vSphere Recovery Agent 9.22

Release Notes, April 4, 2025

1 Overview

The vSphere Recovery Agent (VRA) provides data protection for VMware vSphere environments. The Agent can back up and restore VMs and templates across all ESXi hosts managed by a vCenter Server, or on a single ESXi host that is not managed by vCenter Server.

1.1  Compatibility

Portal

This VRA version is supported with Portal version 9.20 or later. However, if you want to specify whether to quiesce the guest file system of each VM before backing it up, you must use Portal 9.30 or later. For more information, see New Features.

Note: This VRA version checks the public key of the Portal AMP Proxy certificate when it tries to connect to Portal. If users are hosting their own Portal, we recommend updating the Portal AMP Proxy certificate before new VRAs are registered to Portal or existing VRAs are upgraded from version 8.80 or earlier.

Note: You cannot manage the VRA with the legacy Windows CentralControl interface.

Vault

This VRA version is supported with Vault version 8.72, 8.70 and 8.56.

Granular Restore for Microsoft Exchange and SQL

To restore items from SQL Server and Exchange database backups created using the VRA, use Granular Restore for Microsoft Exchange and SQL version 9.00 or later.

Important: Do not run another backup solution in the same vSphere environment as the VRA. Conflicts can occur between the VRA and other backup software.

1.2  Release History

Version 9.22.1011, November 28, 2024

Version 9.21.1006, April 29, 2024

Version 9.20.1008, March 2, 2023

1.3  Supported Platforms

This vSphere Recovery Agent version is supported on the following platforms:

1.4  Supported VMware vSphere Infrastructure

1.4.1  VMware vSphere

The following product versions are supported when the VRA protects all ESXi hosts managed by a vCenter Server:

vCenter Server:

ESXi Hosts:

vSAN:

1.4.2  ESXi hosts not managed by vCenter Server

The following ESXi versions are supported when the VRA protects a single ESXi host that is not managed by vCenter Server:

Note: The VRA is not supported with the free vSphere Hypervisor.

1.4.3  Raw Device Mappings

The VRA backs up virtual disks which use virtual Raw Device Mapping (vRDM). Data backed up from a vRDM is restored as a VMDK. See VMware documentation for instructions on how to migrate a restored VMDK back to a vRDM.

When backing up VMs, the VRA skips physical Raw Device Mapping (pRDM), shared disks and independent disks. VMware does not allow these disks to be included in snapshots for VM-level backups. To back up these disks, you can install an Agent on the VM.

If a VM contains at least one disk that can be protected, the VM will be backed up.

1.5  Supported Windows File Systems for File and Folder Recovery

For file and folder recovery, the vSphere Recovery Agent currently supports the following Windows file systems:

Note: GPT partitions are supported for file and folder recovery, if they contain a supported file system.

1.6  Supported Applications for Application-consistent Backups

The vSphere Recovery Agent can perform application-consistent backups of the following Microsoft applications on Windows virtual machines:

As part of an application-consistent backup, the vSphere Recovery Agent can truncate SQL Server, Exchange and SharePoint transaction logs on VMs.

Note: The Agent can truncate logs for default SQL Server instances, but not for named SQL Server instances.

Note: Granular restore might not be supported with some SQL Server and Exchange versions. For supported application versions, please see the Granular Restore for Microsoft Exchange and SQL Release Notes.

Note: Application-consistent backups are not supported on encrypted VMs.

2 New Features

2.1  New Features in Version 9.22

Security enhancements

Security enhancements have been added in this VRA version.

2.2  New Features in Version 9.20

Specify whether to quiesce guest file systems when backing up VMs

When creating or editing a vSphere backup job using Portal 9.30 and VRA 9.2x, you can specify whether to quiesce the file system of each VM before backing it up. Quiescing the file system on a VM brings the data into a consistent state that is suitable for backups.

Trying to quiesce a guest file system that cannot be quiesced can take significant time and resources and cause the VM to become unresponsive. When backing up VMs that cannot be quiesced, turning off guest file system quiescing can save backup time and system resources.

