Backup & Restore in SharePoint 2013

Backup & Restore in SharePoint 2013

ü Overview

The SharePoint 2013 backup architecture and recovery processes include farm backup and recovery, granular backup and recovery, and recovery from an unattached content database. You can complete backup and recovery operations by using the SharePoint Central Administration website or Windows PowerShell cmdlets. Note that some built-in backup and recovery tools may not meet all the requirements of your organization.

Backup -  A backup is a copy of data that is used to restore and recover after a system failure. While backups allow you to restore data after a failure and they are also useful to keep for routine purposes.

Restore – To put or bring back the backup data in to existence or use after the system failure.

ü SharePoint Backup & Recovery Scenarios

Backing up and recovering data supports many business scenarios, including the following:

-          Recovering unintentionally deleted content that is not protected by the recycle bin or versioning.

-          Moving data between installations as part of a hardware or software upgrade.

-          Recovering from an unexpected failure.

ü Backup architecture in SharePoint 2013

SharePoint 2013 provides two backup systems - Farm & Granular

Farm backup architecture in SharePoint 2013

The farm backup architecture in SharePoint 2013 starts a SQL Server backup of content and service application databases, writes configuration content to files, and also backs up the Search index files and synchronizes them with the Search database backups.

The architecture supports both full and differential backups. Full backups create a new backup of the complete system. Differential backups create a backup of all changes that are stored in databases since the last full backup.

Granular backup & Export architecture in SharePoint 2013

The granular backup and export architecture uses Transact-SQL queries and export calls. Granular backup and export is a more read-intensive and processing-intensive operation than farm backup.

From the granular backup system, you can back up a site collection or export a site or list.

ü Recovery process in SharePoint 2013

SharePoint 2013 supports the following primary, built-in recovery options:

-          Restore from a farm backup that was created by using built-in tools.

-          Restore from the backup of a component taken by using the farm backup system.

-          Restore from a site collection backup.

-          Connect to a content database by using the unattached content database feature, back up or export data from it, and then restore or import the data.

ü Backup for SharePoint 2013

·         Backup farms

Description

Describes the procedures that you can use to back up the complete farm.

Backup using PowerShell

Backup-SPFarm -Directory <BackupFolder> -BackupMethod {Full | Differential} [-Verbose]

Backup using Central Administration(Full/Differential backup)

·         Backup farm configurations

Description

Describes the procedures that you can use to back up farm configuration settings.

Backup using PowerShell

Backup-SPConfigurationDatabase -Directory <BackupFolder> -DatabaseServer <DatabaseServerName> -DatabaseName <DatabaseName> -DatabaseCredentials <WindowsPowerShellCredentialObject> [-Verbose]

Backup using Central Administration(Full backup)

·         Backup web applications

Description

Describes the procedures that you can use to back up a web application that is associated with the farm that include configuration and content databases.

Backup using PowerShell

Backup-SPFarm -Directory <BackupFolder> -BackupMethod {Full | Differential} -Item <WebApplicationName> [-Verbose]

Backup using Central Administration (Full /Differential backup)

·         Backup service applications

Description

Describes the procedures that you can use to back up a service application that is associated with the farm that include configuration and content databases.

Backup using PowerShell

Backup-SPFarm -Directory <BackupFolder> -BackupMethod {Full | Differential} -Item <ServiceApplicationName> [-Verbose]

Backup using Central Administration (Full/Differential backup) – All Service applications

·         Backup User Profile service applications

Description

Describes the procedures that you can use to back up a User Profile Service application that is associated with the farm that include configuration and content databases.

Backup using PowerShell

Backup-SPFarm -Directory <BackupFolder> -BackupMethod Full -Item Farm\Shared Services\Shared Service Applications\<ServiceApplicationName> [-Verbose]

Backup using Central Administration

a)      Backup user profile service application (Full backup)

b)     Backup user profile service application proxy (Full backup)

·         Backup search service applications

Description

Describes the procedures that you can use to back up the Search service application that is associated with the farm that include configuration and indexes.

