Storage and Volume Management

Storage and Volume Management What’s New in File Backup
The file backup solution in Windows Vista does not back up EFS-encrypted files. With this new feature included in Windows Vista SP1, Windows file backup becomes capable of backing up EFS-encrypted files.
Note
It does not back up the respective encryption keys that live outside of the files.
The Encrypting File System (EFS) is a component of the NTFS file system on Windows 2000, Windows XP Professional, Windows Server® 2003 and Windows Vista. (Windows XP Home doesn't include EFS.) EFS enables transparent encryption and decryption of files by using advanced, standard cryptographic algorithms. Any individual or program that doesn't possess the appropriate cryptographic key cannot read the encrypted data. For more information, see KB article http://support.microsoft.com/kb/934172.
For more information on EFS please refer the following Technet article: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/guidance/cryptographyetc/efs.mspx
Who should use File Backup feature enhancements?
All users can use Windows file backup as a part of backup solution in which Windows Vista provides. This guide is targeted at system administrators, early adopters and security architects who are responsible for implementing trustworthy computing.
Benefits of new features in Windows file backup
With this change users will be able to back up their EFS encrypted files with Windows file backup.
Key Scenarios
Note
Please see the Clarifications section below for detailed information on Datasets (combinations of encrypted files and directories) and basic instructions for creating a backup and restoring files.
Scenario 1 – User with Administrator privilege creates full backup and restores all files to original location: Goal of the scenario:
Verify the most basic backup-restore scenario which Windows file backup provides.
Specific hardware requirement:
External USB-HD or USB Flash Disk.
Prerequisites or specific configuration for the scenario:
External USB-HD or Flash Disk should be plugged in to machine.
If the machine is a laptop then it should not be running on batteries.
Step-by-step scenario description:
1. Log in as a user with Administrator privileges.
2. Create Dataset (save a copy of the Dataset elsewhere on your hard disk to compare later).
3. Create a full backup.
4. Delete the Dataset.
5. Restore all files to original location using the Advanced Restore option.
Expected results:
The restore operation should complete without errors and the restored files should be identical to the original files.
Exceptions:
No exceptions.
Scenario 2 - User with Administrator privilege creates full and incremental backup then restores all files to original location: Goal of the scenario:
Verify one of the basic backup-restore scenarios which user creates incremental backup as well as full backup.
Specific hardware requirement:
External USB-HD or a Network Share, for example: \\serverName\shareName.
Prerequisites or specific configuration for the scenario:
External USB-HD should be plugged in to machine or network share should be accessible.
Step-by-step scenario description:
1. Log in as a user that does not have administrator privledges.
2. Create a full backup.
3. Create the Dataset (save a copy of the Dataset elsewhere on your hard disk to compare later).
4. Create an incremental backup.
5. Delete the Dataset.
6. Use the same Non-administrator user account to restore all files to original location using the Restore files option.
Expected results:
The restore operation should complete without errors and the restored files should be identical to the original files.
Exceptions:
No exceptions.
Scenario 3 – User #1 (Administrator) creates full backup and restores all files to alternate encrypted location encrypted by User #2 (Administrator) Goal of the scenario:
Verify that Windows file backup works properly for a scenario where encrypted files owned by User #1 are restored to an alternate location which is encrypted by User #2, both users having Administrator privileges.
Specific hardware requirement:
External USB-HD or an Internal HD.
Prerequisites or specific configuration for the scenario:
External USB-HD or internal HD should be plugged in to machine.
Step-by-step scenario description:
1. Log in as User #1 (who has Administrator privileges).
2. Create a Dataset (save a copy of the Dataset elsewhere on your hard disk to compare later).
3. Create a full backup.
4. Delete the DataSet.
5. Log in as User #2 (who has Administrator privileges).
6. Create an alternate directory, for example: C:\alternate_location_for_restore.
7. Encrypt the alternate directory.
8. Log in as User #1.
9. Restore all files to the encrypted alternate location using the Advanced Restore option.
Expected results:
The restore operation should complete without errors and the restored files should be identical to the original files as well as being accessible by User #1.
Exceptions:
No exceptions.
Scenario 4 – Decrypt the Dataset after backing it up, then create an incremental backup Goal of the scenario:
Verify that Windows file backup works properly for a scenario where file change is a decryption operation.
Specific hardware requirement:
External USB-HD or DVD-RW Device.
Prerequisites or specific configuration for the scenario:
External USB-HD or DVD-RW Device should be plugged in to machine.
Step-by-step scenario description:
1. Log in as a user with Administrator privileges.
2. Create a Dataset (save a copy of the Dataset elsewhere on your hard disk to compare later.)
3. Create a full backup.
4. Decrypt the DataSet.
5. Create an incremental backup.
6. Delete the DataSet.
7. Restore all files to their original location using the Advanced Restore option.
Expected results:
Restored files should be readable and not encrypted.
Exceptions:
No exceptions.
