Veritas™ System Recovery 22 User's Guide

Last Published:
Product(s): System Recovery (22.0)
Platform: Windows
  1. Introducing Veritas System Recovery
    1.  
      About Veritas System Recovery
    2.  
      The components of Veritas System Recovery
    3.  
      Accessing Help and Support for Veritas System Recovery
    4.  
      Sending your feedback regarding Veritas System Recovery 22
    5.  
      Accessing Veritas QuickAssist (VQA)
    6.  
      Updating Veritas System Recovery with Veritas Update
  2. Installing Veritas System Recovery
    1.  
      System requirements for Veritas System Recovery
    2.  
      Supported file systems, disk types, disk partition schemes, and removable media
    3.  
      Feature availability in Veritas System Recovery
    4.  
      About the trial version of Veritas System Recovery
    5. Installing Veritas System Recovery
      1.  
        Activating and setting up Veritas System Recovery after installation
      2.  
        Activating Veritas System Recovery after the trial period
    6.  
      Uninstalling Veritas System Recovery
    7.  
      System requirements for Veritas System Recovery Manager
    8.  
      Installing Veritas System Recovery Manager
  3. Ensuring the recovery of your computer
    1. Creating a new Veritas System Recovery Disk
      1.  
        Welcome Panel
      2. Creation Options
        1.  
          Veritas System Recovery Disk recovery matrix
        2.  
          Veritas System Recovery Disk customization support matrix
        3.  
          Non-availability of the Typical option
      3.  
        Download and install Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit (ADK)
      4.  
        Languages Options
      5.  
        Veritas System Recovery Disk Storage Media/Destination Options
      6.  
        Licensed Features Options
      7. Storage and Network Drivers Options
        1.  
          Adding a Storage or Network Driver
      8.  
        Startup Options
      9.  
        Network Options
      10.  
        Setup LightsOut Restore Options
    2. Customizing an existing Veritas System Recovery Disk
      1.  
        Welcome Panel
      2.  
        Recovery Disk Source Options
      3. Veritas System Recovery Disk Storage Media/Destination Options
        1.  
          How to add new drivers or driver versions to the Veritas System Recovery Disk
      4.  
        Licensed Features Options
      5. Storage and Network Drivers Options
        1.  
          Adding a Storage or Network Driver
      6.  
        Startup Options
      7.  
        Network Options
    3. About restoring a computer from a remote location by using LightsOut Restore
      1. Configuring LightsOut Restore
        1.  
          Welcome Panel
        2.  
          Source Location Options
        3.  
          Licensed Features Options
        4. Storage and Network Drivers Options
          1.  
            Adding a Storage or Network Driver
        5.  
          Startup Options
        6.  
          Network Options
        7.  
          Setup LightsOut Restore Options
    4.  
      Testing the Veritas System Recovery Disk
  4. Getting Started
    1.  
      How to use Veritas System Recovery
    2.  
      Starting Veritas System Recovery
    3.  
      Configuring Veritas System Recovery default options
    4. Setting up default general backup options
      1.  
        Setting a default backup destination
    5.  
      Improving your computer's performance during a backup
    6.  
      Enabling network throttling
    7.  
      Setting default options for the Windows notification area
    8. File types and file extension
      1.  
        Adding new file types and extensions
      2.  
        Renaming file types and extensions
      3.  
        Restoring default file types and extensions
      4.  
        Deleting a file type and all of its extensions
    9.  
      Removing or changing the unique name for an external drive
    10.  
      Configuring default FTP settings for use with Offsite Copy
    11.  
      Logging Veritas System Recovery messages
    12.  
      Enabling email notifications for product (event) messages
    13.  
      Setting up your first backup using Easy Setup
    14.  
      Home page
    15.  
      Status page
    16.  
      Tasks page
    17.  
      Tools page
    18.  
      Advanced page
    19.  
      Using Veritas System Recovery RESTful Application Programming Interfaces (APIs)
  5. Best practices for backing up your data
    1.  
      About backing up your data
    2.  
      Best practices for backing up data
    3.  
      What to do when a backup is finished
    4.  
      Tips for running defined backups
    5.  
      Backup destinations
    6.  
      Backing up dual-boot computers
    7.  
      Manually validating recovery points
  6. Backing up entire drives
    1. Defining a drive-based backup
      1. USB disk rotation
        1.  
          How USB disk rotation works
      2.  
        Rules for network credentials
      3.  
        Running command files during a backup
      4.  
        Editing backup options
      5.  
        Verifying the integrity of a recovery point
      6.  
        Viewing the progress of a backup
      7.  
