Backing Up Files on Your Local Computer

Backup lets you back up any file on your local disk system. This section describes various files on your local computer that it is recommended to back up.

Logon Scripts

Logon scripts are files that can be assigned to user accounts. Each time a user logs on, the assigned logon script is run. You can use logon scripts to configure user working environments by creating network connections and starting applications. Logon scripts are useful when you want to affect the user work environment without managing all aspects of it. A logon script is always downloaded from the computer running Windows 2000 Server that validates a user's logon request.

On Windows 2000 Server domains, any domain controller can authorize a user's logon attempt. To ensure that logon scripts always work, make sure that logon scripts for all user accounts in a domain exist on every domain controller.

To ensure that logon scripts are always available and consistent, use the Active Directory Replicator service. In replication, copies of the files are sent across the network to other computers. A domain controller sends the logon scripts to the other computers in the domain.

Note

Only use replication for critical information that must be available because replicating files puts a large load on the network. For example, use replication for such critical data as the DHCP and WINS databases. For more information, see the Microsoft® Windows® 2000 Server Resource Kit TCP/IP Core Networking Guide.

User Data

Most changes on a server occurs in the users' folders. Users constantly add, modify, or delete files from the computer. It is recommended that you back up changes to users' folders daily.

Some users keep most of the files that they want backed up on file servers. Other users require that data on local computers be backed up. Your backup procedures need to consider both situations.

Application Programs

Network users primarily use applications, such as Microsoft® Word. You can reinstall the executable files from the original distribution media, but the time and productivity lost make this approach less than ideal. Additionally, if you have customized the applications to suit the needs of your organization, then reproducing those settings can be more difficult than reloading the programs themselves. Since the applications rarely change, backing them up as part of your backup procedure ensures that the latest version is always available without using a lot of offline storage space.

Archived Data

Backup can back up data that has been archived using Remote Storage. If the archived files are on your local disk, the backup operation works the same as any other. If the archived files are offline or remote, only placeholders on your local disk for the archived data are backed up. If you elect to back up the remote archived data, do so by direct media copy (tape to tape).

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