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Quick Linux and Windows bare metal restore when it really counts.

Bare metal backup software is one of the many capabilities Bacula Systems offers to make sure you never lose your data. It is one of the many layers that makes Bacula the most secure backup software available today. Bacula’s bare metal recovery (BMR) tool is available for both Linux and Windows Server, and enables your systems teams to perform safe, reliable disaster recovery using Bacula Enterprise. With bare metal backup you get your critical systems up and running quickly and safely in no time.

Bacula’s bare metal backup software is available for Windows Server 2012, 2008, 2008R2, 2003, Windows Server 2016 (English) on legacy BIOS, up to the latest Windows Server 2019. Windows 10 & 11, Home and Workstation, on (U)EFI-enabled system, too.

Bare Metal Recovery for Linux: Bacula supports almost all flavors of Linux, such as Ubuntu, Debian, CentOS, Mint, Red Hat and SUSE. An exhaustive documentation covering best practices for data recovery is also available in the package.

Key Benefits of Bacula Bare Metal Backup
and Recovery Software:

 

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Backup operating systems and data without interruption or down time
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Get critical systems up and running within minutes
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Rebuild or restore the backed up system to an entirely separate piece of hardware
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Create an ISO to boot from (CD, USB key, etc, or stored image)
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User friendly graphical user interface (GUI) – with flexible options for various procedures
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Ability to clone machines
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Physical to virtual or virtual to physical restore

The bare metal recovery tool is available for an additional cost and is fully supported via the Bacula Systems subscription (also including Bacula Enterprise). Whether you already benefit from Bacula Enterprise today, or are considering switching to Bacula Enterprise, contact us for further details on how we can help you implement low cost bare metal restore in your data center.

Benefits that are specific to Windows Server 2012, 2008, 2008R2, 2003 Bare Metal Backup Software:

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Supports (U)EFI system and secure boot
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Automatically adapt the last partition size to new disk size
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Can exclude partitions or data from the restore process
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Fully supports manual partitioning via a smart partition matching interface
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Support for dynamic disks
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Support for GPT table
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Can load extra drivers and configure the network from the GUI
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Logs can be accessed easily and directly sent to support
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Extra tools to customize the ISO (hardcode the Bacula parameters)
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Based on the 64 bit WinPE 4.0 (Windows 8.0 code base)
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Supports full, differential and incremental backups

How Does Bacula Enterprise Excel Across All IT Infrastructure Types?

Defense-Grade Security Framework

Bacula Enterprise implements battle-tested security protocols that have earned the trust of military installations, intelligence agencies, international Western defence organizations, and Fortune 500 companies operating under the strictest regulatory oversight. The platform’s comprehensive security foundation encompasses:

  • Multi-Layer Data Protection featuring industry-standard AES encryption algorithms (128, 192, 256-bit, plus Blowfish) that safeguard information throughout transmission and storage phases
  • Government-Certified Cryptographic Standards meeting FIPS validation requirements for organizations operating within federal compliance mandates and regulated sectors
  • Hierarchical Permission Systems enable precise control over user privileges through sophisticated authentication mechanisms and administrative delegation
  • Breach-Resistant Backup Integrity creating write-protected backup copies that create substantial ransomware defense against both external cyber attacks and malicious insider activities
  • Air-Gapped Storage Ecosystem supporting completely disconnected backup repositories through offline media solutions, tape libraries, and cloud-based secure vaults with intelligent storage tier management
  • Proactive Threat Monitoring incorporating real-time surveillance capabilities and automated validation processes to detect and neutralize security compromises
  • BGuardian Security Intelligence Platform providing comprehensive automation for security-focused operations and threat analysis workflows

Universal Infrastructure Compatibility

Bacula Enterprise’s versatile architecture seamlessly integrates diverse technology stacks under unified management, eliminating the complexity typically associated with heterogeneous IT landscapes. Core compatibility features include:

  • Comprehensive Hypervisor Coverage delivering native connectivity across VMware vSphere, Microsoft Hyper-V, KVM, Red Hat Virtualization, Xen, Azure Virtual Machines, Proxmox, and Nutanix AHV with consistent policy enforcement
  • Unified Physical-Virtual Management streamlining protection strategies for bare-metal servers, desktop workstations, and virtualized systems through a single administrative console

