---
title: "Start-VBRFailoverPlan"
description: "This cmdlet starts failover by failover plan. With this cmdlet, you can start a number of failover processes."
canonical: "https://helpcenter.veeam.com/docs/vbr/powershell/start-vbrfailoverplan.html"
breadcrumb: "Veeam PowerShell Reference > Veeam PowerShell Reference > Replication > Failover Plans > Start-VBRFailoverPlan"
dateModified: "2026-08-19"
---

# Start-VBRFailoverPlan

## Short Description
Starts failover by failover plan.

**Platform**: VMware, Hyper-V

**Product Edition**: Enterprise, Enterprise Plus, Veeam Universal License

## Syntax

This cmdlet provides the following parameter sets:

<ul class="syntax-sets">
  <li>
    <p><code>AllParameterSets (Default)</code></p>

```
Start-VBRFailoverPlan -FailoverPlan <VBRFailoverPlan[]> [-Wait] [-Force] [<CommonParameters>]
```
  </li>
  <li>
    <p><code>FromDate</code></p>

```
Start-VBRFailoverPlan -FailoverPlan <VBRFailoverPlan[]> [-FromDate <DateTime>] [-Wait] [-Force] [<CommonParameters>]
```
  </li>
  <li>
    <p><code>Test</code></p>

```
Start-VBRFailoverPlan -FailoverPlan <VBRFailoverPlan[]> [-Wait] [-Force] [-Test] [-KeepAliveDuration <Int32>] [<CommonParameters>]
```
  </li>
</ul>

## Detailed Description
This cmdlet starts failover by failover plan. With this cmdlet, you can start a number of failover processes.

## Parameters

<table style="width:100%;" class="Blue_Table">
      <tr style="vertical-align:top">
        <th style="width:20%;">
          <p>Parameter</p>
        </th>
        <th style="width:20%;">
          <p>Description</p>
        </th>
        <th style="width:20%;">
          <p>Type</p>
        </th>
        <th style="width:10%;">
          <p>Required</p>
        </th>
        <th style="width:10%;">
          <p>Position</p>
        </th>
        <th style="width:10%;">
          <p>Accept Pipeline Input</p>
        </th>
      </tr>
      <tr style="vertical-align:top">
        <td>
          <p class="Table_Text_Bold"><span class="Table_Text_Bold">FailoverPlan</span></p>
        </td>
        <td>
          <p>Specifies the array of failover plans you want to start.</p><p>Accepts the <a href="vbrfailoverplan.md"><code>VBRFailoverPlan</code></a> or <a href="vbrcloudfailoverplan.md"><code>VBRCloudFailoverPlan</code></a> objects. To get these objects, run the <a href="get-vbrfailoverplan.md"><code>Get-VBRFailoverPlan</code></a> cmdlet.</p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p><a href="vbrfailoverplan.md"><code>VBRFailoverPlan[]</code></a></p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p>True</p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p>Named</p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p>True (ByPropertyName, ByValue)</p>
        </td>
      </tr>
      <tr style="vertical-align:top">
        <td>
          <p class="Table_Text_Bold"><span class="Table_Text_Bold">Force</span></p>
        </td>
        <td>
          <p>Used for cloud failovers to start full failover after the user's site is already partially failed over to cloud replicas.</p><p>If you provide this parameter, the cmdlet turns off the user appliance without notifying the user. Otherwise, the cmdlet will display a warning.</p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p><code>SwitchParameter</code></p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p>False</p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p>Named</p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p>False</p>
        </td>
      </tr>
      <tr style="vertical-align:top">
        <td>
          <p class="Table_Text_Bold"><span class="Table_Text_Bold">FromDate</span></p>
        </td>
        <td>
          <p>Use this parameter to fail over to a particular restore point.</p><p>Specifies the date and time to which you want to fail over. Veeam Backup & Replication will find a restore point closest to this moment.</p><p>If omitted, Veeam Backup & Replication will fail over to the latest restore point.</p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p><code>DateTime</code></p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p>False</p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p>Named</p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p>False</p>
        </td>
      </tr>
      <tr style="vertical-align:top">
        <td>
          <p class="Table_Text_Bold"><span class="Table_Text_Bold">KeepAliveDuration</span></p>
        </td>
        <td>
          <p>Specifies a timeout in minutes for a CDP replicas failover test. The CDP replica will be active during this period of time.</p><p><strong>Note</strong>: Consider the following:</p><ul><li>You must use the <code>Test</code> parameter.</li><li>To stop the failover testing beforehand, run the <a href="undo-vbrfailoverplan.md"><code>Undo-VBRFailoverPlan</code></a>.</li></ul>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p><code>Int32</code></p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p>False</p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p>Named</p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p>False</p>
        </td>
      </tr>
      <tr style="vertical-align:top">
        <td>
          <p class="Table_Text_Bold"><span class="Table_Text_Bold">Test</span></p>
        </td>
        <td>
          <p>Defines that the failover runs in test mode.</p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p><code>SwitchParameter</code></p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p>False</p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p>Named</p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p>False</p>
        </td>
      </tr>
      <tr style="vertical-align:top">
        <td>
          <p class="Table_Text_Bold"><span class="Table_Text_Bold">Wait</span></p>
        </td>
        <td>
          <p>Use this parameter to manage starting multiple failover processes.</p><p>If you provide this parameter, the next failover process will wait for the previous to end.</p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p><code>SwitchParameter</code></p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p>False</p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p>Named</p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p>False</p>
        </td>
      </tr>
    </table>

