Symantec Backup Exec™
System Recovery
Symantec Backup Exec™ System Recovery
Implementation Guide
The software described in this book is furnished under a license agreement and may be used only in accordance with the terms of the agreement.
Documentation version 6.5
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Technical Support
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For information about Symantec’s Maintenance Programs, you can visit our Web site at the following URL:
www.symantec.com/techsupp/ent/enterprise.html
Select your country or language under Global Support. The specific features that are available may vary based on the level of maintenance that was purchased and the specific product that you are using.
Contacting Technical Support
Customers with a current support agreement may contact the Technical Support group via phone or online at www.symantec.com/techsupp.
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■ Product release level
■ Hardware information
■ Operating system
■ Version and patch level
■ Network topology
■ Router, gateway, and IP address information
■ Problem description
■ Error messages/log files
■ Troubleshooting performed prior to contacting Symantec
■ Recent software configuration changes and/or network changes
Licensing and registration
If your Symantec product requires registration or a license key, access our technical support Web page at the following URL:
www.symantec.com/techsupp/ent/enterprise.html
Select your region or language under Global Support, and then select the Licensing and Registration page.
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To contact Enterprise Customer Service online, go to www.symantec.com, select the appropriate Global Site for your country, then choose Service and Support. Customer Service is available to assist with the following types of issues:
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Maintenance agreement resources
If you want to contact Symantec regarding an existing maintenance agreement, please contact the maintenance agreement administration team for your region as follows:
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■ Europe, Middle-East, and Africa: semea@symantec.com
■ North America and Latin America: supportsolutions@symantec.com
Additional Enterprise services
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Managed Security Services
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Consulting Services
To access more information about Enterprise services, please visit our Web site at the following URL:
www.symantec.com
Technical Support
Chapter 1
Introducing Symantec Backup Exec™ System Recovery
About Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery ... 13
Components of Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery ... 14
How Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery works ... 16
How Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery handles user changes during a backup ... 17
What you can do with Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery ... 17
Unavailable features in deactivated (unlicensed) version of the product ... 18
Where to get more information about Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery ... 18
Chapter 2
Installing Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery
Preparing for installation ... 19System requirements ... 19
Supported file systems and removable media ... 21
Installation options ... 21
30-day evaluation ... 22
Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery licensing ... 22
Installing Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery ... 22
Post-installation tasks ... 24
About Driver Validation ... 25
Testing Symantec Recovery Disk ... 26
Starting Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery ... 27
Activating Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery ... 29
Keeping current with LiveUpdate ... 30
Uninstalling Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery ... 30
Chapter 3
Creating recovery points
About creating recovery points ... 33Best practices for system protection ... 34
Tips on using Backup Exec System Recovery and creating
recovery points ... 35
Tips for backing up dual-boot systems ... 36
Backup of VSS-aware databases ... 36
Storing recovery points ... 38
Selecting a storage location for recovery points ... 39
About verifying a recovery point ... 42
Setting the compression level for recovery points ... 43
Ways to divide a recovery point into smaller files ... 44
Advanced options for creating recovery points ... 44
Manually creating a recovery point ... 47
About network credentials ... 51
About scheduling incremental recovery points ... 51
Ways to work with base recovery points and incrementals ... 52
Scheduling a recovery point ... 62
Running a scheduled recovery point job immediately ... 68
Editing a recovery point job schedule ... 69
Disabling a recovery point job schedule ... 69
Deleting a recovery point job schedule ... 69
Stopping a task ... 69
Archiving a recovery point ... 70
Deleting recovery points ... 72
Rescanning a computer’s hard disk ... 72
Viewing events in Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery ... 73
Setting up notifications ... 73
Sending email notifications anonymously ... 74
About SNMP traps ... 75
Viewing the recovery point history of a drive ... 76
Cleaning the recovery point history ... 77
Setting a default recovery point location ... 77
Setting the default performance ... 77
Adjusting the operation speed during a task ... 78
Chapter 4
Restoring recovery points
About restoring a computer ... 79Storage locations for restoring recovery points ... 80
Restore options ... 81
Restoring using a recovery point ... 83
Starting a computer in the recovery environment ... 84
About restoring drives using the recovery environment ... 85
Restore options ... 86
Restoring a single drive using the recovery environment ... 88
Restoring drives using the recovery environment ... 90
Restoring drives using a system index file in the recovery environment ... 92
Restoring using Restore Anyware ... 93
Using Restore Anyware ... 93
Troubleshooting Restore Anyware ... 95
Restoring using LightsOut Restore ... 96
Summary of the LightsOut Restore process ... 97
Starting the LightsOut Restore Wizard ... 97
Using LightsOut Restore ... 99
Troubleshooting LightsOut Restore ... 99
Chapter 5
Restoring files and folders
About restoring files and folders ... 101Starting the Recovery Point Browser ... 102
Verifying a recovery point ... 103
Opening or closing a recovery point in the Recovery Point Browser ... 104
Restoring files from a recovery point ... 104
Mounting a drive using a recovery point ... 106
Dismounting a recovery point drive ... 108
Restoring files using the recovery environment ... 108
Viewing the properties of a recovery point ... 110
Viewing the drive properties of a recovery point ... 111
Viewing a file within a recovery point ... 112
Chapter 6
Copying a drive
About copying a drive ... 113Preparing to copy drives ... 113
Copying one hard drive to another hard drive ... 114
Drive-to-drive copying options ... 115
Chapter 7
Managing Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery
on remote computers
Deploying the agent ... 117Granting rights to domain users on Windows 2003 SP1 servers ... 119
Adding computers to the console ... 119
Using the Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery Agent ... 121
Managing the agent using Windows Services ... 122
Best practices for using services ... 123
Opening Services ... 124
Starting or stopping the agent service ... 124
Setting up recovery actions when the agent does not start ... 125
Viewing Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery Agent dependencies ... 126
Controlling access to the Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery Agent ... 127
Running the console using different user rights ... 129
Troubleshooting when deploying the agent ... 130
Attempt to connect to remote computer failed ... 131
Attempt to copy RemoteCmdSvc.exe to remote computer failed ... 131
Attempt to access the remote Service Manager failed ... 131
Attempt to create the RemoteCommand Service on the remote computer failed ... 131
Attempt to start service on the remote computer failed ... 131
