Veritas™ System Recovery 21 User's Guide

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Product(s): System Recovery (21)
  1. Introducing Veritas System Recovery
    1.  
      About Veritas System Recovery
    2.  
      The components of Veritas System Recovery
    3.  
      Accessing Help and Support for Veritas System Recovery
    4.  
      Sending your feedback regarding Veritas System Recovery 21
    5.  
      Accessing Veritas QuickAssist (VQA)
    6.  
      Updating Veritas System Recovery with Veritas Update
  2. Installing Veritas System Recovery
    1.  
      System requirements for Veritas System Recovery
    2.  
      Supported file systems, disk types, disk partition schemes, and removable media
    3.  
      Feature availability in Veritas System Recovery
    4.  
      About the trial version of Veritas System Recovery
    5. Installing Veritas System Recovery
      1.  
        Activating and setting up Veritas System Recovery after installation
      2.  
        Activating Veritas System Recovery after the trial period
    6.  
      Uninstalling Veritas System Recovery
    7.  
      System requirements for Veritas System Recovery Monitor
    8.  
      Installing Veritas System Recovery Monitor
  3. Ensuring the recovery of your computer
    1. Creating a new Veritas System Recovery Disk
      1.  
        Welcome Panel
      2. Creation Options
        1.  
          Veritas System Recovery Disk recovery matrix
        2.  
          Veritas System Recovery Disk customization support matrix
        3.  
          Non-availability of the Typical option
      3.  
        Download and install Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit (ADK)
      4.  
        Languages Options
      5.  
        Veritas System Recovery Disk Storage Media/Destination Options
      6.  
        Licensed Features Options
      7. Storage and Network Drivers Options
        1.  
          Adding a Storage or Network Driver
      8.  
        Startup Options
      9.  
        Network Options
      10.  
        Setup LightsOut Restore Options
    2. Customizing an existing Veritas System Recovery Disk
      1.  
        Welcome Panel
      2.  
        Recovery Disk Source Options
      3. Veritas System Recovery Disk Storage Media/Destination Options
        1.  
          How to add new drivers or driver versions to the Veritas System Recovery Disk
      4.  
        Licensed Features Options
      5. Storage and Network Drivers Options
        1.  
          Adding a Storage or Network Driver
      6.  
        Startup Options
      7.  
        Network Options
    3. About restoring a computer from a remote location by using LightsOut Restore
      1. Configuring LightsOut Restore
        1.  
          Welcome Panel
        2.  
          Source Location Options
        3.  
          Licensed Features Options
        4. Storage and Network Drivers Options
          1.  
            Adding a Storage or Network Driver
        5.  
          Startup Options
        6.  
          Network Options
        7.  
          Setup LightsOut Restore Options
    4.  
      Testing the Veritas System Recovery Disk
  4. Getting Started
    1.  
      How to use Veritas System Recovery
    2.  
      Starting Veritas System Recovery
    3.  
      Configuring Veritas System Recovery default options
    4. Setting up default general backup options
      1.  
        Setting a default backup destination
    5.  
      Improving your computer's performance during a backup
    6.  
      Enabling network throttling
    7.  
      Setting default options for the Windows notification area
    8. File types and file extension
      1.  
        Adding new file types and extensions
      2.  
        Renaming file types and extensions
      3.  
        Restoring default file types and extensions
      4.  
        Deleting a file type and all of its extensions
    9.  
      Removing or changing the unique name for an external drive
    10.  
      Configuring default FTP settings for use with Offsite Copy
    11.  
      Logging Veritas System Recovery messages
    12.  
      Enabling email notifications for product (event) messages
    13.  
      Setting up your first backup using Easy Setup
    14.  
      Home page
    15.  
      Status page
    16.  
      Tasks page
    17.  
      Tools page
    18.  
      Advanced page
    19.  
      Using Veritas System Recovery RESTful Application Programming Interfaces (APIs)
  5. Best practices for backing up your data
    1.  
      About backing up your data
    2.  
      Best practices for backing up data
    3.  
      What to do when a backup is finished
    4.  
      Tips for running defined backups
    5.  
      Backup destinations
    6.  
      Backing up dual-boot computers
    7.  
      Manually validating recovery points
  6. Backing up entire drives
    1. Defining a drive-based backup
      1. USB disk rotation
        1.  
          How USB disk rotation works
      2.  
        Rules for network credentials
