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Macrium Reflect v7 User Guide

New in Version 7

Introduction

Macrium Reflect v7 includes powerful industry leading technologies to reduce image creation time using

'Changed Block Tracking' (CBT). v7 also includes Macrium viBoot 'instant virtualisation' that enables creation of a Hyper-V Virtual Machine with just a couple of clicks.

The user interface changes from v6 have been kept minimal and upgrading from v6 will be an easy process.

The main new features are listed below:

Changed Block Tracking (CBT)

Macrium Reflect Changed Block Tracker (MRCBT) reduces the amount of time it takes to perform incremental and differential images by monitoring the changes to an NTFS formatted volume in real-time. This is especially relevant when a file system contains very large files, such as virtual hard disk (VHD) files, where speed improvements are significant and can reduce the Incremental image time from hours to minutes or even seconds.

Note:

CBT

is not available for Windows XP or Server 2003.

See here for more information on CBT (see page 26)

Macrium viBoot

Macrium viBoot enables you, to instantly create, start and manage Microsoft Hyper-V virtual machines using one or more Macrium Reflect image files as the basis of the virtual machine storage sub-system.

Note: viBoot only supports

Microsoft’s Hyper-V

running on a

minimum

Windows 8.0 or Windows

Server 2008 R2.

See here for more information on viBoot (see page 30)

Task Scheduler 2.0

This a 'behind the scenes' improvement over the Task Scheduler 1.0 implementation in Macrium Reflect v6.0 and overcomes the issues caused by problems with a Windows 10 Anniversary Update bug .

See here for more information (see page 24)

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Task Scheduler 2.0

This a 'behind the scenes' improvement over the Task Scheduler 1.0 implementation in Macrium Reflect v6.0 and overcomes the issues caused by problems with a Windows 10 Anniversary Update bug . Existing scheduled backups will be upgraded to Task Scheduler 2.0 on first run of Macrium Reflect v7.

Note: Windows XP only supports Task Scheduler 1.0.

The scheduling options in Macrium Reflect are unchanged, however there are some important differences in the way scheduled tasks run.

All scheduled tasks, for all Windows Operating Systems including XP, now run using the built-in Windows SYSTEM account. It is no-longer necessary to specify an Admin user account when creating a scheduled task and the option has been removed from the Macrium Reflect defaults. A new lightweight process, 'ReflectMonitor.exe', runs in the background and is started at user login. This process monitors for running scheduled backups and creates a system tray icon in the notification area when a running scheduled backup is detected. This overcomes two issues with

Macrium Reflect v6 and earlier:

The notification icon is visible whatever the user account is running the backup. Previously the icon was only visible if the current logged on user was running the backup, either on schedule or interactively.

The ReflectMonitor backup window will also be populated with log information for backups that start before the user logs into Windows.

The ReflectMonitor progress window is identical to the backup run wizard in Macrium Reflect, so there's nothing new to be aware of here: v152 Copyright © 2017. Paramount Software UK Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

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In the event of the notification icon not being visible you can show the monitor dialog by pressing hot keys 'Ctrl' + 'Alt'

+ 'M'. This always opens the dialog and shows the currently running backup or the status of the last backup if none is running.

The hot key can be configured or disabled in the Windows registry:

Key Name Type Value

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Macrium\Reflect\Settings EnableHotKey DWORD 0 or 1 - Default 0

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Macrium\Reflect\Settings HotKey DWORD Virtual Key code - Default 0x4D

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Macrium Changed Block Tracker

Implemented as a kernel mode filter driver, sitting below the NTFS file system driver, MRCBT is able to intercept all I

/O requests to the logical volume and maintain a record of which blocks have changed.

Through discussions with our customers and after careful consideration, we decided to remove the functionality from

MRCBT that allowed it to detect whether a volume had been mounted outside the current Windows session (i.e.

USB flash drives and dual-boot systems) and instead, focus solely on optimizing MRCBT to reduce incremental backups times in the current Windows session. This decision enables us to provide one of the most robust Changed

Block Tracking solutions available to date.

