Backup Overview

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Unexpected events, such as viruses, hardware failures, natural disasters, user error, power outages, and theft, can cause partial or total data loss.

Some small businesses may consider a backup device and media too costly. However, the real cost of having a good backup plan can only be fully appreciated when critical data is lost. The business impact of lost and potentially unrecoverable data is typically larger than the investment of purchasing backup hardware and implementing a backup plan. For small businesses that experience a total system failure, the cost is much higher than just the lost data; essential services, such as e-mail and Internet connectivity, may be lost until the system can be recovered. Lost data and system downtime could result in lost revenue and the inability to conduct regular business. Without a current backup, even companies that use a mirrored hard-disk configuration may realize only limited recoverability.

For small companies that do not use third-party backup software, Windows Small Business Server 2003 provides an integrated backup solution. The entire server is backed up by default, including the system state and Exchange store. The process of successfully backing up the server is simplified by removing the guesswork about backup types and scheduling.

The following backup features include:

  • Backup Configuration Wizard. This wizard configures and schedules complete backups for the server by using Backup (NTBackup.exe) and task scheduler.
  • Single success and failure reporting. After each backup, the results are displayed in the Manage Backup taskpad in Server Management. A single report is displayed, showing that each backup either succeeded or failed, and you can view backup logs. This information is also available in the server status reports.
  • Step-by-step restore document. This document provides step-by-step procedures for restoring the server after a total system failure.
  • Individual file and e-mail restore. Individual files and e-mail messages can be recovered by domain users; server restore procedures are not necessary.
  • Individual SharePoint file restore. Files and list items on your company's internal Web site can be recovered without doing a complete restore.

See Also

Concepts

Backing up Windows Small Business Server
Checking backup status