Disaster Recovery

[zebs]

Hi,

We have recently upgraded to ArcServer 11.1. We are running Windows2k3 with Exchange2k3.
I want to be sure that I have followed the correct procedure for the disater recovery...

I have used the create boot kit program to create a machine specific recovery disk, created a floppy disk. The program then listed sessions that will be restored (I notice Exchange is not listed???). I have also created a CD using the ISO image included in the ArcServe 11.1 update.

In the event of a disaster am I correct in saying that I should boot from the Windows2k3 CD and when it prompts for a ASR disk, insert the floppy that ArcServ created?

I'm sure these are pretty obvious questions, but I really need to be sure incase the worst ever happens.

Thanks

 

[ARCserveGuru]

In answer to your questions.

You should boot from a W2K3 CD and click (F2 i think it is) for Automated System Recovery. Then insert the ARCserve created ASR disk. Throughout the whole motion it will ask for the ARCserve CD rom and your Win2K3 CD again.

You may want to verify this in the DR guide though.

cheers,

g

 

[jmeske]

Hallo ARCServeGuru,

read about this issue and hope you have an idea. I simulated the DR on a brand new FSC Rackserver Hardware RX100S2. Everything looks nice, but after inserting the Arcserv 11.1 CD to continue the process, the DR fails with the following error massage:

The error is displayed in a notepad window:
"c:\windows\system32\asr_pfu.exe /restore /sifpath=c:\windows\repair\asr.sif
has returned errorcode 0x2. This cant recovert. The Process cannot be
continued."

On the command window i type: ipconfig /all to verify the network settings and get nothing.

The official Answer from CA Support Germany is: This is a limitation of windows ASR Process. If the network drivers are not on the windows 2003 CD. The Process do not work.

I found an article at microsoft where a solution is given by modifying the asr.sif file to get the needed driver by creating a [InstallFiles] section. (

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;Q299044)

The support also told me that the network card (onboard intel 1000MT) does not get initialized before windows is fully started. So i dont know if this works anyway.

Do you have solved a similar Problem successfully?

Any Hint would be great. I think this will be usefull for many users, because newer servers make use of this network card.

Greetings from Hamburg, Germany
jmeske

 

[ramdaus]

Hi Jmeske
You should press F6 to load the drivers for SCSI or other drivers if the native Windows 2003 doesn't have those drivers. Please refer to the Disaster Recovery Option guide (pdf) in the 11.1 CD in the Doc. folder.

regards
Ramdaus

 

[vschumpy]

For the ASR part of XP/2003 recovery it requires that drivers for your NIC and storage drivers are on the Win2003 CD itself - it is not like a Win2K dr where you can manually provide them using F6.

Working around the ASR limitation by using the Microsoft Q article quoted is one way to get a result if the drivers for your equipment do not come on the Win2003 CD.

 

[LOJosef]

ARCserve Backup v11.0
I've solved my DR problem on a Dell PowerEdge 2850 by adding the driver files for the Intel Pro/1000 MT network adapters to the machine specific recovery disk (subfolder Intel)and editing the asr.sif file (as described in the MS KB article Q299044)
...
[INSTALLFILES]
1=1,"CADRIF","\Device\Floppy0\","DrLaunch.exe","%SystemRoot%\system32\DrLaunch.exe","CA"
2=1,"CADRIF","\Device\Floppy0\","DrLaunchRes.dll","%SystemRoot%\system32\DrLaunchRes.dll","CA"
3=1,"CADRIF","\Device\Floppy0\","Intel\PROUnstl.exe","%SystemRoot%\system32\Drivers\PROUnstl.exe","CA"
4=1,"CADRIF","\Device\Floppy0\","Intel\E1000325.inf","%SystemRoot%\inf\E1000325.inf","CA"
5=1,"CADRIF","\Device\Floppy0\","Intel\E1000325.sys","%SystemRoot%\system32\Drivers\E1000325.sys","CA"
...

 

[mastersmurf]

LOJosef or anyone else for that matter, I would realy appreciate your help on this.

I am running ArcServe 11.1 (build 3100) on a Dell PowerEdge 2850 (Windows 2003 Std SP1)

I have followed the arcserve disaster recovery manual as well as edited my boot floppy similar to LoJosef but my recovery still crashes giving the "c:\windows\system32\asr_pfu.exe /restore /sifpath=c:\windows\repair\asr.sif
has returned errorcode 0x2. This cant recovert. The Process cannot be continued" meesage.

Please Advise

 

[vschumpy]

Either you didn't quite get the syntax right, or the driver for whatever reason won't load during Windows setup - I think I heard of this with some embedded Proliant NICs but not with Dell.

Actually reading LOJosef's reply it is a little misleading the Windows CD has to be remastered to include the drivers, it won't read the drivers from a floppy disk.

 

[mastersmurf]

vschumpy,

Can you please give me a quick step by step of how to edit the boot floppy and/or remaster the Windows CD.

Do I have to place my drivers inside of the drivers.cab (if possible) or do I just place the files on the cd and edit my asr.sif

I saw on the MS knowledge base that I may have to add an enry to my commands section on the asr.sif to ensure the driver is installed.

I would greatly appreciate it if yo can clarify al of this for me

MS

 

[speshalyst]

Hi,

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/q299044/

So it Shall be Written!
So it Shall be Done!!

 

[mastersmurf]

Thanks to all ho helped point me in the right direction.

- Actually reading LOJosef's reply it is a little misleading the Windows CD has to be remastered to include the drivers, it won't read the drivers from a floppy disk. -

For clarification - In a W2k3 install, the RAID and NIC drivers WILL copy from a disk.

The problem I had was that I didnt have the CA fix installed because I had W2k3 SP1. - CA pointed this out.

I also was using a USB Rev drive which works fine for backing up and restoring but CANT be seen Locally while doing DR - The drive would have to be setup on a remote machine.

MS