Background on Windows Server Backup #
Windows servers represent a significant percentage of the servers protected by Nuabee. Backing up these servers is crucial to ensuring that business continuity plans function properly.
Despite this substantial pool, there are several crucial points to consider in order to ensure that the backup works correctly and that the restore can be performed without any problems:
- Machine name: since the name is a key and sensitive point, it is important to verify that the machine is restored with the same name.
- Active Directory connection: since identity verification is performed by AD servers, it must be possible to connect to these servers during restoration.
- Remote desktop: One of the crucial points is the connection to the various servers. The remote desktop connection must work to validate proper functioning after restoration.
- Database: Database backup can be a sensitive issue. Many applications use different types of databases, which complicates the backup process (in addition to log backup tools, etc.). When restoring, a database must be consistent to enable the business to restart correctly.
- NTFS rights management: when backing up, you must ensure that rights can be restored. Regardless of the type of server, rights management is crucial for proper functioning in the event of restoration.
Backing up Windows filers #
The context of file server backup is unique.
- Files: Many problems can arise in general with folders or files
- Name too long: in a large tree structure, it is possible that the name limit will be reached
- Natively, Windows is not able to handle items with a path longer than 255 characters. As a result, Nuabee Backup cannot restore these files correctly.
- Locked file: if the file is not released and is protected, the backup may not work and the file cannot be restored.
- Number of files: the number of files can increase the backup time.
- If there are more than 1 million files on a disk, it is strongly recommended to optimize the files: archive them in another file, zip them, etc.
- Name too long: in a large tree structure, it is possible that the name limit will be reached
Analysis of excessively long paths #
For paths that are too long in Windows, TLPD (Too Long Path Detector) is a utility designed to solve the problem of files with paths that are too long in Windows.
- TLDP analyzes the directory tree, searching for files and folders with a full path name that may be too long to be handled by Windows.
Exporting data for file optimization analysis #
In order to check the composition of a file server (density, average file size, and subfolder separation) and enable you to establish a consistent backup strategy, you can run software that scans your file server and maps the disk.
WizTree also allows you to export the scan results in CSV format so that Nuabee can study this topology and advise you on the strategy to apply.
Nuabee has begun rolling out a new generation of Windows backup to address issues such as large filers (more than 4 TB per disk) and large databases on Windows servers (more than 1 TB) with RTO requirements.