Windows 7 New Backup Features

Windows 7 Backup and Restore

With Windows 7, Microsoft expands on the reliable backup and restore solutions for both data files and the entire computer that it introduced in Windows Vista, which can be used to copy your important files and folders to a safe location or create a system image that can be used later to restore a unreliable PC.

File Backup If you think of your Documents library as the centre of your data universe, and keep a series of folders and files there and in other libraries, then you'll understand the importance of backing up these files on a regular basis. Windows 7 supports both automatic and manual data backup, enabling you to choose which files to back up and when. You can then restore your backups at any time to recover previous versions of documents, or to replace a file you may have accidentally deleted.

System Image There's nothing worse than discovering that you need to reinstall Windows for some reason. You also have to ensure that you have drivers for all your hardware, reinstall the applications you use regularly, reload your data, and reconfigure all of the system, so that it's exactly the way you used to have it. Rather than go through this pain, you can use a Windows 7 feature called System Image Backup to create what is called a system image. This image, which is essentially a huge file, contains the entire contents of your PC as it existed when you backed up an image. You can simply restore the system image and get right back to work.

Window 7 also offers a way to access previous versions of data files or a previous state in time, or called a System Restore. These features are not part of Backup and Restore, but when you add it all up, what you have is the makings of a full-featured data recovery software suite like Ghost used for many years with Windows XP.

Backup Capabilities in Various Windows 7 Editions

All Windows 7 product editions get Backup and Restore with system image backup capabilities; the only exception is network-based backups: Only Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise, and Ultimate support that capability.

One Tool to Rule Them All: Using Backup and Restore

Although various tools are available through the Windows 7 user interface. A single menu control panel menu option in System & Security, the Back UP & Restore menu option provides a front end.

Backing Up Documents, Pictures, and Other Data

If you want to create a data backup, you can use Windows Backup, which is available from Backup and Restore. To do so, launch Backup and Restore and click the Set up backup link. This launches Windows Backup's Setup up backup wizard

In the first step of the wizard, you must choose a location to store the backup. You can save a backup to an internal or external hard disk, a writeable CD or DVD, or a network share. (Network backup is only available in Windows 7 Ultimate, Enterprise & Professional. The amount of space you need, of course, depends on the amount of data you are backing up. Windows auto selects the local storage offering the most free space, but you can change this of course.

Microsoft does not allow you to back up to the disk or partition you are backing up, you cannot go from C: / to C: /

In the second step, you have two choices: Let Windows choose or Let me choose. If you choose the first option, Windows Backup will automatically backup data files saved in libraries, on the desktop, and in any folders founder in your user folder. Windows Backup will also create a system image if you choose this option, and then automatically make periodic backups on a schedule going forward.

If you choose Let me choose, Windows Backup will present a view of your file system. From this option, you can pick exactly what you want to backup. You can also optionally cause a system image to be made.

In the next step, review what you've chosen. Click the Change schedule link to change the default, which is to make a backup every Sunday night.

Click Save settings and run, as the backup begins, Backup and Restore displays its progress.

If you set up an automatic backup, Windows 7 will monitor your PC usage and prompt you to perform full backups over time.

A backup is in progress. This message will occur in the future; when Windows Backup runs in the background you can create multiple automatic backup schedules if you want. For example, you may want to back up different drives or file types at different times.

Managing Backups

Once you have created your first backup. First, Backup and Restore indicates that you've set a backup location and indicates when the last and next backups occur. You can also change the automatic backup settings and restore all of the files for the each user account.

When you click the Manage space, the Manage Windows Backup disk space window will indicate, information about the selected backup device, you can browse the file system of the backup location, view backups stored on that PC, and change settings configured with system image backups.

If you do click View backups, you can't actually get inside the backup folder you have made. From here, you can view the backups and delete them.

Go back to the previous window and click Browse. This will open Windows Explorer view, navigating the location of your backup. At this location, you will see Windows Backup icon and the name of your PC. If you try to double click this folder, a Windows Backup window will appear. Instead, right-click the folder and choose Open. Then, click Continue in the permission folder that appears. You'll will see a folder structure representing your various backups. A number of standard ZIP files. If you accidentally lose everything, at least these files will always be accessible.

Restoring Files& Folders

Backup and Restore can also be used to restore files you have previously backed up. There are 3 file restore methods.

Restore my files. Restore your own files and folders.

Restore all users' files. Restore your own files and folders as well as those of other users.

Select another backup to restore files from. Perform more advanced restoration tasks, such as restoring files from a different PC.

You can follow these steps to trigger a restore of your own files or folders:

1. Open Backup and Restore and click the Restore my files button.

2. The Restore Files window appears.

From here, you have three options:

You can Search. If you know exactly what you're looking for, and only need one or a handful of files, you can use the Search button to Search your existing backup sets.

