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WindowsServerBackupValidator.ps1.README.md

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Windows Server Backup Validator

A comprehensive PowerShell script for validating Windows Server Backup jobs, performing test restores, and ensuring backup integrity.

Features

  • Validates Windows Server Backup status
  • Performs backup integrity checks
  • Executes test restores of random files
  • Verifies restored file integrity
  • Sends notifications via email or Slack
  • Generates detailed HTML reports
  • Comprehensive logging
  • Automated cleanup of test restores

Requirements

  • PowerShell 5.1 or later
  • Windows Server Backup feature installed
  • Administrator privileges
  • SMTP server (for email notifications)
  • Slack webhook URL (for Slack notifications)

Installation

  1. Install Windows Server Backup feature:
Install-WindowsFeature Windows-Server-Backup

  1. Configure permissions:

    • Run as administrator
    • Ensure access to backup location
    • Configure test restore location

  2. Set up notification method:

    • Configure SMTP settings for email notifications
    • Or set up Slack webhook for Slack notifications

Usage

Basic Validation with Email Notifications

.\WindowsServerBackupValidator.ps1 `
    -BackupTarget "E:\Backups" `
    -NotificationMethod Email `
    -EmailTo "admin@company.com" `
    -EmailFrom "backup-alerts@company.com" `
    -SmtpServer "smtp.company.com"

With Slack Notifications

.\WindowsServerBackupValidator.ps1 `
    -BackupTarget "E:\Backups" `
    -NotificationMethod Slack `
    -SlackWebhook "https://hooks.slack.com/services/YOUR/WEBHOOK/URL"

Custom Test Restore Path

.\WindowsServerBackupValidator.ps1 `
    -BackupTarget "E:\Backups" `
    -TestRestorePath "D:\TestRestore" `
    -NotificationMethod Email `
    -EmailTo "admin@company.com"

Parameters

Parameter Required Default Description
BackupTarget Yes - Path to backup location
TestRestorePath No D:\TestRestore Path for test restores
NotificationMethod Yes - Email or Slack
EmailTo No* - Email recipients
EmailFrom No* - From email address
SmtpServer No* - SMTP server hostname
SlackWebhook No* - Slack webhook URL
TestRestoreEnabled No $true Enable test restores

*Required based on NotificationMethod

Validation Checks

The script performs these validations:

  1. Backup Status

    • Last successful backup time
    • Full and incremental backup times
    • Backup size
    • Age verification (>24h = outdated)

  2. Integrity Check

    • Volume-level integrity verification
    • Backup set validation
    • Catalog consistency

  3. Test Restore

    • Random file selection
    • Restore verification
    • File integrity validation
    • Automated cleanup

Notifications

Alerts are sent for:

  • Failed backups
  • Outdated backups
  • Integrity check failures
  • Test restore failures
  • Script execution errors

Reports

HTML reports include:

  • Backup status summary
  • Integrity check results
  • Test restore outcomes
  • Error details
  • Warning conditions

Logging

  • Detailed logs in C:\Logs\WSBValidation
  • Timestamp-based log files
  • Color-coded console output
  • Error tracking and reporting

Best Practices

  1. Schedule regular validation:
# Create scheduled task
$action = New-ScheduledTaskAction -Execute "PowerShell.exe" `
    -Argument "-File C:\Scripts\WindowsServerBackupValidator.ps1 -BackupTarget 'E:\Backups' -NotificationMethod Email -EmailTo 'admin@company.com'"
$trigger = New-ScheduledTaskTrigger -Daily -At 6AM
Register-ScheduledTask -Action $action -Trigger $trigger -TaskName "WSBValidation" -Description "Daily Windows Server Backup validation"
  1. Monitor logs regularly
  2. Keep sufficient space for test restores
  3. Review and adjust notification settings
  4. Maintain email distribution lists

Error Handling

The script includes comprehensive error handling for:

  • Backup access failures
  • Integrity check errors
  • Test restore failures
  • Disk space issues
  • Notification delivery problems

Troubleshooting

  1. Backup Access Issues:

    • Verify backup location accessibility
    • Check permissions
    • Review Windows Server Backup logs

  2. Test Restore Failures:

    • Check available disk space
    • Verify test restore path permissions
    • Review file selection criteria

  3. Notification Issues:

    • Verify SMTP/Slack settings
    • Test network connectivity
    • Check credentials

Support

For issues and feature requests:

  1. Check Windows Server Backup logs
  2. Review script logs
  3. Verify permissions
  4. Contact system administrator