NTBackup, batch files, AT command and permissions

Ok, I have WinNT Server sp6.

When I upgraded to IE 5.5, the Scheduler service got replaced with Task Scheduler (I've no idea if that's significant or not, but I could swear I remember catching something about it in a Knowledge Base article).

The goal is to schedule automated backups using batch files, NTBackup and the AT command (not sure I can justify the expense of 3rd party backup software for such a small company with relatively basic needs).

For testing, I have NTBackup and a tape drive installed on one computer (WinNT Server sp6) that I plan to use as a "backup server" to grab files from other machines. I have a test directory set up on another WinNT Server sp6 machine.

• If I use the command line (ntbackup backup blah, blah, blah) to backup the remote test directory, everything's hunky-dory.
  
• If I make a batch file that uses the above command line and launch the batch file, the backup works fine.
  
• If I run the batch file from a scheduled AT command event, I get a permissions error. This is odd because the target directory has zero restrictions (Everyone has full read/write access). On top of that, the "backup server" is using the Admin account for login (and just out of paranoia, I added the Admin to the Backup Operators permissions group).

There should be no reason for a permissions error here. Can anyone help me out?

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Update. I added "System" to the permissions on the shared drive the target directory is on. Still got the same problem. :(

Given that the permission was already full for Everyone, I can't say I'm terribly surprised by this turn of events.

Ive seen this before. Let me check the knowledge base and get you a URL.

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Originally posted by UsePost2000:
Ive seen this before. Let me check the knowledge base and get you a URL.

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Good luck. I only found a suggestion regarding which version of sp2 to use (not much help given that I'm already up to sp6), another one that said "we know this is a problem" and a third that was similarly not useful.

What tape backup brand are you using? what model number?

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Originally posted by UsePost2000:
What tape backup brand are you using? what model number?

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It's a... uhm, it's a... (*takes computer apart* Durnit! No model indicated!)... it's a Seagate of some sort. Uses TR-4 (Travan 4GB) tapes.

The task schedule service by default uses the local admin account to start. If you try to connect to stuff on other machines with the at command you can't as you are useing a LOCAL account not a domain one. Either use a domain account to start the task schedule service that has rights in the right directories or replicate the local account on the other machines you want to connect to. To check if this is correct log on with the account that starts the task schedule and see if your batch file works (i bet it doesn't)

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Originally posted by bernieb:
The task schedule service by default uses the local admin account to start. If you try to connect to stuff on other machines with the at command you can't as you are useing a LOCAL account not a domain one. Either use a domain account to start the task schedule service that has rights in the right directories or replicate the local account on the other machines you want to connect to. To check if this is correct log on with the account that starts the task schedule and see if your batch file works (i bet it doesn't)

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I am logged in with the Administrator ("Built-in account for administering the computer/domain") account when I issue the AT command. At no time is anyone other than the Administrator logged in on that computer. So far as I know, this is a domain account, correct?

As for having permissions in the target directory, it gives full control to the Everyone group (which I believe is a built-in group), which includes the Administrator account. Since my earlier failure, I've added full control over the target folder to the Administrators group, the SYSTEM account, and the Backup Operators group. Still no success.

Sorry, I'm not following. Obvsiously, there's something here I don't understand. :confused:

Ok, now I'm getting downright depressed.

I used the little girly GUI thingy this time instead of typed AT commands. I went over to the target folder (the one that gives full control to Everyone already) and specifically entered the domain Administrator account under Permissions. Next, in the girly-GUI Task Scheduler, I created a task, and specifically entered DOMAIN\Administrator as the account to use for the task (entered the right password and everything).

Guess what happened when it ran? C'mon, guess! *cry*

In services in the schedule service, set the startup with this:
Logon as, mark This Account an them place the administrator account and the respective password.

Test the service..I beleve they work fine.

Unfortunately, IE5.5 replaced the Schedule service with Task Scheduler. Under the Services control panel, Log on As is greyed out for Task Scheduler.

Going through the Scheduled Taks folder seemed to be the only way to associate a particular account with a scheduled task. As I mentioned above, going this route didn't get me very far.

I think I'm going to abandon this whole scheme and just have users copy their files to a folder on the "backup server", then have a script grab those local files. Ugh.