You can browse for files. If you'd like to manually browse around the backup set to find a file or any number of individual files, click Browse for files. You'll be presented with a modified File Open dialog, from which you can browse the various backups you've created, diving into the full backup or just the files in your user profile.

Recover entire folder

Whichever method you choose, you can mark a folder for restoration as you go and then continue looking for more.

3. When you're ready to go, click the Next button in the Restore Files window. Windows Backup will ask you to decide where you want to restore the files to; either to their original locations or to a new location.

Choose one and then click Restore. Windows Backup will begin restoring your files. If there any of the backup files will overwrite an existing file, you'll see the normal File Copy window shown below, which offers you a chance to overwrite, copy but keep both files, or don't copy.

When the restore is complete, Windows Backup will let you know that the files have been restored and list them.

Windows 7 System Image Backup

Backing up and restoring data files is important and should be on a regular basis, recently a new type of backup utility that backs up entire PC systems using system images has become quite available. These types of backups protect against a hard drive failure, virus infection or a major crash: If your you can use this system image to restore the PC to its previous state.

System imaging isn't new; companies have been using it for years such as Norton Ghost., Microsoft has created its own version, which it includes with Windows 7.

System imaging utilities typically compress the data on your hard drives to create a small image. Various solutions use different compression types, but you may be interested to know that Windows 7 uses VHD format that Microsoft also uses in its Windows Virtual PC software and its server-based Hyper-V virtualization solutions.

System images contain complete PC operating system files and user files & folders. You can't restore only parts of a system image, as you can with data backups. When you restore a system image, it restores the entire PC and overwrites any existing operating system. That means you should be careful before restoring a system image: Any data you have on the disk will be lost. Of course, remember to use automatic backups.

To create a system image, launch Backup and Restore menu and click the Create a system image on the left side bar at the top corner. This launches the Create a system image, shown below, which directs you through the steps to back up your whole PC. You can save system images to hard disks or DVDs, as well as network locations only in Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise, or Ultimate only. You can only write a system image to a hard disk that is formatted with the NTFS file system.

Click Next. The wizard will give you a chance to confirm the backup settings and remind you which partitions are being imaged. It will also provide an estimate of the amount of space needed to create a system image. The required storage space varies according to the size and usage of the hard disk on your PC. Click Start backup to begin the system image process.

Two file system locations must be included in the system image-what Microsoft refers to as the boot partition and the system partition. The boot partition is always C:\, whereas the system partition is the drive with the Windows 7 Windows directory. This is typically C: but if you installed Windows 7 in a dual-boot setup with a previous Windows version, the system partition might be in a different location. If you have other drives or partitions, you can optionally choose to include them in the system image as well. As the image is created, Windows Backup will provide an ongoing progress indicator.

This process could take some time, especially on a heavily used PC. When it's done, Windows Backup will prompt you to create a system repair disc. You should do so: While Windows 7 does install recovery files directly into the boot partition, in some cases; these files will not boot the PC. If that happens, you can use the system repair disc to boot your PC, a requirement for restoring the entire PC with the system image (as we'll see in the next section you can use any writeable DVD for a system repair disc.

If you have both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows 7 on different PCs, you cannot use the same system repair disc for each. Instead, you must create separate system repair discs for 32-bit and 64-bit systems.

Restoring the Entire PC

If a major hardware or software failure has made your computer unusable, and you simply want to return to a system backup, you can use one of the system images you've previously created. Note, however, that you will typically need to boot your PC into the Windows Recovery to make this happen, using the boot repair disc that you created earlier. Note, too, that restoring your PC in this fashion will wipe your system and format your C drive partition.So this should not a last resort.

Follow these steps to restore your entire PC using a system image:

1. Reboot the computer.

2. If you are using a system repair disc, boot the PC with that. Otherwise, after your PC has finished its BIOS sequence, hold down the F8 key. Choose Repair Your Computer from the Advanced Boot Options screen (below) and tap Enter.

3. After the loading files screen, choose the correct language and keyboard input method and then click next.

4. If you booted from the hard drive, you will need to choose System Image Recovery from the System Recovery Options window that appears. Otherwise, System Recovery will examine the hard drives attached to your PC and look for Windows installs. When it's done, it will list the install(s) it found and give you the opportunity to use Windows 7's built-in recovery tools to fix problems with Windows or you can restore your PC to an earlier time using a system image. Choose that latter option and

Click Next.

5. The Re-imege your computer menu begins. In the 1st phase of this system, you choose the latest image available by default or you can select a different system image.

Click Next.

