I am going to buy another identical Server (Hardware), which will be built so that it could restore a full installation of the original server, programs and all. It will be used to take place of the original server in case there was another hurricane here in New Orleans or a fire in our office. Backups are run daily on the entire C:/. But we don't have access to some of the customized software's recovery CDs anymore and will not be able to purchase new ones in the future. If those programs become corrupt they would cause major problems. We run a Windows 2003 Server that has a RAID 1. This is the only domain controller on a 40-user network. My question is this: How do you do a full system restore onto another identical server to be used as a backup server in case those customized programs become corrupt on the original server? I need some good expert’s advice. Do you first install the Windows 2003 Server setup disk on the new identical server but stop when you get to the Active Directory screen and then do a restore, which would then install Active Directory, programs, and everything else onto the new one from the backup restore? Could I use some imaging software? Or could I break the mirror set in the original server and use just place one of them in the new server, I need some help not sure what to do or how to do it?

I'm a little confused by how you plan to use this back up server. Are you basically keeping it packed away until the main server dies, then unpack it and restore the latest back up to it?

What I would do is use a disk imaging program (Ghost, TrueImagine, or even the freeware xxclone) to copy your current server to the backup server. You will then have two identical computers. Then, put the backup server somewhere safe. Make backups of your mainserver how ever yo want (to external drive, etc.). If the main server then dies, you can boot up the backup server and restore the backup to it.

The only issue I can see is if any of the software checks the hardware IDs. For example, you will need to reactivate Windows on the backup server when you boot it up.

-Ryan Adams
http://RyanTAdams.com

Thanks Ryan, that was very helpful and yes it is going to be packed away in case it is needed for future use. A couple quick questions though. I am going to buy a copy of ghost. Do I install another hard drive as a stave onto the original server and then precede to copy the image over? I do not know how to properly set it up.
Sorry to be asking so many questions but I never had to do this before and do not want anything serious to go wrong. It seems like it would be simple and not a big deal, but like I said I never done it before. I would really appreciate any feed back and thank you again for your help already.

I havn't used Ghost in a long time, but I believe what you wrote is correct. You install it on your main server, and it should walk you through what you need to do.

Since yo are using RAID 1, you might not even need Ghost. You should be able to pull one of the disks in the main server, and put in one of the blank drives from the new server. Then you would use a RAID utility to rebuild the blank disk. You will then have 3 hard drives with the same data on them. Take one of them and put it in the backup server, then boot from it and use a RAID utility to restore the 4th (blank) drive from it.

-Ryan Adams
http://RyanTAdams.com