Scenario 5 – Admin user creates full and incremental backup, decrypts the data then restores all files to original location Goal of the scenario:
Verify that Windows file backup backs up and restores user files properly on a different variations.
Specific hardware requirement:
External USB-HD.
Prerequisites or specific configuration for the scenario:
External USB-HD should be plugged in to machine.
Step-by-step scenario description:
1. Log in as a user with Administrator privileges.
2. Create a non-encrypted DataSet.
3. Create a full backup.
4. Encrypt the DataSet (see Clarifications below).
5. Create an incremental backup.
6. Decrypt the DataSet.
7. Restore all files to original location using the Advanced Restore option.
Expected results:
The restored files should be good and encrypted.
Exceptions:
No exceptions.
Clarifications:
To encrypt a file or folder using EFS, it must be on a volume formatted with NTFS.
1. Open Windows Explorer.
2. Right-click the file or folder and then click Properties.
3. On the General tab, click Advanced.
4. Select Encrypt contents to protect Data and click OK.
5. Backup your file encryption key and certificate.
In the scenarios above, the term DataSet refers to different combinations of the following set of data:
Encrypted files:
Documents (ex: Word Documents, Excel Documents, PDF Documents, etc.)
TV shows, Media Files (ex: music files, movie files, etc.)
Pictures (ex: bmp files, jpeg files, etc.)
Compressed files in encrypted directory
Encrypted directories:
Empty directory
Directory containing a set of encrypted and non-encrypted files
To create a full backup please follow these steps:
1. Run sdclt.exe.
2. Select the Back Up Files wizard on the left hand side.
3. If this is the first time you’re running the backup application:
a. Follow the Set up automatic file backup screen.
b. Select where you want to save your backup (backup target) and click the Next button.
c. Select the disks you want to include in the backup and click the Next button.
d. Select which file types you want to backup and click the Next button.
e. Select how often you want to create a backup and click the Save settings and start backup button.
4. If this is not the first time you’re running the backup application:
a. Follow the Change backup settings screen.
b. Select where you want to save your backup (backup target) and click the Next button.
c. Select the disks you want to include in the backup and click the Next button.
d. Select which file types you want to backup and click the Next button.
e. Select how often you want to create a backup.
f. Check the Create a new, full backup now in addition to saving settings checkbox.
g. Click Save settings and exit.
To create an incremental backup, please follow these steps:
1. Run sdclt.exe.
2. Select the Back Up Files wizard on the left hand side.
3. Follow Back up now.
To restore all files to their original location, please follow these:
1. Run sdclt.exe.
2. Select the Restore Files wizard on the left hand side.
3. Select Advanced restore.
4. Select Files from the latest backup made on this computer and click the Next button.
5. Check the Restore everything in this backup checkbox and click the Next button.
6. Select In the original location and click the Start restore button.
To restore all files to an alternate location, please follow these steps:
1. Run sdclt.exe.
2. Select the Restore Files wizard on the left hand side.
3. Select Advanced Restore.
4. Select Files from the latest backup made on this computer and click the Next button.
5. Check the Restore everything in this backup checkbox and click the Next button.
6. Select In the following location and specify the target folder.
7. Click the Start Restore button.
To restore all files to their original location (as an non-admin user), please follow these steps:
1. Run sdclt.exe.
2. Select the Restore Files wizard on the left hand side.
3. Select Restore files.
4. Select Files from the latest backup and click the Next button.
5. Add all of the folders and files by clicking the Add files… and Add folders… buttons and then click the Next button.
6. Select In the original location and click the Start restore button.
What’s New in Disk Defragmenter?
The Disk Defragmenter (Defrag) User Interface (UI) now has a button called “Select Volumes”, to enable the user to choose to select all volumes or a combination of volumes available for defragmentation on the disk.
The user may choose whether to defragment all new volumes or no new volumes as well.
Cyclic Pickup Defragmentation : When a scheduled defragmentation pass is stopped and re-run, it will automatically pickup on the next unfinished volume in line to be defragmented when re-run.
Who should use Defrag feature enhancements?
The scenarios are targeted at system administrators, IT planners and early adopters.
Benefits of new features in Disk Defragmenter
Enable Volume Selection in Scheduled Defragmentation
Drives that are largely static or not important to be defragmented can be avoided by the disk defragmenter, thus reducing overall defragmentation time for the customer. Customers may choose not to defragment any volume that would not benefit from defragmentation. The biggest benefit is for slightly more advanced users who store large amounts of data on volumes that are not written to very often.
Cyclic Pickup Defragmentation
A user’s computer will not spend time attempting to re-defragment a volume that has just been defragmented.
Key Scenarios Scenario 1 : Selective defragmentation of one or more volumes Goal of the scenario:
Determine if the volumes selected are defragmented and verify that volumes not selected are not defragmented.
Specific hardware requirement:
None.
Prerequisites or specific configuration for the scenario:
The machine should have more than 2 volumes. It can be on any number of configurations of disks.
