Lesson 4: Using the Backup Utility

Windows 2000 includes an enhanced, graphical backup utility that is designed to help you protect data from accidental loss as a result of hardware or storage media failure. You can use the Backup utility to do the following:

• Back up files and folders
• Back up system state data
• Schedule a backup
• Restore files and folders
• Restore Active Directory directory services

The Backup utility supports a variety of storage devices and media, including tape drives, logical drives, removable disks, and recordable CDROM drives. In addition, the Backup utility includes wizards that are designed to make using the utility easier and more efficient. Effective use of the Backup utility can help ensure a quick system recovery in the event of a failure.

You can use the Backup utility to archive files and folders on volumes that are formatted with either file allocation table (FAT) or NTFS. The Backup utility includes a Backup wizard, which steps you through the entire backup process. However, you can also create a backup job without using the wizard. To access the Backup utility, click Start, point to Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and click Backup. The Backup window appears, as shown in Figure 12.1. To begin the backup process, click the Backup tab (see Figure 12.2) and then select the drives, folders, or files you want to back up. Then click the Start Backup button.

Figure 12.1 The Backup window's Welcome tab

Figure 12.2 Select the data to be backed up on the Backup tab.

You can use the Backup utility in Windows 2000 to back up the system state data, which includes the following system components:

• Registry: A database repository for information about a computer's configuration. It contains information such as user profiles, the programs installed on the computer and the types of documents each can create, property settings for folders and program icons, what hardware exists on the system, and which ports are in use.
• Component Services Class Registration database: A database that stores class registrations.
• System startup files: Ntldr and Ntdetect.com for Intel-based systems and Osloader.exe for Digital-alpha-based systems.
• Certificate Services database: A database that stores the issued certificates. A certificate is a file used for authentication and secure exchange of data on nonsecured networks, such as the Internet.
• Active Directory directory services: The directory that stores information about network resources, as well as all the services that make the information available and useful. The resources stored in the directory—such as user data, printers, servers, databases, groups, computers, and security policies—are known as objects.
• Sysvol folder: The shared system volume, which is a folder structure that exists on all Windows 2000 domain controllers. It stores scripts and some of the group policy objects for both the current domain as well as the enterprise. The default location for the shared system volume is systemroot\Sysvol.

On computers running Windows 2000 Professional, the system state includes the registry, the Component Services Class Registration database, and system startup files.

On computers running Windows 2000 Server operating systems, the system state includes the registry, the Component Services Class Registration database, and system startup files, and if the computer is also a certificate server, the system state also includes the Certificate Services database.

On computers running Windows 2000 Server operating systems that are installed as domain controllers, the system state includes the registry, the Component Services Class Registration database, system startup files, the Certificate Services database, Active Directory directory services, and the Sysvol folder.

You can back up the system state data on a local computer in one of the following three ways:

• In the Backup wizard, on the What To Back Up page, click Only Back Up The System State Data.
• In the Backup wizard, on the Items To Back Up page, expand My Computer, and then select the check box to the left of System State.
• In the Backup utility, on the Backup tab, expand My Computer, and then select the System State check box.

Windows 2000 integrates the Backup utility with the Task Scheduler service. As a result, you can use the Backup utility to schedule a backup. You can schedule a backup to occur at regular intervals or during periods of relative inactivity on a network (see Figure 12.3).

Figure 12.3 A backup scheduled for a weekly interval

To schedule a backup, you can use the Backup wizard and click Advanced, or you can follow the procedure identified to back up files and folders. When the Backup Job Information dialog box appears, you would click Schedule and then do the following:

1. In the Set Account Information dialog box, specify the user name and password of the account under whose security context you want the scheduled backup to run. You must specify an account that has been granted the Back Up Files And Directories privilege.

2. In the Scheduled Job Options dialog box, specify a job name, and then click Properties.
3. In the Schedule Job dialog box, specify the date, time, and frequency parameters for the scheduled backup. Then close the Scheduled Job Options dialog box.

You can use the Backup utility in Windows 2000 to restore files and folders. The Backup utility includes a Restore wizard that steps you through the entire restore process. However, you can also restore files and folders without using the wizard.

To restore files and folders without using the wizard, open the Backup utility, and then specify the following:

• The folders or files to restore.
• A restore location. You can restore files to the original location, an alternate location, or to a single folder.
• Restore options, such as whether to replace existing files with backup files.

You can use the Backup utility to restore Active Directory directory services during the process of replacing a failed domain controller, to repair a damaged Active Directory database, or to recover one or more objects that are accidentally deleted from Active Directory directory services.

If a domain controller fails completely, you must first restart the computer and make sure Windows 2000 is running. Then you can use the Backup utility to restore the latest version of the system state data, which includes Active Directory directory services.

After you have restored Active Directory directory services, Windows 2000 automatically does the following:

• Performs a consistency check on and reindexes the Active Directory database.
• Updates Active Directory directory services and the File Replication Service with data from their replication partners.

If the operating system on a domain controller is functioning normally, but the Active Directory database is damaged, you must restart the computer, select the Directory Services Restore Mode advanced startup option, and then use the Backup utility to restore the latest system state data.

After you have restored the Active Directory database, restart the computer, and Windows 2000 will reindex the Active Directory database and update Active Directory directory services and the File Replication Service.

Restoring deleted objects in a distributed environment presents a challenge. If you restore the most recent copy of the Active Directory database that contains the deleted objects, those objects will be deleted when replication occurs because the objects are marked for deletion in the replicas of the database.

