Backing Up Your Data


Microsoft Windows Server 2003 provides a backup utility, called Backup, for creating backups on local and remote systems. You use Backup to archive files and folders, restore archived files and folders, access media pools reserved for Backup, access remote resources through My Network Places, create snapshots of the system state for backup and restore, schedule backups through the Task Scheduler, and create emergency repair disks.

Getting Started with the Backup Utility

You can access Backup in several ways, including

  • Click the Start menu, and then click Run. In the Run dialog box, type ntbackup , and then click OK.

  • Click the Start menu, choose Programs or All Programs as appropriate, choose Accessories, choose System Tools, and then click Backup.

The first time you use the Backup utility, it starts in basic wizard mode. As an administrator, you'll want to use advanced mode, as it gives you more options. Clear Always Start In Wizard Mode and then click Advanced Mode. You should now see the main Backup utility interface. As shown in Figure 15-1, the standard interface has four tabs that provide easy access to key features. These tabs are the following:

  • Welcome

    Introduces Backup and provides buttons for starting the Backup Wizard, the Restore Wizard, and the Automated System Recovery Wizard.

  • Backup

    Provides the main interface for selecting data to back up. You can back up data on local drives and mapped network drives .

  • Restore And Manage Media

    Provides the main interface for restoring archived data. You can restore data to the original location or to an alternate location anywhere on the network.

  • Schedule Jobs

    Provides a month-by-month job schedule for backups. You can view executed jobs as well as jobs scheduled for future dates.

Figure 15-1. The Windows Backup utility provides a user -friendly interface for backup and restore.

graphics/f15ap01.jpg

To perform backup and recovery operations, you must have certain permissions and user rights. Members of the Administrators and the Backup Operators groups have full authority to back up and restore any type of file, regardless of who owns the file and the permissions set on it. File owners and those who have been given control over files can also back up files, but only those files that they own or those for which they have Read, Read & Execute, Modify, or Full Control permissions.

Note

Keep in mind that although local accounts can work only with local systems, domain accounts have domain-wide privileges. Therefore, a member of the local administrators group can work only with files on the local system, but a member of the domain administrators group could work with files throughout the domain.


Backup provides extensions for working with special types of data, including

  • System state data

    Includes essential system files needed to recover the local system. All computers have system state data, which must be backed up in addition to other files to restore a complete working system.

  • Exchange server data

    Includes the Exchange information store and data files. You must back up this data if you want to be able to recover Exchange server. Only systems running Microsoft Exchange Server have this type of data.

  • Removable Storage data

    Is stored in %SystemRoot%\System32\Ntmsdata. If you back up this data, you can use the advanced restore option Restore Removable Storage Database to recover the Removable Storage configuration.

  • Remote Storage data

    Is stored in %SystemRoot%\System32\Remotestorage. If you back up this data, you can restore Remote Storage by copying the data back to this directory.

Setting Default Options for Backup

You create backups using the Backup utility's Backup tab or the Backup Wizards. Both techniques make use of default options set for the Backup utility. You can view or change the default options by completing the following steps:

  1. Click the Advanced Mode link on the first Backup Or Restore Wizard page or start the utility with the wizard mode disabled (by clearing Always Start In Wizard Mode).

  2. Click Tools and then select Options.

As Figure 15-2 shows, there are five categories of default options: General, Restore, Backup Type, Backup Log, and Exclude Files. Each of these option categories is examined in the sections that follow.

Figure 15-2. Use the General tab of the Options dialog box to set default options for the Backup utility.

graphics/f15ap02.jpg

General Backup Options

General options control the default behavior of Backup. You can work with these options using the fields in the General tab of the Options dialog box. The available options are summarized in Table 15-2.

Table 15-2. General Backup Options

Option

Description

Always Allow Use Of Recognizable Media Without Prompting

Allows Removable Storage to move new media to the backup pool automatically. Select this option if you use Removable Storage and you want new media to be available to Backup.

Back Up The Contents Of Mounted Drives

Allows you to back up data on mounted network drives. Otherwise , only the path information for mounted drives will be backed up.

Compute Selection Information Before Backup And Restore Operations

Calculates the number of files and bytes involved prior to the backup/restore procedure and displays this information. Otherwise, this data isn't displayed and the progress bar won't function.