Backup using PowerShell

Backup-SPFarm -Directory <BackupFolder> -BackupMethod {Full | Differential} -Item "Farm\Shared Services\Shared Services Applications\<SearchServiceApplicationName>" [-Verbose]

Backup using Central Administration (Full/Differential Backup)

·         Backup Secure Store Service application

Description

Describes the procedures that you can use to back up the Secure Store service application that is associated with the farm that include configuration and content databases.

Backup using PowerShell

Backup-SPFarm -Directory  <BackupFolder> -BackupMethod Full -Item <SecureStoreService > [-Verbose]

Backup using Central Administration (Full)

·         Backup Content Databases

Description

Describes the procedures that you can use to back up a content database that is associated with the farm.

Backup using PowerShell

Backup-SPFarm -Directory   <BackupFolder>  -BackupMethod {Full | Differential} -Item <ContentDatabaseName> [-Verbose]

Backup using Central Asministration(Full/Differential backup)

·         Backup databases to snapshots

Description

Describes the procedures that you can use to back up a content database that is associated with the farm by saving the database to a snapshot.

Using SQL server tools to back up a database to a snapshot in SharePoint server

a)       Verify that the user account that is performing this procedure is a member of the SQL Server db_owner fixed database role.

b)      Open SQL Server Management Studio and connect to the database server.

c)       In Object Explorer, expand Databases.

d)      Select the database that you want to back up, and then click New Query.

e)      Copy the following text, and then paste it to the query pane.

CREATE DATABASE <snapshot name>

ON

(

NAME=<logical name of the database file>,

FILENAME = 'c:\WSS_Backup1.ss')

AS SNAPSHOT OF <database name>;

·         Backup Customizations

Description

Describes the procedures that you can use to back up customizations that are associated with the farm.

a)      Backup solution packages

To back up trusted solutions by using Windows PowerShell

Backup-SPFarm -backupmethod full -directory <UNC location> -item "farm\solutions"

To back up trusted solutions by using Central Administration(Full/Differential)

·       Backup Site Collections

Description

Describes the procedures that you can use to back up site collections that are associated with the farm.

Backup using PowerShell

Backup-SPSite -Identity <SiteCollectionGUIDorURL> -Path <BackupFile> [-Force] [-NoSiteLock] [-UseSqlSnapshot] [-Verbose]

Backup using Central Administration

·       Backup apps for SharePoint

Description

Describes how to back up apps for SharePoint in SharePoint 2013.

You can back up some apps for SharePoint environment by using the SharePoint Central Administration website, Windows PowerShell, or SQL Server tools.

Below are the databases and site collection that needs to be back up:

-          Content database

-          Configuration database

-          Secure Store Service application database

-          App Management service application database &

-          Backup a site collection

·         Backup sites, lists, or document libraries

Description

Describes the procedures that you can use to export a list, site, or document library that is associated with the farm. You can then import the items into another farm or move them to another place in this farm.

Backup using PowerShell

Export-SPWeb -Identity <SiteURL> -Path <Path and File Name> [-ItemUrl <URL of Site, List, or Library>] [-IncludeUserSecurity] [-IncludeVersions] [-NoFileCompression] [-GradualDelete] [-Verbose]

Backup using Central Administration

·       Backup Workflow

Description

Describes important information that you need to consider before backing up workflows in SharePoint 2013.

Backup workflow process

a)      Declarative workflows, such as those that were created in SharePoint Designer 2013, are stored in the content database for the site collection to which they are deployed. Backing up the content database protects these workflows.

a)       Custom declarative workflow actions have components in the following three locations:

a.       The Visual Studio 2012 assemblies for the actions are stored in the global assembly cache (GAC).

b.       The XML definition files (.ACTIONS files) are stored in the 15\TEMPLATE\<LCID>\Workflow directory.

c.       An XML entry to mark the action as an authorized type is stored in the Web.config file for the Web applications in which it is used.

