Problems Restoring System State

[CAProblems]

Windows 2000 Server SP4
ARCServe 2000 Advanced SP4


The best way to describe my problem is with an example:

Take two identical servers and clone them with the same image (only difference being hostname and IP address) - so that the boxes are indentical.

Load a tape in one of them and perform a full local backup (let's call it Job1).

Run a full backup of the other server via the client agent (Job 2).

Format the HDDs in the 2nd box.

Restore 'Job 2' via the Client Agent by restoring first C:, then System State then D:, E:...etc. Everything works fine.

Format the HDDs in the 2nd box again.

Restore 'Job 1' via the Client Agent and C:, D: and E: will restore fine, but the System State will fail with "Invalid File Signature" error. The restored server with fail to boot with either 'missing or corrupt NTOSKRNL' or 'DLLs needed for kernel'.

The same will occur if you now take the tapes into 2 new, identical servers and merge them and attempt the restore: The backup taken from the Client Agent restores sucessfully to the Client Agent, but the local backup fails to restore System State to the Client Agent.

This happens everytime, and I have tried it on 14 different servers with various 2000 images, including a clean OS installation with no Apps or Data.

Any suggestions greatfully apreciated!

 

[DebiJo]

So, you are taking a local backup of Server A and trying to do a full restore to a client agent on Server B using Server A? Why? You want 2 server A's? If Server A crashes, thus you need to rebuild, it should have Arcserve installed and you should do a local restore. Which works, I've had to do it. Just a big guess here... If you restore the registry (taken from a server without the client agent), the client agent on the server you are restoring to might not be working properly anymore.

Otherwise, Arcserve support site mentions an error number following the invalid signature statment. Does your invalid signature file give you a error number? Here's that link.

http://support.ca.com/helpfiles/nwil/INOCUWINInvalid_signature_file_error_num.html

Good luck.
Debi

 

[CAProblems]

Debi thanks for the input.

The exact error received is:

AE0066 Failed to create file: to write. RC=3, The system cannot find the path specified

AE0040 Invalid file signature: 0xbbbbbbbb

There is no reference to either error on the CA support site.

The purpose of this method of restore is to simplify Disaster Recovery. CA's DR Option is not adequate in my environment due to the various MS OSes used and managing ERDs for over 300 servers is just impossible.

My chosen method is to create a Ghost image on a bootable CD which has Windows and the Client agent in a temporary location (D:\WINDOWS). I boot into this Windows installation, start the Client Agent and then restore the original C: (including C:\WINNT) followed by the System State - then all other partitions. I can then boot the server in it's original state and delete the temporary Windows directory.

If the failed server was backed up with the Client Agent, this method works wonderfully, restoring a server to production in just a couple of hours - much faster that CA's DR Option. However if the downed server was backed up locally, and that tape is removed and merged into another and an attempt in made to restore the system state to the Client Agent the error occurs and the server will not boot.

The reason I gave the example of the two identical boxes is that I have simplified my test environment as much as possible.

Apologies for the lengthy reply.

 

[DebiJo]

When I have to rebuild a server that was backed up locally, I take a blank box, either plop down an image that's close or just load the same OS. (I've not had trouble with mis-matched sp levels.) I load arcserve on it, merge the tape and do a full restore. The only problem I've ever ran into in this scenario is the boot.ini file. So, you just have to make sure the partitions match the boot.ini before you reboot. It works for me and doesn't take much more work. Plus the restore is alot faster being that you perform it locally.

Good luck finding info on your specific error. Been there, done that.
Debi

 

[Cyklops]

As far as I know restoring local backups through a client agent is not possible. What you might try is installing a client agent on the local server and use this agent for backup and restoring the local machine. This is not done normally but could work out for your situation.

regards

 

[CAProblems]

Thanks Debi. Everything you say is quite right and works well. My problem is that we have inconsistencies in over 300 servers dotted around all over the place. Some are NT4, 2K Advanced, Enterprise, etc. I am trying to come up with a '1 size fits all' solution.

Cyklops, what a simple yet brilliant suggestion! I will try it right away and let you know if it works.

 

[CAProblems]

By the way, I did find QO15181 fix on the CA support site which claims that it will allow me to restore the system state to an alternate location. I performed this fix and all it did was change the ArcServe Manager Menus and logs to Japanese - I performed the restore (from memory as I couldn't read the menus any more) and the same error occured.

Gotta love CA!

 

[davidmichel]

QO15181 is listed on the Japanese support site, and the read me says it is for Japanese. Further more under prerequisites it lists SP3 so safe to say that it would have already been incorperated into SP4. Also since SP4 was already installed you would have replaced newer files with older versions. So it is recommended to copy back the original versions. Hopefully you did follow the instructions on the readme and you renamed the original files instead of just over writting them.

By the way the CA support site has a document on how to restore the System State.

http://support.ca.com/techbases/as2000/as2k-18150.html

 

[CAProblems]

DavidMichel, you are right I see the Japanese now, although I would assume that the patch would have the same functionality regardless of the language. Anyway - it didn't work.

This is all being done in a lab environment so I am not too concerned about rolling back these patches as I am typically re-imaging at least one of the boxes daily. I have a load of servers in a non-production environment and I am therfore willing to try any suggestions no matter how obscure.