Preparing for loss of critical data by planning for both backup and recovery operations is a necessity for enterprise solutions such as Configuration Manager 2007. For Configuration Manager 2007 sites, this preparation ensures that sites and hierarchies are recovered with the least data loss and in the quickest possible time.

A Configuration Manager 2007 site contains a large amount of data, which is mostly stored in the site server computer's registry, system files, and the Microsoft SQL Server site database. A Configuration Manager 2007 site operates properly only when the data in all of these data stores is synchronized. Backing up only one data store, such as the Configuration Manager 2007 site database, is not sufficient as a backup strategy. You will not be able to recover a site by using only a partial site backup because the site’s data will be out of synchronization.

To ensure that you are properly backing up your sites, you should schedule the Backup ConfigMgr Site Server maintenance task for each primary and secondary site in your hierarchy. The Backup ConfigMgr Site Server maintenance task creates a complete backup snapshot of your site containing all the data necessary to perform recovery operations using the Site Repair Wizard.

A complete backup snapshot, created by the Backup ConfigMgr Site Server maintenance task, is required to properly perform a site repair operation using the Configuration Manager 2007 Site Repair Wizard. Attempting to recover a site without a complete backup snapshot, or without using the Site Repair Wizard, will result in data that is out of synchronization, and you might corrupt the site’s data.

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