HOW TO: Use Windows Backup to Make a Data Backup of IIS 4.0 (301499)

SUMMARY

This step-by-step article describes how to use the Windows NT 4.0 backup tool (NTbackup.exe) to backup Internet Information Server (IIS) 4.0 content. By performing these steps, you are not actually backing up the IIS program, but you are safeguarding the Web content. back to the top

Requirements

• A tape storage device that is attached to the computer from which you wish to make the backup.
• You must be an administrator or a backup operator to back up files and folders.

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How to Create the Backup

1. Insert a tape into your tape storage device.
2. From the desktop, click Start, point to Programs, point to Administrative Tools (Common), and then click Backup.
3. At the bottom of the Backup screen, expand the Drives folder.
4. Double-click to expand the drive letter that contains your content. The default content location for IIS is c:\InetPub\wwwroot, so you would double click the C drive in the My Computer folder. You may have content on other drives or in other folders as well.
5. Click the X next to the drive letter to clear all check boxes below it.
6. Select the check box next to the InetPub folder. Select the check boxes next to any other virtual Web content folders that you may have.
7. Click Backup.
8. You will see a progress dialog box. When the backup is complete, remove the media and close the Windows Backup window. Please see the "Best Practices" section in this article for information about how to use backups most effectively.

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Best Practices

• Creating a backup log: Always create and print a backup log for each backup. Keep a book of logs to make it easier to locate specific files. The backup log is helpful when restoring data; you can print it or read it from any text editor. Also, if the tape that contains the backup set catalog is corrupt, the printed log can help you locate a file.
• Retaining copies: Keep three copies of the media; keep at least one copy offsite in a properly controlled environment.
• Performing trial restorations: Perform a trial restoration periodically to verify that your files were properly backed up. A trial restoration can uncover hardware problems that do not show up with software verifications.
• Securing devices and media: Secure both the storage device and the backup media. It is possible for someone to access the data from a stolen medium by restoring the data to another server for which they are an administrator.

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Troubleshooting

If you receive a message telling you that the media is invalid, insert a different tape into the drive.

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