Traditionally, Macrium Reflect has detected changes to the file system by comparing the NTFS Master File Table

(MFT) on the source volume, with the MFT of the most recent image in the backup set. While this is method is one of the quickest solutions available, we do not consider it an optimal solution when used in a continuous incremental scenario, especially if multi-GB files are present in the file system.

With our Changed Block Tracker driver enabled, the first incremental/differential image taken since Windows was restarted will be performed using the traditional method. This ensures that any changes to the NTFS file system that may have occurred outside of the current Windows session are recorded into the image file. From this point on, any incremental/differential images that are taken, within the current Windows session, will use our Changed Block

Tracker technology.

A reboot is required after installing Macrium Reflect to enable CBT. You can create images without rebooting but CBT will only be enabled after a restart.

Due to technical limitations with Windows XP, Macrium Reflect Changed Block Tracker will only work on

Windows Vista and higher operation systems.

After the first image of the current Windows session an

icon will appear on the volume

prepared for CBT:

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CBT Init Success indicates that the Incremental is using the CBT driver. Note that the

'Looking For Changes'

operation will be nearly instantaneous with no progress shown.

Macrium CBT Driver Tools

Macrium CBT Driver Tools is a small Windows utility to install and monitor the Macrium CBT driver. Macrium CBT

Driver Tools provides the user with a visual representation of the changed blocks and of the various performance metrics reported by the kernel mode driver.

Macrium Driver Tools

can be found here: C:\Program

Files\Macrium\Reflect\MrCBTTools.exe

Selecting a drive shows performance metrics and tracked block information for the chosen drive. The darker shades indicate a higher percentage of changed blocks.

Note: The red blocks indicate the physical location of the MRCBT tracking file on the volume. This view will be reset when a Macrium Reflect backup of the volume is started.

Clicking on one of the shaded blocks will cause Macrium Driver Tools to display a list of files that are currently using the clusters within the block.

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Performance Metrics

________________

Description

Session Start Time The date and time that MRCBT started monitoring the volume. This value will be reset when the volume is mounted, normally when Windows is restarted.

Number of Writes The total number of write operations on the volume that MRCBT has monitored since the session started.

Number of Paged

Writes

The total number of write operations on the volume, flagged as PAGING_IO, that MRCBT has monitored since the session started.

Number of Tracked

Writes

The total number of write operations on the volume that MRCBT has tracked since the session started.

Number of

Excluded Writes

The total number of write operations on the volume that MRCBT has excluded, due to already having a record of a change to that disk area, since the session started.

Number of Failed

Writes

The total number of write operations on the volume that MRCBT has failed to track since the session started. NOTE: If this value is anything other than zero. Macrium Reflect will fall back to the normal method of generating an incremental backup.

Time Tracking The total length of time that MRCBT has taken to track writes on the volume since the session started.

Average Time Per

Tracked Write

The average length of time that MRCBT is taking to track each write operation on the volume since the session started.

Number of

Changed Blocks

Number of

Changed Bytes

The total number of changed blocks on the volume since the session started.

The total number of changed bytes on the volume since the session started.

$CBT Starting LCN The first Logical Cluster Number (LCN) of the MRCBT tracking file.

$CBT Ending LCN The last Logical Cluster Number (LCN) of the MRCBT tracking file.

Bytes Per Logical

Cluster

The number of bytes per logical cluster for the volume, as reported by NTFS.

Bytes Per Block The number of bytes per block, as reported by Macrium Reflect.

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Macrium Reflect v7 User Guide

Volume Mount

Count

The total number of times that the volume has been mounted by NTFS this session.

Enabling and disabling CBT

CBT is enabled by default. You can change whether CBT is enabled or disabled by selecting “Enable Changed

Block Tracking for Incremental Backups”

check-box in the “

Advanced Incrementals”

page of the

“Reflect

Defaults”

dialog box.

Note: You can enable or disable CBT at any time without affecting your Image sets.

