Sage 50 Windows VM: Creation & Backup Guide (on ZFS Storage in Proxmox)
This guide walks through creating, configuring, and backing up your Windows Server 2019 VM (hosting Sage 50) on a ZFS-based Proxmox host.
-–
✅ 1. Upload Windows Server ISO
- In the Proxmox Web UI, go to:
Datacenter > Your Node > local-zfs > ISO Images
- Click Upload
- Choose your
WindowsServer2019.iso - Wait for the upload to complete
-–
✅ 2. Create the Windows VM
- Go to your Proxmox node > Create VM
- Use these settings:
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Node | (your server name) |
| VM ID / Name | 100 / sage50-server |
| OS | Use uploaded ISO |
| System | BIOS: OVMF (UEFI), Q35 chipset |
| Disks | ZFS volume, 150–200 GB, SCSI |
| CPU | 4–6 cores |
| Memory | 16–24 GB |
| Network | VirtIO (bridged) |
- Enable QEMU Guest Agent
- Click Finish and start the VM
- Install Windows Server 2019 normally
- Install VirtIO drivers (if needed)
- Activate Windows with your product key
-–
✅ 3. Install and Configure Sage 50
- Install Sage 50 normally inside the Windows Server VM
- Store your Sage data in a dedicated folder (e.g.
D:\SageData) - Enable file sharing for backup purposes if desired
-–
✅ 4. Create ZFS Snapshots (Before Major Changes)
You can snapshot the entire VM instantly:
```bash
From Proxmox shell
zfs snapshot rpool/data/vm-100-disk-0@sage-preupdate
Or use the GUI:
• Go to your VM > Snapshots > Take Snapshot
• Name it meaningfully (e.g. pre-sage-upgrade)⸻
✅ 5. Enable Scheduled Backups (ZFS-Aware)
1. Go to Datacenter > Backup
2. Add a new job:
• Storage: local-zfs or external ZFS backup volume
• VMs: Select sage50-server
• Mode: Snapshot (recommended)
• Schedule: e.g. daily at 02:00
• Compression: ZSTD for fast & efficient backups
3. Backups appear under:Datacenter > local-zfs > Backups
✅ 6. Export Backups (Optional Off-Box Storage)
To copy a backup externally:
scp /var/lib/vz/dump/vzdump-qemu-100-.zst user@backuphost:/backup/
Or use zfs send to export the dataset (advanced method):
zfs send -v rpool/data/vm-100-disk-0@snapshot-name | gzip > /mnt/usb/sage50-backup.gz
✅ 7. Restore from Backup
• To restore from a backup:
• Go to Datacenter > Backups
• Select the .zst file
• Click Restore, choose a new VM ID or overwrite existing
• To rollback from snapshot:
• Go to VM > Snapshots > Rollback⸻
✅ Summary
| Step | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Use ZFS VM disk | Enables snapshots, compression |
| Take pre-change snapshots | Instant rollback safety |
| Enable scheduled backups | Nightly protection against failure |
| Export/replicate backups | Off-site safety |
This setup gives you:
• A stable and isolated Sage 50 environment
• Instant rollback and fast recovery
• Long-term storage benefits from ZFS compression and checksums