Windows Small Business Server 2011 : Using the Command Line to Manage Backups

There are two ways to do backups from the command line—using Windows PowerShell or using the Wbadmin command. Personally, we much prefer using Windows PowerShell for everything we can, but there are limitations here. The PowerShell interface to backups is done through a PowerShell snap-in, and this snap-in does not provide any interface to doing restores, only backups. This isn’t a huge problem because in the vast majority of cases you don’t need to automate restores, but you can and should be automating backups.

The other significant limitation of Windows PowerShell support for managing backups is that it isn’t available on the Microsoft Hyper-V Server. This means that you can’t use Windows PowerShell to manage your backups on the Microsoft Hyper-V Server if you’re using that as your virtualization solution. You’ll need to use the Wbadmin command.

1. Using the Windows.Serverbackup PowerShell Snap-in

Windows Server Backup includes the Windows.Serverbackup PowerShell snap-in. This snap-in includes the cmdlets necessary to configure and manage backups on the SBS server. Table 1 includes a list of the cmdlets included in the snap-in.

The process of defining and using Windows PowerShell to manage backups requires first creating the Windows Backup policy object and then configuring it with one or more file specification objects (WBFileSpec), a schedule object (WBSchedule), system state and bare-metal recovery options, and a Volume Shadow Service (VSS) backup type. So, to define a full-server backup to the network share \\wss-200\serverbackup that included all the files on volumes C and D except those in \temp, and included the necessary files for bare-metal and system state recovery, using a VSS backup type of VSS Full Backup, the PowerShell script would be:

# Script to set a Windows Server Backup policy for SBS
# Created 27/12/2010
# Assumes: Volumes C:, D: and E: to backup.
#        : Target - \\wss-200\serverbackup
#        : Exclusions - D:\temp, E:\temp
#        : VSS Mode - Full Backup
#        : System State - True
#        : Bare Metal Recovery - True
#        : Schedule - 12:30 PM, 9:00 PM
# ModHist: 27/12/10 - initial
#        : 28/12/10 - Final
#

# The following will error if already loaded, but continue, so ignore
Add-PSSnapin Windows.ServerBackup

# First, create a new empty policy
$BackupPolicy = New-WBPolicy


# Now, define the parts of it.
# First, let's do the volumes. This requires us to first get a list of them,
# and then parse that list to add the ones we want (C:, D: and E:)
# We don't actually need C:, since we'll get that as part of Bare Metal Restore,
# but we include it anyway for completeness

$volC = Get-WBVolume -AllVolumes | Where {$_.MountPath -eq "C:"}
$volD = Get-WBVolume -AllVolumes | Where {$_.MountPath -eq "D:"}
$volE = Get-WBVolume -AllVolumes | Where {$_.MountPath -eq "E:"}
$Volumes = $volC,$volD,$volE

# now, add that to the blank policy
Add-WBVolume -policy $BackupPolicy -volume $Volumes

#Define the Exclusions.
$excD = New-WBFileSpec -Filespec D:\Temp -exclude
$excE = New-WBFileSpec -Filespec E:\Temp -exclude
$FileExclusions = $excE,$excD


# and then add that to the policy we're building
Add-WBFileSpec -policy $BackupPolicy -filespec $FileExclusions


# Define the backup target
# First, you need to create a credential to connect to the remote share
# You can specify the username here (DOMAIN\User) but will be
# prompted for the password
$Cred = Get-Credential example\Charlie


# Now, define the target
$Target = New-WBBackupTarget -NetworkPath \\WSS-200\ServerBackup -Credential $Cred

# Add the target to the policy
Add-WBBackupTarget -policy $BackupPolicy -target $Target


# Define the schedule
$sch1 = [datetime]"12/27/2010 12:30:00"
$sch2 = [datetime]"12/27/2010 21:00:00"
Set-WBSchedule -policy $BackupPolicy -schedule $sch1,$sch2


# Set for system state and for bare metal recovery
Add-WBSystemState -policy $BackupPolicy
Add-WBBareMetalRecovery -policy $BackupPolicy


# Finally, set for full VSS Backup
Set-WBVssBackupOptions -policy $BackupPolicy -VssFullBackup


# Finally, we need to SET the policy before it actually takes control
Set-WBPolicy -force -policy $BackupPolicy


# This completes the configuration of the SBS server backup policy
$SBSname = (hostname).tolower()


" The SBS Server $SBSname now has the following backup configuration: "
""

Get-WBPolicy

					  

2. Using the Wbadmin Command

The Wbadmin command allows you to back up and restore volumes and files from the command line. Wbadmin replaces the Ntbackup command that was part of SBS 2003. You can’t use Wbadmin to recover backups created with Ntbackup. However, if you need to recover backups made with Ntbackup, you can download a version of Ntbackup usable with Windows Server 2008 R2. This downloadable version of Ntbackup allows you to perform recoveries of legacy backups, but you cannot use it on Windows Server 2008 R2 to create new backups. To download this version of Ntbackup, see http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=82917.

