emc avamar 6 for windows server user guide.pdf

8/17/2019 EMC Avamar 6 for Windows Server User Guide.pdf

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EMC®

Avamar®

6.1

for Windows Server

User Guide

P/N 300-013-354

REV 03


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EMC Avamar 6.1 for Windows Server User Guid e 2

Copyright © 2001- 2012 EMC Corporation. All rights reserved. Published in the USA.

Published October, 2012

EMC believes the information in this publica tion is accura te a s of its publica tion da te. The information is sub ject to change without

notice.

The information in this publica tion is provided a s is . EMC Corporation makes no representa tions o r warra nties o f an y kind with respec t

to the information in this publication, and specifically disclaims implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular

purpose. Use, copying, a nd d istribution of any EMC softwa re d escribed in this publication req uires an a pplicable s oftware license.

EMC2, EMC, and the EMC logo a re registe red trademarks or trad emarks o f EMC Corpora tion in the United S ta tes and other countries .

All other tradema rks us ed h erein are the property of their respective owne rs.

For the most up-to-date regulatory document for your product line, go to the technical documentation and advisories section on the

EMC online support web site.


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EMC Avama r 6.1 for Windows Se rver User Guide 3

CONTENTS

Preface

Cha pter 1 Insta lla tion

Capa bilities and limitations ........................................................................ 16

VSS writers s upported by Avama r Client for Windows ........ ......... ........ ... 19

Add a vtar.exe to anti-virus a pplica tion sa fe lists. ........ ......... ........ ......... . 19

System requirements .................................................................................. 20

Before you install........................................................................................ 22

Insta lling a nd running the Avama r Config Checker for Microso ft Windows .... 23

Insta lling the Avamar Client for Windows ........ ........ ......... .......... ........ ......... . 24

Windows Server 2008, 2008 R2, a nd 2012 with User Account Control. .. 24

Microsoft .NETFramework 4 required ........ ......... ........ ......... ........ ....... ... 24

Downloa d a nd insta ll the Avama r Client for Windows ....... ......... ........ .... 25 Registering the Avamar Client for Windows ......... ........ ......... ........ ......... ....... 27

Uninsta lling and upgrading the Avama r Client for Windows ....... ......... ......... 27

Windows Server 2008 a nd 2012 Core Insta lla tion and maintenance. ........ ... 28

Insta lling and registering the Avama r Client for Windows ......... ........ ..... 28

Uninsta lling the Avamar Client for Windows ......... ........ ......... ......... ......... .... 30

Upgrading the Avamar Client for Windows ........ ......... ........ ......... ........ ......... 30

Cha pter 2 Backup

Ma tching ba ckup and recovery with data protection needs .......... ......... ....... 32

Application restores a fter disa ster recovery... ........ ......... ........ ......... ...... 35

Ba ckup launch methods a nd types.............................................................. 35

Backup retention................................................................................... 35Validating a ba ckup .............................................................................. 35

International characters ........................................................................ 36

Backup launch methods........................................................................ 36

Data types and files ava ila ble for ba ckup and restore............................ 37

Files excluded in Windows File System ba ckups ........ ........ ......... ........ ... 38

NTFS softlinks a re skipped by defa ult in Windows VSS b ackups ... .... .... . 38

Mount points, directory junctions, and d irectory symbolic links.. ........ ... 38

On-demand ba ckup .................................................................................... 39

Ba cking up an entire Windows client ........ ........ ......... ....... ......... ........ .... 39

Backing up volumes, folders, a nd files .................................................. 42

Ba cking up Windows Storag e Server 2008 SIS ......... ....... ......... ........ ..... 44

Backing up DFS sha res ................................................................................ 47 Na tive VHD file ba ckup and recovery ......... ......... ........ ......... ........ ......... ....... 48

How Avama r works with VHD files ....... ......... ........ ......... ........ ......... ....... 48

Backing up a n a ttached VHD................................................................. 49

Backing up a deta ched VHD .................................................................. 56

Scheduled ba ckups..................................................................................... 56

Creating a da tas et ................................................................................. 57

Creating a group.................................................................................... 60

Enab ling scheduled ba ckups ................................................................ 63

System State backup data sets for mixed Windows Server clients ......... ....... 64

Setting up a d a ta set for mixed Windows o pera ting system plug-ins.. ..... 65


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4 EMC Avama r 6.1 for Windows Se rver User Guide

Contents

Cha pter 3 Recovery

Recovery types ............................................................................................ 72

Filesys tem recovery...... ........ ......... ........ ......... ........ ........ ........ ......... ...... 72

Disas ter recovery................................................................................... 72

Application recovery......... ....... ........ ......... ........ ......... ....... ......... ........ .... 73

Finding a ba ckup for restore ......... ........ ......... ........ ......... ........ .......... ........ ... 73

Finding a ba ckup by da te ...................................................................... 73Finding a ba ckup by file or folder................ ......... ........ ......... ........ ........ . 73

Choosing a restore destination.................................................................... 77

Restoring to the original location.... .......... ........ ......... ........ ......... ........ ......... 78

Restoring to a different location .................................................................. 81

Restoring to multiple locations ........ ......... ........ ......... ........ ......... ........ ......... 86

Resto ring over corrupted SIS links ........ ........ ........ ......... ........ ......... ....... 91

Restoring a system tha t uses DFS .......................................................... 91

Recovering VHDs ......... ........ ......... ........ ......... ....... ......... ........ ......... ....... 92

Chapt er 4 Client S ys tem Disaste r Recovery

Windows Server 2008/2012 a nd Windows 7/8 Ba re Meta l Recovery .... .... ... 94Windows BMR ........ ......... ........ ......... ....... ........ ......... ........ ......... ....... .... 95

Windows BMR capabilities and limita tions ......... ........ ....... ......... ........ ... 96

Offline disa ster recovery ta sk list.. ........ ......... ....... ......... ........ ......... ....... 99

Ta sk 1: Perform a full sys tem ba ckup ........ ......... ........ ......... ........ ........ 100

Ta sk 2: Verify that a valid disa ster recovery ba ckup exists .......... ........ . 101

Ta sk 3: Downloa d the WinPE ISO....... ........ ....... ......... ........ ......... ........ . 101

Ta sk 4: Create a boota ble media from the ISO image ........ ......... ........ .. 103

Ta sk 5: Review recovery prerequisites ........ ......... ........ ......... ....... ........ 104

Ta sk 6: Ga ther informa tion for the wizard ........ ......... ........ ......... ........ .. 104

Ta sk 7: Test the wizard ........ ......... ........ ........ ........ ......... ........ ......... ..... 105

Task 8: Res tore the Windows client machine to its o rigina l

system sta te ....................................................................................... 105

(Optional) Perform an a uthoritative restore ......... ........ ......... ....... ........ 117

Post-disas ter recovery notes ............................................................... 118

Disa ster recovery when a server role uses Microsoft SQL Server

insta nces instea d of WID..................................................................... 120

Windows Server 2008 and 2012 Active Directory backup and recovery... ... 125

Comparing nonauthoritative and authoritative restores ........ ........ ....... 125

Active Directory restore roadma p........ ........ ......... ........ ......... ........ ....... 125

Ta sk 1: Create a n online Active Directory ba ckup... ......... ........ ......... .... 126

Ta sk 2: Set up the client for Active Directory restore ........ ......... ........ ... 128

Task 3: Res tore Active Directory with a nona uthorita tive res tore ... .... ... 130

Task 3: Res tore Active Directory with an authorita tive res tore .... ... .... ... 134

Windows Server 2008 a nd 2012 Cluster Disas ter Recovery...... ......... ........ . 139

Cluster node restores .......................................................................... 139Full cluster restore or disa ster recovery ......... ........ ......... ........ ......... .... 140