6. In the next step, you can choose to format the PC's hard drive or C: / generally.

Click Next to continue.

7. In the final phase of the menu, you can certify what you're doing and click

Finish continuing.

This can take some time depending on how large you backup is.

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Computer Data Backups: Test Now or Cry Later

If you're like most small business owners, your computer data backups are one of those things that you rarely pay attention to. Computer data backups are kind of like flossing your teeth and eating low-fat, high-fiber foods... everyone knows what they're supposed to do... but how many REALLY do these things religiously?!?

Unfortunately when it comes to your computer data backups however, complacency can be very dangerous. Of course, it's always a good idea to have a local computer service company that you can rely on for advice on selecting and maintaining your computer data backups. But, unless you're prepared to put a full-time PC support person on your company's payroll, it's really important that you get some basic understanding of the major issues with computer data backups.

So here's a compilation of some really crucial tips on computer data backups that I've put together, after nearly 15 years of helping small businesses protect their valuable computer data files.

Test your computer data backups regularly and monitor their log files.

To be effective, computer data backups must be highly automated to ensure that jobs are launched consistently and correctly, but your computer data backup system also needs to be watched over diligently to make sure it continues to function reliably.

Unfortunately, monitoring the computer data backup system generally isn't a priority until something goes wrong. By then it's too late.... Like the article title says, "Test Now or Cry Later!"

People have a strong tendency with a computer data backup system to set it and forget it. Automation clearly has many benefits, but a totally hands-off approach can be very dangerous if no one is overseeing your computer data backup process.

Test and Then Test Again: VERY Important with Computer Data Backup Systems

With any newly installed computer data backup system, don't assume everything works correctly right out of the box. Even more important, don't take for granted that your backup system will continue working indefinitely. You need periodically to restore some folders and files from your backup media to validate that your computer data backup system still works.

If your automated computer data backup routine is configured to include a verify run with each backup job, testing a sample restore job monthly should be adequate. However, if you have an extremely low tolerance for risk, you may want to simulate a sample restore job once a week.

The Hazard of Moving Parts and Open Design with Computer Backup Systems

Why do you need to take these precautions if you're purchasing a reliable, business-class computer data backup system to start with? Typically, a tape drive or other backup device is one of the few components in a PC or server that still have moving parts.

As a result, it's more prone to mechanical failure. In addition, because a backup device generally is open, as opposed to the sealed design of a hard drive, it's easy for the inside of the computer data backup system device to attract a significant dust buildup in a relatively short period of time.

Sample Restore Jobs and Cleaning Tape Heads of Computer Data Backup Systems

Testing a tape for a sample restore job is also a great time to clean the heads of the backup drive if your backup system requires this kind of maintenance.

Restoring a few hundred megabytes (MB) of data to a scratch directory and running a head-cleaning tape should take no more than 15 to 30 minutes.

When running a test restore job, always restore the data to an alternate server folder path, so as not to disrupt the use of any shared folders.

Building a Computer System Backup and Restore Procedure Checklist

In times of crisis, the most crucial issue becomes how quickly you can get the data back onto your system, undamaged. So, as you build your computer data backup system, be sure to document your test procedures into handy checklists.

This documentation also can be great for cross-training and crucial for avoiding panic during an emergency. Be sure you have a hard copy of this documentation next to your system and stored off-site with your backup media.

Watching the Log Files of Your Computer Data Backup System

In addition to running test restore jobs, you must inspect your computer data backup system log files daily. When the backup system is first installed, take time to get familiar with the way log files look when everything is working. This way, if something goes awry, you'll be better prepared to pinpoint the nature of the problem immediately.

As network operating system (NOS) suites and backup software have become more sophisticated, it's now possible to monitor backup system log files remotely and more proactively. In most cases, the backup system log files are just plain text (.txt) files.

Many third-party tools and utilities, as well as those included with Microsoft BackOffice Small Business Server (SBS) and Microsoft BackOffice Server, can automatically e-mail or fax a backup system log file at a preconfigured time.

Automatically and Remotely Monitoring Tape Backup Log Files

Many computer consultants have their small business clients' log files automatically e-mailed to them daily, so the consultants proactively can watch out for potential problems with the computer data backup system.

However, don't think this proactive monitoring is limited to professional consultants. If your company has one or more branch offices you support from a centralized location, you also can use a similar method to monitor backup system health in remote locations.

For greater flexibility, you can set up an e-mail alias so the computer data backup system log file automatically is sent to you, your second-in-command and perhaps an external computer consultant - so you are all kept in the loop. Also, this way, monitoring continues even when you're out of the office or on vacation.

The Bottom Line

If your small business depends greatly on its computer systems, backing up your data is not optional... and it is not something that can be casually brushed to the back burner.

