Loch Mars Mac OS
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- Part 1 – Prerequisites and creating the virtual machine
If, like me, you’re a Unity or Xamarin hobbyist who develops primarily on a Windows PC but owns an iPhone and/or an iPad, you’ve probably run into the hurdle of requiring an actual Apple-brand Mac computer just to compile and deploy your apps to your mobile device.
This guide will explain how to get around that restriction by using a Windows 10* computer (the « host ») to run Mac OS X and Xcode on a virtual machine (the « guest ») which will allow us to deploy apps to an iOS device without requiring an actual Mac.
Mac Os Mojave
Note that the following is against Apple’s Terms of Service so use at your own risk.
* Although I have not tested it myself this should also work on a Linux host
- A host computer powerful enough to run a virtual machine (VM)
- At least 8GB RAM (a minimum of 4GB is required for the guest)
- 50GB of drive space to allocate for the guest
- An Intel CPU supporting Intel Virtualization Technology (VT-x). Make sure that this feature is enabled in the BIOS
- VMWare Workstation 15 Player (free for non-commercial use), the virtualization software that will run the VM. Due to Apple’s ToS prohibiting running Mac OS on non-Apple hardware the option to run Mac OS guest is locked out, which is where the next item comes in:
- DrDonk’s Unlocker v3.0, a utility that restores VMWare Workstation Player’s Mac OS guest functionality on non-Apple hardware
- A bootable ISO file of Mac OS 10.13.6 High Sierra to install on the VM. You should be able to find this without too much trouble if you look around
- An iOS device, iPad or iPhone, to deploy your apps to
- A (free) Apple Developer account: just an Apple ID that you activate on the Apple Developer website. The free version will allow you to test your app on your iPhone/iPad.
Limitations of the free Apple Developer account
As of this writing the following limitations apply to an Apple ID that isn’t enrolled in the paid developer program:
- You cannot publish apps to the app store
- You can only have 3 apps on a device at a time
- You can only create 10 bundle identifiers per week
- Apps will stop working on your device after 7 days unless you build/deploy them again
- Install VMWare Workstation 15 Player. Don’t start it up before the next step.
- Remove the Mac OS hardware restriction with DrDonk’s Unlocker v3.0.
Download it as a zip file from github, extract it to a folder on your host and then run the script win-install.cmd with admin rights (right-click and Run as administrator). The WMWare Player has to be closed for this to work.
- Start VMWare Workstation 15 Player and Create a new virtual machine.
- Select « I will install the operating system later ».
- Select Apple Mac OS X and pick the version that corresponds to the Mac OS ISO you have (here macOS 10.13).
Note: if Apple Mac OS X is missing from that list then something went wrong with the unlocker in step 2. Make sure to follow the instructions contained in the README file included with the unlocker.
- Name the VM and select a location to put it in.
- The suggested maximum disk size (40GB) is a bit low for Xcode but you can change this later. I used 60GB for extra room and left it as a single file.
- Click Customize Hardware.
For reference I changed the following setting for my Windows 10 host (Intel i7-7700k CPU, 16GB RAM). If a setting isn’t mentioned here it means I kept the default value.
a. Memory: 8GB. You might not need that much to use the VM but it does make the installation process faster and you can always change it later (min: 4GB)
b. Processors: 4, half the cores I had available on my host
c. New CD/DVD (SATA): select your Mac OS ISO image file here so the VM can boot from it
d. USB Controller: make sure to change USB compatibility to USB 2.0 and check show all USB input devices or the iPhone/iPad will not show up in the VM
e. Display: if you have multiple monitors you may want to change the display settings so the VM only uses 1. The guest add-ons will allow you to resize the window to change the resolution at will. No 3D acceleration because it isn’t supported for Mac OS guests
- Now close the Hardware dialog, click Finish and the VM will appear in the Player. Select it and click Play: the VM will boot from the ISO and the installation process should start.
Note: by default clicking inside the VM window will « capture » your mouse cursor. To get it back you can try pressing ALT+CTRL or CTRL+G. Installing the VMWare Tools will allow seamless cursor integration when the guest is running (see part 3).
Continued in Part 2 – Installing Mac OS.
-->You can use the Azure Backup service to back up on-premises machines and apps and to back up Azure virtual machines (VMs). This article summarizes support settings and limitations when you use the Microsoft Azure Recovery Services (MARS) agent to back up machines.