Windows Server 2003 disa ste r recovery and Active Directory recovery... .... 141

Important no tes about d isa ster recovery and Active Directory

recovery .............................................................................................. 141

Windows Server 2003 disa ster recovery roadma p ......... ........ ......... ..... 141

Prerequisite: Perform s ystem s tate ba ckup.......................................... 144

Ta sk 1: Shut down the origina l system ................................................ 146

Ta sk 2: Deactivate the origina l system within Avama r........... ........ ....... 146

Ta sk 3: Prepare the new ta rget system ................................................ 146

Ta sk 4: Restore da ta to the new target system ..................................... 147

Ta sk 5: Use NTBa ckup to restore system s ta te ........ ......... ......... ........ ... 149


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Contents

Ta sk 5 completion: Next steps ........ ......... ........ ......... ........ ......... ........ .. 151

Ta sk 6: Complete Windows Server 2003 client disa ster recovery .... .... . 151

Task 6: Res tore Windows Server 2003 Active Directory with a

nonauthoritative restore...................................................................... 151

Task 6: Res tore Windows Server 2003 Active Directory with a n

authoritative restore............................................................................ 152

Windows XP and 2000 sys tem recovery using NTBackup ... .... .... .... ... .... .... . 154Performing a full system ba ckup ......................................................... 154

Restore preparation ............................................................................ 155

Perform full sys tem restore........ ......... ........ ......... ........ ......... ........ ....... 157

Chapter 5 Support for Microsoft Windows Clus ters

Windows cluster concepts.. ........ ......... ........ ......... ........ ......... ......... ........ ... 168

Roadmap for setting up Avamar on a Microsoft Windows cluster ........ ....... 169

Capa bilities, limitations, and best pra ctices .............................................. 169

Do not mix individua l client filesys tem da ta with sha red

cluster da ta in the same data set ......................................................... 170

Microso ft “ Windows Compute Cluste rs” is not s upported ....... ......... .... 170

Do not back up the Quorum drive ........ ......... ........ ......... ........ ....... ....... 170

Activate physica l nodes of the cluster on the Avama r se rver before

configuring the Avama r Cluster Client ........ ......... ........ ......... ........ ........ 171

Configuring the Avama r Client for Windows Clusters .... .... .... ... .... .... .... .... ... 171

Upgrading the Avamar for Windows Cluster Client ........ ......... ......... ........ ... 174

Resetting the Avama r Client for Windows Clusters ......... ........ ......... ..... 175

Upgrading a n older version of Windows Cluster Client from

Avama r 4.x or ea rlier ........ ........ ......... ........ ......... ........ ......... ........ ........ 175

Advanced information for multi-homed clusters ........ ........ ......... ........ ....... 176

Append ix A P lug-in Opt ions

How to set plug-in options ........................................................................ 178 Windows file system ba ckup options........ ........ ......... ........ ......... ........ ....... 178

Windows file system restore options ........ ........ .......... ......... ........ ......... ..... 182

Windows VSS backup options ........ ......... ........ ......... ........ ....... ......... ........ . 184

Windows VSS restore options. ........ ......... ........ ......... ........ ......... ........ ........ 185

Index


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Contents


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Title Page

TABLES

1 Revision history . . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. .. . .. . .. . .. .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . . 10

2 Windows Storage Server deduplication and SIS support. .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . . 163 System requirements . . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. .. . .. . .. . .. .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. .. . .. . .. . .. .. . .. . . 20

4 Backups required for different recovery types . . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. .. . .. . .. . .. . . 32

5 Files excluded in Windows File System backups ... .. . . . .. . . .. . . . .. . . . .. . . . .. . . . .. . . .. . . . .. . . .. . . . .. . . . .. . 38

6 Different Microsoft backup technologies require different Avamar plug-ins ... .. . . . . .. . . . .. . 64

7 Restore destination choices . . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . 77

8 Cluster Backup Agent for Windows settings... . . . .. . . . .. . . .. . . . .. . . .. . . . .. . . . .. . . . .. . . . .. . . .. . . . .. . . .. . . . . 172

9 Windows file system plug-in options for backup.... . .. . . . .. . . .. . . . .. . . .. . . . .. . . . .. . . . .. . . . .. . . .. . . . .. . . 178

10 Windows file system plug-in options for restore ... . .. . . .. . . . .. . . .. . . . .. . . . .. . . . .. . . . .. . . .. . . . .. . . .. . . . . 182

11 Windows VSS plug-in options for backup .... .. . . . .. . . . .. . . . .. . . .. . . . .. . . .. . . . . .. . . . .. . . . . .. . . . .. . . . .. . . . .. 184

12 Windows VSS plug-in options for restore ... . .. . . . .. . . . .. . . .. . . . .. . . .. . . . . .. . . . .. . . .. . . . .. . . .. . . . .. . . . .. . . . . 185


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Tables es


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PREFACE

As pa rt of a n effort to improve its product lines, EMC periodically relea ses revisions o f its

softwa re and hardwa re. Therefore, some functions described in this document might notbe s upported by all versions o f the softwa re or hardware currently in use. The product

release notes provide the most up-to-date information on product features.

Conta ct your EMC representa tive if a product doe s no t function properly or does not

function as described in this document.

Note: This document was a ccurate a t publication time. New versions of this document

might be relea sed on the EMC online support website. Check the EMC online support

website to ensure tha t you are using the la test version of this d ocument.

PurposeThis guide des cribes how to insta ll the Avama r Client for Windows , a nd how to ba ck up

and restore data on a Windows Se rver in both s tand a lone and clustered environments.

Other uses o f the Avamar Client for Windows and the Avamar Client for Windows Clusters

a re covered in complete d eta il in other Avama r documenta tion available on the EMC

online s upport w ebsite:

◆ User-initiated on-demand backup and restore from the client machine is described in

the EMC Avama r Ba ckup Clients User Guide .

◆ Other Avama r backup clients running on Windows se rvers ma y require the insta lla tion

of the Avama r Client for Windows as well as the a pplica tion-specific backup client. For

example, th e EMC Avamar for SQL Se rver User Guide provides complete system

requirements a nd inst ructions for insta lling the Avama r Client for Windows and the

Avamar Plug-in for SQL Server, as well as configuration for SQL Server clusters.

For Lotus Notes , Ora cle, Microsoft Excha nge Server, Microsoft Sha rePoint Se rver, a nd

Microsoft SQL Server ba ckup clients, consult the respective ba ckup client guide for

complete instructions on insta lling bo th the Avama r Client for Windows and th e

application-specific backup client.

Audience

The information in this document is primarily intended for:

◆ System a dministrators who a re responsible for installing softwa re a nd ma intaining

servers a nd clients on a network.

◆ Microsoft Windows Server system ad ministra tors who a re responsib le for ba cking up

and ma inta ining Microso ft Windows Servers.

Persons using this document should have current practical experience with the following:

◆ Opera ting sys tem shell commands on the s pecific Windows Server pla tform (root

permiss ion req uired).

◆ The s pecific versions of Microsoft Windows and Windows Server deployed a t the site.


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10 EMC Avama r 6.1 for Window s S erver User Guide

Preface

Revision history

The following tab le presents the revision history of this do cument.