Attempted connection to RemoteCmdSvc on remote computer failed ... 132
Attempt to push package to remote computer failed due to an invalid environment ... 132
Attempt to copy package failed ... 132
Attempt to communicate with RemoteCommand Service on remote computer failed ... 132
The specified remote command failed to start ... 132
Attempt to reboot remote computer failed ... 133
Attempt to delete package failed ... 133
The RPC server is unavailable ... 133
Appendix A
Troubleshooting Symantec Backup Exec System
Recovery
Troubleshooting Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery ... 135Troubleshooting the installation ... 135
Troubleshooting recovery points ... 136
Troubleshooting scheduled recovery points ... 137
Troubleshooting restoring recovery points from Windows ... 139
Troubleshooting the console ... 140
Troubleshooting the recovery environment ... 141
Getting help for volumes on Windows ... 157
Troubleshooting error messages ... 157
Recovery Point Browser error messages ... 157
General error messages ... 158
Appendix B
About Active Directory
The role of Active Directory ... 165
Glossary
Index
Introducing Symantec
Backup Exec™ System
Recovery
This chapter includes the following topics:
■ About Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery
■ Components of Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery
■ How Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery works
■ What you can do with Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery
■ Where to get more information about Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery
About Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery
Symantec Backup Exec™ System Recovery is a complete server volume and workstation backup and recovery solution, as well as a protection system for Windows® 2000, Windows XP, Windows 2003 Server, Windows 2000 Server and Advanced Server computers, Windows Small Business Server 2003, and Windows Small Business Server 2000.
Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery consists of the Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery Agent, the Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery console, and the LightsOut Restore Setup wizard. It also includes a utility called the Recovery Point Browser that simplifies the management of your backups. Rather than select individual files or folders to include in a backup image, you choose a drive to back up. Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery copies the contents of that drive into a file called a recovery point.
1
You can save recovery points to a hard drive, a USB or FireWire drive, a network drive, or to removable media.
When you experience a problem with your computer or you need to restore a file, you can use an existing recovery point to restore a file, folder, or an entire drive, if necessary to return your computer to a previous, working state with the operating system, applications, and data files intact.
Using easy-to-follow wizards, you can perform fast and reliable system backups with zero downtime to the computer. Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery uses intelligent data protection technology that ensures the availability of business-critical information when disaster strikes.
Note: The Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery product CD is used both to install the software and to start a computer in the recovery environment, known as the Symantec Recovery Disk. Be sure that you store the CD in a safe place. Using Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery helps you recover from the following problems:
■ Virus attack
■ Poorly performing software
■ Faulty Internet downloads
■ Hard drive failure
■ Files accidentally deleted or overwritten
■ Corrupted files
Components of Symantec Backup Exec System
Recovery
The following table lists the main components for Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery.
Table 1-1 Components of Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery Description
Component
The console, Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery, lets you create, schedule, and restore recovery points from your computer, manage existing recovery points, and manage and view the complete status of the Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery Agent, itself, with the console's easy-to-use interface.
Using the console, you can connect to the Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery agents on any number of computers on your network that have the agent already installed, or you can connect to an existing computer and remotely install the agent.
Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery console
The Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery Agent is the unseen "engine" that actually creates and stores the recovery points on a computer. It is managed via the console.
To access the Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery Agent and any shared network servers, you must be a domain user with local
administration rights.
Because the Agent functions as a service, it does not have a full graphical user interface. It does, however, have a tray icon available in the Windows system tray area. The tray icon can be used, among other things, to view the current status of the Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery Agent.
If you want to use Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery to manage remote computers, you can install Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery manually by visiting each computer that you want to protect and installing the program from the Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery CD, or you can use the Deploy Agent.
Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery Agent
Table 1-1 Components of Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery (continued) Description
Component
The Recovery Point Browser simplifies the maintenance and management of your recovery points. You can access your recovery points from within a single screen. You can view recovery point file contents, restore individual program and data files from within a recovery point, or mount a volume within a recovery point and share its contents on the network.
Recovery Point Browser
How Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery works
Using Symantec’s Virtual Volume Imaging (v2i) technology, Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery creates a point-in-time virtual representation (virtual volume image) of your computer’s drive state. A virtual volume image (.v2i) is not simply a file system copy of the contents of a hard disk. Instead, it is a low-level image of the complete hard disk structure (sectors and clusters) and its data, compressed and written to a single file.
This virtual representation is temporarily stored on the available free space that is present on the server volume. Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery then generates an actual recovery point (backup image file) based on the details found in the virtual volume image.
Because the final recovery point is created based on the virtual volume image, Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery performs backups quickly and does not
interfere or interrupt the computer’s operations. You can continue to perform server functions such as managing user rights, or running server applications and tools.
How Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery handles user changes
during a backup
When a user begins a backup, Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery starts the process of creating a virtual volume image while monitoring the file system for user changes. Any user changes that overlap with the V2i volume being backed up are still written to the hard disk in a normal fashion. This is because Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery saves the old, overwritten data to a temporary space on the hard disk while insuring that any new data is still being saved. The old data is then written to the recovery point. The entire backup process is efficient because Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery only writes sectors that contain data to the recovery point.