Show Alert Message When I Start The Backup Utility And Removable Storage Is Not Running

Displays an alert if you start Backup and the Removable Storage service isn't running. It's a good option to use if you work with removable media.

Show Alert Message When I Start The Backup Utility And There Is Recognizable Media Available

Displays an alert if you start Backup and new media is available in the import media pool. It's useful if you work with removable media.

Show Alert Message When New Media Is Inserted

Displays an alert when Removable Storage detects new media. It's useful if you work with removable media.

Use The Catalogs On The Media To Speed Up Building Restore Catalogs On Disk

Allows you to use archive logs on the media rather than scan the entire archive to determine what files are included. Clear this option only when the catalog is missing, damaged, or otherwise unavailable.

Verify Data After The Backup Completes

Checks the archive data against the original data to ensure that the data is the same. If the data isn't the same, there might be a problem with the backup media and you should run the backup again using different media.

Setting Restore and Backup Options

The list of general options is quite extensive but, for the most part, the list doesn't control the behavior of the actual backup or restore operation. Table 15-3 summarizes options for controlling backup and restore behavior.

Table 15-3. Restore, Backup Type, and Backup Log Options

Tab

Option

Description

Restore

Do Not Replace The Files On My Computer (Recommended)

Select this option if you don't want to copy over existing files.

Replace The File On Disk Only If the File On Disk Is Older

Select this option to replace older files on disk with newer files from the backup.

Always Replace The File On My Computer

Select this option to replace all files on disk with files from the backup.

Backup Type

Default Backup Type

Select this option to set the default backup type. Available types are Normal, Copy, Differential, Incremental, and Daily.

Backup Log

Detailed

Select this option to log all operations, including the names of files.

Summary

Select this option to log only key information and backup failure.

None

Select this option to disable logging.

Viewing and Setting Backup Exclusions

Many types of system files are excluded from backups by default. You manage exclusions in the Options dialog box, which you access by selecting Options from the Tools menu in the Backup utility.

Viewing Exclusions

In the Backup utility you can view file exclusions by selecting the Exclude Files tab in the Options dialog box. File exclusions are based on file ownership and you can set them for all users as well as for the user currently logged on to the system (see Figure 15-3).

Figure 15-3. Use the Exclude Files tab to view existing file exclusions for users.

graphics/f15ap03.jpg

Creating Exclusions

To exclude additional files, follow these steps:

  1. In the Options dialog box, select the Exclude Files tab.

  2. If you want to exclude files that are owned by any user, click Add New under the Files Excluded For All Users list. This displays the Add Excluded Files dialog box shown in Figure 15-4.

    Figure 15-4. Use the Add Excluded Files dialog box to set file exclusions for users.

    graphics/f15ap04.jpg

  3. If you want to exclude only files that you own, click Add New under the Files Excluded For User ... list. This displays the Add Excluded Files dialog box.

  4. You can exclude files by registered file type by clicking a file type in the Registered File Type list box. Or you can exclude files by custom file type by typing a period and then the file extension in the Custom File Mask box. For example, you could choose .doc or type the custom type wbk .

  5. Enter a drive or file path in Applies To Path. Files are then restricted from all subfolders of that path unless you clear the Applies To All Subfolders check box. For example, if you use C:\ and select Applies To All Subfolders , all files ending with the designated file extension are excluded wherever they occur on the C drive. Click OK.

    Tip

    Type \ as the path to specify matching files on any file system. For example, if the system had C, D, and E hard disk drives and you wanted to exclude all files of a certain type on all three drives, you'd type \ in the Applies To Path field.


Changing Exclusions

To change existing exclusions, follow these steps:

  1. In the Options dialog box, select the Exclude Files tab.

  2. Select an existing exclusion you want to edit and then click Edit. You can now edit the file exclusion.

  3. Select an existing exclusion you want to remove and then click Remove. The exclusion is removed. Click Apply when you're finished.

Backing Up Data with the Backup Wizard

The procedures you use to work with the Backup Wizard are similar to those you use to back up data manually. You start and work with the wizard by completing the following steps:

  1. Start the Backup utility in advanced mode and then click Backup Wizard in the Welcome tab. If wizard mode is enabled, click Advanced Mode and then click Backup Wizard.