Related documentation

The following EMC publica tions provide a dd itional informat ion a bout Avama r

administration and environment:

◆ EMC Avamar Administration Guide

◆ EMC Avamar Release Notes

◆ EMC Avamar Operationa l Best Pract ices

◆ EMC Avamar Ba ckup Clients User Guide

◆ EMC Avamar Product Security Guide

The Avamar Client for Windows described in this guid e is req uired for Avamar operat ions

and operating s ystem protec tion on Windows servers. Avama r offers p lug-ins to provideprotection for the a pplication da ta , da taba ses , a nd se ttings. The following guides provide

information on installing and using the application-specific plug-ins:

◆ EMC Avamar for Exchange VSS User Guide

◆ EMC Ava mar for Hyper-V VSS Use r Guid e

◆ EMC Avamar for IBM DB2 User Guide

◆ EMC Avamar for Lotus Domino User Guide

◆ EMC Avamar for Ora cle User Guide

◆ EMC Avamar for SAP with Oracle User Guide

◆ EMC Avamar for Sha rePoint VSS User Guide

◆ EMC Avamar for SQL Server User Guide

◆ EMC Avamar for Sybase ASE User Guide ◆ EMC Avamar for Windows S erver User Guide

◆ EMC Avamar Config Checker for Microso ft Windows Technica l Note

Note: Some a pplications a re ava ilable on multiple pla tforms a nd require the client for the

specific operating s ystem. The EMC Avama r Ba ckup Clients User Guide provides

informat ion ab out insta lling and using other operat ing system clients such a s AIX,

FreeBSD, HP-UX, Linux, MacOS X, NetWare, SCO, and So laris.

Tb le Revision hist ory

Revision Date Description

03 October 25,2012

Updates for release 6.1 Service Pack 1:

• Added topics for backup and recovery of DFS sha res.

• Added note ab out Microsoft VSS framework limitation of 64volumes and shadow copies.

• Added feature support information for Windows Server 2012a nd Windows 8.

• Upda ted Windows disa ster recovery references to Windows Ba reMeta l Recovery.

• Removed information about optional Avamar Enhanced ServerRecovery product, which is no longer a vailable.

02 July 31, 2012 Upda ted “ Where to get help” on pa ge 12 in the Preface.

A01 April 25, 2012 Initial release of Avamar 6.1


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Preface

Conventions used in this document

EMC uses the following conventions for special notices :

DANGER indicates a haza rdous s ituation wh ich, if not a voided, will result in dea th o r

serious injury.

WARNING indicates a hazardous situa tion which, if not avoided , could result in dea th o r

serious injury.

CAUTION, used with t he s a fety a lert symbol, indicates a haza rdous situa tion which, if not

avoided, could result in minor or moderate injury.

NOTICE is used to a dd ress practices not rela ted to persona l injury.

Note: A note presents informa tion tha t is important, but not hazard-related .

IMP ORTANT

An important notice contains information essentia l to software or hardware operation.

Typographica l convent ions

EMC uses the following type style conventions in this d ocument:

Normal Used in running (nonprocedural) text for:

• Names of interface elements, such as names of windows, dialog boxes,buttons, fields, a nd menus

• Names of resources, attributes, pools, Boolean expressions, buttons,DQL statements, keywords, clauses, environment variables, functions,and utilities

• URLs, pathnames, filenames, directory names, computer names, links,groups, s ervice keys, file systems , a nd not ifications

Bold

Used in running (nonprocedural) text for names of commands , da emons,options, progra ms, processe s, services, a pplications, utilities, kernels,

notifications, syste m ca lls, a nd man pagesUsed in procedures for:

• Names of interface elements, such as names of windows, dialog boxes,buttons, fields, a nd menus

• What the user specifically selects, clicks, press es, or types

Italic Used in a ll text (including procedures) for:

• Full titles of publications referenced in text

• Emphasis, for example, a new term

• Variab les


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Preface

Where to get help

The Avama r support page provides access to licensing informa tion, product

documentation, advisories, and downloads, as well as how-to and troubleshooting

informat ion. This information may enable you to resolve a product iss ue before you

contact EMC Customer Service.

To a ccess the Avama r support pa ge:

1. Go to https://support.EMC.com/products .

2. Type a product name in the Find a Product box.

3. Select the product from the list that a ppears.

4. Click the arrow next to the Find a Product box.

5. (Optional) Add the product to the My Products list by clicking Add to my product s in

the top right corner of the Support by Product page.

Documentation

The Avama r product documenta tion provides a comprehensive se t of fea ture overview,

operational task, and technical reference information. Review the following documents in

addition to product a dministration a nd user guides :

◆ Releas e notes provide an overview of new fea tures and known limitations for a

release.

◆ Technica l notes provide technica l deta ils ab out spe cific product fea tures, including

step-by-step tas ks, where necessa ry.

◆ White pa pers provide a n in-depth technica l perspective of a product or products a s

applied to critical business issues or req uirements.

Knowledgebase

The EMC Knowledgeba se conta ins a pplicable solutions tha t you can s ea rch for either by

solution number (for example, esgxxxxxx) or by keyword.

To sea rch the EMC Knowledgebase :

1. Click the Search link at the top of the pa ge.

2. Type either the s olution number or keywords in the sea rch box.

Courier Used for:

• System output, such as an error message or script

• URLs, complete paths, filenames, prompts, and syntax when shownoutside of running text

Courier bold Used for specific user input, such as commands

Courier italic Used in procedures for:

• Variables on the command line• User input variables

Angle brackets enclose parameter or variable values supplied by the user

[ ] Sq uare brackets e nclose optional values

| Vertical ba r indicates alternate s elections —the bar means “ or”

{ } Braces enclose content that the user must specify, s uch as x or y or z

.. . Ellipses indicate nonessential information omitted from the example

https://support.emc.com/productshttps://support.emc.com/products


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Preface

3. (Optional) Limit the sea rch to specific products by typing a product name in the Scope

by product box and then selecting the product from the list tha t a ppears.

4. Select Knowledgeba se from the Scope by resource list .

5. (Optional) Specify adva nced options by clicking Adva nced opt ions a nd specifying

values in the ava ilable fields.

6. Click the search button.

Live cha t

To enga ge EMC Customer Service by using live interactive cha t, c lick Join Live Chat on the

Service Center panel of the Avama r support page.

Service Req uests

For in-depth help from EMC Customer Service, submit a service request by clicking Create

Service Req uests on the Service Center panel of the Avama r support pa ge.

Note: To open a service req uest , you must ha ve a va lid support agreement. Contact yourEMC sales representative for deta ils a bout ob ta ining a valid support agreement or with

questions about your account.

To review a n open s ervice request , click the Service Center link on the S ervice Center

panel, a nd then click View and mana ge service req uests .

Facilita ting support

EMC recommends tha t you ena ble ConnectEMC and Email Home on a ll Avama r syste ms:

◆ ConnectEMC automa tica lly generates service req uests for high priority events .

◆ Email Home emails configuration, capacity, and general system information to EMC

Customer Service.

Your comments

Your sugges tions will help us continue to improve the a ccuracy, organiza tion, a nd overall

quality of the user publica tions. Send your opinions of this document to:

[email protected]

Please include the following information:

◆ Product name a nd version

◆ Document name, pa rt number, and revision (for exa mple, A01)

◆ Page numbers

◆ Other details tha t will help us a ddress the documenta tion issue


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Preface


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Installation 15

CHAPTER 1

Installation

The following topics des cribe how to ins ta ll and register EMC® Avamar® client softwa re forMicrosoft Windows on a client computer:

◆ Capa bilities and limitations .................................................................................... 16

◆ System requirements .............................................................................................. 20

◆ Before you insta ll.................................................................................................... 22

◆ Insta lling and running the Avama r Config Checker for Microsoft Windows .... ... .... .... . 23

◆ Insta lling the Avamar Client for Windows ......... ........ ......... ........ ......... ......... ........ ..... 24

◆ Registering the Avamar Client for Windows ........ ........ ........ ......... ........ ......... ....... ..... 27

◆ Uninstalling a nd upgrading the Avamar Client for Windows .......... ......... ........ ......... . 27

◆ Windows Server 2008 and 2012 Core Insta lla tion and ma intenance.... ......... ........ ... 28

◆ Uninstalling the Avamar Client for Windows ........ ......... ......... ........ ......... ........ ......... 30

◆ Upgrading the Avamar Client for Windows ....... ........ ......... ........ ......... ......... ........ ..... 30


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Installation

Capabilities and limitations

The following topics discuss ca pabilities and limita tions of this release o f Avama r Client

for Windows .

