Backing up the Windows 2000 Server System State

Backing up the System State data is a generally seamless process. It is crucial to do so however in an Active Directory environment. A little bit of planning this simple task in advance could save many headaches down the road. Either an Administrator account or a member of the Backup Operator group would get the nod for this backup process.

System State defined (from the Windows 2000 Server Help section):
"For Windows 2000 Server operating systems, the System State data comprises the registry, COM+ Class Registration database, system boot files, and the Certificate Services database (if the server is a certificate server). If the server is a domain controller, Active Directory and the SYSVOL directory are also contained in the System State data. Also, if you are running the domain name service (DNS) on a domain controller, then the Active Directory portion of the System State data also contains all of the DNS zone information (DS integrated and non-DS integrated)."

There is more to it than that definition, but this is the gist of it. System State data then is very important and as a result should be backed up frequently. The rationale of course is that in the event of some type of system failure (i.e. failed RAID array, fried hard drive, etc.), the most recently backed up System State data can then be restored onto a new healthy drive.

Backup Location - since the purpose of a System State backup is to recover in the event of hardware failure, especially a hard drive one, then logically the backup should be on another drive. It is best to place this on another system entirely or better yet a tape backup system if this is a business or other large organization.

1. Open Backup: Start / Programs / Accessories / System Tools / Backup; or do a Start /Run and type 'ntbackup', then select the "Schedule Jobs" tab:

2. In "Schedule Jobs", double-click on the day which will begin the scheduled backup of System State. This opens the "Backup Wizard".
Hit Next:

3. The next wizard screen offers up a few options. The goal here is a System State backup, so choose that:

4. At this point the actual back up location needs to entered. Browse through the My Network Places to locate the server and folder to backup to (in this case, it is simply, "Backups", located on another server in the network). Enter a suitable file name in the "Backup media or file name" area.

5. The Completing the Backup Wizard window opens. It lists a summary of the backup, i.e. type of backup and media, time of backup and the "How" of it all. A different window ("How To Back Up") will open for those who have already configured some backups, as is the case here. It is simply a verification step:

Part 2 of System State Backup