I agree using NTBackup to backup your systemstate is a good idea.

Also remember that the system state backup for Windows 2003 works differently 
than with Windows 2000.  If none of the files in \system32 change then nothing 
in the folder is backed up each night.  As a result every backup after the 
first one backs up only around 11 MB. Remember \system32 doesn't change that 
often.  Ok, it changes with software installs, service packs, hotfixes and 
security updates.  But these things aren't going to happen every night.  So if 
your main purpose to using NTBackup is to reduce the amount of data being 
backed up you really won't do that with Windows 2003.

Also, I have been running V5.2.2.9 of the TSM client to backup Windows 2003 
servers.  I have performed many recovery tests and so far I have not had any 
issues with the backup or restore.  I can't speed to V5.2.2.5 though.

"Stapleton, Mark" <mark.stapleton AT BERBEE DOT COM> wrote:
From: ADSM: Dist Stor Manager [mailto:ADSM-L AT VM.MARIST DOT EDU] On
Behalf Of Stapleton, Mark
>
>From: ADSM: Dist Stor Manager [mailto:ADSM-L AT VM.MARIST DOT EDU] On
>Behalf Of Cain, Jason (Corporate)
>>Can anyone please help with backing up systemstate on a
>>windows 2003 server. The client is at 5.2.2.5, and server is
>>at 5.2.0.1. The only article I could find on this is at the
>>following link, but nothing in my environment matches the
>>description.
>>
>>>EXPECTED_PROVIDER_ERROR&uid=swg1IC39027&loc=en_US&cs=utf-8&cc=u
>s&lang=en
>>
>>
>>
>>The error I am seeing in the error log is:
>>06/22/2004 09:49:45 CreateSnapshotSet(): AddToSnapshotSet()
>>returns hr=VSS_E_UNEXPECTED_PROVIDER_ERROR
>
>Go to www.ibm.com, input UNEXPECTED_PROVIDER_ERROR in the search box,
>and get this:
>http://www-1.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg1IC39027

A follow-up on this: the document indicates that Jason's server and
client levels should handle the backup, but then the doc also says:

Problem summary

****************************************************************
* USERS AFFECTED: All 5.2.2 and below clients running on *
* Windows 2003 Server with TSM server version *
* lower than 5.2 *
****************************************************************
* PROBLEM DESCRIPTION: See ERROR DESCRIPTION *
****************************************************************
* RECOMMENDATION: Apply fixing PTF when available. This *
* problem is currently projected to be fixed *
* in PTF level 5.2.3. Note that this is *
* subject to change at the discretion of IBM. *
****************************************************************

The bottom line is: the problems with using TSM to back up open files on
Windows 2003 clients will continue until version 5.2.3 (of the client or
server, I'm not sure which but probably both) is used. Scuttlebutt says
5.2.3 will be out in July.

In the meantime, exclude the system state from the backup with a domain
statement and use NTBACKUP to backup the system files. This method will
make for a faster restore anyway, since the system state will exist in a
single 325MB file, rather than 3000 files totalling 325MB.

--
Mark Stapleton


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