backup DFS replication folders

[Jason_Eisel]

We currently have a Windows Server 2003 R2 server replicating data to a Windows Server 2008 server using DFS Replication (not FRS), and I need to back-up this data.  From what I can tell I can either:

1. Stop the DFS Replication service and backup the data just the same as other file-level data.

2. Backup the data through the System Volume Information folder, but the DFS Replication service will stop anyway.

What is Symantec's recommended method of backing-up DFS Replication data?

Thanks for the help,

jason

[AmolB]

Hi Jason

The recommended way is backup the DFS data through Shadow Copy components.

[Colin_Weaver]

You back it up through Shadow Copy Components inside the backup selections list. Never heard that this stops services however.

[Thunder005]

I have tried this solution and received the following error. 

"AOFO: Initialization failure on: "Shadow?Copy?Components". Advanced Open File Option used: Microsoft Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS). "

I tried this on two different servers, one running windows 2008 R2 64bit, Symantec 2010 Sp2; the other same OS with Symantec 2010 R2.  both returned the above error.  But have different Remote sites with their Data DFS directly to the backup server (eg: D:\DFS\%sitename%).  Why would the above error ocur while the selections were made just for this DFS, selecting only User Data under Shadow Copy components????   Error Code returned: 80042306

[Colin_Weaver]

Just for Info to backup Shadow Copy Component objects we call VSS - however because AOFO also calls VSS if you get a VSS failure it will often show as an AOFO error even though AOFO is not involved.

So what this means is you need to look at VSS (or perhaps security persmissions against VSS) because of that error.