Generate a system backup while leaving certain files and folders out.
Generate a system backup while leaving certain files and folders out.
On Windows Server 2012 R2 I aim to set up a system backup while omitting specific files or folders that are already protected elsewhere. The server uses a RAID 5 configuration with three disks, so I’m considering backing up a virtual disk if it’s beneficial. I’m exploring alternatives since standard Windows Server Backup doesn’t support this scenario. Tomorrow I’ll add a fourth disk to the RAID setup and want confidence in preserving the system in case of failure. My database and other critical data (~280GB) are regularly copied daily to a 300GB external drive, but I currently lack a backup for the system drive itself. I only possess one spare 300GB drive, making it impractical to back up the entire system—including the database—at once. Fortunately, the database is already backed up on another 300GB media, so I’ll focus on capturing just the remaining system drive, excluding the database.
I'm using Veeam's free workstation backup here. Windows backup lets you pick files, though it's been a while since I've tried it.