WS2016 Essentials Windows backup replacement

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marcoi

Well-Known Member
Apr 6, 2013
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Gotha Florida
My WS2016E server has developed issues with backing up my windows boxes. Not sure what going on, it's either some patch on the server side or windows OS side but the end result is any new pc that I try to use the connect app to do backups fails to connect to server. Existing backup seem to still work but not sure for how long. The desktop does join the domain okay but nothing with connect software works.

So I am in process of replacing my servers with a new domain servers using WS2022 datacenter. I want to keep AD functionality. DC does not have any essentials backup method as far as I can tell. So I am planning to replace the backup software with another solution.

Right now I am looking into either AOMEI Backupper Technician Plus + AOMEI Backupper Central or AOMEI Cyber Backup. They are costly, but come with lifetime licensing with updates. So I can buy as a business expense.

Has anyone used either package in production or home with good results? Any alternatives ( money is not unlimited lol)? Any open source options that might work?

Notes:
WS2022DC will be a VM, used for AD, GP, DNS. I will have two running primary and backup. Both are ebay purchases with OEM license code and 30 user cals.
I am moving file storage off WS and just using NAS.
Backups will be directly stored on NAS. NAS can handle de-duplication and compression of backup.
Backup software should have the following:
1. Support central management of multiple windows desktop OS and two windows servers OS.
2. PXE boot for recovery / USB recovery / Recovery partition on local box.
3. Schedule and maintain multiple backup versions.
4. Open backup image for individual file recovery.
 

gea

Well-Known Member
Dec 31, 2010
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I use Aomei backupper to backup bootable drive c images to a NAS or external USB disks.
Disaster recovery can be done with the help of a bootable Aomei restore stick (Linux or WinPE).

Very good solution.
 
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ca3y6

Active Member
Apr 3, 2021
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Why don't you run the server in a VM? That makes the backups pretty much trivial. You have snapshot capabilities if you cannot tolerate downtime. Otherwise you can have a script which in the middle of the night, turns off your VM, copies the vhdx between two fast SSD, and switches it back on. Less than a minute of downtime if your disk isn't too large. Then copy the vhdx from the backup SSD to NAS or offsite. This is very robust, all you need to recover from backup is to create a new VM and use that vhdx.
 

Ralph_IT

I'm called Ralph
Apr 12, 2021
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/home
Have you considered Veeam Backup And Replication?
We are using both editions, the paid one and the Community Edition.
CE it's limited to 10 machines, otherwise it does everything the paid edition does (or at least, everthing we use from it).
I think it'll tick all the boxes.
 

marcoi

Well-Known Member
Apr 6, 2013
1,577
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Gotha Florida
im not worried so much about the new WS2022 servers as they will likely be VMs and end up running in either proxmox or xcp-ng which both have snaps and backups. My biggest concern are the 10 or so desktops/laptops getting properly backup. Those backups need recovery method to get the devices back to running state in case of OS issues.

Background on current WS2016E server: It also a VM, but due to how I had storage attach via Direct attach from VMWARE host, i was not able to regularly backup the hosts, so I used the WS built in backup to backup filestore and server OS.
Also Vmware getting replaced now due to VMUG changes, so my current backup method of using built in app from QNAP NAS is no longer an option but the replacement hypervisors both have snaps and backup to NAS options.