from a non-GRT duplicate copy? Yes

Would restore jobs work from GRT duplicate copy that is not encrypted? Yes

If the Hyper-V VM primary or source backup set (with GRT enabled) on disk storage is expired, data cannot be restored from any duplicate copy with encryption that exists on Cloud Storage, Tape, and Cloud Deduplication device, resulting in a potential data loss scenario.

Error Message

Restoring encrypted Hyper-V GRT backup from a duplicate copy (encrypted) residing on Tape or Cloud-deduplication device fails with the following errors:

0xe0009744/0xe000976a - 0xe0009744 - At least one directory in the backup set contains items that are not supported by Granular Recovery Technology (GRT).  Granular restores cannot be performed for these items.

0xe000976a - At least one virtual machine volume in the backup set contains a volume format that is not supported by this version of the Windows Operating System and therefore is not supported by Granular Recovery Technology (GRT).  Granular restores cannot be performed for these volumes.

V-79-57344-38724 - Directory '' does not support Granular Recovery Technology (GRT).  Granular restores cannot be performed for items in this directory.

Cause

With encryption and GRT enabled in the Hyper V backup job definition for duplicate copy to Tape or Cloud-deduplication device, metadata information is not being set properly for the virtual disks when the duplicate copy is written.

Affected Versions

Backup Exec 22.1, 22.2, and 23.0 are affected.

Action Required

A patch for Backup Exec 23 has been released. (Hotfix 463014)

VERITAS will release a patch for Backup Exec 22.2. 

Download the patch for the applicable version and apply it on Backup Exec media server. Update the Backup Exec Remote Agent on remote server(s) post patching the Backup Exec media server. Perform the Backup and duplicate job (with encryption) of the Hyper-V GRT backup set which still resides on disk storage or take fresh backups/duplicate and test a GRT restore to confirm the restore is working from the encrypted duplicate set.

NOTE: Hyper-V GRT encrypted duplicate copy backed up with Backup Exec 22.0 will restore successfully from any device.

Workaround

Increase the retention period for the Hyper V VM GRT primary backup sets which resides on the disk storage until the fix is released.

OR

Disable encryption for the Hyper V GRT Duplicate Job targeted to Tape, Cloud storage or Cloud Deduplication device.