IIS Metabase

cbriant

Hi,

I have come accross a practice question which states that in order to backup a website the metabase needs to be backed up using the IIS Snapin and the default website and content storage location need to be backed up using a backup utility.

Is the above correct and why? I have looked this up on the web, but find it confusing.

jasonboche

It is correct.

Why? Because that's the procedure to back up the IIS metabase and configuration.

There's actually two ways to back up the IIS metabase and you must know both for the exam.

1. Through the IIS snap-in
2. Using a built in .vbs script. %systemroot%\system32\iisback.vbs

C:\WINDOWS\system32>cscript iisback.vbs /?
Microsoft (R) Windows Script Host Version 5.6
Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation 1996-2001. All rights reserved.

Description: backup/restore IIS configuration, delete backups,
list all backups

Syntax: IIsBack [/s <server> [/u <username>
[/p <password>]]] /<operation> [arguments]

Parameters:

Value Description
/s <server> Connect to machine <server>
[Default: this system]
/u <username> Connect as <domain>\<username> or
<username> [Default: current user]
/p <password> Password for the <username> user
<operation> /backup Backup the IIS Server
(includes all site data
and settings).
/restore Restore the IIS Server
from backup (overwrites
all site data and settings).
/delete Deletes a backup.
/list List all backups.

For detailed usage:

IIsBack /backup /?
IIsBack /restore /?
IIsBack /delete /?
IIsBack /list /?

C:\WINDOWS\system32>


Once you **** (back up) the IIS metabase to disk whether using the snap in or the script, then you come along and back up that dumped information to tape which is then stored offline and hopefully offsite. Now your IIS metabase is properly backed up.

royal

Also, In IIS6.0, there is a new feature which saves metabase information to Inetsrv\History whenever a change to the metabase has been saved to disk. There are up t0 10 history saves by default; the amount of history saves can be modified. You can read more about IIS metabase backing up and restoring here.

sprkymrk

Also, if you do a backup that includes the system state, that includes the IIS metabase.

System State data

cbriant

Hi,

Thanks for your replies. This sums it up in a way I can easily understand.