    Note

    You can select files in the Backup tab and then start the Backup Wizard. If you do this, you'll be given the opportunity to back up the selected files only. Clicking Yes takes you directly to the Items To Backup dialog box. Clicking No clears the selected files and starts the wizard as usual.


  2. Click Next . Select what you want to back up. The options are:

    • Back Up Everything On This Computer Back up all data on the computer, including the system state data

    • Back Up Selected Files, Drives, Or Network Data Only back up data you select

    • Only Back Up The System State Data Create a backup of the system state data

      Note

      For servers running Windows Server 2003 that aren't domain controllers, system state data includes essential boot files, key system files, the Windows registry, and the COM+ class registration database. For domain controllers, system state data includes Active Directory data and files stored on the system volume (Sysvol) as well.


  3. Click Next. If you wanted to select data to back up, choose the items you want to back up as shown in Figure 15-5:

    • You make selections by selecting or clearing the check boxes associated with a particular drive or folder. When you select a drive's check box, all the files and folders on the drive are selected. When you clear a drive's check box, all the files and folders on the drive are cleared.

    • If you want to work with individual files and folders on a drive, click the plus sign (+) to the right of the drive icon. You can now select and clear individual directories and files by clicking their associated check boxes. When you do this, the drive's check box shows a shaded checkmark. This indicates that you haven't selected all the files on the drive.

    Figure 15-5. If you're backing up selected data, choose the drives, folders, and files to back up.

    graphics/f15ap05.jpg

  4. Click Next and then select the Backup Media Type. Choose File if you want to back up to a file. Choose a storage device if you want to back up files and folders to a tape or removable disk.

    Tip

    When you write backups to a file, the backup file normally has the .bkf file extension. However, you can use another file extension if you want. Also, keep in mind that Removable Storage is used to manage tapes and removable disks. If no media are available, you'll be prompted to allocate media to the Backup media pool. Follow the instructions given in the section of this chapter entitled "Managing Media Pools."


  5. Select the backup file or media you want to use. If you're backing up to a file, select a location from those available or click Browse to specify a file location and name . If you're backing up to a tape or removable disk, choose the tape or disk you want to use.

  6. Click Next. Click Advanced if you want to override default options or schedule the backup to be run as a job. Important advanced options that you'll be able to set include:

    • Verify Data After Backup Instructs Backup to verify data after the backup procedure is completed. If selected, every file on the backup tape is compared to the original file. Verifying data can protect against write errors or failures.

    • Use Hardware Compression, If Available Allows Backup to compress data as it's written to the storage device. The option is available only if the device supports hardware compression, and only compatible drives can read the compressed information, which might mean that only a drive from the same manufacturer can recover the data.

    • Disable Volume Shadow Copy Tells the Backup utility not to perform volume shadow copies. Volume shadow copies are used to back up files that are being written to. Thus, if you disable this feature, the Backup utility will skip files that are locked for writing.

  7. Click Next and then click Finish to start the backup using the default backup options. This starts the backup operation. You can cancel the backup by clicking Cancel in the Set Information and Backup Progress dialog boxes.

    Note

    The Backup Progress dialog box displays the backup operation's current status. Note the number of files processed and the total byte size of these files. With tape library units, you'll want to allocate additional media to the Free Media pool as necessary during the backup operation.


  8. During backup operations, the Backup utility behaves differently depending on the type and status of a file. If a file is open , the utility generally attempts to back up the last saved version. If the file is locked by an exclusive lock, such as when the file is being written to, it's backed up only if volume snapshots are enabled. The utility also doesn't back up any files on the exclusion list and only backs up system state data if you've elected to do so.

  9. When the backup is completed, click Close to complete the process or click Report to view the backup log.

Backing Up Files Without the Wizard

You don't have to use a wizard to back up files. You can configure backups manually by completing the following steps:

  1. Start the Backup utility. If wizard mode is enabled, click the Advanced Mode button and then select the Backup tab as shown in Figure 15-6. Otherwise, just select the Backup tab.

  2. Clear any existing selections in the Backup tab by selecting New from the Job menu and clicking Yes if prompted.

  3. Choose the data you want to back up:

    • You make selections by selecting or clearing the check boxes associated with a particular drive or folder. When you select a drive's check box, all files and folders on the drive are selected. When you clear a drive's check box, all files and folders on the drive are cleared.