 

  • Modern Application Stack Support providing specialized protection for containerized workloads including Docker environments, Kubernetes clusters, and OpenShift platforms with persistent storage backup and application-aware snapshots
  • Universal Cloud Storage Connectivity with built-in integration with major cloud providers including Amazon S3 storage classes, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, and AWS Glacier archival services
  • Enterprise Database Protection ensuring guaranteed hot backups for critical database systems including Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server, MySQL, PostgreSQL, and SAP HANA with transaction-level consistency

Performance-Optimized Operations

Bacula Enterprise’s engineering prioritizes operational efficiency through intelligent resource management and adaptive performance tuning, ensuring backup operations scale seamlessly without impacting production workloads:

  • Intelligent Network Adaptation automatically adjusting to varying network conditions through sophisticated retry logic and connection recovery mechanisms
  • Granular Performance Controls enabling administrators to optimize backup operations via configurable parallel processing, bandwidth management, and intelligent resource scheduling
  • Massively Scalable Deployment supporting enterprise-wide implementations protecting thousands of endpoints through distributed architecture with centralized oversight
  • Advanced Storage Optimization implementing both client-side and server-side deduplication technologies with Global Endpoint Deduplication and Aligned Volume formatting for maximum efficiency

Intelligent Backup Strategies utilizing snapshot technologies and synthetic full backups to minimize backup windows and reduce storage footprint requirements

Enterprise Management Excellence

The platform delivers comprehensive operational control through intuitive interfaces and powerful automation capabilities, enabling IT teams to maintain complete visibility across complex backup environments:

  • Modern Web Administration Portal (BWeb™) providing streamlined configuration workflows, real-time operational dashboards, and comprehensive reporting through an intuitive browser-based interface
  • Automated Infrastructure Discovery featuring intelligent detection of backup targets and sophisticated query capabilities for efficient management of large-scale, complex environments
  • Service Provider Architecture enabling MSPs and large organizations to operate isolated customer environments with customizable branding and delegated administrative controls
  • Executive-Level Reporting Suite generating detailed operational reports, performance analytics, capacity planning insights, and compliance documentation with automated distribution capabilities
  • Seamless IT Ecosystem Integration connecting with existing enterprise tools including IT service management platforms, directory services (LDAP/Active Directory), and monitoring solutions for unified workflow management

What Advanced Features are there for Bacula Enterprise’s Bare Metal Recovery on Windows?

How Does Windows BMR Integrate with Microsoft Ecosystems?

Bacula Enterprise’s Windows BMR delivers deep integration with Microsoft’s native infrastructure through specialized protocols and APIs that generic backup solutions cannot access.

  • Native BCD Database Management provides direct access to Boot Configuration Data, enabling precise reconstruction of Windows boot environments across different hardware configurations with support for both EFI/UEFI and legacy BIOS systems
  • Dynamic Disk Support offers comprehensive handling of Windows dynamic volumes and complex storage configurations, including cross-tenant restoration capabilities for organizational restructuring scenarios
  • Pre-Configured Recovery Media allows customization of recovery images with organization-specific network settings, authentication credentials, and storage configurations to eliminate manual setup during critical recovery operations
  • Microsoft API Integration leverages native Windows protocols for system discovery and restoration workflows optimized specifically for Windows environments

What Enterprise Recovery Controls Does Windows BMR Provide?

Windows BMR provides specialized management capabilities for complex recovery scenarios that go beyond standard restoration workflows.

  • Advanced Driver Injection Framework supports dynamic loading of hardware drivers during recovery operations or embedding them directly into recovery media for automated deployment across diverse hardware configurations
  • Granular Volume Mapping Controls enable restoration of multiple source volumes to consolidated target storage with flexible data placement options and intelligent space allocation management
  • Recovery Workflow Scripting provides automated partitioning script generation with comprehensive manual override capabilities for complex storage configurations requiring custom disk layouts
  • Comprehensive Recovery Diagnostics generates detailed support packages with system analysis, error logging, and diagnostic data collection for troubleshooting complex restoration scenarios

What Advanced Features are there for Bacula Enterprise’s Bare Metal Recovery on Linux?

