It is possible to backup a Hyper-V server without taking it down using the Hyper-V VSS writer.

The way I do it is with a small batch file that is run as a scheduled task. The command is quite simple.

WBADMIN START BACKUP -backupTarget:”\\SERVER\BACKUP_SHARE” -user:DOMAIN\USERNAME -password:PASSWORD -include:C:,D: -vssFull -quiet > c:\Backup\hyperbackup.log

As you can see the command is output to a text file located at c:\Backup\hyperbackup.log so that you can check the progress.

As I will always forget to check on it I set another scheduled task to run a VBS file to e-mail the log to me.

This is the vbscript I use.

Const cdoSendUsingPickup = 1 ‘Send message using the local SMTP service pickup directory.
Const cdoSendUsingPort = 2 ‘Send the message using the network (SMTP over the network).

Const cdoAnonymous = 0 ‘Do not authenticate
Const cdoBasic = 1 ‘basic (clear-text) authentication
Const cdoNTLM = 2 ‘NTLM

Dim arrFileLines()
i = 0
Set objFSO = CreateObject(“Scripting.FileSystemObject”)
Set objFile = objFSO.OpenTextFile(“LOCATIONOFFILETOEMAIL“, 1)

Do Until objFile.AtEndOfStream
Redim Preserve arrFileLines(i)
arrFileLines(i) = objFile.ReadLine
i = i + 1
Loop
objFile.Close

Set objMessage = CreateObject(“CDO.Message”)
objMessage.Subject = “SUBJECT”
objMessage.From = “”"FROM“” <FROM@DOMAIN.co.uk>”
objMessage.To = “TO@DOMAIN.co.uk”

For l = Ubound(arrFileLines)-10 to Ubound(arrFileLines)

‘ write the output to the file
objMessage.TextBody = objMessage.TextBody + arrFileLines(l) + VbCrLF
Next

‘objMessage.TextBody = “This is some sample message text..” & vbCRLF & “It was sent using SMTP authentication.”
objMessage.AddAttachment “LOCATIONOFFILETOEMAIL”

‘==This section provides the configuration information for the remote SMTP server.

objMessage.Configuration.Fields.Item _
(“http://schemas.microsoft.com/cdo/configuration/sendusing”) = 2

‘Name or IP of Remote SMTP Server
objMessage.Configuration.Fields.Item _
(“http://schemas.microsoft.com/cdo/configuration/smtpserver”) = “SMTPSERVER”

‘Type of authentication, NONE, Basic (Base64 encoded), NTLM
objMessage.Configuration.Fields.Item _
(“http://schemas.microsoft.com/cdo/configuration/smtpauthenticate”) = cdoBasic

‘Your UserID on the SMTP server
objMessage.Configuration.Fields.Item _
(“http://schemas.microsoft.com/cdo/configuration/sendusername”) = “USERNAME”

‘Your password on the SMTP server
objMessage.Configuration.Fields.Item _
(“http://schemas.microsoft.com/cdo/configuration/sendpassword”) = “PASSWORD”

‘Server port (typically 25)
objMessage.Configuration.Fields.Item _
(“http://schemas.microsoft.com/cdo/configuration/smtpserverport”) = 25

‘Use SSL for the connection (False or True)
objMessage.Configuration.Fields.Item _
(“http://schemas.microsoft.com/cdo/configuration/smtpusessl”) = False

‘Connection Timeout in seconds (the maximum time CDO will try to establish a connection to the SMTP server)
objMessage.Configuration.Fields.Item _
(“http://schemas.microsoft.com/cdo/configuration/smtpconnectiontimeout”) = 60

objMessage.Configuration.Fields.Update

‘==End remote SMTP server configuration section==

objMessage.Send

To save having to open the attachment the last ten lines (or so!) are in the body of the e-mail. This allows you to see if the backup has been successful or failed at a glance.

I used to use Reverse VNC to give remote support to family members but the driver doesn’t work on Vista and above, or it doesn’t for me anyway.

So I now use TeamViewer. It’s free for personal use and works with both Windows and (rotten) Apple’s.