how can I backup my SCCM server

[anyweb]

This guide assumes you are backing up an SCCM Primary Site Server, backing up a Secondary Site Server is not supported.

 

You should always refer to Technet for best practise advise for troubleshooting, setup and maintenance of your SCCM server(s). this guide is provided as-is to help you understand the backup functionality within SCCM better and to get it working in your LAB environment, for proper guidance, refer to Technet.

 

 

 

Create a folder for storing the data

 

In Windows Explorer create a folder (or share on another computer *recommended) for storing our backup data

 

eg: D:\sources\backup or \\server\someshare

 

 

 

 

Create a scheduled backup task

 

To create a scheduled backup task, expand the Site Settings node and expand the Site Maintenance node, click on Tasks.

 

 

Right click on the Backup ConfigMgr Site Server task and choose properties. Set your schedule values and enable the task.

 

 

 

 

What Gets Backed up ?

 

According to Microsoft the following gets backed up:

 

What Gets Backed Up

In order to completely back up a Configuration Manager 2007 site server, the following data needs to be included in the backup:

 

* The Configuration Manager site database (SQL Server database)

* Configuration Manager installation directory on the site server

* Master site control file (.\Inboxes\Sitectrl.box\Sitectrl.ct0)

* SMS and NAL registry keys on the site server

 

 

 

What Does Not Get Backed Up

 

Some Configuration Manager 2007 site systems contain site data that is easily recreated if the site fails and are not backed up during the site backup process. For example, there is no need to backup data from site systems such as standard and branch distribution points, management points, reporting points, and server locator points. These site systems can easily be reinstalled by the site server if they fail.The Backup ConfigMgr Site Server maintenance task backs up logs located in the Configuration Manager logs directory, but some Configuration Manager 2007 site systems write logs in other locations and are not backed up by the Backup ConfigMgr Site Server maintenance task. You should plan an alternative method to back up these logs if required.It is not necessary to back up the SQL Server master database when backing up the Configuration Manager site database. The Backup ConfigMgr Site Server maintenance task backs up all of the required information for restoring the site from the SQL Server hosting the site database as part of the backup process. The original SQL Server master database is not required for restoring the site database on a new SQL database server.Backing up Configuration Manager 2007 clients are not backed up as part of the site backup process for the following reasons:

 

* To properly back up a Configuration Manager client, the client services must be stopped. However, there is no reliable way to stop and start the client services. Stopping and starting the client services can potentially corrupt the data on the client�s disk or in the backup snapshot.

* Clients are too numerous. It is neither practical nor beneficial to backup and restore the clients assigned to a site.

* The effect of losing client data is relatively small.

 

 

What the above doesn't tell you is that you need to backup the following (using whatever other traditional backup method you have).

 

Using traditional backup routines (like DPM), backup the Following folders (assuming you have all your packages on D:\ if not, backup the corresponding folders on C:\ etc:-

 

SMSSIG$

SMSPKGSIG

SMSPKGD$

 

In other words, if you want everything backed up, you will need to backup ALL packages on ALL distribution Points you have setup, including the Package source folders using traditional backup methods (DPM etc).

 

 

How can I Restore my site Backup

 

You can restore your site backup using the Site Repair wizard, either by running splash.hta from the SCCM 2007 DVD or by selecting it from the Start Menu.

 

 

How can I Restore Packages

 

To restore packages you can use preloadpkgonsite.exe

 

 

 

How can I manually start a backup ?

 

Open up Administrative tools/Services and locate a service called SMS_SITE_BACKUP, select the service, right click and choose Start.

 

 

At this point the SMS site backup should start, refer to the smsbkup.log file (located in D:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Configuration Manager\Logs) for details such as

 

SMS site backup service 4.00 started.

 

and

 

04/30/09 17:52:28 - starting backup.

 

and of course you'll want to see that it completed successfully

 

04/30/09 18:02:56 - backup completed.

 

 

 

Some Backup related reading

 

3 Things I learnt about SCCM backups

 

http://myitforum.com...cm-backups.aspx

 

Site Restore Step by Step

 

http://myitforum.com/myitforumwp/2012/06/07/configmgr-sccm-recovery-restore-site-repair-wizard-step-by-step-guide/

 

Volume shadow copy service

 

If you want to find out how ConfigMgr uses the Volume shadow copy service see here

[jmac]

Currently, we are backing up our sccm site to the C: drive on the site server and our sccm database to the C: drive on the remote database server. The database server is running low on disk space and the server administrator wants to change the backup location to a network storage system. Besides changing the backup location in the management console (Site Settings>Site Maintenance>Tasks>Backup ConfigMgr Site Server) using a network share (\\server\share), are there any other tasks that need to be performed to ensure the database backs up as it should?

[binarymime]

binarymime, am in the same situation please help understanding the part where you ran a repair install from my configmgrsp2 sourcefiles, how did you do that?

Thanks in advance.

 

I would be happy to assist

 

1. First things first. Make sure you have a backup of your site server and SQL site database.

 

2. On your site server browse to your ConfigMgrSP2 Install files. Depends where you have them stored...in my case we have all of our instllation media stored on a file server in ISO format so we mount them with Virtual drive software.

 

3. Run "splash.hta", when it loads click "Configuration Manager 2007 SP2"

 

4. Select "Perform site maintenance or reset this Site" and click "Next", ensure all data in the following screens is correct and follow the onscreen instructions.

 

Let me know if you have questions

 

{Edit}

 

I forgot to mention that following this procedure i had to uninstall my head end management point role, and pxe role, and then re-add / re-install them to get my PXE Service point to work again...in case you are getting a "Failed to download policy" message on any client you try to roll out. This entry will appear in the SMSTS.log file

 

Thanks

[jmac]

Thanks binarymime. I appreciate the response. I was keeping my fingers crossed for not having to do more than change the backup location at Site Settings>Site Maintenance>Tasks>Backup ConfigMgr Site Server. I'm not quite clear on why I would need to run the Perform site maintenance or reset this site option. We would not be relocating the database. We'd just be changing the location for the backup. Thanks for your input.

[binarymime]

Thanks binarymime. I appreciate the response. I was keeping my fingers crossed for not having to do more than change the backup location at Site Settings>Site Maintenance>Tasks>Backup ConfigMgr Site Server. I'm not quite clear on why I would need to run the Perform site maintenance or reset this site option. We would not be relocating the database. We'd just be changing the location for the backup. Thanks for your input.

 

Hi jmac,

 

My apologies i should have quoted the post i was responding to, my solution was intended for saulw's inquiry. However to answer your question; all you should have to do is change the backup location. The only other thing i would make sure of is that you have a domain administrator account with permissions to the site database and the folder on the remote location to which you will be backing up.

 

Thanks

[jmac]

Thanks for the response, Binarymime. I appreciate the input.

[Kevin79]

How do I back up a SCCM 2012 server?