How Does Linux BMR Handle Complex System Discovery and Recovery?

Bacula Enterprise’s Linux BMR incorporates intelligent analysis capabilities that automatically discover and replicate sophisticated Linux environments across diverse hardware platforms.

  • Automated System Analysis performs comprehensive discovery of disk layouts, partition structures, LVM configurations, and software RAID arrays during backup operations
  • Cross-Platform Migration facilitates restoration between different hardware architectures while supporting physical-to-virtual and virtual-to-physical deployment strategies
  • Advanced Storage Preservation maintains LVM unallocated spaces, snapshot functionality, and complex volume relationships through intelligent resizing and allocation management
  • Hardware Compatibility Matrix supports restoration across different CPU families and storage configurations with automatic adaptation for varying hardware specifications

What Advanced Partitioning and Volume Management Capabilities Does Linux BMR Offer?

Linux BMR delivers sophisticated partitioning controls that accommodate complex storage configurations and specialized recovery requirements.

  • Intelligent Script Generation creates custom disk partitioning scripts based on source system analysis with comprehensive manual override capabilities for specialized scenarios
  • Real-Time Volume Management supports dynamic disk resizing and partition allocation adjustments during recovery operations, automatically adapting to different target hardware storage capacities
  • Granular Recovery Controls enable file-level restoration with advanced search and filtering based on content type, ownership, timestamps, or custom criteria for precise partial recovery scenarios
  • Manual Partitioning Interface provides integrated script editors, validation tools, and step-by-step partitioning workflows for administrators requiring complete control over storage configuration

How Does Linux BMR Integrate with Enterprise Workflows and Multi-Tenant Environments?

Linux BMR delivers enterprise-grade management capabilities designed for complex organizational structures and managed service provider environments.

  • Multi-Tenant Architecture supports isolated tenant environments with customizable branding, role-based administrative access, and completely separated recovery operations while sharing infrastructure resources
  • Web-Based Management Interface provides centralized recovery operations through browser-based dashboards with real-time monitoring, comprehensive reporting, and integration with existing IT service management tools. This is complemented by a complete command line interface.
  • Service-Independent Recovery ensures business continuity through unique offline restore capabilities that function independently of original service availability during infrastructure outages

Further Help

  • Bacula Enterprise supports far more than just bare metal recovery. See our complete feature list for all supported platforms and technologies.
  • Training as a backup and recovery expert is available at various locations, depending on the Certified Bacula Systems Training Center you select.
  • Specialized support and consultation services are available for complex virtualized environments. Learn more about our professional services.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does bare metal recovery differ from image-based backup?

Bare metal recovery uses file-based backups that capture individual files and system configurations, while image-based backup creates block-level copies of entire disk volumes. File-based BMR offers smaller backup sizes, easier incremental backups, and granular file recovery capabilities. Image-based solutions provide faster full system restoration but require more storage space and offer limited flexibility for partial recovery scenarios.

Can Bacula Enterprise perform bare metal recovery on virtual machines?

Bacula Enterprise supports both physical-to-virtual and virtual-to-physical bare metal recovery operations. The platform can restore physical servers to virtual machine environments and vice versa, making it ideal for infrastructure modernization projects. For virtualized environments specifically, Bacula Enterprise also offers specialized VMware backup capabilities that may be more efficient than BMR for routine virtual machine protection.

What operating systems does Bacula Enterprise’s bare metal recovery support?

Bacula Enterprise provides comprehensive bare metal recovery for both Linux and Windows environments. Linux BMR supports major distributions including RedHat, CentOS, Debian, and Ubuntu LTS versions (64-bit). Windows BMR handles all versions from Windows XP through Windows Server 2022, supporting both 32-bit and 64-bit systems with BIOS and UEFI boot configurations. Bacula itself runs on over 33 different OS’s.

Does Bacula Enterprise bare metal recovery include data deduplication?

Bacula Enterprise incorporates advanced deduplication technology including both client-side and storage-side deduplication with Global Endpoint Deduplication capabilities. This significantly reduces storage requirements for BMR backups while maintaining fast recovery performance. The platform also supports incremental and differential backups to minimize storage consumption and backup windows for routine operations.