Windows Server 2008 Backup and Recovery Step-by-Step Guide
Windows Server Backup is a feature of the Windows Server® 2008 operating system that provides a basic backup and recovery solution for the server that it is installed on. This version of Backup replaces the Backup feature that was available with earlier versions of the Microsoft® Windows® operating system.
What is Backup?
Backup is an optional feature in Windows Server 2008 that helps you reliably back up and recover the operating system and restore files and folders that are stored on the server. Backup consists of a Microsoft Management Console (MMC) snap-in and command-line tools.
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Important:What’s new in Backup?
The Backup feature includes the following improvements:
| • | Faster backup technology. Backup uses Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) and block-level backup technology to back up and recover your operating system, files and folders, and volumes. After the first full backup is created, you can configure Backup to automatically run incremental backups by saving only the data that has changed since the last backup. Even if you choose to always perform full backups, your back up will take less time than it did in earlier versions of Windows. |
| • | Simplified restoration. You can restore items by choosing a backup and then selecting specific items from that backup to restore. You can recover specific files from a folder or all the contents of a folder. In addition, previously, you needed to manually restore from multiple backups if the item was stored on an incremental backup. Now, you can choose the date on which you backed up the version of the item you want to restore. |
| • | Simplified recovery of your operating system. Backup works with new Windows recovery tools to make it easier for you to recover your operating system. You can recover to the same server—or if the hardware fails, you can recover to a separate server that has no operating system. |
| • | Ability to recover applications. Backup uses VSS functionality that is built into applications like Microsoft SQL Server® to protect application data. |
| • | Improved scheduling. Backup includes a wizard that guides you through the process of creating daily backups. System volumes are automatically included in all scheduled backups so that you are protected against disasters. |
| • | Offsite removal of backups for disaster protection. You can save backups to multiple disks in a rotation, which enables you to move disks from an offsite location. Add each disk as a scheduled backup location and, if the first disk is moved offsite, Backup will automatically save backups to the next disk in the rotation. |
| • | Remote administration. Backup uses an MMC snap-in to give you a familiar and consistent experience for managing your backups. After you install the Backup snap-in, you can access this tool through Server Manager or by adding the snap-in to a new or existing MMC console. Then, you can use Backup to manage backups on other servers by clicking the Action menu, and then clicking Connect to Another Computer. |
| • | Automatic disk usage management. After you configure a disk for a scheduled backup, Backup will automatically manage the disk usage—you do not need to be concerned about running out of disk space after repeated backups. Backup will automatically reuse the space of older backups when creating new backups. The management tool displays the backups that are available and the disk usage information. This can help you plan for provisioning additional storage to meet your recovery time objectives. |
| • | Extensive command-line support. Backup comes with extensive command-line support and documentation, which enable you to perform most of the same tasks that you can perform by using the Backup snap-in. You can also automate backup activities through scripting. |
| • | Support for DVD media. You can manually back up volumes directly to DVD. This offers a solution if you want to create backups that can easily be moved offsite on a one-time basis. This version of Backup retains support for manual backups to shared folders and hard disks. However, scheduled backups must be stored on hard disks. |