Make IIS backup a precaution against IIS failure.

Internet Information Server (IIS) from Microsoft is one of the two most popular Web Servers in the world today.

Now how to backup IIS web server?

First create a database backup configuration.

Select all files and directories that are included in the IIS web server.

In Windows 2000/2003 servers

• C:\Inetpub\*
• :\System32\Inetsrv\*
• Where is the Windows NT installation directory (such as, C:\Winnt
• Exclude from your IIS configuration and from folders and files
• C:\Inetpub\Mailroot\* (plus subdirectories)
• The directory path indicated above shows the directory path for your backup.
• You directory path can be different from what is shown.

• C:\Inetpub\*
• :\System32\Inetsrv\metabase.bin
• is the Windows NT installation directory (such as C:\Winnt)

Is there any way to backup the metabase?

Here are some options:

• Use IIS metabase editor for Export/Import the metabase to a text file.
• Use Internet Information Server Backup/Restore option of the Internet Service Manager.
• Use ADSI command line script.
• Use Third party utilities.

If you or the server administrator are doing IIS data backup by taking backup of the web sever, then you expect the backup to be complete safe so that it can be restored fast if you have a system breakdown.

But, that is not the case. Even if you make an backup of the IIS which also includes the IIS configuration file.

Unfortunately to make a comprehensive backup of IIS is not as straightforward as it should be.

If the reinstallation of the web server from the stored copy of the IIS is not correct it will take extra time reading and to install all the settings by hand. This easily leads to configuration errors for the setup of web sites stored on the server.

This is because the metabase which is unique to each installation have an encryption password session key and can’t be restored to another machine if the session key is not the same.

If you have to restore you server from the ground up and then you are not able to use your IIS metabase backup for disaster recovery, but only for restoring to previous state.

One help to solve this problem is to export the configuration information into an XML file.

Use it to backup the metabase configuration which store information such as port numbers, IP addresses, application pool assignment and authentications for web hosting without interfering with the running of the web server. This backup practice does not backup to content of web sites, only its settings.

Web IIS backup proves to be of great benefit since it holds the configuration and setup of web sites hosted on the server using IIS web server.

Read and learn more of the metabase in Microsoft tutorial. To make backup the metabase with Backup/Restore option do this.

Open the console in the IIS management. Right click the site to be backed up then select the Backup/Restore configuration.

To create a backup click create backup. Then write a name for the Metabase which is descriptive and click OK.

Now open the folder Winnt/System32/Inetsrv/MetaBack. There you should find the file with the .MD0 extension

Add this file to the backup of the IIS.

To restore the backup of the metabase file just copy the backup into the same folder and open the management console for IIS. Then click on restore on the backup/restore menu.

This backup is a kind of internal backup store on the server’s hard disk. Whenever you make a configuration upgrade a backup is made automatically. You can make a rollback from this backup to your earlier state.

You can restore from these backup manually to any previous state you wish. This is referred as history files in the IIS manual.

Another option is to use the IIS online backup command tool. This is a Vbscript and not an executable exe-file. To see the syntax for the script write Iisbackup /?

You can not restore the metabase to another server.

Do you need a utility that to export?

Try IISExport to do this!