dd image from a Window$ 2003 Server

[saavik]

Hy!

I unfortunattely have to install a W2003 Server on a DL320.

As I do not trust the OS I would like to make a dd image from W2003.

I have a Raid1 installed and every time i use dd to make an image I get a crashed win2003 back when I restore it.

I tried two things

1.) to make a dd image on the same hdd (other patition)
2.) make a dd image on an other server via ssh

both seems to work fine but my w2003 says that i have to run chkdisk (which is not to bad). But when i trie to do so my whole system breakes down telling me the xyz Files are missing.

Any ideas ?

[Alan_152]

3 ways I would do this:

1) mount the Win2k03 drive on a *nix system (even using a live CD would work), and use dd), keeping in mind that when you restore you'll have to restore to exactly the same raid setup or otherwise you have to modify your BOOT.INI file to reflect the new drive setup.

2) use Unix4DOS or the MS tools for Unix or MS Interix to get a copy of DD that will work in windows (you'll still have the same boot.ini issues, though)

3) use Ghost instead of a unix product to do this.

[Thomas Bianco]

i wouldn't recommend DD or Ghost on a server project, especially with dynamic disks and software raid.

a better solution would be to use MSBackup to backup the system state and applications. the restore proceedure would be as follows:

1) reinstall Windows and the correct Service pack.
2) restore the system state from tape vi MSBackup.
3) reboot and go back to work.