We recommend enabling the Delta Indexes for Incremental Backups option as this will produce the smallest incremental image files in the shortest amount of time. Please see Delta Indexes for Incremental

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Macrium Reflect v7 User Guide

Macrium viBoot

At a minimum, viBoot enables you to boot into the images you have made using Macrium Reflect, for validation purposes, or to retrieve data from old applications stored on a bootable image. At an enterprise level, you could recover an entire network environment in minutes.

Macrium viBoot is now built upon new technology that allows it to instantly present a Macrium Reflect image file as a

Microsoft Virtual Disk (.VHDX) file.

When creating a new virtual machine Macrium viBoot will create two Microsoft Virtual Hard Disk (.VHDX) files for each of the disks described within the selected Macrium Image file. The first VHDX file is incomplete and only contains enough information to describe the disk layout and a signature to mark it as a Macrium viBoot VHDX. The data for the disk is retrieved from the Macrium Image File by the Macrium Virtual Disk Provider filter driver as required. Because the data is not stored with the VHDX, it size will never exceed a few megabytes. The second

VHDX file is a standard differencing disk that will receive any modifications made to during the lifetime of the virtual machine.

As with any differencing VHDX, this file can grow dramatically in size, depending on the usage of the virtual machine.

These VHDX files are stored in the designated Macrium viBoot repository and remain open until the Macrium viBoot virtual machine is deleted from within viBoot.

Note: The default location for the viBoot VHDX files is

C:\ProgramData\Macrium\viBoot

. This is configurable from within the Macrium viBoot UI.

Note: viBoot only supports

Microsoft’s Hyper-V

running on a

minimum

Windows 8.0 or Windows

Server 2008 R2.

Booting an image directly from Macrium Reflect

An image that contains the Windows System and Boot partition(s) can be directly booted from the 'Restore' view in

Macrium Reflect.

Boot architecture Partitions

MBR - Master Boot

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Boot architecture Partitions

Boot partition: This may be the same partition as drive 'C:' but is likely to be a separate small (100 to 300 MB) partition named the Microsoft System Reserved partition or MSR.

Windows partition: This is the partition that contains the Windows OS and will be drive C:

UEFI - Unified

Extensible Firmware

Interface

UEFI System Partition: A small FAT32 formatted partition that doesn;'t have a drive letter.

Windows partition: This is the partition that contains the Windows OS and will be drive C:

If an image contains the partitions required for booting then the image will show an active 'Boot Image' Link:

Otherwise the link will be disabled:

To boot an image directly with viBoot.

Click the 'Restore tab.

Select the bootable image.

Click the 'Boot Image' link.

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Macrium Reflect v7 User Guide

If viBoot can launch, the viBoot

Hyper-V settings dialog

will start.

Make any changes to the VM properties and click 'Finish'

The VM will now start and boot directly into Windows.

Starting the viBoot create Virtual Machine Wizard from Macrium Reflect.

Take the

'Restore' > 'Boot Image with Hyper-V...'

menu option

Or, click the

'Boot Image with Hyper-V...'

task link on the Restore tab.

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Macrium Reflect v7 User Guide

This will start the the viBoot Virtual Machine Wizard (see page 36)

Launching viBoot as a standalone application

viBoot is installed by default during the standard Macrium Reflect installation and can be started using the installed shortcut:

Main Window

The Macrium viBoot main window allows you to see at a glance, which Macrium Reflect image files you have mounted (2), and which virtual machines are connected to those drives (1).

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Macrium Reflect v7 User Guide

The “Virtual Machines”

view (1)

, displays the name of the viBoot created virtual machine, the current state of the virtual machine (Off, Running, etc) and the current CPU usage of the virtual machine. Selecting a Hyper-V virtual machine in the “Virtual Machines” view (1) will update the “Mounted Images” view (2) to list the Macrium Reflect images that are being referenced by the virtual machine.

The “Mounted Images”

view (2)

, displays the path of the image file(s) used to create the virtual drive(s), the physical drive number assigned to the drive by Windows, the partition type of the drive (MBR or GPT) and the drive capacity.

