Arctera™ System Recovery 24 User's Guide

Last Published:
Product(s): System Recovery (24.0)
  1. Introducing Arctera System Recovery
    1.  
      About Arctera System Recovery
    2.  
      The components of Arctera System Recovery
    3.  
      Accessing Help and Support for Arctera System Recovery
    4.  
      Sending your feedback regarding Arctera System Recovery 24
    5.  
      Accessing Arctera QuickAssist (AQA)
    6.  
      Updating Arctera System Recovery with Arctera Update
  2. Installing Arctera System Recovery
    1.  
      System requirements for Arctera System Recovery
    2.  
      Supported file systems, disk types, disk partition schemes, and removable media
    3.  
      Feature availability in Arctera System Recovery
    4.  
      About the trial version of Arctera System Recovery
    5. Installing Arctera System Recovery
      1.  
        Activating and setting up Arctera System Recovery after installation
      2.  
        Activating Arctera System Recovery after the trial period
    6.  
      Uninstalling Arctera System Recovery
    7.  
      System requirements for Arctera System Recovery Manager
    8.  
      Installing Arctera System Recovery Manager
  3. Ensuring the recovery of your computer
    1. Creating a new Arctera System Recovery Disk
      1.  
        Welcome Panel
      2. Creation Options
        1.  
          Arctera System Recovery Disk recovery matrix
        2.  
          Arctera 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.  
        Arctera 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 Arctera System Recovery Disk
      1.  
        Welcome Panel
      2.  
        Recovery Disk Source Options
      3. Arctera System Recovery Disk Storage Media/Destination Options
        1.  
          How to add new drivers or driver versions to the Arctera 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 Arctera System Recovery Disk
  4. Getting Started
    1.  
      How to use Arctera System Recovery
    2.  
      Starting Arctera System Recovery
    3.  
      Configuring Arctera 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 Arctera 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 Arctera 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 Arctera System Recovery
    4.  
      Running a backup from Arctera 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 Arctera System Recovery Agent
      1.  
        Using the Arctera System Recovery Agent
      2.  
        About managing the Arctera System Recovery Agent through Windows Services
    3. About deploying the Arctera System Recovery Agent
      1.  
        Preparing a computer in a workgroup environment to deploy the Arctera System Recovery Agent
      2.  
        Deploying the Arctera System Recovery Agent
      3.  
        Manually installing the Arctera System Recovery Agent
    4. Best practices for Arctera System Recovery services
      1.  
        Opening Windows services
      2.  
        Starting or stopping the Arctera System Recovery Agent service
      3.  
        Setting up recovery actions when the Arctera System Recovery Agent does not start
    5.  
      Viewing Arctera System Recovery Agent dependencies
    6. About controlling access to Arctera System Recovery
      1.  
        Enabling users or groups to access Arctera System Recovery
      2.  
        Changing permissions for a user or a group
      3.  
        Disabling access for users or groups to Arctera System Recovery
      4.  
        Running Arctera 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 Arctera 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 Arctera System Recovery Manager
    1.  
      About
    2.  
      Configuring Windows firewall exceptions for Arctera System Recovery Manager
    3.  
      Starting Arctera System Recovery Manager
    4.  
      Icons on the Arctera System Recovery Manager console
    5.  
      Configuring Arctera System Recovery Manager default options
    6.  
      Viewing Arctera 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 Arctera 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 Arctera System Recovery
    6. About Arctera System Recovery supporting Arctera Access
      1.  
        Using Arctera Access Storage in Arctera 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 Arctera System Recovery Disk
    7.  
      Recovering files and folders by using Arctera 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 Arctera 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 Arctera System Recovery Disk
      1.  
        Starting networking services
      2.  
        Mapping a network drive from within Arctera 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 Arctera System Recovery Disk
    9.  
      Viewing the properties of a drive within a recovery point in the Arctera 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 Arctera System Recovery Granular Restore Option
    1.  
      About the Arctera 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 Arctera System Recovery
    1.  
      About backing up databases using Arctera System Recovery
    2.  
      Creating a manual cold (offline) backup
    3.  
      Creating an automatic warm backup
    4.  
      Creating a hot (online) backup using Arctera 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 Arctera System Recovery 24 and Windows Server Core
    1.  
      About Arctera System Recovery 24 and Windows Server Core
    2.  
      Installing Arctera System Recovery 24 on Windows Server Core using commands
  24.  
    Index

About backing up databases using Arctera System Recovery

Arctera System Recovery enables you to back up both, Microsoft's Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS)-aware and non-VSS aware databases. For backing up VSS-aware databases, Arctera System Recovery integrates with VSS to automate the backup process. While, for backing up non-VSS-aware databases, you can create manual or automatic cold or hot recovery points of the databases.

VSS-aware databases

Arctera System Recovery integrates with Microsoft's VSS to automate the process of backing up VSS-aware databases, such as the following:

  • Exchange Server 2007 or later

  • SQL Server 2005 or later

  • Windows Server 2008-based domain controller or later

VSS-aware databases are auto-enabled and cannot be turned off. VSS lets administrators create a shadow copy backup of volumes on a server. The shadow copy includes all files and includes open files.

When it creates a recovery point, Arctera System Recovery alerts the Volume Shadow Copy Service. VSS then puts the VSS-aware databases into a temporary sleep state. While in this quiesced state, the database continues to write to transaction logs during the backup. After the databases are quiesced, Arctera System Recovery takes the snapshot. VSS is then notified that a snapshot is completed. The databases are awakened, and the transaction logs continue to be committed to the database. Meanwhile, the recovery point is created. The databases are only quiesced for the snapshot, and are active for the rest of the recovery point creation.

Arctera System Recovery supports Exchange Server 2007 or later, which implements VSS technology. However, if the database load is heavy, the VSS request might be ignored. Create recovery points at the lightest load time.

Be sure that you have installed the latest service packs for your given database.

Note:

For backing up Exchange databases, additional backup applications are not needed to run with Arctera System Recovery.

Non VSS-aware databases

With Arctera System Recovery, you can create manual cold backups, automatic warm backups, or hot backups of non-VSS-aware databases.