The MARS agent
Azure Backup uses the MARS agent to back up data from on-premises machines and Azure VMs to a backup Recovery Services vault in Azure. The MARS agent can:
- Run on on-premises Windows machines so that they can back up directly to a backup Recovery Services vault in Azure.
- Run on Windows VMs so that they can back up directly to a vault.
- Run on Microsoft Azure Backup Server (MABS) or a System Center Data Protection Manager (DPM) server. In this scenario, machines and workloads back up to MABS or to the DPM server. The MARS agent then backs up this server to a vault in Azure.
Note
Azure Backup doesn't support automatic adjustment of clock for daylight savings time (DST). Modify the policy to ensure daylight savings is taken into account to prevent discrepancy between the actual time and scheduled backup time.
Your backup options depend on where the agent is installed. For more information, see Azure Backup architecture using the MARS agent. For information about MABS and DPM backup architecture, see Back up to DPM or MABS. Also see requirements for the backup architecture.
| Installation | Details |
|---|---|
| Download the latest MARS agent | You can download the latest version of the agent from the vault, or download it directly. |
| Install directly on a machine | You can install the MARS agent directly on an on-premises Windows server or on a Windows VM that's running any of the supported operating systems. |
| Install on a backup server | When you set up DPM or MABS to back up to Azure, you download and install the MARS agent on the server. You can install the agent on supported operating systems in the backup server support matrix. |
Note
By default, Azure VMs that are enabled for backup have an Azure Backup extension installation. This extension backs up the entire VM. You can install and run the MARS agent on an Azure VM alongside the extension if you want to back up specific folders and files, rather than the complete VM.When you run the MARS agent on an Azure VM, it backs up files or folders that are in temporary storage on the VM. Backups fail if the files or folders are removed from the temporary storage or if the temporary storage is removed.
Cache folder support
When you use the MARS agent to back up data, the agent takes a snapshot of the data and stores it in a local cache folder before it sends the data to Azure. The cache (scratch) folder has several requirements:
| Cache | Details |
|---|---|
| Size | Free space in the cache folder should be at least 5 to 10 percent of the overall size of your backup data. |
| Location | The cache folder must be locally stored on the machine that's being backed up, and it must be online. The cache folder shouldn't be on a network share, on removable media, or on an offline volume. |
| Folder | The cache folder shouldn't be encrypted on a deduplicated volume or in a folder that's compressed, that's sparse, or that has a reparse point. |
| Location changes | You can change the cache location by stopping the backup engine (net stop bengine) and copying the cache folder to a new drive. (Ensure the new drive has sufficient space.) Then update two registry entries under HKLMSOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows Azure Backup (Config/ScratchLocation and Config/CloudBackupProvider/ScratchLocation) to the new location and restart the engine. |
Networking and access support
URL and IP access
The MARS agent needs access to these URLs:
http://www.msftncsi.com/ncsi.txt- *.Microsoft.com
- *.WindowsAzure.com
- *.MicrosoftOnline.com
- *.Windows.net
www.msftconnecttest.com
And to these IP addresses:
- 20.190.128.0/18
- 40.126.0.0/18
Access to all of the URLs and IP addresses listed above uses the HTTPS protocol on port 443.
When backing up files and folders from Azure VMs using the MARS Agent, the Azure virtual network also needs to be configured to allow access. If you use Network Security Groups (NSG), use the AzureBackup service tag to allow outbound access to Azure Backup. In addition to the Azure Backup tag, you also need to allow connectivity for authentication and data transfer by creating similar NSG rules for Azure AD (AzureActiveDirectory) and Azure Storage(Storage). The following steps describe the process to create a rule for the Azure Backup tag:
- In All Services, go to Network security groups and select the network security group.
- Select Outbound security rules under Settings.
- Select Add. Enter all the required details for creating a new rule as described in security rule settings. Ensure the option Destination is set to Service Tag and Destination service tag is set to AzureBackup.
- Select Add to save the newly created outbound security rule.
You can similarly create NSG outbound security rules for Azure Storage and Azure AD. For more information on service tags, see this article.
Azure ExpressRoute support
You can back up your data over Azure ExpressRoute with public peering (available for old circuits) and Microsoft peering. Backup over private peering isn't supported.
