Answers to Event Questions - Data Protection Manager (DPM) 2006

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Data Protection ManagerG’Day!

This is the fifth of many long-overdue, promised blog posts containing answers to questions I’ve received at our TechNet Events.

These questions are about Data Protection Manager 2006 and the Virtual Shadow Copy for Shared Folders client…

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"When is the client install necessary? When is it not? Does DPM take care of this for me if the client doesn't have it already installed?"
Yes, you will need the Previous Versions client installed on your desktops if it doesn't  already exist there. 

There are two clients for Shadow Copies for Shared Folders:

 

Previous Versions Client for Windows XP and Windows Server 2003. This client can be installed on Windows XP from the Windows Server 2003 installation media or it can be installed using the .msi package that is available at the Microsoft Download Center. Previous Versions Client is installed by default on Windows Server 2003 and is included when you install Windows XP Service Pack 2.

 

Previous Versions Client for Windows 2000. This client is only available from the .msi package available at the Microsoft Download Center. In order for Windows 2000 clients to view shadow copies, a registry key must be set on the computer running Windows Server 2003 that enables access by Windows 2000 clients. The .msi package that contains the Windows 2000 client also contains an installation package for the server that will set this registry key.

 

Here's an introduction to Shadow Copies for Shared Folders, which is what this functionality is based on.  In the case of DPM, the file and folder images are maintained on the DPM server instead of the File Server.  (NOTE: If you have Shadow Copies for Shared Folders configured on the File Server, you may have problems, because now that client will look at versions saved there rather than on the DPM server.  Make sure you do NOT have it enabled in both places.)

 

"What are the requirements for the servers managed by DPM? Do they need to be running R2?"
No.  These servers may run Windows 2000 (SP4 with the Update Roll-up), Windows Server 2003, or Windows Storage Server 2003. DPM can’t be used to protect clustered servers or servers that are not members of the same Active Directory domain as the DPM server.  The servers also will have a DPM agent installed on them.  You'll do this from the DPM administration application.

 

"What about the clients?"  
As long as the Previous Versions client is supported, the client OS can take advantage of DPM shadow copies.  Note that there is a hotfix that must be installed on the clients also. 
In general, here is an article on "How to install the Shadow Copy Client Software"
 

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Any more questions? Enter a comment or contact me here .