Planning Backup and Recovery Operations

Disasters happen. They are an administrator's worst nightmare, but they don't have to be. Even if you have the best hardware and most fault-tolerant design, nothing can replace a solid backup and restoration plan. The Backup Utility provided in Windows Server 2003, ntbackup.exe , is actually a "lite" version of the commercially available third-party product from Veritas Software. Although its capability is limited, the included Backup Utility, when used properly, can provide you with all the functionality you should need for small networks or workgroups. If you have a larger network, you may want to place some serious thought into acquiring an enterprise backup solution, such as Backup Exec.

You should keep in mind the following general points when working with Windows Backup:

• You can back up to either a file or tape drive.

• You can back up files from either the local machine or remote computers, provided that you have access to the files you want to back up on the remote computer. The limitation of backing up a computer remotely is that System State information cannot be saved.

• To perform a backup, you must have Read access to the files or the user right of Backup and Restore Files, which is granted by default to Administrators and Backup Operators.

• Special permissions are granted the Administrators and Backup Operators groups to access all files for the purposes of doing backups . Even if members of these groups cannot access the data as users, they can back it up.

The Backup Utility in Windows Server 2003 has undergone some changes from its predecessor in Windows 2000 Server. No longer will you be creating an Emergency Repair Disk (ERD); it has been replaced by the new and improved Automated System Recovery (ASR) function. Windows Server 2003 also introduces volume shadow copy in the Backup Utility. Each of these new functions is explained in more detail in the following section.

New Windows Server 2003 Backup Features

When you use the volume shadow copy, a copy of the original volume is created instantly at the time you initiate the backup. Data is then subsequently backed up to the backup media from this shadow copy instead of the original files. This new technology provides a means to back up open files that were in use at the time of the backup being initiated. When you use volume shadow copy, files that would normally be skipped during the backup are instead backed up in their current state (at the time of the shadow copy creation) and thus appear closed on the backup media. Any applications that are running during the backup process can continue to run during the backup process. After the backup has been completed, the shadow copy is deleted. The volume shadow copy feature requires the NTFS file system to be in use and can be disabled if you want.

NOTE

Limitations on disabling volume shadow copy You cannot disable the volume shadow copy option when performing a backup of the System State data.

Another new use of the volume shadow copy feature is to create "snapshots" of shared network folders that can be used to roll back to a previous version of a file; this topic is discussed later in the "Using Volume Shadow Copy" section of this chapter.

Automated System Recovery (ASR) is an advanced restoration option of the Backup Utility that can be used to restore your system if other disaster recovery methods fail or are not available for use. Using ASR, you can restore the operating system back to a previous state, which allows you to start Window Server 2003 in the event that other methods do not work. You should always consider ASR your last resort for recovery, after Safe Mode, the Recovery Console, and Last Known Good Configuration (LKGC). You should make a point to keep your ASR media up to date as you make configuration changes to your computer. This is recommended to minimize the amount of recovery required should you ever need to use ASR. To use the ASR Wizard to create a set of ASR media, you only need to click on the Automated System Recovery Wizard button on the main page of the Backup tool, which we examine later in this section.

Backup Methods and Media Rotation

Plan a backup and recovery strategy.

• Identify appropriate backup types. Methods include full, incremental, and differential.

Windows Server 2003 supports the following five backup methods:

• Normal (full) backup Copies all selected files and marks each file as having been backed up (the archive attribute is cleared). Only the most recent copy of the backup file is required to perform restoration.

  EXAM TIP

  The archive bit The archive bit is a file attribute that is used to denote the file's backup status. If the archive bit is set, the file is eligible for backup using a normal, daily, incremental, or differential backup. If the archive bit is not set, these backup types skip the file because this signifies that the file has not been modified since the last backup. Normal and incremental backups clear the archive bit, making the file ineligible for backup again until the file has been subsequently modified.

  
  

• Incremental backup Copies only those files created or changed since the last normal or incremental backup; the archive attribute is then cleared. Using normal and incremental backups, you require the last normal backup and all incremental backups to be able to perform restoration.

• Differential backup Copies files created or changed since the last normal (full) or incremental backup; the archive attribute is not cleared in this case. Using normal and differential backups, you need the last normal backup and the last differential backup to be able to perform restoration.

• Copy backup Copies all selected files but does not mark each file as having been backed up (the archive attribute is not cleared). Copy backups have no effect on any other type of backup operation.

