Question around Windows 2008 Backup ( and EV ) and Archive Bit

[Bruce_Cranksh1]

Hi all

I know this is technically a Microsoft issue but I was wondering if anyone has seen this

The customer is going to be purchasing Netbackup but in the interim they are using Windows 2008 Backup ,its a component that lacks functionality in my opinion

Anyway I have noticed despite the fact the backups are running successfully and the VSS settings are configured for Full Backup its not resetting the Archive Bit , so EV is reporting items as " Awaiting Backup "

The Storage device is an EMC  Symmetrix and according the Storage guys this does support changing of the Archive Bit .I can use a Trigger File but I want to make sure the Backups are actually running

Any idea's why NT Backup wouldn't reset the Archive Bit

[FreKac2 · Accepted solution]

From what I can see on the web the archive bit is not used/reset in Windows Backup anymore.

The following post is about Win7 but it refers to a W2K8 article.

http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/windowsbackup/thread/a29b92e1-a9ed-475e-affc-ba82dd...

[Bruce_Cranksh1]

Fredrik my good man :)

I'm confused ,check this article out from the same website .To me this say it is supported ..but I may be misunderstanding ?

http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/winserverfiles/thread/97aac730-ed3b-44bf-b145-42d14... 

[FreKac2]

Yeah I saw that one to.

I interpret the thread/article that the VSS Copy or VSS Full modes is in regard to e.g. Exchange or SQL where you have application logs.

So basicly doing a truncate of the T-logs on a SQL server afterwards, if doing a VSS Full that is.

[LCT]

Hi,

I have had a few customers after moving/upgrading their EV servers to Windows 2008 they were not able to use Windows NT backup because the reset/remove of the archive bit function has been removed. They asked MS but I don't think they got as definitive answer.

They moved to using Trigger File and it was all OK. The backup guys had to ensure that the backup of their EV data are successfully backed up and checked,

Thanks.

[Bruce_Cranksh1]

Thanks Fredrik and CTEV

So that confirms it for me

I ended up using the Trigger File as I am pressed for time on this implementation

Thanks

[FreKac2]

I find it at bit strange though that they removed such a simple feature.

Even backup software that don't really use the archive bit still allows it to be reset :)

BTW, it's not NT Backup anymore since that was a cut down version of BackupExec. The backup in Win7/W2K8 is by MS own design.

[Bruce_Cranksh1]

I agree ,and it actually is an inconvenience when it comes to applications like EV.