If a previous WSS backup was performed using the SharePoint 3.0 Central Administration tool, recovery can be performed using this tool as well. To recover WSS using a SharePoint 3.0 Central Administration backup, perform the following steps:
1. Log on to the Windows Server 2008 R2 Windows SharePoint Services server system with an account with administrator privileges.
2. Click Start, click All Programs, click Administrative Tools, and select SharePoint 3.0 Central Administration.
3. When the browser opens, if prompted, enter a username and password for an account with administrative privileges on the WSS server.
4. When the SharePoint 3.0 Central Administration website opens, select the Operations tab.
5. In the window, scroll down; on the right side, in the Backup and Restore section, click on the Restore from backup option.
6. Near the top of the window, enter the UNC network path of the backup, and click OK. For example, enter \\server30\wssbackup\ and click OK.
7. On the next page, select the desired backup by selecting the appropriate option button, and click the Continue Restore Process link.
8. On the next page, select the appropriate databases or components of the WSS farm that will be restored by checking the appropriate check boxes, and then click the Continue Restore Process link. For this example, the entire farm will be restored by clicking the check box next to Farm.
9. On the next page, in the Type of Restore section, select the Same Configuration option button because you are trying to restore an existing system back to a functional state. When this option button is selected, a window opens stating that the selected objects will be overwritten with the data from the restore; click OK to continue.
10. Scroll to the bottom of the page, and click OK to submit the restore job to the SharePoint Services Timer Service.
11. You will be directed to the Backup and Restore Status page. Click the Refresh link to view and get updates on the status of the job.
12. After the job completes, open the restored SharePoint sites and check functionality. IIS might need to be restarted, and if the system can tolerate a system reboot, it might be helpful in case other dependent services are not running because of SharePoint issues.
13. If WSS is restored back to normal operation, run a full backup and log off.
Source of Information : Sams - Windows Server 2008 R2 Unleashed
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Active Directory Authoritative Restore
When Active Directory has been modified and needs to be restored to a previous state, and this rollback needs to be replicated to all domain controllers in the domain and possibly the forest, an authoritative restore of Active Directory is required. An authoritative restore of Active Directory can include the entire Active Directory database, a single object, or a container, such as an organizational unit including all objects previously stored within the container. To perform an authoritative restore of Active Directory, perform the System State restore of a domain controller, but when you are finished, reboot as directed and when the reboot completes follow these additional steps:
1. Open a command prompt on the domain controller that is running in DSRM and has just completed a System State recovery and a reboot.
2. In the Command Prompt window, type NTDSUTIL and press Enter.
3. Type Activate Instance NTDS and press Enter.
4. Type Authoritative Restore and press Enter.
5. To restore a single object, type Restore Object followed by the distinguished name of the previously deleted object. For example, to restore an object named Khalil Droubi in the Users container of the companyabc.com domain, type Restore Object “cn=Khalil Droubi,cn=users,dc=companyabc,dc=com”.
6. To restore a container or organizational unit and all objects beneath it, replace the “restore object” with “restore subtree” followed by the appropriate distinguished name.
7. After the appropriate command is typed in, press Enter. A window opens, asking for confirmation of the authoritative restore; click the Yes button to complete the authoritative restore of the object or subtree.
8. The NTDSUTIL tool displays the name of the text file that may contain any backlinks for objects just restored. Note the name of the file(s) and whether any backlinks were contained in the restored objects.
9. Type quit and press Enter; type quit again to close out of the NTDSUTIL tool.
10. Click the Restart button in the Windows Server Backup dialog box and reboot. Make sure to set the boot option back to normal boot if not changed previously.
11. After the domain controller reboots into normal boot mode, log on to verify that the authoritatively restored objects are replicating to the other domain controllers. If things are working properly, run a full backup of the domain controller and log off.
Source of Information : Sams - Windows Server 2008 R2 Unleashed
1. Open a command prompt on the domain controller that is running in DSRM and has just completed a System State recovery and a reboot.
2. In the Command Prompt window, type NTDSUTIL and press Enter.
3. Type Activate Instance NTDS and press Enter.
4. Type Authoritative Restore and press Enter.
5. To restore a single object, type Restore Object followed by the distinguished name of the previously deleted object. For example, to restore an object named Khalil Droubi in the Users container of the companyabc.com domain, type Restore Object “cn=Khalil Droubi,cn=users,dc=companyabc,dc=com”.
6. To restore a container or organizational unit and all objects beneath it, replace the “restore object” with “restore subtree” followed by the appropriate distinguished name.
7. After the appropriate command is typed in, press Enter. A window opens, asking for confirmation of the authoritative restore; click the Yes button to complete the authoritative restore of the object or subtree.
8. The NTDSUTIL tool displays the name of the text file that may contain any backlinks for objects just restored. Note the name of the file(s) and whether any backlinks were contained in the restored objects.
9. Type quit and press Enter; type quit again to close out of the NTDSUTIL tool.
10. Click the Restart button in the Windows Server Backup dialog box and reboot. Make sure to set the boot option back to normal boot if not changed previously.
11. After the domain controller reboots into normal boot mode, log on to verify that the authoritatively restored objects are replicating to the other domain controllers. If things are working properly, run a full backup of the domain controller and log off.
