WHITE PAPER THE ROLE OF BACKUP THROUGHOUT WINDOWS SERVER 2003 MIGRATION

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1 THE ROLE OF BACKUP THROUGHOUT WINDOWS SERVER 2003 MIGRATION How backup can ensure you achieve a smooth Windows Server 2003 migration.

2 End of life for Microsoft Windows Server 2003 is quickly approaching, and many businesses like yours are making plans to migrate to a newer operating system. Any migration strategy involves many key decision points, including what precisely to upgrade, how to securely back up and protect data, and what new processes to put in place after migration. Whether you upgrade your operating system, servers, or both, data protection should be a top priority with backup playing a crucial role throughout every phase of the migration. Data and applications drive the success of your business, and their integrity is essential, especially during transitional periods where additional risks are present. 2

3 Why migrate? Although Windows Server 2003 still works, Microsoft ended mainstream support for it in 2010 and has not done any development work on it since then. The operating system itself is 12 years old, which leaves the door open for several security and compliance risks. No security updates or patches will be provided for the outdated operating system, so both physical and virtual instances will be more vulnerable to attack. Thirty-seven critical updates were released in 2013, along with 21 in 2014, for Windows Server 2003/R2 under Extended Support, and none of those types of updates will be developed or released after July % of IT professionals cite Windows Server 2003 end of life as the driving force behind new purchases 1 It s also probable that the server environment will fail any standard compliance audit. Lack of compliance with various standards and regulations can be devastating. For example, lack of compliance with the Payment Card Industry (PCI) Data Security Standards may mean companies such as Visa and MasterCard will no longer do business with your organization. Or, the new cost of doing business will include paying catastrophic penalties and extremely high transaction fees. 3

4 Should you choose to remain on Windows Server 2003, your budget will be in jeopardy as well. Maintenance costs for aging hardware will increase. Added costs will be incurred for intrusion detection systems, more advanced firewalls, network segmentations, and so on simply to isolate Windows Server 2003 servers. Many applications may cease to be supported once the operating system they are running on is no longer supported. This includes Microsoft applications. Moving to a newer operating system, such as Windows Server 2012 R2, offers significant business benefits. Not only will you rely on a more secure, fully supported system, but you ll also gain from advances in virtualization, storage, and cloud connectivity. Why is backup necessary for migration? Backup is a necessary insurance plan protecting your business from accidental loss of user data, database corruption, hardware failures, security threats, and other issues that can occur during transitions like a major software upgrade. In moving to a new server operating system, you should carefully plan how to use backup before, during, and after the migration. 4

5 Backup before migration It s a given that all server data should be backed up before any changes are made to server software or hardware. When upgrading the operating system on your existing hardware, full server backup before configuration is an absolute must. Many backup solutions offer customized scheduling options, allowing you to schedule backup to conform to your business s workflow. This is particularly important when preparing for and performing a migration. Before migration, it s important to know which type of backups will best ensure that your business is protected and operating continuously. In most cases, you ll choose from File System, System State, and Database/app-specific backups (like SQL, Exchange, SharePoint, MySQL, Oracle, Hyper-V, and Office 365). Windows File System backups protect all the files on your Windows machines, whether they are in resilient formats (ReFS) or new technology file systems (NTFS). Windows System State backups cover a collection of several key operating system elements and their files. Backing up your Windows System state will protect things such as your Boot files, System files, Registry, Active Directory, and Certificate Services. Database and Application-specific backups, like those that would protect Microsoft Exchange, entail VSS-based backups so you can be sure that you are correctly protecting all of the applications data. 5

6 Backing up the Windows System State is crucial for a successful disaster recovery strategy because it s the backup that safeguards all of the configurations you have made to the operating system. However, you will want to be sure to back up your data more specifically as well. That s why it s crucial to also perform File System or Database backups, depending on what each server contains. That way, if anything needs to be recovered before or during migration, you ll be set up for success. One key strategy for success is to test all types of backup that you plan to use during migration beforehand. Make sure your backup schedules are run a few days prior to the migration so you can ensure that each data set appears in the correct place so you re prepared if recovery is necessary. 6

