Restore Data - NetWare Server - Full System Restore

Topics | How To | Full System Restore | Related Topics

Overview

• When to Restore the NDS Tree During a Full System Restore
• Restoring a GroupWise System as part of a Full System Restore

Preparing for a Full System Restore

Restore Server Specific Information

Restore the NetWare Server

Overview

A full system restore describes the process of restoring the entire NetWare file system and the NDS tree of a NetWare server. Full system restores can be helpful if you:

• Create a computer that duplicates the data and configuration from another computer.
• Reestablish a computer's data and configuration after a catastrophic system failure.
• Reestablish a past configuration.

During the full system restore process, the system by default restores all data by unconditionally overwriting the corresponding data of the system being established. This process is normal and allows the computer to assume the same characteristics (installed modules, tree structure, hardware configuration, etc.) as those of the original computer. Although this process is fine when restoring the same computer, it may not be appropriate when restoring to a computer that has different hardware. For the NetWare File System iDataAgent, the Unconditional Overwrite option can be deselected as needed whereas the NDS and GroupWise iDataAgents must unconditionally overwrite.

When to Restore the NDS Tree during a Full System Restore

Depending on your NetWare network configuration, you may not need to restore the NDS tree to the target NetWare server. If the target server existed on a network with other servers in the same NDS tree and the tree was replicated to those servers, you can use NetWare to restore the tree. Under these conditions, NetWare automatically restores the NDS information from the other servers once the target server has been placed back into the tree. If, however, the target server is the only server on the network, or if it is the only server that had the NDS tree (i.e., the tree was not replicated), you will need to restore the tree to the target server using the NDS iDataAgent.

Restoring a GroupWise System as part of a Full System Restore

In a Full System Restore, the GroupWise system will be restored by:

• Restoring all file system data
• Installing the GroupWise iDataAgent
• Restoring the databases in-place to the original location

Before the iDataAgent can be installed, you must have the GroupWise software installed and running with the GWTSA NLM loaded. In this procedure, we will rely on the File System iDataAgent to restore this software to the server.

Preparing for a Full System Restore

The best time to prepare for a full system restore is before a problem arises. Include the following information in your backup and recovery plan:

• Names and telephone numbers of the network administrators in your company who are responsible for ensuring that the backup process runs.

• A list of the critical information stored on each NetWare server. Critical information includes the following:

  • Server name.

  • Server Internal IPX address.

  • NetWare license numbers and user configurations installed on the server and the order in which they are installed.

  • Names and sizes of the mounted volumes on the server and name spaces on each.

  • Names and version numbers of the LAN and disk drivers installed on the server.

  • IPX and IP addresses of the server.

  • NDS partition and replica information stored on the server (if applicable).

• Schedule for performing the backup process. It is recommended that you back up the entire NDS database or Bindery at the same time that you back up the NetWare File System.

• Copy the following server specific files to a floppy diskette for safe keeping.

• startup.ncf

• autoexec.ncf

• SYS:\etc\hosts

• SYS:\etc\resolv.cfg

• Make copies of any additional .ncf files or other network configuration files that are used during the startup process.

Restore Server Specific Information

If you lose the information that is specific to your NetWare server, such as: volume names or name spaces, you can retrieve it by restoring the NetWare server’s specific information to another NetWare server that is a client computer within the same CommCell.

The following procedure is necessary to restore the Server Specific Information.

Before You Begin

Make sure that you have:

• Novell NetWare installation software
• NetWare File System iDataAgent 
• NetWare NDS iDataAgent (needed only if restoring the NDS)

Obtain the following information to install and configure the TCP/IP software:

• the fully qualified network name and IP address of the NetWare server
• the subnet mask for your network 
• IP address of the network router used by the NetWare server
• the network TCP/IP domain name (e.g., area.net.com)
• the IP address of the domain name server (DNS)

The restore process is performed at the backup set level. If the NetWare server has two or more backup sets, be prepared to identify the backup set whose data you want to restore during the restore process. (In general, all backup sets of a given client computer encompass the entire file system or NDS tree; however, backup filters, which can be unique, can introduce differences.) 

To identify which backup set encompasses your entire File System or NDS tree:

1. Ensure all subclients have been backed up.
2. Ensure there are no filters set on the default subclient.
3. Use the CommCell Console to browse the backed up data you want to restore to the target NetWare server. Doing so reveals the names of the original volumes for the point in time to which you want to restore. For further details on browsing, see Browse Data.

If you are restoring to a different computer where you had to change the hardware, make sure that  the target computer is as similar to the original as possible:

• the target computer has the same fully qualified network name as the original.
• the general hardware configuration (i.e., IDE, SCSI) matches that of the original computer.
• the target has the same volumes (i.e., SYS:, VOL1: etc.) as that of the original NetWare server. (If the original server had two volumes, SYS: and VOL1:, then the target server must have the same volumes.)
• the computer's volumes can accommodate the quantity of data being restored.
• you do not overwrite existing files when restoring a SYS volume. (You could overwrite your system configuration.)
• the virtual servers have the same server names and volume names as originally configured.

To restore the Server Specific Info file

1. In the CommCell Console, browse the latest backup data of a backup set that has run at least one backup for the default subclient.
2. Ensure that in the left pane of the Backup Data window, the backup set level is selected.
3. In the right pane, right-click the file called Server Specific Info, then choose Restore.
4. In the Restore Options dialog box, change the Destination Computer to another NetWare server to perform the restore, and click OK.

When the restore completes the server specific info can be found on the destination client computer in SYS:\SYSTEM\(Server Name).

This task is now complete.

