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Altaro VM Backup is now branded Hornetsecurity VM Backup. To protect Hyper-V workloads, install the current package on a supported Windows host, discover the Hyper-V servers and virtual machines, assign each VM to a network share or external disk, then define retention, encryption and recurring schedules. A manual Take Backup run lets you verify the configuration before automation takes over. Hornetsecurity offers a fully functional 30-day trial and a Free Edition for micro businesses covering up to two VMs per host.
This guide follows that workflow and separates current product information from the older Hyper-V Server Core procedure. It also explains how to validate restores, add offsite copies and avoid common configuration failures.
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What is Altaro VM Backup now called, and what does it do?
The product formerly called Altaro VM Backup is now Hornetsecurity VM Backup. Hornetsecurity describes it as a backup and replication solution for Hyper-V and other supported virtual-machine platforms. Its core job is to create recoverable copies of running VMs without requiring the guest to be shut down, then retain, replicate and monitor those copies according to policy.
Vendor materials emphasize centralized management, live or hot backups, immutable cloud storage, ransomware protection, offsite copies and replication. Documented cloud destinations include Microsoft Azure, Amazon S3, Wasabi and Backblaze B2. Other advertised capabilities include continuous data protection, WAN-optimized replication, deduplication, encryption, multiple offsite locations and GFS-style (grandfather-father-son) archiving. These are feature claims from Hornetsecurity; actual throughput, recovery time and storage consumption depend on the host, network, disks and VM change rate.
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Which Windows and Hyper-V versions are supported?
Check support for the exact component you are installing. Hornetsecurity’s current download page lists Azure Stack HCI, Windows Server 2022, 2019, 2016, 2012 R2, 2012, 2008 R2 and Microsoft Hyper-V Server (Core). Its separate management-tools page lists build 9.21.0.0 and includes Windows Server 2025, 2022, 2019, 2016 Core, 2012 R2 Core, 2012, Windows Server 2008 R2, and 64-bit Windows 7, 8 and 10.
Those lists are component-specific rather than a promise that every combination is supported. Confirm the host OS, management-console OS, Hyper-V role and product build on the download page before deployment, especially when mixing a newer management workstation with an older Hyper-V host.
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|---|---|---|
| Hyper-V and server platforms | Azure Stack HCI; Windows Server 2022, 2019, 2016, 2012 R2, 2012 and 2008 R2; Microsoft Hyper-V Server (Core) | Verify the precise release and edition before installing the host component. |
| Management tools, build 9.21.0.0 | Windows Server 2025, 2022, 2019, 2016 Core, 2012 R2 Core, 2012, Windows Server 2008 R2, and 64-bit Windows 7/8/10 | Use the tools page for console compatibility; do not infer host support from this list alone. |
| Database prerequisite | No SQL dependency is required for the current package, according to the download page. | You do not need to provision a separate SQL Server instance solely for this installation. |
What should I prepare before installation?
A short preparation check prevents most first-run errors.
- Hyper-V access: Sign in with an account that can administer the Hyper-V host and enumerate its VMs. For remote management, confirm the Windows firewall and management permissions between the console and host.
- Capacity: Estimate the full size of protected VMs, daily change rate, retention period and offsite copies. Leave headroom for checkpoints, metadata and temporary processing space; a destination that only equals the current VM size will fill quickly.
- Destination design: Decide whether the primary copy will be a network location or an external hard disk/USB device. A separate physical device is useful for isolation, but it must remain connected and available during scheduled windows.
- Network paths: Use a stable UNC path and credentials that can create, read and delete backup files. Avoid mapping a drive letter that exists only in an interactive administrator session.
- Recovery goals: Write down the acceptable recovery-point interval and recovery-time objective for each workload. These determine schedule frequency, retention and whether replication is needed.
- Installer access: Download the current package and keep the license or trial details available. The current package does not require a separate SQL installation.
How do I install VM Backup on a graphical Windows Server host?
Use the normal installer on a supported Windows Server or management workstation. The exact screen wording can change between builds, but the sequence is consistent.
- Download the current Hornetsecurity VM Backup installer and launch it with administrative rights.
- Accept the license terms, choose the installation location and complete the setup wizard. If the wizard offers separate host and management components, install the component required for the machine’s role.
- Open the VM Backup management console after setup. Sign in or activate the 30-day trial when prompted, or apply an eligible Free Edition entitlement.
- Add the Hyper-V host or cluster using the host name or IP address and an account with the required Hyper-V permissions.
- Wait for host discovery to finish, then confirm that the expected virtual machines appear before creating a schedule.
Keep the console and host clocks synchronized. Time differences can make schedules, reports and retention events appear to run at unexpected times.
How do I install on Server Core or Microsoft Hyper-V Server?
The official Core guide uses an administrative share and a command prompt because there is no full graphical shell. Treat that document as legacy procedural guidance and confirm commands and prerequisites against the current installer.
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- Download the installer on an administrative workstation.
