Back to Contents Page

Backing Up the System

Dell™ PowerVault™ 715N NAS Systems Administrator's Guide

  System-State Backup

  Backing Up Data Volumes

  Backing Up Dell ActiveArchive™ Persistent Images

This section provides instructions on how to back up files on your system. You should regularly backup, or have mirrors of, the following types of information:

• System state — Files that contain configuration information about the NAS system. System-state files include the registry, COM+ class registration database, system boot files, users and groups information, and CIFS/NFS/Novell® NetWare®/Macintosh share data.
  
  
• Operating system — Files that are necessary to run the Microsoft® Windows® Powered operating system on the NAS system.
  
  
• Data files — The documents and other files that are not part of the operating system.
  
  

System-State Backup

Backing up the system state allows you to recover the system if an operating system reinstallation is required. Restoring your system state restores customized settings such as user information and share information.

System-state data includes the following:

• Registry
  
  
• COM+ class registration database
  
  
• System boot files
  
  
• Users and groups information
  
  
• CIFS/NFS/Novell NetWare/Macintosh share data
  
  

For more information, refer to the online help for Windows 2000 Backup & Recovery Tools.

Backing Up System-State Data

Dell recommends that you regularly back up your system state. This action enables you to go back to the most recent state if an operating system reinstallation is required.

To back up system-state data, perform the following steps:

1. Log in to the NAS Manager as an administrator.
   
   

See "Logging in to the NAS Manager" in "NAS Manager."

2. Click Maintenance.
   
   
3. Click Backup.
   
   
4. In the Log on to Windows window, enter the administrator user name and password and click OK.
   
   

NOTE: The default administrative user name is administrator and the default password is powervault.

The Welcome to Windows 2000 Backup and Recovery Tools window displays.

NOTE: If the Windows 2000 Backup and Recovery Tools window does not display, click Maintenance, and then click Terminal Services. On the Advanced Administration Menu, click Administrative Tools and then click Windows 2000 Backup/Recovery.

5. Click Backup Wizard.
   
   
6. In the Backup Wizard window, click Next.
   
   
7. In the What to Back Up window, click Only back up the System State data, and then click Next.
   
   
8. In the Where to Store the Backup window, click Browse.
   
   
9. In the Open window, select the location to store your system-state backup file, enter the filename, and then click Open.
   
   

For fault tolerance, you should select a location that is not on the NAS system.

10. Click Next and then click Finish.
    
    

The backup begins and progress displays in the Backup Progress window.

11. When the backup is complete, click Close.
    
    

Restoring System-State Data

To restore your system-state data, you must have previously backed up your system using the backup and recovery tools. See "Backing Up System-State Data."

NOTE: If you are restoring system-state data after reinstalling the operating system, perform the procedure in "Restoring System-State Data After Reinstallation" in "Recovering and Restoring the System."

To restore system-state data, perform the following steps:

1. Log in to the NAS Manager as an administrator.
   
   

See "Logging in to the NAS Manager" in "NAS Manager."

2. Click Maintenance.
   
   
3. Click Backup.
   
   
4. In the Log on to Windows window, enter the user name and password and click OK.
   
   

NOTE: The default administrative user name is administrator and the default password is powervault.

The Welcome to Windows 2000 Backup and Recovery Tools window displays.

5. Click Restore Wizard.
   
   
6. In the Restore Wizard window, click Next.
   
   
7. In the What to Restore window, click (+) to expand the File tree, and then click to expand Media created yyyy/mm/dd, where yyyy/mm/dd is the year/month/date that you made the system-state backup.
   
   
8. Click the check box next to System State, and then click Next.
   
   
9. Click Finish.
   
   
10. When the Enter Backup File Name window displays, click OK.
    
    

NOTE: If your backup file is in a different location, click Browse and locate the file.

11. Restart the system after the restore process completes.
    
    

NOTE: Windows must replace all locked files on the system; therefore, the process of restarting the system might take approximately 15 minutes to complete.

Backing Up Data Volumes

To back up your volumes, you can use direct-attached local backups or network backups.

The following software is supported for direct-attached local backups:

• Windows 2000 Backup and Recovery Tools
  
  
• VERITAS® Backup Exec® Server Professional 8.5 and 8.6 for Windows NT® and Windows 2000
  
  

The following software is supported for remote network backups:

• VERITAS Backup Exec Server Professional 8.5 and 8.6 for Windows NT and Windows 2000
  
  
• Computer Associates® ARCserveIT™
  
  
• ARCserveIT 2000 for Windows NT and Windows 2000
  
  
• ARCserveIT 6.61 for Red Hat Linux 7.0
  
  
• ARCserveIT 7.0 for Red Hat Linux 7.0 and 7.1
  
  

Windows 2000 Backup and Recovery Tools

Windows 2000 backup and recovery tools allow you to back up your data volumes to a locally attached tape drive or to a file.

NOTE: You must have a supported SCSI card and a tape drive installed to back up your data volumes to tape.

