|
Re: [BackupPC-users] Bare Metal Restore for Microsoft Windows XP
2010-03-08 15:31:17
Perhaps I missed something in reading this, or my interpretation of a 'bare metal restore' is different from yours.
My definition of 'bare metal restore' is taking essentially an image of the current disk, copying it to some media, and then using that image to do a bit-by-bit (sector-by-sector, track-by-track) copy from the backup medium to the target medium. For me, the bit by bit copy is primary for the OS, and possibly including the application programs (word, ppoint, etc.) I don't buy into the M$ organization of files and disks. I partition my hd for OS, Applications, and User Data. I baremetal restore the OS partition and usually the Application partition using Acronis True Image. (True Image is more or less functionally equivalent to Norton Ghost-the enterprise version, not the butched commercial version they have sold in stores since V9 (I think)). I store the images on a NAS that is backed up.
I do restores in one of two ways: Use the restore CD that Acronis allows you to make-bareboot the machine, the pull the image from a server, or, netboot the machine, and using an image loader, pull the restore image from the server and put it on the HD.
Once the target machine is capable of booting the newly restored image, you can run backup pc (which I gave up on some time ago) or whatever your favorite backup program is, and copy the backed up user data area to the target HD.
In your writeup, you talk about reinstalling windows just to get a working copy of the OS "if anything’s installed or working, you’re going to wipe it all out anyway" so why essentially do the install twice?
Your method does allow for the most recent (more or less) snapshot of most of the relevant windoz files but doing an image every so often would essentially do the same thing. In many cases, it may actually be better to install a clean load image of the OS and apps, rather than restore something that may be corrupted/virus infected. In systems where I have this concern, I have an image of a clean xp + backup program restore that I use. It is all done over the net, minimal (if any) manual intervention at the target machine. If need be, I can also remove the target HD, connect it to the NAS, then copy the image directly via the SATA/IDE interface, then put the disk back in the target machine.
Sorry, but I don't see how this method is a baremetal restore with a manual step in installing windoz. Your still screwing around with loading via CD a copy of XP, and then cgwin, and then 'manually copying' files in the XP subdirectories. Seems like a lot of places for things to fall through the cracks with file contents not being 'in synch' and I also wonder about registry consistency and backup.
It may, however, work fine in your environment.
-J
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Download Intel® Parallel Studio Eval
Try the new software tools for yourself. Speed compiling, find bugs
proactively, and fine-tune applications for parallel performance.
See why Intel Parallel Studio got high marks during beta.
http://p.sf.net/sfu/intel-sw-dev _______________________________________________
BackupPC-users mailing list
BackupPC-users AT lists.sourceforge DOT net
List: https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/backuppc-users
Wiki: http://backuppc.wiki.sourceforge.net
Project: http://backuppc.sourceforge.net/
|
|
|
