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WHS Backup Database-Backup (BDBB) Add-In version 1.0.2.2
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Author:  gandt [ Wed Apr 22, 2009 1:06 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: WHS Backup Database-Backup (BDBB) Add-In version 1.0.1.6
Thanks - everybody, especially yakusa - my blue screen was solved, reboot and reset seemed to have fixed it.

gt
Author:  Bavaria R [ Wed Apr 22, 2009 1:21 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: WHS Backup Database-Backup (BDBB) Add-In version 1.0.1.6
yakuza wrote:
Unfortunately no, there is no capacity for an incremental backup. The problem is that most of the 4GB chunks are updated when Backup Cleanup runs over the weekend.


OK so how does your Add In exactly behave in case you choose to backup the BD on an external drive into a particular folder. Does it each time "mirror" the status of the WHS to that particular folder, meaning it is leaving untouched the files on the Target Folder which have not changed, deleting the one's which are gone on the WHS and overwriting the changed one's, all to limit to a maximum the transfer of the 4GB chunks?

E.G.: does it makes sens that I point as destination folder to my old backup folder or should I completely delete my old backups and start all over again with your Add In?
Author:  yakuza [ Wed Apr 22, 2009 1:50 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: WHS Backup Database-Backup (BDBB) Add-In version 1.0.1.6
BDBB will not let you create a new backup to an existing backup location. You will need to create a new one every time.
Author:  peterpla [ Wed Apr 22, 2009 5:44 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: WHS Backup Database-Backup (BDBB) Add-In version 1.0.1.6
I'm migrating off a DIY home server to the HP MSS 485, and would like to migrate my client backups - can BDBB help with that?

Specifically, I backed up several clients running Windows XP before doing a clean install of Windows Vista. I haven't restored all the data files from those XP-era backups, and would like to add those backups to the MSS 485 set of backups.

What do you think?
--Peter
Author:  yakuza [ Wed Apr 22, 2009 7:44 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: WHS Backup Database-Backup (BDBB) Add-In version 1.0.1.6
You cannot combine backups, however you can replace entire backup sets. If you don't mind losing the backup DB on your EX485, then simply create a backup from your DIY, and then restore that backup to your EX485. You should then have those same backups from the DIY now running on your EX485. And since the original is still intact on your DIY you aren't risking anything by trying it. Let us know how it goes.
Author:  peterpla [ Sun Apr 26, 2009 7:04 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: WHS Backup Database-Backup (BDBB) Add-In version 1.0.1.6
yakuza wrote:
You cannot combine backups, however you can replace entire backup sets. If you don't mind losing the backup DB on your EX485, then simply create a backup from your DIY, and then restore that backup to your EX485. You should then have those same backups from the DIY now running on your EX485. And since the original is still intact on your DIY you aren't risking anything by trying it. Let us know how it goes.


Well, I chickened out - I didn't feel like I understood what was actually going to happen in the scenario above, so instead I used the WHS console to open the backup images from the DIY, and used Windows Explorer to copy the files I thought I needed over to the EX485. That process I understood :-) Chances are I've missed something during the manual copy, which I won't discover until later; that scenario's played out dating back to CP/M days. Such is life.

That said, I'm really disappointed that Microsoft and HP don't feel the need to provide a data migration capability for WHS. You shouldn’t have to be a rocket scientist in order to preserve your data as you move from your old WHS to your new WHS. I raised this concern back in Nov 2007 on Connect, and it was an issue (just as I predicted) as I migrated off my DIY to the EX485. When HP comes out with a spiffy new system running WHS v2, and I want to migrate off my EX485, what will I do with the data on my EX485? I’ll bet the story will be unchanged then, it’ll still be an unsupported scenario and Microsoft and HP wish me the best of luck. Bah.
Author:  JohnBick [ Sun Apr 26, 2009 7:18 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: WHS Backup Database-Backup (BDBB) Add-In version 1.0.1.6
peterpla wrote:
...I'm really disappointed that Microsoft and HP don't feel the need to provide a data migration capability for WHS. You shouldn’t have to be a rocket scientist in order to preserve your data as you move from your old WHS to your new WHS. I raised this concern back in Nov 2007 on Connect, and it was an issue (just as I predicted) as I migrated off my DIY to the EX485. When HP comes out with a spiffy new system running WHS v2, and I want to migrate off my EX485, what will I do with the data on my EX485? I’ll bet the story will be unchanged then, it’ll still be an unsupported scenario and Microsoft and HP wish me the best of luck. Bah.

