[BackupPC-users] Windows backups the easy way in a domain environment.

[Stephen W. <ste...@me...>]

I have recently installed and configured backuppc in a mixed 
Linux/Windows server environment. I love it. After looking at a few 
different commercial products I went back to open source. When will I 
learn to look there first! I just wanted to add some additional insights 
for the Windows environment.

 From the documentation:
"Otherwise, to use SMB, you need to create shares for the data you want 
to backup. Open ``My Computer'', right click on the drive (eg: C), and 
select ``Sharing...'' (or select ``Properties'' and select the 
``Sharing'' tab). In this dialog box you can enable sharing, select the 
share name and permissions. Many machines will be configured by default 
to share the entire C drive as C$ using the administrator password."

My comments:
All Windows NT based OS (NT, 2000, XP Pro), are "configured by default 
to share the entire C drive as C$". This is a special share used for 
various admin. functions, one of which is to grant access to backup 
operators. All you need to do is create a new domain user, specifically 
for backup. Then add the new backup user to the built in "Backup 
Operators" group. You now have backup capability for any directory on 
any computer in the domain in one easy step. This avoids using 
administrator accounts and only grants permission to do exactly what you 
want for the given user ..i.e..backup.
Also, for additional security, you may wish to deny the ability for this 
user to logon to computers in the default domain policy.

Thanks for the great software.

-- 
Stephen Weyland
Systems Administrator
Mercury Blue
8398-1210