Restoring the Metabase
Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 with SP1
Restoring the metabase from history files is similar to restoring it from backup files. For a comparison of the two methods of restoring the metabase, see Table 4.6.
Table 4.6 Comparison of Metabase Restore Methods
| Using Backup Files | Using History Files |
|---|---|
If a password is provided by the user to encrypt secure properties, the metabase can be restored to a different installation of Windows, even on a different computer. |
The metabase can be restored only on the same installation of Windows from which the history files were created. This is because data is encrypted with the machine key in the backups. |
Backup files can be created on demand, scheduled, or created by using a programmatic administration script. |
History files can be created automatically (when the IIS history feature is enabled) or by using a programmatic administration script. |
Backup files can be restored from IIS Manager, by using APIs or by using programmatic administration scripts. |
History files can be restored manually or by using IIS Manager. |