Use the computer data backup tips in the articles to help you become a more IT-aware small business owner. And remember, when it comes to computer data backups, "Test Now or Cry Later". The choice is yours.

Joshua Feinberg is a 15-year veteran computer consultant, an internationally recognized expert on small business computer consulting. He has appeared in dozens of business and IT trade publications including American Express OPEN Platinum Ventures, Entrepreneur, Inc, SCORE, Small Business Computing, and USA Today. To learn more about Joshua?s money-savings tips for small business PC support, visit his site at http://www.PCSupportTips.com

Creating a Backup Plan

Your company's data may be its most important asset. Imagine a large corporation with millions of dollars of account receivable and account payable data stored on their network. A fire causes massive data loss. How much work would be required to re-create the lost data? Without backups, the company may not survive the disaster.

Choosing a backup media is important, but in this article I'll focus on creating a plan for the type and frequency of backups. Let's assume you will use some type of tape backup media.

If your company has only a small amount of data, you may be able to perform a full backup every night. You would need two tapes which you would alternate in case the most recent full backup turns out defective. At least you have a previous one to go back to. You would store the tapes in a secure off-site location to avoid being destroyed in the same disaster that might destroy the original data.

When you perform a full backup, each file that gets baked up has the "archive" attribute in its file properties set to zero.

The archive attribute is a flag stored for each file that has been created or modified. It indicates that the file needs to be archived. Backup programs can reduce the size of backups by saving only files which have been modified since the previous backup. When the file is saved in a full or incremental backup, the archive bit is set to one.

In Windows, you can view the archive attribute for any file by right-clicking the file in Windows Explorer and selecting "Properties" in the popup menu. In the "Properties" dialog box, click on the "Advanced..." button.

If your company has a large amount of data, it would be too time consuming to perform a full backup every night. Instead, you would perform a full backup only on Friday nights, and perform a "differential" backup on other weekday night. This backup plan would require six tapes.

- A differential backup saves all files that have been created or modified since the last FULL backup.

- Restoring with differential backups is easy. You need just use two tapes. First restore the last full backup. Then restore the last differential backup.

A differential backup doesn't reset the archive attribute. The next time you perform a differential backup, it will again save all the files that have changed since the last full backup. So each night, the differential backup will get progressively larger until the next you perfrom a full backup.

If your company has a great amount of data that changes every day, it would be too time consuming to perform a differential backup every night. Instead, you might perform a full backup on Friday nights, and an "incremental" backup on other weekday night.

- An incremental backup saves only the files that have changed since the last full or incremental backup.

An incremental backup checks the archive attribute to determine if the file has changed and needs to be backed up. Then it resets the archive attribute. An incremental backup stays small because it includes only files that have changed since the last full or incremental backup.

- Restoring with incremental backups is more time consuming. First, restore the last full backup. Then restore all the incremental backups made since the full backup, in the order they were made. The only reason to use an incremental backup scheme is if differential backups become too large, requiring more than one tape.

Many company networks continue to opperate on Saturday and even Sunday. In this case, you would need to add the required additional tapes to the plan.

If during the day your company creates a large volume of data, or a small amount of data that is too critical to wait for the standard night time backup, you can perform a copy backup. To do this, you just copy the selected files to a backup media.

Copyright(C) 2004 Bucaro TecHelp.

Permission is granted for the below article to forward, reprint, distribute, use for ezine, newsletter, website, offer as free bonus or part of a product for sale as long as no changes are made and the byline, copyright, and the resource box below is included.

Stephen Bucaro

To learn how to maintain your computer and use it more effectively to design a Web site and make money on the Web visit bucarotechelp.com. To subscribe to Bucaro TecHelp Newsletter visit http://bucarotechelp.com/search/000800.asp.

Data Backup - Computer Backup - Safe Guard Important Data

Data Backup - The most effective way to prevent data loss is a solid data back-up procedure. Critical data should be backed-up at least once daily or possibly even more often for very active file systems. The frequency will depend upon the rate at which the protected data is modified or updated.

Data Backup falls into three basic categories:

Normal Backup. All files are stored and marked as having been backed up (in other words, the archive attribute is cleared). With this type you need only the most recent copy of the stored file or tape to restore all of the files. You usually perform one of these the first time you create a backup set.
Differential Backup. Here only files created or changed since the last normal or incremental backup are stored. It does not mark files as having been copied (in other words, the archive attribute is not cleared). If you are performing a combination of normal and differential backups, restoring files and folders requires that you have the last normal as well as the last differential backup.
Incremental Backup. An incremental backup backs up only those files created or changed since the last normal or incremental backup. It marks files as having been backed up (in other words, the archive attribute is cleared). If you use a combination of normal and incremental backups, you will need to have the last normal backup set as well as all incremental backup sets in order to restore your data.