• Daily backup Copies all selected files that have been modified the day the daily backup is performed; the archive attribute is not cleared in this case. Using normal and daily backups, you require the last normal backup and all daily backups to be able to perform restoration.

As you might guess, the true secret to effectively planning and implementing a viable backup plan is media rotation . When thinking about media rotation, you must consider two basic requirements:

• Media lifetime Most backup systems use some sort of magnetic tape media. Although these tapes are very durable in most cases, they do not last forever. A good backup plan must take into account media lifetime and seek to spread wear and tear evenly over multiple tapes to both increase the lifetime of the tapes and also to increase the reliability of the tapes should they be needed to perform a restoration. A media rotation system makes this happen by preventing overly high use of one tape over another.

• Data availability If time were not a concern, you could just perform a full backup each night, but in large networks with large amounts of critical data, performing such backups could likely take many, many hours and reduce network performance during working hours. To this end, a good backup plan includes some combination of full, incremental, daily, and differential backups. For a restoration to be successful, you must have all the correct tapes available and restore the data from them in the correct order. Using a well-documented media rotation system helps you to ensure this happens.

So, with these points in mind, let's examine three of the more common media rotation systems in use today.

Five-Tape Rotation

As the name implies, the five-tape media rotation method uses five different tapesone for each day of the normal workweek. Typically, these tapes would be labeled as follows : Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. To start this rotation, you need to perform a full backup of all data. After you complete this backup, you can perform a daily, differential, or incremental backup on the first four days of the week. On Friday of every week, you perform a full backup again. Table 6.5 outlines how the five-tape rotation method could be used.

Table 6.5. The Simple Five-Tape Rotation Method

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
	1 Monday	2 Tuesday	3 Wednesday	4 Thursday	5 Friday Full	6
7	8 Monday	9 Tuesday	10 Wednesday	11 Thursday	12 Friday Full	13
14	15 Monday	16 Tuesday	17 Wednesday	18 Thursday	19 Friday Full	20
21	22 Monday	23 Tuesday	24 Wednesday	25 Thursday	26 Friday Full	27
28	29 Monday	30 Tuesday	31 Wednesday

As you can see, the five-tape rotation system could easily be expanded to six or seven tapes if your business needs require backups to be performed on the weekend days as well. However many tapes you use, you should always have the last one of the week set as the full backup, with each day before it being either a daily, differential, or incremental backup.

The major advantage to the five-tape rotation system is that it requires only five backup tapes. This advantage, however, comes at the cost of providing the backup history for only the past week.

Grandfather, Father, Son (GFS)

The Grandfather, Father, Son (GFS) media rotation method is perhaps the most popular one in use today, and it provides a fairly easy method to make backup histories available for an entire year at a time. This availability does come at a cost, however: The GFS system requires 20 backup tapes to be available. As with the five-tape rotation method, to start a new GFS rotation, you should create a full backup of the data. As this method's name implies, three different generations of tapes are made using the GFS system:

• Son These tapes are used Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday to perform daily, differential, or incremental backups. The son tapes require four backup tapes to be available.

• Father These tapes are used on the last Friday of each week of the monthexcept for the last Friday of the monthto perform full backups. The father tapes require four backup tapes to be available for months that have five Fridays.

• Grandfather These tapes are used on the last Friday of every month to perform a full backup. The grandfather tapes require 12 backup tapes to be available.

Table 6.6 outlines how the GFS rotation method could be used.

Table 6.6. The GFS Rotation Method

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
			1 Son #3	2 Son #4	3 Father #1	4
5	6 Son #1	7 Son #2	8 Son #3	9 Son #4	10 Father #2	11
12	13 Son #1	14 Son #2	15 Son #3	16 Son #4	17 Father #3	18
19	20 Son #1	21 Son #2	22 Son #3	23 Son #4	24 Father #4	25
26	27 Son #1	28 Son #2	29 Son #3	30 Son #4	31 Grandfather

The GFS rotation method is a middle-of-the-road solution that provides both good recoverability and also minimizes wear and tear on backup tapes. At the cost of 20 tapes per year, it is an obvious choice for most organizations.

Tower of Hanoi

The last media rotation methodTower of Hanoiis based on a mathematical disk and post game of the same name. The Tower of Hanoi method is less expensive to implement in that it can be completed with a minimum of five backup tapes, but it is also very complex to implement. Tower of Hanoi also offers good data history, providing the ability to recover data as far back as 16 days assuming that only five tapes are used.

