The most commonly used agent in a backup strategy is the File-by-File Agent. This agent is used to back up files and directories on the backup host, or any networked system. This agent can also be used to back up the System State/Active Directory of the backup host or any networked system. File-by-file backups can be used to recover anything from a single file on a workstation to a full system recovery of a domain controller.
Launch the Backup Wizard by selecting the Backup tab, and clicking "New."
Select the type of file-by-file backup to be run, then click "Next":
File-by-File Local – Backs up the locally attached physical disks.
File-by-File Network Share – Backs up a UNC path.
File-by-File Networked Computer – Backs up all locally attached physical disks on a remote system.
Enter a set description and choose the file selection logic to be used for this set. Click "Next."
At the Backup Wizard Summary select "View/Edit files in the backup set" to view the file selections and modify the selection logic. Click "Finish."
Fig. 1 - Viewing a File-by-File Local Agent backup set in the File Viewer.
Save the set by clicking "Action"/"Save."
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NOTE: The backup of a remote System State/Registry requires the installation of the UltraBac System State Agent on the remote system.
For more information on installing UltraBac agents, please visit the "Installing UltraBac" section of the User Manual:
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Two options exist for backing up remote systems:
File-by-File Network Share – This agent allows the backup of a UNC path, or remote share.
File-by-File Networked Computer – Selects all drives and the System State/Active Directory on a remote system.
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NOTE: The remote registry, or System State, cannot be backed up using the "File-by-File Network Share" option. |
Launch the Backup Wizard by selecting the Backup tab and clicking "New."
Click "File-by-File Network Share" to highlight the option. Click "Next."
To use an account other than the default account (specified on the Manage tab, under /"General"/"Authentication Options"/"Show Accounts"), check "Enable Advanced Account Usage" and enter an account with administrative access to the share being selected for backup. Click "Next."
Fig. 2 - Advanced account usage enabled.
From the "Select Network Share" screen, browse to or type the network share/UNC path to be backed up. Click "Next."
Fig. 3 - Network share browser.
Enter a set description and choose the "File Selection Logic" to be used for this set. Click "Next."
View or save the backup set.
Launch the Backup Wizard by selecting the Backup tab and clicking "New."
Click "File-by-File Network Share" to highlight the option. Click "Next."
To use an account other than the default account (specified on the Manage tab, under /"General"/"Authentication"/"Show Accounts"), check "Enable Advanced Account Usage" and enter an account with administrative access to the share being selected for backup. Click "Next."
From the "Select Network Machine" screen, browse to or type in the network name of the system to be backed up. Click "Next."
Enter a set description and choose the "File Selection Logic" to be used for this set. Click "Next."
View or save the backup set.
To view the properties of a backup set:
Load a backup set into the File Viewer.
Click "Action"/"Set Properties."
Fig. 4 - File-by-File Agent set properties.
Description – Set the description as it will appear in the backup, restore, and verify logs; along with Notes for the set.
Before/After Jobs – Set scripts to run before or after the backup set is run.
File-by-File Agent – Backup Set Options:
Enable Locked File Backup – Freeze the target partition using the "UltraBac Locked File Backup" driver prior to the backup, and thaw the partition after the set is finished.
Freeze All Drives – Freeze all partitions on the backup target prior to running the backup. This option should be used if backing up a relational database spanning multiple partitions to ensure that the database and its logs maintain their integrity.
Do not use Volume Shadow Copy Service – Forces UltraBac to use UltraBac's locked file driver (ubfd).
Enumerate Reparse Points – Enumerate and back up any selected reparse points.
Backup Resolved Reparse Points – Back up the data linked by the reparse points.
Maintain Last Access Date (Can be slow) – UltraBac will not show the file as being accessed during backup. Use this preference only if necessary.
Disable Last Access Date preservation for remote backups – This preference will disable the "Maintain Last Access Date" preference when backing up remote systems.
Clear archive bit – Clears the archive bit attribute after the file is backed up. This option is used when performing incremental or differential backup jobs.
Enable File Deduplication
Enable Block Deduplication
Backup system protected files – The system protected files are the critical files that are installed as a part of the Windows operating system installation. For example, files with a .dll, .exe, .ocx, and .sys extension and some True Type fonts.
The default behavior of the UltraBac File-by-File Agent can be modified in the "Manage" / "Agents" / "File-by-File Local" menu. This allows specific options to be selected by default when creating file-by-file backup sets. Other than the "Files to skip" option, these options can be overridden by the properties of each backup set or when a restore is performed.
Fig. 5 - File-by-File Agent properties.
The available default options to be set:
Maintain directory structure on Restore – Restore files and folders with the original parent folder structure. If unchecked all files will be restored into a single directory.
Maintain compression on files during Restore – If a file was compressed when backed up, that compression will be maintained after restore.
Restore in-use files – Forces the restoration of in-use files. The overwritten in-use files will not become active until the system is rebooted.
Restore permissions – Restores previously existing permissions on files.
Restore folder permissions – Restores previously existing permissions on folders.
Restore Reparse Data – Restores the data linked by the reparse point.
Enumerate Reparse Points – Enumerate and back up any selected reparse points.
Backup Resolved Reparse Points – Back up the data linked by the reparse points.
Maintain Last Access Date (Can be slow) – UltraBac will not show the file as being accessed during backup. Use this preference only if necessary.
Disable Last Access Date for remote backups – This preference will disable the "Maintain Last Access Date" preference when backing up remote systems.