7 Backup during migration It s vitally important that you have the option to roll back during migration to recover any data that may have been corrupted or lost. Rollback options can be a lifesaver during migration if data loss accidentally occurs. For example, you may need to roll back in the case of an unexpected power outage or if certain customer files become corrupted and are needed immediately. By performing all three types of backup mentioned above, you ll be well positioned to implement a rollback if necessary. For instance, a System State backup of the old server prior to migration is important for configuration transitions. Plus, performing System State backups on the new server after key milestones can prevent you from having to roll back to the old server. Having both options when migrating and configuring a new server can be very helpful. When upgrading to new hardware, make sure both old and new servers are backed up, so the latest versions of either can be recovered. Both of these systems will be online for a period of time, during which data is migrated, applications and services are functionally tested, and clients are pointed to, or switched over, to the new system. Many backup solutions now deliver an extra layer of security with hybrid backup. With a hybrid solution, your data lives on your own local storage as well as in the cloud at offsite data centers. So when faced with unexpected setbacks or business downtime, files will be readily at hand for immediate recovery. Should a true disaster occur, you will have the ultimate protection of the cloud. In addition to data protection, Database and Applicationspecific backups can also help when porting data into a newer version of that database or application. Backup software can often restore data into the latest version of an application. So when moving databases or applications to a new server that s running the latest software, backup software can give you another option for moving the data over. 7

8 Backup after migration Once migration is complete, you ll want to take steps to protect your new clean server deployment, ensuring that data is always accessible and that the business can operate continuously without data loss or downtime. Performing consistent, regularly scheduled backups of critical business data is a vitally important part of any data protection strategy. Depending on how you use data, how often it changes, and how much downtime you can withstand, you can build a backup strategy that fits your precise needs. Choose from three different backup techniques to achieve your goals: Full backups are complete replicas of your source data on a backup target. Differential backups capture all changes made to the source data over a specified interval of time since the last Full backup. Incremental backups capture all changes between the source data and the most recent backup, either Full or Incremental. 8

9 You may find that the most effective strategy for protecting your company s data involves a combination of techniques. For example, an online retailer that relies heavily on customer transaction data might establish a backup schedule like the following: Full backup at two o clock every Sunday morning for all customer data Differential backup at two o clock every morning for all transaction data Incremental backup every hour, every day, also for all transaction data Or, if your business relies on data that changes at only a moderate rate (for example, a doctor s office), you might set a schedule like this: Full backup nightly to create reference captures for transaction data Differential backup every two hours for transaction data, with bandwidth throttles Incremental backup at three o clock every Sunday morning for customer data 9

10 What to look for in a backup solution Because each approach to backup has its own particular strengths and weaknesses, you need to have a clear understanding of your company s application environment, pace of data growth, data volatility, and the amount of downtime you can accept without suffering damage. Whatever your scenario, it s important to look for a backup solution that is flexible and powerful enough to handle your data protection needs today, through your server migration, and into the future. Not only should the solution provide the different types of backup outlined above, but it should also easily scale to address business growth. Fast backup and recovery, hybrid backup, customized options for bandwidth usage, and the ability to set data retention policies are also key. In addition, look for advanced security and encryption in data transport and proven compliance with regulatory requirements. Customized scheduling allows you to create a backup schedule around the flow of your business. 10

11 The ideal solution: Carbonite Server Backup Carbonite Server Backup delivers robust, comprehensive features that can be customized to meet your unique business needs before, during, and after migration: Powerful performance. Comprehensive hot backup and unparalleled upload and download speeds enable you to keep your servers online during backups, eliminating interruption of business activity. Options for customization. Scheduled backups, data retention, bandwidth throttling, notifications, and other options help you align backup with the flow of business. Security and compliance. SSL encrypted transport security and support for HIPPA, FERPA, and GLBA requirements ensure your data remains private. Plus, you can choose to implement 256-bit private key encryption. Value. Protects unlimited servers, NAS, and SAN with no new hardware required, no per-server licenses, and no per-application licenses. Flexibility and scalability. Scalable cloud storage grows with your business. Hybrid backup lets you back up both to the cloud and locally to physical hardware. Ease of use. Simple to install and restore, Carbonite Server Backup comes with free valet installation at no extra cost. Plus, an intuitive user interface, centralized monitoring through an online dashboard, and access to US-based support experts make it simple to manage. 11

12 Protect your company s data through your migration and beyond with Carbonite Server Backup. Visit to learn more. You can also call our Sales Team at or locate your nearest authorized Carbonite reseller at LEARN MORE 1. Spiceworks. The 2015 IT Budget Report