SMS Site Repair Wizard

  • Article

The SMS Site Repair Wizard automates complicated recovery tasks and tasks that would be impossible to perform otherwise. Using this tool simplifies site recovery, increases the amount of data recovered, saves time, and reduces the risks associated with recovery.

The SMS Site Repair Wizard is used in conjunction with the Recovery Expert during a site recovery operation. Using the SMS Site Repair Wizard during site recovery is strongly recommended. Each recovery task in the Recovery Expert contains a note stating whether it can be automated by using the SMS Site Repair Wizard.

Depending on the site backup schedule and on the activity at the site, the latest site backup snapshot might not include the most recent modifications to the site. Any changes made after the most recent site backup are not included in the site's backup snapshot. As a result, after restoring the site backup snapshot, the site can be out of synchronization with the rest of the hierarchy. For example, the site's backup snapshot might contain information about a child site that has since moved to a different parent site.

After restoring the site backup snapshot, the SMS Site Repair Wizard attempts to restore as much as possible of the data that was not backed up. The wizard can restore objects such as collections based on query rules, packages, programs and advertisements, but cannot restore data such as software metering rules, reports, and custom queries. The SMS Site Repair Wizard restores data by restoring site settings and synchronizing site objects with parent and child sites.

Important

  • Running the SMS Site Repair Wizard independently is not recommended. Always run the Recovery Expert first, and then run the SMS Site Repair Wizard as directed by the Recovery Expert.

Restoring site settings When running the SMS Site Repair Wizard, the user is prompted to enter any changes to site settings that occurred after the most recent site backup. The wizard then restores site settings according to the user input. For example, the administrator can specify that a child site no longer reports to the recovering site. The SMS Site Repair Wizard then deletes all objects associated with that child site from the recovering site.

To restore site settings, the wizard also uses the parent site, if exists. The wizard obtains the most recent copy of the recovering site's site control file. It then uses this file to configure the recovering site.

Synchronizing objects The SMS Site Repair Wizard synchronizes objects between the recovering site and other sites in the hierarchy, as follows:

  • The wizard restores control to objects, such as collections based on query rules, packages, programs, and advertisements, that were created on the failing site after the latest site backup was completed, but before the site failed. After restoring the site's backup snapshot, the recovering site does not contain those objects because they are missing from the site's backup snapshot.

    Objects are regularly replicated from one site to other sites in the SMS hierarchy. This allows the wizard to use designated reference sites to replicate these objects from other sites to a recovering site. After these objects are restored to the recovering site, the recovering site has full control over these objects and they are synchronized between lower sites in the hierarchy and the recovering site. For more information about designating reference sites, see the "Designating reference sites" section.

  • The wizard deletes objects at the recovering site that were inherited from upper level sites, but were then deleted at the originating site. Objects that were created at upper level sites might have been deleted, while the site's most recent backup snapshot still contains them. After restoring the site's backup snapshot, the recovering site contains these objects. The wizard checks all inherited objects that exist on the recovering site. It then checks if these objects exist at the parent site. Inherited objects that exist on the recovering site, but no longer exist on the parent site, are deleted.

Designating reference sites

The recovering site can regain control of orphaned objects only if you designate reference sites. Reference sites are lower level primary sites to which objects from a failing site were replicated. The SMS Site Repair Wizard reads object definitions at the designated reference sites, and then uses those definitions to recreate the missing objects at the recovering site.

If the failing site is the only site in the hierarchy, or if all other sites in the hierarchy are not functioning properly, then you cannot designate reference sites, and you will not be able to recover a significant amount of data.

When you run the wizard, it prompts you for reference sites designations. When designating reference sites, you should consider the following:

  • A reference site must be a primary site.

  • The number of objects that can be replicated down the hierarchy before a site failure depends on network speed and timing. A reliable, high quality network connection between the recovering site and its reference site ensures that:

    • Definitions are replicated quickly. If a site fails, chances are higher that objects created just prior to failure were replicated to lower level sites.

    • During a recovery operation, the wizard can quickly obtain object definitions from the reference site.

  • Multiple reference sites may increase the amount of objects recovered. Designate more than one reference site as follows:

    • 1-2 reference sites with high quality, reliable connection are sufficient

    • 3-5 reference sites if the connections are not of the highest quality

    • Designate reference sites from different tiers in the SMS hierarchy

  • Having a reference site at a close physical location to the recovering site is helpful.

Running the SMS Site Repair Wizard

Before running the SMS Site Repair wizard, you must ensure that there are no open Administrator console windows. Ensure that the current user has at least Read permission to objects such as collections, packages and programs on the designated references sites, and on the parent site, and administrative credentials on the recovering site.

When you run the Recovery Expert, it prompts you whether you intend to use the SMS Site Repair Wizard. If you chose to use the wizard, then the Recovery Expert produces the recovery task list, with the following differences:

  • All tasks that can be automated by the SMS Site Repair Wizard are unavailable.

  • The task list contains the Run the SMS Site Repair Wizard task.

  • As you start to perform the recovery tasks in the order prescribed by the Recovery Expert, do not perform the tasks that are unavailable. When you reach and run the Run the SMS Site Repair Wizard task, the wizard completes all the tasks that are unavailable. When the wizard finishes, continue to perform the remaining tasks in the list.

Note

  • All tasks that can be automated by using the wizard are treated as a set. When the wizard runs, it performs all the tasks in that set.

The SMS Site Repair Wizard operates in two stages. During the first stage, the wizard restores the site backup snapshot to the recovering site. During the second stage, the wizard determines what modifications were not included in the site backup snapshot, and attempts to reapply as many of these modifications as possible.

The wizard logs its activity to c:\SMS\Logs\sms_srw.log.

Note

  • Depending on the size of the database, it might take a considerable about of time for the wizard to restore it. As soon as the wizard submits the database restore SQL command, it logs a message stating that the database restore operation has started. If the wizard seems inactive, check the log file. The wizard might be busy restoring a large database.
For More Information

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