You were asking for a bit more than migration from one WHS server to another, you were asking to combine some backups as I recall.

I have successfully migrated from one server to another by simply pulling out the drives from one, placing them in the other (being sensitive to the System Drive location) and then doing a Server Restore. As I was doing DIY to MSS I was NOT attempting to migrate anything unique to either version of the MSS. I do not recall any particular problems doing that. Alex reported in another thread he had tested it recently and only encountered a minor problem; he stated he plans to do it again and document the problem. I suspect the problem was either so minor, obvious and easy to correct that I have just forgotten about it but we'll have a more definitive answer when Alex finishes his test. But, ass-u-me-ing that works, the migration part is quite easy.
Author:  sxr71 [ Sat May 09, 2009 12:47 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: WHS Backup Database-Backup (BDBB) Add-In version 1.0.1.6
So basically during a migration the first thing you want to do is replace the backup dB and then set up your new backups onto that restored dB?

I suppose it won't recognize the same machines from the restored database?
Author:  yakuza [ Sat May 09, 2009 2:55 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: WHS Backup Database-Backup (BDBB) Add-In version 1.0.1.6
This new version backs up the client registry info that is needed to link the PCs to the backups, so yes, it will recognize the machines in the restored database. PP2 also had some improvements in this area that may actually make my client registry backup less important, but I've not investigated this thoroughly yet.
Author:  Marsha [ Mon May 11, 2009 8:12 am ]
Post subject:  Re: WHS Backup Database-Backup (BDBB) Add-In version 1.0.1.6
Sometimes you really find out someone is watching over you!

For a number of reasons (certainly including this site) I am changing to a couple of these HP SmartMedia machines for some file sharing, but mostly backup. Good to get away from RAID and NAS systems.

Good marketing (and technical) literature sold me on the file duplication method, and on the backup capabilities. Then, yesterday while reading more online manuals, I realized that for some really strange reason, MS chose NOT to include the file duplication for backups. WOW?!?? Those are the most important files for me and the other client machines and I certainly don't want a disk failure to take them out.

Really hard for me to even think of why MS would choose this path.

Now, I see Alex has been way ahead of the game for a year or so and filled this gaping hole.

Thank you, thank you.

Alex, in the Wiki you recommend backing up to an Application Folder instead of using the duplication feature (no MS support.) Can you say some more about this? I presume the disk usage would be the same (no, I wouldn’t then set the App Folder to duplicate). I also presume (probably wrongly) that the server software would do the duplication instead of your software if duplication is set (magically by you) and your software would have no copies to perform.

Thank you for helping me understand this better

Marsha
Author:  yakuza [ Mon May 11, 2009 9:27 am ]
Post subject:  Re: WHS Backup Database-Backup (BDBB) Add-In version 1.0.1.6
Hi Marsha, thanks for your post and welcome to the forums.

I recommend against the Duplication feature mainly because it is an undocumented and unsupported "hack". I've also done no personal testing of this other than to verify that the hack works and the DB is duplicated. My concern areas are around what happens in the event of a drive failure, how that impacts the Backup Service, etc. Those are things I've not tried and so have difficulty recommending people use it.

