The backup procedure for Microsoft Lync Server 2010 can be a little daunting as the process is extremely manual. When working with clients I typically deploy a scheduled task on a front-end server to help automate where possible. Backups of SQL (either with a SQL aware backup program or locally to disk) and of the Lync Share are still required as well but at least this covers the rest of the items.

The script is simple but two part – it starts in the command prompt and then calls out PowerShell modules and a PowerShell script to wrap things up. Some manual purging of previous backups is done first and then the current backups are performed (where necessary). The example uses the following variables:

• Scripts are located in D:\Scripts
• Backups are dumped to D:\Backups
• Create Subfolders under Backups - Config, DBIMPEXP, LIS, RGS
• Lync 2010 Resource Kit is local and installed to D:\Program Files\Microsoft Lync Server 2010\ResKit

LYNC_BACKUP.CMD

del D:\Backups\Config\config.xml
del D:\Backups\LIS\lis.xml
del D:\Backups\RGS\rgs.zip

"C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Lync Server 2010\Support\DBImpExp.exe" /hrxmlfile:D:\Backups\DBIMPEXP\Backup.xml /sqlserver:YOUR_SQL_SERVER_FQDN_and_INSTANCE

C:\Windows\system32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell.exe -command "cd $env:UserProfile; Import-Module 'C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Lync Server 2010\Modules\Lync\Lync.psd1'; Import-Module 'D:\Program Files\Microsoft Lync Server 2010\ResKit\RgsImportExport.ps1'; D:\Scripts\lync_backup.ps1

Exit

LYNC_BACKUP.PS1

Export-CsConfiguration -FileName D:\Backups\Config\config.xml;
Export-CsLisConfiguration -FileName D:\Backups\LIS\lis.xml;
Export-CsRgsConfiguration ApplicationServer:YOUR_POOL_SERVER_FQDN –FileName D:\Backups\RGS\rgs.zip;
exit

To automate the tasks create a Scheduled Task on a Lync Front-End server and schedule the task with a service account that has full NTFS permissions to the D:\Backups folder (and subfolders/files), is a member of the RTCUniversalServerAdmins group, and has Log on as a batch job rights.

Create Scheduled Task

1. Launch from the Administrative Tools Task Scheduler
2. Click the Task Scheduler Library and right-click to Create a Basic TaskName the task – Lync Backups (as an example)
3. Create a schedule – this needs to mimic your local backup jobs so that the daily/weekly/etc. backups gather the backups you create (in the example we used Daily at midnight
4. Select to Start a program and select the CMD file created above
5. Finish the task creation and then double-click the task to edit it further
6. Modify the Security
7. Set to run whether user is logged in or not
8. Set the user execution task to the Lync Service account created above
   
9. Save the task entering the password when prompted and you are done