VM restore file server with DFS

[Discourage]

Hi all,

we are running BE 15 with FP3. We are currently switching most of our backup jobs to vm based from RAWS.

However, when it comes to file servers running DFS, we run a VM based GRT, and a RAWS based shadow copy only selection backup.

Is this correct?

In terms of a restore of one of these file servers, how would we best go about it?

Restore the entire VM from the VM backup and then restore the shadow copy over after? Do we have to do anything to the DFSR databases on that vm first? Do we have to stop the DFS rep service from starting until this is done etc?

Any advise is welcome.

Thanks in advance

[pkh]

Since you are backing up the entire VM, I think just restoring the VM should be sufficient to get back your DSF directories.  Have you tried doing an entire VM restore and see whether you get back your DSF directories?

If not, then restoring the shadow copy component should do it.

[Discourage]

If we just restored the VM, I am under the impression that this would break DFS replication as it is a multimaster database.

If we restored the VM and then the shadow copies after would that suffice? As restoring the VM would also restore the DFSR database.

We just need confirmation of the correct procedure to get a DFSR fileserver back, if we had one fail, as there doesnt appear to be a clear method of doing this.

Thanks