asked on 9/8/2013

Windows Server 2008 BACKUP

Hello,

I would like to use Windows 2008 backup with 2 USB drives. One USB drive for Monday, Wednesday and Friday backups and the other USB drive for Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday backups. Both drives will NOT be connected at the same time but every day another drive will be manually connected.

Should this solution OK? Is it reliable ? supported by Microsoft?
Should it work with 3, 4 or more drives? (one drive for monthly backups for example)

Is this solution better (or more reliable) with Windows server 2012?

THank you very much

Windows Server 2008 Windows Server 2012 Storage Software

Last Comment

Gad SAADIA

9/16/2013

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

Nick Rhode

9/8/2013

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Emmanuel Adebayo

9/8/2013

Yes, it a good solution and it's supported by MS

check the links below

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc732939.aspx
http://ehlersit.blogspot.co.uk/2009/08/windows-server-2008-and-usb-backup-only.html
http://blog.softwaresynergy.com/blog/?p=1008

Regards

Gad SAADIA

9/9/2013

ASKER

Thank you
One additional question:

What happens if one of the USB drives fails? is it possible to format a new drive and
integrates it in the "backup drive set" (lets say 5 drives one for every day backup) without loosing information in the other drives of the set ?

Also is Windows 2012 backup has new fonctionalities than Windows 2008 backup regarding this issue ? Or is it the same thing?

THank you
Gad

Syed Ali

9/9/2013

I would go for a NAS rather than a USB
then i will use Acronis Backup and Recovery which helps you in scheduling different tasks incremental or full backups
You can even define the storage space and it would keep the last 10 or so backups as per the space allocated or the scheduled task
The recovery process would be fairly fast
it would send you an email about the status of the task performed
you can even mount the image created to browse contents of it

Nick Rhode

9/9/2013

If the drive fails you can just connect a different one. The main thing is the backup is going to be targeting a drive letter. So if the backup is set to write its files to drive F:\ then whatever storage device is marked with that letter it will try to write too etc regardless of what you name the externals.

Gad SAADIA

9/9/2013

ASKER

But drives need a special formatting for Windows 2008 server. So I cannot just connect a different one if not previously formatted with Windows 2008 Backup is it?
How do I format this new drive ?

Thanks you very much

Nick Rhode

9/9/2013

Nonsense, when you connect the new drive, just right-click it > Choose Format > Filesystem = NTFS.

Gad SAADIA

9/9/2013

ASKER

OK I understand

Last thing, how do I know to what drive the backup is set to write its files ? F:\ G:\...

So I will be able to format the new drive in NTFS file system and assign it the same drive letter

THanks

Nick Rhode

9/9/2013

When you create the backup it will state the location. You will browse to that specific location or target the drive.

Like: G:\

Now if you specified G:\Backup

Then you would have to make sure you create a folder called backup on the other externals because it will look at the path specified when creating the backup.

Gad SAADIA

9/9/2013

ASKER

I am not sure it is possible to browse a drive that has been formatted with Windows 2008 Backup (usually it does not appear in Windows Explorer if I remember well)

But I will check it again

Nick Rhode

9/9/2013

Those were more geared towards SBS backups which are alot more picky but it can also be done using the same methode because it targets a drive letter. If the volume is formated using NTFS it will work.

Gad SAADIA

9/16/2013

ASKER

thank you