Source of Information : Sams - Windows Server 2008 R2 Unleashed
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
System State Recovery for Domain Controllers
Performing a System State recovery for a domain controller is similar to the recovery of a member server, but a few more options are presented during the selection process and the domain controller needs to be booted into Directory Services Restore mode. Recovering the System State of a domain controller should only be performed if objects were deleted from Active Directory and need to be restored and the Active Directory Recycle Bin is not enabled, or if the Active Directory database on the particular domain controller is corrupt and the Active Directory Domain Services service will not start properly, or if data in the SYSVOL is missing or corrupted and needs recovery.
Before a domain controller can be booted into DSRM, the DSRM password will be required. This password is configured when a system is promoted to a domain controller and is stored locally on each domain controller. The DSRM username is administrator with no domain designation and the password can manually be changed on a working domain controller by using the NTDSUTIL utility. To restore the System State of a domain controller, perform the following steps:
1. Log on to the Windows Server 2008 R2 domain controller system with an account with administrator privileges.
2. Click Start, click All Programs, click Administrative Tools, and select System Configuration.
3. Select the Boot tab. In the Boot Options section, check the Safe Boot check box, select the Active Directory Repair option button, and then click OK.
4. The System Configuration utility will ask for a reboot, and if there are no additional tasks to perform, click the Restart button to boot the system into DSRM.
5. When the system completes a reboot, log on as administrator with the DSRM password. Make sure to specify the local server as the logon domain—for example, server10\administrator instead of companyabc\administrator.
6. Click Start, click All Programs, click Administrative Tools, and select Windows Server Backup.
7. In the Actions pane, select Recover to start the Recovery Wizard.
8. On the Getting Started page, select This Server (Servername), where Servername is the name of the server to which Windows Server Backup is connected, and click Next to continue.
9. On the Select Backup Date page, select the correct date and time of the backup you will use to restore the data, and click Next to continue. Days with a successful backup are formatted in boldface.
10. On the Select Recovery Type page, select the System State option button, and click Next to continue.
11. On the Select Location for System State Recovery page, select the Original Location option button. Do not check the Perform an Authoritative Restore of Active Directory Files check box unless the sysvol folder and content will be marked as the definitive/authoritative copy and replicated to all other domain controllers. For our example, we will recover the System State but not mark the SYSVOL as an authoritative restore. Click Next to continue.
12. A dialog box opens that states that this recovery option will cause the server to resynchronize after recovery; click OK to continue.
13. On the Confirmation page, verify that the System State is listed and that the check box to automatically reboot the server is not checked. Click Recover to start the System State recovery of the domain controller.
14. A dialog box opens, detailing that once the recovery is started, it cannot be paused, and a restart will be required to complete the recovery. Click Yes to start the recovery. System State recovery can take a long time to complete; please be patient.
15. Once the System State restore completes, even if the check box to automatically reboot is not checked, Windows Server Backup will present a dialog box with a Restart button and no other option. Restart the server now.
16. Once the server reboots, it will reboot into DSRM again. Log on with the DSRM local username and password.
17. Once logged in, a wbadmin command prompt opens, stating that the restore completed successfully. Close the command prompt.
18. Click Start, click All Programs, click Administrative Tools, and select System Configuration.
19. Select the Boot tab. In the Boot Options section, uncheck the Safe Boot check box and click OK.
20. If an authoritative restore of Active Directory objects is not required, click the Restart button in the dialog box and allow the server to reboot normally.
21. If an authoritative restore is required, click the Exit Without Restart button in the dialog box.
Source of Information : Sams - Windows Server 2008 R2 Unleashed
Before a domain controller can be booted into DSRM, the DSRM password will be required. This password is configured when a system is promoted to a domain controller and is stored locally on each domain controller. The DSRM username is administrator with no domain designation and the password can manually be changed on a working domain controller by using the NTDSUTIL utility. To restore the System State of a domain controller, perform the following steps:
1. Log on to the Windows Server 2008 R2 domain controller system with an account with administrator privileges.
2. Click Start, click All Programs, click Administrative Tools, and select System Configuration.
3. Select the Boot tab. In the Boot Options section, check the Safe Boot check box, select the Active Directory Repair option button, and then click OK.
4. The System Configuration utility will ask for a reboot, and if there are no additional tasks to perform, click the Restart button to boot the system into DSRM.
5. When the system completes a reboot, log on as administrator with the DSRM password. Make sure to specify the local server as the logon domain—for example, server10\administrator instead of companyabc\administrator.
6. Click Start, click All Programs, click Administrative Tools, and select Windows Server Backup.
7. In the Actions pane, select Recover to start the Recovery Wizard.
8. On the Getting Started page, select This Server (Servername), where Servername is the name of the server to which Windows Server Backup is connected, and click Next to continue.
9. On the Select Backup Date page, select the correct date and time of the backup you will use to restore the data, and click Next to continue. Days with a successful backup are formatted in boldface.
10. On the Select Recovery Type page, select the System State option button, and click Next to continue.
11. On the Select Location for System State Recovery page, select the Original Location option button. Do not check the Perform an Authoritative Restore of Active Directory Files check box unless the sysvol folder and content will be marked as the definitive/authoritative copy and replicated to all other domain controllers. For our example, we will recover the System State but not mark the SYSVOL as an authoritative restore. Click Next to continue.
12. A dialog box opens that states that this recovery option will cause the server to resynchronize after recovery; click OK to continue.
13. On the Confirmation page, verify that the System State is listed and that the check box to automatically reboot the server is not checked. Click Recover to start the System State recovery of the domain controller.
14. A dialog box opens, detailing that once the recovery is started, it cannot be paused, and a restart will be required to complete the recovery. Click Yes to start the recovery. System State recovery can take a long time to complete; please be patient.
