Windows Server Backup

[goombawaho]

I have tried to find the answer to this question elsewhere, but can't seem to find quite what I'm looking for. I've got a customer with a Server 2012 Essentials. I'm doing a backup to a dedicated external hard drive. I set it up for daily and then edited the scheduled task to make it once a week.

It says I have 46 backups using 136GB of space. The external drive is 2TB. If you add up the C: and E: drives, it's about 73GB of data per backup. So, are the backups being pruned OR are the backups incremental? If incremental, is there any way to force a full backup each time? Picture attached.

I'd like to know what to expect in an emergency situation if I had to do a bare metal restore. Thanks!

 

[2ffat]

I suspect that you are getting an incremental backup but it's hard to say based upon the pic you included. I don't know what software you are using but most backup software allows you to do a full back in the options settings. Also, most of the backup programs I've used have excluded temp directories and files. Some even exclude the OS files, expecting you to restore to an operating PC unless provisions are made otherwise. For example, Acronis requires you to create a recovery disk before it will restore to a "blank" PC.

James P. Cottingham
I'm number 1,229!
I'm number 1,229!

 

[goombawaho]

It's just Windows Server Backup. It's supposed to backup everything needed to get the server back up and running.

 

[biglebowski]

Do a test restore (restoring to a VM is a good way of validating backups)

Biglebowskis Razor - with all things being equal if you still can't find the answer have a shave and go down the pub.

 

[technome]

Not sure but you might be backing up the recovery partition for the C: drive, but NOT the C: drive itself. You should really get a robust backup program, not a freebe MS puts little effort into.


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"Computers in the future may weigh no more than 1.5 tons."
Popular Mechanics, 1949

 

[goombawaho]

You are right, but..... customer would not pay for something like that. I have to deal with what I've got. Since nobody seems to be able to answer the question, I'll just wait and see when disaster strikes and try to make lemonade out of lemons.

 

[technome]

I'll just wait and see when disaster strikes and try to make lemonade out of lemons. "

Trouble with that is the client will still blame you for the disaster.

Best one I have.... Nasty client will not take my advice. I loose the client because he thinks I am creating work for myself by sabotaging machines, totally untrue, but the guy is so nasty to everyone I did not care, I was glad.
Anyway his server crashed, no backup. It took multiple people 3 months solid to recreate the data on paper. I was told it filled an entire storage room to the ceiling.... could not have happened to a more deserving person.


........................................

"Computers in the future may weigh no more than 1.5 tons."
Popular Mechanics, 1949

 

[goombawaho]

Yes, some customers would rather cut their arm off than spend money on IT. And I mean WORTHWHILE IT stuff - not pie in the sky frivolous stuff.

 

[technome]

Yes, I have had clients who would rather cut off something more valuable then an arm, then spend money on IT.

........................................

"Computers in the future may weigh no more than 1.5 tons."
Popular Mechanics, 1949

 

[goombawaho]

You can't slap the customer if they don't follow your best recommendations, though how I wish I could. I guess you could but............. Better to send a CYA email in case the worst happens.