Snapshots

[ltjimster]

Hello,

Even though i'm not turning on the AOFO feature on my backup jobs, it still takes snapshots of backups instead of just doing a full backup when I get the 4 little folders icon and not the Camera icon.

Also when i look on restore in the "System State" the Active Directory doesn't look like its backed up because when i click on the AD it shows nothing there in the right hand column which there is a "C:_windows_NTDS" folder/file in there when i select it.

Thanks in advance

James

[RahulG]

By default system state backup is a snapshot backup, and it will use microsoft vss irrespective weather you select AOFO or not .

When you got to restore AD you need to select system state , as the AD files are backed up under system state.so when you perform restore you need to select the complete system state and it will not allow you to just select the Ntds.dit file.

edit refer http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=TECH11107

[CraigV]

Hi James,

To clarify a bit more...this is only for Windows Server 2003/2008 and above...Windows 2000 Server would need AOFO turned on which would make the necessary snapshots.

Thanks!

[ltjimster]

Hiya guys,

So how do i turn the Microsoft VSS, do i need it??

I choose system state when i'm selecting files for my backup job so it does all of the system state i never choose individually but like i say it's not there when i look at the restore, even if i restored by clicking on system state to do it all it won't restore the AD. So i'm worried that the AD hasnt been backed up so would be no good for a restore, it doesnt indicate its been skipped or failed.

Thats good then Craig because im on Windows Server 2008 R2 :)

James

[AmolB]

What version of Backp Exec you are using? Is it BE12.0 or BE12.5 ?

Note: BE 12.5 SP3 and above supports Win2008R2. 

[ltjimster]

I'm on Backup Exec 12.5 i'm using

[CraigV]

Hi James,

Is your media server running Windows Server 2008 R2 with BE or are you backing up a remote server that has Windows Server 2008 R2 on it?

If the former, BE 2010 R3 is required if running on a Windows Server 2008 R2 platform as a media server. BE 12.5 only supports remote agents.

Secondly, you can manually choose which VSS provider you want to use. Open up the server giving you VSS issues, and then run: vssadmin list providers. See what is shown, and then under AOFO on the job change it to use that specific provider and see if you're getting successful backups.

Thanks!

[RahulG]

Did you attempted any restore ?

What Ad infromation do you need to recover? are you trying to recover the complete AD ?

When you restore System state the active directory gets restore , if you are restore is failling then Ad would not restore , as you need to make sure you perfom the correct procedure as per the document i refered earlier .

[ltjimster]

No im not trying to restore but if i need to i want to make sure it works but it worries me because there is nothing when i go back to have a look in the restore tab for Active Directory.

I've had a read through the document but i dont know if helps me or not, I have 2 domain controllers which both run backup Exec 12.5 and what i do is a make a backup of the system state and shadow component copy of each DC, so for example, server 1 backs up server 2's system state and Shadow component copy and server 2 backs up server 1's system state and shadow component copy.

James

[CraigV · Accepted solution]

...do you have the ADRA license perhaps?

[pkh]

The only sure way to find out whether your backup works is to restore them.  You should test out your DR procedure regularly.  You don't want to find out that your backups are missing something when your servers have crashed.

[ltjimster]

Well the DR Disaster Recovery i assume your meaning, i says its run every other day or so.

Sorry if im being dumb but what is ADRA??

James

[CraigV]

...it's the Active Directory agent.

[ltjimster]

I don't know if i do, how would i find that out please??

[CraigV]

You can use the Help function within BE (Help --> About...) or run the licensing wizard within BE, or even run the process to add a new license. If it is greyed out, you have the license installed.

[ltjimster]

Just had a look in the help section and the licence info tells me about SBS AOFO which im licenced for but not installed but doesnt mention a ADRA.

 But Active Directory recovery agent isnt ticked but it says in brackets (60 day Evaluation), so im assuming its only valid for 60 days??

James

[pkh]

When I said "test out your DR procedure regularly", I mean you should test trying to restore and recover your servers.  It means getting some spare machines and do your restores.  You don't want to find out that you are not able to restore your servers because of some reason when they are actually down.  It is no good having a backup if you can't restore it.

ADRA (Active Directory Remote Agent) is a licenced option and is used if you need to restore individual AD objects.

[ltjimster]

Can i just add C:\windows\NTDS folder to the backup because thats the AD or where its stored according to backup Exec, will that be an efficient backup of the AD?

James

[RahulG]

IF you just addC:\windows\NTDS   in the backup selection it is going to skip the AD files . As mentioned earlier the AD data gets backed up via making its selection in system state. even if you want to backup via windows backup you need to back it up via system state.  in the backup selection in fdsvfdfdit going to it is sa

[ltjimster]

Ah fair point, okey dokey.

So my best bet is to try and restore the AD to a test server because i dont wanna be doing to our actual ones just in things balls up :p

Thanks

James