CHAPTER 11

BACKING UP AND RESTORING FILES

Lesson 1: Introduction to the Windows NT Backup Program

Backups are important, you must have good quality equipment and media.

It is important to be carefully planned, and well documented with onsite and offsite locations.

The Windows NT Backup program is a graphical tool that allows you to backup and restore

files to NTFS or FAT volumes, manually or automatically.

Requirements:

A computer running Win NT Work. Or NT Server must be on the HCL list. To back up the

directory database the tape drive must be on the PDC.

The user performing the backup must have the proper rights.

Cycle the tapes, and have them recycled.

Backing up on NT is very slow, takes 8GIB up to 4 hours, and also verify. You can backup

remotely.

What to Backup:

• Logs
• Database
• E-mails from users
• The registry on any BDC or PDC,

What NOT to Backup:

• SAM (do not want security information recorded anywhere else)
• Swap file
• Software
• Application Programs
• Temporary Files
• Internet Files
• Operating System Files
• Scan Disk files. *.chk

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Creating a Backup Operator

You can assign a user to the Backup Operator group to back up the files, this will lesson

your load. This user should not have the restore privileges.

• The user must be part of the local group named Backup only Operators.
• They must have log on locally rights.
• Backup files and directories
• Create a global group named Backup only on the PDC
• Add the Global. Add the user to the global group Backup Only.

Select a non-senior person. Note to restore a tape it will say on the tape who backed up and

who restored. You need a password to restore a tape, and the only person who will have that

should be the Administrator.

Backup across the network will eat up a lot of the bandwidth. If it is a 24/7 company, you can

demote the PDC to the BDC and do the Backup on the new BDC. Then repromote the BDC

to the old PDC when the backup is over.

Lesson Summary:

• To use Windows NT Backup, you must have a computer running Windows NT

Workstation, or Windows NT Server with a tape drive supported by the HCL.

• To back up the directory database for the domain, the tape drive must be on the

PDC.

• All users can back up any folders and files on the network for which they have

the Read permission.

• You can give a user the right to back up and restore all files on a computer

running Windows NT by adding the user to the Backup Operators group or by

assigning the user right Back up files and directories (to back up files) and the user

right Restore files and directories (to restore files) to a user account or group of

which the user is a member.

Lesson 2: Planning a Backup Strategy

Before you begin backing up you need to map out the type of backup you will be doing. If it will

be stored on-site or off-site. What files will be backed up, and who will have the permission to do

this. What time of day to backup. And what kind of backup, full (normal) incremental or differential.

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Determining the Backup type to use:

There are five kinds, normal (or full), incremental, differential, copy and daily copy.

Normal Backup (Full Backup)

Just an entire backup. A full backup is performed every day. If there is a catastrophic failure on

Thursday for example, then you will only need to recover and restore from one day back.

Incremental

Resets the archive bit. A Incremental Backup is quick to backup and slow to restore. Using this

strategy, a full backup is performed each Friday. On Monday, everything that has changed since

Friday is backed up. On Tuesday, everything that has changed since Monday is backed up on

Wednesday, everything that has changed since Tuesday is backed up, and so on. SHORT

BACKUP, SLOW RECOVERY.

The advantage with this strategy is that the amount of time to do daily backup is minimal. The

disadvantage is that if there is a catastrophic system failure on Thursday, it is possible that five

tapes will be required to perform a full restore.

Differential

Using this strategy, a full backup is performed on Friday. On Monday, everything that has

changed since Friday is backed up. On Tuesday, everything that has changed since Friday

is backed up, on Wednesday, everything that has changed since Friday is backed up, and so

on. The disadvantage with this strategy is that backing up files takes progressively longer each

day. The advantage is that if there is a catastrophic system failure on Thursday, only tow tapes

will be required to perform a full restore, the Friday tape and the Wednesday tape.

Rotating and Archiving Tapes:

Rotating tapes ensures that you can always go to a previous tape for a lost file, even though

it may not be the most current version of the file.

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Backup Sets, Catalogs and Backup Logs

A backup set. Is the term describes groups of files or folders on a single volume from a single

backup operation. If there are several it is called a family set.

Catalog. Is a graphical representation of the backup. There are two kinds Tape Catalog

shows all the backup sets on a tape, and Backup Set Catalog shows all the files and folders

n the backup set.

Backup Log. Is a text file that records backup operations.