What you can do with Symantec Backup Exec System
Recovery
You can use Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery to accomplish the following:
■ Use a secure and centralized administration point from one or more consoles to protect data throughout a network domain.
■ Create hot backup image files (full or incrementals) of volumes with zero downtime to the computer.
■ Save recovery points to a local hard disk, a network hard disk, or to disk media such as CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-R(W), DVD+R(W), or REV, Zip, and Jaz drives.
■ Restore a computer to its original condition from a recovery point (full or incremental), or perform file-level restorations.
■ Use the Recovery Point Browser to mount a volume within a recovery point and scan for viruses or set up as a share on the network domain.
■ Perform bare metal recovery.
■ Install the agent remotely on a server using the Deploy Agent.
■ Use the Restore Anyware capability to restore a recovery point of a Windows 2000, 2003, or XP system volume to a computer with different hardware, and make the changes necessary for the computer to be able to boot.
■ Restore a computer from a remote location using the LightsOut Restore capability, regardless of the state the computer is in, so long as its file system is intact.
Unavailable features in deactivated (unlicensed) version of the product
The 30-day evaluation copy of the product does not include full-product functionality. Until you activate Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery, you will not be able to do the following:
■ Copy a partition from one hard drive to another
■ Create Restore Anyware-enabled recovery points
■ Use the LightsOut Restore capability
Where to get more information about Symantec
Backup Exec System Recovery
Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery documentation provides glossary terms, online Help, a Readme file, and the User’s (Implementation) Guide.
In addition to Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery documentation, check the Symantec Web site and Knowledge Base for answers to frequently asked questions, troubleshooting help, online tutorials, and the latest product information. www.symantec.com/techsupp
Introducing Symantec Backup Exec™ System Recovery
Installing Symantec Backup
Exec System Recovery
This chapter includes the following topics:
■ Preparing for installation
■ Installing Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery
■ Post-installation tasks
■ Uninstalling Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery
Preparing for installation
Installation procedures might vary, depending on your work environment and how you want to install Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery.
Before you install Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery, make sure your computer meets the system requirements. Review the Readme file on the product CD for any known issues.
System requirements
To install and use Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery, your computer must meet the minimum requirements described inTable 2-1.
Table 2-1 Minimum system requirements Requirements Component
Dependent on the operating system Processor
2
Table 2-1 Minimum system requirements (continued) Requirements
Component
Windows Server 2003, Windows 2000 Advanced Server (SP4 or later), Windows 2000 Server (SP4 or later) , Windows XP Professional/Home (SP1 or later), Windows 2000 Professional (SP4 or later), Windows Small Business Server 2003, or Windows Small Business Server 2000. Operating system
■ Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery Agent – 256 MB
■ Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery console and Recovery Point Browser – 256 MB ■ Symantec Recovery Disk – 256 MB minimum
for most computers, 384 recommended. Symantec Recovery Disk (the recovery environment), is not installed; instead, it runs directly from the Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery CD
■ Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery LightsOut Restore feature – 1 GB RAM
■ Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery Service – 65.2 MB
■ Recovery Point Browser – 30.6 MB ■ Microsoft .NET Framework 1.1 – 110 MB of
hard disk space required, 40 MB additional hard disk space required for installation program (150 MB total), if not already installed ■ Storage space on the network for recovery
points
■ Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery LightsOut Restore feature – 500 MB Hard Disk Free Space
Any speed and bootable in BIOS
To see if Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery supports your CD or DVD writer, visit
http://www.symantec.com/techsupp/lsrdriver Specify your OS and the manufacturer of your CD or DVD writer to see if your device is supported. CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive
Installing Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery Preparing for installation
Table 2-1 Minimum system requirements (continued) Requirements
Component
The first time you start Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery, you are prompted to install the Microsoft .NET Framework 1.1, if this version or a later version has not already been installed. The .NET Framework is a required component to run Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery. Software
Supported file systems and removable media
Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery supports the following file systems and removable media.
FAT16, FAT16X, FAT32, FAT32X, NTFS, dynamic disks, Linux Ext2, Linux Ext3, and Linux swap partitions
Note:Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery does not support 64K clusters on FAT16 partitions. If you try to copy to a FAT16 volume, you might get an error message that says, "The file system is RAW."
Supported file systems
You can save recovery points locally (that is, recovery points are created and saved on the same computer where the console is installed) or to most CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-R(W), and DVD+RW recorders on the market today. For an updated list of supported drivers, see the Symantec Web site.
Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery also supports saving recovery points to most USB devices, 1394 FireWire devices, REV, Jaz, or Zip drives, and magneto-optical devices.
Note:This product does not support RAM drives or backing up directly to tape.
Removable media
Installation options
If you need a data protection solution for enterprise workstations, use the latest version of Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery. If you need a data protection solution for home computers, use the latest version of Norton™ Save and Restore.
21 Installing Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery
30-day evaluation
If you are installing the 30-day evaluation of Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery, you can install all the applications and create recovery points of system and data volumes. You can also perform restorations of data volumes and files/folders.
However, the system volume restoration function and the Copy Drive feature are not available with the evaluation.
You also have open access to Symantec’s online technical support library. You can view up-to-date support information, including a searchable knowledge base, software library files, frequently asked questions, customer-to-customer newsgroups, and additional technical information at the Symantec Support Knowledge Base.
Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery Evaluation expires 30 days after your first use of the software. However, you can upgrade to the full version at any time (even after the trial expiration) without reinstalling the software.
