It's always a good idea to test your SharePoint backups to ensure they will actually work in case you ever need them. You are doing backups, right?
This article focuses on restoring a production content database backup created using SQL Server. The goal is to restore the database to a recovery portal.
NOTE: This example is based on SharePoint 2007 and SQL Server 2008. Results may vary with different versions of SharePoint and/or SQL Server.
For this example, the following information will be used:
- SQL Database Backup: MOSS_Content_Sales.bak
- Content Database: MOSS_Content_Sales
- Recovery Portal URL: http://recoveryportal
- Recovery Portal Managed Path: /sales
Prepare the Recovery Portal
Create Managed Path
NOTE: This step can be skipped if a managed path has already been created for the content database that will be restored. This may be the case if scheduled database restore tests are in place.
- Open the Central Administration web site
- Select Application Management -> SharePoint Web Application Management -> Define Managed Paths
- For Path, enter sales
- For Type, select Explicit Inclusion
- Click OK to return to the Application Management page
Create New Content Database
NOTE: This step can be skipped if the content database that will be restored already exists. This may be the case if scheduled database restore tests are in place.
- Select Content databases under SharePoint Web Application Management
- Click Add a content database
- Enter MOSS_Content_Sales for Database Name
- Click OK
Create a new Site Collection
NOTE: This step can be skipped if a site collection has already been created for the content database that will be restored. This may be the case if scheduled database restore tests are in place.
- Return to the Application Management tab
- Select SharePoint Site Management -> Create site collection
- Verify the selected Web Application is the correct application. If not, click the drop down, click Change Web Application and choose the appropriate web application.
- Enter Sales for the Title
- For URL, ensure the drop down shows /sales. If not, click the drop down and select the /sales managed path.
- Select Blank Site for Template Selection
- Enter appropriate user accounts for Primary and Secondary Site Collection Administrator fields.
- Click OK
Remove Content Database
- Return to the Application Management tab
- Select SharePoint Web Application Management -> Content databases
- Click on the MOSS_Content_Sales content database.
- Check the Remove content database option
- Click OK
- Confirm the delete content database dialog
Restore the latest FULL SQL backup
- Locate the most current FULL backup of the content database to restore and copy it to the recovery portal
- Launch SQL Server Management Studio on the recovery portal
- Double click Databases in the left-hand pane
- NOTE: If scheduled database restore tests are in place, the content database may already exist in SQL Server. Review the existing databases in the left-hand pane, and if the content database already exists:
-
- Click the existing content database
- Right click and select Delete
- This will present the Delete Object dialog. Click to select the Close existing connections option
- Click OK
- Right click Databases and select Restore Database
- Under Destination for restore, enter MOSS_Content_Sales
- Under Source for restore, select From device
- Click the ... button to open the Specify Backup dialog
- Click Add
- Browse for and select the backup file that was copied from the production portal
- Click OK to close the Locate Backup File dialog
- Click OK to close the Specify Backup dialog
- Under Source for restore, click the Restore check box for the file selected
- If a newer differential backup will also be restored:
- Click Options in the left-hand pane
- For Recovery State, select the second option RESTORE WITH NORECOVERY
- Click OK to perform the restore
- If not restoring a newer differential backup, close SQL Management Studio
Restore the latest DIFFERENTIAL SQL Backup
NOTE: Skip this step if the full backup was the latest backup
- Locate the most current DIFFERENTIAL backup of the content database to restore and copy it to the recovery portal
- Return to the SQL Server Management Studio
- In the left pane, locate and click on the content database that was restored from the previous step
- Right click on the content database and select Tools -> Restore -> Database
- Under Source for restore, select From device
- Click the ... button to open the Specify Backup dialog
- Click Add
- Browse for and select the differential backup file that was copied from the production portal
- Click OK to close the Locate Backup File dialog
- Click OK to close the Specify Backup dialog
- Under Source for restore, click the Restore check box for the file selected
- Click OK to perform the restore
- Close SQL Management Studio
Attach Content Database
- Open a command prompt
- Navigate to C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Web Server Extensions\12\Bin
- Run the following command to attach the content database to the site collection: stsadm.exe -o addcontentdb -url http://recoveryportal/sales -databasename MOSS_Content_Sales.
The restored site collection should now be available on the recovery portal. Browse to http://recoveryportal/sales and verify the site is available.