        Recovery point encryption
    2.  
      Compression levels for recovery points
    3.  
      Running a one-time backup from Veritas System Recovery
    4.  
      Running a backup from Veritas System Recovery Disk
    5.  
      How Offsite Copy works
  7. Backing up files and folders
    1.  
      Backing up files and folders
  8. Running and managing backup jobs
    1. Running an existing backup job immediately
      1.  
        Running a backup to create an alternate type of recovery point
    2.  
      Adjusting the speed of a backup
    3.  
      Stopping a backup or a recovery task
    4.  
      Verifying that a backup is successful
    5.  
      Viewing the properties of a backup job
    6.  
      Editing backup settings
    7.  
      Enabling event-triggered backups
    8.  
      Editing a backup schedule
    9.  
      Disabling or enabling a backup job
    10.  
      Deleting backup jobs
    11.  
      Adding users who can back up your computer
    12.  
      Configuring access rights for users or groups
  9. Backing up remote computers from your computer
    1. About backing up other computers from your computer
      1.  
        Adding remote computers to the Computer List
      2.  
        Adding local computers to the Computer List
      3.  
        Removing a computer from the Computer List
    2. About the Veritas System Recovery Agent
      1.  
        Using the Veritas System Recovery Agent
      2.  
        About managing the Veritas System Recovery Agent through Windows Services
    3. About deploying the Veritas System Recovery Agent
      1.  
        Preparing a computer in a workgroup environment to deploy the Veritas System Recovery Agent
      2.  
        Deploying the Veritas System Recovery Agent
      3.  
        Manually installing the Veritas System Recovery Agent
    4. Best practices for Veritas System Recovery services
      1.  
        Opening Windows services
      2.  
        Starting or stopping the Veritas System Recovery Agent service
      3.  
        Setting up recovery actions when the Veritas System Recovery Agent does not start
    5.  
      Viewing Veritas System Recovery Agent dependencies
    6. About controlling access to Veritas System Recovery
      1.  
        Enabling users or groups to access Veritas System Recovery
      2.  
        Changing permissions for a user or a group
      3.  
        Disabling access for users or groups to Veritas System Recovery
      4.  
        Running Veritas System Recovery using different user rights
  10. Monitoring the status of your backups
    1. About monitoring backups
      1.  
        Refreshing the information that displays about hard disk configuration changes
    2.  
      Icons on the Home page
    3.  
      Icons on the Status page
    4.  
      Configuring Veritas System Recovery to send SNMP traps
    5.  
      Customizing the status reporting of a drive (or file and folder backups)
    6.  
      Viewing drive details
    7.  
      Improving the protection level of a drive
    8.  
      About using event log information to troubleshoot problems
  11. Managing and Monitoring the backup status of remote computers using Veritas System Recovery Manager
    1.  
      About Veritas System Recovery 22 Manager
    2.  
      Configuring Windows firewall exceptions for Veritas System Recovery Manager
    3.  
      Starting Veritas System Recovery Manager
    4.  
      Icons on the Veritas System Recovery Manager console
    5.  
      Configuring Veritas System Recovery Manager default options
    6.  
      Viewing Veritas System Recovery Dashboard
    7. Adding a remote computer to All Computers
      1.  
        Importing a text file to add multiple remote computers to All Computers
    8.  
      Searching a remote computer from All Computers
    9.  
      Modifying the logon credentials for the remote computers
    10.  
      Running or Deleting Backup Jobs for the Remote computers
    11.  
      Removing a remote computer from the All Computers
    12.  
      Viewing the backup protection status of a remote computer
    13.  
      Viewing the backup protection status for a remote computer
    14.  
      Viewing the Protection Status report
    15. About Backup Tasks
      1.  
        Recovery Point Set and Independent Recovery Point in backup job
      2.  
        Tips for creating recovery points
    16.  
      Creating Backup Jobs
    17.  
      Editing Backup Jobs
    18.  
      Removing Backup Jobs
    19.  
      Applying Backup Jobs
  12. Exploring the contents of a recovery point
    1.  
      About exploring recovery points
    2. Exploring a recovery point through Windows Explorer
      1.  
        Mounting a recovery point from Windows Explorer
    3.  
      Opening and restoring files within a recovery point browser
    4.  
      Dismounting a recovery point drive
    5.  
      Viewing the drive properties of a recovery point
  13. Managing backup destinations
    1.  
      About backup destinations
    2.  
      Differences between drive-based backups and file and folder backups
    3.  
      Cleaning up old recovery points
    4.  
      Deleting a recovery point set
    5.  
      Deleting recovery points within a recovery point set
