BackupConcepts

BackupConcepts

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The single most important way to prepare for possible disasters is to back up your server and important data regularly. WS2003 includes a utility called Backup that lets you do this using either a wizard or standard interface. Using Backup , you can back up and restore the boot and system volumes, data volumes, individual folders and folder subtrees, and system state data to a tape drive, a file on a hard drive, or a removable disk. You can back up either local volumes or remote ones that are shared on the network to perform consolidated network backups of multiple machines to a single machine with tape drive attached.

The backup process can be configured using either a standard Windows interface or a wizard. You can back up using any of the common backup methods including normal, copy, differential, incremental, or daily copy (note that on domain controllers you can do only normal backups when backing up system state information). You can initiate a backup immediately or schedule a backup job to occur later or on a regular basis. Backups can also be verified as they are performed and compressed to save space on the backup media. You can restore individual files, folders, volumes, or entire backup sets to either the original or an alternate location, and the restore process can similarly be performed using a Windows interface or a wizard.

New to WS2003 are volume shadow copy, which lets you back up files even while they are being written to, and Automated System Recovery, which simplifies restoring an entire system from backup after a catastrophic failure. These features are discussed later in this section.

Backup Terminology

A little Windows Backup terminology for you:

Backup job

A single process of performing a backup.

Backup set

A group of files, folders, and volumes backed up and stored as a .bkf file.

Catalog

A summary of the files, folders, and volumes saved in a backup set.

Backup log

A text file created while running Windows Backup that records the success or failure of each step of the backup operation.

System state

Information that defines the configuration of the operating system on a WS2003 computer. It is essential for restoring the operating system after a disaster. System state data includes:

• The registry

• System startup (boot) files

• Class registration database (for Component Services)

• Certificate Services database (if the server is running Certificate Services)

• Active Directory database (domain controllers only)

• SYSVOL share (domain controllers only)

Volume Shadow Copy

Backup automatically uses the new Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) to let you perform backups of volumes when files are still open and in use by Windows, allowing users to continue working on files while Backup is running. VSS can also be used by administrators to configure Windows to save previous versions of files if users need them; see Files and Folders later in this chapter for more information.

Automated System Recovery (ASR)

ASR is a new feature that provides a last-resort method for recovering a failed system if other methods like Last Known Good Configuration, Safe Mode, or the Recovery Console don't work. ASR is incorporated into the Backup utility and lets you completely restore a failed system using a full backup of the system and boot partitions together with a special ASR floppy disk. If the hard drive on which your boot or system partition is installed fails, ASR is generally faster and easier than manually reinstalling Windows and restoring from backup media.

ASR works by automatically reinstalling Windows from your product CD using your previous configuration settings and then restoring your system and boot partitions from backup media. The backup media and associated ASR floppy are created at the same time and must be used together to perform a recovery. Note that ASR doesn't back up your data volumes; you have to do this separately.