Normal Backup- Anytime that a new procedure is initiated this type of backup must first be created before 'Incremental' or 'Differential' becomes possible. A 'Normal' backup copies all of the selected files and stores a complete copy of them in the destination set. Therefore, to perform a restore from a 'Normal' backup you need nothing more than the most recent 'Normal' set to restore every file that has been stored.

So you may ask, what is the point of the 'Differential' and 'Incremental' backup options. Well, it comes down to speed and storage space. A 'Normal' backup can take quite a long time to perform depending on the amount of data that is being backed up as well as use a very large amount of storage space.

Differential Backup- The 'Differential' backup looks at the data that is stored in the last 'Normal' backup and compares it to the state of the data in the current system and then stores only that data that has changed in the interim. In the typical computer environment, the ratio of the data that changes each day to the data that remains static is somewhere on the order of 1 to 2 percent. Therefore, the size of the 'Differential' backup is fractionally tiny in comparison to a 'Normal' backup and the time it takes to generate and store a 'Differential' backup is minimal compared to the time it would take to create another 'Normal' backup set. However, a 'Differential' backup set, in and of itself, is of no value. To perform a data restore from a 'Differential' backup, both the original 'Normal' backup set as well as the 'Differential' backup set are required.

Incremental Backup- The 'Incremental' backup looks at the data that is stored in the last 'Normal' backup set and also the changes that have been saved in the last 'Incremental' backup set and then compares that information to the current state of the system, storing only that data that has changed in the interim. This type of backup uses even less storage space and theoretically can be done even more frequently (even hourly). The biggest drawback to this type of backup is that to perform a data restore using this method you need the original 'Normal' backup set and all of the incremental backup sets as well.

A solid back-up procedure would normally be comprised of a combination of a periodic 'Normal' backup (maybe weekly or monthly) and either daily 'Incremental' or daily 'Differential' backups. The reason periodic 'Normal' backups need to be performed is because of the fact that over time the 'Differential' backup sets grow larger and larger and take longer and longer to create. In the case of the 'Incremental' backup, as time passes the number of backup sets continues to increase each time a backup is executed. Performing a fresh 'Normal' backup allows this process to start over.

Every system configuration should include some form of Data Backup:

We know that your data is important to you. A Data Backup plan is inexpensive and should be part of every basic system configuration.

I own a Computer Repair and Data Recovery business in San Antonio, TX. I spent 10 years in database development and the past seven mainly repairing and servicing hardware. However, I am now also offering Website Development, Internet Marketing, SEO, and Hosting.

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Bryan F. Keller

Can You Restore Data from Your Backup?

Many users don't test their backups. This is because they don't take the time or they don't know the steps to take.

This means that there is a risk that the restoration of their system will not work nor can they be sure that they are able to retrieve individual files.

You should use a backup program which gives you a full report with verification which highlights possible errors when the backup is completed.

If the backup is taken from a server, then the backup administrator should get an email backup error report.

To test the backup, try to recover some of the files from the backup.

In case the backup is spanning over several consecutive CD's, DVD's or tapes then examine some files by restoring them from the last tape or CD.

Spanning by the way, is the term used to describe backup that can't be stored on one CD or tape but has to be divided and stored on more than one.

Special consideration must be given to open databases.

Many data backup products are not able to backup open databases. If that is the case you have to look for special backup solutions.

Tragically many users who don't test their backups find that data can't be recreated from their backups.

This even despite that backups have been made and everything seems to be OK. Tapes may be bad or the setup parameters are set wrong.

This is especially true if the backup is made with Ntbackup, the standard backup utility included in Windows.

Note: In Windows XP Home edition this program is not included in the installation.

One problem with Ntbackup is that it is hard to use and it is difficult to set up a backup schedule.

There exist other alternatives to choose from. Some are expensive. Often with a multitude of functions.

These products are targeted to the high end corporate market and should be avoided by small and medium businesses.

Backup should be easy to do and the instruction easy to understand.

NTBackup doesn't gives good enough information on possible errors. It's easy to make something wrong.

If you use a tape backup as your backup media then there are several things you can do to reduce these risks and make the backup safe.

1. Make backup with verification.

Use a backup product which verifies the backup. The verification will take up extra backup time, but it is well worth doing.

2. Tapes rotation.

Use several tapes and rotate them according to a set rotation time schedule. There are several different rotation models you can use.

3. Keep the backup at a safe place.

Keep the backup in another building to protect the data from disaster such as fire or flooding. One option is that one employee keeps backups at home. The place used for storage should be fire protected and burglar proof.