    6.  
      Copying recovery points
    7. About managing file and folder backup data
      1.  
        Viewing the amount of file and folder backup data that is stored on a backup destination
      2.  
        Manually deleting files from your backups of files and folders
      3.  
        Finding versions of a file or folder
    8.  
      Automating the management of backup data
    9.  
      Moving your backup destination
    10.  
      About support of OneDrive for Business
  14. Managing virtual conversions
    1.  
      Defining a virtual conversion job
    2.  
      Running an existing virtual conversion job immediately
    3.  
      Viewing the properties of a virtual conversion job
    4.  
      Viewing the progress of a virtual conversion job
    5.  
      Editing a virtual conversion job
    6.  
      Deleting a virtual conversion job
    7.  
      Running a one-time conversion of a physical recovery point to a virtual disk
  15. Managing cloud storage
    1. Direct to cloud
      1.  
        Providing the OpenStorage destination path
      2.  
        OpenStorage destination options for backups
      3.  
        OpenStorage destination options for recovery
    2.  
      Downloading OpenStorage Files
    3.  
      How Offsite Copy works for cloud storage
    4. About creation of Amazon Machine Image (AMI) in Amazon from Veritas System Recovery backups
      1.  
        How to create an Amazon Machine Image (AMI)
      2.  
        How to view the conversion tasks and AMI status
    5. About S3-Compatible Cloud Storage
      1.  
        Using S3-Compatible Cloud Storage in Veritas System Recovery
    6. About Veritas System Recovery supporting Veritas Access
      1.  
        Using Veritas Access Storage in Veritas System Recovery
    7.  
      About the Cloud Instance Creator Utility
  16. Recovering files, folders, or entire drives
    1.  
      About recovering lost data
    2.  
      Recovering files and folders by using file and folder backup data
    3.  
      Recovering files and folders
    4.  
      Recovering a secondary drive
    5.  
      Recovering a drive
    6.  
      Exploring files and folders on your computer by using Veritas System Recovery Disk
    7.  
      Recovering files and folders by using Veritas System Recovery Disk
  17. Recovering a computer
    1.  
      About recovering a Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI)-based computer
    2. Booting a computer by using the Veritas System Recovery Disk
      1.  
        Configuring a computer to start from a USB device or DVD
    3.  
      Preparing to recover a computer by checking the hard disk for errors
    4.  
      Recovering a computer
    5.  
      Recovering a computer from a virtual disk file
    6.  
      Recovering a computer with different hardware
    7. About using the networking tools in Veritas System Recovery Disk
      1.  
        Starting networking services
      2.  
        Mapping a network drive from within Veritas System Recovery Disk
      3. Configuring network connection settings
        1.  
          Setting a status IP address to enable recovery from a recovery point on a network share or drive
        2.  
          Getting a static IP address if pinging is unsuccessful
    8.  
      Viewing the properties of a recovery point in the Veritas System Recovery Disk
    9.  
      Viewing the properties of a drive within a recovery point in the Veritas System Recovery Disk
    10.  
      About the Support Utilities
  18. Copying a hard drive
    1.  
      Preparing to copy a hard drive
    2.  
      Copying one hard drive to another hard drive
  19. Using the Veritas System Recovery Granular Restore Option
    1.  
      About the Veritas System Recovery Granular Restore Option
    2. Best practices when you create recovery points for use with the Granular Restore Option
      1.  
        Protecting your Microsoft Exchange server for successful backups
    3.  
      Starting the Granular Restore Option
    4.  
      Starting Granular Restore Option and opening a specific recovery point
    5.  
      Restoring a Microsoft Exchange mailbox
    6.  
      Restoring a Microsoft Exchange email folder
    7.  
      Restoring a Microsoft Exchange email message
    8.  
      Restoring files and folders using Granular Restore Option
  20. Appendix A. Backing up databases using Veritas System Recovery
    1.  
      About backing up databases using Veritas System Recovery
    2.  
      Creating a manual cold (offline) backup
    3.  
      Creating an automatic warm backup
    4.  
      Creating a hot (online) backup using Veritas System Recovery
  21. Appendix B. Backing up Active Directory
    1.  
      Tips for protecting a domain controller in Active Directory
  22. Appendix C. Backing up Microsoft virtual environments
    1.  
      About backing up Microsoft virtual hard disks
    2.  
      About backing up and restoring Microsoft Hyper-V virtual machines
  23. Appendix D. Using Veritas System Recovery 22 and Windows Server Core
    1.  
      About Veritas System Recovery 22 and Windows Server Core
    2.  
      Installing Veritas System Recovery 22 on Windows Server Core using commands
  24.  
    Index

