mjgardne
asked on
Windows 7 Recovery Environment: Adding iSCSI Initiator to it for bare metal recovery?
Hello,
We are using Windows Server 2008 backup to save our server to a LUN on an iSCSI QNAP NAS unit. It has been working great for over a year, but I need to figure out how to perform a bare metal recovery from an iSCSI device. I've created a WinPE disk that actually uses the Windows 7 Recovery Environment .wim. When I boot from the CD, it properly loads the Recovery Environment. I've seen a lot of discussion on the net about adding Microsofts' iSCSI files, registry settings, etc, to the image (see filelist in Code Snippet). I've completed this task and when I launch from my CD, open the Recovery Environment's command window, and enter net start msiscsi, I get a file not found, system error 2. I have seen a few comments that say it is not possible to use iSCSI within the Recovery Environment, as I am trying to do... I hope that there is a way because in a stressful server down situation, I would like to simply load a CD and restore the server, rather than doing a lot of work-arounds. I have downloaded StarWind's iSCSI Initiator, but have not found any documentation on how I can load it into the .wim. I hope that someone can help me solve this task... If it is possible to complete this task, I will publish the details in order to help others...
My current work-around is to go to a computer on our LAN and mount the desired LUN for the backup data on the NAS unit. Next, I share that drive, boot the WinRE disk on the server, and restore the backup from the shared folder. This works, but I would love to simply boot a WinRE disk start the iscsi service, open the configuration panel, and restore the server.
Anyway, I would appreciate your help with this question.
Thanks,
Mike
We are using Windows Server 2008 backup to save our server to a LUN on an iSCSI QNAP NAS unit. It has been working great for over a year, but I need to figure out how to perform a bare metal recovery from an iSCSI device. I've created a WinPE disk that actually uses the Windows 7 Recovery Environment .wim. When I boot from the CD, it properly loads the Recovery Environment. I've seen a lot of discussion on the net about adding Microsofts' iSCSI files, registry settings, etc, to the image (see filelist in Code Snippet). I've completed this task and when I launch from my CD, open the Recovery Environment's command window, and enter net start msiscsi, I get a file not found, system error 2. I have seen a few comments that say it is not possible to use iSCSI within the Recovery Environment, as I am trying to do... I hope that there is a way because in a stressful server down situation, I would like to simply load a CD and restore the server, rather than doing a lot of work-arounds. I have downloaded StarWind's iSCSI Initiator, but have not found any documentation on how I can load it into the .wim. I hope that someone can help me solve this task... If it is possible to complete this task, I will publish the details in order to help others...
My current work-around is to go to a computer on our LAN and mount the desired LUN for the backup data on the NAS unit. Next, I share that drive, boot the WinRE disk on the server, and restore the backup from the shared folder. This works, but I would love to simply boot a WinRE disk start the iscsi service, open the configuration panel, and restore the server.
Anyway, I would appreciate your help with this question.
Thanks,
Mike
Here are the MS iSCSI files that I have copied from a Win7, 64-bit installation. I copy them to the corresponding folder in the mounted WinRE image.
System32\iscsicli.exe
System32\iscsicpl.dll
System32\iscsicpl.exe
System32\iscsidsc.dll
System32\iscsied.dll
System32\iscsiexe.dll
System32\iscsilog.dll
System32\iscsium.dll
System32\iscsiwmi.dll
System32\Drivers\msiscsi.sys
System32\DriverStore\FileRepository
System32\DriverStore\FileRepository\iscsi.inf_amd64_neutral_eab9a76056c5eb71
System32\DriverStore\FileRepository\iscsi.inf_amd64_neutral_eab9a76056c5eb71\iscsi.inf
System32\DriverStore\FileRepository\iscsi.inf_amd64_neutral_eab9a76056c5eb71\iscsi.PNF
System32\DriverStore\FileRepository\iscsi.inf_amd64_neutral_eab9a76056c5eb71\iscsilog.dll
System32\DriverStore\FileRepository\iscsi.inf_amd64_neutral_eab9a76056c5eb71\msiscsi.sys
System32\en-US\iscsicli.exe.mui
System32\en-US\iscsicpl.dll.mui
System32\en-US\iscsicpl.exe.mui
System32\en-US\iscsidsc.dll.mui
System32\en-US\iscsiexe.dll.mui
System32\en-US\iscsilog.dll.muiASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
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I will add two link to this topic
http://www.codeguru.com/csharp/.net/net_general/toolsand3rdparty/article.php/c15255__3/
http://www.gregorystrike.com/?p=8
Hope it help.
http://www.codeguru.com/csharp/.net/net_general/toolsand3rdparty/article.php/c15255__3/
http://www.gregorystrike.com/?p=8
Hope it help.
ASKER
Thank you! I will check them out. Have a nice weekend!
ASKER
The Internet is buzzing with hundreds of people trying to accomplish what I've described, so I am a little surprised that this is the only suggestion beyond the work around that I've proposed. Since this suggestion is closer to solving my problem than my work around, I am accepting it.