      3.  
        Running command files during a backup
      4.  
        Editing backup options
      5.  
        Verifying the integrity of a recovery point
      6.  
        Viewing the progress of a backup
      7.  
        Recovery point encryption
    2.  
      Compression levels for recovery points
    3.  
      Running a one-time backup from Veritas System Recovery
    4.  
      Running a backup from Veritas System Recovery Disk
    5.  
      How Offsite Copy works
  7. Backing up files and folders
    1.  
      Backing up files and folders
  8. Running and managing backup jobs
    1. Running an existing backup job immediately
      1.  
        Running a backup to create an alternate type of recovery point
    2.  
      Adjusting the speed of a backup
    3.  
      Stopping a backup or a recovery task
    4.  
      Verifying that a backup is successful
    5.  
      Viewing the properties of a backup job
    6.  
      Editing backup settings
    7.  
      Enabling event-triggered backups
    8.  
      Editing a backup schedule
    9.  
      Disabling or enabling a backup job
    10.  
      Deleting backup jobs
    11.  
      Adding users who can back up your computer
    12.  
      Configuring access rights for users or groups
  9. Backing up remote computers from your computer
    1. About backing up other computers from your computer
      1.  
        Adding remote computers to the Computer List
      2.  
        Adding local computers to the Computer List
      3.  
        Removing a computer from the Computer List
    2. About the Veritas System Recovery Agent
      1.  
        Using the Veritas System Recovery Agent
      2.  
        About managing the Veritas System Recovery Agent through Windows Services
    3. About deploying the Veritas System Recovery Agent
      1.  
        Preparing a computer in a workgroup environment to deploy the Veritas System Recovery Agent
      2.  
        Deploying the Veritas System Recovery Agent
      3.  
        Manually installing the Veritas System Recovery Agent
    4. Best practices for Veritas System Recovery services
      1.  
        Opening Windows services
      2.  
        Starting or stopping the Veritas System Recovery Agent service
      3.  
        Setting up recovery actions when the Veritas System Recovery Agent does not start
    5.  
      Viewing Veritas System Recovery Agent dependencies
    6. About controlling access to Veritas System Recovery
      1.  
        Enabling users or groups to access Veritas System Recovery
      2.  
        Changing permissions for a user or a group
      3.  
        Disabling access for users or groups to Veritas System Recovery
      4.  
        Running Veritas System Recovery using different user rights
  10. Monitoring the status of your backups
    1. About monitoring backups
      1.  
        Refreshing the information that displays about hard disk configuration changes
    2.  
      Icons on the Home page
    3.  
      Icons on the Status page
    4.  
      Configuring Veritas System Recovery to send SNMP traps
    5.  
      Customizing the status reporting of a drive (or file and folder backups)
    6.  
      Viewing drive details
    7.  
      Improving the protection level of a drive
    8.  
      About using event log information to troubleshoot problems
  11. Monitoring the backup status of remote computers using Veritas System Recovery Monitor
    1.  
      About Veritas System Recovery Monitor
    2.  
      Starting Veritas System Recovery Monitor
    3.  
      Icons on the Veritas System Recovery Monitor console
    4.  
      Configuring Veritas System Recovery Monitor default options
    5. Adding a remote computer to the Computer List
      1.  
        Importing a text file to add multiple remote computers to the Computer List
    6.  
      Modifying the logon credentials for the remote computers
    7.  
      Removing a remote computer from the Computer List
    8.  
      Viewing the backup protection status of a remote computer
    9.  
      Viewing the Protection Status report
  12. Exploring the contents of a recovery point
    1.  
      About exploring recovery points
    2. Exploring a recovery point through Windows Explorer
      1.  
        Mounting a recovery point from Windows Explorer
    3.  
      Opening and restoring files within a recovery point browser
    4.  
      Dismounting a recovery point drive
    5.  
      Viewing the drive properties of a recovery point
  13. Managing backup destinations
    1.  
      About backup destinations
    2.  
      Differences between drive-based backups and file and folder backups
    3.  
      Cleaning up old recovery points
    4.  
      Deleting a recovery point set
    5.  
      Deleting recovery points within a recovery point set
    6.  
      Copying recovery points
    7. About managing file and folder backup data
      1.  
        Viewing the amount of file and folder backup data that is stored on a backup destination
      2.  