Windows Server 2012 data deduplicat ion feature support

Avama r supports b ackup and recovery of volumes tha t have Windows Server 2012 da ta

ded uplica tion ena bled. When Avama r encounters a Windows ded uplicated file during

ba ckup, Avama r will temporarily re-inflate the file ba ck to its full size be fore ba cking up the

file to the Avama r server. After the backup operat ion, the file will still be d eduplica ted o n

the source volume, but the ba ckup of the file will be full size on the Avama r server. When

the file is resto red with Avama r, the file is not re-ded uplica ted , and occupies a s much disk

space as the full-size file.

Window Server 2012 Sca le-out File Servers a re not supported

Avama r does not s upport Windows Server 2012 Sca le-Out File Server, where a ll nodes a re

active nodes (active-active). Avama r does support traditiona l cluster file se rvers inWindows Server 2012, where one node is online a t a time (active-pass ive or dua l-active).

Windows Server 2012 ReFS is not supported

Avama r 6.1.101 does not s upport Res ilient File System (ReFS) volume file s ystem ba ckup

and recovery or disa ster recovery. To ens ure full protec tion of da ta on a volume, ma ke sure

the volume does not use ReFS.

Cluster sha red disk data is not ba cked up in disa ster recovery backups

Avamar doe s not ba ck up cluster sha red disk da ta when performing disa ster recovery

ba ckups of Windows Server 2012 and Windows Server 2008 clusters. Avama r disaste r

recovery will not restore “critical” cluster disks. Perform separate file system backups ofcluster disks s o tha t the da ta can be restored a fter the disaster recovery, if necessa ry.

Disaster recovery of uEFI partitions is not supported

Avama r 6.1.101 does no t support disa ster recovery of uEFI-ena bled pa rtitions.

Windows Storage Server, deduplicat ion, and S IS support

Avama r provides th e following Windows Storage Server, deduplica tion, a nd SIS suppo rt:

Note: SIS-ena bled volumes a re not supported for Microsoft Windows Storage Server 2003

R2.

T ble 2 Windows S torag e Server deduplication a nd SIS support

Version Including

Microsoft Windows Storage Server2012

• Clus te ring

• Windows Deduplicated volumes

Microsoft Windows StorageServer 2008, 2008 R2

• Clus te ring

• Single Instance Storage (SIS)-enabled volumes

Microsoft Windows StorageServer 2003 R2

• Clus te ring


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Capabilities and limitations 17

Installation

Hardware-ba sed providers are not supported

All Avama r ba ckup opera tions with th e Windows VSS plug-in use the Microso ft Softwa re

Shadow Copy provider, also known as the Microsoft system provider. Hardware providers

a re not supported.

Windows Server 2008 and 2012 Core Insta llationsIf you deploy Windows Server 2008 or 2012 using the Core Insta llation fea ture, you do no t

ha ve access to the trad itional full graphica l user interface (GUI). Therefore, you must

insta ll and mainta in the Avama r Client for Windows so ftwa re entirely from a DOS prompt

using the msiexec utility. “ Windows Server 2008 and 2012 Core Insta lla tion and

maintenance” on page 28 provides additional information.

Disabling NTFS Last Access Time inh ibits ba cking up changed ACLs

If the NTFS Last Access Time fea ture is d isa bled on a Windows ba ckup client, the Avamar

Client for Windows so ftwa re is no t a ble to dete ct a ny further Windows ACL changes . This

means tha t the ACL se tting s tored d uring the origina l file ba ckup is the ACL se tting tha t is

applied on all future restores.

The NTFS Last Access Time fea ture is enabled by d efa ult, but is s ometimes disa bled for

performance purposes .

To re-es ta blish proper Avamar Client for Windows ACL ba ckup beha vior:

1. Enable the NTFS Last Access Time feature using one of the following methods :

• Specify a value of 0 in the following registry entry:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem\

NtfsDisableLastAccessUpdate.

A value of 0 ena bles Last Access Time, while a value of 1 disa bles Last Access

Time.

• On Windows 7, Windows S torage Se rver 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows

Sto rage S erver 2008 R2, Windows Server 2008,Windows XP, Server 2003, a nd

Vista platforms, type the following command from a command prompt:

fsutil behavior set disablelastaccess 0

2. Delete the following local Avamar Client for Windows ca che files:

• C:\Program Files\avs\var\f_cache.dat

• C:\Program Files\avs\var\p_cache.dat

This ca uses the re-creation o f the files the next time tha t a ba ckup occurs for the

client.

NTFS soft links a re skipped by default in Window s VSS ba ckups

Avamar Windows File System b ackups us ing the Avamar Windows VSS client w ill skip

NTFS so ftlinks (also known a s symbolic links or symlinks). In a ddition, if a n Exchange,

Sha rePoint, or Windows S erver is configured to sa ve either data ba se files or log files to a

so ftlink pa th, b ackup will fa il. EMC plans to fix this in a future releas e.

Avamar does make an exception, as noted in Ba cking up a s ingle directory or file on a

mount point, directory junction, or d irectory symbolic link .


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Installation

Backing up a single d irectory or file on a mount point, directory junction,

or directory softlink

Avamar supports b ackup and restore of individual files and d irectories on a :

◆ Mount point

◆ Directory junction

◆ Directory symlink

◆ File symlink (ha rdlink or so ftlink)

This is only supported for local file systems ; it does not a pply to network drives. It is

recommended that you recreate the mount point, directory junction, or directory softlink

before performing the res tore. The conte nt will be res tored to th e original locat ion as long

as the mount point, directory junction, or directory so ftlink exists. If it does no t exist ,

Avamar crea tes a directory path matching the ba ckup path a nd the content is restored to a

loca l directory with the link name.

Use Avama r Client for Window s to ba ck up SQL Server Resource da ta ba seThe SQL Server Resource da taba se is a read-only data ba se tha t conta ins a ll the system

objects tha t a re included with SQL Server. The Avama r Plug-in for SQL Server cannot ba ck

up the Resource data ba se, mssq lsystemresource.mdf, or its log file,

mssq lsystemresource.ldf, because SQL Server cannot ba ck up the Resource da taba se. To

ba ck up Resource da ta ba se files , use the Avama r Client for Windows .


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Capabilities and limitations 19

Installation

VSS writers supported by Avamar Client for Windows

The following Windows Syste m Component VSS writers a re supported by the Avama r

Client for Windows :

◆ ASR (Automated System Recovery) Writer

◆

BITS (Ba ckground Intelligent Transfer Service) Writer◆ Certifica te Authority Writer

◆ Cluster Databa se Writer

◆ COM+ REGDB (Regis tration Data ba se) Writer

◆ DFSR (Distributed File Sys tem Replica tion) Writer

◆ DHCP (Dynamic Host Configurat ion P rotocol) Jet Writer

◆ FRS (File Replica tion Se rver) Writer

◆ FSRM (File S erver Resource Mana ger) Writer

◆ IIS Config uration Writer

◆ IIS Meta ba se Writer

◆ MSSea rch Service Writer

◆ NPS (Network Policy a nd Access Service) Writer

◆ NTDS (Active Directory Schema) Writer

◆ Performa nce Counte r Writer

◆ Regist ry Writer

◆ RSM (Remova ble S tora ge Mana ger) Writer

◆ Sys tem Writer

◆ Task Scheduler Writer

◆ TSG (Termina l Services Ga tewa y) Writer

◆ TSL (Termina l Services Licens ing) Writer

◆ VSS Meta da ta Store Writer

◆ WID Writer

◆ WINS (Windows Interne t Name Service) Writer

◆ WMI (Windows Management Instrumenta tion) Writer

Add a vta r.exe to a nti-virus a pplica tion sa fe list s

Some anti-virus (AV) applica tions may reduce the pe rformance of Avama r ba ckup

opera tions. In most ca ses with AV applications , when a progra m opens a file, the AV

application scans the file to check for viruses. If the AV applica tion sca ns ea ch file as it is

ba cked up, then the disk and ba ckup program performance will be s low.

