Scheduling Backup Tasks
On the Backup Job Information dialog box, click Schedule and specify an account under which the backup application will run. Use an account that belongs to the Administrators group or Backup Operators group. Provide a name for the backup job and click Properties to edit the schedule settings. After you click OK to approve the schedule, you'll return to the main Backup interface. Repeat this process to configure and schedule other backup jobs.
From the Job menu, select Load Selections to reload your selections. Verify the options and settings, making sure you select the proper Backup Type and Append/Replace parameters and that you specify the correct destination file.
Next, click Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Scheduled Tasks and verify that operations are scheduled correctly and that they've run. Scheduled jobs run silently in the background, regardless of whether the user is logged on. The Scheduled Tasks service gives you some latitude for power management and idle time detection to ensure that backups occur consistently and without interrupting the user.
Creating User Shortcuts to Back Up Jobs
You can create a shortcut to let a user manually launch a predefined backup job. On the Scheduled Tasks window, which Figure 2 shows, right-click a task and choose Properties to view details about the task, then copy the command and arguments that appear in the Run field on the Task tab into a shortcut that's accessible to the user. Be aware, however, that the number of characters in the command string might exceed the maximum number of characters that the system permits for a shortcut. You might be able to make the string fit by moving the part of the path that points to ntbackup.exe into the Start in field. If this doesn't allow enough room, paste the entire string into a text editor such as Notepad, save the file with a .cmd or .bat extension, and point the shortcut to that file. After you create the shortcut and make it accessible, make sure that the user who will run the task has the appropriate permissions on the system. The easiest way to grant the appropriate permissions is to make the user account a member of the local Backup Operators group. Unlike backups that run through the scheduling facility, these manual backup tasks will be visible to, and under the control of, the user.
File Restoration and System Recovery
File restoration is intended to bring back lost or damaged contents, and recovery is intended for a catastrophic failure that necessitates a system rebuild. In either case, you must locate the appropriate backup file and catalog its contents before you can restore anything. To do so, run Backup, click the Restore tab, click the File icon, and choose Catalog file. Enter the location of your backup file and click OK to catalog the file. Next, select the files that you want to restore and specify the options the system should adhere to when it restores the files. By default, Backup restores files to their original locations, but you can select other options, as Figure 3 shows. The Alternate location option lets you catalog a user's backup file from your desktop computer and restore the contents to that user's system. However, be aware that the path you specify is relative and the folder structure of what you're restoring will remain intact. For example, if you restore a file that originally existed in C:\files\october\reports and you specify that directory on the user's system as the alternate location, the utility will restore that file to C:\files\october\reports\files\october\reports.
When you use Backup to perform a complete system recovery, you must perform a clean installation of the OS on the system you want to recover. You can then restore the entire contents of the backup to the system, overwriting the interim OS installation.
A Well-Suited Solution
The functionality that Ntbackup and Task Scheduler provide is well suited for backing up data on XP and Win2K clients. Backing up to a network volume affords some interesting options for bolstering data security without breaking your budget or creating an inordinate administrative burden.
End of Article
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