In the five-tape Tower of Hanoi method, the tapes are used as follows:

• Tape #1 Used every other day for a full backup

• Tape #2 Used every fourth day for a full backup

• Tape #3 Used every eighth day for a full backup

• Tape #4 Used every sixteenth day for a full backup; alternates with Tape #5

• Tape #5 Used every sixteenth day for a full backup; alternates with Tape #4

As you can see, another disadvantage to this implementation is that a full backup must be performed each day. You can instead use daily, differential, or incremental backups, but you need to carefully document what type of backup is to be performed each day to make the system work correctly when it comes time for data recovery.

Table 6.7 outlines how the Tower of Hanoi rotation method could be used.

Table 6.7. The Complex Tower of Hanoi Rotation Method

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
			1 Tape #1	2 Tape #2	3 Tape #1	4
5	6 Tape #3	7 Tape #1	8 Tape #2	9 Tape #1	10 Tape #4	11
12	13 Tape #1	14 Tape #2	15 Tape #1	16 Tape #5	17 Tape #1	18
19	20 Tape #2	21 Tape #1	22 Tape #4	23 Tape #1	24 Tape #2	25
26	27 Tape #1	28 Tape #3	29 Tape #1	30 Tape #2	31 Tape #1

As you can see, you can easily make a mistake in the rotation when using the Tower of Hanoi method. If you implement this solution, you should create a schedule for at least three months at a time to ensure that one is always available to aid personnel in using the correct tape each day. You can also add additional tapes to this method to increase the long- term recovery capability past 16 days. Consider the effects of adding additional tapes as detailed in this list:

• Six tapes 32 days

• Seven tapes 64 days

• Eight tapes 128 days

• Nine tapes 256 days

• Ten tapes 512 days

The other major disadvantage to the Tower of Hanoi rotation method is the extreme amount of wear and tear placed on the lower-numbered tapes, such as Tape #1 and Tape #2. By replacing these tapes quarterly, for example, you can inexpensively and easily increase the reliability of the Tower of Hanoi solution.

Using Windows Backup

Plan a backup and recovery strategy.

Using the Backup Utility consists of three distinct processes: creating one or more backup configurations, scheduling backups to occur automatically, and performing restorations. Each of these processes is examined in the following sections.

Creating Backup Job Configurations

The Windows Backup Utility enables you to easily create a backup configuration. The basic steps to create the configuration are outlined in Step by Step 6.3, although your options and decisions will vary depending on how your system and backup media devices are configured.

NOTE

System State data The System State data contains information that is critical to the proper startup and operation of your Windows Server 2003 computer. The following items are included in the System State data:

• Registry

• COM+ class registration database

• Critical boot and system files

• System files that are protected by Windows File Protection

• Certificate Services database if the server is a Certificate Authority

• Active Directory directory service if the server is a domain controller

• SYSVOL directory if the server is a domain controller

• Cluster service information if the server is a member of a cluster

• IIS metadirectory if IIS is installed on the server

STEP BY STEP

6.3 Creating a New Backup Configuration

1. Open the Backup or Restore Wizard, shown in Figure 6.18, by selecting Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Backup.

   Figure 6.18. The Backup or Restore Wizard can be used in place of the Advanced Mode.

   

2. Click the Advanced Mode link to switch to Advanced mode of the Backup Utility, as shown in Figure 6.19.

   Figure 6.19. The Backup Utility Advanced Mode provides you with all the tools you need to create and schedule backups.

   

3. Start the Backup Wizard by clicking the Backup Wizard (Advanced) button from the main page of the Backup Utility.

4. Click Next to dismiss the opening page of the wizard.

5. On the What to Back Up dialog box, shown in Figure 6.20, select the scope of the backup. Click Next to continue. If you choose to back up selected files and folders, proceed to step 6; otherwise , skip to step 7.

   Figure 6.20. You need to select the scope of the backup that is to be performed.

   

6. On the Items to Back Up dialog box, shown in Figure 6.21, select the files and folders to back up. Click Next to continue.

   Figure 6.21. You can select entire volumes , folders, or specific files to be backed up.

   

7. On the Backup Type, Destination, and Name dialog box, shown in Figure 6.22, choose the location to save the backup file, using the Browse button if necessary, and enter the filename for the backup file. Click Next to continue.

