Re: Disaster Recovery with NTBackup

Helen,

I think you should stick with what Jeff Middelton is telling you in his
replies to your posts in the Yahoo SBS2K newsgroup. Windows Update may
(can) cause problems if you invoke it before the restore. You just need:

Win2K3 (SBS 2003 CD1)
Win2K3 SP1 only (if not integrated into your SBS CD)
DSRM
Restore the backup using the document from the link I mentioned

This assumes that you are restoring to absolutely identical hardware
(motherboard, controllers, NICs, hard drives, RAID array, boot partition
size equal to greater than the original server).

--
Merv Porter [SBS MVP]
===================================

"Helen Mooc" <hmooc@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:O3ezgF3eGHA.3336@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Merv,
I am back to the same problem I had with the first restore attempt . The
error "Windows could not start because the following file is missing or
corrupt: <Windows root>\system32\ntsokrnl.exe. Please re-install a copy of
he above file".
The step I took this time that is difference from the first and second are
the following:
1. I booted into DRSM using the F8 key
2. From the NTbackup applet, during the stage where it ask How to restore
I choose "replace existing file" than then leave existing files
Is it relevant that I boot into the DRSM to perform a restore? I am just
at loss here. Should I try copy the boot.ini file that I got from the
production server and see what happen?
The partitions are on the production and test server plus array
configuration are carbon copy.
What I want to do right now is to see if I can edit the boot.ini. I
booted into the Recovery Console mode. I can see the boot.ini but it
won't let me do any of the command. I have try the following
c:\read boot.ini
c:\copy boot.ini a:
c:\copy boot.in a:\
none works.
Do you have any suggestions?
Thanks,
Helen





"Merv Porter [SBS-MVP]" <mwport@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:uB1qT$1eGHA.4948@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
DSRM... I've seen a few debates about whether booting into DSRM is
required or not on an SBS 2003 (i.e., single domain controller) restore.
The last I heard was that DSRM was required for pre-SBS 2003 SP1 and not
required for SBS 2003 SP1. However, even with pre-SP1, it does not hurt
to boot into DSRM to do a "bare metal" recovery. The MS online
literature on SBS restore has both included and excluded the DSRM
requirement over the past couple of years. So, I would use DSRM on any
SBS 2003 restore, just to keep out of trouble.

ACTIVATION REQUIRED... If you are restoring to different hardware (even
for just a test server), the requirement for reactivation before
authenticating to the server will kick in. Jeff Middleton published some
info on this a while back:

Disaster test - Windows Product Activation problem
http://groups.google.com/group/microsoft.public.windows.server.sbs/msg/fa071f2b172f036e?hl=en&;

If you have Software Assurance (SA) on your SBS 2003, you are allowed to
activate a second "cold server" (test server) so that you can examine it
for recovery completeness. Without SA, you'd need to restore to
identical hardware to bypass the activation. Note that as Jeff
mentioned, this "activation requirement" is an inherited trait from
Windows 2003 Server and is not SBS specific.

--
Merv Porter [SBS MVP]
===================================

"Helen Mooc" <hmooc@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:%23CpCIF1eGHA.3900@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Hey Merv,

So how come the link you provided me does not tell me to boot into
Disaster Recovery Service Mode (F8) for the restore process? Hence the
reason for my hick up yesterday when I was restoring the SBSbackup for
the second time. After applying the restore and follow by the reboot, my
test server looked blown up just if I was going to boot into Safe Mode
on a PC. It prompted me to activate Windows but I was not able to anyway
since there were no connectivity. Additionally if I don't activate, it
wont let me do anything but boot me out of windows screen. When I try
to select activate via telephone which I don't want to at this time, it
wont' let me move onto any where. Now today is my 3rd trial. I am
going to update the Windows SP 1 as well as booting into the DRSM
environment to perform the restore. This hope this will work perfectly
this time.

Helen

"Merv Porter [SBS-MVP]" <mwport@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:e2HsQyteGHA.3900@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
As Jeff Middleton [SBS-MVP] responded to your post in the Yahoo SBS2K
group, you only need to install the base Win2K3 server + Win2k3 Sp1,
not other SPs for the apps (Exchange, ISA, Sharepoint, etc.). Then,
restoring your backup should make you whole again on the test server.
(Don't activate the test though).

--
Merv Porter [SBS MVP]
===================================

"Helen Mooc" <hmooc@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:eG9oZhreGHA.4720@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Merv,

Here is what's happen with the SECOND try with restoring the
NTbackup.bks I made from the SBS onto a test server which is exact
model as the production server. I reinstalled Windows 2003 with CD1.
The SBS was installed on C partition. D drive is for Exchange and E
is for couple of the big folders which is irrelevant at this stage. I
did not continue with the installed of Exchange as per the guide
below.



