The Custom Updates Publishing Tool does not have an automatic backup task, but a manual backup should be performed on a regular basis. There are several methods for backing up the data in the Custom Updates Publishing Tool database, but the recommended method is to back up the database using SQL Server 2005 or SQL Server 2005 Express Edition.

Backing up the SQL Server 2005 Database

Backing up the Custom Updates Publishing Tool database with SQL Server 2005 or SQL Server 2005 Express Edition is the preferred and most complete backup method. All of the custom software updates and all publishing tool settings are backed up and can be easily restored. Both versions of SQL Server 2005 have a graphical user interface to create a backup of the database.

SQL Server 2005 Express Edition

If you are using SQL Server 2005 Express Edition for the Custom Updates Publishing Tool database, you must first install SQL Server Management Studio Express to backup and restore the database in a graphical user interface. The following procedure provides the steps to download, install, and use SQL Server Management Studio Express to back up the publishing tool database.

Note
For more information about SQL Server Management Studio Express, see SQL Server Management Studio Express in the SQL Server 2005 Books Online (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=66480).
To download, install, and use SQL Server Management Studio Express to backup the publishing tool database

  1. Download SQL Server Management Studio Express from the SQL Se Web site (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=66482) and install it on the computer running the Custom Updates Publishing Tool.

  2. Start SQL Server Management Studio Express, leave the default values in Server name and Authentication, and then click Connect.

  3. Navigate to the mscuptdb database:

    <Server Name>\SQLEXPRESS

      └ Databases

        └ mscuptdb

  4. Right-click mscuptdb, click Tasks, and then click Backup.

  5. Provide a Name and Description for the backup, and then click OK. The mscuptdb database is backed up by default in the mscuptdb.bak file located at %ProgramFiles%\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL.1\MSSQL\Backup\.

SQL Server 2005

If you are using SQL Server 2005 for the Custom Updates Publishing Tool database, the following procedure provides the steps using SQL Server Management Studio to backup the publishing tool database.

Note
For more information about SQL Server Management Studio, see Introducing SQL Server Management Studio in the SQL Server 2005 Books Online (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=66481).
To use SQL Server Management Studio to backup the publishing tool database

  1. Start SQL Server Management Studio, leave the default values in Server name and Authentication, and then click Connect.

  2. Navigate to the mscuptdb database:

    <Server Name>\SQLEXPRESS

      └ Databases

        └ mscuptdb

  3. Select Database Engine for Server type, select the server name, and then click Connect.

  4. Right-click mscuptdb, click Tasks, and then click Backup.

  5. Provide a Name and Description for the backup, and then click OK.

    The mscuptdb database is backed up by default in the mscuptdb.bak file located in the %ProgramFiles%\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL.1\MSSQL\Backup\ folder.

Exporting Custom Updates

The Export Wizard creates a catalog containing all of the custom software updates in the Custom Updates Publishing Tool at the time of the export. The catalog can be imported into a new publishing tool database and all of the custom software updates will be restored, but the publishing tool settings are not restored.

Publishing Custom Updates

The Publish Wizard creates a catalog containing the custom software updates that have been flagged for publishing. The catalog can be imported into a new Custom Updates Publishing Tool database, but the import provides only the custom software updates that were flagged for publishing. The updates not flagged for publishing and the publishing tool settings are not restored.

See Also