How to Recover Restore SCCM Primary Site Server Database Part 2 ConfigMgr Endpoint Manager

How to Recover Restore SCCM Primary Site Server Database Part 2 ConfigMgr Endpoint Manager. In this post, we are going to see the recovery procedure of a primary site (without using any site backup).

In other words, recover the Primary site server from CAS. We can retrieve global and global proxy data from the CAS database. The site data is regenerated by clients that send information to the primary site. The CAS reinitializes the site data from the primary site.

How to Recover Restore SCCM Primary Site Server Database Part 2 ConfigMgr Endpoint Manager

If you’re a good backup and you want to recover a primary site then refer to the following post – Post 1.

Note – We won’t be able to recover a stand-alone primary server using the following method!!

If you’re a good backup in place, go through Primary Site Server & Database Recovery: Part 1. If you’re looking for an SCCM 2007 site recovery guide, go through Site Repair Wizard Step by Step Guide.

Now, In ConfigMgr 2012, the Recovery a Site option is part of Installation Wizard.

There are TWO parts in the recovery procedure, Site Server recovery, and Site Database recovery. More details about recovery – through TechNet documentation.

Site Database recovery behavior varies with SQL Server Change Tracking Retention Period and Site Database recovery scenarios. More details about SQL Server Change Tracking Retention Period and Site Database Recovery Scenarios.

The site server recovery options :: (a) We can recover a site server from an existing ConfigMgr backup set. (b) Reinstall the site server. (c) If setup has detected an existing site installation on this computer, site server recovery settings are disabled.

The Site Database recovery options :: (a) We can recover the site database from an existing ConfigMgr backup set. (b) Create a new database for this site. (c) You can specify that the site database was manually recovered by using a different method. (d) You can skip database recovery when the site database recovery when site database was unaffected by the disaster.

I’ve completed the rebuild of the server with the same name, path, Drive letters, and Patch level. Also, installed and configured IIS, DotNet 4, SQL, and WSUS prior to the start of the recovery process.

1. Start: the ConfigMgr/SCCM 2012 Setup from the System Center 2012 Configuration Manager installation media, we’ve to run this setup from the server which you want to recover.

2. Select the option “Recover a Site” to recover the primary site which you lost.

Note from TechNet: When Setup detects an existing Configuration Manager site on the server, you can start a site recovery, but the recovery options for the site server are limited. For example, if you run Setup on an existing site server when you choose recovery, you can recover the site database server, but the option to recover the site server is disabled.

3. Site Server and Database Recovery: options are available in the following wizard.

As we don’t have a backup, we have to select the options “Reinstall this site server” and

“Create a new database for this site”.

4. Site Recovery Information:: We have to provide the CAS server details to recover the global and global proxy data from the CAS database. The site data is regenerated by clients that send information to the primary site.

If this is a stand-alone primary server then we won’t be able to recover the site.

Note: When recovering a primary site, you have the option to specify the CAS to which the primary was previously connected. Leave this setting blank when the primary site was not previously connected to a central administration site. The option is DISABLED when Setup has detected that you are recovering a CAS.

5. Prerequisites Download: Over here, we need to provide the prerequisites file location details so that the SETUP can verify those files and proceed with the recovery.

Note:: We’ve skipped the following pages in this recovery wizard. Product key (need to enter the product key or select evaluation version if you’re using eval version), Microsoft Software License Terms, and Prerequisite Licenses.

6. Site and Installation Settings: Enter the same site code, Site name, and installation folder location.

7. Database Information: Enter the SQL Database Server Name, Database Name, and SSB Port 4022. Leave instance name blank to use default instance.

Note: Configmgr primary sites require a Microsoft SQL Server database to store site settings and data.

Specify the database server’s Fully Qualified domain name, the instance name, and database name. Make sure the instance you specify is configured to use a static TCP port. Dynamic ports are not supported.

ConfigMgr uses SQL server Service Broker (SSB) to replica data between parent and child site database servers in the hierarchy. You must specify a TCP port number for the SQL Server Service Broker to use. This port is different from the SQL Server Service port, which is detected automatically.

8. Prerequisites Check: This will run the check and we can ignore the two warnings shown in the below pic (as this is a LAB environment, it’s always better to SET maximum memory allocation to SQL server). Click on “Begin Install” to start the recovery.

Note – We have skipped two pages “Customer Experience Improvement Program Configuration” and “Setting Summary”. Those are just default settings.

9. Install: This page shows us the progress of the installation and recovery process.

10. Verify ConfigMgrSetup.log: We can find detailed information about the actions performed by the recovery in ConfigMgrSetup.log and also details about the resync (BCP) happening from CAS Database.

RCM received a message from “CAS Server”, BCP initialization started

RCM received a message from “CAS Server”, BCP is in Progress

RCM reports application of BCP has been completed

11. Verify RCMctrl.log to check whether the resync has been completed at the recovered primary site “PRI”. More details about Site to Site Database Replication.

Processing application pattern global

Processing application pattern global proxy

Processing application pattern site

RECOVERY DONE: All the replicated data has been recovered at site PRI

12. Post Recovery Tasks: To complete the recovery of this site, you must manually complete the following actions which are NOT performed by setup.

a) In the ConfigMgr console, re-enter the passwords for the following accounts. In our scenario, we need to re-enter the password of the account mentioned in the following pic.

b) Reinstall the following hotfixes – If there is any hotfix need to be installed or not. In our case, there is no hotfix requirement.

c) More details about post-recovery activities have been saved to a file called for later reference C:\ConfigMgrPostRecoveryActions.html.

More details about Post Recovery process (IIS configuration, Recover Content Files):: http://technet.microsoft.com/library/gg712697.aspx#BKMK_PostRecovery

Author

Anoop is Microsoft MVP! He is a Solution Architect in enterprise client management with more than 20 years of experience (calculation done in 2021) in IT. He is a blogger, Speaker, and Local User Group HTMD Community leader. His main focus is on Device Management technologies like SCCM 2012, Current Branch, and Intune. E writes about ConfigMgr, Windows 11, Windows 10, Azure AD, Microsoft Intune, Windows 365, AVD, etc…