Recovering tape server from system crash.

[waitegj]

Hi,

Im relativly new to symantec backup exec and I was wondering if someone could help me. I have a windows 2003 server that doubled as a domain controler and a backup server. It crashed and now I am trying to figure out how to extract my backup information from tape. 11d was used to backup the software but I will be installing 12.5. How would i go about doing this or could someone point me to a link that can shed some light on my situation?

Thanks

Greg

[macinslaw]

Okay,

If I understand correctly, your backup exec server crashed which was also your domain controller.  If this is correct, then there are a couple of issues, and please if someone knows more, please interject:

1.  If you use an external tape drive, then you could install the BE software to another computer on the network, catalogue the tape and then restore back to the original computer, but you will need to install an OS on the original computer pus any software that was installed before.

2.  If you were running the .DR (Disaster Recovery) then it might be possible to set up another computer, re-catalogue the tape, then push out the recovery files to the original unit.

Advice:  I always set up a seperate server just for backups.  BE is very stable and has been reliable, however any time you make a server pull multiple duties, you are running a risk.  Domain controller and web server, okay, file server and lite apps server, okay, backup exec and anything else?  Not so good.  I hope this post has been helpful to you.

[Colin_Weaver]

Somewhere on the Symantec website are documents that more or less say the same as these, but I found these first

http://www.backupexecfaq.com/articles/using/performing-a-local-authoritative-disaster-recovery.html

http://www.backupexecfaq.com/articles/using/performing-a-local-disaster-recovery.html

Bear in mind that the authoritative restore should only be needed if your DC is NOT the only one in the domain and also needs to become the live version of AD, replacing whatever future version other DCs may have copies of. If it is the only server DC it will automatically be authoritative, and if it is not the only DC then the other DCs will be holding more up to date versions.

BTW if you have already reinstalled windows and inserted it into the (multiple DC) domain with the same machine name - then you will have problems with the above restores as the existing AD will contain newer GUIDs for the same server than those recovered during the restore

[CraigV]

BE12.5 will read that data on those 11D tapes. All you need to do is inventory, and then catalog them. That pulls the information into your new database you have created.
Once done, you can follow a normal restore process, but if you want to restore your domain controller, you will have to follow something like the link below:

http://seer.entsupport.symantec.com/docs/236661.htm - Non-authoritative restore of a DC

http://seer.entsupport.symantec.com/docs/235160.htm - Authoritative restore of a DC

http://seer.entsupport.symantec.com/docs/236240.htm - Disaster Recovery of a local Windows Server 2000/2003 DC

http://seer.entsupport.symantec.com/docs/236286.htm - Disaster Recovery of a remote Windows Server 2000/2003 DC

As for our environment, I am not bothered where I run BE off ,as it starts the backups jobs on all sites in our company at 6PM (Local site time). I have BE 12.5 running stablely off servers acting as Exchange, DC, File & Print, and Virtual Centre Servers with no hassles. It's each to their own.
If you can have a dedicated server, that's not a bad thing either!

[waitegj]

I do have another DC up and running fine. Its the global catolog server so I feel that the AD end of it is protected. Now I did try to restore my server without the active directory backup and the server just died on me. Software was installed but not reconized as installed. Other software would say that it would need to be reinstalled. Some just dont work at all, spitting out error code. Know what went wrong? Any links explaing how to properly reload an app server?

Thanks for the help everyone.

[CraigV]

I would do the following:

Restore your Program Files folder, and everything in it.
Once done, restore your System State on that server, and restart. That should be it...it should work again.
The software giving issues with needing to be reinstalled...I'd just do a repair. Maybe you've missed some files along the way (unless you did a full C:\ drive backup?).

[waitegj]

Craig,

Yes I did do a complete drive restore (C:\). Should I not include the windows folder?

[CraigV]

I wouldn't from my side, as I would feel that the System State would cover everything you need.