Restoring the Metabase with History Files

  • Article

Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1

IIS periodically creates history files consisting of copies of the metabase configuration file (MetaBase.xml) and the matching metabase schema file (MBSchema.xml). Restoring the metabase from history files is similar to restoring the metabase from backup files.

Use the first procedure below to restore the metabase from a history file using IIS Manager. If you want to restore the metabase without using IIS Manager, use the second procedure below.

Important

You must be a member of the Administrators group on the local computer to run scripts and executables. As a security best practice, log on to your computer by using an account that is not in the Administrators group, and then use the runas command to run your script or executable as an administrator. At a command prompt, type runas /profile /user:MyComputer\Administrator cmd to open a command window with administrator rights and then type cscript.exe ScriptName (include the script's full path and any parameters).

Procedures

To restore the metabase using IIS Manager

  1. In IIS Manager, right-click the local computer, point to All Tasks, and click Backup/Restore Configuration.

  2. In the Backups list, click the Automatic Backup you want to restore, and then click Restore.

  3. Read the message that appears and click Yes if you want to continue.

  4. Click OK.

To manually restore the metabase

  1. From the Start menu, click Run.

  2. In the Open box, type cmd, and then click OK.

  3. Stop the IIS services by typing iisreset /stop at the command prompt, and then press ENTER. The command prompt displays the following:

    Attempting stop...

    Internet services successfully stopped

    If the IIS services do not stop, and it is possible to restart the computer, type iisreset /stop /rebootonerror, and then press ENTER.

  4. Make copies of your current metabase files. At the command prompt, type cd %systemroot%\System32\Inetsrv, and then press ENTER to navigate to the folder where the files are. Next, type copy MBSchema.xml MBSchema.old, and then press ENTER to copy the schema file. Finally, type copy MetaBase.xml Metabase.old, and then press ENTER to copy the metabase configuration file.

  5. Locate the metabase history files. At the command prompt, type cd %systemroot%\System32\Inetsrv\History, and then press ENTER.

  6. Select the version of history files that you want. At the command prompt, type dir, and then press ENTER. All of the files appear in the following format:

    <date> <time> <file size> MBSchema_<identifying number>_0000000000.xml

    <date> <time> <file size> MetaBase_<identifying number>_0000000000.xml

    When you restore the IIS metabase to a previous version, you will need matching metabase schema and configuration files. Select matching files by their identifying number.

  7. Copy the chosen history schema file over the existing metabase schema. At the command prompt, type copy /y MBSchema_<identifying number>_0000000000.xml %systemroot%\System32\Inetsrv\MBSchema.xml, and then press ENTER. With this command, you copy the file and rename it at the same time.

  8. Copy the matching history configuration file over the existing metabase configuration. At the command prompt, type copy /y Metabase_<identifying number>_0000000000.xml %systemroot%\System32\Inetsrv\MetaBase.xml, and then press ENTER. Again, this command copies the file and renames it at the same time.

    Important

    If you mix up the names or copy a schema and configuration file that do not match, the metabase restoration will fail when you start the IIS services.

  9. Restart IIS. At the command prompt, type iisreset /start, and then press ENTER. The command prompt displays the following:

    Attempting start...

    Internet services successfully started

    If the IIS services do not restart, repeat these steps beginning at step 4, and copy a different set of history files over the current metabase files.