To reduce ba ckup times and prevent the AV application from performing a sca n of ea ch file

as Avama r backs it up, a dd the a vtar.exe file to the exclusion or sa fe list for the AV

application. The settings and user interfa ces to do this depend on the AV application. For

example, McAfee refers to thes e exceptions a s low-risk processes.


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Installation

Sys tem req uirements

The client computer on w hich you insta ll the Avama r Client for Windows so ftwa re must

meet the minimum requirements in the following table.

T ble 3 Syst em req uirements (pag e 1 of 2)

Requirement Minimum

Operating sys tem The Avama r Client for Windows supports mos t editions of the followingversions o f Windows :

• Wind ows 8

• Windows 7

• Windows Vista

• Microsoft Windows XP

• Microsoft Windows Se rver 2012

• Microsoft Windows Storage Server 2012

• Microsoft Windows S erver 2008 and Windows S erver 2008 R2, includingclustering

• Microsoft Windows Storage S erver 2008 and Windows Storage S erver 2008R2, including clustering

• Microsoft Windows Cluster Server 2003

• Microsoft Windows Server 2003, 2003 x64 Edition

• Microsoft Windows Sto ra ge Se rver 2003 R2, including clustering

Note: Avama r supports ba ckup and restore of files tha t use Windows Server

2012 da ta de duplication. “ Windows Server 2012 da ta deduplica tion

feature support” on page 16 provides more informat ion.

Note: Avama r supports SIS-ena bled volumes for Microso ft Windows Sto rage

Server 2008, 2008 R2. S IS-ena bled volumes a re not supported for Microso ft

Windows Storage Server 2003 R2.

Note: Microsoft Server 2008 a nd Microsoft Windows Cluster Se rver 2003 b oth

support active/passive and active/active cluster configurations.

The EMC Avama r Compa tibility a nd Interopera bility Matrix, ava ilab le on theEMC Online Support website, provides the most up to date and accuratelisting of versions supported.

.NETFramework 4 The Avama r 6.1.100.xxx for Windows VSS plug-in requires Microsoft .NETFramework4. You ca n downloa d a nd insta ll the .NETFramework 4 from theMicrosoft Download Center, “Microsoft .NETFramework 4”http://www.microsoft.co m/download /en/deta ils.a spx?displaylang= en&id= 1

7851.

Filesystem • FAT16

• FAT32

• NTFS


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System requirements 21

Installation

RAM 512 MB

Hard drive space 250 MB permanent hard drive space is required for softwa re insta lla tion. 1 GB

is recommended.The Avama r client so ftwa re also req uires an add itional 12 MB of permanenthard drive spa ce for ea ch 64 MB of phys ical RAM.

Additional disk spa ce might be required b y a sna pshot technology.

Backing up the Windows System Sta te requires a n ad ditiona l 1 GB of free diskspace.

Network interface 10BaseTor later, coax, or optical cable, configured with the latest d rivers forthe platform.

T ble 3 Syst em req uirements (pag e 2 of 2)

Requirement Minimum


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Installation

Unsupported configura tions

Windows Sma ll Business Server not s upported

Avama r does no t support ba ckup and recovery of Windows Sma ll Business Server.

Microsoft Exchange a nd Microsoft S harePoint Server insta lla tions on

sa me ma chine not s upported

Avama r does not support Microsoft Excha nge Se rver and Microsoft Sha rePoint Server

installed on the s ame machine. This configura tion is not supported by Microsoft, and

Microsoft best practices advise to insta ll these roles on sepa ra te machines.

Windows XP Mode on Windows 7

The Avamar Client for Windows does not s upport backup and recovery of Windows XP

Mode components.

Before you insta llPerform the following steps be fore you insta ll any Avama r softwa re on a client computer:

1. Ensure tha t you have Administrator privileges on th e client computer.

2. Ensure that the Avamar server is operational a nd present on the sa me network as the

client computer.

a . To verify tha t the server is connected to the network, open a command shell on the

client computer and type the following:

ping AVAMARSERVER

where AVAMARSERVER is the network hostname as defined in DNS or the IP

address of the Avamar s erver.

b. To verify that the server is operational, log in to the Avamar server as admin and

run the dpnctl status command.

3. Make note of the network hostname for:

• Avamar serve r

• Avamar utility node

These DNS entries s hould ha ve been a dded d uring insta lla tion of the Avama r server.

The EMC Avama r 6.1 Adminis trat ion Guide provides full documenta tion for using

dpnctl commands.


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Insta lling and running the Avama r Config Checker for Microso ft Window s 23

Installation

Insta lling a nd running the Avamar Config Checker for Microsoft

Windows

The Avama r Config Checker for Microsoft Windows is a n opt ional tool tha t you ca n use

before or afte r Avama r client a nd plug-in insta lla tion. You ca n use the Config Checker to

verify if your setup is properly configured for ba ckup a nd recovery when using Avama r.

This section provides an overview o f the Config Checker, a nd inst ructions on how to

download a nd insta ll it. The EMC Avamar Config Checker for Microsoft Windows

Supplementa l Notes provides complete instructions for running a nd uninsta lling the

Config Checker, a s well as examples o f HTML results files.

The Config Checker checks and ca ptures configuration errors tha t may lead to fa ilure in

Avamar insta lla tion, da ta ba ckup, or da ta recovery for:

◆ Application hos t (operating system environment)

Note: Config Checker doe s not s upport checking the operat ing syste m configura tion of

Windows S erver 2012.

◆ Microsoft SharePoint

◆ Microsoft Exchange

◆ Microso ft SQL Server

◆ Microsoft Hyper-V

The Config Checker is supported on only English o perating sys tems (OS).

The Config Checker runs in the fo llowing mod es :

◆ Preinsta ll mode:

• If Avamar is not installed.

• If upgra ding from an older version of Avamar to a newer version.

◆ Postinstall mode:

• If Avamar is a lready installed and the sa me releas e of Avamar is selected when

running the Config Checker.

To insta ll the Avamar Config Checker:

1. Log in to the computer where the softwa re will be insta lled.

On Windows Vista plat forms, you must log in a s Administrator.

2. Open a web browser and type the following URL:

http://AVAMARSERVER

whe re AVAMARSERVER is the network hostna me a s de fined in DNS o r the IP add ress of

the Avamar server.

You a re redirected to the Avama r secure web se rver.


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Installation

3. If a s ecurity a lert Web pa ge appears wa rning ab out a problem with the website

security certificate , select Continue to the website (not recommended) to a llow

redirection to the Avama r secure web server.

The S ecure Log On pa ge a ppea rs.

4. Scroll down and then click the Documents and Downloads hype rlink.

The Documents a nd Downloads page a ppears.

5. Loca te the link for the correct operating system for the client computer, a nd then click

the corresponding insta ll package:

• Wndows for x86 (32 bit) >Avamar_ConfigChecker_win_x86.zip

or

• Wndows for x86 (64 bit) >Avamar_ConfigChecker_win_x64.zip

6. Sa ve the install packa ge, unzip the folder, a nd then run the setup progra m.

Insta lling the Avamar Client for Windows

This procedure should b e used to ins ta ll Avama r Client for Windows so ftwa re on a ll

supported versions o f Microsoft Windows except Server 2008 and 2012 Core Insta lla tions.