Note: Beginning with Portal 9.30 and VRA 9.20, the application-consistent option can only be enabled in a backup job if the guest file system quiescing option is enabled.

Backup verification log improvements

You can now view backup verification logs in Portal 9.30. Verification logs show the backup verification status of each VM in a job and the reason for any verification failure. Previously, you could only see backup verification results in Portal in the Backup Verification Report.

After a backup where VMs are verified, backup verification information for each VM in the job is incorporated into one VERIFYSAFESET log. When backups were verified using VRA 9.1x or 9.00, a MNT log for each VM remained in the job folder.

Note: If MNT logs from a previous VRA version remain in a job folder, you must delete the MNT logs manually. To preserve log information, you can save copies of the logs in another location before deleting the logs.

Security enhancements

Security enhancements have been added in this VRA version.

3 Installation Requirements

Install VRA on a Windows physical or virtual machine that has:

An account with full Administrator rights to the Windows machine is required for installing the VRA.

An account that is mapped to the Administrator role is required to connect to the vCenter and configure the VRA.

We recommend using firewalls or other mechanisms to isolate VRA and the vCenter from the Internet.

3.1  Feature-specific Requirements

3.1.1  Requirement for guest file system quiescing

To quiesce the guest file system of a VM before backing it up, VMware Tools version 11 or later must be installed on the VM.

3.1.2  Application-consistent Backup Requirements

To create application-consistent backups on a VM, VMware Tools version 11 or later must be installed on the VM.

Application-consistent backups are supported on VMs with hardware version 8 or later.

As part of an application-consistent backup, the VRA can truncate SQL Server, Exchange and SharePoint transaction logs on VMs on ESXi 8.0, 7.0, 6.7 and 6.5 hosts.

3.1.3  Rapid VM Restore and Backup Verification Requirements

The following table lists and describes requirements for Rapid VM Restores and backup verification. If VRA and Vault requirements are not met, backup verification settings do not appear for a VRA and Rapid VM Restore does not appear as a restore option in Portal. If vSphere environment requirements are not met, you can start a Rapid VM Restore but it will not finish successfully.

Note: Because the VRA uses automated Rapid VM Restore processes to verify VM backups, these features share some requirements.

Component

Rapid VM Restore requirement Backup verification requirement

VRA

vSphere Recovery Agent installed on a supported Windows Server platform. Windows File and Storage Services with the iSCSI Target Server feature must be installed on the server. If you install the iSCSI Target Server feature after installing VRA, you must stop and restart the VRA services (BUAgent and VVAgent) before you can perform backup verifications.

Vault

A version 8.50 or later vault that is installed locally (i.e., not on a cloud server or in a remote datacenter).

The Rapid VM Restore feature must be enabled on the vault. This feature is enabled by default on Satellite vaults. If you have a local Base vault, you can enable the Rapid VM Restore feature by running a script. See Enable the Rapid VM Restore feature on a vault.

vSphere environment

ESXi hosts

Each ESXi host must have the Software iSCSI Adapter installed and bound to a network port group that the VRA can reach.

To migrate VMs restored using Rapid VM Restore to permanent storage, each ESXi host must have access to two datastores: one for writing changes while the VM runs using Rapid VM Restore, and one for permanent storage. Each datastore must have enough space for the restored VM.

Note: On an ESXi host that is not managed by vCenter Server, Rapid VM Restore can be used to verify that VMs were backed up correctly, but cannot be used to restore VMs permanently. An ESXi server that is not part of a vCenter does not have the capabilities required to migrate VMs to permanent storage.

The ESXi host for running backup verifications must have the Software iSCSI Adapter installed and bound to a network port group that the VRA can reach.

The ESXi host must be able to accommodate the expected load. During backup verification, the VRA starts each VM using an automated Rapid VM Restore process. One VM in each backup job is verified at a time and the original memory settings are used for each VM. If, for example, backup verification runs for five backup jobs at the same time and each VM uses 256 GB of RAM, backup verification could use up to 1268 GB of RAM on the host.

