Updated-Backup Strategies with Web Deploy

Before running the Web Deploy commands to update a web site, make sure to create a backup of the target web files in case a rollback of the operation is required. The process to make a backup on the target server is quick and I would recommend adding these steps to any scripts used for deployments on an IIS server.

These scripts are run from the source server (10.0.0.11) and backing up the files on the target server (10.0.0.12) and the packages are stored on the target server in the c:\_WebDeploy folder. Web Site Settings Backup:

The first example uses the AppCmd utility to backup the IIS settings. If a server level or web site level deployment has modifications to the IIS settings, make a backup copy of the target IIS settings to quickly restore the server if there are issues with the deployment. Again, this is for IIS settings only.

%windir%\system32\inetsrv\appcmd add backup “PreContoso_v2.1_Deployment”

Web Site Content Backup:

This command will backup all settings for the target IIS server.

Server Level Backup:

#Remote Server

msdeploy -verb:sync -source:webServer,computername=10.0.0.12 dest:package=c:\IIS_Backups\Contoso_v2.1_Deployment.zip

#Local Server

msdeploy -verb:sync -source:webServer -dest:package=C:\IIS_Backups\IISServerBackup.zip

#Compare Backup to In Production Web Server (Verify backup)

msdeploy –verb:sync –source:package=C:\IIS_Backups\IISServerBackup.zip -dest:webServer -whatif

#Compare 2 Backup Packages:
msdeploy –verb:sync –source:package=C:\IIS_Backups\IISServerBackup.zip -dest:package=C:\IIS_Backups\IISServerBackup_09272017.zip -whatif

Web Site Level Backup:

msdeploy –verb:sync -source:contentPath="Contoso.com",computername=10.0.0.12 -dest:package=c:\IIS_Backups\Contoso_v2.1_Deployment.zip

The contentPath provider uses the dirPath and filePath providers to function.

Folder Level Backup:

msdeploy –verb:sync –source:dirPath="c:\inetput\websites\contoso\staticfiles",computername=10.0.0.12 -dest:package=c:\_WebDeploy\Contoso_v2.1_staticfiles.zip

Batch File Script to Automate the Backup of Website

REM: Get the current date and time

for /f "skip=1" %%x in ('wmic OS GET LocalDateTime') do if not defined LocalDateTime set LocalDateTime=%%x
set DATESTAMP=%LocalDateTime:~0,8%
set TIMESTAMP=%TIME:~0,2%_%TIME:~3,2%
set TIMESTAMP=%TIMESTAMP: =0%
set FolderDate=%DATESTAMP%_%TIMESTAMP%

rem Create folder
set Folder=c:\web_deploy\Backup\Production_Server\%FolderDate%_Archive
mkdir %Folder%

REM #This will create a backup of the remote Production site onto the local workstation
msdeploy -verb:sync -source:iisapp="Default Web Site/StructuralInventory",computername=x.x.x.x,username=xxx,password=xxx -dest:package=%Folder%\ProductionWebSite_%MyDate%.zip

Comments

• Anonymous
  September 21, 2015
  looks like the verb should be '-verb:sync' instead of '–verb:dump'

• Anonymous
  September 22, 2015
  Yes, the -Sync command can be used as well for each of these commands.

• Anonymous
  December 27, 2016
  I'd say the limitation is stronger than just that -verb:sync can be used. At least with msdeploy 3.6 -verb:dump doesn't allow the -dest parameter at all. With -verb:sync, though, you, you can backup to a local package using -dest:package=.zip or to a remote folder using -dest:computername=%WMSVC%:8172/msdeploy.axd,package=.zip.Also your :"Server Level Backup" command example is missing a few ":", for whatever that's worth.

  • Anonymous
    January 24, 2017
    Thanks Cori. I will take a look the command I have posted. I has been awhile since that post and I have probably have adjusted a few scripts :)