   Figure 6.22. You should provide a filename for the backup file that is descriptive of its purpose or contents.

   

8. The Completing the Backup Wizard dialog box appears, as shown in Figure 6.23. To configure advanced options, including scheduling and disabling volume shadow copy, click Advanced and proceed to step 9. If you want to perform this backup immediately, click Finish.

   Figure 6.23. You need to configure the Advanced options to schedule the backup to occur at a later time.

   

9. On the Type of Backup dialog box, shown in Figure 6.24, select the type of backup you want. The default selection is Normal. Click Next to continue.

   Figure 6.24. By default, all backups are configured as Normal; you can choose from any of the five types previously discussed.

   

10. On the How to Back Up dialog box, shown in Figure 6.25, you can select options to verify data, enable hardware compression (if supported by your backup device), and disable volume shadow copy. Data verification and hardware compression are usually desirable options. You should not disable the volume shadow copy unless you have a specific reason to do so. After making your selections, click Next to continue.

    Figure 6.25. You should not disable the volume shadow copy without a valid reason to do so.

    

11. On the Backup Options dialog box, shown in Figure 6.26, you need to select whether to append existing backup data on your media or to replace it. In most cases, you simply overwrite the old data each night especially if you are using one of the media rotation methods discussed previously in this section. After making your selections, click Next to continue.

    Figure 6.26. You should, in most cases, overwrite any existing data on the backup media.

    

12. On the When to Back Up dialog box, shown in Figure 6.27, you need to configure the data and time that you want to perform this backup job. Using the Set Schedule button allows you to configure the scheduling options for the backup; alternatively, you can run the backup immediately by leaving the Now radio button selected. After making your selections, click Next to continue.

    Figure 6.27. You can schedule backups to occur when your network will not be adversely affected.

    

13. If you selected Now, click Finish to complete the Backup Wizard and start the backup. If you selected Later, you are prompted for the username and password of a domain user account authorized to perform backups. Click Finish to complete the Backup Wizard; the backup will run at the date and time you selected.

Additionally, you can choose to create a backup configuration manually; however, you still make all the same decisions as when using the Backup Wizard.

EXAM TIP

Scheduling backup jobs Many administrators disable the Windows Task Scheduler because it is commonly seen as an unneeded service, and thus a security risk. If you want to schedule backup jobs using the Windows Backup Utility, you must not disable the Windows Task Scheduler.

Scheduling Backup Jobs

Managing a backup schedule is easy in Windows Server 2003. In the Backup Utility, simply switch to the Schedule Jobs tab, as shown in Figure 6.28. Each day on the calendar shows what type of backup is scheduled for that day. Holding the cursor over a backup displays the backup name. You can edit the backup properties, including rescheduling the backup by clicking it. You can also create new backup configurations by clicking the Add Job button.

Figure 6.28. Using the Schedule Jobs tab, you can quickly determine what backup jobs are scheduled.

GUIDED PRACTICE EXERCISE 6.1

In this exercise, you configure a custom backup solution for a corporate file server. This Guided Practice helps reinforce the preceding discussion.

You need to create and implement a backup plan using the Windows Backup Utility that meets the following requirements:

• Backup jobs should run as quickly as possible, but this requirement is not to override any other requirement.

• All data on the file server must be backed up completely at least once per week.

• Restorations should take the minimum amount of time possible and use the minimum number of backup tapes possible.

• You must maintain at least nine month's worth of backup archives.

• Backups may not be performed during business hours and cannot be running from the previous night when work starts the next morning.

The company operates Monday through Friday and has two shifts: 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m.

You should try completing this exercise on your own first. If you get stuck, or you would like to see one possible solution, follow these steps:

1. You would be best served by creating a backup plan using the Grandfather, Father, Son tape rotation method, which requires 20 backup tapes.

2. Each night, Monday through Thursday, you should configure a differential backup to run. This backup will back up all selected data that has been modified since the last normal backup was performed.

3. Each Friday night, you should configure a normal backup to run. This will back up all selected data that has been modified since the last normal backup was performed.

4. On the last Friday of each month, you will use a different backup tape that will be rotated to offsite storage after the next Friday night normal backup has been performed.

The backup solution will provide relatively quick backups Monday through Thursday, although the backup times will increase through the week as the amount of modified data likely increases . As well, only two backup tapes, the last normal and the last differential, are required to perform the restoration, which minimizes both time and number of tapes required. By using a different backup tape (and subsequently rotating it to an offsite storage location), you can provide the required backup archival. Using the standard Grandfather, Father, Son rotation requires 20 backup tapes and provides a full year of backup history with a media rotation system.