You can access the Windows 2000 backup and recovery tools by clicking the Maintenance tab on the NAS Manager primary menu and clicking Backup or by clicking Windows 2000 Backup/Recovery Tools on the Advanced Administration Menu under Administrative Tools.

For more information about the Windows 2000 backup and recovery tools, see the Windows Powered Help. You can access Windows Powered Help by clicking Windows Powered Help in the Advanced Administration Menu under Administrative Tools or by clicking Help in the Start menu when using the Terminal Services Client.

Installing Tape Device Drivers for Windows 2000 Backup and Recovery Tools

If you are using Windows 2000 backup and recovery tools, you might need to install drivers for both tape drives and tape media changers.

NOTE: Most of the tape device drivers are located in the c:\dell\drivers directory. However, you should always check the Dell | Support website at support.dell.com for updated drivers and patches.

Installing Drivers for Dell™ PowerVault™ Tape Drives

1. Connect the PowerVault tape drive, and then restart the system.
   
   
2. Log in to the NAS Manager.
   
   

See "Logging in to the NAS Manager" in "NAS Manager."

3. Click Maintenance.
   
   
4. Click Terminal Services.
   
   
5. Log in to a Terminal Services Client session.
   
   
6. On the Advanced Administration Menu under System Management, click Computer Management.
   
   

NOTE: If the Advanced Administration Menu does not display, double-click the Advanced Administration Menu icon on the desktop of the NAS system.

7. Click Computer Management in the left pane.
   
   
8. Click System Tools in the left pane.
   
   
9. Click Device Manager in the left pane.
   
   
10. Click Unknown Devices in the right pane.
    
    

NOTE: The tape device may also appear under Other Devices.

11. Double-click the tape device.
    
    
12. Click Driver in the pop-up window.
    
    
13. Click Update Driver.
    
    

The Upgrade Device Driver Wizard displays.

14. Click Next.
    
    
15. Click the radio button next to Search for a suitable driver for my device (recommended), and then click Next.
    
    
16. In Optional search locations, click the check box next to Specify a location, and deselect the other check boxes.
    
    
17. Click Next.
    
    
18. In the path for Copy manufacturer's files from, specify the folder name that contains the device drivers.
    
    
19. Click OK, and then click Next.
    
    

The Upgrade Device Driver Wizard searches the specified folder for the driver files.

20. Make sure that the wizard has selected the appropriate PowerVault tape device, and then click Next.
    
    
21. Click Finish.
    
    
22. Click Close to exit the driver properties dialog box.
    
    

Installing Drivers for PowerVault Tape Drive Media Changers

To install drivers for tape media changers when using Windows 2000 backup and recovery tools, perform the following steps:

1. Connect the PowerVault tape device, and then restart the NAS system.
   
   
2. Log in to the NAS Manager.
   
   

See "Logging in to the NAS Manager" in "NAS Manager."

3. Click Maintenance.
   
   
4. Click Terminal Services.
   
   
5. Log in to a Terminal Services Client session.
   
   
6. In the Advanced Administration Menu, click Computer Management under System Management.
   
   

NOTE: If the Advanced Administration Menu does not display, double-click the Advanced Administration Menu icon on the desktop of the NAS system.

7. Click Computer Management in the left pane, and then click System Tools.
   
   
8. Click Device Manager in the left pane.
   
   
9. Click Medium Changers in the right pane.
   
   
10. Double-click Unknown Medium Changer.
    
    
11. Click Driver in the Properties window.
    
    
12. Click Update Driver.
    
    

The Upgrade Device Driver Wizard displays.

13. Click Next.
    
    
14. Click the radio button next to Search for a suitable driver for my device (recommended), and then click Next.
    
    
15. In Optional search locations, click the check box next to Specify a location, and deselect the other check box.
    
    
16. Click Next.
    
    

A dialog box displays with a field for you to enter the location of the device driver.

17. In the path for Copy manufacturer's files from, specify the folder name that contains the device drivers, and then click OK.
    
    
18. Click Next.
    
    

The Upgrade Device Driver Wizard searches the specified folder for the driver files.

19. Make sure that the Upgrade Device Driver Wizard has selected the appropriate PowerVault tape device, and then click Next.
    
    
20. Click Finish.
    
    
21. Click Close.
    
    

VERITAS Backup Exec

NOTE: Before installing the backup software, check the Dell | Support website at support.dell.com for the latest driver and software updates. You might need to install the updates after completing the procedures below.

Installing VERITAS Backup Exec on the NAS System

NOTE: VERITAS Backup Exec supports installation using Terminal Services and management using VERITAS Remote Administrator.

1. Share the CD drive on a remote system, mount that remote CD drive on the NAS system, and then insert the VERITAS Backup Exec CD in the CD drive of the remote system.
   
   
2. Log in to the NAS Manager.
   
   

See "Logging in to the NAS Manager" in "NAS Manager."

3. Click Maintenance.
   
   
4. Click Terminal Services.
   
   
5. Log in to the NAS system.
   
   
6. Map a network drive to the CD share, but do not select Reconnect at logon.
   
   
7. Follow the instructions in the documentation that came with your backup software.
   
   

NOTE: After the software installation is complete, disconnect the network drive for the CD share before you reboot your system. To disconnect the network drive, right-click My Appliance on the NAS system desktop, and select Disconnect Network Drive. Click the CD share in the Disconnect Network Drive window, and then click OK.

