You can use the Windows PowerShell cmdlets for Windows Server Backup to automate and manage backups. Before you begin, you must install the cmdlets as part of installing Windows Server Backup. (For instructions, see Install Windows Server Backup Tools.) Then, each time you use the cmdlets, you must add the Windows Server Backup cmdlet snap-in to the instance of Windows PowerShell that you have opened.

To add the Windows Server Backup cmdlet snap-in to Windows PowerShell

  1. To add the snap-in, at the Windows PowerShell prompt, type:

    add-pssnapin windows.serverbackup

  2. To confirm that the snap-in was added, at the Windows PowerShell prompt, type:

    get-pssnapin

    Then look for windows.serverbackup in the output.

To view a list of Windows Server Backup cmdlets
To view help for Windows Server Backup cmdlets

Additional considerations

  • To use the Windows PowerShell cmdlets for Windows Server Backup, you must be a member of the Backup Operators or Administrators group, or you must have been delegated the appropriate authority.

  • By default, Windows PowerShell modules and snap-ins are not loaded in Windows PowerShell. To start Windows PowerShell so that all the Windows PowerShell modules and snap-ins are loaded automatically, right-click the Windows PowerShell icon in the taskbar, and then click Import all modules. In Windows Server 2008 R2, the Windows PowerShell icon is pinned to the taskbar by default. However, you must start Windows PowerShell one time to make the Import all modules task appear.

Additional references

  • Optimizing Backup and Server Performance
  • Troubleshooting Backup and Recovery