        Manually deleting files from your backups of files and folders
      3.  
        Finding versions of a file or folder
    8.  
      Automating the management of backup data
    9.  
      Moving your backup destination
    10.  
      About support of OneDrive for Business
  14. Managing virtual conversions
    1.  
      Defining a virtual conversion job
    2.  
      Running an existing virtual conversion job immediately
    3.  
      Viewing the properties of a virtual conversion job
    4.  
      Viewing the progress of a virtual conversion job
    5.  
      Editing a virtual conversion job
    6.  
      Deleting a virtual conversion job
    7.  
      Running a one-time conversion of a physical recovery point to a virtual disk
  15. Managing cloud storage
    1. Direct to cloud
      1.  
        Providing the OpenStorage destination path
      2.  
        OpenStorage destination options for backups
      3.  
        OpenStorage destination options for recovery
    2.  
      Downloading OpenStorage Files
    3.  
      How Offsite Copy works for cloud storage
    4. About creation of Amazon Machine Image (AMI) in Amazon from Veritas System Recovery backups
      1.  
        How to create an Amazon Machine Image (AMI)
      2.  
        How to view the conversion tasks and AMI status
    5. About S3-Compatible Cloud Storage
      1.  
        Using S3-Compatible Cloud Storage in Veritas System Recovery
    6. About Veritas System Recovery supporting Veritas Access
      1.  
        Using Veritas Access Storage in Veritas System Recovery
    7.  
      About the Cloud Instance Creator Utility
  16. Recovering files, folders, or entire drives
    1.  
      About recovering lost data
    2.  
      Recovering files and folders by using file and folder backup data
    3.  
      Recovering files and folders
    4.  
      Recovering a secondary drive
    5.  
      Recovering a drive
    6.  
      Exploring files and folders on your computer by using Veritas System Recovery Disk
    7.  
      Recovering files and folders by using Veritas System Recovery Disk
  17. Recovering a computer
    1.  
      About recovering a Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI)-based computer
    2. Booting a computer by using the Veritas System Recovery Disk
      1.  
        Configuring a computer to start from a USB device or DVD
    3.  
      Preparing to recover a computer by checking the hard disk for errors
    4.  
      Recovering a computer
    5.  
      Recovering a computer from a virtual disk file
    6.  
      Recovering a computer with different hardware
    7. About using the networking tools in Veritas System Recovery Disk
      1.  
        Starting networking services
      2.  
        Mapping a network drive from within Veritas System Recovery Disk
      3. Configuring network connection settings
        1.  
          Setting a status IP address to enable recovery from a recovery point on a network share or drive
        2.  
          Getting a static IP address if pinging is unsuccessful
    8.  
      Viewing the properties of a recovery point in the Veritas System Recovery Disk
    9.  
      Viewing the properties of a drive within a recovery point in the Veritas System Recovery Disk
    10.  
      About the Support Utilities
  18. Copying a hard drive
    1.  
      Preparing to copy a hard drive
    2.  
      Copying one hard drive to another hard drive
  19. Using the Veritas System Recovery Granular Restore Option
    1.  
      About the Veritas System Recovery Granular Restore Option
    2. Best practices when you create recovery points for use with the Granular Restore Option
      1.  
        Protecting your Microsoft Exchange server for successful backups
    3.  
      Starting the Granular Restore Option
    4.  
      Starting Granular Restore Option and opening a specific recovery point
    5.  
      Restoring a Microsoft Exchange mailbox
    6.  
      Restoring a Microsoft Exchange email folder
    7.  
      Restoring a Microsoft Exchange email message
    8.  
      Restoring files and folders using Granular Restore Option
  20. Appendix A. Backing up databases using Veritas System Recovery
    1.  
      About backing up databases using Veritas System Recovery
    2.  
      Creating a manual cold (offline) backup
    3.  
      Creating an automatic warm backup
    4.  
      Creating a hot (online) backup using Veritas System Recovery
  21. Appendix B. Backing up Active Directory
    1.  
      Tips for protecting a domain controller in Active Directory
  22. Appendix C. Backing up Microsoft virtual environments
    1.  
      About backing up Microsoft virtual hard disks
    2.  
      About backing up and restoring Microsoft Hyper-V virtual machines
  23. Appendix D. Using Veritas System Recovery 21 and Windows Server Core
    1.  
      About Veritas System Recovery 21 and Windows Server Core
    2.  
      Installing Veritas System Recovery 21 on Windows Server Core using commands
  24.  
    Index