With public peering: Ensure access to the following domains/addresses:
- URLs
www.msftncsi.com*.Microsoft.com*.WindowsAzure.com*.microsoftonline.com*.windows.netwww.msftconnecttest.com
- IP addresses
- 20.190.128.0/18
- 40.126.0.0/18
With Microsoft peering, select the following services/regions and relevant community values:
- Azure Backup (according to the location of your Recovery Services vault)
- Azure Active Directory (12076:5060)
- Azure Storage (according to the location of your Recovery Services vault)
For more information, see the ExpressRoute routing requirements.
Note
Public Peering is deprecated for new circuits.
Private Endpoint support
You can now use Private Endpoints to back up your data securely from servers to your Recovery Services vault. Since Azure Active Directory doesn't currently support private endpoints, IPs and FQDNs required for Azure Active Directory will need to be allowed outbound access separately.
When you use the MARS Agent to back up your on-premises resources, make sure your on-premises network (containing your resources to be backed up) is peered with the Azure VNet that contains a private endpoint for the vault. You can then continue to install the MARS agent and configure backup. However, you must ensure all communication for backup happens through the peered network only.
If you remove private endpoints for the vault after a MARS agent has been registered to it, you'll need to re-register the container with the vault. You don't need to stop protection for them.
Read more about private endpoints for Azure Backup.
Throttling support
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Bandwidth control | Supported. In the MARS agent, use Change Properties to adjust bandwidth. |
| Network throttling | Not available for backed-up machines that run Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2008 SP2, or Windows 7. |
Loch Mars Mac Os X
Supported operating systems
Note
The MARS agent does not support Windows Server Core SKUs.
You can use the MARS agent to back up directly to Azure on the operating systems listed below that run on:
- On-premises Windows Servers
- Azure VMs running Windows
The operating systems must be 64 bit and should be running the latest services packs and updates. The following table summarizes these operating systems:
| Operating system | Files/folders | System state | Software/Module requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windows 10 (Enterprise, Pro, Home) | Yes | No | Check the corresponding server version for software/module requirements |
| Windows 8.1 (Enterprise, Pro) | Yes | No | Check the corresponding server version for software/module requirements |
| Windows 8 (Enterprise, Pro) | Yes | No | Check the corresponding server version for software/module requirements |
| Windows Server 2016 (Standard, Datacenter, Essentials) | Yes | Yes | - .NET 4.5 - Windows PowerShell - Latest Compatible Microsoft VC++ Redistributable - Microsoft Management Console (MMC) 3.0 |
| Windows Server 2012 R2 (Standard, Datacenter, Foundation, Essentials) | Yes | Yes | - .NET 4.5 - Windows PowerShell - Latest Compatible Microsoft VC++ Redistributable - Microsoft Management Console (MMC) 3.0 |
| Windows Server 2012 (Standard, Datacenter, Foundation) | Yes | Yes | - .NET 4.5 -Windows PowerShell - Latest Compatible Microsoft VC++ Redistributable - Microsoft Management Console (MMC) 3.0 - Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM.exe) |
| Windows Storage Server 2016/2012 R2/2012 (Standard, Workgroup) | Yes | No | - .NET 4.5 - Windows PowerShell - Latest Compatible Microsoft VC++ Redistributable - Microsoft Management Console (MMC) 3.0 |
| Windows Server 2019 (Standard, Datacenter, Essentials) | Yes | Yes | - .NET 4.5 - Windows PowerShell - Latest Compatible Microsoft VC++ Redistributable - Microsoft Management Console (MMC) 3.0 |
For more information, see Supported MABS and DPM operating systems.
Operating Systems at end of support
The following operating systems are at the end of support and it's strongly recommended to upgrade the operating system to continue to stay protected.
If existing commitments prevent upgrading the operating system, consider migrating the Windows servers to Azure VMs and leverage Azure VM backups to continue staying protected. Visit the migration page here for more information about migrating your Windows server.
For on-premises or hosted environments, where you can't upgrade the operating system or migrate to Azure, activate Extended Security Updates for the machines to continue staying protected and supported. Notice that only specific editions are eligible for Extended Security Updates. Visit the FAQ page to learn more.
