Confused with Windows 2000 Backup

[IanGlinka]

All I want to do is set up Win2k Backup to perform a full backup of my server's shared hard drive every night, Monday through Friday.

Sounds easy enough, huh?

Well, I'm encountering problems with media naming / media pools, etc... and I'm getting a little lost in the vocabulary, I guess. I've searched for a "how-to" on Windows 2000 Backup, but I can't find anything.

What I have seen, are forum threads where people spout off their knowledge of the command line options. I'm not really interested in memorizing 45 switches, I just want the damn thing to do a full backup, every night. Period.

I've also been told I might be better off just getting Backup Exec. Why is this so confusing? With NT Backup, you just threw a tape in, it backed it up according to the routine, and that was the end of the story.

Thanks for the help...
Ian

 

[Killman]

Use the Wizard to set up the Backup, when you get to the Completion page select "Advanced". Select > Normal > Next > Check Verify or not > next > Append or Replace media > next > Label media > Next > Select "later" - it will ask for a password of the account you are logged in with to run under > Ok > Set Schedule > This is where you want to schedule daily and whatever time you want. W2K backup is a stripped down version of backup exec.

 

[IanGlinka]

Well... my main gripe with W2K Backup is that there doesn't seem to be the ability to view the contents of the "currently inserted tape" - regardless of the media name or the media pool name...

It's like there has to be data stored in the backup program itself about the tape in order for you to be able to do restores.

I don't know... I'm just really unimpressed with w2k backup... I KNOW I should learn more about it, but it just seems to hard to understand and use. It's like they're trying to get people to go and buy something else.

BTW I did exactly as you mentioned above already (job scheduling) and I'm still running into problems where it's looking for a certain tape... like it will say "Please insert so and so media into the drive" and it won't take no for an answer.

Ian

 

[Ajb2528]

I'm confused as well...

I want to backup selected folders on a daily basis (Mon-Fri) and have daily tapes labelled (Mon thru Fri). I have selected all of the relevant options (Verify/Replace etc). This was fine for the first iteration of the tapes ie when they were new but on the second iteration the job started/ended (completion code 0) and the message :-

The operation was not performed because no unused media was available.

is recorded within the backup log.

When the same operation is excuted interactively, a message box is displayed asking to confirm that you want to overwrite the contents...

All of the tapes appear within the media pools (whatever they are)

Has anyone got any ideas on how to get this working???

Regards,

Alan

 

[support111111]

Hello:

I have used this on most of my W2K server installs and it works pretty good.

Taken from a MS Support article (239892)- you will need the sleep utility from the W2K Resource Utility. Also, be sure to prepare all of your tapes so they are available (Idle,Free). Batch file lines maybe wrapped due to post-look up post and cut/paste batch file! Then, use AT Task scheduler to schedule the batch file. OH, you will have to use NTBackup to create the job (daily.bks).

This is a more complex example, however, it is a real-life example that performs the following procedures completely unattended:

Refreshes RSM database.
Sleeps for 30 seconds to ensure that RSM is refreshed.
Sets environment variables used to create unique tape names.
Starts Ntbackup, which Mounts any existing tape in the tape drive by using the /um switch.
Performs the backup and changes the tape name to the following format:
Machine_Name-date-time

Ejects the tape from the tape drive.


echo off
rsm.exe refresh /LF"HP C1537A SCSI Sequential Device"
sleep 30
for /f "Tokens=1-4 Delims=/ " %%i in ('date /t') do set dt=%%i-%%j-%%k-%%l
for /f "Tokens=1" %%i in ('time /t') do set tm=-%%i
set tm=%tm::=-%
set dtt=%dt%%tm%
c:\winnt\system32\ntbackup.exe backup "@C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Local Settings
\Application Data\Microsoft\Windows NT\NTBackup\data\Daily.bks"
/n "%computername%-%dtt%" /d "daily %dtt%" /v:yes /r:no /rs:no /hcn
/m normal /j "daily %dtt%" /l:f /p "4mm DDS" /UM
rsm.exe eject /PF"%computername%-%dtt% - 1" /astart
exit

 

[juls38]

I use the backup wizard. It seems that I choose all the right settings but the scheduler never works (was suppossed to be fixed in the newest service pack) It never over writes the media unless I answer yes when it asks during a back up(I've set it up under "advanced" when using the wizard) and then clicking "yes" again after it rewinds the tape.

How I get around all this is I put a tape in before I go home for the night. Later in the evening I terminal service in and run the backup wizard, selecting what I want backed up, going to advanced and telling it to overwrite the media and give me a report at the end. I click start back up now. Back up starts, click "Yes" two times to the question of whether I want to overwrite the media. I close my terminal session. ( I don't logout I just Xit the session. Then the next morning I terminal service back in look at the backup report and close the wizard.

Not real efficient but I found it to be the fastest and easiest way around the problems. The fact is I am getting a backup every night instead of another day going by with the settings not working and no back up happening.

 

[Killman]

Do the tapes you use have data on them? If so erase the tape when you put it in the drive, this works for us.

 

[GreggLester]

I use Veritas Backup Exec on several of my sites - far more reliable and full featured than 2k Backup

 

[IanGlinka]

I'm wrestling with management to get Veritas... I sort of shot myself in the foot because once NT Backup "looked" like it was working, I said there was no need for Veritas, and that we were fine with NTBackup. Now, I think I'll have a hard time explaining why we need it...

Woe is me.

Ian

 

[SMO6]

Wrestling w/ management eh? Give'em the stone cold stunner!!! Just tell them that NTBackup isn't working in a reliable manner. Then, ask them what they would do if you couldn't recover from a disaster due to NTbackup's inability to back data up? You might want to ask them how priceless their data is? Data is often more expensive that a license to run Veritas.....hahahah good luck dude!



SMAUG

 

[Zcript3r]

Is there any way to get around the 4GB single file limit? I am using Buslink External Hard Drives with Microsoft Windows Backup 5.0, and my backups are stopping at 4GB. IS there any way around this or am I going to have to break up my job into several sections?

Thanks,
Rob