Performing Restorations Using Windows Backup

Should the day actually come that you need to put your backup system to the test, the actual process of performing the restoration is relatively easy in Windows Server 2003as long as you are ready for the task. The basic steps to perform a restoration are outlined in Step by Step 6.4, although your options and decisions will vary depending on how your system and backup media devices are configured.

STEP BY STEP

6.4 Performing Data Restoration

1. Open the Backup or Restore Wizard by selecting Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Backup.

2. Click the Advanced Mode link to switch to Advanced mode of the Backup Utility, as shown in Figure 6.19.

3. Start the Restore Wizard by clicking the Restore Wizard (Advanced) button from the main page of the Backup Utility.

4. Click Next to dismiss the opening page of the wizard.

5. On the What to Restore dialog box, shown in Figure 6.29, select the media and files that are to be restored. If your choice of media is not listed, click the Browse button to locate it. After making your selections, click Next to continue.

   Figure 6.29. You can select to restore only certain parts of the backup file if you want.

   

6. The Completing the Restore Wizard dialog box appears, as shown in Figure 6.30. To configure advanced options, including where to restore the files to and what to do with existing files found in the restoration location, click Advanced and proceed to step 7. If you want to perform this restoration immediately, click Finish.

   Figure 6.30. You need to configure the Advanced options to be able to restore the files to a different location than where they were originally located.

   

7. On the Where to Restore dialog box, shown in Figure 6.31, select the restoration location for the folders and files from the drop-down. Click Next to continue.

   Figure 6.31. You can restore the files to the same or a different location if you want.

   

8. On the How to Restore dialog box, shown in Figure 6.32, decide what is to occur if existing files are found in the restoration location. Click Next to continue.

   Figure 6.32. In most cases, you should leave existing files or replace older files during the restoration process.

   

9. On the Advanced Restore Options dialog box, shown in Figure 6.33, you can select from several advanced restoration options, as explained in the list following this procedure. The available options are determined by the data that has been backed up, the type of hardware installed in your server, as well as the role of the server. After making your selections, click Next to continue.

   Figure 6.33. The Advanced Restore Options dialog box features several high-level configuration options.

   

10. Click Finish to start the restoration.

11. The Restore Progress dialog box appears, informing you of the restoration's status. When the restoration is complete, you see results similar to those shown in Figure 6.34.

    Figure 6.34. In the Restore Progress dialog box, you can determine the status of your restoration process.

    

The Advanced Restore Options are as follows:

• Restore security settings This option restores security settings for each file and folder; these settings include permissions, auditing entries, and ownership information. This option is available only for data that was backed up from an NTFS-formatted volume.

• Restore junction points, and restore file and folder data under junction points to the original location This option restores all junction points to your hard disks as well as the data that the junction points point to. If you are restoring a mounted drive, and you want to restore the data that is on the mounted drive, you must select this check box. If you do not select this check box, you restore only the folder containing the mounted drive.

• Restore junction points, but not the folders and file data they reference This option restores junction points only to your hard drive. This option does not restore any folders or file data that reference the junction points.

• When restoring replicated data sets, mark the restored data as the primary data for all replicas This option performs a restoration and ensures that the restored File Replication Service (FRS) data is replicated to other configured servers.

• Restore the Cluster Registry to the quorum disk and all other nodes This option ensures that the cluster quorum database is restored and is also replicated on all nodes in the cluster.

  NOTE

  Form of a junction point ! A junction point is a physical location on a hard disk that points to data located at another location on your hard disk or another storage device. Junction points are created when you create a mounted drive.

  
  

• Preserve existing volume mount points This option prevents the restore operation from writing over any volume mount points you have created on the partition or volume you are restoring data to.

• Restore Removable Storage database This option restores the Removable Storage database and deletes the existing Removable Storage database. If you are not using Removable Storage to manage storage media, you do not need to select this option.

With the discussion of the Windows Backup Utility behind us, we now move forward and examine a new feature in Windows Server 2003: Automated System Recovery.

Using Automated System Recovery

Plan a backup and recovery strategy.

• Plan system recovery that uses Automated System Recovery ( ASR ).

