The Windows Server Backup (WSB) is the built-in feature in Windows Server 2012 and is not an enterprise –wise backup solution. The WSB supports backing up virtual machines on stand-alone hosts and clustered hosts with CSVs. With the improvements in the Windows Server 2012, administrators can select backup and restore virtual machines (VMs) on the same Hyper-V Server. For medium or enterprise organization, Data Protection Manger 2012 R2 is the perfect solution for centralized protection of virtual machines and data. There are also many numbers of third parties backup solutions for Hyper-V. Here, you will use the Windows Server Backup (WSB) feature to backup and restore Virtual machines. The Windows Server Backup (WSB) feature is not installed on a server by default, it must be enabled. There are two ways to enable Windows Server Backup (WSB):
- From Server Manager
- Open Server Manager
- Open the Manage menu and choose Add Roles and Features.
- On the Before you begin page, click Next.
- On the Select installation type page, click Next.
- On the Select destination server page, click Next.
- On the Select server roles page, click Next.
- On the Select features page, select the check box Windows Server Backup and click Next.

- On the last screen, click on the Install to start the installation of the Windows Server Backup feature on the server.
- From PowerShellTo install Windows Server Backup feature by using PowerShell command, open up a PowerShell command with an administrative account and then type the following:
Install-WindowsFeature Windows-Server-Backup

After you have Windows Server Backup feature installed, now it’s ready for backing up a Virtual Machines.
Backing Up Virtual Machines, perform the following steps:
1. Open
Server Manager, click
Tools menu, and then click
Windows Server Backup. In the
Windows Server Backup console, in the
Actions pane, click
Backup Schedule.
2. On the
Getting Started page, click
Next.
3. On the
Select Backup Configuration page, select
Custom for the backup type, and then click
Next.
4. On the
Select Items for Backup page, click
Add Items to open the Select Items screen.
5. In the
Select Items screen page,
select the
virtual machines that you would like to backup with this scheduled job and then click
OK.
6. Back in the
Select Items for Backup page, click the
Advanced Settings, and then select the
VSS Settings tab, and then choose
VSS full Backup and click
OK.
(Note: If you’re not using any other backup product to protect your VMs).
7. On the
Select Items for Backup page, click
Next.
8. On the
Specify Backup Time, select
Once a day and
select time of day, and then click
Next.
9. On the
Specify Destination Type page, select
Back up to a hard disk that is dedicated for backups (recommended) and then click
Next. To use this option, you must have at least one disk attached to the server that has no existing volume. The disk should be raw, with no partition of file system.
10. On the
Select Destination Disk page,
select the
available disks and then click
Next.
11. On the
Windows Server Backup dialog box, click
Yes to accept the warned that finish this wizard, the selected disks will be reformatted and all the existing volumes and data on the disks will be deleted.
12. On the
Confirmation page, review the selected options, and then click
Finish to format the disks and schedule the backup.
13. On the
Summary page, status showing
Formatting disk.. and Creating
backup schedule..
14. On the
Summary page, showing status
You have successfully created the backup schedule and click
close.
15. On the
Windows Server Backup console, click
Backup Once.. to run scheduled backup right now.
16. On the
Backup Options page,
select scheduled backup options and click
Next.
17. On the
Confirmation page, verify the backup items and then click
Backup.
18. On the
Backup Progress page, showing status
Creating shadow copy of volumes..
19. On the
Backup Progress page, showing status
Backup in progress for application: HyperV.
20. On the
Backup Progress page, showing status
Completed and click
Close.
21. Backup paths and details.
To restore virtual machines from Backup, you will perform full deletion of virtual machine, KTM-FS-2K12 from the Hyper-V host in our environment, which you backed up in the previous section.
Restoring virtual machine from Windows Server Backup feature, perform the following steps:
1. Open the
Window Server Backup console. In the
Actions pane, click
Recover..
2. On the
Getting started page, select
This server (KTM-HOST1) option to specify that the backup stored that you want to use for the recovery, and then click
Next.
3. On the
Select Backup Date page,
select the appropriate
backup date and then click
Next.
4. On the
Select Recovery Type page, select
Hyper-V as the backup type and click
Next.
5. On the
Select items to Recover page,
select the
virtual machine you want to recover, and then click
Next.
6. On the
Specify Recovery Options page, select
Recover to original location option and then click
Next.
7. On the
Confirmation page, verify the
recovery items,
backup date, and then click
Recover.
8. On the
Recovery Progress page,
status showing Recovery in progress.. Upon completion of the virtual machine recovery process, Windows Server Backup will provide with you confirmation about the successful restore of the virtual machine as follows and then click
Close.
9. For the
restored virtual machine
confirmation, Open
Hyper-V Manager and try to locate VM,
KTM-FS-2K12, in the available virtual machines.
Summary:
I hope this article will help to the Hyper-V administrators to quickly backup and restore virtual machines with Windows Server Backup (WSB) feature, in the absent of an enterprise-level backup solution, such as Data Protection Manager 2012 R2 or other third party backup solution for Hyper-V.
Very useful guide. I have tried the same in my scenario which works 100 %.
Very useful guide.