Data protection is a necessary evil of the computing world. If the fact that
most PC data is stored on magnetic platters spinning in excess of 7,000rpm while
read/write heads float about 3 millionths of an inch above the media surface
isn't enough motivation for frequent backups, perhaps your user's penchant for
overwriting the big presentation will serve as a reminder of the importance
of data protection. Backups that you're diligent enough to perform today might
save your proverbial behind in the not too distant future.
IT shops have traditionally used NTBackup to back
up desktop data and system information. First appearing
in Windows NT 3.1, NTBackup was originally a limited
version of a commercial backup application from Seagate
Technology, which became Veritas Software and recently,
through acquisition, Symantec. Although NTBackup
might not seem elegant, its beauty lies in its simplicity
and its price, especially for small-to-midsized businesses
(SMBs). Many system administrators have used NTBackup
and its companion Removable Storage Manager (RSM) to
create effective backup and recovery strategies for both
workstations and servers.
So, if NTBackup is such a solid performer and has met the backup needs of thousands
of IT shops, why is Microsoft supplanting it in Vista? The short answer is that
Microsoft wants users to be able to efficiently back up and, if necessary, restore
their own systems. To make the backup and recovery processes more useful (and
forgiving) to the masses, some of the functionality had to be traded for ease
of use. So, instead of repackaging the old backup technology, Microsoft built
Vista's new backup capabilities from the ground up and effectively leveraged
proven technologies to create robust yet easy-to-use data protection features
that even your mom can use.
Vista's new backup and recovery capabilities should
provide for better end-user self-sufficiency, which might
make administrators and power users feel slightly abandoned. However, if you take the time to learn about the
new tools and how to leverage them, you'll likely embrace
their simplicity.
The Big Picture
Vista provides two general backup-and-restore methods: Basic File Backup and
Restore, which protects users' data, and Windows Complete Backup and Restore,
which ensures full system recoverability. Additional data and system protection
is afforded through the Shadow Copy and System Restore functionality.
With the exception of Shadow Copy, all backup and restore activities take place
in the Backup and Restore Center, which Figure
1 shows. Wizards are available to step even the most novice users through
the tasks required to perform effective backups. The processes for defining
and executing backups are, at first glance, overly simplistic, but the combination
of automation, advanced media support, and standard file formats actually hold
a great deal of promise for effective data protection on user workstations.
Basic File Backup and Restore
Basic File Backup and Restore protects user data files, such as documents, pictures,
and email messages. This operation doesn't back up program files, OS files,
temporary files, and profile settings. Nor does it back up the data that resides
in Encrypting File System (EFS) or a FAT file system. Supported media for file
backups include CD-R, DVD-R, secondary hard disks (either internal or external,
including USB and FireWire), and network drives. Tapes are no longer supported
as backup media.
To perform a file backup operation, you need to open the Backup and Restore
Center by selecting All Programs on the Start menu, then choosing Maintenance.
Alternatively, you can access the center through the Control Panel System and
Maintenance applet. In the Backup and Restore Center, click the Back up files
button. In the list of available backup media, choose the appropriate hard disk,
CDR, DVD-R, or network target, then click Next. You'll be prompted to pick the
categories (e.g., Documents, Music, Videos) for the files you want to back up.
Note that unlike NTBackup, Basic File Backup and Restore doesn't let you pick
individual files or directories to back up. This is part of Microsoft's efforts
to save users from themselves. Although it might drive some administrators crazy,
the default selections ensure that users don't inadvertently exclude their most
important data from the backup operation.
After selecting the file categories, you're prompted with scheduling options.
The wizard forces you to create a backup schedule, which is another measure
designed to user-proof the backup operation. By default, the backup settings
you specify through the wizard are saved and used for all scheduled and all
manually run backups until you say otherwise. If you want to alter the schedule,
backup media, or file categories, you need to click the Change settings
option under the Back up files button in the Backup and Restore Center,
then click the Change backup settings option in the Backup Status and
Configuration dialog box.
If you don't want file backups to automatically run, you can turn off this functionality by
disabling the Automatic backup option at the
bottom of the Backup Status and Configuration dialog box. However, if you later change
a backup setting, the automatic backup functionality is re-enabled by default.
During file backups, Vista uses the Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) to take
a snapshot of the files targeted for backup, even if those files are open. Vista
saves the shadow copy versions of the files to the specified backup media in
a compressed-file format (i.e., in .zip files). Whenever a file meeting the
selection criteria is updated, a complete copy of that file is saved during
the next file backup, regardless of whether the backup is full or differential.
Windows Complete PC Backup and Restore
Windows Complete PC Backup and Restore creates an image-based backup of your
entire system for use in the event of hardware failure or other system damage.
The backup process saves everything on the system drive and other selected drives,
but you can't back up the drive on which the backup image files are saved.
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