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Windows Server 2008 replaces NTBackup with a new tool called Windows Server Backup. Be prepared for a learning curve.

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NTBackup is not a fancy backup mechanism, but it generally worked and could easily be scripted. Windows Server 2008 replaces NTBackup with Windows Server Backup.

I bet at one time or another you had an NTBackup script for a specific part of a server that you used between versions of Windows. Unfortunately, these scripts will no longer work, so the migration to Windows Server Backup will need to be considered for the local backup mechanism.

Windows Server 2008 offers many components that are not part of the base installation but need to be added as a feature. Figure A shows the Windows Server Backup being added through the Add Features Wizard.
Figure A

Figure A

When adding Windows Server Backup, be sure to add the command-line tools option because it is not a default. Once you select the features, the server will not need to be rebooted in most configurations. At this point, you can enter the Windows Server Backup program to perform tasks.

If you selected to install the command-line tools, you can also work on creating backup tasks with the wbadmin command. The wbadmin command offers a more extensive command-line environment compared to NTBackup; all functionality can be performed via the command line. Windows Server Backup also has PowerShell support so that backups can integrate more closely to products like Exchange or SQL.

Both Windows Server Backup and wbadmin can be used to interact with remote computers for jobs to back up the remote system, which is entirely new functionality.

For more information on the new backup functionality, read the TechNet article Windows Server Backup Step-by-Step Guide for Windows Server 2008.

Stay on top of the latest Windows Server 2003 and Windows Server 2008 tips and tricks with our free Windows Server newsletter, delivered each Wednesday. Automatically sign up today!

Rick VanoverRick Vanover is an IT Infrastructure Manager for Alliance Data in Columbus, Ohio. Rick has years of IT experience and focuses on virtualization, Windows-based server administration, and system hardware. Read his profile and keep up with him on Twitter.

Print/View all Posts Comments on this blog

Windows Server 2008 david.wells@... | 09/17/08
Actually it SHOULD back up Dumphrey | 09/17/08
EDIT Dumphrey | 09/17/08
window server 2008 41991437@... | 11/06/08
RE: Enabling the Windows Server Backup feature in Windows Server 2008 jakesty | 09/18/08

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