You can back up a managed server to a XenServer backup file (.xbk) that can then be used to restore the server in case of hardware failure. Note that this will back up just the server itself, but not any VMs that might be running on it.

We recommend that you back up your servers frequently to enable you to recover from possible server and/or software failure. When backing up servers in XenCenter, note the following points:

• You should not create the backup on the XenServer control domain (domain 0). For more information about XenServer control domains, see the XenServer Administrator’s Guide.
• XenServer backup files may be very large.

To restore a server, you can select and restore the backup file within XenCenter, and then you need to reboot the server from the XenServer installation CD to complete the restore.

To back up your server configuration and software

1. Select the server in the Resources pane, then, on the Server menu, click Back Up.
2. Browse to locate the folder where you want to create the backup file and enter the filename, then click Save to begin the backup.

The backup may take some time. You can click on the Logs tab to view the backup progress.

To restore server software and configuration from backup

1. Select the server in the Resources pane, then, on the Server menu, click Restore From Backup.
2. Browse to locate the backup file and then click Open to begin the restore.
3. On the host server, reboot to the host installation CD and select Restore from backup.