Understanding System State and Registry Backup

The Windows 2000 or Windows Server 2003 System State, or Windows NT registry is your computer's set of system-specific configuration components. The components of System State and registry differ for these operating systems. LiveVault Online Backup and Recovery Service automatically determines what components to back up based on the whether your computer is running Windows NT 4.0 or Windows 2000/2003.

Important: It is important to back up the Windows System State/registry for your computer. If you do not back it up, you may not be able to restore your databases or applications.

Backing up the System State/registry

You specify whether to back up a computer's System State/registry on its Files and Directories backup configuration. LiveVault Online Backup and Recovery Service backs it up by default unless you change this setting.

The System State/registry backup runs twice per day at times defined by LiveVault Online Backup and Recovery Service. You cannot configure its schedule, nor does the schedule that you create for the Files and Directories backup configuration affect the System State/registry backup.

What is backed up for Windows 2000/2003

For a Windows 2000/2003 computer, LiveVault Online Backup and Recovery Service backs up the set of system components, as defined by Microsoft, which collectively define the state of a Windows 2000/2003 system. This includes the following components: 

  • Active Directory directory service (if the computer is a domain controller).

  • Registry.

  • Disk quotas (LiveVault Online Backup and Recovery Service treats this as part of System State; it is not part of the System State as defined by Microsoft).

  • COM+ Class Registration database.

  • Boot files and system files (including the System File Protection database, Internet Information Services (IIS) database, and Performance Counter Configuration).

  • Certificate Services database (if the Certificate Service is running on the computer).

  • SYSVOL directory (if the computer is a domain controller).

  • Cluster service information (if the computer is running the Cluster service).

LiveVault Online Backup and Recovery Service backs up the Windows 2000/2003 System State data as a group; individual components cannot be backed up.

What is backed up for Windows NT 4.0

For a Windows NT 4.0 computer, LiveVault Online Backup and Recovery Service backs up both the registry hives and the NT user profiles, maintaining the registry hives and structure.

Related Information

Configuring Backup
Modifying Backup: An Overview

 
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