Although making regular backups is an important task to accomplish, they are of no use to you should a server suffer a critical failure that prevents it from starting normally. Although you can use the ntbackup.exe command to create backups from the command line, you cannot perform restorations from the command linea serious limitation should you be unable to start a Windows Server 2003 computer normally.

As discussed previously, you can use Automated System Recovery to restore the operating system back to a previous state, which allows you to start Window Server 2003 in the event that other methods do not work. You should always consider ASR your last resort for recovery, after Safe Mode, the Recovery Console, and Last Known Good Configuration (LKGC).

ASR is a two-part process that uses a startup floppy disk to boot the Windows Server 2003 computer and a backup file (that must be accessible during ASR restoration) containing the System State, system services, and all disks associated with the operating system components . The startup disk contains information about the backup, the disk configurations, and the way the restoration is to be accomplished.

WARNING

Keeping ASR up to date For an ASR recovery to be effective, you must keep it up to date. You should create a new ASR set after any configuration change to the server. You should also create a new ASR set on a regular schedulejust the same as you would with a normal backup set.

Floppy drive required Although you can create an ASR set without having a floppy drive installed in the server, you cannot perform the ASR restoration process without one.

To create a new ASR set, perform the steps outlined in Step by Step 6.5.

STEP BY STEP

6.5 Creating an Automated System Recovery Set

1. Place a blank, formatted 1.44MB 3.5-inch floppy disk in your server's floppy drive.

2. Open the Backup or Restore Wizard by selecting Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Backup.

3. Click the Advanced Mode link to switch to Advanced mode of the Backup Utility.

4. Start the Automated System Recovery Preparation Wizard by clicking the Automated System Recovery Wizard button on the main page of the Backup Utility.

5. Click Next to dismiss the opening page of the wizard.

6. On the Backup Destination dialog box, shown in Figure 6.35, provide the path and filename of the backup file to be created. Click Next to continue.

   Figure 6.35. ASR creates a backup file and startup floppy disk.

   

7. Click Finish to close the wizard and start the ASR set creation process.

8. Ensure that the blank, formatted floppy disk is inserted in your server's floppy drive when prompted, as shown in Figure 6.36. Click OK to create the startup floppy disk.

   Figure 6.36. The startup floppy disk is the second part of the ASR process.

   

To perform an ASR recoveryafter all other available methods to start the server normally have failedyou need to perform the steps listed in Step by Step 6.6. However, before starting the procedure, you need to locate the following items and have them readily available to you:

• The correct (up-to-date) ASR startup floppy disk.

• The correct (up-to-date) ASR backup media.

• The original Windows Server 2003 installation CD-ROM.

• Special drivers required for any mass storage controllers located in your server that are not available on the Windows Server 2003 CD-ROM; they also need to be available on floppy disk.

STEP BY STEP

6.6 Performing Automated System Recovery

1. Power on the server to be recovered using ASR.

2. Insert your original Windows Server 2003 CD into the CD-ROM drive.

3. When prompted to start from the CD-ROM, press the appropriate key.

4. If you need a special mass storage driver, press F6 when prompted to install it.

5. Press F2 when prompted to initiate an ASR recovery.

6. Insert the ASR startup floppy disk.

7. Follow the directions that are displayed.

8. If you need a special mass storage driver, press F6 when prompted to install it after the server restarts.

9. Follow the directions that are displayed.

That's all there is to using Automated System Recovery. Remember, however, that ASR is your last option and should not be used without attempting all other available methods to start the server.

Using Volume Shadow Copy

Plan a backup and recovery strategy.

• Plan a backup strategy that uses volume shadow copy.

As you've already seen, the volume shadow copy is another new backup feature available in Windows Server 2003. The usefulness of volume shadow copies, however, extends beyond your ability to use Windows Backup to create backups of open files; this feature also provides you with a way to archive copies of data over time, allowing users to locate and restore a specific file if they want. After the necessary configuration has been completed and the required software installed, users can view the volume shadow copies of shared network folders, including any previous versions in existence. Users can then copy any or all of the older files, allowing them to effectively restore a backup copy of the files from an earlier time.

As you might imagine, volume shadow copies can provide a number of benefits to your network usersthe least of which is the ability to restore an older version should the current version of a file become corrupt or be deleted beyond recovery. You also can compare different versions of files to see what changes have occurred over time.

Files contained in a volume shadow copy are read-only while archived, preventing them from being modified and thus nullifying the benefits of the volume shadow copy. After a file has been extracted from a volume shadow copy archive, it can be modified or moved to any location desired for editing.