- Copy the installer to the Core server through an administrative share such as
\IPAddressC$. ReplaceIPAddresswith the server’s address or use a resolvable host name. - Open a command prompt on the Core server, change to the directory containing the installer and start the setup executable.
- Complete the text-based or unattended prompts supplied by the current package. Do not assume switches from an older installer still exist.
- From the management console, add the Core host and verify that its VMs are visible.
If the copy fails, check that administrative shares are enabled, the account is a local administrator on the Core server, SMB traffic is allowed and the server’s firewall profile permits remote administration. If installation succeeds but discovery fails, check Hyper-V management permissions and name resolution separately; they are different failure points.
How do I discover Hyper-V hosts and virtual machines?
In the management console, add a host or cluster and allow discovery to complete. The step-by-step guide demonstrates discovery of three VMs on a Hyper-V Server 2016 lab, but the same principle applies to larger environments.
- Open the host-management or infrastructure view and choose the command to add a Hyper-V host.
- Enter the server name or IP address and supply an account authorized to query Hyper-V.
- Refresh the inventory after the connection is accepted. Confirm VM names, power state and host assignment.
- Resolve any missing VM before defining protection. A VM absent from inventory cannot be included in a backup set.
Clusters require extra care: add the supported cluster endpoint rather than treating every node as an unrelated standalone host, and verify that a VM remains protected if its ownership moves between nodes.
How do I choose and configure a backup location?
VM Backup can write to a network location or an attached external hard disk/USB device. The guide describes automatic discovery of attached external disks and assigning VMs to a selected destination by dragging them to that location.
Network location
- Open the backup-location configuration in the console and choose a network destination.
- Enter a UNC path, not a temporary mapped drive, and test the supplied credentials.
- Confirm that the account can create a test folder, write a file, read it back and remove it.
- Check available capacity and the network link speed during the planned backup window.
A network share is convenient for centralized storage, but a share on the same physical host or array as the production VMs does not protect against that host or array’s failure. Place the repository on separate hardware whenever possible.
External hard disk or USB device
- Attach the disk directly to the backup host or the system running the management component, according to the product’s supported topology.
- Wait for Windows to assign and mount the volume. Use a stable volume label and avoid changing drive letters after configuration.
- Refresh the location list. The guide says attached external disks can be discovered automatically.
- Select the destination and assign the intended VMs, using the console’s drag-and-drop workflow where available.
- Secure the disk against accidental unplugging, theft and ransomware. Test that scheduled jobs fail clearly when the disk is absent and resume correctly after reconnection.
Use an external drive sized for the complete retention chain, not merely one full backup. Rotation between two or more disks gives better resilience because one copy can remain disconnected while another is in use.
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How do I set a schedule and retention policy?
Schedules determine how often new recovery points are created; retention determines how long those points remain. Configure both together so the policy matches the amount of storage you can actually provide.
Choose the schedule
- Open the VM or backup-set configuration and select the scheduling section.
- Set the frequency and allowed time window to meet the workload’s recovery-point objective. Run high-change databases more often than mostly static file servers.
- Stagger large VMs when the destination or WAN link cannot process them concurrently.
- Account for application-consistent processing, checkpoint creation and the time required to copy changed blocks.
Choose retention
- Define how many recent recovery points to keep and how long to retain older points.
- Use longer retention for compliance or monthly rollback needs, but calculate the resulting storage before enabling it.
- If using GFS-style archiving, specify the weekly, monthly or yearly generations required by your policy rather than retaining every point indefinitely.
- Document who can change or delete retention settings. A short accidental retention value can remove the restore point you expected to use.
Retention is not a substitute for offsite protection. It controls deletion in the repository; it does not protect that repository from fire, theft, corruption or a compromised administrator account.
How do I enable encryption and advanced settings?
The guide identifies encryption and advanced settings, including an option to exclude ISO files. Enable only options you understand and record the resulting operational impact.
- Encryption: Select encryption for backup data when policy or threat modeling requires it. Store keys or passwords in a secured password-management process; an encrypted backup with a lost key is unrecoverable.
- ISO exclusion: Excluding ISO files can reduce unnecessary storage when those images are reproducible. Do not exclude an ISO that is the only copy of a custom installer, recovery environment or licensed software needed after a disaster.
- Deduplication and compression: These can reduce repository use but consume CPU and may change the backup window. Measure the effect on busy hosts rather than assuming a fixed saving.
- Replication: Configure a second location only after the primary backup completes reliably. WAN-optimized replication is useful across slower links, but initial seeding can still require substantial time.
How do I run the first backup and verify it?
Run one manual backup before relying on automation. The console’s Take Backup action starts a backup immediately.
- Select the host, VM or backup set and choose Take Backup.
- Watch progress until the job reports success; do not treat a job that merely started as a completed protection point.
- Review the job log for warnings about skipped disks, inaccessible files, checkpoints, credentials or insufficient space.
- Confirm that files and metadata exist at the destination and that the repository’s used space increased as expected.
