URGENT HELP NEEDED - critically important...!!!

Status
Not open for further replies.

sunandoghosh

Baseband Member
Messages
21
URGENT HELP NEEDED - critically important...!!!

Respected geeks,

Coming straight, here goes the problem:

Background:

Hardware: HDD SATA SEAGATE 160 GB
RAM: DDR RAM 1.5 GB Dual
Processor P4 3.2 Ghz

Operating System: Windows Advanced server 2000

Application: SAP (an ERP PACKAGE)

Database: Oracle 9i

Note: Same single desktop computer with configuration stated above is used as server as well as client. It is NOT on any network. No second computer is networked to it.


PROBLEM:

The SAP application along with oracle database occupies around 60 GB out of 160 GB but the HDD is partitioned as follows:

C: 60 GB having SAP installed of 30 GB
D: 60 GB having oracle installed of 25 GB
E: 40 GB having documents 5 GB

WHAT I WANT:

I want to make an IMAGE DRIVE (CLONE) of the above 160 HDD....??????????????????????? on to another new 160 GB HDD...?????????

QUESTIONS:

Q1. Which software should i use...ACronis True Image or Norton Ghost or any one (please name it) most suitable for above situation.....?????????

Q2. Also there are many versions of cloning software (like server version; enterprise version etc etc)...which version should i use to clone of the software used above...?????



example:

http://www.acronis.com/enterprise/products/

Q3. Is it really going to be exact replica...??????????

Q4. Any special precautions or caution...???????????


Note that I am a finance guy and that this would be the first time that I would be cloning...therefore please please explain and reply in as simple words as possible without assuming much prior knowledge but only basic familiarity with computers...

I also dont know DOS....!!! (but ready to learn if required)....

For normal work; I use windows xp professional which is installed on another 80 GB HDD; which has got NO relation with 160 GB HDD referredd above...

Thanks so much for having the patience and putting time in reading my long story and possibly coming forward for most simple practicable optimized solution....?????????

I am anxiously waiting for ur replies and would clone based on what is suggested / replied....

Thanks again so much....

Your help is truly genuinely appreciated...

Thanks again for anticipated help and cooperation.

Best warmest regards,

sunando

sunandoghosh at rediffmail dot com

p.s. if u want to add anything or suggest something please feel free to do so...
 
Hello! I personally would recommend Norton Ghost. I have never had a problem with it. You can make an exact clone of the ENTIRE disk rather than just one of the partitions.

Ghost works very easy and takes little skill to master. Simply install the new hard drive as a slave, install ghost software, launch the ghost utilities for a backup/restore operation, select the SOURCE drive (being the 160GB drive you want to clone) and your DESTINATION drive (160GB brand new blank HDD), then begin the ghost operation. It will reboot and perform the operation and presto you have an exact clone on that new hard drive. On screen instructions are very easy to understand.

Just remember when you ghost you MUST have licesnes for all the software you are ghosting for that new drive/machine otherwise it is illegal.
 
You need to create a ghost boot disk, and I am assuming you have both drives in the machine, and have the master/slave settings correct. When you boot to the disk you can go through the interface and select clone disk. It is usually a quick process, I would say for you less than fifteen minutes. You will have to have ghost installed on your system to create the bootdisk
 
I also recommend Ghost (have been using since version 4). Upon installation of Norton Ghost (the older versions), it will typically ask you for 1 or 2 floppy disks to create a bootable environment. With these versions of Norton you will be asked boot your computer using the disks that it creates. It will boot your computer (using PCDos or Dos) and automatically open the Ghost Wizard (so you wont really ahve to use dos), but you will need to understand partitions and drives so that you dont copy the wrong drive.

The newer version of Norton Ghost will allow you to create images and restore images while Windows is running (provided you are not trying to overwrite data on the primary drive and booted partition). I would recommend this version, specifically if you are doing this for backup reasons.

If you tell me what version of Norton you are using, and what the ultimate purpose is (i.e. backup, migrating to a new computer etc), I can provide you an example walkthrough, or maybe words of caution.

Another side note: there is something called RAID that will allow you to always maintain an exact image of your hard disk drive (this may be preferable if you always want the cloned image to be up to date), but there are some hardware requirements.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top Bottom