Topic: Restoring with .dar files

[BrightSolutions]

I have a Production server that is running 8.0Beta7 and i just built a test server running the same. I want to restore a backup from the Production server to the Test Server. How can I accomplish this?

Thanks,
Dustin

[TerryF]

First question is what backup procedure have you performed, there are more than one way to backup a server..depending on what you have done will determine what the restore procedure is..

eg Backup to desktop, workstation backup, backup to USB

But once determined, it is a straightforward procedure as long as the new system is a new basic install of SME server..

[BrightSolutions]

Did backup to a shared folder on a workstation. Took the backup and placed it on a USB drive.

[TerryF]

This what I have done..

Simplest and quickest, just restores base system.

On old system - Login to the admin console from the command line and do a backup to USB device..

On new system - boot from cd and run the installation as part of config process on first reboot you are asked if you want to restore from a USB device or CD, this just restores the server config..then add contribs etc


Using built in Backup/Restore - more comprehensive
 
On the old system configure workstation backup to use a shared folder on a workstation or on a USB drive attached to the workstation..carry out the backup.  Then rename the dir that the backup XXXX.dar files have been copied to.

On the new system configure backup to workstation as you did for the old system using same config, run the backup routine, it will create the relevant backup dirs and only produce a very small XXXX.dar file...rename the directory created in the shared folder,

Now rename the old systems backup dir to that of the dir for the new systems backup.

You now have a USB drive attached to a workstation that has the backup files of the old system in the backup dir structure of the new system, on the new system carry out a Restore from workstation..

You can do the same if just backing up to a workstations shared folder..

[BrightSolutions]

I can't seem to figure out how to restore on the fresh install from a USB drive. The new Server is a Virtual in VMWare. Any Ideas on how to attach the USB to the Host Machine so the Virtual can see it?

[TerryF]

I can't seem to figure out how to restore on the fresh install from a USB drive. The new Server is a Virtual in VMWare. Any Ideas on how to attach the USB to the Host Machine so the Virtual can see it?

I did just this when doing a test to confirm what I said above, you have to setup your virtual machine to include the USB controller, the relevant device filters and whether to enable USB2.0 (EHCI controller), I use VirtualBox so am not sure the where and what in VMWare, but it must have something similar..

You could also do the backup to workstation only and do as described above..at least I know they both work , did them as part of the reply to make sure I was not spruking misinformation..

Someone here may have, no WILL have the clues to using VMware, try a search on the forums for VM ware, you never know what might come up..

Good Luck...