HOWTO: Creating SADR Floppies for Ver. 5.04 & Earlier - Intel & Alpha

UBQ ID Number: UBQ000134

Last Modified: 2000-06-13 at 10:45:06

SUMMARY:

DETAILS:

In order to restore a Boot Disk Image, we recommend that the user create UltraBac's SADR Floppies before the boot disk fails. These floppies do not need be made on the computer where the restore will be performed. However, the hardware on the computer during the floppy creation needs to be compatible with the hardware at the time of restoration (e.g. complex RAID drivers.) The boot floppy disks may be created on a different (yet compatible) computer, but crucial files may end up being missing from the disks, and the floppies may be unable to boot up the original disk. If you are using a RAID controller, or have a tape device or SCSI device driver that was originally installed from floppy or CD, you need to make sure those drivers get installed on the floppy. (For more information, see UBQ000026 - Supporting Proprietary & Multiple Drivers with Stand Alone (Recovery) Floppies.)

BEI has created a batch file to automate the creation of the NT boot recovery floppies. Alpha computer users also have the flexibility to define any bootable fixed or removable disk, e.g. Jaz/Zip/Syquest. From the Microsoft NT DOS Prompt, execute the batch file:

"\ULTRABAC\RECOVER\MKDISKS.BAT"

This will explain the parameters that must be specified, as illustrated in the following example (Intel based):

Figure 1: Make Boot Recovery Disks

The parameters are explained as follows:

Intel based machines:

mkdisks cd_rom_path ultrabac_path tape_driver [scsi_controller], and an example of the parameters are given: mkdisks f:\i386 c:\ultrabac 4mmdat, where f: is the cd_rom drive, and \i386 is the location of the Windows NT (Server or Workstation) CD-ROM, and c:\ultrabac is where UltraBac is installed, and 4mmdat is the driver for the tape device. (E.g. From the directory where mkdisks resides, type mkdisks f:\i386 c:\Ultrabac 4mmdat)

An example (assuming the system directory is: C:\winnt and the prompt defaults to the system directory, the CD-ROM drive is f:, and UltraBac is installed in the "UltraBac" directory):

1. From the C:\winnt> prompt, type CD \UltraBac\recover and press return. Your screen will look like:

   C:\winnt> CD \UltraBac\recover.

   

   Figure 2: UltraBac Recover Directory

2. Now from the C:\UltraBac\recover> prompt, type: mkdisks f:\I386 c:\ultrabac 4mmdat and press return. Your screen will look like:

   

   Figure 3: Make Boot Recovery Disks

Alpha based machines:

mkdisks destdrive: cdromdrive: ultrabac_directory [scsi_controller], and an example of the parameters are given: mkdisks a: f: c:\ultrabac 4mmdat, where a: is the target floppy drive and f: is the cd_rom drive containing the Windows NT (Server or Workstation) CD-ROM, and c:\ultrabac is where UltraBac is installed, and 4mmdat is the driver for the tape device. (E.g. From the directory where mkdisks resides type mkdisks a: f: c:\Ultrabac 4mmdat)

An example (assuming the system directory is: C:\winnt and the prompt defaults to the system directory, and the CD-ROM drive is f:, and UltraBac is installed in the "UltraBac" directory):

3. From the C:\winnt> prompt, type CD \UltraBac\recover and press return. Your screen will look like: C:\winnt> CD \UltraBac\recover.

   

   Figure 4: UltraBac Recover Directory

4. Now from the C:\UltraBac\recover> prompt, type: mkdisks a: f: c:\ultrabac 4mmdat and press return. Your screen will look like: C:\UltraBac\recover> mkdisks a: f: c:\ultrabac 4mmdat.

   

   Figure 5: Make Boot Recovery Disks

Following is a partial list of valid "tape_driver" parameter values and their associated type:

You can usually find your tape device by going into "Control Panels"/ "Devices" and searching for a device driver that "looks" like it would be a tape device driver and is "started". These devices usually stand out and are not difficult to find.

NOTE: With Intel based machines, the tape device driver argument is not necessary if not using a tape device for restore (e.g. When using a Static Mirror Image Disk rather than tape.) With Alpha based machines, when not using a tape device for restore, use "4mmdat" for the tape device driver.

The [scsi_controller] is optional and represents the filename of the SCSI_contoller driver. Supply this information only when the SCSI_controller driver is not supplied by Windows NT (Server or Workstation) CD-ROM. An example would be mkdisks f:\i386 c:\ultrabac 4mmdat ini910u.sys

As an example, start the process by typing the following from the D:\> prompt: \ultrabac\recover\mkdisks f:\i386 c:\ultrabac 4mmdat

You will need to have the following number of formatted floppies ready, and labeled (e.g. Stand Alone disk #1, Stand Alone disk #2, and Stand Alone disk #3):

As noted above, Alpha users can create a bootable hard disk. To do so, use the "-d" switch to MKDISKS. Note that Intel computer users must make sure that their system is configured to boot with priority from the A: drive. If not, the boot recovery process will fail from floppy!

NOTE: The tape device driver supplied above becomes NTTAPEDD.SYS and will be placed on floppy by the mkdisks process. If the following tape drivers exist in the <System Root>\system32\drivers directory, will also be placed on floppy, and will be automatically loaded during the recovery process: 4mmdat, exabyte2, exabyte1, miniqic, dlttape, qic117, qic157, tandqic, wangqic, and archqic drivers. The following SCSI device drivers, if they exist in <System Root>\system32\drivers, will also be placed on the third boot floppy disk: aha154x, aya174x, aic78xx, ultra14f, and ultra24f. All IDE device drivers are covered by the atapi.sys file.

MORE INFORMATION:

See UBQ: UBQ000024 – What is an Image Backup?

See UBQ: UBQ000026 – Supporting Proprietary & Multiple Drivers with SADR (Stand Alone Disaster Recovery) Floppies

See UBQ: UBQ000027 – Restoring Individual Files from an Image Backup

See UBQ: UBQ000028 – PCMCIA SCSI Controllers and Disaster Recovery

See UBQ: UBQ000051 – Defining an Image Storage Device

See UBQ: UBQ000052 – Defining a Partition Storage Device

See UBQ: UBQ000057 – Creating SADR (Stand Alone Disaster Recovery) Floppies - Intel & Alpha

See UBQ: UBQ000058 – Stand Alone Image Backup/Restore Using Floppies – Intel & Alpha

See UBQ: UBQ000059 – Integrated GUI Image Recovery (Non-Boot Disk)

See UBQ: UBQ000060 – Static Mirror Image Recovery

See UBQ: UBQ000061 – Stand Alone Backup & Disaster Recovery Utility

See UBQ: UBQ000135 – Using SADR (Stand Alone Disaster Recovery) CD-ROM Disk - Intel & Alpha

See UBQ: UBQ000127 – OBDR (One Button Disaster Recovery)

CATEGORIES:

Configuration/Administration, Disaster Recovery, Restore

VERSION:

5.5 - 6.x

Copyright UltraBac.com 2000-2001