The location should have a normal stable temperature and should have no humidity or electric fields.

4. Maintain your equipment.

Maintain the tape driver and keep it free from dust. Make sure that you can get service of the hardware.

5. Keep track of the expiration date.

This is something you need to watch if the tapes are in heavy use.

All tapes have a limited life time and will wear out over times.

Normally this is when the tape has been used well over 1000 times.

6. Test the backup at regular intervals.

Test the backup by restoring files as described above. As an alternative you can restore files on to a different server or computer.

Per Strandberg work as a data security expert and manage a data backup resource site.

Learn more on tape backup technologies here!

Important Distinctions Between Full System Backup, Continuous Backup, and Incremental Backup

There are many methods of data backup, stemming from many decades ago to the very recent past. Here we'll address a few different kinds of backup and some of the more technical aspects of their usefulness.

Unstructured Backup - This is when a user performs data backup of selected material manually, usually to Jazz or CD, with minimal regularity, continuity, or organization. It requires a low amount of investment and little effort, but yields a low level of recoverability.

Full System Backup - This is when a user executes a backup of the entire system disk, creating a duplicate image. Full system backup can be performed manually or on an automated schedule. It enables a high level of recoverability, but takes a long time to perform, so it is usually done biweekly or monthly. It often requires professional guidance during the restoration process as well.

Incremental Backup - This is the most common data backup method on a professional level. Upon initiation, a full system backup is performed to create a baseline. Thereafter, incremental backups are performed which only backup changed data. There are various methods of accomplishing this. Simple incremental backup just backs up whatever data has changed since the last time an incremental backup was performed. It they are scheduled to run daily, an incremental backup will record all changes made for the last 24 hours. This is considerably faster and less resource-intensive than a full system backup. The downside is that it further complicates the data restoration process, as it will be incomplete without each piece of incremental backup data (there can be hundreds or thousands).

Another form of incremental backup is differential backup. Like incremental backup, it begins with a full system backup, then tracks changes made. Unlike incremental backup, a differential backup system records the changes made relative to the initial full system backup. This means there is more data getting backed up, so the process takes longer than simple incremental backup. Yet it only requires two files to fully restore a system - the initial full system backup, and the most recent differential backup. This is often considered the best simple compromise between full system backup and simple incremental backup.

Yet a third and more sophisticated variety of incremental data protection is the multi-leveled or multi-tiered incremental backup solution. In this solution, backups are scheduled and designated levels or tiers. Level 0 is a full system backup. For each other level n, backup data is tracked relative to the most recent n-1 level backup. If you start with a level 0 backup, then schedule level 1 backups Mondays and Fridays, and level 2 backups Wednesdays, The Monday and Friday backups will record everything changed since the initial level 0 backup. The Wednesday backups, however, will only record changes made since Monday, because it is a level 2 backup (and Monday's was a level 1). Though more complex, this system allows for a much higher level of resource management. For large amounts of data (thinks terabytes of corporate data) this can be a significant boost in available processing power. By customizing your incremental levels, you can optimize your ratio of data security to processing power consumption.

The most recent advent to mainstream data security is continuous backup. It is essentially a modernized, upgraded version of disk mirroring. In a disk mirror scenario, a backup drive is setup to simply mimic a drive you select - every change continuously throughout the day. Continuous backup takes this concept one step further by tracking the changes made, enabling the user to roll them back and thus restore their system to virtually any point in time. This is the simplest and most reliable backup method for home users and small business - situations in which there is a limited amount of data changing at any given time. The only limitation is processing power - a newer system is important to manage to disk syncing without perceivable changes in performance. Continuous backup can also be successful for large-scale operations, provided it is implemented at a low (user-end) level (such that there are a manageable number of changes processed at any one given time). For home and small business users with older systems, differential backup can offer better performance, but provides a lesser degree of reliable system restoration and requires more user input and understanding of the implemented software. Ultimately continuous data protection is an excellent upgrade solution for home and small business users in the process of upgrading their older computer systems.

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Tape Backup Strategies

Before you can have a secure and effective plan for managing your data, you must incorporate a strategy that includes the following information:

• The importance of the data you are backing up

• How often to back up your system

• How many tapes you will use

• When you will use certain tapes

• How you will keep track of your backup information

Choosing a Backup Strategy.

Several tape rotation schemes are described in this chapter. Prior to choosing a strategy to use with your Backup Exec system, you should examine the following questions.

How often should I back up?

While there is no set rule on how often to back up your data, there is one consideration that can help you decide for yourself: What is the cost of recreating data that was added or modified since the last backup?

