70270: MCSE Guide to Microsoft Windows XP Professional Chapter 14: Windows XP Professional Fault Tol

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70-270 MCSE Guide to Microsoft Windows XP
Professional Chapter 14 Windows XP
Professional Fault Tolerance
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Objectives

• Define IntelliMirror technology and describe its
  key features
• Back up data and settings on Windows XP
  Professional
• Work with the Microsoft Backup Utility
• Perform preventive maintenance
• Repair an installation of Windows XP Professional

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Microsoft IntelliMirror

• Term used to describe features of Windows XP that
  help ensure the availability of
• Users data
• Computer configuration.
• User data management
• User settings management
• Software installation and maintenance

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Microsoft IntelliMirror (continued)

• Greatly reduces the need for and cost of
  administrative intervention
• Plays crucial role in
• Disaster protection
• Disaster recovery
• Not a cure-all
• Not a complete disaster recovery solution

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Data Backup and Data Management

• IntelliMirror can manage user documents and data
• Users store and synchronize their data easily in
  specified network location
• Folder redirection
• Users My Documents folder redirected to network
  share

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My Documents Folder
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Synchronization Settings Dialog
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PC Configuration Recovery

• User settings management feature of
  IntelliMirror
• Users can access personal settings on network
• User environment configuration can be easily
  transferred to new machine
• Settings include
• Language settings
• Desktop schemes
• Custom dictionaries
• Same as roaming profile

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Application Installation and Repair

• Software installation and maintenance feature of
  IntelliMirror
• Use to rebuild applications environment
• Use Windows Installer Service (WIS)
• Reinstall applications
• Repair applications seamlessly

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Application Installation and Repair (continued)

• Restorable applications include
• Software
• Software upgrades
• Operating system upgrades
• Windows Installer program
• Included with Windows XP
• Msiexec.exe

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Application Installation and Repair (continued)

• Windows Installer program
• Command-line tool
• Used to
• Install and configure software (with the /i
  parameter)
• Repair software (/f)
• Uninstall software (/x)
• Apply patches (/p)

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Application Installation and Repair (continued)

• Windows Installer program
• Can apply three types of software packages to
  system
• .msi (software installation)
• .msp (patches, service packs, and software
  updates)
• .mst (transformation or modification files, used
  to customize an installation)

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Microsoft Backup Utility

• Make backups using media
• Tape drives
• External hard disks (i.e., network drives)
• Zip or Jaz drives
• Recordable CD-ROM drives
• Logical drives

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Microsoft Backup Utility (continued)

• Backup utility
• Provides easiest method of backing up or
  restoring data onto
• Media
• Server on network
• Main functions
• Back up programs and files
• Restore programs and files
• Create an ASR (Automated System Recovery) data
  set

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Microsoft Backup Utility (continued)

• Provides two methods to back up your data
• Backup Wizard
• Backup tab to set backup options manually
• Wizard
• Guides you through the process of defining and
  scheduling your backups
• Launched automatically when you open Backup
  utility

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Microsoft Backup Utility (continued)

• To launch
• Start
• All Programs
• Accessories
• System Tools
• Backup
• Options
• Back up everything on computer

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Microsoft Backup Utility (continued)

• Options
• Back up just specific files and folders
• Elect to include System State data
• Systems boot files
• COM settings
• Registry data

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Microsoft Backup Utility (continued)

• Backup types
• Copy backup
• Normal (or full) backup
• Daily backup
• Differential backup
• Incremental backup

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Microsoft Backup Utility (continued)

• Most backup schemes combine the use of
• Weekly full backups
• And daily backups of type
• Incremental
• Differential
• Incremental daily backups
• Make daily backup operation run quicker
• Require a longer restore period

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Microsoft Backup Utility (continued)

• Differential backups
• Cause a longer and longer backup period each day
• Require increased storage space on backup media
  each day
• Restore time is greatly reduced in comparison
  with incremental
• Automated System Recovery (ASR)
• Restore essential system files in event of severe
  system failure

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Microsoft Backup Utility (continued)

• Automated System Recovery (ASR)
• Wont protect personal data or application
  configuration settings
• Creates a backup of only files essential to boot
  process
• Media set consists of both
• Backup floppy
• One or more backup tapes or other media

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Backup Utility, Welcome Tab
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Backup Utility, Backup Tab (continued)
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Preventive Maintenance

