Before getting started opening the ports required, please ensure that you also have the Software iSCSI storage Adapter enabled like in the screenshot below:

For VM backup to be able to boot a VMware VM from your backup location, it requires ports 36200-36220 to be allowed through the host firewall (if it is enabled).

This .XML config file is a custom firewall rule called "VMBackupV9-BFB" and it will allow outbound traffic on TCP ports 36200-36220

To import this custom firewall rule, please follow the steps below:

1. Copy and paste the following content to a blank notepad, then save it as a VMBackupV9-BFB.xml:

<ConfigRoot>
<service id='0200'>
<id>VMBackupV9-BFB</id>
<rule id='0000'>
<direction>outbound</direction>
<protocol>tcp</protocol>
<porttype>dst</porttype>
<port>
<begin>36200</begin>
<end>36220</end>
</port>
</rule>
<enabled>true</enabled>
<required>false</required>
</service>
</ConfigRoot>

2. The newly created VMBackupV9-BFB.xml file, upload it to a folder in your datastore on the ESXi host in question:

3. Then SSH to the ESXi host (how to here)

4. Through the terminal console navigate to the location where you've copied the .XML config file, which in this case is (/vmfs/volumes/63208e0d-e852e6f6-2f77-0050568daa9b/), we can do that with the following command:

cd /vmfs/volumes/63208e0d-e852e6f6-2f77-0050568daa9b/

Note: Your datastore volume will have a different id

5. Use the following command to copy the .XML file from the datastore location to the appropriate location (/etc/vmware/firewall/):

cp /vmfs/volumes/63208e0d-e852e6f6-2f77-0050568daa9b/VMBackupV9-BFB.xml /etc/vmware/firewall

6. Once the .XML is located in /etc/vmware/firewall/ we need to change the permission of the XML file to read only. We can do this with the following command:

chmod 444 VMBackupV9-BFB.xml

7. Once the above is done, we just need to tell the firewall service to refresh all of the firewall rules with the following command:

esxcli network firewall refresh

8. If the above is done correctly we should see the following firewall rule in the host firewall rules:

With this firewall rule in place, you should now be able to use the Boot From Backup feature on your ESXi Host successfully.

Note: If you are running VMware 5.5, kindly contact the support team for assistance to open the ports.

Before getting started opening the ports required, ensure that you also have an iSCSI Storage Adapter as per the article here.

For VM Backup to be able to boot up a VMware VM from your backup drive, it requires ports 35200-35220 to be allowed through the VMware firewall (if it is enabled).

Adding custom ports to the VMware firewall is no easy task, so we have created a VIB (vSphere Installation Bundle) to make things easier for you.

This VIB will add a rule to the VMware firewall called "AltaroBootFromBackup"

The rule will allow outbound traffic on TCP ports 35200-35220

To use this VIB, please follow the steps below:

1. Download the zipped AltaroBootFromBackup.vib file from the link below:
   
   
   
2. Upload it to the root of your datastore on the ESXi host in question
   
   
   
   
   
3. SSH to the ESXi host
   
   
4. Use this command to run the VIB:
   

   esxcli software vib install -v /vmfs/volumes//AltaroBootFromBackup.vib -f

   Example:
   esxcli software vib install -v /vmfs/volumes/5d66ada0-bb61f01a-dabf-005056b8b67b/AltaroBootFromBackup.vib -f
   
   
5. The results should be a new VMware ESXi Firewall rule that looks something like this:
   

   
   
   
   

   With this firewall rule in place, you should now be able to use the Boot From Backup feature on your ESXi Host successfully.