Recovering from a disaster - Non-domain server

This post is regarding recovery of a server in a Workgroup.

First perform a fresh installation of Windows server. Change the name and workgroup of the server temporarily to anything simple. Add a static IP address and DNS to the server and add the server's IP to the DNS server of the network. Add the DPM agent as it is added in backup of a workgroup server (for agent addition steps, click here)

Now install Windows Server Backup feature and run wbadmin to recover the system state.
To do this, from DPM admin console, copy the System State of the server to be recovered to a network share. From the windows server that is being recovered, run the following command to get the backup version from the share:

wbadmin get versions -backupTarget:\\192.192.1.15\Backup

This command will list the properties of the backup stored at the network location.
TO actually run the recovery, run the following command:

wbadmin start systemstaterecovery -backupTarget:\\192.192.1.15\Backup -version:06/09/2014-12:34

Now enter Y to the questions asked.

At the end, the process asks for restart of the server. DO NOT PRESS Y HERE!!!

Now from DPM admin console start the recovery of the drives (volumes). Right click the drives of the server that needs to be recovered (At the Recovery tab). Now select an alternate location or the same location based upon the setup of you environment. Select the drive in the location which will overwrite the files if selected. Proceed to restore.

After the restore finishes, at the prompt used to recover the system state press Y to RESTART the server. Now you can relax, system recovered.

Note: Please change the IP address in the above example to the IP of the location of the share where recovered data is stored!

Protecting a Non-Domain Server

1) Map the C: drive of the DPM server at the non-domain server. Provide the domain admin username and password when prompted.

net use Z: \\DPMServer\C$


2) From elevated command prompt, at Z:\Program Files\Microsoft System Center 2012 R2\DPM\DPM\ProtectionAgents\RA\4.2.1205.0\amd64,
run DPMAgentInstaller_x64.exe.
Accept the license and proceed.


3) Now from C:\Program Files\Microsoft Data Protection Manager\DPM\bin,
run:
.\SetDpmServer -dpmServerName DPM_FQDN -isNonDomainServer -userName New_User        -productionServerDnsSuffix Domain_Name

Where, DPM_FQDN:  DPM Server's FQDN
             New_User : Provide a new username that will be used by the DPM server as well.


4) Now from DPM Server's Agent Installation wizard, select Attach agent -> Computer in a Workgroup or untrusted domain.


5) Enter the non-domain server name (FQDN), the username created in step 3 and the password for the user.


6) Attach the agent.

Now you are ready to protect the server.

Note: Remember to change the DNS domain of the non-AD domain server to the one same as of DPM server.