NTBackup + ASR + some Automation = Every Day Automatic DRP

Disaster Recovery Plan, is not a complicated thing to do when money is falling out of the windows but in this time of cost reduction. As me you may not have enough money to buy expansive hot imaging software.
I've started using this kind of software since the launch of Powerquest V2i Protector V1.0 few years ago then we have follow the evolution to go under Symantec solutions. Needs are still present but money has gone with the sub primes...
So what is the backup solution embedded with XP & 2003, NTBackup and what is exactly ASR (Automated System Recovery). Is the all in one free* solution I'm looking for ??

Here's the constraints...
1° -  NTBackup ASR command-line is not cleary documented. So as Google is my friend, I've finally succeded in finding the "/ASRBACKUP" switch.
2° - I don't have the 2000 Floppies requested to save all configuration files of all our servers and even if...
3° - Having more than 2 or 2000 servers leads you in trying to automate the all process(es)...
4° - I don't want to spend all my time in computer room as spring is coming...
5° - Some servers or workstations still have physical floppy drive but all machines...
6° - I need scripting or at least a batch file to make automated tasks.


Manual ASR & restoration have been very promising but floppy creation still remains my everest...

A few months ago, I've discovered VFD (Virtual Floppy Drive) that I use to make tests on floppies on my Dell SX270 which has only one docking bay.
A long time ago I've heard about devcon from Microsoft for managing devices.

But not cerebral  links between this two tools until...

I've been working on this problem for a long time and this afternoon the light shine on me !!! hallelujah !!!

How to proceed :

- select your needed version of devcon and copy it to "%systemroot%\system32" or else where in the %path%.

- look for your floppy drive if it exist and disable it !

    + devcon findall *floppy*

    + devcon disable *floppy*

- unzip the file "vfd21-080206.zip" somewhere, ie "%systemroot%\system32\vfd21-080206".

- for help on Virtual Floppy Drive :\>vfd help.

- mount the virtual floppy drive.

   + vfd start

- mount a blank floppy disk in the virtal drive.

   + vfd open /force

So now you can start your ASR command-line.

   + ntbackup asrbackup /n "ASR-%computername%" /d "ASR-%computername%" /v:no /r:no /rs:no /hc:off /m normal /j "ASRBackup" /f e:\ASR-%computername%.bkf

Wait until ASR completion, no interaction is required, ASR will goes on and will be automatically closed after completion.

Save the vitual floppy which now contains all the files needed in case of restoration.

   + vfd save e:\ASR-floppy.flp /over

Use the switch /over to overwrite existing image.

The extension ".flp" allows usage of winimage to open the floppy file for browsing.

Unmount the virtual floppy drive.

  + vfd stop /force

Enable back your physical floppy drive.

   + devcon enable *floppy*

Thats's all your ASR procedure is now fully automated and can be call through the windows scheduler in a single bacth file by a simple command like this :

set path=%path%;C:\WINDOWS\system32\vfd21-080206&&devcon disable *floppy*&&vfd start&&vfd open /force&&ntbackup asrbackup /n "ASR-%computername%" /d "ASR-%computername%" /v:no /r:no /rs:no /hc:off /m normal /j "ASRBackup" /f e:\ASR-%computername%.bkf&&vfd save e:\ASR-floppy.flp /over&&vfd stop /force&&devcon enable *floppy*

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*free : remember you have to own a genuine windows licence.