If the farm workflows use custom actions, you should use a file backup system to protect these files and XML entries. Similar to SharePoint 2013 features such as Web Parts and event receivers, these files should be reapplied to the farm as needed after recovery.

b)      Workflows that depend on custom code, such as those that are created by using Visual Studio 2012, are stored in two locations. The Visual Studio 2012 assemblies for the workflow are stored in the GAC, and the XML definition files are stored in the Features directory. This is the same as other types of SharePoint 2013 features such as Web Parts and event receivers. If the workflow was installed as part of a solution package, backing up the farm, Web application, content database, or site collection protects these workflows.

c)       If you create a custom workflow that interacts with a site collection other than the one where the workflow is deployed, you must back up both site collections to protect the workflow. This includes workflows that write to a history list or other custom list in another site collection. Performing a farm backup is sufficient to back up all site collections in the farm and all workflows that are associated with them.

d)      Workflows that are not yet deployed must be backed up and restored separately. When you are developing a new workflow but have not yet deployed it to the SharePoint 2013 farm, make sure that you back up the folder where you store the workflow project files by a file system backup application.

ü Restore for SharePoint 2013

·        Restore farms

Description

Describes the procedures that you can use to restore the complete farm from a backup.

Restore using PowerShell

Restore-SPFarm -Directory <BackupFolder> -RestoreMethod Overwrite [-BackupId <GUID>]<Type the appropriate cmdlet, including parameters and values, and enclose the values for the parameters in "placeholder" tags >

·        Restore farm Configuration

Description

Describes the procedures that you can use to restore the farm configuration to the same farm from a backup.

Restore using PowerShell

Restore-SPFarm -Directory <RestoreShare> -RestoreMethod Overwrite -ConfigurationOnly

·         Document farm configuration settings

Description

Describes how to use Windows PowerShell to document the configuration settings for your farm. Documenting configuration settings is important both so that you can create scripted deployments for your environment, and so that you can quickly re-create a set of configurations if a failure were to occur.

·         Copy configuration settings between farms

Description

Describes the procedures that you can use to of copy configuration settings from one farm to another, such as how to back up and recover a farm without the content databases, how to back up and recover configurations only, and how to create a deployment script.

Using Powershell

-          Document the current Web application URLs and content database mappings

Get-SPWebApplication | %{$_.Name;$_.Url;%{$_.ContentDatabases|%{$_.N

-          Either unmount all content databases

Get-SPContentDatabase | Dismount-SPContentDatabase

-          Or unmount a specific content database

Get-SPContentDatabase WSS_Content | Dismount-SPContentDatabase

-          Back up the farm

Backup-SPFarm -Directory \\servername\share -BackupMethod Full

-          After the backup is complete, re-mount the content databases.

Mount-SPContentDatabase -Name <WSS_Content> -WebApplication <http://servername>

·        Restore web applications

Description

Describes the procedures that you can use to restore a Web application that is associated with the farm that include configuration and content databases, from a backup.

Restore using PowerShell

Restore-SPFarm -Directory <BackupFolderName> -RestoreMethod Overwrite -Item  <WebApplicationName> [-BackupId <GUID>] [-Verbose]

·         Restore service applications

Description

Describes the procedures that you can use to restore a service application that is associated with the farm that include configuration and content databases, from a backup.

Restore using PowerShell

a)      To restore single service application

Restore-SPFarm -Directory <BackupFolder> -Item "<ServiceApplicationName>" -RestoreMethod Overwrite [-BackupId <GUID>] [-Verbose]

b)     To restore all service applications

Restore-SPFarm -Directory <BackupFolder> -Item "Farm\Shared Service Applications" -RestoreMethod Overwrite [-BackupId <GUID>] [-Verbose]

·         Restore user profile service application

Description

Describes how to restore the User Profile Service service application instead of restoring the complete farm.