See“Activating Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery”on page 29. See sea.symantec.com
Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery licensing
Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery licensing is based on the number of protected computers. For example, if your organization is protecting 100 computers, the price you pay for Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery is based on 100 computers, regardless of how many computers are running the Recovery Point Browser and where the recovery points are saved.
Installing Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery
Before you begin, ensure that you have carefully reviewed the requirements and scenarios for installing Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery.
See“System requirements”on page 19.
During the installation process, you may be required to restart the computer. If so, after the computer restarts, log in again using the same user credentials to ensure proper functionality.
Also during the installation process, the Driver Validation Results might indicate that you need additional drivers that are not found on your system. If you receive this message, you should test the Symantec Recovery Disk to verify whether the drivers are required or if the devices on your system have compatible drivers that
are available on the Symantec Recovery Disk. This should not interfere with your ability to continue installing the product.
See“About Driver Validation”on page 25.for more information about Driver Validation.
Warning: The Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery product CD is used both to install the software and to start a computer in the recovery environment, known as Symantec Recovery Disk. Be sure you store the CD in a safe place.
To install Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery
1
Insert the Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery CD into the media drive of the computer.If CD auto-run is enabled, the installation program launches automatically.
2
If the CD auto-run is not enabled, click Start > Run, type<drive>:\autorun.exe(where <drive> is the drive letter of your media drive), and then click OK.
3
In the CD browser panel, click Install Backup Exec System Recovery.4
In the Welcome window, click Next.5
Read the license agreement, and then click I accept the terms in the licenseagreement.
6
Click Next.7
If you want to change the default location for the Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery program files, click Change, locate the folder where you want to install Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery, and then click OK.8
Click Next.9
The default selection is Complete. If you want to customize your settings, click Custom, and then click Next to change your settings.The following are the Custom options:
■ Remote Installation
This option allows your computer to deploy the Backup Exec System Recovery Agent to other computers for remote recovery management.
■ Backup Exec System Recovery Service
This option allows you to back up and recovery your computer.
■ CD/DVD Support
This option provides the drivers needed to create recovery points directly to CD/DVD.
■ Recovery Point Browser
This option enables you to browse, mount, archive, verify, and restore files and folders from recovery points.
■ LiveUpdate
This option will enable you to use your Internet connection to get updates for your version of the product.
■ LightsOut Restore
This option provides the necessary setup wizard to configure LightsOut Restore for remote system recovery.
10
Click Next.11
Click Install.A progress screen shows the status of the installation.
12
If a driver that is used on your computer is not available on the Symantec Recovery Disk, you are notified with the name of the driver(s).See“About Driver Validation”on page 25.
13
Click Finish to complete the installation.14
Click Yes to exit the install wizard and reboot the computer.You must restart your computer before running Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery. When the computer reboots, you are returned to the Windows desktop.
15
Remove the Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery CD from the media drive.Post-installation tasks
After installing, you should test Symantec Recovery Disk by starting the computer using the Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery CD, especially if the Driver Validation indicated that there were any unavailable drivers for devices when using Symantec Recovery Disk.
You can also perform the following post-installation tasks.
■ See“About Driver Validation”on page 25.
■ See“Testing Symantec Recovery Disk”on page 26.
■ See“Activating Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery”on page 29.
■ See“Keeping current with LiveUpdate”on page 30.
■ See“Uninstalling Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery”on page 30.
Installing Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery Post-installation tasks
About Driver Validation
Driver Validation checks whether there are available drivers in Symantec Recovery Disk for network and storage devices on the computer. Running the Driver Validation helps to assure that the recovery functionality you might need later will work with your computer’s device configuration.
When you install Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery, the installation program automatically runs the Driver Validation tool to check devices against drivers available in the recovery environment (Symantec Recovery Disk) and displays the validation results.
You can also run Driver Validation from the Autorun program on the product CD or from the DOS prompt.
To run Driver Validation using the Autorun program, insert the product CD into the computer's CD drive, then click Run Driver Validation from the CD browser screen.
To run Driver Validation from the DOS prompt, type the following case-sensitive command line parameter:
DriverValidation.exe -VXF DRIVERINFO.XML
For additional help, at the DOS prompt, type
DriverValidation.exe -help or -h
You can copy the Driver Validation folder from the product CD to each computer whose devices you want to validate and run DriverValidation.exe from a DOS prompt.
You should run Driver Validation anytime changes are made to the NIC cards or storage controllers on a computer to verify whether there are available drivers in Symantec Recovery Disk for network and storage devices on the computer.
Note: Wireless network adapter drivers are not supported in Driver Validation or Symantec Recovery Disk.
Getting Driver Validation results
When drivers for all devices in use by the computer are available in the recovery environment, the Driver Validation tool displays a message indicating that the storage devices and network cards detected have drivers in Symantec Recovery Disk.
When storage and network devices cannot be used when booting with Symantec Recovery Disk because the drivers are not included, a Driver Validation Results dialog appears. While you can use Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery, you
25 Installing Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery
should obtain the necessary drivers and test Symantec Recovery Disk before you must rely on the functionality provided by the recovery environment.
If a panel appears listing devices, know that
■ Drivers for listed devices are not available in the recovery environment.
■ Without the drivers, the devices cannot be used in the recovery environment.
■ If a network card driver is not detected, contact technical support. If a storage controller driver is not detected, but you have the necessary drivers, you can add additional drivers when booting with Symantec Recovery Disk by pressing <F6> at the “Press any key to boot from CD” prompt.
See“You cannot access (or see) the local drive where your recovery points are saved ”on page 147.
Note: You should put all additional storage controller drivers on a CD or floppy disk for quick access for later use.
■ Before relying on Symantec Recovery Disk to restore a recovery point (or use other functionality), you should obtain the necessary drivers and test booting with Symantec Recovery Disk to verify that drivers for the specified devices can be used before you must depend on the functionality in the recovery environment.
