Disaster recovery scenario

[Denis_correard]

we make daily full backup of the system state of our DC (windows 2003). so far so good.

we just purchased a backup server in case our site burn to the ground and as you gess it will be in another site(location). I have been trying to restore the system state of our main DC on to the backup server and every time I get a restore error:"A failure occurred restoring because the files cannot be replaced and no alternate location was specified."

I have forlowed the Document ID: 236240 to the letter but still I get the error. Windows will not restart after the failed windows.

both current DC and backup DC have the same hardware exept the backup server have bigger SCSI disks and less memory (only 4GB).

Any Ideas?

Thank you in advance.

[Thomas_Bianco]

you might want to make certain you set the overwrite to "skip if file exists" on the general tab of the restore job.

it looks like it's trying to replace windows system files that are in use. if this is a clean server with the same SP, that should not be required.

good luck

[Denis_correard]

Thanks for that.

One thing you maintioned is SP on windows.
oups I didnt know. I will try it again and make sure I install the same windows(including SP).

You said to select "skip if file exists" but the veritas documents I read say "restore over existing files".

What file are we tolking about anyway?

I will try both and let you know of the outcome.

Can you restore the system state on a different harware server as long as it is a 32 bit processor and a maintioned above the same SP in windows?

Thanks

denis

[Thomas_Bianco]

the only reason i suggest the same windows service pack is that you want to get the system back to the state it was before, which means a wholesale restore of the registry, and replacing as many of the system files as possible.

now assume microsoft has included a new feature that is implemented in 2 system dlls. if one is not replaced then you are going to have a lot of system calls fail becuase of the mismatch, but if you patch the system back to where it was the both will be set before you start the restore.

which brings me around to your other question. the file those options reference is any file that has a collision during the restore. since you're restoring the entire windows directory, your going to have a TON of them. setting skip if exists allows the backup to ignore stuff like HAL.DLL and NTOSKRNL.EXE that can't be replaced in a running system, and restore the stuff that can. since we're patching the system to the correct SP and hotfixes before we start, we are not going to have a mismatch. restore over existing will fail with the error you mentioned before, and not restore anything beyond those errors.

define "different". windows has very specific hardware requirements. it must be (at least) the same system type (single or multiprocessor, ACPI or APM) and the same drive configuration (IDE or SCSI, INT13 or NTBOOTDD.SYS). most secondary hardware, like sound and video can change, but change too much and you'll trip up the 2003 licensing stuff.

[Denis_correard]

OK I understand the reason of SP and updates the same as the main server. In my first attempt I've done exactly that install windows and all SP and updates. Then restore the system state as you sugested "Skip file if exists". and gess what the restore failed with the same error. when I reboot I get an windows error:
Security Accounts manager initialization failed because of the following: Directory service cannot start error: 0x00002e1. Please click ok to shut down and reboot into Directory Service mode, check the event log for more detail information.

question: Do I need to restore anything else than the system state like c:\windows or c:\program files?


Regarding the harware:
both are HP proliant ML370 dual CPU (main is 2x3.2 zeon and backup is 2x3.4 xeon) , SCSI raid comtroler (main has 4x72.5 GB disks and bachup has 5x146.8 GB disks), mainboard is different in that windows record defferent resources installed for it.
We purchased the same model server with the idea of having the same hardware but...... it's not exactly the same.
Does this matter in our case?

[Thomas_Bianco]

i didn't see you're restoring a DC. yes, then you would want to hit F8 at the first windows splash screen and start in directory services mode. with the LDAP service running, you would have an inconsistent state, but with the LDAP stopped, you would be able to restore the NTDS folder properly.

be certain you are in services mode when the restore happens. if you wanted to restore the directory to the state of this backup as well as the local system, be sure to do an authoritative restore http://support.microsoft.com/kb/241594

[Denis_correard]

I'm sorry I'm not sure I understand what your saying. Do I install windows and SP and backup Exec. then reboot in directory restore mode and restore the system state. Is that what you'r saying?

In the previous restores if I try to go in "directory restore mode" I triger the windows registrastion screen, and because I cannot connect to the internet I cannot register. therfore I connot log in.... It's fun. auviouslly the hardware is different enough to triger it. dam.....

[Denis_correard]

after login in restore mode I try to restore with "overwride files" or "skip files" and in both instances I get the same error.

anyother ideas would be apreciated. sorry about been a pain.

denis

[Thomas_Bianco]

ok, let me run through this from the beginning, obviously we have some crossed wires.

you have a DC, a good backup, and a hot spare server.
the DC has some fatal error, and must be restored.
you whip out your hot spare, install windows 2003 server with the same key and patch it to match the first server.
you reboot and press F8 to go into directory services mode, then restore all files, including the system state.
you reboot once again, attach it to the domain and synchronize with the other DCs as in http://support.microsoft.com/kb/316829,
OR
you do http://support.microsoft.com/kb/316790 because this is your only DC

other things to look at:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/263532 is for NTBackup, but most of the concepts still apply.
http://seer.support.veritas.com/docs/236286.htm is veritas's article on the subject.

strangely, both suggest restore over, but i've done it with skip existing without any issues.

i've never had to do an authoritative restore, so maybe they suggest that because of some special case of that.

[Denis_correard]

I have noticed that the NTDS directory is not restored.any ideas why? Can I copy the files manualy?

The SYSVOL directory is been restored.

I've tryed to use the Microsoft backup utility but it does not see the tape drive so I've got to use Backup EXEC.

Please help.

In the mean time I will pray that the building to not burn down. lol

denis

[Denis_correard]

got you thanks

The missing key was as you said "restore all files" that mean the entire c: drive (including exchange 2003) lovely.

but you'r correct I connot select "restore over existsting files" because the harware is different therefore sam windows files are specific to that machine and if I replace then with the old machine, the hardware file in windows will not work (I think).

I've tried to restore c:\ and system state at the same time with skip files and the restore was successfull but when I reboot I get the lovely blue screen of death. SO

I'm going to try again but first restore will be the c: drive and the secong restore will be the system state then reboot.

all of thes is just incase the bulding burn down to the ground and hopfully I will never use all this knowlege.

Who said that IT was fun.....

denis

[Denis_correard]

One question: because the harware is different do I register windows before the restore or after?

[Thomas_Bianco]

in theory it should be moot, as you'll SHOULD restore the system state as it was on the other server (i.e. registered and activated etc...)

if you're getting a BSOD on boot, the hardware is too different. the more you have to change the harder it gets to restore a working system, you can introduce all kinds of strange behavior. i suggest you purchase a identical server for your hot spare.

[Denis_correard]

well I'm so impressed it worked.....

the steps you give my on your Posted: Nov 17, 2005 7:32 AM Nov 17, 2005 7:32 AM worked like a treat.

Thank you for your help.
PS the hardware is differens enoght to ask for a new windows re-registration. dame.

thank again