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.