“ Windows Server 2008 and 2012 Core Insta lla tion and ma intenance” on page 28 provides

procedures for insta lling Avama r Client for Windows so ftwa re on Windows Server 2008 o r

2012 Core.

For Windows clusters, you must ins ta ll the Avama r Client for Windows on a ll nodes of the

cluster. Also, you must install the client to the s a me directories on a ll cluster nodes .

Chapter 5, “ Support for Microsoft Windows Clusters,” provides complete clusterinstallation instructions.

Windows Server 2008, 2008 R2, and 2012 with User Account Control

In Windows Server 2008, Microso ft a dd ed the User Account Control (UAC) fea ture. UAC is

designed to provide a dditional operating system se curity by preventing software from

being insta lled with administrator privileges, unless an a dministrator a uthorizes the

elevated privileges.

If you s ta rt the Avama r Client for Windows insta ller with normal a ccount privileges, then

the software does not install correctly on a computer with a default implementation ofUAC. Instea d, run the insta ller using Run a s Administrator. This wo rkaround is includ ed in

the steps listed in “ Download a nd insta ll the Avamar Client for Windows” on pa ge 25.

Microsoft .NETFramework 4 required

The Avamar 6.1 for Windows VSS plug-in requires Microsoft .NETFramework4. You ca n

download a nd insta ll “ Microsoft .NETFramework 4” from the Microsoft Downloa d Center,

http: //www.microsoft.com/download/en/deta ils.a spx?displaylang= en&id= 17851.


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Insta lling the Avama r Client for Windows 25

Installation

Download a nd insta ll the Avamar Client for Windows

1. Log in to the computer where the softwa re will be insta lled.

On Windows Vista plat forms, you must log in a s Administrator.

2. Open a web browser and type the following URL:

http://AVAMARSERVER

whe re AVAMARSERVER is the network hostna me a s de fined in DNS o r the IP add ress of

the Avamar server.

You a re redirected to the Avama r secure web se rver.

3. If a s ecurity a lert Web pa ge appears wa rning ab out a problem with the website

security certificate , select Continue to the website (not recommended) to a llow

redirection to the Avama r secure web server.

The S ecure Log On pa ge a ppea rs.

4. Scroll down and then click the Documents and Downloads hype rlink.

The Documents a nd Downloads page a ppears.

5. Locate the link for the correct opera ting system for the client computer:

• Windows for x86 (32 bit)

or

• Windows for x86 (64 bit)

6. Click the corresponding Avama rClient-windows-x86-VERSION.ms i or AvamarClient-wind ows-x86_64-VERSION.ms i install package.

7. Start the installer using one of the following methods, depending on the computer:

• Non-UAC computer —Open the file in place on the server, or downloa d the file to a

tempora ry directory on the computer and then open it.

• UAC computer —Download the file to a tempora ry directory, and do not open it

place. Perform the following steps instead:

a . In Windows, right-click the command prompt icon, or the .msi file, a nd s elect

Run as administrator.

b. In the command prompt window, change the working directory to the loca tionof the insta lla tion package:

cd path

where pa th is the full pa th of the te mpora ry directory tha t conta ins the

installation package.


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Installation

c. On a single line, type the following command to launch the insta ller:

msiexec /i AvamarClient-windows-x86_64-VERSION.msi

where VERSION is the version number of the insta ll package.

The insta llation wizard appea rs.

8. Follow the instructions in the wizard.

After you accept the End Use r Licens ing Agreement, the Ba ckup for Windows Setup

page appears.

Do not rena me client insta llation pa cka ges . The Avama r push upgrad e mechanisms a re

incompatible with renamed pa cka ges.

9. If you are installing on a des ktop or laptop machine, select Desktop/La ptop Support

and click Next. Otherwise, if you are ins ta lling Avama r Client for Windows so ftwa re ona server, s imply click Next.

The Rea dy to ins ta ll Backup for Windows page a ppea rs .

10. Click Install to b egin the insta lla tion procedure.

11. When prompted , click Finish to complete th e insta lla tion procedure.

The insta lla tion wizard closes, and th e Avamar icon appears in the system tray.


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Regis tering t he Avama r Client fo r Windows 27

Installation

Registering the Avamar Client for Windows

Before you can back up or res tore files on this client computer, you must register it with

the Avamar server.

To register the Avamar Client for Windows:

1. Right-click the Avamar system tray icon, and the n select Manage .

A menu appea rs.

2. On the submenu that appears, select Activa te Client .

The Activate Client Se tup d ialog box a ppea rs.

3. In the Adminis trator Server Add ress box, type the network hostna me as defined in

DNS or the IP a ddress o f the Avama r server.

4. In the Client Domain box, type the Avama r domain for this client.

The defa ult domain is “ clients.” However, the Avama r sys tem administrato r may ha ve

defined other domains a nd s ubdoma ins. Consult the Avamar system a dministrator for

the d omain to us e when registering this client.

5. Click OK.

Uninsta lling a nd upgrading the Avamar Client for Windows

You do not ha ve to uninsta ll earlier versions o f Avama r Client for Windows so ftwa re before

you insta ll a new version. If you a ttempt to insta ll the Avama r Client for Windows on a

computer that a lread y has it insta lled, you are prompted during installation to s elect one

of the following choices:

◆ Upgrade current Avama r Client for Windows insta lla tion to the new version.

◆ Remove old Avamar Client for Windows ins ta llat ion.

If you decide to remove the old installation, you must rerun the installation file to install

the new version. The current insta lla tion session be comes a n uninsta ll session, then

terminates.

You ca n a lso us e the Windows Control Panel Add /Remove Programs fea ture to uninsta ll

the Avamar Client fo r Windows .

To revert to a n older version Avamar Client for Windows softwa re, you must completely

uninsta ll the existing version before insta lling the older version. You cannot revert to an

older version using the upgrade process.


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29/190

Windows Server 2008 and 2012 Core Installation a nd maintena nce 29

Installation

9. Us e the cd comma nd to na vigate to the loca tion where you sa ved the Avamar client

.msi file.

10. Initiate the Avama r Client for Windows so ftwa re insta lla tion by typing:

msiexec /i AvamarClient-windows-x86-VERSION.msi

-or-


where VERSION is the version number of the insta ll package .

The insta llation wizard appea rs.

11. Follow the instructions in the wizard.

12. Click Finish to complete the insta lla tion procedure.

13. Register the Avama r Client for Windows with the Avama r server using the

avregister.bat program:

a. Switch to the DOS prompt.

b. Type:

C:\Program Files\avs\bin\avregister.bat MCS-NAME DOMAIN

where MCS-NAME is the network hostname as defined in DNS of the Avamar

Mana gement S erver and DOMAIN is th e pa th for this client on the Avama r server,

respect ively. C:\Program Files\avs\bin\ is the de fault insta lla tion loca tion. If you

installed to a different location, type tha t pa th in place of C:\Program

Files\avs\bin\.

If DOMAIN is not s upplied, the d efault doma in of “clients” is use d. However, the

Avamar system a dministrator may have defined other domains a nd subd omains.

Consult the Avama r sys tem ad minist rator for the domain to use when registering

this client.

If specifying a subdomain (for example, clients/MyClients), do not include a slash

(/) as the first cha racter. Including a slas h a s the first cha racter causes an error that

prevents you from registe ring this client.


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Installation

Uninsta lling the Avamar Client for Windows

To unins ta ll the Avamar Client for Windows softwa re, run the Avamar Client for Windows

installation aga in, naviga te to the folder locat ion of the insta llat ion file, and type the

following command a t the command line:

msiexec /uninstall AvamarClient-windows-x86-VERSION.msi-or-

msiexec /uninstall AvamarClient-windows-x64_64-VERSION.msi

where VERSION is the version number of the insta lla tion pa ckage.

If you no longer have the original insta lla tion file, you can dow nload it a ga in as des cribed

in “ Insta lling and registering the Avama r Client for Windows ” on page 28.