Clear archive bit on backup – Clears the archive bit attribute after the file is backed up. This option is used when performing incremental or differential backup jobs.
Enable File Deduplication.
Enable Block Deduplication.
These options specify how files should be handled when selecting existing files for restore. This preference can be overruled by the option selected during the restore operation.
Ask – Prompt before overwriting any existing files.
Never – Do not overwrite any existing files.
Always – Overwrite existing files with the files being restored.
Update Only – Only overwrite if the file being restored is newer than the existing file.
These options enable the Locked File Backup Agent in all file-by-file sets created from the local system.
Enable – Freeze the target partition using either Microsoft's Volume Shadow Copy service (VSS) or "UltraBac Locked File Backup" driver (UBFD) prior to the backup, and thaw the partition after the set is finished.
Freeze All Drives – Freeze all partitions on the backup target prior to running the backup. This option should be used if backing up data spanning multiple partitions to maintain integrity.
Do not use Volume Shadow Copy Service – Forces UltraBac to use UBFD when backing files.
This option allows files and directories to be globally excluded from all file-by-file backups. This option must be configured on each system running the UltraBac File-by-File Agent.
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NOTE: The "Do not skip any files" option is only available when the Locked File Backup Agent is enabled in the backup set. |
Fig. 6 - Files to skip during backup.
Do not skip any files – Forces all files (including page files, hyberfil.sys, etc.) to be backed up. This option is only available when the Locked File Backup Agent is enabled.
System files – This displays a non-modifiable list of system files that are skipped during backup.
User files – A user created list of files/directories to be skipped during backup.
Use these exclusions exclusively on all machines backed up by <local machine> – Applies the list of user created exclusions to all file-by-file backup sets run from the local backup host.
Merge these exclusions with all machines backed up by <local machine> – Copies the list of user created exclusions to all remote systems backed up with the File-by-File Agent, forcing the selected files to be skipped in file-by-file backup sets run from all backup hosts.
Use these exclusions only locally on <local machine> – Applies the list of user created exclusions only to file-by-file backup sets run from the local backup host that back up the local backup host.
Clicking the "User Files" button opens a screen that allows specific files, folders, or "wildcard" entries to determine the files/directories to be skipped during all file-by-file backups.
Fig. 7 - Adding files or directories to the list of files not to back up.
To begin the restore process:
Launch the Restore Wizard by selecting the Restore tab, and selecting the index source.
Select and load the index for restore.
Select the objects for restore.
Click "Action" / "Restore this Backup."
The "Restore Options" screen allows the user to restore to an alternate location, determine overwrite options, and more.
Fig. 8 - Restore options.
Restore Registry (pre-Version 7 backups) – Used when restoring the registry from a backup made with a previous version of UltraBac.
Maintain directory structure on Restore – Restore files and folders with the original parent folder structure.
Maintain compression on files during Restore – If a file was compressed when backed up, that compression will be maintained after restore.
Restore in-use files – Forces the restoration of in-use files. The overwritten in-use files will not become active until the system is rebooted.
Restore permissions – Restores previously existing permissions on files.
Restore folder permissions – Restores previously existing permissions on folders.
Restore Reparse Data – Restores the data linked by the reparse point.
Primary restore (Active Directory only) – Only enabled when booted into Directory Services Restore Mode, this option sets the Active Directory restore type as "Primary."
Restore to path on: <servername> – Type in or browse to a UNC path to be used for the restore. Leave as "<Original Path>" to restore files to their original location.
Overwrite options:
Never – Do not overwrite any existing files.
Always – Overwrite existing files with the files being restored.
Update Only – Only overwrite if the file being restored is newer than the existing file.
Ask – Prompt before overwriting any existing files.
Fig. 9 - Overwrite options when selecting "Ask" during restore.
The options available for a duplicate file are:
Skip File – Do not restore the specified file, and continue the restore.
Update – Only overwrite if the file being restored is newer than the existing file.
Overwrite – Overwrite the file on disk with the file being restored.
Overwrite All – Overwrite existing files with the files being restored.
Rename – Rename the file being restored, or restore it to an alternate directory.
To perform a full restore of a failed operating system, it is necessary to have a full backup of the system partition, including the System State. When restoring a failed operating system, hardware identical to the original machine should be used. If the system is being restored to different hardware, the restore of the registry could be unsuccessful, or the system may not be stable after reboot. If it is not possible to restore to identical hardware, try to match the new hardware as closely as possible to the old. In addition, it is possible to restore only the "Software" hive of the registry under "HKey_Local_Machine."
Install the operating system back to the original %systemroot% name, which is named "Windows" by default. The Windows name, or computer name, also must be the same the original system that was backed up. If %systemroot% or the computer name on the new machine is different than the source backup, the restore will not be successful. Apply all service packs, updates, and hotfixes up the point of the backup. When the new operating system has been installed and updated, install UltraBac on the system.
Once the operating system and UltraBac are installed, restore the entire system partition and system state back to its original location. In the restore options, ensure that "Restore in-use files" is checked. Also, ensure the "Unattended" box is checked before starting the restore. If "Unattended" is not checked, UltraBac will return a prompt every time a file is skipped or overwritten.
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NOTE: For more information on the full restore of a domain controller, please visit the "Active Directory Restore" sections of the User Manual:
UltraBac User Manual: Active Directory Restore UltraBac User Manual: Active Directory Restore 2008/2008 R2 UltraBac User Manual: Active Directory Restore 2012/2012 R2/2016/2019 |