- Perform a test restore of a non-production VM, disk or file when your recovery procedure allows it. A successful backup job does not prove that a restore will boot.
After the manual test, enable the recurring schedule and observe at least one complete scheduled run. Configure health checks, notifications and reports so failures reach an operator rather than remaining only in the console.
How do offsite copies, immutability and replication improve protection?
Use a second failure domain for important workloads. Hornetsecurity describes immutable cloud storage in which backup data cannot be erased, modified or deleted during the configured retention period. That behavior is intended to limit the damage from ransomware or a compromised administrator, but it depends on correctly configured retention and access controls.
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Documented cloud targets include Microsoft Azure, Amazon S3, Wasabi and Backblaze B2. Choose a target based on region, egress cost, connectivity, security controls and recovery objectives. Replication can provide a faster standby copy, while cloud archival can provide longer retention; they solve different recovery problems.
- Keep credentials for offsite storage separate from production-domain credentials.
- Test both the initial seed and an incremental transfer across the real WAN path.
- Confirm that the offsite copy has an independent retention and immutability policy.
- Run a restore test from the offsite location, not only from the local repository.
What should I monitor after deployment?
Operational hand-off is part of installation. Create a short runbook containing the protected hosts, repository paths, schedule times, retention values, encryption-key custody and escalation contacts.
- Review success and failure notifications after every scheduled window.
- Track repository free space and the age of the newest successful recovery point.
- Check for recurring warnings, not just outright failures; a skipped virtual disk can make a job appear successful while weakening recovery.
- Verify that external disks are connected when required and that their drive letters have not changed.
- Perform periodic restore drills and record the elapsed recovery time.
- After host, storage or product upgrades, run a new manual backup and restore test.
What are the most common installation and configuration problems?
The installer cannot be copied to Server Core
Confirm the administrative share syntax, permissions and SMB connectivity. Try the server’s IP address when name resolution is suspect, then review firewall and local-administrator membership.
The host connects but VMs are missing
Refresh discovery, confirm the account can query Hyper-V and check whether the VMs belong to a cluster or another node. Correct inventory before creating a job.
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A network destination fails authentication
Use a UNC path and a dedicated account with explicit share and NTFS permissions. Test create, read and delete operations from the same machine and security context used by the backup service.
The external disk is not listed
Verify that Windows sees the disk, that it is online and formatted with a supported file system, and that the backup service can access its volume. Reconnect and refresh discovery; avoid changing its drive letter after assignment.
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Backups run out of space
Compare VM change rate with retention and schedule frequency. Reduce unnecessary generations, move archival copies off the primary repository, add capacity or stagger jobs. Do not simply delete recovery points outside the configured policy.
Jobs finish but restores fail
Inspect warnings for skipped disks or files, then test a restore to isolated hardware. Check encryption-key availability, repository integrity and whether the recovery procedure includes the required virtual switches and drivers.
Which edition should I use for a test or a micro business?
The current download page offers a fully functional 30-day trial, suitable for validating discovery, destinations, schedules, restores and operational reporting before committing. It also offers a Free Edition for micro businesses covering up to two VMs per host. Confirm eligibility and current terms on the download page because editions and limits can change.
For more than two VMs per host, multiple hosts, offsite replication or formal support requirements, plan licensing around the complete environment rather than installing the free edition and discovering the limit during an incident.
What is a practical deployment checklist?
- Verify host and management-tool support for the exact Windows and Hyper-V versions.
- Install the current package, or copy it through
\IPAddressC$for a Core host and launch it from a command prompt. - Add each host or cluster and confirm every intended VM is visible.
- Create a repository on separate storage, using a tested network path or a protected external disk.
- Assign VMs to the destination and calculate capacity from change rate plus retention.
- Set schedule, retention, encryption and any justified exclusions such as ISO files.
- Run Take Backup, inspect warnings and verify repository contents.
- Enable recurring jobs, notifications and reports.
- Configure an offsite or immutable copy where the recovery plan requires it.
- Perform and document a restore test before declaring the deployment complete.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I back up a running Hyper-V VM without shutting it down?
Yes. Hot or live backup is a core capability described by Hornetsecurity, so protected VMs can generally remain online. Application-consistent results still depend on guest integration services and the workload’s own quiescing behavior, so validate with a restore test.
How often should I test a Hyper-V backup restore?
Test after the initial deployment and after material changes to hosts, storage, encryption or product versions. For critical systems, schedule recurring isolated restores and record whether the measured recovery time still meets your objective.
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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchDoes VM Backup replace Hyper-V Replica?
No. Backup retention and replication address different needs: backups provide historical recovery points, while replication maintains a more current copy for faster failover. Use the combination that matches your recovery-point and recovery-time requirements.
What happens if an external USB backup disk is disconnected during a scheduled job?
The job should report an unavailable destination or failure rather than creating a valid recovery point. Reconnect the same volume, confirm its path and permissions, then rerun the job and verify that a new successful point appears.
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