Backing Up the Metabase

Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 with SP1

Using Backup/Restore Configuration, you can create complete backup copies of the IIS metabase. The backup files are either portable or nonportable copies of both the metabase configuration file (MetaBase.xml) and the matching metabase schema file (MBSchema.xml). Metabase backup files provide a way to restore your metabase configuration and schema data in the event that the metabase becomes corrupted. Portable backup files can be restored either to the computer on which the backup was made or to other installations of Windows Server 2003, while non-portable backup files can only be restored to the same system from which it was made.

When a backup is created, a set of two files is created and named in the following way:

Name.mdx and Name.scx

In the syntax above, Name is the name that the administrator uses to name the backup set, and x is the version number of the backup set, starting with 0 (zero). The version number is increased by one for each backup set that uses the same name, up to 999. For example, if you use the name MyBackup as the name of your backup set twice, MyBackup.md0 and MyBackup.sc0 are created on the first backup; on the second backup, the files are named MyBackup.md1 and MyBackup.sc1. By default, backup files are stored in the systemroot\System32\Inetsrv\MetaBack folder.

Backup files contain only configuration data; they do not include your content. To back up your content, use Windows Backup. For more information about using Windows Backup, see "Backing up and restoring data" in Help and Support Center for Microsoft® Windows® Server 2003.

Note

The metabase is locked while the backup is in progress.

Portable Backup

When creating a portable backup, the administrator provides a password that is used by IIS to encrypt the backup files. The password is encrypted and stored in the header of the backup file. Only the administrator password and secure properties within the backup files are encrypted; all other information within the backup files is plain text. After the backup file is encrypted, the password within the backup file cannot be changed.

Non-portable Backup

When creating a non-portable backup, the administrator does not supply a password. Therefore, non-portable backup files are encrypted with a blank password, which allows any member of the Administrators group to restore the metabase. Only the blank password and secure properties are encrypted; all other information within the backup file is plain text.