Lesson Summary:

• Plan an effective backup strategy to ensure that you can quickly recover lost or

corrupted files. Always back up critical files and the registry

• Use backup types to create a backup strategy to fit your needs. Always do

a normal backup of all files as your initial backup.

• Rotate your tapes so that you can always go back to a previous tape for a file.

If you always back up to the same tape and that tape becomes damaged, you will

not be able to recover files.

• Always create and print your backup logs. This will help you locate lost files

quickly.

Lesson 3: Backup up Files

• Prepare your tapes. If the data is obsolete, erase the data and start fresh, by doing

an Erase tape, or Quick erase. You may also have to format new tapes.

• Connect to all shared folders on other computers that need to be backed up.
• Notify users to close their files for the backup. You can send a message form the server.

Setting Tape, Backup Set, and Log Options:

You can set the options like the tape name, who backs up the tape. If you want to append

to the end of the tape. Backup the local registry, and how to restrict access to the tape backups etc.

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Lesson Summary:

• Before you begin to back up files, you need to prepare your tapes, connect to shared folders on

remote computers that need to be backed up, and then notify users to close their files.

• Select the drives, folders and files to be backed up based on your backup strategy.
• Assign descriptive names to your tapes and backup sets. This makes it easier to

identify their contents.

• When you back up the registry, always restrict tape access to members of the

Administrators or the Backup Operators group.

Lesson 4: Scheduling a Backup Using a Batch File

There are two steps to scheduling a backup. First you create a batch file with the ntbackup

command. Secondly, you schedule the backup to run in either Windows NT at command or

the Windows NT command Scheduler.

Create a Batch file and include Ntbackup.exe

Syntax: ntbackup^backup [path_name] [options]

Add the Options:

/append /backup the registry /description

/exceptions /logfile /restrict

/type /verify /hc:{on|off} h/w compression

Add the Appropriate Syntax to Connect to Shared folders.

Schedule the batch file to run using At.exe or WinAT.exe

Using the AT command:

The At command will schedule the Batch file to run at a specific time.

For Example: at^\\computer 1^00:00^/every: 5,10,15,20,25,30”backup.bat”

You must be located at the computer running the backup. It should start automatically

when NT is started. You can start the schedule service using Server Manager or the

Services Program in the Control Panel.

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Scheduling the Batch file: (REVIEW CHART PAGE 423)

The at command uses the following Syntax:

At[\\computer_name]^[id]^[/delete]^time[/interactive][/every:date[,…]|/next:date[,…]”command

You can also schedule backups by using the Command Scheduler utility in Windows NT

Server Resource Kit. Version 4.0 that provides a graphical way to schedule tasks.

Lesson Summary:

• You can automate the backup process using a batch file and the Windows NT at command

(At.exe) or the Windows NT Command Scheduler (WinAt.exe).

• To schedule an automatic backup, first create a batch file with the details of the backup,

and second, schedule the batch file to run using either the At.exe (included with Windows

• NT) or WinAt.exe (included in the Microsoft Windows NT Server Resource Kit version 4.0).
• The Schedule service must be started on the computer where the tape drive is installed before

you can run the scheduled backup. You can start the Schedule service using Server Manager

or the Services program in Control Panel.

Lesson 5: Restoring Files

A good restoration strategy means that you can quickly locate and restore lost files:

• Ensure you have a good quality backup. Rotate tapes, and always have at least a weekly

full or normal backup.

• Documentation for each backup, by creating the printing and backup log.
• Keep a record of multiple backups in a calendar showing the format.
• Store a set of backups offsite.
• Perform a trial restoration to verify that your files were properly backed up. Try restoring to

another drive and compare the results, did it work?

Creating a Restore Operator:

In Network security is an issue. You can create a Restore operator by assigning a user

account the Restore files and directories user rights.

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Create a local group named Restore Operator, and they must have these rights.

• Log on locally
• Restore files and directories
• Shut down the system.

Create a Global group named Restore Only on the PDC

Add the Global group Restore Only to the local Restore Operators. Add the user account

to the Global group Restore Only.

Examples of Restoration Strategies:

The best way is to have a weekly backup, then have Incrementals or Differentials between

the last full backup.

Make sure you have a repair disk: rdisk^/s (copies all security information)

Always lock away the disk and have a password for it, possibly encode the password. Always

verify your backup and copy the registry. Annotate means make notes on or the log.