| Operating system | Files/folders | System state | Software/Module requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windows 7 (Ultimate, Enterprise, Pro, Home Premium/Basic, Starter) | Yes | No | Check the corresponding server version for software/module requirements |
| Windows Server 2008 R2 (Standard, Enterprise, Datacenter, Foundation) | Yes | Yes | - .NET 3.5, .NET 4.5 - Windows PowerShell - Compatible Microsoft VC++ Redistributable - Microsoft Management Console (MMC) 3.0 - Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM.exe) |
| Windows Server 2008 SP2 (Standard, Datacenter, Foundation) | Yes | No | - .NET 3.5, .NET 4.5 - Windows PowerShell - Compatible Microsoft VC++ Redistributable - Microsoft Management Console (MMC) 3.0 - Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM.exe) - Virtual Server 2005 base + KB KB948515 |
Backup limits
Size limits
Azure Backup limits the size of a file or folder data source that can be backed up. The items that you back up from a single volume can't exceed the sizes summarized in this table:
| Operating system | Size limit |
|---|---|
| Windows Server 2012 or later | 54,400 GB |
| Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 | 1,700 GB |
| Windows Server 2008 SP2 | 1,700 GB |
| Windows 8 or later | 54,400 GB |
| Windows 7 | 1,700 GB |
Minimum retention limits
The following are the minimum retention durations that can be set for the different recovery points:
| Recovery point | Duration |
|---|---|
| Daily recovery point | 7 days |
| Weekly recovery point | 4 weeks |
| Monthly recovery point | 3 months |
| Yearly recovery point | 1 year |
Loch Mars Mac Os Catalina
Other limitations
- MARS doesn't support protection of multiple machines with the same name to a single vault.
Supported file types for backup
| Type | Support |
|---|---|
| Encrypted* | Supported. |
| Compressed | Supported. |
| Sparse | Supported. |
| Compressed and sparse | Supported. |
| Hard links | Not supported. Skipped. |
| Reparse point | Not supported. Skipped. |
| Encrypted and sparse | Not supported. Skipped. |
| Compressed stream | Not supported. Skipped. |
| Sparse stream | Not supported. Skipped. |
| OneDrive (synced files are sparse streams) | Not supported. |
| Folders with DFS Replication enabled | Not supported. |
Loch Mars Mac Os 11
* Ensure that the MARS agent has access to the required certificates to access the encrypted files. Inaccessible files will be skipped.
Supported drives or volumes for backup
| Drive/volume | Support | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Read-only volumes | Not supported | Volume Copy Shadow Service (VSS) works only if the volume is writable. |
| Offline volumes | Not supported | VSS works only if the volume is online. |
| Network share | Not supported | The volume must be local on the server. |
| BitLocker-locked volumes | Not supported | The volume must be unlocked before the backup starts. |
| File system identification | Not supported | Only NTFS is supported. |
| Removable media | Not supported | All backup item sources must have a fixed status. |
| Deduplicated drives | Supported | Azure Backup converts deduplicated data to normal data. It optimizes, encrypts, stores, and sends the data to the vault. |
Support for initial offline backup
Azure Backup supports offline seeding to transfer initial backup data to Azure by using disks. This support is helpful if your initial backup is likely to be in the size range of terabytes (TBs). Offline backup is supported for:
- Direct backup of files and folders on on-premises machines that are running the MARS agent.
- Backup of workloads and files from a DPM server or MABS.
Offline backup can't be used for system state files.
Support for data restoration
By using the Instant Restore feature of Azure Backup, you can restore data before it's copied to the vault. The machine you're backing up must be running .NET Framework 4.5.2 or higher.
Backups can't be restored to a target machine that's running an earlier version of the operating system. For example, a backup taken from a computer that's running Windows 7 can be restored on Windows 8 or later. But a backup taken from a computer that's running Windows 8 can't be restored on a computer that's running Windows 7.
Previous MARS agent versions
The following table lists the previous versions of the agent with their download links. We recommend you to upgrade the agent version to the latest, so you can leverage the latest features and optimal performance.
| Versions | KB Articles |
|---|---|
| 2.0.9145.0 | Not available |
| 2.0.9151.0 | Not available |
| 2.0.9153.0 | Not available |
| 2.0.9162.0 | Not available |
| 2.0.9169.0 | 4515971 |
| 2.0.9170.0 | Not available |
| 2.0.9173.0 | 4538314 |
| 2.0.9177.0 | Not available |
| 2.0.9181.0 | Not available |
| 2.0.9190.0 | 4575948 |
| 2.0.9195.0 | 4582474 |
| 2.0.9197.0 | 4589598 |
| 2.0.9207.0 | 5001305 |
Note
MARS agent versions with minor reliability and performance improvements don't have a KB article.
Next steps
- Learn more about backup architecture that uses the MARS agent.
- Learn what's supported when you run the MARS agent on MABS or a DPM server.