Calculate the manpower, lost time and/or sales and other costs that would be incurred if your system crashed just before the next backup was to take place (always assume the worst-case scenario). If the cost is excessive, the strategy needs to be adjusted accordingly.

For example, if you have a database containing important customer information that you update several times a day, the cost to recreate that information would probably be quite substantial. On the other hand, the cost to recreate the data for one or two inter-office memos would be considerably less.

Ideally, you would want to do at least one Normal backup of all drives, directories, and files every day. Important files and directories that constantly change may need to be backed up several times a day. For safety reasons, a Normal backup should always be performed before adding new applications or changing your system's configuration.

How long does the data need to be stored?

The amount of time the data needs to be stored is directly related to the tape rotation scheme you use. For example, if you use one tape and back up every day, your backups will never be more than a day old.

Since tape media is relatively inexpensive when compared to the value of your data, it is a good idea to periodically backup your system on a tape not used in the tape rotation scheme and store it permanently.

The threat of viruses is an issue here also. Some viruses take effect immediately, while others may take days or weeks to cause noticeable damage. Because of this, you should have at least the following backups available to restore at any time:

• 3 daily backups (i.e., Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday)

• A one-week-old Normal backup

• A one-month-old Normal backup

Having these backups available should allow you to restore your system prior to when it became infected.

Important: Be careful not to restore data you think may be infected to a drive that is not infected.

What is the life expectancy of a tape?

Tapes that are used over and over will eventually become old and worn out. When this happens, the success of restoring data from those tapes diminishes. Since tape media is relatively inexpensive, it is a good idea to periodically replace your older tapes with new tapes.

Set a standard as to how long you can use a tape before you replace it based on the backup strategy you use, the number of times you use the tape, and how long you plan to keep the tape. Also, if the quality and reliability of a tape becomes questionable (you begin to get tape errors during a backup operation), you should replace the tape.

The suggested standard to be:

• if the tape is used once a week then dispose of after 3 months

• if the tape is used often then dispose of after 6 months

• if the tape is used periodically then dispose of after 12 months.

Backup Methods

There are five backup methods:

Method - Description

Normal - Normal backups will back up all selected drives, directories, and files regardless of whether or not they have changed since the last backup (resets the archive bit).

Incremental - Incremental backups will back up only the files that have been created or changed since the last Normal or Incremental backup (resets the archive bit).

Differential - Differential backups will back up all files that have been created or changed since the last Normal backup (does not reset the archive bit).

Copy - Copy backups will back up all selected drives, directories, and files and does not affect subsequent Incremental or Differential backups.

Daily - The Daily Backup method backs up all files with today's date (created or changed today) and does not affect the files' backup status (does not reset the archive bit).

Before you can develop your tape rotation scheme, you will need to decide whether you want to do Normal, Incremental, Differential, or Daily backups or a combination. There are advantages and disadvantages to each method. Copy and Daily backups may be performed in addition to the tape rotation scheme selected.

Normal Backups

Advantages

Files are easy to find - Since Normal backups include all data contained on your hard drive, you do not have to search through several tapes to find a file that you need to restore.

There is always a current backup of your entire system on one tape or tape set - If you should need to restore your entire system, all of the most current information is located on the last backup.

Disadvantages

Redundant backups - since most of the files on your system rarely change, each backup following the first is just a copy of what has already been backed up.

Normal backups take longer to perform - Depending on how much data you are backing up, Normal backups can be time consuming.

Incremental Backups

Advantages

Better use of media - Only files that were created or changed since the last backup are included, so there is much less data storage space required.

Less time required for backup - Incremental backups take much less time than Normal backups to complete.

Disadvantages

Files are more difficult to find - Incremental files may be spread across all tapes used since the last Normal backup. You may be required to search several tapes to find the file you want to restore (this is typically not a problem if you use full cataloging and Backup Exec's Advanced File Selection feature).

Full restoration of your hard drive may be time consuming - Restoring a hard drive will probably require the restoration of data from more than one tape. This can take more time than if all data was on a single tape.

Differential Backups

Differential backups include backing up all files that were created or changed since the last Normal backup. For example, let's say you perform a Differential backup on Monday following Friday's Normal backup. When you perform a Differential backup again on Tuesday, the backup will include the data you backed up Monday, as well as any files that were changed on Tuesday. If you had performed an Incremental backup on Monday and Tuesday, Tuesday's backup would include only files that were created or changed since Monday's backup.

Advantages

Files are easy to find - Restoring a system backed up under the Differential backup strategy requires a maximum of two tapes-the latest Normal backup tape and the latest Differential backup tape. This potentially represents a considerable time savings over backup strategies which require the latest Normal backup tape and all Incremental backup tapes created since the Normal backup.

Less time required for backup - Differential backups take much less time to complete than Normal backups.

