Backups / Imaging

[charles]

Looking for some advise on backing up a system. It will
consist of 2 drives in a mirror and 4 other drives in a
raid 5.

On the mirror will be W2K, SQL 2000 and a single
application. On the RAID 5 will be the SQL Data from the
application.

Normal backups are not an issue, what I need to know is
there anyway that I can build this system with all of the
requirements for testing purposes with the complete
settup (This will take aprox 50 hours worth of work).
Take some type of image and or backup. Do my tests, then
restore it to EXACTLY what is was before I started the
testing?

If required I will use 2003 if it is better suited.

Thanks in advance,
Charles

 

[Jlmc]

Symantec's (Norton) Ghost will make an Image of your drives which you can
restore at a later time.

 

[Guest]

I agree - Ghost is the best and as such your best bet is to install the operating system in the mirror (if that is the raid array you are wanting to backup) with all your device drivers etc... - just as how you would want it, BUT I would keep a 10 Gb partition on the drive and keep it free to put your Ghost image files

Then boot with a floppy, ghost the partition (your operating system) to an image file on the spare partition and that will do the trick. You could even compress the image and burn it to a DVD - thats what I do, and that has all my apps, drivers, and is totally configured the way i like it so I can revert back to it after I have screwed it up or whatever

Hope this helps

G
Win2k MCSE, MCSA, MC
http://www.amirad.com

 

[Charles]

Thanks, but I had already explored the Ghost option and
it will not work properly with the RAID 5. Do you know
of any other imaging programs that may fit?