Running a backup from Veritas System Recovery Disk

Using a valid license key, you can create independent recovery points using the Back Up My Computer feature in Veritas System Recovery Disk. You can create recovery points of a partition without the need to install Veritas System Recovery or its agent. This feature is sometimes known as a cold backup or offline backup.

With a cold backup, all files are closed when the backup occurs. You do not copy any data that may be in the middle of being updated or accessed on the desktop or server. Cold backups are particularly useful for databases. They ensure that no files are written to or accessed at any time during the backup so you have a complete recovery point.

You can also use the Veritas System Recovery Disk to create recovery points if you experience any of the following:

  • A level of corruption prevents you from starting Windows on the computer.

  • Veritas System Recovery does not function properly while it runs on a Windows operating system.

  • You want to back up the condition of a damaged system before you recover. For example, if a computer is severely damaged, you can use the Veritas System Recovery Disk. You can back up what remains of the system. Then, you can recover what you can later, after you restore an independent recovery point.

Note:

Recovery points that you create using Veritas System Recovery Disk are restored to dissimilar hardware using Restore Anyware.

When you want to create a backup fromVeritas System Recovery Disk , you are prompted for a valid license key only for the following scenarios:

  • You create a Veritas System Recovery Disk using the Prompt me for a license key to use the Backup My Feature option. The computer does not have Veritas System Recovery installed.

  • You create a custom Veritas System Recovery Disk on a computer that has an unlicensed installation (60-day trial) of Veritas System Recovery. You then use the custom Veritas System Recovery Disk to create a backup of a computer. The computer does not have an installation of Veritas System Recovery.

    See Customizing an existing Veritas System Recovery Disk.

  • You choose not to add a license key at the time you create the customized Veritas System Recovery Disk.

To run a one-time backup from Veritas System Recovery Disk

  1. If you intend to store the resulting recovery point on a USB device (for example, an external hard drive), attach the device now.
  2. Start the Veritas System Recovery Disk on the computer you want to back up.

    See Booting a computer by using the Veritas System Recovery Disk.

  3. On the Home panel, click Back Up My Computer, and then click Next.
  4. On the Welcome panel, click Next.
  5. If you are prompted, on the Specify License Key panel, enter a valid license key, and then click Next.
  6. On the Drives panel, select one or more drives that you want to back up, and then click Next.

    Note:

    Veritas System Recovery 21 is able to display the drives from a GPT disk even if one of the GPT headers is corrupted or if there is a disk signature collision.

