DOING BACKUP ON WINDOWS 2008 SERVER
A little note about Windows Server 2008 Backup tool :
It is different from the old NTBACKUP. It cannot read old NTBACKUP file (*.bkf).
There is no file-based backup. You cannot select individual files or folders and backup. (Vista backup utility which is similar to 2008 does support file-based backup).
It does NOT support tape drives. It CANNOT backup to tape drives.
It creates an image backup. It backup the entire volume.
It backup in VHD format instead of BKF format. VHD or Virtual Hard Disk is a file format used by Microsoft Virtual PC. The entire virtual operating system and the application stack in a single file.
You can recover the server by booting up from the Windows Server 2008 DVD and the backup disk.
You can backup to internal disk, external USB drive, or network shares (NAS).
For running scheduled backups, you need a separate DEDICATED disk for the backup. The scheduled backup will format the target disk, and it will be hidden from the Windows Explorer.
Windows Server Backup cannot make streaming backups of Exchange, unlike the old NTBACKUP.
For tape backup or better Exchange backup, look into Micro System Center data Protection Manager
For more information, see:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc770266.aspx
http://blogs.dirteam.com/blogs/sanderberkouwer/archive/2008/02/10/back-up-to-core-business.aspx
For Microsoft System Center Data Protection Manager 2007:
See: http://www.microsoft.com/systemcenter/dataprotectionmanager/en/us/default.aspx