SCCM ConfigMgr CB How to Plan Backup Recovery | Configuration Manager Best Options

SCCM ConfigMgr CB How to Plan Backup Recovery | Configuration Manager Best Options? What are the changes therein in backup and recovery options in SCCM ConfigMgr CB 1606? Nothing much changed in terms of backup apart from taking backup of CD.Latest folder.

CD.LATEST folder is also getting backed up as part of SCCM CB full backup. Why do we need the CD.LATEST as part of SCCM CB full backup? It’s because this is a source file when you want to recover an SCCM CB site server!

Why can’t we use the baseline version which can be downloaded from MSDN/Volume Licensing sites? Those binaries can’t be used because that is not the same version of SCCM CB which is installed in your primary server/CAS.

The baseline version of SCCM CB production is 1511 and if you upgraded/updated the site to SCCM CB 1606 using Updates and Servicing then you can’t use 1511 version source files to recover the primary site.

When do you want to Run SCCM CB Setup from CD.LATEST Folder?

Only when you are trying to recover a site !! In the following video, I try to explain the process of back and restore. Also, when to select which option during the recovery process.

There is always a question of whether to use SCCM full backup or just use SQL backup to restore the functionality of SCCM sites. So my answer to that question would be “it depends”.

SCCM CB supports both the scenarios mentioned above however in some of the scenarios you may need full SCCM CB backup to complete the restore. The SCCM restore and recovery come with loads of permutations and combinations as I explained in the below table and the above video.

SCCM ConfigMgr CB How to Plan Backup Recovery | Configuration Manager Best Options

I hope, you will get some clarity about those scenarios after watching the video. What are the changes in SCCM CB 1606 Backup and Recovery options – YouTube.. SCCM ConfigMgr CB How to Plan Backup Recovery | Configuration Manager Best Options?

SCCM ConfigMgr CB How to Plan Backup Recovery | Configuration Manager Best Options
SCCM ConfigMgr CB How to Plan Backup Recovery | Configuration Manager Best Options

Table 1: SCCM CB Site Server and Site Database Recovery options

SCCM ConfigMgr CB How to Plan Backup Recovery | Configuration Manager Best Options
SCCM ConfigMgr CB How to Plan Backup Recovery | Configuration Manager Best Options
 Installation      Site Server                               Site Database
 Setup only part of recoveryRecover Site ServerReinstall the site serverRecover DB using CM backupCreate a new DBManually Recovered DBSkip DB Recovery
CASInstall setup from CD.LATEST FolderOnly when you’ve SCCM Full BackupReconfigure the settingsOnly when you’ve SCCM Full BackupOnly When you’ve a hierarchyUse SQL Backup or any other backup. Changes made retrieved from PrimaryOnly valid when the site DB is on a different computer
Stand-Alone PrimaryInstall setup from CD.LATEST FolderOnly when you’ve SCCM Full BackupReconfigure the settingsOnly when you’ve SCCM Full BackupNot ApplicableUse SQL Backup or any other backup. Lose site changes after the last backupOnly valid when the site DB is on a different computer
Child PrimaryInstall setup from CD.LATEST FolderOnly when you’ve SCCM Full BackupReconfigure the settingsOnly when you’ve SCCM Full BackupOnly When you’ve a hierarchyUse SQL Backup or any other backup. Changes made retrieved from CASOnly valid when the site DB is on a different computer
SecondaryUse CM Console to recover Secondary SiteNo recoveryNo recoveryNo recoveryNo recoveryNo recoveryNo recovery
SCCM ConfigMgr CB How to Plan Backup Recovery | Configuration Manager Best Options

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…