Shadow copies are disabled by default but can be enabled and configured from the Shared Folders node of the Computer Management console, as shown in Figure 6.37.

Figure 6.37. Volume shadow copies are managed from the Computer Management console.

Windows Server 2003 allows for only 64 volume shadow copies of a specific shared folder. When this limit is reached, the oldest copy is deleted to make room for a newer copy. Before your network clients can take advantage of this technology, they must have the Volume Shadow Client software installed. The client software is available on your Windows Server 2003 computer in the %systemroot%\system32\clients\twclient\ folder.

Step by Step 6.7 outlines the basic process to enable and configure volume shadow copies for a volume on your Windows Server 2003 computer.

STEP BY STEP

6.7 Enabling and Configuring Volume Shadow Copies

1. Open the Computer Management console by selecting Start, Programs, Administrative Tools, Computer Management.

2. Expand the System Tools node and locate the Shared Folders node.

3. Right-click the Shared Folders node and select All Tasks, Configure Shadow Copies, as shown previously in Figure 6.37.

4. The Shadow Copies dialog box opens, as shown in Figure 6.38. This dialog box displays a listing of all available volumes for which you can enable shadow copies.

   Figure 6.38. Shadow copies are disabled by default for all volumes.

   

5. Select the volume for which you want to enable shadow copies and click the Enable button.

6. You are prompted with a dialog box asking for confirmation that you actually want to enable shadow copies for this volume. Click Yes to continue.

7. After some time, the shadow copy is completed and appears in the lower half of the Shadow Copies dialog box, as shown in Figure 6.39.

   Figure 6.39. You can quickly view recent shadow copies that have been created.

   

8. If you want to change the default configuration settings, click the Settings button on the Shadow Copies dialog box. The Settings dialog box opens, as shown in Figure 6.40.

   Figure 6.40. You need to configure at least 100MB of space for volume shadow copies.

   

9. On the Settings dialog box, you can change the location where the shadow copies are to be stored as well as the amount of space you want to allot to them. To configure the schedule for volume shadow copies, click the Schedule button. The schedule dialog box opens, as shown in Figure 6.41.

   Figure 6.41. You can create a custom shadow copy schedule to fit your needs.

   

10. The default schedule creates volume shadow copies twice daily at 7 a.m. and 12 p.m. You can modify the existing schedules or delete them and create new ones as you like.

11. Click OK three times to close all the shadow copies configuration dialog boxes.

After you've configured volume shadow copies, Windows Server 2003 computers and client computers with the Volume Shadow Client software installed can view the shadow copies available for a shared network folder. You first need to locate the shared network folder, as shown in Figure 6.42, using My Network Places.

Figure 6.42. You can take advantage of the shadow copies only over the network.

Right-clicking the shared folder and selecting Properties from the context menu displays a new tab on the Properties dialog boxthe Previous Versions tab, as shown in Figure 6.43.

Figure 6.43. The Previous Versions tab displays all previous versions of the folder.

By selecting a previous version and clicking the View button, you can open a new Windows Explorer window displaying the previous version's contents, as shown in Figure 6.44. If you want to restore a single file or multiple files, you can simply drag them out of this location. You can also restore the entire folder by selecting it and clicking the Restore button on the Previous Versions tab. To restore the previous version of the entire folder to a different location, select the previous version and click the Copy button on the Previous Versions tab.

Figure 6.44. The Previous Versions tab displays all previous versions of the folder.

GUIDED PRACTICE EXERCISE 6.2

In this exercise, you configure volume shadow copies for a file server. This Guided Practice helps reinforce the preceding discussion.

You should try completing this exercise on your own first. If you get stuck, or you would like to see one possible solution, follow these steps:

1. Open the Computer Management console on the file server where you are enabling shadow copies.

2. Right-click the Shared Folders node and select All Tasks, Configure Shadow Copies from the context menu.

3. On the Shadow Copies dialog box, select the volume for which you want to enable shadow copies and click the Enable button.

4. Click the Settings button to modify the default configuration of the shadow copies.

5. On the Settings dialog box, you can change the location where the shadow copies are to be stored as well as the amount of space you want to allot to the them.

6. To configure the schedule for volume shadow copies, click the Schedule button to open the Schedule dialog box.

7. Close all shadow copy dialog boxes.