backup System State only?

backup System_State only for DC's &  was advised that this was all they needed (but as I wasn't totally comfortable with this I did ALL_LOCAL_DRIVES !!)

Shadow Copy Components:\ are covered by ALL_LOCAL_DRIVES.

Does not  make sense to me unless DFSR is under the hood. And in that event the file selction would looksomthing like:
Shadow Copy Components:\User Data\Distributed File System Replication\DfsrReplicatedFolders\<ObjectName>

you're probably more than aware of the following already:

DOCUMENTATION: Differences between the directives System_State:\ and Shadow Copy Components:\
http://seer.entsupport.symantec.com/docs/275931.htm

More about backing up System State can be found on Microsoft.com

e.g.
"...
you can optionally back up the system state in the Windows 2000 Backup program to back up and restore critical system data. When you choose to back up the system state on a domain controller, the following items are included:

• Active Directory (NTDS)
• The boot files
• The COM+ class registration database
• The registry
• The system volume (SYSVOL)

When you back up the system state on a non-domain controller, the following items are included:

• The Boot file
• The COM+ class registration database
• The registry

When you back up a member server or domain controller with Certificate Server installed, the following additional item is also included:

• Certificate Server

..."

"...
For full disaster recovery, back up all of the drives and the System State data.
..."

I suppose at the end of the day it would depend upon what the policy was hoped to achieve when it was initially set up

That's what I always thought.  The Windows admin says they can build a server lickety-split and then just restore System State.  I never heard of that and not sure if they've even tested it in the field. 

I was searching around for verification and found http://support.veritas.com/docs/338410
which states, in part
Configure separate policies which only include System State:\ or Shadow Copy Components:\ as the sole backup selection.

failing due to VSS errors on SS or SCC in ALL_LOCAL_DRIVE backups & not being reported.

Some servers  they say it is easier to just rebuild then to recovery
So on some server they tell me not to bother with the C drive at all.
And other servers I get everthing.
So I think is just depends on what is that windows server being used for.

It's a lot like only check the tires on your car before a long trip...

Sure, you might not need an oil change before you go... And you might not need windshield washer fluid...

You might not need to restore that document that they saved locally on the client


The recommendation to only backup system state or shadow copy components is specifically a work around, they are not suggesting to only backup that data.  The note says make it's own policy.  The formal resolution was put in to 6.5.6, and to 7.0

Hello,

Does the issue (http://seer.entsupport.symantec.com/docs/327105.htm) is solved on 6.5.6 or 7.0 too, please? I followed the workaround A but the restore window always shows 0 size for all system state/shadow copy components items besides the backup terminated with status 0 and had several megabytes.

Regards.