Using Third-Party Backup Tools to Back Up SMS Sites

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You can use a third-party backup tool, or you can write a custom script to back up your site. However, to successfully back up your site using such non-SMS backup tools, they must interoperate with SMS recovery functions by complying with the following guidelines.

To produce a valid backup snapshot, any custom tool or script must:

  • Carry out the exact same tasks in the exact same order as they appear in the default SMS backup control file (SMSbkup.ctl).

  • Back up the site as a snapshot of all data, at a time when the SMS site database is not actively accessed. Stop all processes that might access the site's database, such as SMS services.

    If processes access data while it is being backed up, partially completed tasks can be in the backup. As a result, the data in the registry, the files, and the database might not be synchronized with each other. This can lead to problems after a site recovery.

  • Produce a backup snapshot, identical in its directory structure and file names to the one produced by the default SMS backup task.

  • Include, at a minimum, all the data produced when using the default SMS backup control file, SMSbkup.ctl.

The simplest and most reliable plan actually allows you to benefit from both the SMS backup task and a third-party archive tool. Use the SMS backup task to create a backup snapshot, and use a third-party tool to archive the backup snapshot to a secure location.

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