The next sections list Wbadmin commands and syntax. Table 2 lists and describes the parameters used with Wbadmin. For additional assistance, type Wbadmin /? at a command prompt.

Note:

Not all the Wbadmin commands are visible from the command line. Certain commands are available only from the Windows Recovery Environment, or are hidden but available for use. For the complete Command Reference see http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=93131.

2.1. Wbadmin Enable Backup

The following subcommand enables or configures scheduled daily backup:

Wbadmin enable backup
[-addtarget:{backuptargetdisk | backuptargetnetworkshare}]
[-removetarget:{backuptargetdisk | backuptargetnetworkshare}]
[-schedule:timetorunbackup]
[-include:volumestoinclude]
[-allcritical]
[-user:username]
[-password:password]
[-inheritacl:inheritacl]
[-quiet]

2.2. Wbadmin disable backup

The following subcommand disables running scheduled daily backups:

wbadmin disable backup
[-quiet]

2.3. Wbadmin start backup

The following subcommand runs a backup job:

wbadmin start backup
[-backupTarget:{TargetVolume | TargetNetworkShare}]
[-include:VolumesToInclude]
[-allCritical]
[-vssFull]
[-noVerify]
[-user:UserName]
[-password:Password]
[-noinheritAcl]
 [-quiet]

2.4. Wbadmin stop job

The following subcommand stops a running backup or recovery job:

Wbadmin stop job
[-quiet]

2.5. Wbadmin start recovery

The following subcommand runs a recovery based on the specified parameters:

wbadmin start recovery
-version:VersionIdentifier
-items:VolumesToRecover | AppsToRecover | FilesOrFoldersToRecover}
-itemtype:{Volume | App | File}
[-backupTarget:{VolumeHostingBackup | NetworkShareHostingBackup}]
[-machine:BackupMachineName]
[-recoveryTarget:{TargetVolumeForRecovery | TargetPathForRecovery}]
[-recursive]
[-overwrite:{Overwrite | CreateCopy | Skip}]
[-notRestoreAcl]
[-skipBadClusterCheck]
[-noRollForward]
[-quiet]

2.6. Wbadmin start systemstatebackup

The following subcommand creates a backup of the system state of a computer. A backup of the system state can be saved only to a locally attached disk (either internal or external). It cannot be saved to a DVD or to a remote shared folder. In addition, only the system state and system applications can be recovered from this backup—volumes and files cannot be recovered from this backup.

wbadmin start systemstatebackup
-backupTarget:<VolumeName>
[-quiet]

2.7. Wbadmin start systemstaterecovery

The following subcommand runs a system state recovery based on the supplied parameters:

wbadmin start systemstaterecovery
-version:VersionIdentifier
-showsummary
[-backupTarget:{VolumeName | NetworkSharePath}]
[-machine:BackupMachineName]
[-recoveryTarget:TargetPathForRecovery]
[-excludeSystemFiles]
[-authsysvol]
[-quiet]

2.8. Wbadmin start sysrecovery

The following subcommand runs a system recovery based on specified parameters. This command can be run only from the Windows Recovery Environment, and it is not listed by default in the usage text of Wbadmin. (You can access the Windows Recovery Environment from a Windows Server 2008 R2 installation DVD by inserting the DVD and following the steps in the wizard until you see the option Repair Your Computer. Click this link to open the System Recovery Options dialog box.)

wbadmin start sysrecovery
-version:VersionIdentifier
-backupTarget:{VolumeHostingBackup | NetworkShareHostingBackup}
[-machine:BackupMachineName]
[-restoreAllVolumes]
[-recreateDisks]
[-excludeDisks]
[-dfsAuth]
[-skipBadClusterCheck]
[-quiet]

2.9. Windows Recovery Environment

Windows Recovery Environment (Windows RE) is a recovery platform designed to automatically repair common causes of unbootable operating system installations. When the computer fails to start, Windows automatically fails over into this environment, and the Startup Repair tool in Windows RE automates diagnosis and repair. In addition, Windows RE is a starting point for various tools for manual system recovery.

Windows RE is a partial version of the operating system plus a set of tools you can use to carry out operating system or full server recoveries, using a backup that you created earlier using Windows Server Backup.

2.10. Wbadmin get versions

The following subcommand reports on the available backups:

wbadmin get versions
[-backupTarget:{VolumeName | NetworkSharePath}]
[-machine:BackupMachineName]

2.11. Wbadmin get status

The following subcommand reports the status of the current backup or recovery:

wbadmin get status