Commvault One-Touch Recovery Experience and Key Observations

Introduction

On 09-Jun-2026, I successfully performed a Commvault One-Touch Recovery test. During the recovery process, I observed several important points related to network configuration and disk restoration that may help other administrators avoid common issues.

1. Network Configuration During Recovery

The Commvault server in my environment is configured in a Workgroup and is not joined to an Active Directory domain. Due to this configuration, I manually assigned the IP address during the One-Touch Recovery process.

Since DNS information is not automatically available in a workgroup environment, the DNS server IP address must also be configured manually. If the server were connected to a domain and using DHCP, the DNS settings would be obtained automatically and hostname resolution would work without manual intervention.

Key Point

• Workgroup Environment: Manual IP and DNS configuration required.

• Domain Environment with DHCP: IP and DNS settings can be obtained automatically.

2. Disk Selection and Partition Configuration

During the recovery process, Commvault verifies the disk structure of the target machine. If the existing disk layout does not match the backup source, recovery may fail.

In my case, the target disk contained existing partitions and data. Commvault displayed several disk initialization options:

• MBR Basic

• MBR Dynamic

• GPT Basic

• GPT Dynamic

Initially, I selected one of the available options and attempted the recovery. However, the process failed because the disk configuration was not suitable for the restoration requirements.

3. Important Observation

Before starting the actual restore process, Commvault removes the existing partition structure on the selected disk.

As a result:

• All existing data on the target disk is deleted.

• Existing partitions are removed.

• The disk becomes unallocated.

Administrators should ensure that no important data exists on the target disk before proceeding with One-Touch Recovery.

4. Successful Recovery Procedure

After the first failed attempt:

1. The existing disk partitions were removed.

2. The disk became completely empty.

3. I restarted the One-Touch Recovery process from the beginning.

4. During disk selection, Commvault detected the empty disk.

5. The recovery wizard automatically displayed the original source partitions (C: drive and D: drive) along with their sizes.

6. I selected Next and started the restoration.

The recovery then proceeded successfully.

Lessons Learned

• Always verify network settings before starting One-Touch Recovery.

• In a workgroup environment, manually configure IP address and DNS settings.

• Ensure the target disk is empty before restoration.

• Understand that existing partitions and data may be removed during the recovery process.

• Verify whether the source system uses MBR or GPT before selecting disk initialization options.

• Review the displayed source partition layout carefully before starting the final restore.

Conclusion

Commvault One-Touch Recovery is an effective disaster recovery solution that can rebuild a server from bare metal. However, careful attention must be paid to network configuration and disk preparation. Proper planning and understanding of disk initialization options can significantly reduce recovery time and avoid restoration failures.

Commvault Documentation link :-https://documentation.commvault.com/11.42/software/performing_interactive_bare_metal_recovery_using_1_touch_for_windows.html