Windows Server 2012 features support

Windows Server 2012 introduces new technologies and features that can affect how BackupAssist operates. This resource explains how some of the key changes impact BackupAssist and what you need to know when performing backups and restores in a Windows 2012 environment.

BackupAssist v7.1 and later supports the following features

Resilient Files System (ReFS)

ReFS is a new file system that introduces reliability and compatibility features to Windows Server. BackupAssist supports ReFS formatted drives as a backup source and destination for all backup types. BackupAssist can also restore from ReFS formatted drives.

Considerations:

  • File Protection backups cannot use single-instance store when the backup is saved on a ReFS formatted destination. This means all of the data will be backed up each time the backup job runs.
  • System Protection cannot incrementally back up data from a ReFS formatted drive (source). This means a full backup of all selections will take place each time the backup job runs.

De-duplication

De-duplication for Windows Server 2012 is a technology that efficiently stores and transfers data using less space. All BackupAssist backups can operate in a de-duplicated environment.

Considerations:

  • A System Protection backup of a full (deduplicated) volume maintains the data’s deduplication, and the data retains the optimized storage at the backup destination.
  • A System Protection backup of selected folders or applications does not retain the deduplication and the backed up data will take up more disk space that it took up at its source.
  • When selected data in a deduplicated System Protection backup of a full volume is restored, the deduplication is lost. The data will therefore take up more space when it is restored.
  • File Protection and File Archiving backups do not retain deduplication and the backed up data will take up more disk space that it took up at its source.

Note: To retain deduplication when restoring a full volume System Protection backup, use Windows Restore or perform a bare-metal recovery using RecoverAssist.

Server Message Block

Server Message Block (SMB) is a network protocol for sharing resources. SMB 3.0 includes changes such as improved performance and VSS support. BackupAssist supports SMB 3.0 as both a backup source and destination. This includes backing up data from a CSV source to an SMB destination.

Considerations:

  • Historical information is not retained for System Protection (image) backups on SMB volumes. When an SMB 3.0 share is the backup destination, full backups will take place and only a single restore point will be available. However, the Data Container option for System Protection backups enables backup history support and can be used in a SMB environment.
  • To backup up or restore to an SMB file share the client and server must be running a SMB 3.0 capable operating system, and the SMB file share must have the File Share Copy Agent enabled (via the file server role service).
  • BackupAssist System Protection jobs do not support backing up Hyper-V over a SMB 3.0 guest (that is, Hyper-V guests stored on SMB 3.0 file shares). File Protection jobs or File Archiving jobs should be used to back up this type of Hyper-V guest.
  • File Protection and File Archiving backups and restores are supported for Hyper-V over SMB 3.0.

Failover cluster and CSV

Windows Server 2012 introduces the CSVFS format, which allows a cluster to differentiate CSV storage from other NTFS storage. BackupAssist supports backing up Hyper-V guests located on CSV storage using the CSVFS file system.

Considerations:

  • BackupAssist supports SMB 3.0 servers as a CSVFS backup destination.
  • Bit Locker drive encryption is not supported.
  • BackupAssist does not support backups of files from both CSVFS and NTFS locations in the same snapshot. For example, it is not possible to back up a Hyper-V guest with a source in a CSV along with another guest that is on an NTFS volume.

Hyper-V

Hyper-V is Microsoft’s implementation of virtual machine (VM) technology. Virtual machines run on a physical host machine and provide dedicated operating system environments.

Considerations:

  • Hyper-V Replica: Hype-V Replica enables replication of a virtual machine across the internet. BackupAssist supports Hyper-V Replica and can back up and restore a primary Hyper-V guest using any backup type.
  • CSV Environments: CSV backups are supported by the System Protection backup type, but CSVFS and NTFS file systems cannot be mixed (as described above).

Storage spaces

Windows Server storage spaces are virtual disks created from pools of real disks. BackupAssist supports Windows Server storage spaces as a data source and destination for all backup types. BackupAssist can also restore data from Windows storage spaces. We support Mirroring and Parity modes.

Windows Server 2012 R2 support

BackupAssist v 7.4.0 officially supports Windows Server 2012 R2 for backups, restores and recoveries.

The technologies listed below are included in BackupAssist's Windows Server 2012 R2 support

  • File Protection, including Rsync
  • File Archiving, including tape archiving
  • System Protection
  • SQL Server Protection
  • Exchange Granular Restore
  • Hyper-V Granular Restore
  • RecoverAssist
  • Central Administration
  • Hyper-V CSV backups with BackupAssist 8.0.1 and later

Exceptions

The Windows Server 2012 R2 features listed below are currently being evaluated for future inclusion in BackupAssist's support.

  • Shared VHDX files
  • iSCSI - VHDX support and up to 64Tb sizes
  • Work folders role