`<CommonParameters>`

This cmdlet supports Microsoft PowerShell common parameters. For more information on common parameters, see [ Microsoft Docs](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/microsoft.powershell.core/about/about_commonparameters?view=powershell-7).

## Output Object
[`VBRBackupSession`](vbrbackupsession.md)`[]`

## Examples

::: example
### Example 1. Starting Failover Plan [Using Pipeline]

This command starts failover process by the `MS Exchange Group Failover` failover plan. The VMs in the failover group are failed over to the latest restore point.

```
Get-VBRFailoverPlan -Name "MS Exchange Group Failover" | Start-VBRFailoverPlan
```

Perform the following steps:

1. Run the [`Get-VBRFailoverPlan`](get-vbrfailoverplan.md) cmdlet. Specify the `Name` parameter value.
2. Pipe the cmdlet output to the `Start-VBRFailoverPlan` cmdlet.

:::

::: example
### Example 2. Starting Failover Plan [Using Variable]

This example shows how to start failover process by the `MS Exchange Group Failover` failover plan. The VMs in the failover group are failed over to the latest restore point.

```
$MSExchangeGroup = Get-VBRFailoverPlan -Name "MS Exchange Group Failover"
Start-VBRFailoverPlan -FailoverPlan $MSExchangeGroup
```

Perform the following steps:

1. Run the [`Get-VBRFailoverPlan`](get-vbrfailoverplan.md) cmdlet. Specify the `Name` parameter value. Save the result to the `$MSExchangeGroup` variable.
2. Run the `Start-VBRFailoverPlan` cmdlet. Set the `$MSExchangeGroup` variable as the `FailoverPlan` parameter value.

:::

::: example
### Example 3. Starting Failover Plans for Specific Restore Point

This example shows how to start failover processes by the `MS Exchange Group Failover` and `SQLServers Group Failover` failover plans. The VMs are failed over to a week ago state. The VM groups are failed over one by one.

```
$date = Get-Date
Get-VBRFailoverPlan -Name "MS Exchange Group Failover", "SQLServers Group Failover" | Start-VBRFailoverPlan -FromDate $date.AddDays(-7) -Wait
```

Perform the following steps:

1. The date is obtained with the `Get-Date` command. Save it to the `$date` variable.
2. Run the [`Get-VBRFailoverPlan`](get-vbrfailoverplan.md) cmdlet. Specify the `Name` parameter value.
3. Pipe the cmdlet output to the `Start-VBRFailoverPlan` cmdlet. Set the `$date` variable as the `FromDate` parameter value. Provide the `Wait` parameter.

:::

## Related Commands

- [`Get-VBRFailoverPlan`](get-vbrfailoverplan.md)
- [`Get-Date`](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/microsoft.powershell.utility/get-date?view=powershell-7.1)