15. Once the System State restore completes, even if the check box to automatically reboot is not checked, Windows Server Backup will present a dialog box with a Restart button and no other option. Restart the server now.
16. Once the server reboots, it will reboot into DSRM again. Log on with the DSRM local username and password.
17. Once logged in, a wbadmin command prompt opens, stating that the restore completed successfully. Close the command prompt.
18. Click Start, click All Programs, click Administrative Tools, and select System Configuration.
19. Select the Boot tab. In the Boot Options section, uncheck the Safe Boot check box and click OK.
20. If an authoritative restore of Active Directory objects is not required, click the Restart button in the dialog box and allow the server to reboot normally.
21. If an authoritative restore is required, click the Exit Without Restart button in the dialog box.
Source of Information : Sams - Windows Server 2008 R2 Unleashed
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Active Directory Recycle Bin Recovery
If you need to recover a deleted Active Directory object and the Active Directory Recycle Bin was not enabled before the object was deleted, skip this section. Now if the Active Directory Recycle Bin feature was enabled before an Active Directory object was deleted, follow the proceeding steps to recover objects using the Active Directory Recycle Bin. Before completing the following steps, you should know a few important things:
» Restoring a deleted object using the Recycle Bin requires that the object’s distinguished name or object GUID is known.
» When restoring an object, the object will be restored into the original location, unless the –TargetPath option is used. If the original location does not exist, the restore will fail.
» Restoring a container or organizational unit using the Restore-ADObject cmdlet does not restore any objects that were contained within the container or OU when it was deleted. For this functionality, either all objects need to be restored after the container or OU is restored or a domain controller can be booted into DSRM and an authoritative restore can be performed using the Restore Subtree option.
Now, if you know that an object was mistakenly deleted and it should be recovered, the following steps can be followed. For this example, we will restore a user account named Khalil Droubi. To discover the properties of this deleted object, we will use the Get- ADObject cmdlet and will filter based on the name of Khalil. Also, when running the Get-AdObject cmdlet, using the –properties switch will expand the attributes listed for the query or search results. To restore a single deleted user object, perform the following steps:
1. Log on to the Windows Server 2008 R2 domain controller system with an account with domain administrator privileges.
2. Click Start, click All Programs, click Accessories, click the Windows PowerShell folder, right-click on Windows PowerShell, and select Run As Administrator.
3. Type cd \ and press Enter.
4. Type Import-Module ActiveDirectory and press Enter.
5. Type Get-Command *AD* -CommandType cmdlet and press Enter. This returns all of the Active Directory-related cmdlets and also returns a few more cmdlets not related to Active Directory.
6. Type Get-ADObject –Searchbase “CN=Deleted Objects,DC=Companyabc,DC=com”
–Filter * -IncludeDeletedObjects and press Enter. This returns all of the deleted
Active Directory objects on the local domain controller in the companyabc.com
domain to the PowerShell window with a default list of attributes.
7. Because we are trying to restore a deleted user account named Khalil Droubi, we can filter the previous command by typing Get-AdObject –Searchbase”CN=Deleted
Objects,DC=Company,DC=com” –LdapFilter “Name=*Khalil*”
–IncludeDeletedObjects and pressing Enter. This command returns all of the deleted objects that contain Khalil in the name.
8. As stated previously, if the deleted object will be restored to the original location, as is the case with a default Restore-ADObject command, the parent OU or container
must be present. To determine the parent container of the deleted user object, type
Get-AdObject –Searchbase”CN=Deleted Objects,DC=Company,DC=com” –LdapFilter
“Name=*Khalil*” –IncludeDeletedObjects –Properties LastknownParent and then press Enter.
9. When the LastKnownParent property value is returned, if the value returns a proper distinguished name, it exists. If the name includes CN=Deleted Objects in the value, the parent OU or container has also been deleted. If the LastKnownParent has been deleted, it either needs to be restored before the deleted user object or the user object needs to be restored to an alternate location using the –TargetPath option in the Restore-ADObject cmdlet.
10. Assuming that the LastKnownParent value returns an existing container to restore the object, copy the ObjectGUID of the deleted user account to the Clipboard, type Restore-ADObject –Identity and paste the ObjectGUID, and press Enter to restore the object.
Source of Information : Sams - Windows Server 2008 R2 Unleashed
» Restoring a deleted object using the Recycle Bin requires that the object’s distinguished name or object GUID is known.
» When restoring an object, the object will be restored into the original location, unless the –TargetPath option is used. If the original location does not exist, the restore will fail.
» Restoring a container or organizational unit using the Restore-ADObject cmdlet does not restore any objects that were contained within the container or OU when it was deleted. For this functionality, either all objects need to be restored after the container or OU is restored or a domain controller can be booted into DSRM and an authoritative restore can be performed using the Restore Subtree option.
Now, if you know that an object was mistakenly deleted and it should be recovered, the following steps can be followed. For this example, we will restore a user account named Khalil Droubi. To discover the properties of this deleted object, we will use the Get- ADObject cmdlet and will filter based on the name of Khalil. Also, when running the Get-AdObject cmdlet, using the –properties switch will expand the attributes listed for the query or search results. To restore a single deleted user object, perform the following steps:
1. Log on to the Windows Server 2008 R2 domain controller system with an account with domain administrator privileges.
2. Click Start, click All Programs, click Accessories, click the Windows PowerShell folder, right-click on Windows PowerShell, and select Run As Administrator.
