In order to start Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Backup, you must log on to the target server using an account that has Administrator or Backup Operator privileges. If you log on using an account that does not have these privileges, you will be unable to back up the Active Directory configuration.

Start Windows Server 2003 Backup, which is available on the System Tools menu, and select the option to back up everything on your computer. Next, select the destination by browsing to a destination and entering a backup file name. This is where you can select an external backup device such as a tape array.

You can choose to overwrite or append to a backup set and other alternative choices. On completion of this operation, the server is successfully backed up.

If you are backing up a domain controller, when the Backup wizard finishes, the domain controller including the Active Directory and File Replication Service are completely backed up.

In a data center environment, a centralized disaster recovery-based system is used to back up the servers on the data floor and the domain controllers will be backed up to remote storage.

Note:
  • You cannot perform backup and recovery of the Active Directory configuration from a remote computer. Domain controller backup and recovery procedures must be executed locally. However, a Windows Server 2003 server that is not a domain controller can be backed up and restored remotely. This is different from a Windows Server 2003 server containing Active Directory. In a data center environment, a Windows Server 2003 server that is not a domain controller may well be backed up.
  • The Internet Information Services (IIS) log files that store usage data will fail to be backed up if IIS is actively running. This means that either the service must be stopped (by entering net stop W3SVC in a command prompt), or the log files must be backed up through an alternate mechanism.

For more information about Windows Server 2003 Backup, see Backup Technical Reference.