■ Saving the validation results can be useful when adding additional drivers or when contacting support concerning missing network card drivers.
Testing Symantec Recovery Disk
You should test Symantec Recovery Disk (the recovery environment) to ensure that it runs properly on your system.
See“How Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery works”on page 16.
Warning: The Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery CD is used both to install the software and to boot a computer into the recovery environment, known as Symantec Recovery Disk. Be sure that you store the CD in a safe place.
If Symantec Recovery Disk does not run as expected, you can take action early to fix the problems. Then if your backed up computer experiences a catastrophic failure later, you will be assured that you can run Symantec Recovery Disk to recover the system or your data.
Installing Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery Post-installation tasks
If you experience problems while testing the recovery environment, you may find a solution below.
■ You are having problems booting into Symantec Recovery Disk from the Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery CD.
See“Starting a computer from the CD drive ”on page 147.
■ You do not have the necessary NIC drivers to access recovery points on a network.
See“You cannot access the network drive where your recovery points are saved ”on page 148.
■ You do not have the necessary storage drivers to access recovery points on the computer.
See“You cannot access (or see) the local drive where your recovery points are saved ”on page 147.
■ You need information about your system to help you run the recovery environment.
See“Getting system information from Windows”on page 135. See“Troubleshooting the recovery environment ”on page 141. To test Symantec Recovery Disk
1
Run Driver Validation to ensure Symantec Recovery Disk will work with the network and storage devices on the computer.2
Boot into Symantec Recovery Disk using the Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery CD.See“Starting a computer in the recovery environment”on page 84.
3
When you have booted into Symantec Recovery Disk, do one of the following:■ If you intend to store recovery points on a network, run a mock restore of a recovery point that is stored on a network to test network connectivity.
■ If you intend to store recovery points on the computer, run a mock restore of a recovery point that is stored locally to test local hard drive
connectivity.
See“Restoring a single drive using the recovery environment”on page 88.
Starting Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery
Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery is installed in the Windows Program Files folder by default. During installation, Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery places a program icon in the Windows system tray from which you can open the
27 Installing Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery
console. You can also open Backup Exec System Recovery from the Windows Start menu.
To use the full version of Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery, you must activate the software.
See“Activating Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery”on page 29. To start Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery
◆ Do one of the following:
■ On the classic Windows taskbar, click Start > Programs > Symantec >
Backup Exec System Recovery.
■ On the Windows 2003 taskbar, click Start > All Programs > Symantec >
Backup Exec System Recovery.
■ On the Windows XP taskbar, click Start > All Programs > Symantec >
Backup Exec System Recovery.
■ In the Windows system tray, double-click the Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery tray icon.
■ In the Windows system tray, right-click the Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery tray icon, and then click Run Symantec Backup Exec System
Recovery.
Installing Microsoft .NET Framework
The first time you run Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery, if Microsoft .NET Framework 1.1 or a later version is not installed, you are prompted to install it. The .NET Framework is a required component to run Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery.
To install Microsoft .NET Framework
1
Start Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery.2
When prompted to install Microsoft .NET Framework 1.1, click Yes.3
In the Microsoft .NET Framework Setup window, read the license agreement.4
Click I agree to accept the license agreement.5
Click Install.6
Click OK when the installation is complete.After installing the .NET Framework, the Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery console will continue to launch.
Installing Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery Post-installation tasks
Installing the Symantec license file or license key
The first time you run Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery, the Install License panel appears. You can install a license file or enter a license key to activate the full version, or you can use the trial version by installing the product without any license file or key. Not all features are available in the trial version of the product. See“30-day evaluation ”on page 22.
See“Activating Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery”on page 29.
Activating Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery
Product activation is a technology that protects users from pirated or counterfeit software by limiting use of a product to those users who have acquired Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery legitimately. Product activation requires a unique serial number and a license file or license key for each installation of a product. To use the full version of the product, you must activate Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery within 30 days of installing it. Product activation is completely separate from registration.
When you first start the software, you are asked to enter the path to the license file, or enter a license key to activate Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery. If you choose not to activate, each time you start the software, an alert appears to remind you to activate Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery.
If you do not activate Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery within 30 days of installing it, the software will stop working. You can activate it after the 30 days have elapsed.
See“30-day evaluation ”on page 22.
The license distinguishes your computer from others without storing information about you or your computer’s hardware and software. Unlocking your software may trigger an optional registration. Registration data is generally used for demographic purposes and is not resold. You can opt out of marketing-oriented uses of your data as part of registration.
To activate Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery
1
On the Help menu, in Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery, click UnlockTrial Product.
In the Install License panel, you can purchase Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery, use the serial number to get a license file, and install a product license file or enter a product license key.
2
Do one of the following:29 Installing Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery
If you do not have a serial number for Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery (because you have not purchased the software), click Buy Now to pay for the software and receive a serial number.
■
■ If you have a serial number for Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery, click Get License to obtain a license file.
■ If you have a license file, click Browse to locate and open the license file.
■ If you received a license key, enter it in appropriate spaces as it appears on your certificate.
3
Click Activate.Keeping current with LiveUpdate
Using your Internet connection, you can receive software updates associated with your version of the product. When you run LiveUpdate, you connect to the Symantec LiveUpdate server and select the product updates that you want to install.
Run LiveUpdate as soon as you have installed the product. Once you know that your files are up-to-date, run LiveUpdate periodically to obtain program updates. To obtain updates using LiveUpdate
1
On the Help menu, click LiveUpdate.2
In the LiveUpdate window, click Start to locate updates. Updates, if available, are downloaded and installed.3
When the installation is complete, click Close.Some program updates may require that you reboot your computer before the changes will take effect.