    • If you want to work with individual files and folders on a drive, click the plus sign (+) to the right of the drive icon. You can now select and clear individual directories and files by clicking their associated check boxes. When you do this, the drive's check box shows a shaded checkmark. This indicates that you haven't selected all the files on the drive.

    • If you want to back up system state data, select System State below the My Computer node. For servers that aren't domain controllers, system state data includes essential boot and system files, the Windows registry, and the COM+ class registration database. For domain controllers, system state data includes Active Directory data and Sysvol files as well.

    • If you're backing up an Exchange server, be sure to select the Microsoft Exchange icon below the My Computer node. When you do this, you'll be prompted to type the Universal Naming Convention (UNC) name of the Microsoft Exchange server you want to back up, such as \\CorpMail .

  4. Use the Backup Destination selection list to choose the media type for the backup. Choose File if you want to back up to a file. Choose a storage device if you want to back up files and folders to a tape or removable disk.

    Figure 15-6. Use the Backup tab to configure backups by hand, and then click Start Backup.

    graphics/f15ap06.jpg

    Tip

    When you write backups to a file, the backup file normally has the .bkf file extension. However, you can use another file extension if you want. Also, keep in mind that Removable Storage is used to manage tapes and removable disks. If no media are available, you'll be prompted to allocate media to the Backup media pool. Follow the instructions given in the section of this chapter entitled "Managing Media Pools."


  5. In Backup Media Or File Name, select the backup file or media you want to use. If you're backing up to a file, type a path and file name for the backup file, or click Browse to find a file. If you're backing up to a tape or removable disk, choose the tape or disk you want to use.

  6. Click Start Backup. This displays the Backup Job Information dialog box shown in Figure 15-7. You use the options in this dialog box as follows :

    • Backup Description Sets the backup label, which applies to the current backup only.

    • Append This Backup To The Media Adds the backup after existing data.

    • Replace The Data On The Media With This Backup Overwrites existing data.

    • If The Media Is Overwritten, Use This Label To Identify The Media Sets the media label, which is changed only when you're writing to a blank tape or overwriting existing data.

    • Allow Only The Owner And Administrator Access To The Backup Data If you're overwriting data, you can specify that only the owner and an administrator can access the archive file by selecting this option.

    Figure 15-7. Use the Backup Job Information dialog box to configure backup options and information as necessary, and then click Start Backup.

    graphics/f15ap07.jpg

  7. Click Advanced if you want to override default options. After you select the advanced options to use, click OK.

  8. Click Schedule if you want to schedule the backup for a later date. When prompted to save the backup settings, click Yes. Next, type a name for the backup selection script, and then click Save. Afterward, set the user name and password under which the scheduled job should run. In the Scheduled Job Options dialog box, type a job name, click Properties, and then set a run schedule. Skip the remaining steps.

    Note

    Backup selection scripts and backup logs are stored in %Userprofile%\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Windows NT\ NTBackup\Data. Backup selection scripts are saved with the .bks extension. Backup logs are saved with the .log extension. You can view these files with any standard text editor.


  9. Click Finish to start the backup. Later, if you need to, you can cancel the backup by clicking Cancel in the Set Information and Backup Progress dialog boxes.

  10. When the backup is completed, click Close to complete the process or click Report to view the backup log.

Recovering Data Using the Restore Wizard

You can restore files with the Backup utility using the Restore Wizard or the Restore tab. To recover data with the Restore Wizard, follow these steps:

  1. As necessary, make sure that the backup set you want to work with is loaded into the tape library system.

  2. Start the Backup utility in advanced mode and then click Restore Wizard in the Welcome tab. If wizard mode is enabled, click Advanced Mode and then click Restore Wizard.

    Note

    You can select files in the Restore tab and then start the Restore Wizard. If you do this, you'll be given the opportunity to restore the selected files only. Click Yes. Clicking No clears the selected files and starts the wizard as usual.


  3. Click Next. As shown in Figure 15-8, you can now choose the data you want to restore. The left view displays files organized by volume. The right view displays media sets. To restore data, complete any or all of the following actions:

    • Select the check box next to any drive, folder, or file that you want to restore. If the media set you want to work with isn't shown, click Import File, and then type the path to the catalog for the backup.

