ghost32 ver 8

  • Thread starter Thread starter AO
  • Start date Start date
A

AO

I am having some troubles with ghost32 version 8. We have a small
server setup for a small busines(2 people). It has 3 40 gig drives in
it. The first drive contians the OS and application files. The
second 40gig drives is for business related data. On the third drive,
what we would like to do is each evening run ghost32 or ghost and
clone the second drive to the third. First off, how can this be done
or are there other tools out there other than ghost to clone one drive
to another on a schedule automated basis? I have looked at Acronis
just a little and it looks more like windows backup where it backs
your drive up to a large file that you can access as needed to pull
whatever you need out of that file should a file restore be needed. I
would prefer to stay away from this however.

The problem I am having with Ghost 8 is that i try to setup a batch
file to be run using the scheduler built into windows but the batch
file will fire, go into ghost and just as it is setting up to start
copying the data from drive 2 to 3 it just closes automatically
without producing any error that i can tell(no ghosterr.txt and the
screen flashs to quick to see what happens otherwise). I have a
feeling it is not able to lock the drive successfully but no warning
is ever given. Any ideas or recommendations? Thanks for the help in
advance.
 
Yes, it possibly can be done, depending on your OS and disk management. As
you know, Ghost 8 supports only specific filesystems. If you run Windows
2000 and your second disk has one NTFS partition, it should be no problem.
Now, you have mentioned Ghost32.exe. That can be run in windows, but has
been desinged for non-active (dismounted) disk. That you cannot achieve
without shutting down your server. But if you shut it down, you would not be
able to run any scheduled tasks.
Well, there is a solution. On your primary disk create a small hidden
partition. Format it FAT and install DOS from Windows 98SE. Put there a
regular Ghost.exe. Create a batch to launch ghosting of a second disk to
third (or file on third disk). Get some utilities to manipulate partition
flags (active, hidden) and put them in DOS and OS partitions. Modify your
autoexec.bat to change active partition to OS partition and hide DOS
partition. Last, include a command to reboot server.
Now get the following process to work:
1. Create schedule to unhide DOS partition and make it active, make OS
partition inactive. Include command to reboot server.
2. When server reboots, it ghosts second disk to the third disk, manipulates
partitions, auto reboots.
3. Server starts in normal mode and waits for the next scheduled operation
(next night).

I have done it and results are very good. It is a complete "hands off"
unattended image/backup. You can image even your OS partition. If you have a
remote storage PC, you can transfer images over your network to that PC
while imaging. No need for the local "third" hard disk.
 
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