3. Type cd \ and press Enter.
4. Type Import-Module ActiveDirectory and press Enter.
5. Type Get-Command *AD* -CommandType cmdlet and press Enter. This returns all of the Active Directory-related cmdlets and also returns a few more cmdlets not related to Active Directory.
6. Type Get-ADObject –Searchbase “CN=Deleted Objects,DC=Companyabc,DC=com”
–Filter * -IncludeDeletedObjects and press Enter. This returns all of the deleted
Active Directory objects on the local domain controller in the companyabc.com
domain to the PowerShell window with a default list of attributes.
7. Because we are trying to restore a deleted user account named Khalil Droubi, we can filter the previous command by typing Get-AdObject –Searchbase”CN=Deleted
Objects,DC=Company,DC=com” –LdapFilter “Name=*Khalil*”
–IncludeDeletedObjects and pressing Enter. This command returns all of the deleted objects that contain Khalil in the name.
8. As stated previously, if the deleted object will be restored to the original location, as is the case with a default Restore-ADObject command, the parent OU or container
must be present. To determine the parent container of the deleted user object, type
Get-AdObject –Searchbase”CN=Deleted Objects,DC=Company,DC=com” –LdapFilter
“Name=*Khalil*” –IncludeDeletedObjects –Properties LastknownParent and then press Enter.
9. When the LastKnownParent property value is returned, if the value returns a proper distinguished name, it exists. If the name includes CN=Deleted Objects in the value, the parent OU or container has also been deleted. If the LastKnownParent has been deleted, it either needs to be restored before the deleted user object or the user object needs to be restored to an alternate location using the –TargetPath option in the Restore-ADObject cmdlet.
10. Assuming that the LastKnownParent value returns an existing container to restore the object, copy the ObjectGUID of the deleted user account to the Clipboard, type Restore-ADObject –Identity and paste the ObjectGUID, and press Enter to restore the object.
Source of Information : Sams - Windows Server 2008 R2 Unleashed
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Checking Out Other IaaS Companies
We spend a good deal of time in this chapter describing Amazon’s EC2 because it’s the best known of the IaaS operations. However, it’s by no means the only one. Companies that have entered the IaaS market include Rackspace Cloud, GoGrid, MediaTemple, GridLayer, Flexiscale, and Joyent. All of these, like Amazon, offer a pay-per-use arrangement, with the prices, capabilities, and terms of usage varying.
The services they provide are similar to EC2 as well in that they provide access to a resource pool and enable the configuration of virtual servers and the installation of platform software and Web server software in a simple way. Their approaches vary.
These companies (and others not mentioned) will inevitably be joined by major IT companies such as IBM, Hewlett-Packard, Cisco, EMC, Microsoft, Oracle, CSC, and Accenture, all of whom are strategizing and some of whom are building data centers and preparing to enter the market.
Rackspace
Rackspace Cloud, a spinoff from Rackspace, for example, entered the market in 2005 before Amazon did and offers a service that is much closer to an ISP service than Amazon’s.
It focuses primarily on attracting customers that want to host Web sites and its charges are more oriented to Web site usage. It charges for
✓ Storage space
✓ Bandwidth usage
✓ Compute cycles (which constitute its own measure of CPU and memory usage)
However, it also offers “instant servers” that can be bought on an hourly basis with prices based on memory used and instant storage.
This service is for companies that might want to gradually move their whole operation into the cloud (assuming that all their software can run on commodity servers — no-frills servers designed for basic workloads or servers grouped in clusters to provide lots of computing power through virtualization).
GoGrid
GoGrid has similar pricing to Rackspace, charging for
✓ Storage space (more than 10GB)
✓ Outbound data transfer
✓ Server RAM hours (with different prices for different combinations of memory and CPU)
GoGrid emphasizes ease of use and offers a greater level of technical control (including load balancing) than either the Amazon EC2 or Rackspace cloud.
Others
Many other companies are entering the IaaS market. Here are a few:
✓ MediaTemple is a highly successful ISP that’s turning its hand to IaaS, but continuing with ISP-type pricing.
✓ Gridlayer is a grid computing company that has more than 12,000 servers deployed. It offers virtual private servers, storage, and virtual private data centers. The virtual private data center is what it sounds like — a collection of server resources that can be configured according to need.
✓ Flexiscale is like most of the IaaS companies already described, although it distinguishes itself by providing an API to its environmental software (which most companies don’t). It also provides a virtual LAN (VLAN) to each customer. It claims to be significantly less expensive than Amazon EC2, although it’s clear from the pricing that other IaaS companies may come in less expensive than Amazon EC2, depending on your needs.
✓ Joyent Accelerator is an ISP that has moved into the IaaS market and its pricing (based on a monthly fee for specific levels of hardware) reflects that. Its Zeus Accelerator is a virtual appliance that manages Web applications to guarantee performance. Joyent also has specific expertise in most Web platforms, including Ruby on Rails.
Source of Information : cloud computing for dummies 2010 retail ebook distribution
The services they provide are similar to EC2 as well in that they provide access to a resource pool and enable the configuration of virtual servers and the installation of platform software and Web server software in a simple way. Their approaches vary.
These companies (and others not mentioned) will inevitably be joined by major IT companies such as IBM, Hewlett-Packard, Cisco, EMC, Microsoft, Oracle, CSC, and Accenture, all of whom are strategizing and some of whom are building data centers and preparing to enter the market.
Rackspace
Rackspace Cloud, a spinoff from Rackspace, for example, entered the market in 2005 before Amazon did and offers a service that is much closer to an ISP service than Amazon’s.
