Re-creating Windows Server 2003 File Services and Data

To recover file and folder data reported to be corrupt, accidentally deleted, or just missing from a server share or volume, the administrator must first verify the report. If a single file is reported corrupt, the administrator should verify file share and NTFS permissions to the file and parent folder to ensure that the error is not access related. After the error is confirmed, the administrator should request that the user show him the problem. If the file is corrupted, it should be restored from backup using one of the methods outlined in the following sections.

If data is reported lost or deleted on a volume, the administrator should first search for the file within subfolders on the same volume. If a user has the permissions to modify files on more than one folder on a volume, there is a chance that the missing file or folder was mistakenly dragged and dropped to a different folder. After a search is completed, the data can be restored to the original location if it is found; otherwise, the data can be restored from backup using one of the methods outlined in the following sections.

Recovering Data Using NTBackup.exe

When data folders and/or files are corrupt, missing, or a previously backed-up copy is needed, the data can be restored using NTBackup.exe if a previous backup was performed using this utility. For example, if the Marketing folder was deleted from the D: drive of SERVER1, the following backup procedure could be used to restore the data:

1.	Log on to SERVER1 using an account that has at least the privileges to restore files and folders. Backup Operators and Local Administrator groups have this right by default.
2.	Click Start, All Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Backup.
3.	If this is the first time you've run Backup, it will open in Wizard mode. Choose to run it in Advanced mode by clicking the Advanced Mode hyperlink.
4.	Click the Restore Wizard (Advanced) button to start the Restore Wizard.
5.	Click Next on the Restore Wizard Welcome screen to continue.
6.	On the What to Restore page, select the appropriate cataloged backup media, expand the catalog selection, and select the Marketing folder from the D: drive backup, as shown in Figure 33.5. Figure 33.5. Selecting the desired folder for restore.
7.	If the correct tape or file backup media does not appear in this window, cancel the restore process. Then, from the Restore Wizard, locate and catalog the appropriate media and return to the restore process from step 4.
8.	On the Completing the Restore Wizard page, click Finish to start the restore.
9.	When the restore is complete, review the backup log for detailed information and click Close on the Restore Progress window when finished.

Recovering Data with Volume Shadow Copy

The Volume Shadow Copy service can be used to restore missing files or restore previous versions of files only if shadow copies have been enabled on the volume. To enable shadow copies on a volume, refer to the installation steps outlined in the "Configuring Shadow Copies" section in Chapter 30, "File System Fault Tolerance." To restore data using shadow copies, the volume containing the data in question needs to be accessed from a share point. For example, if Volume Shadow Copy is enabled on the D: drive of SERVER1, to restore data using a shadow copy, the administrator can open a connection to \\SERVER1\D$.

Restoring shadow copy data allows the administrator to restore the data to the original location, or it can be copied and restored elsewhere. As an example, the Marketing folder on the SERVER1 D: drive will be restored after it is deleted. When a user reports that the Marketing folder is missing from SERVER1, follow these steps:

1.	Log on to SERVER1 with Administrator access to verify that the Marketing folder has been deleted.
2.	Open an Explorer window to the \\SERVER1\D$ location.
3.	After a few seconds, the View Previous Versions task is displayed, as shown in Figure 33.6. If the File and Folder Tasks section does not open, change the folder view. Figure 33.6. Accessing data stored using shadow copies.
4.	To change the folder options, select Tools, Folder Options. Under Tasks on the General tab, select Show Common Tasks in Folders and click OK to update the folder view.
5.	Select the View Previous Versions task in the left pane of the window.
6.	When the Share Properties page opens, select the Previous Versions tab if it is not already selected.
7.	In the Folder Version window, select the correct shadow copy and click the View button at the bottom of the window.
8.	For this example, select the Marketing folder and choose Copy.
9.	Close the Shadow Copy window and close the Share Properties page.
10.	Back in the \\SERVER1\D$ window, right-click a blank spot in the window and choose Paste to restore the marketing folder.
11.	Double-check permissions on the restored folder, close the window, and log off the server when you're finished.

Using Distributed File System Replication for File System Recovery

Another popular method of protecting the file system from data loss is to leverage the Distributed File System (DFS) replication technology to mirror information to another server. DFS is a solution that needs to be set up and running before a failure because the data needs to be replicated before a failover or recovery can take place. So this will require preplanning and implementation before the solution can be used.

To use DFS, a file system volume that is wanted for replication is identified, and a replica is created on another server. If the primary server fails, DFS automatically redirects users to access the mirrored copy of the data on the replica server.

For more details on the implementation of DFS for file system replication, see the section, "Using the Distributed File System Replication," in Chapter 30, "File System Fault Tolerance."