Sharepoint 2013 : Backup and Restore (part 5) - Farm Backup and Restore - Performing a Backup

Performing a Backup

With the overall farm backup settings configured, you are now ready to perform your first backup. Follow the steps below:

1. Navigate to the Backup and Restore page in Central Administration.
2. Click the Perform a Backup link.
3. SharePoint displays a page like that in Figure 7.

   

   Figure 7. Back up the farm from Central Administration

   This page is where it is all happening! Looking at Figure 7, which shows a summary of my farm, you can see several selection options to include in the farm backup.

   Checking the check box at the top Farm level will enable all the options below it, which include backup of the content databases, web application settings, and service application configuration. At this point you may choose what to back up à la carte style, but for demonstration purposes, I shall assume backup of the entire farm. This will also give you an idea of how long the process for complete farm backup usually takes (which changes by order of magnitude based on the content in your farm and services installed).

    Note  When backing up content, backup files typically consume 1.5 times as much space as the original content databases.

4. Check the check box next to the Farm level, and then click the Next button.
5. Figure 8 shows the next page, where you specify the backup type.

If you provided a UNC path for backups in the backup settings (earlier), then SharePoint suggests this location in the Backup Options page (Figure 8). If you didn’t, there is no need to worry; just provide it now.

SharePoint provides you with a helpful summary of the running services, required for a farm backup, which include the timer service and administration service. The Backup Component section reminds you what you selected in the previous screen.

1. Select the backup type as either Full or Differential.

   A full backup is exactly that—SharePoint backs up everything. Differential backups run much smaller and faster, but they only back up changes since the last full backup. Consider the restore process when choosing the backup types. Full backup restores are easier but take longer than differential, which require multiple restores of the various differential backups to get the system current after a disaster.

    Note  As a good practice, I recommend a weekly full backup and daily differential backups.

2. For demonstration purposes, and since this is your first backup, choose Full.

   The next section of the Backup page allows you to specify backup of both content and configuration, or just configuration. The latter option comes in handy if you already have a content redundancy or backup process in place and now just want to save the farm configuration.

3. Click the option to back up both content and configuration.
4. Click the Start Backup button to begin the process.
5. SharePoint shows the status of the backup (Figure 9).

   

   Figure 9. Farm backup status

6. Navigate back to the Central Administration main Backup and Restore page.
7. Click the View Backup and Restore History link to see a history of past backups.
8. If the backup is still running, then SharePoint will inform you with a link to the Status page at the top of the History page—Backup and Restore Job Status.
9. You may also get to the Backup and Restore Status page by clicking the Check Backup and Restore Job Status link in the Backup and Restore page.