It focuses primarily on attracting customers that want to host Web sites and its charges are more oriented to Web site usage. It charges for
✓ Storage space
✓ Bandwidth usage
✓ Compute cycles (which constitute its own measure of CPU and memory usage)
However, it also offers “instant servers” that can be bought on an hourly basis with prices based on memory used and instant storage.
This service is for companies that might want to gradually move their whole operation into the cloud (assuming that all their software can run on commodity servers — no-frills servers designed for basic workloads or servers grouped in clusters to provide lots of computing power through virtualization).
GoGrid
GoGrid has similar pricing to Rackspace, charging for
✓ Storage space (more than 10GB)
✓ Outbound data transfer
✓ Server RAM hours (with different prices for different combinations of memory and CPU)
GoGrid emphasizes ease of use and offers a greater level of technical control (including load balancing) than either the Amazon EC2 or Rackspace cloud.
Others
Many other companies are entering the IaaS market. Here are a few:
✓ MediaTemple is a highly successful ISP that’s turning its hand to IaaS, but continuing with ISP-type pricing.
✓ Gridlayer is a grid computing company that has more than 12,000 servers deployed. It offers virtual private servers, storage, and virtual private data centers. The virtual private data center is what it sounds like — a collection of server resources that can be configured according to need.
✓ Flexiscale is like most of the IaaS companies already described, although it distinguishes itself by providing an API to its environmental software (which most companies don’t). It also provides a virtual LAN (VLAN) to each customer. It claims to be significantly less expensive than Amazon EC2, although it’s clear from the pricing that other IaaS companies may come in less expensive than Amazon EC2, depending on your needs.
✓ Joyent Accelerator is an ISP that has moved into the IaaS market and its pricing (based on a monthly fee for specific levels of hardware) reflects that. Its Zeus Accelerator is a virtual appliance that manages Web applications to guarantee performance. Joyent also has specific expertise in most Web platforms, including Ruby on Rails.
Source of Information : cloud computing for dummies 2010 retail ebook distribution
Windows Server 2008 R2 System State Recovery
When operating systems become corrupt or unstable or a role service needs to be rolled back to a previously backed-up state, the quickest and easiest way to perform this task is to restore the System State. The System State can be backed up independently but is also contained within a full server backup. To restore the System State on a Member Server from a previous backup, perform the following steps:
1. Log on to the Windows Server 2008 R2 system with an account with administrator privileges.
2. Click Start, click All Programs, click Administrative Tools, and select Windows Server Backup.
3. In the Actions pane, select Recover to start the Recovery Wizard.
4. On the Getting Started page, select either to restore data previously backed up from the local computer or a different computer. For this example, select This Server (Servername), where Servername is the name of the server Windows Server Backup is connected to, and click Next to continue.
5. On the Select Backup Date page, select the correct date and time of the backup you will use to restore the data, and click Next to continue. Days with a successful backup are formatted in boldface.
6. On the Select Recovery Type page, select the System State option button, and click Next to continue.
7. On the Select Location for System State Recovery page, click the Original Location option button and click Next to continue. If this system was a domain controller, more options would be available.
8. On the Confirmation page, review the section and ensure that the check box to automatically reboot the server to complete the recovery process is checked, and then click Recover to start the process.
9. After the system reboots, log on to the server to verify functionality. If the system is working properly, perform a full system backup.
Source of Information : Sams - Windows Server 2008 R2 Unleashed
1. Log on to the Windows Server 2008 R2 system with an account with administrator privileges.
2. Click Start, click All Programs, click Administrative Tools, and select Windows Server Backup.
3. In the Actions pane, select Recover to start the Recovery Wizard.
4. On the Getting Started page, select either to restore data previously backed up from the local computer or a different computer. For this example, select This Server (Servername), where Servername is the name of the server Windows Server Backup is connected to, and click Next to continue.
5. On the Select Backup Date page, select the correct date and time of the backup you will use to restore the data, and click Next to continue. Days with a successful backup are formatted in boldface.
6. On the Select Recovery Type page, select the System State option button, and click Next to continue.
7. On the Select Location for System State Recovery page, click the Original Location option button and click Next to continue. If this system was a domain controller, more options would be available.
8. On the Confirmation page, review the section and ensure that the check box to automatically reboot the server to complete the recovery process is checked, and then click Recover to start the process.
9. After the system reboots, log on to the server to verify functionality. If the system is working properly, perform a full system backup.
Source of Information : Sams - Windows Server 2008 R2 Unleashed
Saturday, January 14, 2012
System Volume Recovery Using Network Shared Folder Backups
If the backup data is stored on a network shared folder, alternate recovery steps are required to restore the system volume. If recovering a system volume from a network shared folder, perform the following steps:
1. Boot up your system using the Windows Server 2008 R2 installation media. If necessary, configure the BIOS to allow booting from the CD/DVD drive and, if prompted, press a key to boot from the DVD.
2. When the Install Windows interface opens, select the correct language, time, and keyboard settings, and click Next to continue.
3. On the next page, click the Repair Your Computer link located in the lower-left corner of the window.
4. On the System Recovery Options page, the operating system drive that will be recovered should be listed. If not, click the Load Drivers button, and install the necessary hard drive controller files. If the system is listed, select the Restore Your Computer Using a System Image That You Created Earlier option button located at the bottom of the window, and click Next to continue.
5. If there is no local backup disk or volume, an error window will appear; click Cancel. On the Select a System Image Backup page, click the Select a System Image option button and click Next.