The "Log"

view (3)

, shows a record of the actions taken by viBoot.

Macrium viBoot can only monitor the state of virtual machines and drives while it is running. Clicking the Windows close button will minimize viBoot.

Main Window Commands

Macrium viBoot menu:

Menu

Item

Sub Menu

Item

Description

Connect to a virtual machine.

Virtual

Machine

Connect

New...

Backup...

Displays the viBoot Wizard which allows you to create a new virtual machine.

Backup a powered off virtual machine.

Delete...

Start

Deletes the currently selected virtual machine and allows you to backup any changes to the data that have been made.

Starts the currently selected virtual machine.

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Help

Tools

Menu

Item

Sub Menu

Item

Turn off

Pause

Reset

Log

Description

Shuts down the currently selected virtual machine.

Turns off the currently selected virtual machine.

Pauses the currently selected virtual machine.

Resets the currently selected virtual machine.

Exit the Macrium viBoot application.

Toggles the display of the Log window.

Options...

Refresh

Configure the virtual machine repository folder, and logging options.

Instructs viBoot to refresh it's view of the virtual machines and mounted images.

Contents...

Displays this help content.

About Macrium viBoot...

Displays the viBoot version and copyright notice.

Tip

You can right-click on the virtual machine pane to display the "Virtual Machine" menu as a context menu.

Macrium viBoot toolbar:

New - Displays the viBoot Wizard which allows you to create a new virtual machine.

Backup a powered off virtual machine.

Deletes the currently selected virtual machine and allows you to backup any changes to the data that have been made.

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Refresh the list virtual machines and states.

Options - Configure the virtual machine repository folder, and logging options.

Help - Displays this help content.

Macrium viBoot Wizard

The Macrium viBoot Wizard will configure and start a Microsoft Hyper-V virtual machine from one or more Macrium

Reflect image files.

The "Welcome" page provides a brief introduction and explains some of the limitations of virtualization.

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Macrium Reflect v7 User Guide

Select Image Files allows you to add one or more Macrium Reflect image files to be used for the virtual machine.

The first boot-able disk will be marked as the boot disk. If there are multiple disks that are boot-able, these can be

Hyper-V VM Settings allows you to configure the virtual machine. The RAM and CPU are limited to match the host computer. If the number of processors is set to "Automatic", viBoot will interrogate the Windows settings from the image files to set the correct number of processors. A Virtual Switch of "<None>" ensures that the new virtual machine is not connected to the network.

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Please note that no changes whatsoever, are made to the original image files.

Delete Virtual Machine

Virtual machines can be deleted from viBoot when the virtual machine is turned off. When the virtual machine is deleted from viBoot the virtual drives will be dismounted and the virtual machine removed from Hyper-V. Prior to deletion viBoot allows the virtual machine to be backed up.

If a viBoot virtual machine is deleted from Hyper-V, the virtual drives will still be mounted. viBoot will list a virtual machine called "Deleted VM" that can be deleted/backed up, to dismount the virtual drives.

Note:

When you delete a virtual machine the Macrium Reflect images used to create the virtual machine are not deleted.

Options

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Macrium Reflect v7 User Guide

Options

Control 3The “Options” button on the Macrium viBoot main toolbar, will display the “Options” dialog box. From here you can modify some of the behavior of Macrium viBoot.

The “Virtual Machine Repository” specifies the folder that Macrium viBoot will use to store Virtual Machine configurations and the virtual machine drive cache.

Macrium viBoot writes a log of actions taken by the application. This file is saved to "%LOCALAPPDATA%

\Temp\Macrium". The log file is configured by the following options:

Log level - Controls type of information written to the log file:

Critical

Error

Warning

Information

Debug

Maximum number of files - Number of log files to keep before purging. A value of zero will disable this check.

Days to keep - Log files older than the specified number will be purged. A value of zero will disable this check.

Maximum log file size(MB) - Maximum file size for the log file, before a new log file is created. A value of zero will disable this check.