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Recover Applications and Data

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Applies To: Windows Server 2008 R2

You can use the Recovery Wizard in Windows Server Backup to recover applications and related data from a backup. To do this, the application must contain a Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) writer so that it can register with Windows Server Backup, and the application and VSS writer must have been running at the time the backup that you are going to use for recovery was created. For instructions to register an application with Windows Server Backup, see https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=93493. For instructions for working with VSS, see https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=95935.

Before you begin, you should make sure at least one backup of the application exists on a local or in a remote shared folder, and that the disk is attached and online or that the remote shared folder is available. For instructions for creating a backup for application recovery, see Backing Up Applications and Data.

Note

You can also use the Wbadmin start recovery command to perform this task. For examples and syntax for this command, see https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=143758.

To recover an application using the Windows Server Backup user interface

  1. From the Start menu, click Administrative Tools, and then click Windows Server Backup.

  2. In the Actions pane of the snap-in default page, under Windows Server Backup, click Recover. This opens the Recovery Wizard.

  3. On the Getting Started page, do one of the following and then click Next:

    • Click This server.

    • Click Another server. On the Specify Location Type page, do one of the following and then click Next:

      • Click Local drives. On the Select Backup Location page, select the volume or drive that contains the backup from the drop-down list. On Select Server, select the server whose data you want to recover.

      • Click Remote shared folder. On the Specify Remote Folder page, type the path to the folder that contains the backup. In the folder, the backup should be stored at \\<RemoteSharedFolder>\WindowsImageBackup\<ComputerName>\<YourBackup>.

  4. On the Select Backup Date page, select the date from the calendar and the time from the drop-down list of the backup that you want to restore from, and then click Next.

  5. On the Select Recovery Type page, click Applications, and then click Next.

  6. On the Select Application page, under Applications, click the application that you want to recover. If the backup that you are using is the most recent and the application you are recovering supports a "roll-forward" of the application database, you will see a check box labeled Do not perform a roll-forward recovery of the application databases. Select this check box if you want to prevent Windows Server Backup from rolling forward the application database that is currently on your server. Click Next.

  7. On the Specify Recovery Options page, under Recovery destination, do one of the following, and then click Next:

    • Click Recover to original location.

    • Click Recover to another location. Then, type the path to the location, or click Browse to select it.

Important

You can copy an application to a different location, but you cannot recover an application to a different location or computer of a different name.

  1. On the Confirmation page, review the details, and then click Recover to restore the listed items.

  2. On the Recovery Progress page, you can view the status of the recovery operation and whether or not it was successfully completed.

Additional considerations

  • To recover applications from a backup using Windows Server Backup, you must be a member of the Backup Operators or Administrators group, or you must have been delegated the appropriate authority.

  • You can also perform this task remotely for another server using the Connect To Another Computer option in the Windows Server Backup Microsoft Management Console (MMC) snap-in. Make sure that you are a member of the Administrators or Backup Operators group on the remote server. If you are a Backup Operator, ensure that the Distributed Component Object Model (DCOM) security settings on the remote computer are set to allow Backup Operators to connect to it.

    You can only use this feature if the local and remote servers are running the same version of Windows—either both running Windows Server 2008 or both running Windows Server 2008 R2. In addition, you cannot use this feature to manage a computer running any version of Windows client operating system.

Additional references