Restore using PowerShell

Restore-SPFarm -Directory <BackupFolder> -Item Shared Services\Shared Services Applications\<ServiceApplicationName> -RestoreMethod Overwrite [-BackupId <GUID>] [-Verbose]

·        Restore search service application

Description

Describes the procedures that you can use to restore the Search service application associated with the farm that include configuration and indexes, from a backup.

Restore using PowerShell

Restore-SPFarm -Directory <BackupFolder> -Item "<ServiceApplicationName>" -RestoreMethod Overwrite [-BackupId <GUID>] [-Verbose]

When you restore a Search service application, it is automatically paused. To resume the Search service application when the restore has completed

$ssa = Get-SPEnterpriseSearchServiceApplication <SearchServiceApplicationName>

$ssa.ForceResume(0x02)

·         Restore secure store service application

Description

Describes the procedures that you can use to restore the Secure Store service application that is associated with the farm that include configuration and content databases, from a backup.

Restore using PowerShell

Restore-SPFarm -Directory <BackupFolder> -Item <SecureStoreServicename> -RecoveryMethod Overwrite [-BackupId <GUID>] [-Verbose]

If you have multiple backups use the BackupId parameter to specify which backup to use. To view all the backups for the farm

Get-SPBackupHistory -Directory <BackupFolder> -ShowBackup

After the restore operation has successfully completed, you must refresh the passphrase

Update-SPSecureStoreApplicationServerKey -Passphrase <Passphrase>

·        Restore content databases

Description

Describes the procedures that you can use to restore a content database from a backup.

Restore using PowerShell

Restore-SPFarm -Directory <BackupFolder> -RestoreMethod Overwrite -Item <ContentDatabase> [-BackupId <GUID>] [-Verbose]

If you do not use the BackupId parameter, the most recent backup will be used. To view all the backups for the farm

Get-SPBackupHistory -Directory <Backup folder>

·        Attach & Restore a read-only content database

Description

Describes the procedures that you can use to attach a read-only content database to the farm.

Restore using PowerShell

Mount-SPContentDatabase -Name <DatabaseName> -WebApplication <WebApplicationID> [-Verbose]

·         Restore content from unattached content database

Description

Describes how you can restore or copy content, such as sites, site collections, lists, or document libraries, from a content database without having to attach the content database to the farm.

Restore using PowerShell                       

Get-SPContentDatabase -ConnectAsUnattachedDatabase  -DatabaseName <DatabaseName> -DatabaseServer <DatabaseServer>

·         Restore customizations

Description

Describes the procedures that you can use to restore customizations that are associated with the farm from backups.

Restore using PowerShell

Restore-SPFarm -Directory <BackupFolder> -RestoreMethod Overwrite -BackupId <GUID> -Item <SolutionPath>

·         Restore site collections

Description

Describes the procedures that you can use to restore a site collection from a backup.

Restore using PowerShell

Restore-SPSite -Identity <SiteCollectionURL> -Path <Backup file> [-DatabaseServer <DatabaseServerName>] [-DatabaseName <ContentDatabaseName>] [-HostHeader <Host header>] [-Force] [-GradualDelete] [-Verbose]

·         Restore apps for SharePoint

Description

Learn how to restore apps for SharePoint in SharePoint 2013.

Restore below components

-          Restore content databases

-          Restore the configuration database

-          Restore the Secure Store Service application database

-          Restore the App Management service application database

-          Restore a site collection

-          To restore a site collection by using Windows PowerShell

-          Restore apps for SharePoint to a new farm

·         Import a list or document library

Description

Describes the procedures that you can use to restore a site, list, or document library from a backup.

Restore using PowerShell

Import-SPWeb -Identity <SiteURL> -Path <ImportFileName> [-Force] [-NoFileCompression] [-Verbose]