What a good question.

The best I can come up with for answers are:

1. Tivoli Data Protection for Workgroups.  A future release will
actually store the data on the TSM server; for now, it uses a local tape
drive. (I know, that's crummy. You asked, though...)  The restore
procedurtes are supposed to fit on a Post-it note.  Haven't actually
used it myself.

2. Symantec Ghost.  if you make a generic image of an NT naked install
with TSM client, you should be able to boot this up quickly, then
restore from TSM.  But you still have the "can't restore onto running
partition" problem which I guess is mainly what you're trying to avoid.

3. Read  Redbook SG24-2231, Windows NT Backup and Recovery with ADSM.
Chapters 3 and 4 lay out a scheme for booting a dead NT box from a
portable CDROM or Jaz drive.  Then NT is running off *that* partition
(the portable), and you can immediately restore onto the real
partition.  (but if you restore onto different hardware, be careful that
TSM doesn't restore the hardware-specific part of the registry from the
old machine!)

If you find a better way, PLEASE post it!  I've seen organizations where
TSM got a bad black eye because the NT admins didn't understand this
problem.
Gary Bowers wrote:
>
> SpamCop - Report spam:
> http://members.spamcop.net/sc?action=report&id=1060482
>
> Ok,
>
> Let me just start by saying that I have read the discussions on this, but I
> wanted to see if there was any new information on this.
>
> What is the EASIEST way to restore NT clients in a disaster recovery
> situation, apart from restoring to an identical machine.
>
> I have heard talk of restoring onto a running version of windows, and I have
> also heard that you have to install to alternate partions, and some say to
> just another directory.
>
> I still say that there has to be an easier way.
>
> I am an AIX person, so forgive my ignorance on NT, but is there not an
> equivalent of NIM on NT that I could network boot a bunch of clients on to
> do the initial install that already has the ADSM client code in it?
>
> Given that could I not then just restore everything but the registry back to
> the clients, then restore the registry to a different location.  Then I
> could kick off a script that would copy over all of the registry info except
> for system.
>
> Maybe I am grossly underestimating the task, but there has got to be a more
> OPERATOR FRIENDLY       approach to this.
>
> I don't want my operators to have to follow that convoluted structure of
> restore proceedures.
>
> Any thoughts are welcome.
>
> Gary Bowers
> Itrus Technologies Inc.
> AIX, HACMP, Storage, ADSM Consultant
> (972) 365-4962
> gbowers AT itrus DOT net

--
Mr. Lindsay Morris
Mr. Lindsay Morris
Certified: AIX,ADSM, TSM, HACMP,SP
Gresham Enterprise Storage
lmorris AT openmic DOT com
606-253-8000