Re: SMS Backup


Time to put him back in his place:

From http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sms/2003/library/spmbrsms03/spmbr01.mspx

In short, just backing up the database from within sql is worthless, trying to recover from such a backup has a pretty decent change of corrupting your entire hierarchy.

Backing Up Sites
When an SMS site fails, it is important that you are able to quickly recover that site with as little data loss as possible.

Backing up sites in your hierarchy is the most important step to ensure a minimum data loss, and a successful recovery in case of a site failure. Although it is possible to recover sites without a backup snapshot, recovering a site with a backup snapshot ensures the least data loss and a less complex recovery process.

Having a recent site backup snapshot does the following:

• Simplifies a recovery operation

• Shortens the non-operational time of the site

• Helps reduce the amount of data lost


SMS stores most of the site data in the registry, in system files, and in Microsoft SQL Server™ databases. For SMS to function properly, data integrity and synchronization, among all data stores, is an absolute necessity. Therefore, when backing up a site, it is necessary to back up all those data stores as a snapshot.

Caution
Backing up only one of these data stores (such as the SMS site database) is not sufficient as a backup strategy. You cannot recover a site using a partial site backup because the site’s data will be out of synch. Also, you cannot use the System Restore feature in the Microsoft Windows Server™ 2003 family to recover a site because it does not restore all necessary data.




Nick SMS Administrator - Detroit wrote:
Thanks Garth!

I figured what you said to be true. I'm only asking because an administrator who is new to my dept. questioned me publicly about my backups and stated that I have not been backing up the SMS database. He mentioned this in an email to my higher-ups in an attempt to make him look good, and in the process making me look like my disaster recovery plan wasn't in place. He rudely created some SQL backup routines on my server without my knowledge or permission and then sent the email out. I new the SMS Site Backup task was everything I need for a backup but wanted a second opinion before I rebut.

Thank you.

"Garth" wrote:

The SMS backup includes everything you need to restore you SMS server. Yes, that included the hardware inventory, subnet,etc.

So always make sure that it is working and life is good.

"Nick SMS Administrator - Detroit, Mi" <NickSMSAdministratorDetroitMi@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:62899EEC-28F1-422B-B95E-67E725A2B02F@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Garth,
Thanks for your response.

Do you know if this includes the client data (hardware inventory, subnet
information, etc...) as well as the site structure (collection information,
boundaries, etc...)?

-Nick-


"Garth" wrote:

It should be.
Within your SMS Backup directory you should see "SiteDBServer" and within
that you should see your SMS database backup.


"Nick SMS Administrator - Detroit, Mi"
<NickSMSAdministratorDetroitMi@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:8E6A634E-2665-4C37-AF0A-4F86B67CCA07@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Is the SQL Database for SMS included in the default site maintenance task
named "Backup SMS Site Server"?






--
"Everyone is an expert at something"
Kim Oppalfens - Sms Expert for lack of any other expertise
Windows Server System MVP - SMS
http://www.blogcastrepository.com/blogs/kim_oppalfenss_systems_management_ideas/default.aspx
.

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