WHS backup solution?

[Fjodor2001]

Hi,

I have a few questions regarding the backup solution that comes with Windows Home Server (WHS):

1. Is it possible to configure WHS to backup the client computers less frequently than once a day?

2. Is it possible to have per-client settings for how frequently each client computer shall be backed up?

3. As I understand it the backed-up data is stored in a "database" on the WHS server. Is it possible to select that this database should be backed up, using WHS "folder duplication" or similar?

4. What happens if the HD that the WHS "backup database" is stored on suffers a bad sector, only affecting a part of the database file. Will that render the complete backup database useless, or can it be "healed" in some way so that most of the data it contains can be recovered?

Thanks!

PS. If there are any WHS add-ins that can be used to provide some of the functionality requested above, please take those into account as well. DS

 

[RebateMonger]

I seldom use add-ins.

All client PCs are backed up daily unless you disable the backups for that PC.

MS has published a whitepaper on backups that includes instructions on how to back up the "backup database" manually.

http://mswhs.com/documentation/

Or you can use the popular backup add-in, whose name I can't remember. Do a quick search for backup add-ins for WHS and you'll find it.

http://mswhs.com/2008/08/12/add-in-whs-backup-database-backup/

MS has a utility to "repair" a corrupted backup database. Obviously whether it will fix the corruption adequately will depend....

Since my WHS data and backups are important to me, I keep a backup of my client PC backup database and of any important shared folders. I've moved those across three or four different WHS servers without incident. I still have all my PC backups from early 2008 when I built my first WHS server.

 

[JackMDS]

http://download.microsoft.com/downl...Brief_-_Home_Computer_Backup_and_Restore.docx

---------------------------
As I mentioned few times before some additional flexibility can be achieved by implementing backup options on the Work stations and using the WHS as a NAS to store the backups (that also allows for Redundancy and incremental backup).

Thus depending on the systems, some computers can be Backed Up WHS style, and others NAS style.

There is No reason to Cognitively lock on one solution when a combination with other solutions can serve well too.


.

 

[Binky]

You may not be able to configure the backups to not run daily, but you can configure how long to keep those daily backups. It allows separate settings for saving X number of daily backups, X number of weekly backups, and X number of monthly backups. Essentially, this is just a configurable deletion schedule for the backup sets.

 

[Fjodor2001]

Thanks!

Regarding the WHS Backup add-in (BDBB), the wiki for that add-in says that it can "Back up the WHS Backup Database to an Application Folder within the WHS server storage". However, I would like to have control over what drive the backup is stored on. I.e. if WHS stored the original backup database on my first HD, I want the BDBB add-in to store the backup on my second HD; otherwise the operation becomes pointless if the first drive should fail. I could of course select "folder duplication" for the Application Folder that I have selected the backup to be stored in, but then I will end up with three instances of the backup database (one original, one copy on my first drive, and one copy on my second drive)! Or have I misunderstood how this works?

Also, regarding the MS "repair" utility for damaged backup databases, is there anyone who has experience with it? I.e have you ever repaired a damaged backup database using that utility, and if so what was the outcome? I'm just curious what can be expected from such a repair operation. It is hard to find any information about how it works.

 

[RebateMonger]

A screen shot on this page shows backups on two network shares.

http://www.mediasmartserver.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=4078

 

[Fjodor2001]

Yes, but I don't want to back-up the backup database to a network share. I want to back it up to a folder on the WHS server. And I want that folder to *not* be located on the same HD as the original WHS backup database. I.e. if I have two HDs in my WHS, I want the original backup database to be stored on the first HD, and the backup of the backup database to be stored on the second HD.

 

[Fjodor2001]

I just read the following on page 24 in the document that JackMDS referred to:

"The Windows Home Server backup database is not duplicated by Windows Home Server Drive Extender. So if you lose a single hard drive on your home server, you could possibly lose all of the backups of your home computers.
[...]
The backup database is stored entirely in the folder D:\folders\{00008086-058D-4C89-AB57-A7F909A47AB4}."

But does that just mean that WHS "folder duplication" is not enabled by default for that folder? Perhaps I could just enable WHS "folder duplication" for that folder manually? Or could that interfere with WHS itself, or the WHS backup operation somehow?

 

[RebateMonger]

WHS isn't set up to back up the "Backup Database". Microsoft had originally announced that as an included feature, but changed it's mind. For a reason I can't remember, MS felt it might not be as reliable as they wanted it to be.

I don't see why BDBB wouldn't be able to back up to a WHS shared folder if that's where you want it. But those backups may end up on the same disk as the original "Backup Database", so I'd suggest backing it up elsewhere.

I see "Backup Database" backups as something more for archival use than for immediate use. If the WHS backup database develops corruption, it will likely warn you very soon.

Except for a major disaster (client PCs plus the WHS server failing all at once), you'll likely have time to fix the WHS problem, restore the archival "Backup Database", and run new backups of your client PCs. But it would be a good idea to have a UPS/surge protector on your WHS server to keep it from getting trashed in the middle of client PC backups at the same time as your other PCs get trashed by the same surge or power outage.

 

[notposting]

I haven't got around to it yet, but I think the best approach for the backup database backup is to just to just plug in an external drive (not added to the pool) and backup to that. This would also be good for backing up the data also.

For even more safety, take that drive(s) offsite for storage.

 

[RebateMonger]

I haven't got around to it yet, but I think the best approach for the backup database backup is to just to just plug in an external drive (not added to the pool) and backup to that. This would also be good for backing up the data also.

I agree. WHS has proved pretty reliable and I see the odds of BOTH client PCs and WHS backups failing at the same time as pretty low. But, just in case, some sort of "backup of the backups" is always a good idea.

It doesn't have to be done that frequently to have great value. BIG static data (like music or videos) don't change THAT often. Neither do the software installs or OSes on most people's computers. So even a several-month-old backup will get a lot of stuff back up.

If there's REALLY valuable data (like spreadhseets, accounting data, email), then consider one more "critical backup" storage location as an added precaution. That could easily be a USB memory stick. Most of us don't have "critical data" that's larger than a $15 8 GB memory stick. A $55 a year Carbonite account can easily serve, too.

All together, these steps give you a TON of recovery options and reduce the odds of serious data loss to a pretty small value.