Back up and restore a farm by using DPM (Windows SharePoint Services 3.0)
Applies To: Windows SharePoint Services 3.0
Topic Last Modified: 2009-07-13
Microsoft System Center Data Protection Manager 2007 (DPM) is designed to continuously protect and reliably recover data on Microsoft application and file servers. It enables disk-based and tape-based data protection and recovery for servers in and across Active Directory domains. DPM performs replication, synchronization, and recovery point creation to provide reliable protection and rapid recovery of data both by system administrators and by end users.
The advantages of using DPM instead of SharePoint Products and Technologies built-in tools include:
Scheduled backup capability within the user interface.
Automatic deletion of old backup files.
Fully supported backup and recovery of the SharePoint configuration database and the Central Administration content database.
For more information about how System Center Data Protection Manager compares with other tools for protecting data, see Choose backup and recovery tools (Windows SharePoint Services).
By using DPM, you can simplify the protection process by setting up individual protection groups that define the scope and frequency of the backup. Your DPM protection group can include any or all of the following data sources:
Content stored in SQL Server databases
Content stored in external storage devices
The search service database and index
Configuration settings for Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 that are stored in Internet Information Services (IIS) and the configuration database
Customizations
Binary files for both the operating system and Windows SharePoint Services 3.0
Back up a farm by using Data Protection Manager
You can create DPM protection groups that protect all of a SharePoint Products and Technologies farm. You can recover individual sites, databases, and items from a farm backup.The Central Administration content database and the configuration database for a SharePoint farm can be recovered by DPM, but only as part of a full-farm recovery.
Your protection group can include the SharePoint farm, any external SQL Server databases, and the folders that include farm customizations.
This topic does not provide detailed instructions for backing up SharePoint Products and Technologies with DPM, because it is a multi-step process that includes many procedures. For more information about how to configure DPM to back up SharePoint farms, see Configuring DPM 2007 (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=123464&clcid=0x409). By using the features in System Center Data Protection Manager with Service Pack 1 (SP1), you can now back up the search index without writing additional scripts. For more information about protecting search, see Protecting WSS Indexes (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=155922).
Restore a farm by using Data Protection Manager
To recover a SharePoint Products and Technologies server farm, the recovery destination must meet the following requirements:
The Web servers are configured the same as they were when the recovery point was created.
The farm structure must be created on the recovery server; the farm data will be recovered to the existing structure.
The instances of SQL Server are configured with the same names as when the recovery point was created.
The instances of SQL Server are configured with the same drive configuration as when the recovery point was created.
To recover farm data to a functioning farm
In DPM Administrator Console, click Recovery on the navigation bar.
In the Protected data pane, expand the server that contains the farm you want to recover, and then click All Protected SharePoint Data.
The farm displays in the Recoverable item pane as server name\farm name.
Use the calendar and Recovery time menu to select a recovery point.
In the Recoverable item pane, click the farm item.
Click Recover in the Actions pane, and then complete the wizard.
To recover farm data when a protected farm is not available
Create a new farm that uses the same instance of SQL Server and the same Web server as the original protected farm.
On the Web server that DPM used to protect the original farm, on the drive on which SharePoint Products and Technologies is installed, open a command prompt window, and then change to the following directory: %COMMONPROGRAMFILES%\Microsoft shared\Web server extensions\12\Bin.
Register the Windows SharePoint Services VSS Writer service (SPWriter) by typing the following command at a command prompt, and then pressing ENTER: stsadm -o registerwsswriter
In DPM Administrator Console, click Recovery on the navigation bar.
In the Protected data pane, expand the server that contains the farm you want to recover, and then click All Protected SharePoint Data.
The farm displays in the Recoverable item pane as server name\farm name.
Use the calendar and Recovery time menu to select a recovery point.
In the Recoverable item pane, click the farm item.
Click Recover in the Actions pane, and then complete the wizard.
On the Web server that is running Central Administration for the server farm, run the SharePoint Products and Technologies Configuration Wizard and disconnect the Web server from the farm.
Note
If the main Web server for the server farm is not the Web server that DPM uses to protect the farm, you must also disconnect the Web server that DPM uses to protect the farm.
Open Internet Information Services (IIS) and delete all Web site and application pool entries related to the farm.
Run the SharePoint Products and Technologies Configuration Wizard, select connect to an existing server farm, and specify the server name and database name for the farm you created in step 1.
Note
Perform step 11 for all Web servers on the server farm.
On the Completing the SharePoint Products and Technologies Configuration Wizard page, click Advanced Settings, and then click Next.
On the Advanced Settings page, select the option Use this machine to host the web site, and complete the wizard.