Uninstalling Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery
If you are upgrading Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery from a previous version of Symantec LiveState Recovery, the product automatically uninstalls previous versions when you install the latest version. If needed, you can manually uninstall the product.
To uninstall Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery
1
From Windows, click Start > Settings > Control Panel > Add or RemovePrograms.
2
Select Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery, and then click Remove >Yes.
3
You can choose to keep your current jobs, histories, and command files on your computer for future installations of the Backup Exec System Recovery product, rather than uninstalling them.4
After the uninstall completes, you must reboot your computer for the changes to take effect.Creating recovery points
This chapter includes the following topics:
■ About creating recovery points
■ Manually creating a recovery point
■ About scheduling incremental recovery points
■ Scheduling a recovery point
■ Stopping a task
■ Archiving a recovery point
■ Deleting recovery points
■ Rescanning a computer’s hard disk
■ Viewing events in Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery
■ Setting up notifications
■ Viewing the recovery point history of a drive
■ Setting a default recovery point location
■ Setting the default performance
About creating recovery points
When you create a recovery point, you can customize how and where you want to store it. You can also set options for verifying the integrity of the recovery point, the level of compression you want, or adding encryption to a recovery point.
3
Best practices for system protection
This section describes best practices for protecting your system that you should implement whenever possible.
Before creating a recovery point
Strategies you can use to help ensure successful base recovery points (especially on servers) include the following:
■ Simplify recovery and reduce the time it takes to create recovery points. Separate the boot/operating system from the business data. Put the boot/operating system and the data on their own respective drives. This separation speeds the creation of recovery point files and narrows what needs to be restored.
■ Run Windows Disk Defragmenter and chkdsk utilities after creating the last incremental recovery point, and before you create the next base recovery point.
During a recovery point creation
Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery greatly simplifies the creation of recovery points. To take advantage of this, consider the following strategies.
■ Create recovery points often and regularly.
Use the Configure Jobs Wizard to schedule the consistent creation of recovery points.
■ Save recovery points to the proper location.
This product supports saving recovery points to a network hard disk or to a local hard disk (including USB, FireWire, REV, Zip, and Jaz drives, and magneto-optical devices). It does not support saving recovery points directly to a tape drive. To save recovery points to tape, save the recovery point to another drive, and then use your existing tape backup strategy to save the recovery point to tape.
After creating a recovery point
Strategies you can use to help you successfully manage recovery points after they are created include the following:
■ Maintain duplicate recovery points for safety.
Store recovery points elsewhere on the network and create CDs, DVDs, or tapes of the recovery points for storage off-site in a safe and secure place.
■ Verify that recovery point or set of recovery points is stable and usable.
Document and test your entire restore process by doing regular restores of recovery points (using the console and the Symantec recovery environment), and single files (using Recovery Point Browser). Doing so can uncover potential hardware or software problems.
Use Verify recovery point after creation at the time you create a recovery point or use Verify recovery point from Recovery Point Browser to periodically check the integrity of all your recovery points.
■ Consolidate incremental recovery points.
Combine incremental recovery points to reduce the number of files you have to maintain. This strategy also uses hard disk space more efficiently.
■ Review the Events tab.
Periodically review the contents found in the Events tab of the console to ensure stability in the computer system.
■ Review the contents of recovery points.
Ensure that you are backing up essential data by periodically reviewing the contents of recovery points.
Tips on using Backup Exec System Recovery and creating recovery
points
The following information may help when you create recovery points:
■ You may find it helpful to test recovery points. If a recovery point is successful and is stored in the location you want, you can use the Configure Jobs Wizard to create subsequent recovery points at regular intervals.
■ Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery does not need to be open for a recovery point creation to take place. Therefore, after you create a recovery point job, you can exit Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery. Your computer, however, must be running so a recovery point or recovery point job can occur. To verify that a recovery point was made, check the information in the History tab or the Events tab, both found in the Advanced View.
■ To test a recovery point job, click the Jobs tab in the Advanced View, and then select the recovery point job you just created. On the Tools menu, click Run Job Now.
■ All recovery point jobs are saved, so you can edit or run them later.
■ Do not run a disk defragmentation program while a recovery point is being created or unexpected results may occur.
■ If you have two or more volumes that are dependent on each other or they are used as a group by a program such as a database service, you should back up the volumes together. With Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery, you can
back up multiple volumes simultaneously by selecting two or more volumes in the Configure Jobs Wizard or in the Create Recovery Point Wizard.
Simultaneous recovery points provide the safest protection for shared volumes that are running data-intensive applications. Backing up volumes
simultaneously also cuts down back up times and maximizes efficiency across shared data volumes.
■ If the computer you are backing up has power management features (such as going into hibernation after a period of inactivity), they may conflict with Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery during the creation of a recovery point.
If you experience any of these problems, you may need to reboot the computer, turn off all power management features, and then create the recovery point again.
Check inside the Microsoft Services console (services.msc) to ensure that the Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery Agent is running (started). If it is running, you will be able to use the console to create recovery points of the computer.
See“Managing the agent using Windows Services”on page 122.
Tips for backing up dual-boot systems
You can back up dual-boot systems, or systems that are running more than one operating system, even if you have drives (partitions) that are hidden under the operating system where you run Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery. Everything on the drive you select is included in the recovery point, so it will be bootable later if you restore it. An exception to this is if you back up a bootstrapped operating system, you must back up—and then restore—every drive that includes operating system boot information for your computer to boot the same from a restored system as it did from the original configuration.
You cannot create incrementals of shared data drives if Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery is installed on both operating systems and they are both set to manage the shared volume.
