Disaster Recovery - Data Protection Manager

Table of Contents

Planning for a Disaster Recovery

Creating a Checklist

General Situations and Processes

Restoring the DPM Metadata

Rebuilding the DPM Server

Performing a Full System Restore

Before You Begin

Full System Restore

Planning for a Disaster Recovery

Before you begin a disaster recovery, make sure to perform regular backups of the following:

• Microsoft Data Protection Manager iDataAgent
• Windows File System iDataAgent
• SQL Server iDataAgent (used to back up the DPM Metadata)

Creating a Checklist

If the operating system of your client is corrupted, you need to re-build the operating system.

During the rebuild you will be prompted for the following system information. Since the computer will be down during the operating system rebuild, you may not be able to access necessary information about the system. It is important to record such information before a disaster occurs.

General Situations and Processes

The Microsoft Data Protection Manager (DPM) iDataAgent works in conjunction with the Windows File System iDataAgent. In addition, the Microsoft SQL Server iDataAgent is used to back up the database that contains the DPM metadata. Because of these agent, operating system, and database interrelationships, a full system restore for DPM can involve several components and processes.

The following chart outlines three main situations and the required recovery processes.

Restoring the DPM Metadata

Loss of DPM metadata requires a restore of the SQL database that contains the DPM metadata.

1. Insert the SQL Server installation media into the disc drive. If you are using SQL Server Express, download the Express kit and extract the contents to a local directory.
2. From the command prompt, navigate to the disc drive or the extracted directory and run the command for rebuilding the master database.

   For SQL 2005:

   start /wait setup.exe /qn INSTANCENAME=<InstanceName> REINSTALL=SQL_Engine REBUILDDATABASE=1 SAPWD=<NewStrongPassword>  REINSTALLMODE=vomus

   where:

   /qn = suppresses all setup dialog boxes and error messages.

   /qb = allows display of basic setup dialog boxes and error messages.

   For SQL 2008:

   Setup /QUIET /ACTION=REBUILDDATABASE /INSTANCENAME=InstanceName /SQLSYSADMINACCOUNTS=accounts [ /SAPWD=StrongPassword ] [ /SQLCOLLATION=CollationName ]

   where:

   /QUIET or /Q = setup runs without any user interface.

3. From the command prompt, run Services.msc
4. Right-click the SQL Server instance and select Start.
5. Stop any application or services that are accessing the SQL databases.
6. From the CommCell Browser, navigate to Client Computers | <Client> | SQL Server.
7. Right-click the instance, point to All Tasks, and then click Browse Backup Data.
8. Click OK.
9. In the left pane of the Browse window, navigate to the instance node.
10. Select the system databases (master, msdb, and model) in the right pane and click Recover All Selected.

    If you choose to restore the system databases individually, it is recommended to follow this order: master, msdb, model.

11. Click Unconditionally overwrite existing database or files.
12. Click OK to start the restore.
13. Click Yes. The system stops and restarts the SQL Server service in single-user mode.
14. Again, right-click the instance, point to All Tasks, and then click Browse Backup Data.
15. In the right pane of the Browse window, select one or more user databases and click Recover All Selected.

    When restoring non-system databases, each database being restored runs as a separate job and a separate SQL process. Therefore, avoid starting more restores (jobs) than your SQL server and available memory can handle.

16. Select the Point-in-Time check box.
17. From the Restore Time lists, select the date and the time.
18. Select the Unconditionally overwrite existing database or files check box.
19. Click OK to start the restore.

Rebuilding the DPM Server

If the DPM application becomes corrupt, then you have to restore the DPM server.

1. Uninstall and then reinstall the Data Protection Manager Server software.
2. Restore the SQL database that contains the DPM metadata using the steps outlined in Restoring the DPM Metadata.
3. Configure the disks on the DPM server. (Refer to the Microsoft System Center documentation for Data Protection Manager Server.)

   During configuration, select the option for manually copying the data, Do NOT synchronize data until the in-place restore is complete.

4. Restore the DPM data in-place.
   • From the CommCell Browser, navigate to Client Computers | <Client> | DPM | <Backup Set>.
   • Right-click the <Subclient> in the right pane and then click Browse Backup Data.
   • Click OK.
   • Select the data that you want to restore and click Recover All Selected.
   • Ensure that the Overwrite Files check box is selected.
   • Click Unconditional Overwrite.
   • Click OK.
5. Synchronize the DPM server with the DPM client(s). (Refer to the Microsoft System Center documentation for Data Protection Manager Server.)

Performing a Full System Restore

A full system restore is the process of restoring all files (including DPM data, the operating system, applications, and agents) and the DPM metadata database on a client computer after a catastrophic event.

Before You Begin

Make sure the following conditions are met:

• Rebuild the hardware as it existed before.
• Install the same Windows operating system with the same patches that were previously installed. See Rebuild the Operating System on the Full System Restore page for Windows File System.
• Configure the system with the same networking parameters and passwords that were previously set.
• If you are not using DNS, set up peer-to-peer communication with the CommServe. Edit the host file to include the CommServe name.

Full System Restore

1. Rebuild the operating system.
2. Install Microsoft Data Protection Manager iDataAgent and Windows File System iDataAgent. Microsoft Data Protection Manager iDataAgent will also install Microsoft SQL Server iDataAgent.
3. Restore the File System Data using the Windows File System iDataAgent.

   • Open the CommCell Console.

   • From the CommCell Browser, right-click the <Client> and select Properties.

   • Click the Activity Control tab.

   • Clear the Enable Data Management check box. This will disable backup jobs for the client and any scheduled backup jobs for the client will not start during the full system restore.

   • Click OK.

   • From the CommCell Browser, navigate to Client Computers| <Client> | File System.

   • Right-click the <Backupset> that contains the system state data and all the drives and then click Browse Backup Data.

   • Select the required options from the Browse Options dialog box and click OK.

   • Select the <BackupSet> box from the Client Browse tab which contains system state data and all the drives.

   • Click Recover All Selected.

   • Select the required options from the Restore Options dialog box and click OK.

     If the hardware of the destination computer is drastically different than the hardware of the source computer, do not select Unconditional Overwrite option.

   • Click Compare to view the Service Pack information of source and destination computer.

   • Note down the service packs that are not installed on the destination computer and click Close.

     The Include Hotfix check box will be available for the source computer if you have chosen the Include Hotfix Information option during the backup.

   • Click No if the source computer and the destination computer has different service packs. Install the required service packs and hot fixes on the destination computer.

     Click Yes if all the service packs on the source and destination computer are same. The full system restore starts.

     Click OK to restart the computer.

   • Re-install any agents that were previously installed on the restored client computer.

   • Enable the backup jobs for the client by selecting the Enable Data Management check box from the Activity Control tab of the Client Properties dialog box.

4. Restore the SQL database that contains the DPM metadata using the steps outlined in Restoring the DPM Metadata.
5. Configure the DPM disks. (Refer to the Microsoft System Center documentation for Data Protection Manager Server.)

   During configuration, select the option for manually copying the data, Do NOT synchronize data until the in-place restore is complete.

6. Restore the DPM data in place.
7. Synchronize the DPM server with the DPM client(s). (Refer to the Microsoft System Center documentation for Data Protection Manager Server for information on synchronization.)