Disadvantages

Redundant backups - The amount of data backed up each day following a Normal backup gets greater and greater. For example, let's say you are performing a Normal backup on Friday, and Differential backups Monday through Thursday. Redundancy occurs because the same information backed up on Monday will be backed up again three times (Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday).

Copy Backups

Copy backups may be performed in addition to the tape rotation scheme selected. Copy backups allow you to perform a backup to meet a specific purpose (e.g., create a special tape, backup specific data, etc.).

Daily Backups

Daily backups may be performed in addition to the tape rotation scheme selected. The Daily Backup method backs up all files with today's date (created or changed today). The Daily Backup method does not affect the files' backup status (does not reset the archive bit).

Tape Rotation Schemes

There are many different tape rotation schemes. They differ mostly by the number of tapes they require and how long the tapes are kept before they are rotated back into the schedule. The tape rotation schemes described here are:

• Son

• Father/Son

• Grandfather

• Ten Tape

Stick to the Schedule

To realize the maximum benefits of your tape rotation scheme, stick to the schedule. If the schedule is not followed regularly, mistakes could take place that would render all backup efforts useless. Make sure that backups of your system are performed on schedule.

The tape rotation schemes described here are generic. Depending on the value and quantity of your data, you may want to adjust a schedule to better fit your needs. For example, if you are using the Grandfather scheme, you may want to perform a Copy backup on the last Saturday of the month to rotate off-site for permanent storage.

Son Scheme

Number of tapes required: 1

Maximum Storage life: last backup

This tape rotation scheme simply involves doing a Normal backup every day. Although the Son scheme is simple to manage, backing up with a single tape is not an effective backup strategy due to the fact that magnetic media eventually wears out after many uses and the data you can restore only dates back to your last backup.

Father/Son Scheme

Number of tapes required: 6

Maximum Storage life: Two weeks

The Father/Son tape rotation scheme uses a combination of Normal and Incremental backups for a two week schedule.

In the Father/Son scheme, four tapes are used Monday through Thursday for Incremental or Differential backups. The other two tapes containing Normal backups are rotated out and stored off-site every Friday.

The Father/Son scheme is easy to manage and allows you to keep data longer than the "Son" scheme.

Note: If you choose to perform Differential backups, you can use 3 tapes instead of six. For example, you can perform Differential backups with Tape 1 on Monday through Thursday, and use Tapes 2 and 3 for your Friday Normal backups.

To implement the Father/Son scheme, perform the following steps:

1. Label your tapes and perform a Normal backup on Tape 5 (Incremental) or Tape 3 (Differential) on Friday.

2. Follow the schedule shown above for performing backups Monday through Thursday.

3. Rotate tapes 5 and 6 (Incremental) or 2 and 3 (Differential) off-site for maximum protection.

Grandfather Scheme

Number of tapes required: 19

Maximum Storage life: One Year

The Grandfather scheme is one of the most common tape rotation schemes. It is simple to manage and comprehensive enough to find files easily when they need to be restored.

In the Grandfather scheme, four tapes are used Monday through Thursday for Incremental backups. Another three tapes are used every Friday for Normal backups. The remaining 12 tapes are used for monthly Normal backups (January through December) and are kept off-site.

The Grandfather scheme is recommended because it offers a good tape number to storage life ratio (19 tapes/1 year). It is also easy to modify should you want to incorporate more tapes. For example, you could perform a Normal backup on the last Saturday of the month to store permanently.

Ten Tape Scheme

Number of tapes required: 10

Maximum Storage life: 12 weeks

Some tape rotation schemes result in excessive wear on the tapes that are used most often in the schedule. For example, a scheme may require the same four tapes to be used for Incremental backups on Monday through Thursday, every week. The Ten Tape scheme eliminates this by rotating tapes in a way that allows each tape to be used the same number of times over a 40 week period.

The cycle begins with a Normal backup on each Friday, and Incremental backups Monday through Thursday. On the fourth Friday of each four-week cycle, a Normal back up is performed and rotated off-site.

The scheme is divided into ten, four week intervals. The same four tapes are used Monday through Thursday in a given cycle, but change the next cycle. A different tape is used each Friday of the four-week cycle.

When you first implement the Ten Tape scheme, you will need to perform a Normal backup on Tape 10 before backing up to Tape 1 on Monday. This will ensure that you have a four-week-old copy of your data at the end of the first four week cycle.

The main benefit of the Ten Tape scheme is that all tapes are used equally during the cycle. This scheme is more difficult to manage than others described in this chapter. Although less tapes are required than the Grandfather scheme, storage life is reduced to 12 weeks.

Bernard works for Neustro the authors of NeuQs Free Help Desk.