According to the suggestions per link:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=487736f8-f6f5-436d-a82d-0c8d66e2a634&DisplayLang=en; I
updated the OS with the following to bring it up to the Service Pack
as what's appearing on the production server. To bring it up to the
same SP as production server, I followed this link from MS.



http://download.microsoft.com/download/e/0/f/e0fee8ce-768d-41c0-8871-9bc48e0b3fc3/ToDownLoadFilesandReadInstructions.htm



To sum it up, it lets me install Windows 2003 SP 1, Windows SharePoint
Services 2.0 Service Pack 1; but not Exchange Server 2003 Service Pack
1 (because it said I don't have Exchange 2003 install on the server);
Windows XP SP2 for Client Deployment but NOT Windows Small Business
Server 2003 Service Pack 1 (I got this error when trying to install it
"The /UattendFile switch can only be used on a domain controller
running Windows 2000 server SP 1, on a computer that is a member of a
domain).



Should I move on with the restore despite of the errors? It is such
pain to exchange the original CDs for the ones wit the SP on it. I
have try contacting the vendor I purchased from but I have not heard
back from them after leaving voicemails on the sale tech and his
manager phone.



Thanks,

Helen



"Helen Mooc" <hmooc@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:uW0H8VgeGHA.1272@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Thank for your help Merv!!! I really appreciated. OK I am going to
run a full back up tonight using SBSbackup and try again with the
restore tomorrow. You might hear from me again later this week.

Cheers,
Helen

"Merv Porter [SBS-MVP]" <mwport@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:OKcv$AgeGHA.1204@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
And please use the SBS Backup Wizard to configure your backups and
do a FULL backup of your entire server (via Volume Shadow Copy).
Yes, it may seem redundant (maybe even wasteful) because it backs up
Exchange twice, but just let SBS have it's head and you'll be a lot
happier.

--
Merv Porter [SBS MVP]
===================================
"Merv Porter [SBS-MVP]" <mwport@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in
message news:%23eGUZ7feGHA.1456@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
All you should need to do is install the Windows 2003 OS (SBS 2003
CD1) and then make sure Win2K3 SP1 is applied. Of course, if you
need RAID (or any other special drivers), install them as you
install the Windows OS. You also need to make sure that your
partitions are the same size as on your original install. Once
this is done, all your other apps (Exchange, Sharepoint, Line of
Business, etc.) along with their upgraded SP levels reside on the
backup tape (or drive). As long as the base OS and SP level are the
same as what's on the backup tape, the restored apps will
re-integrate with the Windows OS. Basically, your restore will not
attempt to restore any of the base Win2K3 OS since it's already on
the drive. However, it will restore the bits (like sercurity
updates) to the level at which they were when you made the backup.

The reason you need to install the base Win2K3 server OS is that it
has NTBackup integrated into it and you need NTbackup to restorem
your backup. And, as mentioned before, you need to be at the same
Win2K3 server SP level as when the backup was made because NTBackup
was tweaked (modified) by Microsoft with the release of SP1.

--
Merv Porter [SBS MVP]
===================================
"Helen Mooc" <hmooc@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:unmqCpfeGHA.5040@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Also in step 12 of the article, it mention installing all the SP.
Does that include Exchange SP 1 and SP 2 eventhough I did not
completed the installation with CD 2 and CD 3.

Thanks,
Helen

"Merv Porter [SBS-MVP]" <mwport@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in
message news:O%23WeUefeGHA.5016@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Hi Helen,

Yes, you need to reinstall the base OS (Windows 2003) and then
Windows 2003 SP1 if Sp1 was installed when the backup was made.
Then you should be able to restore the rest from backup. Windows
2003 must be at the same SP level as when the NTbackup was
created.

Not sure why that link you provided is out of date. Try this
one...

Backing Up and Restoring Windows Small Business Server 2003
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=487736f8-f6f5-436d-a82d-0c8d66e2a634&DisplayLang=en

--
Merv Porter [SBS MVP]
===================================
"Helen Mooc" <hmooc@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:OJ$u85eeGHA.2456@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Hi all,

I am at the point of testing out a disaster recovery scenario
right now. Note my test server is exact copy of the production
copy, therefore I don't expect any hardware conflicts. I made
a normal backup of the small business server excluding info
store but include Storage Group (which is shown in the .bkf
file). After following the link below to the "t", I got to the
step 18 and rebooted the server.

http://www.microsoft.com/smallbusiness/support/articles/backup_restore_sbs2003.mspx

Now I am getting this stop error upon reboot:

"Windows could not start because the following file is missing
or corrupt: <Windows root>\system32\ntoskrnl.exe. Please
re-install a copy of the above file"

I have try rebooting and select "the last known good option" but
obviously it does not work since the all the OS files have
changed from the restore.

Could it be because I did not install the SBS service pack, but
it was not mentioned in the link? I did not complete the entire
install and there's a lot programs such an antivirus scan,
register hacking I did to increase info store size etc done of
the production server. Could the omissions of some of the steps
in the production server be somewhat of the cause of the problem
in question?

Any assistance is appreciated.

Helen























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