Assuming to have time to take down a network during a Sunday, I will like to know if , for imaging a Sbs2k3 box and HIR restoring, could be better to accomplish an offline backup ?

 

TIA

If you don't need the machine online, and your intent is to create a full/base image, then it can actually be faster to create the base image using the Vista-based WinPE ("Recommended") recovery environment, rather than backup within your live active normal Windows boot session.  Is that what you're asking?

Yes, exactly.

Having a full Sunday for performing the operation I think an offline image will be smoother

So in general an offline backup is quicker than an online I guess...

well it makes sense, not many other programs running taking resources