Using a Windows 2003 server to backup workstations - how to retain drive maps across reboot

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lchiu7

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#41440 16-Sep-2009 12:31

This is an interesting issue.

I have a bunch of user C: drives folders I want to backup to a NAS device. Would prefer not to run them on the local machines but from a server. For network reasons don't want to use our main file server but a Windows 2003 server that is connected locally.

I can logon to the Windows 2003 server as an admin account, map the foldes I want to backup and also map to a folder on a NAS device. I then schedule the backups using NTBackup and that works fine. I then disconnect the session (not logoff)

The issue is, the mappings only belong to that user who logged on to establish the backup job. If the server is rebooted, while the started task is still running, because the user who created the backups is not logged on, the drive mappings don't exist anymore.

I guess the question is, can I have a Windows 2003 server have mapped drives stick across a reboot or is there another way we can do this?

Thanks

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timbosan

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#256112 16-Sep-2009 13:20

Sure, if I am reading your question right. If you map the drives from a command line using the NET USE command, there is an option PERSISTENT:YES that remaps the drives when the user logs back on.

NET USE X: \\SERVERNAME\SHARENAME /PERSISTENT:YES

Let us know if that works.

lchiu7

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#256177 16-Sep-2009 15:47

timbosan: Sure, if I am reading your question right. If you map the drives from a command line using the NET USE command, there is an option PERSISTENT:YES that remaps the drives when the user logs back on.

NET USE X: \\SERVERNAME\SHARENAME /PERSISTENT:YES

Let us know if that works.

No that isn't the problem. It's easy enough to maintain the mapping across logons. The problem is, the mapping is attached to a user who has RDP'ed to the box. If the server is rebooted, that user is logged off and while the started task is still active, there are no drive mappings anymore.

I guess if there was a way to maintain the mappings across a reboot - perhaps attached to the default admin account or something, that would do it.

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bradi

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#256919 18-Sep-2009 19:17

No that isn't the problem. It's easy enough to maintain the mapping across logons. The problem is, the mapping is attached to a user who has RDP'ed to the box. If the server is rebooted, that user is logged off and while the started task is still active, there are no drive mappings anymore.

I guess if there was a way to maintain the mappings across a reboot - perhaps attached to the default admin account or something, that would do it.

If you log off (or reboot) all running tasks for that user are terminated. So you can't have a task keep running after a reboot or logoff.

The easiest way to sort this would be setup a batch (cmd) file like :-

NET USE X: \\SERVER\SHARE
NTBACKUP <CMD LINE OPTIONS HERE>

and run it as a scheduled task, ensuring that it runs under an account with the correct permissions for what you are trying to do.

That way it is scheduled to run at a particular time no matter what, uses the account it supposed to and maps the backup drive before it starts the backup.

Google "NTBackup command line" for syntax to use