Windows Server 2008 R2 Unleashed (244 page)

Backup does not natively support tape devices for backup. If an organization wants to use

tape storage and simplify onsite and offsite media management, Microsoft System Center

Data Protection Manager or a third-party backup suite is recommended.

Assigning Tasks and Designating Team Members

To make sure that Windows Server 2008 R2 systems are getting backed up properly, IT

staff should train and assign at least two IT staff members to monitor and manage

backups. Windows Server 2008 R2 systems, by default, allow users in the local

Administrators or “Backup Operators” security groups to back up and restore data. On

domain controllers, the domain-based security groups have these same rights on the

Active Directory domain controllers in the respective domain(s).

Creating Regular Backup Procedures

Creating a regular backup procedure helps ensure that the entire enterprise is backed up

consistently and properly. When a regular procedure or checklist is created, the assigned

staff members will soon become accustomed to the procedure, and it will become second

nature. If there is no documented procedure, certain items or systems might be overlooked

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or might not be backed up, which can turn out to be a major problem if a failure occurs.

An example of a backup checklist or procedure could be as simple as configuring backups

on Windows systems to run a full backup of a server every night, reviewing the backup

status of each system every morning, and regularly swapping backup managed disks and

shipping the disks to offsite disk and tape storage facilities. Additional steps in the backup

checklists should include performing test restores of data and applications hosted on

Windows Server 2008 R2 systems.

Windows Server Backup Overview

Windows Server 2008 R2 contains a built-in powerful backup program appropriately

named Windows Server Backup. Windows Server Backup is installed as a system feature

and it allows administrators to back up and restore system, file, folder, and application

data for Windows Server 2008 R2 systems.

Windows Server Backup includes a graphical user interface (GUI) MMC snap-in, as well as

a very functional command-line utility. Windows Server Backup includes a few new func-

tions but also has new restrictions. Windows Server Backup replaces the previous version

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of backup included with Windows Server 2003 and earlier Windows operating systems,

known as Ntbackup, but the features and functions are much different.

Backup Storage Support and Media Management

Windows Server Backup allows administrators to back up to locally attached disks, network

shares, and DVD writable media. Tape devices are not supported by Windows Server

Backup, and to back up to DVD media, the system requires a local writable DVD drive.

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Backing Up the Windows Server 2008 R2 Environment

Using Ntbackup.exe in previous versions of Windows Server editions, media management

was one of the biggest challenges administrators faced. Tape media needed to be prela-

beled if any logical media management was required for backups. Also, if disk-based file

backups were used, the file could end up filling up the server disk if the media was config-

ured to append instead of overwrite when new backups were performed. The other option

for backup media was to overwrite the media when a backup was run, but that also rela-

beled the media and any stickers on the tape would no longer match. Media management

was possible, but just very tedious.

Windows Server Backup greatly improves media management by taking full control of the

media, including labeling, efficiently storing data, cataloging the backup media, and

managing the free disk space. Performing backups using remote server shares or local

volumes as backup destinations has the risk of filling up the destination volume. When

local disks are dedicated for Windows Server Backup and the utilized disk space is nearing

capacity, the backup system will overwrite the oldest backup data on the disk to keep the

disk from filling and to keep the backup job from failing.

External Disks

Windows Server Backup supports backup data to be stored on locally attached disks and

writable DVD media located in local writable DVD drives. Locally attached disks include

internal disk drives, hot-swappable disk drives, and drives externally connected via USB

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2.0 or IEEE 1394 interfaces. Also, SAN-attached disks can be used as backup destinations.

Storing backups on SAN storage enables faster rotation or replication of backup disks

volumes to other SAN storage without impacting Windows system performance.

CD/DVD Writer Drives

Windows Server 2008 R2 contains many features that can take advantage of DVD writer

drives. These include the Windows Server Backup feature to capture backups to DVD and

Windows Deployment Services, which can be used to create boot, capture, and discover

images on DVD media. With regard to Windows Server Backup, a manual backup can be

created to contain a volume or entire system backup, and might span multiple DVDs. This

can be a valuable option as data from remote servers can be synchronized across the

network using Distributed File System Replication, but creating a full system backup across

a WAN link usually is not an option. Branch office administrators can be tasked with

creating full system DVD backups monthly, quarterly, or more frequently to provide full

system recovery options, and the media can easily be copied, archived, and shipped to

offsite storage locations or to a central office.

Remote Shared Folder and Folder on Local Volume

Shares on remote servers or folders on local volumes can be designated as backup targets

for manual and scheduled backup jobs. Designating a remote shared folder allows an

administrator to create a backup not stored on media physically mounted in the system,

Windows Server Backup Overview

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and also allows for the backup of multiple servers to be stored on a central server.

Choosing to back up using a folder on a local volume removes the restriction of having to

dedicate an entire volume for backup usage. There are two very important catches to be

aware of when using remote shared folders and folders on local volumes:

. When using a remote shared folder, only one copy of the backup can be stored

within the folder, and each backup will perform a full overwrite backup.

