Symantec Backup Exec

Before you can recover computers, you must prepare for a disaster by performing the following steps in the order listed:

• On the media server, use the Intelligent Disaster Recovery Configuration Wizard to specify a location where a copy of the computer-specific disaster recovery file (*.dr file, where the asterisk represents the name of the computer being protected) will be stored.

  The Intelligent Disaster Recovery Configuration Wizard guides you through setting an alternate data path for the *.dr file. The default data path for the *.dr file is on the media server’s hard drive, but Symantec recommends that you specify an alternate data path to store another copy of the *.dr file in case the media server’s hard drive is damaged.

• Run full backups of the hard drives on the computers to be protected. Include System State for Windows 2000 and Windows XP computers, and Shadow Copy Components for Windows Server 2003/Windows Vista/Windows Server 2008/Windows Server 2008 R2/Windows 7 computers. Do not exclude any files from the full backups; otherwise the *.dr file will not be created.

  Backup Exec creates the *.dr file during a full backup and stores it in the default and alternate storage locations. Catalog entries from subsequent backups are added to the *.dr file as these backups are completed.

• Run the Intelligent Disaster Recovery Preparation Wizard to create bootable media for each computer.

  The Intelligent Disaster Recovery Preparation Wizard guides you through the preparation of the bootable media that you use to recover protected computers. The Intelligent Disaster Recovery Preparation Wizard also lets you copy the *.dr file to any location.

After you have performed these steps for each computer you want to protect, you are prepared to recover those computers using any of the following recovery methods:

• Restore a media server (Backup Exec server) using a locally attached storage device.

• Restore a media server (Backup Exec server) using a remote backup-to-disk folder.

• Restore a Windows computer by moving the media and the storage device to the computer being restored, and then restoring the computer through the locally attached storage device.

• Restore a remote Windows computer using a network connection to the media server