• Windows XP includes several mechanisms to reduce
  user problems
• Remove bad device drivers
• Install system updates

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Device Driver Rollback

• Help prevent problems related to faulty device
  drivers
• Roll back device drivers
• Removes current driver for a device
• Reinitializes previous driver
• Driver tab of devices Properties dialog box
• Click Roll Back Driver button

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Device Driver Rollback (continued)
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Windows File Protection

• Ensures that the correct and uncorrupted version
  of certain core files is retained on system
• Files include
• .sys
• .dll
• .exe
• .ocx
• True Type font files

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Windows File Protection (continued)

• Protects list of sacred files from changes due
  to
• Application installation
• Virus infection
• Human error
• Works in background
• Operates invisibly to user (in most cases)

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Windows File Protection (continued)

• System File Checker (SFC) tool
• Performs inspection and replacement of monitored
  files
• Usually executed automatically
• Can be executed manually from command prompt
• Can be used to purge and rebuild DLLCACHE

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Automatic Updates and Windows Update

• Problem fixes available online
• Can be accessed through Windows Update
• Automatic Updates tab of System applet
• Used to define whether the OS
• Automatically checks, downloads, and installs
  updates
• Notifies you when updates are available
• Leaves all updating processes up to you to
  perform manually

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Automatic Updates and Windows Update (continued)

• Options
• Notify before downloading any updates and notify
  me again before installing them on my computer
• Download the updates automatically and notify me
  when they are ready to be installed
• Automatically download the updates, and install
  them on the schedule that I specify

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Desktop Cleanup Wizard

• Asks permission to remove unused icons from
  desktop
• Launches automatically every 60 days
• Can be disabled

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Hibernate vs. Standby

• Commonly used terms or features that often
  confuse users
• Hibernation
• Saves contents in memory to hard drive
• Performs system shutdown
• Upon restarting, system is restored to its state
  at moment hibernation was activated
• Restores user environment to its exact state,
  including open applications and dialog boxes

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Hibernate vs. Standby (continued)

• Standby
• Support for
• APM (Advanced Power Management)
• ACPI (Advanced Configuration and Power Interface)
• Supported by notebook or portable systems
• Also supported by newer desktops
• Retains contents of memory in RAM
• Very fast restoration to user environment
• If system loses power, data saved in RAM is lost

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Repairing Windows XP Professional

• Options for repairing or restoring your PC
• Safe Mode
• System Restore
• Emergency repair process
• Recovery Console
• Remote OS installation

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System Restore

• Can be used to return OS to previously saved
  state
• Reverse system configuration settings
• Reverse Registry changes
• Undo the changes made by installed software
• Does not affect
• Personal files
• e-mail

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System Restore (continued)

• Can only be used if system boots
• Automatically creates restoration points during
  critical system changes
• User can initiate creation of a restoration point
  manually
• Controlled and managed through
• System Restore tab of System applet
• System Restore tool

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System Restore (continued)
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Emergency Repair Process

• For problems caused by
• Corrupt or missing system files
• Startup environment
• Partition boot sector
• Options
• Fast repair
• Manual repair

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Recovery Console

• Useful for
• Expert users
• System administrators
• Offers more precise control over troubleshooting
  and repair process

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Recovery Console (continued)

• Use to
• Disable malfunctioning services or drivers
• Repair corrupted Master Boot Record
• Copy needed files to your PC from
• Floppy disk
• CD-ROM
• Network share

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Remote OS Installation

• Used along with Microsoft IntelliMirror
  technologies to recover entire PC, including
• Users data
• Individual configurations
• Applications
• Component of optional Windows Server Remote
  Installation Services (RIS)
• Clients must have must have PXE (Preboot
  Execution) environment

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Remote OS Installation (continued)

• Types of installations
• CD-based
• Remote Installation Preparation (RIPrep) desktop
  image
• Automatic Setup
• Custom Setup
• Restart a Previous Setup Attempt
• Maintenance and Troubleshooting

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Summary

• IntelliMirror
• Set of features within Windows XP
• Used for backing up and restoring users data,
  personalized settings, and applications
• Windows XP includes built-in backup features
• Use emergency repair process or ASR to repair a
  system that has failed

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Summary (continued)

• Rely upon WFP to keep your system files in
  working order
• Use Automatic Updates feature to keep your system
  in line with latest patches from Microsoft
• Install and use Recovery Console to recover user
  settings in event of system failure