You will encounter issues if you try to use the Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery LightsOut Restore feature or the Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery Restore Anyware™ feature on a dual boot system.
Backup of VSS-aware databases
Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery can co-exist with Microsoft VSS (Volume Shadow Copy Service) to automate the process of backing up VSS-aware databases like production Exchange 2003 and SQL 2005 databases, transaction logs on
Windows Server 2003, Active Directory, and the latest versions of Oracle. VSS-aware databases are auto-enabled and cannot be turned off.
See“Backup of non-VSS-aware databases”on page 60.
VSS allows IT administrators to create a shadow copy backup of volumes on a server. The shadow copy includes all files (including open files).
Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery is integrated with Microsoft’s Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) When creating a recovery point, Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery alerts the Volume Shadow Copy Service that a recovery point is about to be created. VSS then communicates this information to the VSS-aware databases and puts them into a quiesced (sleep) state. While in this quiesced state, the database continues to write to transaction logs while it is being backed up. Once the databases are quiesced, Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery takes the snapshot. VSS is then notified that the snapshot is completed. The databases are awakened, and the transaction logs continue to be committed to the database. Meanwhile, the recovery point is created. The databases are only quiesced for the snapshot, and are active for the rest of the recovery point creation. Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery supports VSS Exchange Server 2003, which implements Microsoft’s Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) technology. There are known issues that if the database load is heavy, the VSS request might be ignored.
Create recovery points at the lightest load time. There are known VSS issues that are resolved in 2003 Service Pack 1, and also the Exchange 2003 Service Pack 1. Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery performs traditional Exchange server maintenance as follows:
1. VSS makes a call to quiesce the database.
2. The API calls are made to perform Exchange database maintenance. 3. The snapshot is used to capture the recovery point.
4. The database and other procedures on the system continue in parallel.
Note: Database operations are not interrupted.
Recommended use of Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery
with Exchange Databases
Additional backup applications are not needed to run with Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery.
Note: NTbackup incrementals might not function properly.
Storing recovery points
You can save recovery points to a local hard drive, local removable media, a network drive, or a local USB, FireWire, or REV drive.
Table 3-1shows the advantages and disadvantages of using different locations for storing recovery points.
Table 3-1 Recovery point storage locations
Disadvantages Advantages
Location
■ Uses valuable drive space ■ Vulnerable to loss if the
hard drive fails ■ Fast create and restore
■ Can schedule unattended recovery points
■ Inexpensive because drive space can be overwritten repeatedly Hard drive
■ Cannot create unattended recovery points; process is manual
■ Cannot create incremental recovery points
■ Media can be expensive ■ Restore can be slower
than from other locations, especially for individual files and folders
■ Protection from hard drive failure
■ Ideal for off-site storage ■ Reserves hard drive space
for other uses Removable media (local)
■ Additional expense for the drive itself ■ Must have supported
storage device drivers to restore from Symantec Recovery Disk; could require additional media along with the Symantec Recovery Disk CD ■ Fast create and restore
■ Can schedule unattended recovery points
■ Inexpensive because drive space can be overwritten repeatedly ■ Off-site storage is
possible
■ Reserves hard drive space for other uses
USB/FireWire/REV drive (local)
Table 3-1 Recovery point storage locations (continued)
Disadvantages Advantages
Location
■ Must have supported NIC drivers to restore from Symantec Recovery Disk ■ Must understand and
assign the appropriate user accounts and network credentials ■ Fast create and restore
■ Can schedule unattended recovery points
■ Inexpensive because drive space can be overwritten repeatedly ■ Protection from local
hard drive failure ■ Off-site storage (through
existing network recovery point strategies) Network drive
Selecting a storage location for recovery points
When you create or schedule a job, you can specify where the recovery point will be saved.
You can also save time by using Options to set a default recovery point location that you want to use whenever a recovery point is created.
See“Setting a default recovery point location”on page 77.
Table 3-2describes the recovery point storage location options that are available.
Table 3-2 Storage location for recovery point Description Location
The recovery points are stored on the hard drive of the computer that is being backed up. You need to specify the drive and folder (for example, E:\Data_Recovery_Points\) where you want the recovery points stored.
Note:It is highly recommended that you save recovery points to a secondary hard drive, a network location, or removable media.
Note:While it is possible to save the recovery point to the same drive that you are backing up, it is not recommended for several reasons. As the number or size of recovery points grows, you will have less disk space available for regular use. Also, the recovery point is included in subsequent recovery points of the drive, increasing the size of those recovery points. And finally, if the computer suffers a catastrophic failure, such as a primary hard drive going bad, you may not be able to recover the recovery point you need, even if you save it to a different drive on the same hard drive.
Use Symantec VolumeManager™ to create new partitions on a server hard disk that are dedicated to storing recovery points, or use Norton PartitionMagic™ to create a partition on your desktop (work) computer or home computer hard drive that is dedicated to recovery points. If you are managing the server remotely, the recovery point will be stored on the server, not on the computer where you are running the Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery console. To local destination
Table 3-2 Storage location for recovery point (continued) Description
Location
The recovery points are stored on the network. You need to specify the UNC path
(\\computer\share) to the folder on the network where you want the recovery points stored. Alternatively, you can click Browse to navigate to the appropriate network folder.
Type a domain or computer name, a user name, and password.
The user name you type must have read-write access to the network folders where the recovery points will be stored. Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery uses this login information to access the network when you create a recovery point.
To a network destination
Table 3-2 Storage location for recovery point (continued) Description
Location
If you enter a drive that is a CD/DVD location, the recovery points are stored on disk media.
Note:To select the CD/DVD location, choose this option when installing the Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery product.
You need to specify the CD or DVD drive where the recovery points will be sent.