6. On the Select the Location page, click the Advanced button.
7. In the pop-up window, click on the Search for a System Image on the Network button and confirm that you want to connect to the network and understand the security implications.
8. Enter the UNC path to the network shared folder and click OK. When prompted, enter the appropriate network credentials to access the backup folder.
9. Once connected, the window will list the backup stored on the specified network folder. Select this backup and click Next to continue.
10. The following page lists which volumes are contained within the known backups. Select the desired backup again and click Next to continue.
11. On the Choose Additional Restore Options page, check the Only Restore System Drives check box, and click Next to continue. This leaves any other disks intact, but any volumes that are hosted on the same disks that contain system volumes will be formatted, re-created, and restored as well.
12. The next page details the date and time of the backup that will be restored, the server that will be restored, and the volumes that are contained in this restore set. Review the information and click Finish to continue with the recovery of the system volumes.
13. A dialog box appears stating that all drives selected will be restored with the data in the system image; click Yes to approve this and continue.
14. The recovery time frame will vary depending on the size of the system volume, the performance of the volume, and the restore disk or network share. After the recovery completes, the system will automatically reboot.
15. After the system reboots, log on and verify functionality. If everything is back up and running, run a full backup and log off.
Source of Information : Sams - Windows Server 2008 R2 Unleashed
1. Boot up your system using the Windows Server 2008 R2 installation media. If necessary, configure the BIOS to allow booting from the CD/DVD drive and, if prompted, press a key to boot from the DVD.
2. When the Install Windows interface opens, select the correct language, time, and keyboard settings, and click Next to continue.
3. On the next page, click the Repair Your Computer link located in the lower-left corner of the window.
4. On the System Recovery Options page, the operating system drive that will be recovered should be listed. If not, click the Load Drivers button, and install the necessary hard drive controller files. If the system is listed, select the Restore Your Computer Using a System Image That You Created Earlier option button located at the bottom of the window, and click Next to continue.
5. If there is no local backup disk or volume, an error window will appear; click Cancel. On the Select a System Image Backup page, click the Select a System Image option button and click Next.
6. On the Select the Location page, click the Advanced button.
7. In the pop-up window, click on the Search for a System Image on the Network button and confirm that you want to connect to the network and understand the security implications.
8. Enter the UNC path to the network shared folder and click OK. When prompted, enter the appropriate network credentials to access the backup folder.
9. Once connected, the window will list the backup stored on the specified network folder. Select this backup and click Next to continue.
10. The following page lists which volumes are contained within the known backups. Select the desired backup again and click Next to continue.
11. On the Choose Additional Restore Options page, check the Only Restore System Drives check box, and click Next to continue. This leaves any other disks intact, but any volumes that are hosted on the same disks that contain system volumes will be formatted, re-created, and restored as well.
12. The next page details the date and time of the backup that will be restored, the server that will be restored, and the volumes that are contained in this restore set. Review the information and click Finish to continue with the recovery of the system volumes.
13. A dialog box appears stating that all drives selected will be restored with the data in the system image; click Yes to approve this and continue.
14. The recovery time frame will vary depending on the size of the system volume, the performance of the volume, and the restore disk or network share. After the recovery completes, the system will automatically reboot.
15. After the system reboots, log on and verify functionality. If everything is back up and running, run a full backup and log off.
Source of Information : Sams - Windows Server 2008 R2 Unleashed
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Windows Server 2008 R2 System Volume Recovery
Restoring a system volume cannot be performed using Windows Server Backup. System volumes can only be restored using the Windows recovery environment from the Windows installation media. System volumes should only be restored separately when the system volume is corrupted or failed but the system hardware has not changed and data disks remain intact. Any Windows disk that contains system volumes will be erased and restored as part of this process. If a single disk contains two volumes including the system volume and a separate data volume, the data volume will also be erased and restored by this process. To restore the system volume, perform the following steps:
1. Boot up your system using the Windows Server 2008 R2 installation media. If necessary, configure the BIOS to allow booting from the CD/DVD drive and, if prompted, press a key to boot from the DVD.
2. When the Install Windows interface opens, select the correct language, time, and keyboard settings, and click Next to continue.
3. On the next page, click the Repair Your Computer link located in the lower-left corner of the window.
4. On the System Recovery Options page, the operating system drive that will be recovered should be listed. If not, click the Load Drivers button, and install the necessary hard drive controller files. If the system is listed, select the Restore Your Computer
Using a System Image That You Created Earlier option button located at the bottom of the window, and click Next to continue.
5. On the Select a System Image Backup page, if a local disk was used for the backup, the most recent backup will be listed and the Use the Latest Available System Image check box will be automatically selected by default. Select the Select a System Image option button and click Next to continue.
6. The next page presents the list of backups stored on the local dedicated backup disk. Select the desired backup and click Next to continue.
7. The following page lists which volumes are contained within the known backups. Select the desired backup again and click Next to continue.
8. On the Choose Additional Restore Options page, check the Only Restore System Drives check box, and click Next to continue. This leaves any other disks intact, but any volumes that are hosted on the same disks that contain system volumes will be formatted, re-created, and restored as well.
9. The next page details the date and time of the backup that will be restored, the server that will be restored, and the volumes that are contained in this restore set. Review the information and click Finish to continue with the recovery of the system volumes.
10. A dialog box appears, stating that all drives selected will be restored with the data in the system image; click Yes to approve this and continue.