Restore the NetWare Server

Before You Begin

Make sure that you have:

• Novell NetWare installation software
• NetWare File System iDataAgent 
• NetWare NDS iDataAgent (needed only if restoring the NDS)
• Novell GroupWise iDataAgent (if applicable)

Obtain the following information to install and configure the TCP/IP software:

• the fully qualified network name and IP address of the NetWare server
• the subnet mask for your network 
• IP address of the network router used by the NetWare server
• the network TCP/IP domain name (e.g., area.net.com)
• the IP address of the domain name server (DNS)

  If you do not have this information, refer to Restore Server Specific Information.

The restore process is performed at the backup set level for both the File System and NDS iDataAgents, and at the iDataAgent level for the GroupWise iDataAgent. If the NetWare server has two or more backup sets, be prepared to identify the backup set whose data you want to restore during the restore process.

In general, all backup sets of a given client computer encompass the entire file system or NDS tree; however, backup filters, which can be unique, can introduce differences. In the same sense, all subclients that exist for the GroupWise iDataAgent make up the entire GroupWise system.

To identify which backup set encompasses your entire File System or NDS tree:

1. Ensure all subclients have been backed up.
2. Ensure there are no filters set on the default subclient.
3. Use the CommCell Console to browse the backed up data you want to restore to the target NetWare server. Doing so reveals the names of the original volumes for the point in time to which you want to restore. For further details on browsing, see Browse Data.

If you are restoring to a different computer where you had to change the hardware, make sure that  the target computer is as similar to the original as possible:

• the target computer has the same fully qualified network name as the original.
• the general hardware configuration (i.e., IDE, SCSI) matches that of the original computer.
• the target has the same volumes (i.e., SYS:, VOL1: etc.) as that of the original NetWare server. (If the original server had two volumes, SYS: and VOL1:, then the target server must have the same volumes.)
• the computer's volumes can accommodate the quantity of data being restored.
• you do not overwrite existing files when restoring a SYS volume. (You could overwrite your system configuration.)
• the virtual servers have the same server names and volume names as originally configured.

Required Capability:  Browse & Recover

To restore the NetWare Server:

1. Install your server's original version of NetWare and apply the required NetWare patch files or Support Pack. As part of the NetWare reinstall select the Storage Management Service (SMS) check box. See your NetWare installation documentation for installation information.

   For the latest Support Pack requirements, see System Requirements - NetWare Server. If you are installing NetWare 5, make sure to install the Storage Management Service (SMS).

2. Re-create each volume on the NetWare server. Each volume should be the same size or larger than the original volume size.

   If you do not know the identity of the original volumes, you can use the CommCell Console to browse the backed up data of the target NetWare server. Doing so will reveal the names of the original volumes. For further details on browsing, see Browse Data.

3. Install and add appropriate name spaces to volumes where applicable.
4. Install the Novell Storage Management Service (SMDR.NLM).
5. Enable and configure TCP/IP support.
6. For a NetWare cluster, install cluster services and configure the virtual servers.
7. Install the NetWare File System iDataAgent as described in Deployment - NetWare Server iDataAgents.

   The NetWare File System iDataAgent must be installed in the same directory as that of the original computer.  Again, you can use the CommCell Console to browse the backed up data, if you do not know the directory that was used previously.

8. If you plan to restore the NDS tree or back it up from this NetWare server in the future, install the NetWare NDS iDataAgent as well. (For information on restoring the NDS, see When to Restore the NDS Tree During a Full System Restore.)
9. Once the installation is complete, open the CommCell Console.
10. Disable backups for the NetWare server. This prevents any backups, which may have been previously scheduled for the NetWare server, from starting while the restore is in progress. You can disable backups from the Activity Control tab of the NetWare server's Client Computer properties dialog box.
11. If you need to restore the NDS tree, do the following:
    1. From the CommCell Browser, right-click the NDS backup set whose data you want restored, click All Tasks, and then click Full Tree Restore.
    2. The system prompts you to confirm the operation. Click OK to continue.
    3. From the Full Tree Restore Options dialog box, select the restore options to apply.
    4. From the Full Tree Restore Options dialog box, click OK to start the restore process.
    5. As the restore proceeds, the system displays a Restore Progress bar. When the NDS tree is restored, the progress bar closes.
12. To restore the File System data, do the following:
    1. From the CommCell Browser, right-click the File System backup set to restore, click All Tasks, and then click Full iDataAgent Restore.
    2. The system prompts you to confirm the operation. Click OK to continue.
    3. From the Full iDataAgent Restore Options dialog box, select the restore options that you want to apply.
    4. From the Full iDataAgent Restore Options dialog box, click OK to start the restore process.
    5. As the restore proceeds, the system displays a Restore Progress bar. When the file system is restored, the progress bar closes.
13. After the restore completes, restart the NetWare server.
14. Once the server is back up and running, ensure that the GWTSA NLM is loaded on the server then install the GroupWise iDataAgent.
15. In order to properly restore the databases, all agents must be stopped. After the install completes, stop all GroupWise agents that may be running on the server.

    At this point, the GroupWise system is not yet back to a working condition.

16. Open the CommCell Console.
17. To restore the GroupWise System, do the following:
    1. From the CommCell Browser, right-click the GroupWise iDataAgent, click All Tasks, and then click Browse Backup Data.
    2. To restore all databases that were backed up, select the GroupWise Database option on the left side of the browse window, then click Recover All Selected.
    3. After reading the warning message, click OK to continue.
    4. From the restore options dialog, select the restore options that you want to apply. Click OK to begin the restore.

Your NetWare server is now ready for normal operations.

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