How to Easily Backup Hyper-V VMs in 3 Ways

What is Hyper-V Virtual Machine?

If you are a software developer, an IT professional, or a technology enthusiast, chances are you often require the use of multiple operating systems. With Hyper-V, you can effortlessly run multiple operating systems as virtual machines on Windows. This approach offers a more efficient solution by maximizing the utilization of hardware resources, as opposed to the traditional practice of running only a single operating system on physical hardware.
Hyper-V VMs contain critical applications and data required to support business systems, making VM backup an essential requirement. 

Backup Hyper-V with EaseUS Todo Backup

By installing EaseUS Todo Backup on the virtual machine, you can easily back up the VM just like you would with a physical machine. This software allows you to back up the entire system, disk, folders, and even SQL/Exchange Server with just a few simple steps. It also offers support for a sophisticated backup schedule, ensuring that your virtual machine is well-protected. In case of any unforeseen incidents, you can restore the virtual machine to its previous state or even restore it to a virtual machine with different hardware configurations.

Here is an example of how to create a comprehensive system backup plan:
1. In the left panel, click on New Task. Select the system that you want to back up. Click on Browse... to choose the destination location where you want to save the backup files. Once you have selected the destination location, proceed with the backup process.

2. If you wish to establish a regular backup system, with options for daily, weekly, and monthly intervals, kindly click on Schedule button to set up your own backup plans. It is indeed possible to apply multiple plans for the same task.

3. To revert the machine back to its previous state, simply select the Recovery option.

Backup Hyper-V with Windows Server Backup

Another way to organize VM backup on Hyper-V suggests using the built-in Windows Server Backup feature. 
Windows Server Backup includes a user-friendly graphical user interface (GUI) console called wbadmin.msc. This console enables you to effortlessly create and manage Hyper-V backups, set up backup schedules, and more. To back up a virtual machine (VM), simply initiate a straightforward wizard, choose the desired VMs from your Hyper-V server that need to be backed up, determine the backup destination, and specify the backup schedule according to your requirements.

Export Hyper-V VM on Hyper-V Manager

Hyper-V Export refers to the procedure of exporting a specific VM along with its virtual hard disk files, VM configuration files, and Hyper-V snapshots into a single entity. In order to export Hyper-V VMs, you need to open Hyper-V Manager first.
1. Right-click the VM you want to export from the list, and select Export to open Export Virtual Machine Wizard.

2. Click Browse to specify the location to which the VM should be exported.

3. When the export is done, you can see all exported files under the export location. As you can see from the screenshot, the selected VM, including its virtual hard disks, VM configuration files, and VM snapshots, has been successfully exported to a new location.

4. It is indeed possible to export a Hyper-V Virtual Machine using the command line.
To do so, please open a session as Administrator and execute the following command, replacing with the name of your virtual machine and with the desired destination path:

Export-VM -Name / -Path /

Conclusion

Exporting your Hyper-V VMs and utilizing Windows Server Backup for backup purposes are practical approaches. Furthermore, if you seek a reliable Hyper-V backup tool, I strongly suggest giving EaseUS Todo Backup a shot. With its advanced functionalities and user-friendly interface, it is certain to fulfill all your requirements for backing up Hyper-V VMs.

Backup Hyper-V VMs FAQs

1. How to import a Hyper-V virtual machine?
To import a virtual machine:

• Find the Actions menu in Hyper-V Manager, and Choose Import Virtual Machine.
• Click Next.
• Select the folder that contains the exported files, and click Next.
• Select the virtual machine to import.
• Choose the import type, and click Next. (For descriptions, see Import types, below.)
• Click Finish.

2. What is the difference between a Hyper-V snapshot and a checkpoint?
Hyper-V checkpoints and snapshots are the same. A Hyper-V snapshot is the outdated name of a point-in-time copy of a VM. 

3. How do I restore from Hyper-V backup?

• Launch the Backup Manager for the device.
• Switch to the Restore tab.
• Select the Hyper-V data source from the vertical menu to the left.
• Using the Session date and time picker, select the backup session you want to restore.
• Select the data you want to restore by expanding the file tree and selecting individual VMs.