    • To restore system state data, select the check box for System State as well as other data you want to restore. If you're restoring to the original location, the current system state will be replaced by the system state data you're restoring. If you restore to an alternate location, only the registry, Sysvol, and system boot files are restored. You can only restore system state data on a local system.

    Tip

    By default, Active Directory directory service data and other replicated data, such as Sysvol, aren't restored on domain controllers. This information is instead replicated to the domain controller after you restart it, which prevents accidental overwriting of essential domain information. To learn how to restore Active Directory, see the "Restoring Active Directory" section of this chapter.


    • If you're restoring Microsoft Exchange, select the Microsoft Exchange data to restore. Before the restore starts, you'll see the Restoring Microsoft Exchange dialog box. If you're restoring the Information Store, type the UNC name of the Microsoft Exchange server you want to restore, such as \\CorpMail . If you're restoring to a different server, select Erase All Existing Data. This destroys all existing data and creates a new Information Store.

    Figure 15-8. Use the Restore Wizard to select the files and folders to restore.

    graphics/f15ap08.jpg

  4. Click Next. Click Advanced if you want to override default options. Important advanced options that you'll be able to set include the restore location. The restore location options are:

    • Original Location Restores data to the folder or files it was in when it was backed up.

    • Alternate Location Restores data to a folder that you designate , preserving the directory structure. After selecting this option, enter the folder path to use or click Browse to select the folder path.

    • Single Folder Restores all files to a single folder without preserving the directory structure. After selecting this option, enter the folder path to use or click Browse to select the folder path.

    Tip

    If you aren't entirely sure that you want to overwrite the files in the original location, select Alternate Path, and then specify a new location for the files, such as C:\temp. Once the files are in the temp directory, you can compare them to the existing files and determine if you want to recover them. Keep in mind that you should always restore files backed up from NTFS drives to NTFS drives. This ensures that you can restore security permissions and retain NTFS compression and encryption.


  5. Click Next and then click Finish. If prompted, type the path and name of the backup set to use. You can cancel the backup by clicking Cancel in the Operation Status and Restore Progress dialog boxes.

  6. When the restore is completed, click Close to complete the process or click Report to view a backup log containing information about the restore operation.

Recovering Data Without the Wizard

You don't have to use the Restore Wizard to recover data. You can recover archives manually by completing the following steps:

  1. As necessary, load the backup set you want to work with in the library system.

  2. Start the Backup utility. If wizard mode is enabled, click the Advanced Mode button and then select the Restore And Manage Media tab as shown in Figure 15-9. Otherwise, just select the Backup And Manage Media tab.

    Figure 15-9. Use the Restore And Manage Media tab to specify the files and folders to restore.

    graphics/f15ap09.jpg

  3. Choose the data you want to restore. The left view displays files organized by volume. The right view displays media sets. To do this, complete any or all of the following actions:

    • Select the check box next to any drive, folder, or file that you want to restore. If the media set you want to work with isn't shown, right-click File in the left view, select Catalog, then type the name and path of the catalog you want to use.

    • To restore system state data, select the check box for System State as well as other data you want to restore. If you're restoring to the original location, the current system state will be replaced by the system state data you're restoring. If you restore to an alternate location, only the registry, Sysvol, and system boot files are restored. You can restore system state data only on a local system.

    Tip

    By default, Active Directory data and other replicated data, such as Sysvol, aren't restored on domain controllers. Instead, this information is replicated to the domain controller after you restart it, which prevents accidental overwriting of essential domain information. To learn how to restore Active Directory, see the section of this chapter entitled "Restoring Active Directory."


    • If you're restoring Microsoft Exchange, select the Microsoft Exchange data to restore. Before the restore starts, you'll see the Restoring Microsoft Exchange dialog box. If you're restoring the Information Store, type the UNC name of the Microsoft Exchange server you want to restore, such as \\CorpMail . If you're restoring to a different server, select Erase All Existing Data. This destroys all existing data and creates a new Information Store.

    Note

    On the Exchange server, the Information Store and Directory services are stopped prior to running the restore. After the restore is finished, you might need to restart these services.


