System Recovery on a Domain Controller

[Jonpy]

Hi

I've just installed SR on a DC and configured the C: drive to be backed up.
The customer has installed the AD log files on the D: drive.
If I want to backup both the C: and D: drives to get a full copy of the system state as recommend by the wizard the backup file size leaps from about 12GB to nearly 700GB.

Am I able to get away with just backing up C: or do I have move the AD log files to the C: as well?

Cheers Jonpy

[Markus_Koestler · Accepted solution]

I think you should run the following as a pre command to you backup of drive C:
start /wait ntbackup backup systemstate /f c:\systemstate.bkf

So you have a backup of drive C AND the systemstate.

[Jonpy]

Hi Markus

An interesting proposal which I think I'd like to lab first. I'll let you know how I get on.

Cheers

Jonpy

[Markus_Koestler]

Have you been able to give it a try ?

[Jonpy]

Sorry Markus, not been able to test yet.

[Jonpy]

Sorry Markus this does not work. Thanks for your help anyway.

[Markus_Koestler]

Have you come up with another solution ?

[Jonpy]

Hi Markus

Thanks for being so helpful, yes I've got another solution and unfortunately it does not include System Recovery.
I've used the process you've described above using a competitor product and everything has worked in the lab first time.

When I encountered problems with SR I raised a call with Symantec support. It may have been the most disappointing call I've raised with Symantec in over 5 years.
It basically ended with the engineer telling me that SR could not be used in this scenario. I’ve pointed him to you post and the Best Practise documentation for SR and I’ve not even had a reply back, I’m not best amused.