■ Make sure the media is new and blank. Partially written CD or DVD media should not be used.
■ When you save a recovery point to removable media, the files are automatically split into the correct sizes if the backup spans more than one media. The files are named according to the naming convention for spanned recovery points.
See“Ways to divide a recovery point into smaller files ”on page 44.
■ You cannot schedule recovery points when you are saving to removable media since removable media might require user intervention and scheduled jobs are designed to run even when the computer is unattended. If you create a recovery point of two volumes and the first recovery point fills one and a half CDs, you will be prompted to insert new media before the second volume recovery point is created. It helps to think of the two volumes as two separate recovery point sets. This process makes it easier to restore recovery points from removable media later. If you are backing up to DVD media, Symantec recommends that you back up volumes separately to avoid wasting media space. To a CD-R/RW/DVD-R/RW destination
About verifying a recovery point
You can use Verify Recovery Point to determine whether a recovery point or set of recovery points is valid or corrupt.
If you verify a recovery point at the time you create a recovery point, the recovery point or set of recovery points will be checked to see that all of files are available, the internal data structures in the recovery point match the data that is available, and the recovery point can be uncompressed to create the expected amount of data (if you selected a compression level at the time of creation).
Note: Verifying a recovery point doubles the time (approximately) required to create the recovery point.
If you decide not to verify the recovery point at the time of creation, you can still check the integrity of a recovery point any time after it is created by opening the file in the Recovery Point Browser.
See“Verifying a recovery point”on page 103.
Setting the compression level for recovery points
When you create a recovery point, configure a job from the console, or archive a recovery point using the Recovery Point Browser, you can choose the compression level for the recovery points.
Table 3-3describes the available compression levels. Table 3-3 Compression levels for recovery points
Description Compression level
Uses no compression. This is most useful if storage space is not an issue. However, if you are saving the recovery point to a busy network drive, using high compression may be faster than no compression because there is less data to write across the network.
None
Uses low compression for a 40% average data compression ratio on recovery points. This is the default.
Standard
Uses medium compression for a 45% average data compression ratio on recovery points.
Medium
Table 3-3 Compression levels for recovery points (continued) Description
Compression level
Uses high compression for a 50% average data compression ratio on recovery points. This is usually the slowest method.
When a high compression recovery point is created, CPU usage may be higher than normal. Other processes on the computer may also be slower. To compensate, you can adjust the operation speed of Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery. This may improve the performance of other resource intensive applications that you are running at the same time.
See“Setting the default performance”on page 77. High
Ways to divide a recovery point into smaller files
You can split a recovery point into two or more smaller files. This is useful if you are creating or archiving a recovery point that you want to copy to removable media later for safekeeping. The recovery point is split into smaller, more manageable segments. You can then copy the segments onto separate, removable media.
If you are creating a recovery point of thousands of files on a computer that has low memory, splitting the recovery point into smaller segments may help speed the process.
If a recovery point is divided into multiple files, the filenames for subsequent files will be appended with _S01, _S02, and so forth. For example, if the default filename were C_Drive.v2i, the second filename would be C_Drive_S01.v2i, and so on. If you are creating or archiving a recovery point directly to removable media, you do not need to select this option; the recovery point will be split into multiple files automatically to fit on the media that you selected.
Advanced options for creating recovery points
When you create or schedule a job or archive a recovery point, you can set the advanced options for the recovery points.
Table 3-4describes the advanced options that are available for recovery points.
Table 3-4 Advanced options
Description Option
If you select this option, you can specify a password for the recovery point.
A user must type the password before restoring a recovery point or opening it in the Recovery Point Browser.
You can specify specific password criteria, if you are encrypting the recovery point.
See“Recovery point encryption”on page 46. You can remove a password from a recovery point. See“Archiving a recovery point”on page 70. Use password
See“Recovery point encryption”on page 46. Use Encryption
To break the recovery point into small segments, select this option, and then type the maximum size (in MB) for each file.
For example, if you plan to copy a recovery point to CDs, specify a file size of 700 MB or less. See“Ways to divide a recovery point into smaller files ”on page 44.
Divide into smaller files to simplify archiving
If you want the ability to create a recovery point even if there are bad sectors on the hard drive, select this option. Although most drives do not have bad sectors, the potential for problems increases during the lifetime of the hard drive. This option is not applicable for archiving recovery points.
Ignore bad sectors during copy
Table 3-4 Advanced options (continued) Description Option
SmartSector technology speeds up the copying process by only copying clusters and sectors that contain data. However, in some cases, it may be desirable to copy all clusters and sectors in their original layout, whether or not they contain data. If you want to copy both used and unused clusters and sectors, select Disable SmartSector Copying. Selecting this option increases processing time and usually results in a larger recovery point size. This option is not applicable for archiving recovery points.
Disable SmartSector Copying
Recovery point encryption
You can enhance the security of your data by using AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) to encrypt recovery points that you create or archive. This is especially useful if you are storing recovery points on a network and need a high level of security protection against unauthorized access and use.
You can also encrypt recovery points that were created with earlier versions of Symantec LiveState Recovery by using the Archive Recovery Point feature in the Recovery Point Browser. However, encrypting those files will make them readable with the current product only.
See“Archiving a recovery point”on page 70.
You can view the encryption strength of a recovery point at any time by viewing the properties of the file from the Recovery Point Browser.
Encryption strengths are available in 128-bit, 192-bit, or 256-bit. While higher bit strengths require longer passwords, the result is greater security for your data.
Table 3-5explains the bit strength and required password length. Table 3-5 Password length
Password length Bit strength 8 characters or longer 128 (Standard) 16 characters or longer 192 (Medium) 32 characters or longer 256 (High)