  4. Use the Restore Files To selection list to choose the restore location. The options are

    • Original Location Restores data to the folder or files it was in when it was backed up.

    • Alternate Location Restores data to a folder that you designate, preserving the directory structure. After you select this option, enter the folder path to use or click Browse to select the folder path.

    • Single Folder Restores all files to a single folder without preserving the directory structure. After you select this option, enter the folder path to use or click Browse to select the folder path.

  5. Specify how you want to restore files. Click Tools and then select Options. In the Options dialog box, select the Restore tab. Select one of the following options and then click OK:

    • Do Not Replace The Files On My Computer (Recommended) Select this option if you don't want to copy over existing files.

    • Replace The File On Disk Only If The File On Disk Is Older Select this option to replace older files on disk with newer files from the backup.

    • Always Replace The File On My Computer Select this option to replace all files on disk with files from the backup.

  6. In the Restore And Manage Media tab, click Start Restore. This displays the Confirm Restore dialog box.

  7. If you want to set advanced restore options, click Advanced and then set additional options as necessary.

  8. In the Confirm Restore dialog box, click OK to start the restore operation. If prompted, enter the path and name of the backup set to use. You can cancel the backup by clicking Cancel in the Operation Status and Restore Progress dialog boxes.

  9. When the restore is completed, you can click Close to complete the process or click Report to view a backup log containing information about the restore operation.

Restoring Active Directory

When restoring system state data to a domain controller, you must choose whether you want to perform an authoritative or nonauthoritative restore. The default is nonauthoritative. In this mode, Active Directory and other replicated data is restored using the information from other domain controllers. Thus, you can safely restore a failed domain controller without overwriting the latest Active Directory information. On the other hand, if you're trying to restore Active Directory throughout the network using archived data, you must use authoritative restore. With authoritative restore, the restored data is restored on the current domain controller and then replicated to other domain controllers.

Caution

An authoritative restore overwrites all Active Directory data throughout the domain. Before you perform an authoritative restore, you must be certain that the archive data is the correct data to propagate throughout the domain and that the current data on other domain controllers is inaccurate, outdated , or otherwise corrupted.


To restore Active Directory on a domain controller and enable the restored data to be replicated throughout the network, follow these steps:

  1. Make sure the domain controller server is shut down.

  2. Restart the domain controller server. When you see the prompt Please Select The Operating System To Start, press F8 to display the Advanced Options Menu.

  3. Select Directory Services Restore Mode.

  4. When the system starts, use the Backup utility to restore the system state data and other essential files.

  5. After restoring the data, but before restarting the server, use the Ntdsutil tool to mark objects as authoritative. Be sure to check the Active Directory data thoroughly.

  6. Restart the server. When the system finishes startup, the Active Directory data should begin to replicate throughout the domain.

Backing Up and Restoring Data on Remote Systems

You can use the Backup utility to back up data on remote systems. To do this, you must create network drives for the remote file systems before you begin the backup procedure. When backing up data on network drives, be sure to select the General option Back Up The Contents Of Mounted Drives. If you don't, only folder references are backed up and not the actual data.

You can also use Backup to restore data on Remote Systems. When you do this, you can select restore locations in My Network Places. If you're restoring to a mapped network drive instead of to a specific system, be sure to select the advanced restore option Restore Junction Points, And Restore File And Folder Data Under Junction Points To The Original Location.

Viewing Backup Logs

Backup logs are written as Unicode text files and are stored in %Userprofile%\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Windows NT\NTBackup\Data. The %Userprofile% variable is the profile path for the user who created or scheduled that backup. Backup logs are named in the format backup ## .log, where backup01.log is the initial log created by the Backup utility.

Although you can view backup logs in any text editor, including Notepad, the Backup utility provides direct access to logs through the advanced mode interface. Complete the following steps:

  1. In advanced mode, select Report from the Tools menu. This displays the Backup Reports dialog box.

  2. To view a log, select it and then click View. This opens the log in the default text editor for the system.

  3. To print a log, select it and then click Print. This prints the log to the default printer for the system.



Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Administrator[ap]s Pocket Consultant
Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Administrator[ap]s Pocket Consultant
ISBN: 735622450
EAN: N/A
Year: 2003
Pages: 141

flylib.com © 2008-2017.
If you may any questions please contact us: flylib@qtcs.net