11. The recovery time frame will vary depending on the size of the system volume, the performance of the volume, and the restore disk or network share. After the recovery completes, the system will automatically reboot.
12. After the system reboots, log on and verify functionality. If everything is back up and running, run a full backup and log off.
Source of Information : Sams - Windows Server 2008 R2 Unleashed
1. Boot up your system using the Windows Server 2008 R2 installation media. If necessary, configure the BIOS to allow booting from the CD/DVD drive and, if prompted, press a key to boot from the DVD.
2. When the Install Windows interface opens, select the correct language, time, and keyboard settings, and click Next to continue.
3. On the next page, click the Repair Your Computer link located in the lower-left corner of the window.
4. On the System Recovery Options page, the operating system drive that will be recovered should be listed. If not, click the Load Drivers button, and install the necessary hard drive controller files. If the system is listed, select the Restore Your Computer
Using a System Image That You Created Earlier option button located at the bottom of the window, and click Next to continue.
5. On the Select a System Image Backup page, if a local disk was used for the backup, the most recent backup will be listed and the Use the Latest Available System Image check box will be automatically selected by default. Select the Select a System Image option button and click Next to continue.
6. The next page presents the list of backups stored on the local dedicated backup disk. Select the desired backup and click Next to continue.
7. The following page lists which volumes are contained within the known backups. Select the desired backup again and click Next to continue.
8. On the Choose Additional Restore Options page, check the Only Restore System Drives check box, and click Next to continue. This leaves any other disks intact, but any volumes that are hosted on the same disks that contain system volumes will be formatted, re-created, and restored as well.
9. The next page details the date and time of the backup that will be restored, the server that will be restored, and the volumes that are contained in this restore set. Review the information and click Finish to continue with the recovery of the system volumes.
10. A dialog box appears, stating that all drives selected will be restored with the data in the system image; click Yes to approve this and continue.
11. The recovery time frame will vary depending on the size of the system volume, the performance of the volume, and the restore disk or network share. After the recovery completes, the system will automatically reboot.
12. After the system reboots, log on and verify functionality. If everything is back up and running, run a full backup and log off.
Source of Information : Sams - Windows Server 2008 R2 Unleashed
Friday, January 6, 2012
Windows Server 2008 R2 Data Volume Recovery
When a data volume on a Windows Server 2008 R2 system has failed and needs to be restored using Windows Server Backup, perform the following steps:
1. Log on to the Windows Server 2008 R2 system with an account with administrator privileges.
2. Click Start, click All Programs, click Administrative Tools, and select Windows Server Backup.
3. In the Actions pane, select Recover to start the Recovery Wizard.
4. On the Getting Started page, select either to restore data previously backed up from the local computer or a different computer. For this example, select This Server (Servername), where Servername is the name of the server Windows Server Backup is connected to, and click Next to continue.
5. On the Select Backup Date page, select the correct date and time of the backup you will use to restore the data, and click Next to continue. Days with a successful backup are formatted in boldface.
6. On the Select Recovery Type page, select the Volumes option button, and click Next to continue.
7. On the Select Volumes page, the window displays each of the volumes contained in the backup that was previously chosen. Check the box next to the desired volume that will be restored, and select the destination volume to which you will restore the backed up volume.
8. After clicking Next on the Select Volumes page, a window opens, requesting confirmation that the data on the volume(s) will be lost by the recovery process; click Yes to continue with the volume recovery process.
9. On the Confirmation page, review the selections. If everything looks correct, click the Recover button to start the volume recovery.
10. On the Recovery Progress page, the recovery status of the volume will be displayed. After the recovery completes, review the results and click Close if the recovery was successful; otherwise, select the Errors tab to review the errors.
11. If the volume recovery was successful, the only additional step that might be required is to reboot the system if the data on the volume is shared or used by any applications or services. Reboot as required.
Source of Information : Sams - Windows Server 2008 R2 Unleashed
1. Log on to the Windows Server 2008 R2 system with an account with administrator privileges.
2. Click Start, click All Programs, click Administrative Tools, and select Windows Server Backup.
3. In the Actions pane, select Recover to start the Recovery Wizard.
4. On the Getting Started page, select either to restore data previously backed up from the local computer or a different computer. For this example, select This Server (Servername), where Servername is the name of the server Windows Server Backup is connected to, and click Next to continue.
5. On the Select Backup Date page, select the correct date and time of the backup you will use to restore the data, and click Next to continue. Days with a successful backup are formatted in boldface.
6. On the Select Recovery Type page, select the Volumes option button, and click Next to continue.
7. On the Select Volumes page, the window displays each of the volumes contained in the backup that was previously chosen. Check the box next to the desired volume that will be restored, and select the destination volume to which you will restore the backed up volume.
8. After clicking Next on the Select Volumes page, a window opens, requesting confirmation that the data on the volume(s) will be lost by the recovery process; click Yes to continue with the volume recovery process.
9. On the Confirmation page, review the selections. If everything looks correct, click the Recover button to start the volume recovery.
10. On the Recovery Progress page, the recovery status of the volume will be displayed. After the recovery completes, review the results and click Close if the recovery was successful; otherwise, select the Errors tab to review the errors.
11. If the volume recovery was successful, the only additional step that might be required is to reboot the system if the data on the volume is shared or used by any applications or services. Reboot as required.
