Windows Server Backup and Restore

[T Bubbles]

I am new to the IT world. I work for a company of 10 employees. We are about to set up a server running Windows Server 2008. We may be using Symantec Backup Exec for backing up solution. I read that Windows Server has a backup utility that can be used. Will this work for restoring files from any client computer in the office that is on the server?

 

[MobileTechie]

Server backups back up the server so they won't restore files for client computers unless those files are themselves backed up to the server.

The usual way of using a server is to have everything on the server - you redirect users home folders to the server and use shares for shared data. Then you have a single point of backup and restoration.

Some applications cannot work like that and need local data, in which case you back up that local data to the server so it is incorporated into the server backup.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

Windows Server does have its own backup....2008 has it quite different than earlier versions of server and the old NTBackup. The backup in Server 08 is more of a partition cloning..you can restore the whole server from it to blank drives.

I can't stand backup exec since it got overbloated back with version 8.6 or something..and symantsuck took it over.

Many other good backup choices, select based on what you need to back up on the server, what type of data, and how fast you need your restore to be. Also your backup media may affect your choices. You can easily spend over a grand on a good rotational removable media solution for the server....or...put that money towards using offsite backup..which we're using more and more for our clients.

As mentioned in prior reply....keep data on servers. Assume that a workstation will blow up..and if no data is kept on the workstation..no big deal!

 

[FoolishTech]

I am new to the IT world. I work for a company of 10 employees. We are about to set up a server running Windows Server 2008. We may be using Symantec Backup Exec for backing up solution. I read that Windows Server has a backup utility that can be used. Will this work for restoring files from any client computer in the office that is on the server?

You should look into something a little newer if you can.

I recently set up for my non-profit Windows Small Business Server 2011 Essentials. It is Windows 7 based not Vista, (like server 2008 R2 is vs. 2008)...

It can do everything a full blown server can, includes the licenses for up to 25 users, and has full backup for workstations and the server itself. It was also the easiest server I've ever set up. But it's main selling point is BACKUPS, and it is the reason why I chose this over another solution.

...and by backups I mean it images every workstation every night to a backup store on the server, so you don't need to worry about finicky document redirection if you don't want to. The imaging is based on WHS technology so it isn't a full image every night, but it only backs up changed / new files to the image once the full initial image is done. The full image backup can be restored to a bare metal system (new workstation or recently zero'd HDD), or you can restore individual files.

Also, the built-in server backup will not only backup/image the server, but also your workstation backup images.

It also has all of the other SMB perks such as remote access portal, plus new features like workstation health monitoring (also WHS tech based), etc.

The really neat thing is that, in my office, we have two PCs that they purchased with Home edition versions of Windows. Rather than having to upgrade them to Pro copies in order to join them to the domain, they work AS-IS with the server shares/permissions/backup regardless (thanks to the client Launchpad that gets installed on the workstation.)

I'm pretty stoked about it.

EDIT: to include agreement with those that hate BackupExec and pretty much any Symantec piece of bloatware.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

Agreed about SBS..it's been my bread and butter product since SBS2000 days. Actually did start working with it back in 4.5 days with the back office product.

Awesome features. Figured too late for the OP though, his post made me think he already had 2k8 in hand.