Installing VERITAS Backup Exec Remote Administrator on a Client System

1. Insert the VERITAS Backup Exec CD in the CD drive of the client system.
   
   

The CD starts the software automatically.

2. If the CD does not start the software automatically, open Windows Explorer, right-click the CD drive that contains the VERITAS software, and select Autoplay from the menu.
   
   
3. Follow the instructions in the documentation that came with your backup software.
   
   

Using VERITAS Backup Exec Remote Administrator

1. On the remote system, click the Start button, and then point to Programs® VERITAS Backup Exec® VERITAS Backup Exec.
   
   

The Connect to Server window displays.

2. Enter the name of the NAS system in the Server field.
   
   
3. Enter login information in the Login Information field, and then click OK.
   
   

The Backup Exec Assistant window, which displays in front of the Backup Exec window, provides wizards for many common backup tasks. You can also use the Tools menu on the Backup Exec window to display the Backup Exec Assistant.

Use Remote Administrator to manage all backup operations just as you would from the local application. See the VERITAS Backup Exec documentation for more information about how to use the software.

Backup Software for Network Backups

You may back up your data volumes over the network to local area network (LAN)-attached backup servers. This backup requires that you already have a backup server on your network.

Dell recommends that you use backup software network accelerator agents to greatly improve network backup performance.

Installing Network Accelerator Agents

VERITAS Backup Exec accelerator agents can be installed remotely by installing the agent to the system from a remote system on the network.

See the documentation for your backup software for more information about how to install the network accelerator agents.

Backing Up Dell ActiveArchive™ Persistent Images

Backing up persistent images eliminates the possibility of files changing during the back up job. Persistent images always contain the data that existed when the persistent image was taken. However, backing up persistent images requires that you perform several steps and should be performed only by advanced backup administrators. Dell recommends that you use the available open file agents in VERITAS Backup Exec to back up your open files rather than backing up persistent images.

NOTE: Do not use Computer Associates ARCserve to back up persistent images.

To back up a persistent image, perform the following steps:

1. Use the NAS Manager to create a persistent image.
   
   

See "Dell ActiveArchive."

NOTE: For increased performance, back up only read-only persistent images.

2. On the NAS Manager primary menu, click Maintenance.
   
   
3. Click Terminal Services and log in to the NAS system.
   
   
4. When the PowerVault Advanced Administration window displays, click Exit.
   
   
5. Double-click My Appliance and browse to the persistent image you created in step 1.
   
   

Persistent images are located in the Dell ActiveArchive directory of the volume on which you created the persistent image in step 1.

6. Right-click the persistent image, and then click Sharing.
   
   
7. Click Share this folder.
   
   
8. Type the name of the share in the Share name field.
   
   
9. Click Permissions.
   
   
10. Set the required permissions in the Permissions window, and then click OK.
    
    
11. Click OK in the Properties window.
    
    
12. On the system that is running VERITAS Backup Exec, set up VERITAS Backup Exec so that it is able to back up user shares.
    
    

You can find this option in Tools® Options menu on the Network tab.

13. In the VERITAS Backup Exec Backup Selections window, browse to your NAS system under Entire Network.
    
    
14. Select the share name that you created in step 8 for your persistent image.
    
    
15. Deselect the Persistent Storage Manager State directory when performing persistent image backups.
    
    

This directory contains files needed for persistent images. However, to save space on your backup media, backing up the files is not recommended.

16. Click Backup.
    
    
17. Select Run Now to run the backup now or Schedule to schedule your backup job to run at a later time.
    
    

NOTE: Although you are backing up your persistent image from a network share, it does not create network traffic if you are backing up to a local backup device.

Limitations on Backing Up Persistent Images

• You cannot do incremental or differential backups of persistent images.
  
  
• You cannot use GFS rotation schemes when backing up persistent images.
  
  
• You cannot schedule a backup of a persistent image.
  
  

You must perform a manual backup of persistent image files because each persistent image filename is unique in that it includes the date and time (hour-minute-second) that the persistent image was taken.

• When you restore a persistent image, you must redirect the restore to a location other than the original persistent image location. A restore to the original location is not successful.
  
  

Restoring Persistent Images From Tape Backup

NOTE: Do not use Computer Associates ARCserve to restore persistent images.

To restore your persistent images from tape backup, perform the following steps:

1. On the system on your network that is running VERITAS Backup Exec, click the Restore Selections tab to bring up the window that lists your previous backup files.
   
   
2. Browse to your backup of the persistent image that you want to restore, and then select it by clicking the check box next to it.
   
   
3. Click Restore.
   
   
4. Click the Redirection tab.
   
   
5. Click the check box next to Redirect Files.
   
   
6. Enter the drive letter and path where you want the files to be restored.
   
   
7. Click Run Now to run the restore immediately or click Schedule to schedule your restore job to run at a later time.
   
   

Back to Contents Page