Step by step guide for Simplified Disaster Recovery (SDR) with Backup Exec

Problem

Steps to create a Simplified Disaster Recovery (SDR) ISO and perform a server recovery
using the SDR CD or ISO. 

Gather log Files for Technical Support if recovery using SDR fails.

After the first Simplified System Protection (SSP) or SDR enabled backup an Alert is
displayed 'Simplified Disaster Recovery Disk is not created'.




Click on the Backup Exec (BE) icon, choose Configuration and Settings and then Create Disaster Recovery Disk.





Note: The BE Disaster Recovery Wizard can be installed separately on a different server and run from the Start Menu.




This will start the SDR Wizard and show an option to choose a server other than the current one.  Click Next to continue.





Choose the option to "Create a new Simplified Disaster Recovery Disk image (.iso).  The
other two options can be chosen if a previous .iso file was created or a previous SDR CD
or DVD was created.  Click Next to continue.




Backup Exec SDR requires the Microsoft Assessment and Deployment Kit (ADK).  
Choose the option "I understand the ADK installation requirement" and click Next.

NOTE: If the SDR Wizard is being run on a stand alone computer that is not connected
to the internet, the ADK can be downloaded from another computer and installed.





Choose the location for the ADK installation and click Next to continue.





Choose the appropriate option for regarding sending anonymous usage data to Microsoft
and click Next.





Accept the Microsoft License Agreement and click Next.





The features needed for SDR creation are automatically selected, review selections and
click Install.





The Windows ADK will install.





When the installation of ADK is complete click Close.





The SDR Wizard then gives an option to choose the language and select the checkbox to
automatically start network services. Till 21.2 the ISO creation would provide an option to
create a 32 bit or 64 bit ISO but later releases will create 64 bit SDR ISO so the option is taken out.





The next screen will list the computers that have had an SSP or SDR enabled backup.  
Choose the machine to create the SDR .iso file and click Next. 

Note: If no computer is selected a Custom SDR iso will be created where additional
drivers for storage and network card can be added.





If there are extra network drivers or storage drivers that need to be included for the server,
click the Add Driver and select the appropriate drivers.

This screen shows the default Volume Label and location of where the .ISO file will be
created.





Review the Summary screen and then click Create Image.





The next screens are of the .ISO creation process.














When the .ISO creation process is completed the ISO file name and location will be 
displayed. After clicking Next, the final ISO creation screen is displayed.




The .ISO file can be burned to a CD/DVD using a third party image burning application.
This will be a Bootable CD/DVD.




The first interactive screen that comes up is the License Agreement Screen. Once that is
accepted the SDR will continue.

In the Recovery tab choose "Recover This Computer".




If connecting to a Remote Backup Exec server choose the option to start networking services.
Note: If the Starting Networking services fails to start, use the Utility menu option and select
Load a Driver; for further assistance refer to https://www.veritas.com/docs/000012248 

If the Server that is being recovered contains the backup device locally, choose the option "The data is located
on devices locally attached to this computer"

Enter the Backup Exec server where the files are backed up to.

Enter the server name, domain, User name and Password.

The network adapter can be configured or drivers added, if necessary.

Select the server and the point-in-time to be recovered and click Next.

The next screen displays the original volume layout of the server that was backed up.
Clicking the Preview button will show a different view.

The Advanced Disk Configuration button will allow the disk layout to be modified to
accommodate larger disks so the volumes can be increased in size.

Storage controller drivers can be loaded from 'SDR Main Menu- Utilities Tab - Load Driver' if the target disk is not visible. You may use Alt +Tab to switch to the Main Menu.
Once the driver is loaded, switch back to the recovery wizard and click on Advanced Disk Configuration to view the disk or you can cancel the recovery wizard and from the
Main menu, load the driver first, and then run the "Recover This Computer" wizard.

In some instances the option to "Erase hard disks..." will need to be selected.


The Recovery Summary is displayed, click Recovery to start the recovery.

When the restore is finished restoring the files and System State it will then go through a Hardware Discovery Phase.
 

When the restore is complete the Hardware and Recover logs can be reviewed as shown in below screenshot. There are
various other logs created as well. If any failure is encountered these logs can be viewed by not selecting restart the computer, click Finish and
check them from the utilities tab. If restore completed fine, select the checkbox to reboot and finish out from this wizard.





When the system reboots it will complete recovery and the system is fully restored and ready to login.




 

Gather log Files for Technical Support 
 

"SDR -> Utilities Tab -> Click on Gather Log Files for Veritas Technical Support" To gather log files for Technical Support if recovery using SDR fails.
 

To view the logs click on "View Log file"
 

Use command prompt option if the log files need to be preserved.