Before I tell you how Windows Server Backup works, it is important to tell you a story. If you have been administering Windows Server environments for a long time now, you are probably familiar with NTBackup.

NTBackup was the backup solution on Windows Server until Windows Server 2003 R2. Until Windows Server 2003 R2, NTBackup was a native, in-place solution to back up all system data, native applications, such as Active Directory, and other network resources.

When Microsoft launched Windows Server 2008, many administrators realized NTBackup was not there. A myth was created that Windows Server did have a backup solution. The reason why NTBackup was not there is that NTBackup was part of a partnership from Microsoft with a company called Veritas. This company was bought by Symantec by the time Microsoft was developing Windows Server 2008, and this partnership ended. Without the NTBackup solution available, Microsoft developed a new, extremely simple backup solution...