Source of Information : Sams - Windows Server 2008 R2 Unleashed
Monday, January 2, 2012
Managing and Accessing Windows Server Backup Media
Microsoft has completely changed the way backups and backup media are managed with the release of Windows Server 2008. In previous editions of Windows Server versions, the NT Backup utility could back up the entire system or just a set of folders and files. The backup could be stored on tapes or they could be stored in a single .bkf file that is saved on a local disk or on a network shared folder. Starting with Windows Server Backup for Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista, backups can be taken of only the entire system or volumes but not of granular folders or files. With Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server Backup supports backing up individual files and folders, and exclusions can be added to backup jobs as well. Windows Server Backup can store backups on dedicated locally attached disks on a DVD disk or a set of disks, or the backup can be stored on a network shared folder.
Windows Server Backup can be configured to run a scheduled backup or a manual backup. Either can be run from the graphical user interface or the command-line utility, but the backup options, including where the backup can be stored and the recovery options available, are different.
Windows Server Backup Managed Disks
Windows Server Backup can be used to run a manual backup or it can be used to run a scheduled backup. Scheduled backups can be stored on locally attached disks that are dedicated to Windows Server Backup, a folder on a local volume, or a network shared folder. When a scheduled Windows Server Backup job is created, the administrator can define which locally attached disks, folder, or network share will be used to store the backups. During the creation of the scheduled job, if dedicated disks are selected, which is recommended, the allocated disks will each be repartitioned and reformatted. Windows Server Backup will stamp the disk volume to match the time and date the scheduled job is created. By default, this disk will only be available on the local system through the Windows Server Backup program.
A Windows Server Backup disk can have a drive letter added after the initial backup is created if the disk needs to be accessed from within the operating system, from across the network, or if the backup data needs to be copied to additional disks or network folders for offsite storage. Although adding a drive letter to a dedicated Windows Server Backup disk is not recommended, it might be the only way or the most efficient way to make the backup media available to an alternate system if the disk cannot be locally attached to the alternate system. Getting access to this backup data, however, might prove to be challenging from Windows Explorer and might need to be accessed through Windows Server Backup. Backups contained on a Windows Server Backup dedicated disk can be used to restore an entire system, an entire volume, or a set of specified files and folders.
DVD Media
When Windows Server 2008 R2 systems have a local DVD writer drive, which is highly recommended, backups of Windows volumes and the complete system can be stored on DVD media. Backups stored on DVD media will span several DVDs and can be used when data needs to be restored to offsite servers or systems in an isolated network. Backups stored on DVD media can only be used to restore the entire Windows system or entire volumes. Selective restore of files and folders cannot be performed using DVD backup media.
Network Shared Folders
When Windows Server Backup is configured to back up to a network shared folder, backup administrators need to consider a few things. First, the share and NTFS permissions should be configured so that only backup administrators and specific service accounts can access and read this data. Also, if this share contains data that will be replicated by a third-party provider, special permissions might need to be added to support this. Another very important point to note about network shared folders for Windows Server Backup is that only the most recent copy of the backup will be stored there because each backup overwrites the previous. This is unlike backup to dedicated disks, which can store multiple versions and copies of a Windows Server 2008 R2 system backup.
Source of Information : Sams - Windows Server 2008 R2 Unleashed
Windows Server Backup can be configured to run a scheduled backup or a manual backup. Either can be run from the graphical user interface or the command-line utility, but the backup options, including where the backup can be stored and the recovery options available, are different.
Windows Server Backup Managed Disks
Windows Server Backup can be used to run a manual backup or it can be used to run a scheduled backup. Scheduled backups can be stored on locally attached disks that are dedicated to Windows Server Backup, a folder on a local volume, or a network shared folder. When a scheduled Windows Server Backup job is created, the administrator can define which locally attached disks, folder, or network share will be used to store the backups. During the creation of the scheduled job, if dedicated disks are selected, which is recommended, the allocated disks will each be repartitioned and reformatted. Windows Server Backup will stamp the disk volume to match the time and date the scheduled job is created. By default, this disk will only be available on the local system through the Windows Server Backup program.
A Windows Server Backup disk can have a drive letter added after the initial backup is created if the disk needs to be accessed from within the operating system, from across the network, or if the backup data needs to be copied to additional disks or network folders for offsite storage. Although adding a drive letter to a dedicated Windows Server Backup disk is not recommended, it might be the only way or the most efficient way to make the backup media available to an alternate system if the disk cannot be locally attached to the alternate system. Getting access to this backup data, however, might prove to be challenging from Windows Explorer and might need to be accessed through Windows Server Backup. Backups contained on a Windows Server Backup dedicated disk can be used to restore an entire system, an entire volume, or a set of specified files and folders.
DVD Media
When Windows Server 2008 R2 systems have a local DVD writer drive, which is highly recommended, backups of Windows volumes and the complete system can be stored on DVD media. Backups stored on DVD media will span several DVDs and can be used when data needs to be restored to offsite servers or systems in an isolated network. Backups stored on DVD media can only be used to restore the entire Windows system or entire volumes. Selective restore of files and folders cannot be performed using DVD backup media.
Network Shared Folders
When Windows Server Backup is configured to back up to a network shared folder, backup administrators need to consider a few things. First, the share and NTFS permissions should be configured so that only backup administrators and specific service accounts can access and read this data. Also, if this share contains data that will be replicated by a third-party provider, special permissions might need to be added to support this. Another very important point to note about network shared folders for Windows Server Backup is that only the most recent copy of the backup will be stored there because each backup overwrites the previous. This is unlike backup to dedicated disks, which can store multiple versions and copies of a Windows Server 2008 R2 system backup.
Source of Information : Sams - Windows Server 2008 R2 Unleashed
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