GP and CRM servers - Individual file backup

I am currently running three different servers. One server (Windows server
2003) is running Dynamics GP 10. This server also acts as my terminal
services license server. Access to this server is via remote desktop and
server access is via “Users and groups” settings (not Active Directory). My
second server (Windows server 2003) is running CRM 4.0 and active directory.
My third server (Windows Server 2008) will eventually be a SharePoint (MOSS
2007) server.

I am in an academic environment and my three servers are running on top of
VMware 2.5 ESX on IBM Blade hardware. I have no access to the underlying
Vservers or the images. All I can see and access are my three servers. The
VMware images will not be backed up (don’t ask J ) and if the underlying
hardware crashes or any software problems occur, I will be responsible for
recreating my servers from scratch.

What my information systems group recommends is that I identify the
important files on each server and somehow backup these files to a certain
location on each server such as “C:\backup”. This location will then be
accessed by software from my information systems group and backed up. Thus,
I am trying to identify all the various files and documents that I need to
preserve. Some such as the SQL Data directories for GP and CRM are obvious
but I am sure that there are a number of files that I should individually
copy/backup that I don’t even know about. Therefore I am posting this
message to various Microsoft Newsgroups in the hope that people can recommend
what GP or CRM related files I should archive; how to backup my terminal
service license server; backup active directory accounts, any other files
that would ease the anguish of recreating my three servers from scratch, etc.

Any ideas or links to references are appreciated.

Jerry Flatto

"No trees were harmed in the sending of this message; however, a large number
of electrons were slightly inconvenienced..."

Dr. Jerry Flatto, Associate Professor,
Information Systems Department - School of Business, University of
Indianapolis, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA mailto:jflatto@uindy.edu

 

Have you considered using the local backup program on each server to backup
itself? The backup file on each server could then be backed up by your
systems group.

You also need to configure backup routines for your sql databases using the
tools that come with the version of sql you are using.

"Jerry Flatto" <JerryFlatto@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:E685212F-28B1-4F75-BB62-0BF3BFDBDFA2@microsoft.com...
>I am currently running three different servers. One server (Windows server
> 2003) is running Dynamics GP 10. This server also acts as my terminal
> services license server. Access to this server is via remote desktop and
> server access is via “Users and groups” settings (not Active Directory).
> My
> second server (Windows server 2003) is running CRM 4.0 and active
> directory.
> My third server (Windows Server 2008) will eventually be a SharePoint
> (MOSS
> 2007) server.
>
> I am in an academic environment and my three servers are running on top of
> VMware 2.5 ESX on IBM Blade hardware. I have no access to the underlying
> Vservers or the images. All I can see and access are my three servers.
> The
> VMware images will not be backed up (don’t ask J ) and if the underlying
> hardware crashes or any software problems occur, I will be responsible for
> recreating my servers from scratch.
>
> What my information systems group recommends is that I identify the
> important files on each server and somehow backup these files to a certain
> location on each server such as “C:\backup”. This location will then be
> accessed by software from my information systems group and backed up.
> Thus,
> I am trying to identify all the various files and documents that I need to
> preserve. Some such as the SQL Data directories for GP and CRM are
> obvious
> but I am sure that there are a number of files that I should individually
> copy/backup that I don’t even know about. Therefore I am posting this
> message to various Microsoft Newsgroups in the hope that people can
> recommend
> what GP or CRM related files I should archive; how to backup my terminal
> service license server; backup active directory accounts, any other files
> that would ease the anguish of recreating my three servers from scratch,
> etc.
>
> Any ideas or links to references are appreciated.
>
> Jerry Flatto
>
> "No trees were harmed in the sending of this message; however, a large
> number
> of electrons were slightly inconvenienced..."
>
> Dr. Jerry Flatto, Associate Professor,
> Information Systems Department - School of Business, University of
> Indianapolis, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA mailto:jflatto@uindy.edu
>

 

I am willing to consider all options. How would I restore my system if
it crashed or the underlying hardware was damaged? I would have to reinstall
an operating system on top of the vserver and would I then be able to restore
the backup or would I receive errors that the existing operating systems
files were locked and could not be overwritten?

Jerry



"Kevin Longley" wrote:

> Have you considered using the local backup program on each server to backup
> itself? The backup file on each server could then be backed up by your
> systems group.
>
> You also need to configure backup routines for your sql databases using the
> tools that come with the version of sql you are using.
>
>

 

That is something you would have to test.

"Jerry Flatto" <JerryFlatto@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:C02BBE07-2C0A-49BB-BA3A-1923622C2423@microsoft.com...
>I am willing to consider all options. How would I restore my system
>if
> it crashed or the underlying hardware was damaged? I would have to
> reinstall
> an operating system on top of the vserver and would I then be able to
> restore
> the backup or would I receive errors that the existing operating systems
> files were locked and could not be overwritten?
>
> Jerry
>
>
>
> "Kevin Longley" wrote:
>
>> Have you considered using the local backup program on each server to
>> backup
>> itself? The backup file on each server could then be backed up by your
>> systems group.
>>
>> You also need to configure backup routines for your sql databases using
>> the
>> tools that come with the version of sql you are using.
>>
>>