  7. On the Backup Destination panel, set the options you want, then click Next.

    Folder

    Lets you browse to and specify the location where you want to store the independent recovery point.

    You can specify a hidden drive as a location where you want to store the recovery points in the following format:

    DiskNo-PartitionNo\

    For example, If 2 is the disk number and 3 is the partition number, you must specify 2-3\ as the location.

    Map a network drive

    Maps a network drive by using the UNC path of the computer on which you want to store the recovery point.

    For example, \\computer_name\share_name or \\IP_address\share_name.

    Browse

    Lets you browse to locate a backup destination that you want to use.

    Select the Show hidden drives check box to see a list of the hidden drives along with the list of the other drives.

    You can select a hidden drive as a location where you want to store the recovery points.

    The hidden drives are displayed in the following format:

    DiskNo-PartitionNo\

    For example, a hidden drive is displayed as: 2-3\. Where 2 is the disk number and 3 is the partition number.

    Note:

    By default, this check box is not selected.

    OpenStorage Destination

    Lets you select a cloud storage destination that you want to use for backups.

    See OpenStorage destination options for backups.

    Destination Details

    Displays the type of destination path. If you add a network path it also displays the user name.

    Recovery point file name

    Lets you edit the recovery point file name.

    Rename

    Lets you rename the recovery point file name.

    Default file names include the name of the computer and then followed by the drive letter.

  8. On the Options panel, set the desired backup options and advanced options for the recovery point.

    Compression

    Lets you set one of the following compression levels for the recovery point:

    • None

    • Standard

    • Medium

    • High

    See Compression levels for recovery points.

    The results can vary depending on the types of files that are saved in the drive.

    Security Options > Use password

    Sets a password and enables AES encryption on the recovery point when it is created.

    This option is selected by default.

    Security Options > Password

    Lets you specify a password for the backup. Passwords can include standard characters. Passwords cannot include extended characters, or symbols. (Use characters with an ASCII value of 128 or lower.)

    You must type this password before you restore a backup or view the contents of the recovery point.

    Security Options > Confirm Password

    Lets you retype the password for confirmation.

    Security Options > AES encryption

    Encrypts recovery point data to add another level of protection to your recovery points.

    If you upgrade from a previous version to Veritas System Recovery 21, for older backup jobs where only password protection is defined, you need to edit the jobs to select the AES encryption level. If you do not edit the older backup jobs, they continue to run without AES Encryption. Veritas recommends that you edit the job and select AES encryption level.

    Note:

    If the Use Password check box is selected, you must define AES encryption.

    Choose from the following encryption levels:

    • Standard 128-bit (8+ character password)

    • Medium 192-bit (16+ character password)

    • High 256-bit (32+ character password)

    Verify recovery point after creation

    Tests whether a recovery point or set of files is valid or corrupt.

    Description

    Indicates a description for the recovery point. The description can help you further identify the recovery point's contents.

    Advanced

    Lets you further add security options to the recovery point.

  9. On the Options panel, click Advanced.
  10. On the Advanced options panel, set the advanced backup options you want for the recovery point, and then click OK.

    Divide into smaller files to simplify archiving

    Lets you split the recovery point into smaller files and specify the maximum size (in MB) for each file.

    Disable SmartSector™ Copying

    Lets you copy used and unused hard-disk sectors. This option increases process time and usually results in a larger recovery point.

    SmartSector technology speeds up the copying process by copying only the hard-disk sectors that contain data. However, in some cases, you might want to copy all sectors in their original layout, whether or not they contain data.

    Ignore bad sectors during copy

    Lets you run a backup even if there are bad sectors on the hard disk. Although most drives do not have bad sectors, the potential for problems increases during the lifetime of the hard disk.

  11. On the Options panel, click Next.
  12. On the Completing the Back Up My Computer Wizard panel, click Finish to run the backup.
  13. When the backup is finished, click Close to return to the main Veritas System Recovery Disk window.