If you specify the sa me insta lla tion package, a wizard appea rs with options to remove or

repair the current Avama r Client for Windows so ftwa re.

To uninsta ll the current Avama r Client for Windows so ftwa re, select Remove and follow the

remaining instructions in the wizard.

Upgrading the Avamar Client for Windows

To upgrad e the Avamar Client fo r Windows softwa re, run the Avamar Windows Client

installation aga in, naviga te to the folder locat ion of the insta llat ion file, and type the

following command a t the command line:

msiexec /i AvamarClient-windows-x86-VERSION.msi

-or-


where VERSION is the version number of the insta lla tion pa ckage.

If you no longer have the original insta lla tion file, you can dow nload it a ga in as des cribed

in “ Insta lling and registering the Avama r Client for Windows ” on page 28.

If you specify a newer version installation pa cka ge, a wizard appea rs, with an option to

insta ll the newer version Avama r Client for Windows so ftwa re.


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Backup 31

CHAPTER 2

Backup

The following topics des cribe how to us e the Avama r Client for Windows to perform a filesystem ba ckup:

◆ Ma tching backup and recovery with da ta protection needs ......... ........ ......... ........ .... 32

◆ Backup launch methods a nd types.......................................................................... 35

◆ On-demand ba ckup ................................................................................................ 39

◆ Scheduled backups................................................................................................. 56

◆ System State ba ckup da tas ets for mixed Windows Server clients ........ .......... ......... . 64

A sepa ra te chapter, “ Client System Disa ster Recovery” o n page 93 d escribes disa ster

recovery, including specific req uirements for ensuring the correct backup components a re

installed a nd a proper backup set is created for disa ster recovery.


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Backup

Ma tching ba ckup and recovery with da ta protection needs

The following tab le describes th e type of ba ckup req uired d epending on wha t type of d a ta

you want to recover..

T ble 4 Backups required for different recovery types

Protect this data With these ba ckups Using this recovery

Volumes, folders, an dfiles

• “ Backing up volumes,folders, and files” onpage 42

• “ Ba cking up WindowsStorage Server 2008 SIS”on page 44

• “ Restoring a s ystem thatuses DFS” on page 91

Filesystem

Recover lost, damaged, or earlierversions of files, folders, orvolumes to an existing server:

“ Choosing a restoredestination” on page 77

Distributed File Systems(DFS)

“ Backing up DFS shares” onpage 47

“ Restoring a system that usesDFS” on page 91

Entire Server andSystem Sta te, includingsystem s tate, criticalvolumes, a nd ActiveDirectory

• “ Backing up an entireWindows client” on page 39

and

• Any additional backuprequirements described in thecorresponding disasterrecovery procedures

Disaster Recovery

In Chapter 4, “Client SystemDisa ste r Recovery” :

• “ Windows Server2008/2012 a nd Windows7/8 Ba re Meta l Recovery” onpage 94

• “ Windows Server 2008 and2012 Active Directoryba ckup and recovery” onpage 125

• “ Windows Server 2003

disa ster recovery and ActiveDirectory recovery” onpage 141

• “Prerequisite: Performsystem state ba ckup” onpage 144

• “ Windows XP a nd 2000system recovery usingNTBa ckup” o n page 154

Applicationconfiguration,data bases , or files

Application Recovery

Use an applica tion-specific plug-in or client to ba ck up and protect theapplica tion data , in ad dition to the Windows client to back up andrecover the Windows Server hosting the a pplica tion s erver. Forexample, EMC Avamar plug-ins are available for the followingapplications:

• Ora cle

• Microsoft Exchange

• IBM Lotus Domino

• Microsoft SharePoint

• IBM DB2

• Microsoft SQL Server

• Microsoft Hyper-V

• SAP

• Sybase


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Matching ba ckup and recovery with data protection needs 33

Backup

The following graphics provide roa dma ps for the recovery processes for Windows Server

2008 and 2012, a nd Windows Server 2003.

C o n f i g u r a

t i o n

I n d e x i n

g ,

t r a n s a c t i o n

l o g s

C o n t e n t

D a t a b a s e

C o l l e c t i o n s

M a i l b o x

M e s s a g e

I t e m s , f i l e s ,

d o c u m e n t s

C o n t e n t

r e c o v e r e d t o

p r o d u c t i o n

s e r v e r /

e n v i r o n m e n t

V S S o r o t h e r

c l i e n t -

s p e c i f i c b a c k u p c l i e n t /

p l u g - i n

D a t a b a s e - l e v e l

r e c o v e r y

G r a n u l a r L e v e l R e c o v e r y ( G L R ) s e l e c t i o n s . I t e m

t y p e a n d l e v e l v a r i e s b y a p p l i c a t i o n

V o l u m e s , f o

l d e r s ,

a n d f i l e

s

F i l e S y s t e m p l u g - i n f o r

b a c k u p

R e s t o r e d

s e r v e r , o n l i n e

A c t i v e

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C o n t e n t r e c o v e r e d

t o p r o d u c t i o n

s e r v e r / e n v i r o n m e

n t

R

e s t o r e a p p l i c a t i o n s a f t e r d i s a s t e r r e c o v e r y

o f W i n d o w s S e r v e r

F i l e S y s t e m

R e c o v e r y

O p e r a t i n g

S y s t e m

D i s a s t e r

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A p p l i c a t i o n

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R e c o v e r y

R e s t o r e f r o m

D i s k I m a g e

S a m e o r

s i m i l a r

h a r d w

a r e

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R e c o v e r y

W i z a r d

A v a m a r W i n d o w s

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c o v e r y

D i s k i m a g e - b a s e d

b a c k u

p

B a r e M e t a l

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( B M R )

R e c o v e r y

t y p e

B a c

k u p c o n

t e n

t s

R e c o

v e r y p r o c e s s

R e c o v e r y r e s u l

t s

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A v a m a r B a c k u p

R e s t o r e S e r

v e r R o l e

W i n d o w s S e r v e r s w i t h

d a t a b a s e s u s i n g S Q L

S e r v e r i n s t e a

d o f W I M

R e s t o r e S Q L

S e r v e r d a t a b a s e s ,

i n c l u d i n g S e r v e r

r o l e d a t a b a s e

S Q L S e r v e r

D i s a s t e r

R e c o v e r y

W i n d o w s 7 a n d 8 ; W i n d o w s S e r v e r 2 0 0 8 ,

2 0 0 8 R 2 , a n d 2 0 1 2

R e s t o r e

f r o m A v a m a r

B a c k u p


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Backup

C o n f i g u r a t i o n

I n d e x i n g ,

t r a n s a c t i o n l o g s

C o n t e n t

D a t a b a s e

C o l l e c t i o n s

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I t e m s , f i l e s ,

d o c u

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s p e c i f i c b a c k u p c l i e n t /

p l u g - i n

D a t a b a s e - l e v e l

r e c o v e r y

G r a n u l a r L e v e l R e c o v e r y ( G L R ) s e l e c t i o n s . I t e m

t y p e a n d l e v e l v a r i e s b y a p p l i c a t i o n

V o l u m e s ,

f o l d e r s ,

a n d f i l e s

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b a c k u p

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f r o m A v a m a r

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R e s t o r e a p p l i c a t i o n s a f t e r d i s a s t e r r e c o v e r y o f W i n d o w s S e r v e r

F i l e S y s t e m

R e c o v e r y

O p e r a t i n g

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s i n g N T B a c k u p

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r e b u i l d t o s a m e

r e l e a s e , S P ,

a n d p a t c h l e v e l

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f r o m A v a m a r

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v a m a r

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W

i n d o w s S e r v e r 2 0 0 3


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Backup launch methods a nd types 35

Backup

Application restores a fter disa ster recovery

The Windows VSS plug-in disa ste r recovery ba ckup includes applica tion b inaries loca ted

on critical volumes, if those files a re not protec ted b y an a pplication plug-in. This typica lly

applies to applica tions tha t use a Windows service. For exa mple, Exchange executa ble

files a re included , but the d a taba se a nd log files a re excluded from the disas ter recovery

ba ckup. During disas ter recovery, these applications a re restored to a functional sta te, butit may be neces sa ry to restore a pplica tion da ta using the application plug-in. If an

application wa s insta lled on a non-critical volume and the volume was des troyed, then

you must either res tore the non-critica l volume from a Windows File System plug-in

ba ckup or reinsta ll the a pplication.

