Server 2003 backup

[Andy]

We have a USB external harddrive attached to our 2003 server to be used for
backups. We have set up the server to backup the C and D drive once a day.
It seems that it has been successfully backing up files from the C drive but
has failed to back up any of the D drive. In then emails us a message
saying:
"One or more components of Windows Small Business Server Backup failed."

Does anyone have any suggestions of things we might check to see why it is
failing? Has anyone else had backups fail in this way?

Thanks
Andy

 

[Jeff Cochran]

We have a USB external harddrive attached to our 2003 server to be used for
backups. We have set up the server to backup the C and D drive once a day.
It seems that it has been successfully backing up files from the C drive but
has failed to back up any of the D drive. In then emails us a message
saying:
"One or more components of Windows Small Business Server Backup failed."

Does anyone have any suggestions of things we might check to see why it is
failing? Has anyone else had backups fail in this way?

Way too little information. Using Windows backup or another product?
Did you look at the event log or backup logs? Does the user the
backup is running under have the proper permissions?

Jeff

 

[Andy]

Jeff

The server hard drive died so I cannot actually tell you any more about what
was happening before. Now we are still getting it telling us "One or more
components of Windows Small Business Server Backup failed." But: I can now
copy you an example of the "skipped" messages:

Warning: Unable to open "C:\Documents and
Settings\Administrator\Cookies\index.dat" - skipped.
Reason: The process cannot access the file because it is being used by
another process.

Fortunately now the other drive partitions seem to be backing up OK. Maybe
the dodgey drive was causing backup problems. Now everything on the backup
log appears to be working in a straightforward manner apart from these
"skipped" messages which only appear on the C: drive.

Is this enough to cause it to say that it has failed? We are just using the
backup application that comes as part of SBS 2003. It is all found through
the "backup" section of the "Server Management" pages.

What's happening? Do you think it is possible to get it to say that it has
actually succeeded with a backup?

Thanks
Andy

 

[Phillip Windell]

Files that are "in use" can not be backed up normally. Some backup packages
have "agents" to help overcome this, but I cannot vouch for them,...I still
just use the NTBackup.

 

[Andy]

Is there a way to make sure that nothing is in use just before it backs up?
If there are no applications open on the server, will it manage to back up
everything, or will there still be errors generated by things running in the
background?

What do the "agents" do?

Thanks again
Andy

Files that are "in use" can not be backed up normally. Some backup packages
have "agents" to help overcome this, but I cannot vouch for them,...I still
just use the NTBackup.

--

Phillip Windell [MCP, MVP, CCNA]
www.wandtv.com

Jeff

The server hard drive died so I cannot actually tell you any more about what
was happening before. Now we are still getting it telling us "One or more
components of Windows Small Business Server Backup failed." But: I can now
copy you an example of the "skipped" messages:

Warning: Unable to open "C:\Documents and
Settings\Administrator\Cookies\index.dat" - skipped.
Reason: The process cannot access the file because it is being used by
another process.

Fortunately now the other drive partitions seem to be backing up OK. Maybe
the dodgey drive was causing backup problems. Now everything on the backup
log appears to be working in a straightforward manner apart from these
"skipped" messages which only appear on the C: drive.

Is this enough to cause it to say that it has failed? We are just using the
backup application that comes as part of SBS 2003. It is all found through
the "backup" section of the "Server Management" pages.

What's happening? Do you think it is possible to get it to say that it has
actually succeeded with a backup?

Thanks
Andy




used
for a
day. drive it
is

 

[Phillip Windell]

Is there a way to make sure that nothing is in use just before it backs up?
If there are no applications open on the server, will it manage to back up
everything, or will there still be errors generated by things running in the
background?

No. If the OS is running, then files are in use.

What do the "agents" do?

There are many kinds. But they would attempt to help backup files while they
are still in use,...I don't know how effective they are. There are agents
for databases as well, like for MS SQL Server and for MS Exchange. These are
required because you cannot backup a "live" database normally but these
agents are supposed to help allow it,...again, I can't say how effective
they are, I still use the NTBackup. Systems like MS SQL Server have their
own backup system where the database engine backs up the live database to a
static file first,..then you use the tape to backup the static "backup
file".

The best thing to do is to not worry about it. If you restored from tape,
you would have to reinstall the OS first anyway to be able to even run the
tape. Typically you would install all software on the machine to get it as
close as possible to what it is supposed to be,...this will put all the "in
use" files back in place that would not be on the tape. Then you would use
the tape to "restore" over the top of everything to put it all back the way
it originally was.

Actually what often happens is that the tapes are only used to replace the
"data" that all the Applications actually use, but the OS and all the
Application are manually reinstalled and configured. This is why all your
configuration of the OS and the Applications is supposed to be documented so
that everything can be reinstalled properly,...then you just use the tape to
add the data back into it.

The are some expensive backup systems that can do "imaging" where it takes a
full solid image of the drive contents and can restore it back exactly from
the tape. This is similar to "ghosting" a drive with Symantec Ghost. I have
no personal experience with such tape systems,...we can't afford them,...I
still use the OS's NTBackup.

 

[Andy]

Thanks.
Andy

No. If the OS is running, then files are in use.


There are many kinds. But they would attempt to help backup files while they
are still in use,...I don't know how effective they are. There are agents
for databases as well, like for MS SQL Server and for MS Exchange. These are
required because you cannot backup a "live" database normally but these
agents are supposed to help allow it,...again, I can't say how effective
they are, I still use the NTBackup. Systems like MS SQL Server have their
own backup system where the database engine backs up the live database to a
static file first,..then you use the tape to backup the static "backup
file".

The best thing to do is to not worry about it. If you restored from tape,
you would have to reinstall the OS first anyway to be able to even run the
tape. Typically you would install all software on the machine to get it as
close as possible to what it is supposed to be,...this will put all the "in
use" files back in place that would not be on the tape. Then you would use
the tape to "restore" over the top of everything to put it all back the way
it originally was.

Actually what often happens is that the tapes are only used to replace the
"data" that all the Applications actually use, but the OS and all the
Application are manually reinstalled and configured. This is why all your
configuration of the OS and the Applications is supposed to be documented so
that everything can be reinstalled properly,...then you just use the tape to
add the data back into it.

The are some expensive backup systems that can do "imaging" where it takes a
full solid image of the drive contents and can restore it back exactly from
the tape. This is similar to "ghosting" a drive with Symantec Ghost. I have
no personal experience with such tape systems,...we can't afford them,...I
still use the OS's NTBackup.