Running command files during a backup

You can use command files (.exe, .cmd, .bat) during a backup. You can use command files to integrate Veritas System Recovery with other backup routines that you might be running on the computer. You can also use command files to integrate with other applications that use a drive on the computer.

Note:

You cannot run the command files that include a graphical user interface, such as notepad.exe. Running such command files causes the backup job to fail.

You can run a command file during any of the following stages during the creation of a recovery point:

  • Run before snapshot creation

  • Run after snapshot creation

  • Run after recovery point creation

When you use command files (.exe, .cmd, .bat) during a backup, stop and then restart non-VSS-aware databases.

To use a Visual Basic script file (.vbs) during a backup, you can create a batch file (.bat) to run the script. Veritas System Recovery runs any script using a high privilege account. When the command files are to be located at a place other than the default location, the Command Files folder specifies the location of these files.

Note:

Veritas recommends that only high privilege users or an administrator have the permission to modify a backup script and access the Command Files folder.

For example, you can create a batch file called Stop.bat that contains the following syntax:

Cscript script_filename.vbs

Make sure that Cscript precedes the file name of the Visual Basic script.

Warning:

The command files cannot depend on any user interaction or have a visible user interface. You should test all command files independently of Veritas System Recovery before you use them during a backup.

When the backup begins, the command file is run during the specified stage. The backup is stopped if an error occurs while a command file is running. Or, the backup is stopped if the command file does not finish in the time you specified (regardless of the stage). In either case, the command file is terminated (if necessary), and the error information is logged and displayed.

Table: Command files options

Option

Description

Command files folder

Lets you specify the location of command files. You can also specify a location on a per-job basis, as well as specify a location that can be shared among several computers. If you specify a network location, you are prompted for network credentials.

Note:

All command files must exist in the specified folder.

Browse

Lets you browse to locate a folder for any command files that you want to use.

User name

Lets you specify the user name to a command file folder that is located in a network path.

Password

Lets you specify the password to a command file folder that is located in a network path.

Run before snapshot creation

Indicates that you can run a command file after a backup has started and before a recovery point is created. You can run a command during this stage to prepare for the recovery point creation process. For example, you can close any open applications that are using the drive.

Note:

If you use this option, be sure that the command file has an error recovery mechanism that is built into it. If the computer has one or more services that must be stopped at this stage, and the command file does not contain any form of error recovery, one or more of the stopped services may not be restarted. For example, stopping a non-VSS aware database or a resource-intensive application. An error in the command file can cause the recovery point creation process to stop immediately. No other command files can run.

See How to use Veritas System Recovery.

Run after snapshot creation

Indicates that you can run a command file after a snapshot is created. Running a command during this stage is a safe point to allow services to resume on the drive while continuing the recovery point creation.

Because the snapshot takes only a few seconds to create, the database is in the backup state momentarily. A minimal number of log files are created.

Run after recovery point creation

Indicates that you can run a command file after the recovery point file is created. You can run a command during this stage to act on the recovery point itself. For example, you can copy it to an offline location.

Timeout (applies to each stage)

Lets you specify the amount of time (in seconds) that a command file is allowed to run.

See Defining a drive-based backup.

See Running a one-time backup from Veritas System Recovery.