ghost and CCM backup

[ciscoforum]

Here is a scenario: if I use ghost to image the whole publihser server every week(including os, ccm,database)and use BARS to backup database every night,if server fails at middle of the week and we manage to use ghost to reimage the publisehr. Now we have a publisher back but doesn't have the latest data. Could we use BARS to restore the data over the database? Or BARS only can be used for a clean databaes? Thanks

[aamercado]

Yes, you can...In my case, I don't use ghost but use BARS with diff backups (one for AD and one for DC) to restore for lab purposes.

[MARTIN STREULE]

Since you almost sertainly have to do a (BARS) restore anyway in such a case, there is no point in doing a ghost every week.

You can do it if you change something in the SW (installation of SR, OS...).

Ghosting the CCM every week has no advantages, you don't gain anything (maybe overtime? :-)

The problem with ghost is also that if you need replacement hardware you could run into problems if it's newer then the HW you now use.

My advise:

- Ghost if you change SW

- Backup with BARS every day (and keep some copies!)

- Have all the installation CD's you would need ready (can be pretty hard after some upgrades)

- Have *all* the installation data documented (passwords, IPs, OS&CCM Versions, ...)

- If you have a CCM with RAID, keep a copied disc in a safe place. W/o RAID, use ghost

Cheers, Martin

[ciscoforum]

ok, say I'm going to use ghost every month or everytime OS has been changed(new patch etc).

My question is:

After we reimage the server in case of OS failure, assuming the hardware is still ok, can we uses BARS to restore data on the top of the restored database?

the reason I am asking this is because as far as I know DIRT utility for Unity only can be used to restore data on a fresh/clean unity.

Thanks

[MARTIN STREULE]

That's how BARS works.

You don't need a "clean" CCM.

/Martin

[ciscoforum]

that's excellent.thanks

[thisisshanky]

I personally dont like using Ghost, as far as I know, it creates its own partition from (C: default drive) and reboots to DOS and does the backup of your system. You cannot even delete that partition that is created by Ghost. I dont think this behaviour has changed since 9.0 version. Also does Ghost work on Windows 2000 - I dont think so. Atleast not the 2005 edition that has come out. I tested it out in lab and it didnt work on Windows 2000. At the same time Norton Ghost 2003 does work on Windows 2000. Either ways, Norton Ghost can only work on DOS - the downside being your production servers have to reboot (out of service) while doing this. Of course if you have a subscriber and publisher you can do it one at a time.

I do like this software called Acronis True Image (Enterprise is much better, but you can live with the Standard version). This software is not yet listed in the Third party apps supported by Cisco, but this software is simply sweet. It will take a full backup of your system as an image within minutes (depends on HDD usage) and you can do this from Windows without rebooting to DOS, which means you dont have to put the server out of service. Its high time Cisco started supporting thirdy party apps such as this.

Sankar.