Okay, so we have a Full Backup of Microsoft Small Business Server 2011, approx 20GB on our Western Digital Worldbook NAS (\\nas\backup).
(see this blog – New HD Video Bare Metal Recovery of Microsoft Small Business Server 2011: Part 1 How to Backup Microsoft Small Business Server 2011)
The next bit could not have been easier, we insert the Microsoft Small Business Server 2011 DVD into the DVD ROM drive, Boot from the DVD as if we are going to install a copy of Microsoft Small Business Server 2011 on the server, you are already probably familiar with this step, but we Click the ‘Repair your Computer‘. This procedure WILL only work, if restoring to “like for like” hardware as the original server backup. Follow the Wizard, selecting the network location of the backup.
In this video, I’m restoring to a VMware vSphere Virtual Machine. Initially to prove, that I’m restoring to Bare Metal Server, (no OS is pre-installed), I’ve booted the virtual machine with NO Microsoft Small Business Server 2011 DVD ROM Media in the DVD ROM drive, and you can see it tries to PXE Boot from the Network, at the next reboot, I’ve inserted the media, to boot and start the Server Bare Metal Restore from the Network copy.
DO NOT TRY THIS PROCEDURE ON A PRODUCTION LIVE SERVER!
YOU WILL ERASE AND DESTROY IT!
[flv:https://andysworld.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Bare-Metal-Recovery-Part2-SBS2011.flv 480 360]
Wait for the Restore and Server to Restart.
