You got it exactly right, those are the exact steps.
The backup is HEX inside a ZIP file. It only takes a few seconds and the ZIP is 8 KB. This is very different from Aeotec’s app (see the original post in this thread) which saves a 512 KB BIN file and takes three minutes.
In fact, I was suspicious whether the NVM backup had done anything at all because it happened so quickly… so I restored it to the Tertiary UZB stick, which I had never used with Aeotec’ s app.
That tertiary stick is running my z-wave network now! So, it does work. I’m glad I bought three backups though and not just one.
I never tried restoring the backup to the same controller actually. I can do that, no problem. Will update this post shortly.
Even if you only have one controller, if your controller happens to have a version which the Z-Wave PC Controller application chokes on and crashes, you will definitely need to update. If you are worried about the firmware upgrade, you can do the following:
- Order a new UZB now (let’s call it secondary)
- When the secondary it arrives, back up your primary UZB with the Aeotec app
- Restore backup to the secondary UZB
- Start openHAB with the secondary UZB and verify that it works
Then you can safely update the primary one with Z-Way because you already have a working backup.
I don’t know of any risk of using the Aeotec app but I have exactly one data point – i used it once and it worked that time.
I will do the back-up/restore and screenshots now, otherwise it will never get done. I wal going to do it on my primary (since the tertiary is running the network) but then I realized it’s probably not good for network health to have two cloned controllers running at the same time!
So I will stop openHAB and then I may as well do it on tertiary, and leave primary alone.
This is the Z-Wave PC controller 5.38 in the unconnected state.
New link 2023: Z-Wave PC controller 5.38
Alternative link 2023: Z-Wave PC controller 5.38
Hit the cog wheel in the top right and hit Refresh. If you don’t see your Z-Wave USB stick, you may need to apply the ZW050x USB VCP PC Driver (part of the zip file) to your Z-Wave USB stick in device manager to have it recognized. If you see the COM port, all you have to do is to highlight it in the list and press OK. Hopefully you’ll see the following screen. You may have to try a couple of times.
This is the Z-Wave PC Controller ready for duty. This is as bare metal as Z-Wave gets for most users. In “Network Management” you can include and exclude devices, turn lights on and off etc, but you better have your node IDs written down because they will not be named in this app.
I’ve used this to exclude failed devices, or even to exclude functioning devices when the Z-Wave binding had trouble doing it for me.
For backing up, what you need is NVM Backup and Restore.
Select the location and the file name and press OK. Remember to hit Backup too!
Also, note that a backup is of no use if you can’t find it when you need it, so e-mail it to yourself, put it in your dropbox, do whatever you usually do with precious digital goods. 
Restoring is done the same way except you pick the file into the restore slot and press restore instead.
When it’s done, it’ll say “NVM Restrore(sic) finished” and just sit there with a sliding progress bar. I waited for a couple of minutes, then I got bored of waiting, closed the app and disconnected the dongle.
That’s about it.
Here is a screen shot of the network management tool for posterity.
THANK YOU to Silicon Labs for releasing such a powerful tool free of charge!