Advice on WIN95/NT "best policy"

Great question  - should generate some good opinions and experience/was stories.

First, I would only suggest using the backup method you outlined.  Archive is
not always suitable for a bare metal restore, since it does not save empty
directories.  This may or may not be a problem based on what you install and how
it works.... Backup DOES include empty directories, and is the safer approach.
And since you are suggesting only running the backup after a configuration
change, you should have an adequate picture of the machine to restore to.

I have done full restores on several occasions, and have followed the
instructions in the bare metal restore book with very few problems.  However, if
I were you, I'd try it on a test machine first to familiarize myself with the
process.  I just reinstall "basic" Win95 functions, the necessary communications
functions, then reinstall ADSM and start a full restore.  It is generally easier
if you can install the Win95 basic system into another directory (not Windows),
and then tell ADSM to replace all files - including read only.  When the restore
is complete, POWER THE MACHINE OFF - DO NOT SHUT IT DOWN.  This insures that
Win95 does not overlay something you just restored.  Win95 should then restart
normally.

Jerry Lawson
jlawson AT thehartford DOT com

______________________________ Forward Header __________________________________
Subject: Advice on WIN95/NT "best policy"
Author:  INTERNET.OWNERAD at SNADGATE
Date:    1/12/98 9:00 AM


Hi,

I have a couple of PCs running WIN 95/NT-WS which are located in public
areas, and therefore are prone to "disasters" (this is a university, in
other words, a very hostile-to-the-computers environemnt). The configuration
is quiet static, and we need to be able to restore very quickly the machines
in case of disasters.

I was thinking of installing the ADSM client, and then, either make a backup
and from time to time, when we change configs (that happends infrequently)
make additional backups, OR archive the config, and when we change configs
make another archive.

When we have to restore the machines (being prone to hazards, I am considering
these restores/retrievals always as "bare metal" ones), from the redbook:
"ADSM Client Disaster Recovery: Bare Metal Restore", it seems to me that one
can create boot diskettes, which will allow a quick setup (not a complete WIN*
installation), and then start the RESTORE (or file retrieval from archive)
operation.

Questions:

1. Is the above correct, ie, can I use both methods (backup/archive) to get a
   good "backup" which will be ready for restore after boot from floppies ?

2. Are both methods reliable ? Is there one method more/less reliable than the
   other one.

3. How about "special" files - hidden files, LFNs, short cuts ? Is the use
   of lfnb and eruzip described in the above redbook required ? Does the
   use of these utils solve all problems with "special" files ?

4. Can I expect a significant performance difference in the RESTORE operation
   between the 2 methods ? Why ?

5. Any other gotchas about my setup or suggestion ?

I'll be using the V. 3 client, with a V. 2 server running on an AIX machine,
which will later be upgraded to V. 3.



Thanks for any input.

/Zvika

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I cherish the environment - this message was composed with 100% recycled bits.

Zvika Bar-Deroma
Systems and Network manager                       Phone: (+972)-4-829-2706
Faculty of Aerospace Engineering,                 Fax  : (+972)-4-823-1848
Technion                                          Home phone:
Haifa 32000                                              (+972)-4-823-5562
Israel

Internet      :   zvika AT aeserv.technion.ac DOT il
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~