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Image Backup/DR Restore from a Network location (network share/NAS)

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Jon
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NOTE: In this article the term "DR" and "Image Backup" is interchangeable.

NOTE: Please DO NOT attempt to utilize a Wireless network adapter to restore a Image Backup/DR Image stored on a network location as the wireless network adapter driver most likely will not be part of the included driver set on your DR Boot Disc to even see your wireless network. Please utilize a wired network for DR Restore operations by utilizing the wired Ethernet cable to connect to the wired Ethernet adapter which the computer contains.

Using the NovaBACKUP Image Backup/Disaster Recovery Boot media to restore an Image Backup/Disaster Recovery image backup (.NDF file extension), which is stored on a network related share/NAS/SAN that is also password protected, you will need to follow the guide below on mapping the network share as a drive letter.

Even if the share is not password protected you will still use the bottom part of this guide which has the sentence starting with "If there is no password assigned.." and follow those instructions.

After booting to the DR Boot Disc media (CD or flash drive-based DR Boot Disc), open a Command Prompt using the icon on the "Desktop" named [Command Prompt].

Your network share will probably be protected with some sort of authentication, and the /user switch allows us to specify a username and password. The following example assumes:

  • The remote networked machine, network share, NAS or SAN device in this case is referenced using the IP address of that device which in this case is 192.168.1.4
    • You MUST use the IP address, you cannot use the DNS device name in most cases
  • The share name that you are entering is the actual folder where the DR backups exist as .NDF files, in this case we are using a share name of backups, all in lowercase.
    • If there are any spaces in the folder name and any uppercase letters in the name make sure that you are entering them exactly as they exist, this is also Case Sensitive.
  • The username you authenticate with on the remote machine, network share or NAS device is (in this example) HTG (a user that has full admin rights to the backups share)
  • The password for the HTG account is Pa$$word

Example command

Example command WITHOUT spaces or case sensitivity requirements:

net use N: \\192.168.1.4\backups /user:HTG Pa$$word

Example command WITH spaces and case sensitivity requirements:

net use N: "\\192.168.1.4\My Share\Backups" /user:HTG Pa$$word

The first step after successfully booting the DR Boot Disc media is to open a Command Prompt and utilize the PING command to verify the Network Share's IP address. Use ping 192.168.1.4 in this example, to see if you get a valid ping response back from the NAS.

In addition to that, you can also use the ipconfig /all command to see if your wired ethernet network adapter has been assigned a valid IP address. If it has a valid IP address assigned, then you are good.

If you do not get a ping result back or a valid IP address assigned, it is likely because the standard set of Windows PE-based drivers that came with the Image Backup/DR Boot Disc that you built did not contain the specific network adapter drivers you need for your hardware. If this is the case, you will need to rebuild the DR Boot Disc using the Advanced Mode and include the appropriate Windows PE network adapter driver from your Manufacturer.

Here is a more visual, external article on how to issue the NET USE command with screenshots:

http://www.howtogeek.com/118452/how-to-map-network-drives-from-the-command-prompt-in-windows/

You can then run the restore the Image Backup/DR image backup using your mapped network drive.

In the "Open" dialog you can simply browse to the mapped network drive letter for the drive letter that you mapped to (in the above example this was N:) using the above instructions.

If there is no password assigned to the network share/NAS/SAN path then just enter the full UNC path name such as \\x.x.x.x\backup into the filename field and press Enter.

Afterwards you should be able to select your backup file.

NOTE: Please DO NOT attempt to utilize a Wireless network adapter to restore a DR Image stored on a network location. Please utilize a wired network for Image Backup/DR Restore operations by connecting an Ethernet cable directly to your computer.

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