Note: The ESXi host for running backup verifications is selected on the vSphere Settings tab for a VRA. See Configure a vSphere Recovery Agent.

License

To migrate VMs restored using Rapid VM Restore to permanent storage, your VMware license must support storage migration.

 

Datastores

We recommend using supported storage from the VMware Hardware Compatibility Guide: https://www.vmware.com/resources/compatibility/search.php

When you restore a VM using Rapid VM Restore, you must choose a datastore for writing changes while the VM runs using Rapid VM Restore. This datastore can be local, iSCSI or vSAN storage, but cannot be NFS storage.

When you migrate a VM to permanent storage, the destination datastore can be local, iSCSI, vSAN or NFS storage.

When you enter backup verification settings, you must choose a datastore for verifying VMs. This datastore can be local, iSCSI or vSAN storage, but cannot be NFS storage.

VM  

Backup verification is supported with Windows VMs. Backup verification is not supported with non-Windows operating systems (e.g., Linux).

VMware Tools version 11 or later must be installed on the VM.

3.1.4  Ransomware Detection Requirements

The VRA can check for potential ransomware threats on Windows VMs when running a backup job. VMware Tools must be installed on the VMs. We recommend using the latest version of VMware Tools available.

The VRA can only check for ransomware threats on VMs that are running. The VRA cannot check for ransomware threats on VM templates.

3.2  Licensing Requirements

Each VRA claims two licenses from the Vault: a Server Agent license and a VMware plug-in license.

To migrate VMs restored using Rapid VM Restore to permanent storage, your VMware license must support storage migration.

3.3  Install/Upgrade

3.3.1  Install

The filename of the vSphere Recovery Agent installation kit is: vSphereRecoveryAgent-9-22-1011.exe

To obtain the executable file, contact your licensed service provider. For installation and configuration information, see the vSphere Recovery Agent User Guide.

The following files are installed for the agent:

buagent.exe – version 9.22.1011

FileScanner.exe – version 1.0.0.1

LogViewer.exe – version 9.22.1011

VV.exe – version 9.22.1011

VVAgent.exe – version 9.22.1011

XLogTranslator.exe – version 9.22.1011

dbghelp.dll – version 6.11.0001.404

evVss.dll – version 9.22.1011

InstallationCA.dll – version 9.22.1011

InstallHelper.dll – version 9.22.1011

IscsiTargetExtension.dll – version 9.22.1011

libcrypto-1_1-x64.dll – version 1.1.1w

libssl-1_1-x64.dll – version 1.1.1w

MsIscsiTargetLibrary.dll – version 9.22.1011

PluginCatBrowser.dll – version 9.22.1011

SystemStatePlugin.dll – version 9.22.1011

SystemVolumePlugin.dll – version 9.22.1011

VraRvmrExtension.dll – version 9.22.1011

vsphere-soap-generated.dll – version 9.22.1011

vsphere_utils.dll – version 9.22.1011

vSphereMount.dll – version 9.22.1011

vSphereWinPlugin.dll – version 9.22.1011

VVClMsg.dll – version 9.22.1011

You cannot install VRA on a machine where the Windows Agent is installed.

Do not install VRA on an Active Directory domain controller.

3.3.2  Upgrade

You can upgrade a VRA to version 9.22 from version 9.21, 9.20, 9.1x, 9.00, 8.8x, 8.60 or 8.40 by running the installation kit.

Note: If you upgrade a VRA to version 9.22 from a version earlier than 8.82, the first backup could take longer than a normal delta backup because the VRA reads all of the VM data.

4 Fixes, Limitations and Known Issues

4.1  Fixes

4.1.1  Fixes in Version 9.21

4.1.2  Fixes in Version 9.20

4.2  Limitations

Backup Limitations

Restore Limitations

Rapid VM Restore Limitations

Installation Kit Limitations

4.3  Known Issues