To prevent this from occurring, you can perform an authoritative restore. When you restore an object authoritatively, it persists after replication even though it is marked for deletion in the replicas of the database.

To perform an authoritative restore, you would do the following:

1. Restart the computer, press F8, and select the Directory Services Restore Mode from the Windows 2000 Advanced Options menu.

2. Restore the system state data from the most recent backup that contains the objects that you want to recover.
3. When the restore is complete, run Ntdsutil.exe.
4. Type authoritative restore at the command prompt.
5. Type restore subtree distinguished_name_of_object at the authoritative restore prompt.

For example, if you are the administrator of a domain called domain.com and you want to restore an organizational unit (OU) called Sales, which existed directly below the domain, you would type

restore subtree OU=Sales,DC=domain,DC=com

6. Exit Ntdsutil by typing quit at the prompt, and then restart the computer.

The restored object is marked as authoritative and will be replicated to all domain controllers in the domain.

In this practice, you will back up the system state using Windows 2000 Backup. You will delete an OU and then perform an authoritative restore.

In this exercise, you will backup the system state using Windows 2000 Backup. You will then delete an OU.

1. On the Start menu, point to Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click Backup.
2. Click the Backup Wizard button on the Welcome tab.

The Backup wizard starts.

3. Click Next.
4. On the What To Back Up page, click Only Backup The System State Data, and then click Next.
5. On the Where To Store The Backup page, type C:\SysState in the Backup Media Or File Name box, and then click Next.
6. On the Completing The Backup Wizard page, click the Advanced button.
7. On the Type Of Backup page, click Next.
8. On the How To Back Up page, click Next.
9. On the Media Options page, click Next.
10. On the Backup Label page, type Practice in both the Backup Label and Media Label boxes, and then click Next.
11. On the When To Back Up page, click Next.
12. On the Completing The Backup Wizard page, click Finish.

Backup begins backing up the system state data.

13. When the backup is complete, click Close in the Backup Program dialog box, and then close Backup.

In this exercise, you will delete the Production OU.

1. Open Active Directory Users and Computers.
2. Expand domain.com.
3. Delete the Production OU. Click the Yes button to confirm the deletion.

4. Close Active Directory Users and Computers.

In this exercise, you will perform an authoritative restore of the Active Directory directory services and recover the Production OU.

1. Restart the computer, and when the boot loader menu appears, press F8.
2. Select Directory Services Restore Mode and press Enter.
3. Press Enter to select the Microsoft Windows 2000 Server operating system.

The Welcome To Windows dialog box appears. This will take a few minutes.

4. Log on as Administrator.

A Desktop dialog box appears informing you that you are in safe mode.

5. Click OK.
6. Open Backup, and then click Restore Wizard on the Welcome tab.
7. Click Next.
8. On the What To Restore page, expand File, expand Practice, and then click the System State check box to select it.

There should be a check mark in the box indicating that System State is selected.

9. Click Next.
10. On the Completing The Restore Wizard page, click Finish.
11. In the Enter Backup File Name dialog box, verify that C:\SysState appears in the Restore From Backup File box, and then click OK.

The Restore Progress dialog box appears. The restore process will take a few minutes.

12. When the restore is complete, click Close.

The Backup dialog box appears, prompting you to restart the computer.

13. Click No, and then close Backup.

1. Open a command prompt.
2. Type ntdsutil and then press Enter.
3. At the ntdsutil: prompt, type authoritative restore and then press Enter.
4. Type restore subtree OU=Production,DC=domain,DC=com at the authoritative restore: prompt, and then press Enter.

The Authoritative Restore Confirmation Dialog message box appears asking if you are sure you want to perform this authoritative restore.

5. Click Yes.

The ntdsutil utility begins to restore the OU. When the restore process is complete, the authoritative restore prompt returns.

6. At the authoritative restore: prompt, type quit and then press Enter.
7. At the ntdsutil: prompt, type quit and then press Enter.
8. Type exit and press Enter to close the command prompt, and then restart the computer.

In this exercise, you will verify the authoritative restore by verifying that the Production OU was restored.

1. Log on as Administrator.
2. Open Active Directory Users and Computers.
3. Expand domain.com.
4. Verify that the Production OU is listed.
5. Close Active Directory Users and Computers.

Windows 2000 includes an enhanced, graphical backup utility that is designed to help you protect data from accidental loss as a result of hardware or storage media failure. You can use the Backup utility to back up files and folders, back up system state data, schedule a backup, restore files and folders, and restore Active Directory directory services.

The system state data that you back up depends on the operating system running on the computer. On computers running Windows 2000 Professional, the system state data includes the registry, the Component Services Class Registration database, and system startup files. On computers running Windows 2000 Server operating systems, the system state data includes the same files as does Windows 2000 Professional. If the computer is also a certificate server, the system state data also includes the Certificate Services database. On computers running Windows 2000 Server operating systems that are installed as domain controllers, the system state includes the registry, the Component Services Class Registration database, system startup files, the Certificate Services database, Active Directory directory services, and the Sysvol folder.

Windows 2000 integrates the Backup utility with the Task Scheduler service. As a result, you can use the Backup utility to schedule a backup. You can schedule a backup to occur at regular intervals or during periods of relative inactivity on a network.

You use the Backup utility in Windows 2000 to restore files and folders. The Backup utility includes a Restore wizard that steps you through the entire restore process. You can also use the Backup utility to restore Active Directory directory services. You can restore Active Directory directory services during the process of replacing a failed domain controller to repair a damaged Active Directory database, or to recover one or more objects that are accidentally deleted from Active Directory directory services.