Backup launch methods and types

After you a ctiva te a client, there a re severa l ways to perform ba ckups, a nd s evera l types of

da ta you can back up. Avamar clients a re typically ba cked up a utomatically by way of

regularly scheduled backups initia ted b y the Avamar server. Data can a lso be restored b y

the sys tem ad ministra tor using Avama r Administrator. However, “o n-demand ” b ackup and

restore opera tions ca n a lso b e initiated directly from the Avama r Administrator UI.

The Avamar Client for Windows does not s upport backup and recovery of the Windows XP

Mode component in Windows 7.

Backup retention

The retention settings for a ba ckup control how long the ba ckup da ta is kept on the

Avama r server. Poss ible retent ion settings a re:◆ No end date (keep the backup indefinitely)

◆ Keep the ba ckup for a s pecific number of da ys, we eks, months, or years

◆ Keep the ba ckup until a specific ca lendar da te

To support certa in ad vanced fea tures, Avama r Administrator automa tica lly ass igns one or

more retent ion types to every ba ckup. For example, the first ba ckup created on the Avama r

system is ta gged a s d a ily, weekly, monthly, and yearly. You can a lso manua lly change the

retention types as signed to a backup.

Va lida ting a ba ckup

You can a lso verify that files ca n be restored from an existing ba ckup. This va lidat ioninitiates a “ virtua l” restore of a ll files in the ba ckup but does not a ctually restore any files

to the client filesystem. The EMC Avamar 6.1 Adminis tration Guide provides complete

instructions for monitoring a backup, restore, or validation.


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Backup

Interna tional characters

Avamar generally supports the use of s pecific supported internat ional cha racters in

directory, folder, and filenames. However, proper display of international language

characters is contingent on the client computer loca le and installed system fonts being

compatible with the original language. If you a ttempt to browse b a ckups tha t were crea ted

with interna tional characters a nd you do not ha ve a compa tible font installed on yoursystem, a ny characters that cannot be resolved by the system will be displayed as

recta ngles. This is a norma l limitation of that pa rticula r situa tion and do es no t a ffect the

ability to restore thes e directories, folders, o r files. The EMC Avamar Relea se Notes

provide additional international language support informa tion.

Backup la unch methods

Avama r provides severa l ways to initiate a Windows Server backup or res tore:

◆On-dema nd using Avamar Administra tor

This metho d ena bles you to perform backups of a Windows server between regula rlyscheduled b a ckups d irectly from Avama r Administrator. It is a good practice to perform

an on-demand ba ckup before syste m upgrades , installations, or any major changes to

the s erver. You may a lso wa nt to perform an on-demand b ackup immediately after you

insta ll and register the Avama r Client for Windows . “ On-demand ba ckup” on page 39

provides steps to perform this procedure.

◆ Scheduled using Avama r Administrator

This metho d ena bles you to schedule regular ba ckups of a Windows se rver directly

from Avamar Adminis trator. “ Scheduled backups” on page 56 provides steps to

perform this procedure.

You can a lso a utomate ba ckups by implementing a group policy to perform regularlyscheduled ba ckups for an entire group of clients. The EMC Avamar Administra tion

Guide provides additional information a bout groups a nd group policies.

◆ On-dema nd us ing the Avama r client interface

Typically, this method is used by a n end-user who wa nts to ba ck up or restore da ta on

an individua l machine. This method s upplements but does not repla ce regularly

scheduled ba ckups initia ted by the Avama r server. The EMC Avamar Backup Clients

User Guide provides more informa tion about pe rforming backup and restore of

Avama r Windows Clients using on-dema nd ba ckup.


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Backup launch methods a nd types 37

Backup

Da ta types a nd files a vailable for ba ckup and restore

Backup and recovery for a Windows s erver is more tha n just ba cking up data ba ses a nd

da ta files tha t reside on tha t server. A Windows s erver can s erve a wide variety of roles in a

network, so it is ess ential to ba ck up the system sta te a s well as the filesystems on the

server volumes.

The Avama r client for Windows provides two plug-ins to give you additional options for

selecting what to ba ck up.

◆Wnd ows VSS plug-in

This plug-in provides full backups only, not incrementa l or differentia l, which is

required for disa ster recovery of Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2, a nd

Windows 7. The d efault set tings for this plug-in are to create a disa ster recovery

ba ckup, and ba ck up all System Sta te a nd critical volumes. “ Ba cking up an entire

Windows client” on page 39 provides the steps to perform a backup with this plug-in.

Specific options for this plug-in are described in “ Windows VSS ba ckup options” on

page 184 and “ Windows VSS restore options” on page 185. “ Windows Server

2008/2012 and Windows 7/8 Bare Meta l Recovery” on pa ge 94 provides more

informa tion a bout performing a disa ste r recovery with the Windows VSS plug-in

backup.

Lea ve the Windows VSS option Create Disa ste r Recovery Backup selected, which is

the defa ult setting, because it is necessa ry as part of the full backup required for

disa ste r recovery. When you clear this opt ion, ba ckups a re much fas ter but a re not

valid for disa ste r recovery. You should only clear the checkbox for this option when

performing a ba ckup of a n Active Directory doma in controller. “ Windows Server 2008

and 2012 Active Directory backup and recovery” o n pa ge 125 provides more

information.

◆ Wndows File System plug-in

This plug-in ena bles you to s elect volumes, folders, or files for ba ckup. “ Backing up

volumes, folders, a nd files” on page 42 provides the steps to perform a ba ckup with

this plug-in. Specific options for this plug-in are described in “ Windows file system

ba ckup options” on page 178 and “ Windows file sys tem restore options” on

page 182.


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Backup

Files excluded in Windows File System ba ckups

The Windows File System plug-in uses Microso ft Volume Sha dow Copy Services to perform

the ba ckups des cribed in “ Backing up volumes, folders, a nd files” on page 42. Open files

a re backed up s ince Avamar is backing up from the Shad ow Copy volume instead of the

origina l volume. However, a ccording to Microso ft best practices , Avama r skips th e files in

the following tab le by defa ult.

NTFS s oft links a re skipped by defa ult in Windows VSS ba ckups

Avamar Windows File Sys tem ba ckups us ing the Avamar Client for Windows will skip NTFS

softlinks (also known as symbolic links or symlinks). In addition, if an Excha nge,

Sha rePoint, or Windows S erver is configured to sa ve either data ba se files or log files to a

so ftlink pa th, b ackup will fa il. EMC plans to fix this in a future releas e.

Avamar does make an exception, as noted in “ Ba cking up a single directory or file on a

mount point, directory junction, or d irectory softlink” on pa ge 18.

Mount points , d irectory junctions, and d irectory symbolic links

Avamar supports b ackup and restore of individual files and d irectories on a :

◆ Mount point

◆ Directory junction

◆ Directory symbolic link

It is recommended tha t you re-create the mount point, d irectory junction, or directorysymbolic link before performing the restore. The conte nt is restored to the original loca tion

as long as the mount point, directory junction, or directory symbolic link exists. If it does

not exist, the n Avamar crea tes a directory path that ma tches the ba ckup path, a nd the

content is restored to a local directory with the lin