Step-by-step scenario description:
1. Put data on all volumes, not including the system volume (this would take too much time).
2. Run dfrgui.exe.
3. Click Select Volumes…
4. Select a number of volumes to defragment. Record these.
5. Click OK.
6. Verify volume match in Defragment now.
a. Click Defragment now.
b. Verify volumes match those selected in Select volumes.
c. Click Cancel.
7. Click Defragment now.
8. Click OK.
9. Defragmentation will start. Verify that all selected volumes appear in defragmenting volume… (Vol:) text.
Expected results:
All volumes selected are defragmented, and no volumes that are not selected are defragmented.
Exceptions:
No known exceptions.
Scenario 2 : Cyclic Defragmentation of Volumes Goal of the scenario:
Verify that disk defragmenter starts on the last volume it was in the process of defragmenting instead of the first volume on the list every time.
Specific hardware requirement:
None.
Prerequisites or specific configuration for the scenario:
The machine should have more than 2 volumes. It can be on any number of configurations of disks.
Step-by-step scenario description:
Note
This scenario can only be tested via the command-line interface (CLI), even though it is a UI option, since a scheduled defrag will not run from the UI unless the machine is idle.
1. Run defrag –g (vol1 vol2 vol3) where no volume is the system volume.
2. Wait until the second volume (vol2) starts defragmenting and then type ctrl+c to quit.
3. Run the same defrag –g command from before. Result: The defragmenter engine will start on the volume it quit on previously.
4. Wait until the next volume (vol3) starts defragmenting and keystroke ctrl-c to quit. Result: The defragmenter engine will start on the volume it was last defragmenting, and not the finished volume.
5. As long as a complete defrag of all volumes has not completed in one run of defrag, this should continue.
Expected results:
All the three volumes should be defragmented, but after stopping and starting defrag the second time, it should start on the volume it was last defragmenting and not on the finished volume.
Exceptions:
No known exceptions.
What Is MountMgr
Mount Manager (MountMgr) is one aspect of the storage services stack. It is the component that is responsible for all drive letters that are assigned to volumes. After a drive letter is assigned to a volume by MountMgr, the drive letter is reserved for the volume in the MountMgr database located in the system’s registry.
What’s New in MountMgr
Drive letter conflict between removable disks and mapped network drives
USB flash disks and USB drives typically have a “sticky” drive letter assignments. For example, if you plug-in a USB flash disk and it gets assigned drive letter F: then it will try to re-use the F: drive letter the next time it is plugged in. If this drive letter is in-use when the USB flash disk is plugged in though it should get assigned a new drive letter such as G:. If a network drive is mapped to the same letter as the USB flash disk such as F:, and you later re-insert the USB flash disk, they will both be using the same drive letter, rendering the USB flash disk inaccessible unless you have administrator privileges and are able to re-assign the drive letter.
Who Should Use MountMgr feature enhancements?
This guide is targeted at the following audiences:
Enterprise desktop users
Users of managed desktop environments
USB Flash disk users
Benefits of new features in MountMgr
Prevent drive letter conflict between removable disks and mapped network drives
If you have a USB Flash disk that you have previously plugged in, and a network drive was then mapped to the same drive letter that the USB Flash disk was assigned, then you may encounter a conflict between the two. If there is a conflict, then the mapped network drive will usually take precedence, rendering the USB Flash disk inaccessible. To compound this problem, if the user does not have administrator privileges then they will need to seek out an administrator to remedy this issue.
The new feature will allow USB flash disks to obtain the next available drive letter if there is a conflict with a mapped network drive.
Key Scenarios Scenario 1 : Simple USB Volume removal/arrival
Pre-requisites USB Flask Disk
Insert USB flash disk with volume (for example F:)
Remove USB flash disk
Insert same USB flash disk.
Verify that same drive letter is assigned (F:)
Scenario 2: Single Volume Map Network Share
Pre-requisites USB Flask Disk
Insert USB flash disk and obtain drive letter for volume (for example F:)
Remove USB flash disk
Map network share to same drive letter as USB flash disk volume (F:)
Insert same USB flash disk.
Ensure that the volume on the disk shows up as the next available drive letter (G:)
Scenario 3: Multi-User Volume Map Network Share
Pre-requisites USB Flask Disk
Insert USB flash disk with Volume (F:) on local user account (no admin privileges)
Remove USB flash disk
On a different administrator session, map a network drive to the same drive letter as USB flash disk (F:)
On the local user account re-insert the USB flash disk.
Ensure that the USB flash disk volume gets the next available drive letter (G:)
Scenario 4: Multiple Volume Map Multiple Network Share
Pre-requisites: USB disk with multiple partitions/volumes
Insert USB disk with multiple volumes (e.g. F:, G:)
Remove USB disk
Map multiple network share to both of the drive letters as a USB disk volume (e.g. F:, G:)
Insert same USB flash disk.
Ensure that the F: volume on the disk shows up as H: and the G: volume shows up with the next available drive letter (I:).
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