. When a folder on a local volume is selected as a backup destination, the perfor-

mance of that volume will be severely impacted during backup, which could cause

poor system performance if any user data is stored and accessed on the same volume.

Tape Devices

Tape devices are not supported in Windows Server Backup. Administrators who want to

back up data to tape will require Microsoft System Center Data Protection Manager or

third-party backup applications, or they will be forced to create manual backups to disk

and then copy the data to tape drives.

Backup Media Files

In the previous backup application, Ntbackup.exe, backup data stored on disks was stored

in a single file with a .bkf extension. This file contained the data as well as the catalog

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and could easily be moved and mounted in an Ntbackup.exe console on any server on the

network. Windows Server Backup stores system backup data in a folder named

WindowsImageBackup. Beneath this folder is subfolder named after the server that was

backed up. Included in the server folder is a set of Extensible Markup Language (XML)

files that detail the backup history, catalog, and system configuration details of the media.

Also included in the server folder are one or more virtual hard disk (VHD) files. The VHD

files are close to exact duplicates of the backed-up server volumes.

The VHD file can quickly be added and viewed in a virtual machine, so protecting the

backup folders is critical to server security.

NOTE

Windows Server Backup does not encrypt the backup data stored on DVDs or disks.

Administrators should take all precautions to ensure that any disks, DVD media, or

remote server shares that store backup data are secured with NTFS permissions on

remote shares and physically secure on disks and DVDs.

Backup Options

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Windows Server 2008 R2 has made creating and managing backups simple within the

Windows Server Backup interfaces. Using the GUI-based console, the Wbadmin command-

line utility, or through PowerShell cmdlets, backups can be run to protect disk volumes,

full systems, the System State only, or set to back up just individual files and folders. In

addition, specific files and folders can be excluded from a backup.

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Manual Backup Options

Windows Server Backup allows for backups to be created on a recurring schedule or manu-

ally using the Backup Once option available in the Windows Server Backup console.

Manual backups can be stored on local disks, burned to DVD media, or stored on remote

shares. Manual backups on remote shares can be used for complete PC restore operations

if the system to be recovered can access the network location during the restore operation.

Scheduled Backup Options

Scheduled backup operations allow administrators to create a backup schedule that adds

backup automation to a Windows Server 2008 R2 system. Scheduled backups can be

configured to run once a day or multiple times per day to provide the required level of

recoverability.

Windows Server Backup MMC Snap-In

The Windows Server Backup feature includes a Microsoft Management Console snap-in.

The file is named wbadmin.msc and is available from the Administrative Tools menu. Most

backup-related tasks can be performed using this console, including creating backups,

reviewing backup history, and restoring data.

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The Windows Server Backup snap-in can be used to connect and manage backups on

remote Windows Server 2008 R2 systems with the Windows Server Backup feature installed.

Windows Backup Command-Line Utility

All editions of Windows Server 2008 R2 include the option of installing the Windows

Server Backup feature’s command-line tools. The primarily utility included is wbadmin.exe,

which provides more granular control of backup- and recovery-related tasks. As more and

more administration of Windows systems moves back into the shell or command prompt

environment, this utility will provide administrators with the functions they require to

manage backups within this environment. Wbadmin provides the ability for administra-

tors to start backups and recoveries of systems, get information, and configure new backup

storage and schedule backup policies.

Windows Server Backup PowerShell Cmdlets

Windows Server 2008 R2 includes several PowerShell cmdlets for managing Windows

Server Backup. The PowerShell cmdlets are installed with the Windows Server Backup

feature command-line tools option. Unlike wbadmin.exe, PowerShell cmdlets for Windows

Server Backup provide much more flexibility when managing remote systems. Most

command-line executable files are being removed and replaced with PowerShell cmdlets,

and administrators should consider this when creating and documenting backup and

recovery tasks. One function that is not included in the current set of cmdlets is the

ability to perform data recovery. This still needs to be performed using the MMC snap-in

or the wbadmin.exe command-line utility. Examples of using a few of the PowerShell

cmdlets for Windows Server Backup are included in proceeding sections of this chapter.

Using Windows Server Backup

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Using Windows Server Backup

When an organization decides to use Windows Server Backup, the type of backup and the

storage media for the backups must be determined. For example, if scheduled backups will

be used, an organization will need to determine the correct storage destination for their

Windows Server 2008 R2 backups as each destination has its own set of requirements and

implications that should be understood and considered.

Installing Windows Server Backup

Although the Windows Server Backup console is listed in Administrative Tools, the

Windows Server Backup feature still needs to be installed. The easiest way to install the

Windows Backup tools is to use the Add Features function within Server Manager. Of

course, for Server Core deployments, installing using PowerShell is preferred.

Installing Windows Server Backup Using Server Manager

On every edition of Windows Server 2008 R2, except for Server Core installations, the

Windows Server Backup feature can be installed using Server Manager. To install the

Windows Server Backup feature, perform the following steps:

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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 Server Manager.

3. In the tree pane, select the Features node, and select the Add Features link in the

tasks pane.

4. When the Add Features Wizard opens, scroll down and click on the plus sign next to