With that said, I know of several people that have enabled the hack either via my Add-In or by manually changing the registry, with no ill effects.
Author:  brittmayo [ Mon May 11, 2009 4:37 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: WHS Backup Database-Backup (BDBB) Add-In version 1.0.1.6
Previously, I used BDBB to store backups on a USB external drive on my EX485. Works great. No problems. Thanks - very helpful.

I outgrew the old USB drive, so today I switched to an eSATA drive. I did the built-in server backup (music, folders, etc.) successfully. Then I went to do the BDBB backup. It doesn't offer me the choice of the device - only "Server Storage."

When I remote connect to WHS, I see the eSATA drive as F:. There is no E: (it was the USB drive, which is temporarily disconnected). Everything seems in order, the BDBB doesn't want to let me use it.
Author:  brittmayo [ Mon May 11, 2009 5:03 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: WHS Backup Database-Backup (BDBB) Add-In version 1.0.1.6
Update on the eSATA question, above:

I reattached the USB drive (shown to WHS as Drive E:). Now BDBB sees, and offers, both drives as backup locations. Apparently, it didn't want to skip over the vacant E: to get to F:.

Problem averted. Backup running fine now. Thanks, again, for a VERY helpful add-in.
Author:  yakuza [ Mon May 11, 2009 8:26 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: WHS Backup Database-Backup (BDBB) Add-In version 1.0.1.6
brittmayo wrote:
Update on the eSATA question, above:

I reattached the USB drive (shown to WHS as Drive E:). Now BDBB sees, and offers, both drives as backup locations. Apparently, it didn't want to skip over the vacant E: to get to F:.

Problem averted. Backup running fine now. Thanks, again, for a VERY helpful add-in.


This is interesting. In fixing JohnBick's issue with Truecrypt drives I made fairly significant change to the way BDBB identifies attached drives, and I suspect it may resolve the issue you saw. I'm not ready to release this new version without further testing, but if you're willing to give it a try with your scenario send me a PM and I'll get you the test build.
Author:  SeaRay33 [ Wed May 13, 2009 10:13 am ]
Post subject:  Re: WHS Backup Database-Backup (BDBB) Add-In version 1.0.1.6
Alex,
As you know from our discussions of RoboCOPY in another thread I am setting my strategy for automatic backups of my Server Share Folders by using a variation of JohnBick's batch file script. I am also considering including command lines in the script to backup the BDBB. The main two reasons I am looking to the script instead of your add-in for BDBB backups is I would like to 1) perform the BDBB backup daily and incrementally and 2) have it automated.

I have a two questions related to possible new features in your add-in and then one further question concerning the mechanics of restoring a BDBB file:

Are you considering or would you consider:

1. Providing a user controlled option to run automatically (e.g. daily at 6:30AM)
2. Giving the user the option to make the BDBB incremental as well as a full backup (This one goes hand-in-hand with 1. as it would not make much sense to do a full backup of the BDBB every day because of the length of the "daily time window" that would be required to accomplish same.)

I am considering just creating a script that simply reverses the source and destination targets in JohnBick's script, something like the following:

REM File Name: BDBB Restore.bat
REM Restore the WHS BACKUP DATABASE

REM Stop the Backup Service
NET STOP PDL
NET STOP WHSBackup

REM Copy the "backup" folder to the server

XCopy E:\Backups\{00008086-058D-4C89-AB57-A7F909A47AB4} D:\folders\{00008086-058D-4C89-AB57-A7F909A47AB4} /D /E /V /C /I /G /H /R /K /X /Y >C:\Temp\External-Restore.log

REM Start the Backup Service
NET START WHSBackup
NET START PDL

However, after seeing the changes you have made here to BDBB Add-In Version 1.0.1.6, I’m getting clues that this Restore Script might be inadequate. Please note that I am not asking you to rewrite the script. What I am considering here is “should I use your add-in instead of the script file I am considering so the restore would be performed properly?”

Of course my concerns of doing that go back to the two feature requests 1. And 2. Above.
George
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