Getting to know the Windows 2000 backup utility

This chapter excerpt from Inside Windows Storage, by Dilip C. Naik is printed with permission from Addison-Wesley/Prentice Hall, Copyright 2003. Click here for the chapter download or purchase the entire book here.

Windows 2000 ships with a backup program that is really a light version of the VERITAS Backup Exec program. The bundled backup utility in Windows 2000 is well integrated with other components of Windows 2000; for example, it integrates with the encrypting file system and also hierarchical storage management. The backup utility offers support for backing up and restoring the encrypting file system (EFS) included with Windows 2000. Chapter 6 provides information about the EFS. The bundled backup utility is also well integrated with the Removable Storage Manager (RSM, described in Chapter 7). RSM provides support for operations essential to backup such as:
* Enumerating media loaded in tape libraries
* Loading and ejecting media in tape libraries
* Providing secure access and preventing data corruption in the mounted media
* Performing housekeeping functions for managing media and tape libraries -- for example, cleaning a tape drive or media library

Full-fledged backup utilities offer features that the bundled backup utility in Windows 2000 does not offer. Included are features such as:
* Backup agents for enterprise applications such as SQL and IIS
* Support for backing up open files
* Higher performance
* Centralized administration capabilities, including a centralized database that includes a directory and control software for all backup devices and backup catalog(s)
* Support for Extended Copy or third-party copy data movers

Note that the backup utility bundled with Windows Server 2003 has the capability to back up open files as well, because the backup is snapshot based.

WINDOWS BACKUP AND RESTORE TECHNOLOGIES

  Introduction
 Tip #1: Reasons for backup and restore
 Tip #2: Backup problems
 Tip #3: Backup classifications
 Tip #4: Windows 2000 backup utility
 Tip #5: Techniques to create a volume snapshot
 Tip #6: XP and Windows 2003 volume shadow copy service
 Tip #7: Windows-powered NAS devices and snapshots
 Tip #8: Network Data Management Protocol
 Tip #9: Practical implications
 Tip #10: Summary

About the author: Dilip C. Naik has more than twelve years of experience in various roles at Microsoft, including software engineer, program manager, and technical evangelist. His contributions include writing CIFS/SMB code, CIFS-related RFCs, code and documentation for the Windows NT Installable File System Kit, as well as Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) and performance/management (including storage management) features for the Windows platform. Dilip has also represented Microsoft on a number of industry standards organizations.

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