How to Backup Lync Server 2010

It is important to backup your Lync environment so that you can restore service in the event of a disaster.  The following Microsoft TechNet articles explain how to backup Lync Server 2010:

• http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh202170
• http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh202171

Ben Lye at onesimplescript.com has written an excellent script that enumerates your Lync Topology and backs up your Topology Configuration data, Location Information Service data, Response Group configuration data from all pools and persistent user data from all registrars.  The script can be found here: http://www.onesimplescript.com/2012/05/automating-backups-of-lync-2010.html

The script requires the RgsImportExport.ps1 script in the Lync Resource Kit which you can download from here: http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=21165

I have set up a scheduled task to run this script once per week on one of my Lync Front End servers.  You can do this by:

1. Creating a “LyncBackup” account in Active Directory and adding it to the “RTCUniversalServerAdmins” Group
2. Grant LyncBackup “Log On As a Batch Job” on one of your FE servers in the Local Security Policy
3. Create the following folders, c:LyncBackups and c:LyncBackupsBackups
4. Place a copy of Ben Lye’s script into c:LyncBackups
5. Create a Scheduled Task in Task Scheduler to run “powershell.exe C:LyncBackupsBackup-LyncConfig.ps1”
6. Configure the Scheduled Task to run using the “LyncBackup” account and to run whether user is logged on or not.

You should also backup the Lync SQL databases using the SQL Management Studio or a Third Party backup plugin and do a file system backup of all Lync Server file stores.

Chris Hayward

Technical Architect at Symity