Backing up system files (attended)

About the attended backup

The attended backup allows you to complete a full system backup of Message Storage Server (MSS) and Messaging Application Server (MAS) data at any time. It is recommended that you perform a full attended backup if your system is unable to complete a full unattended backup, which could happen if your system contains a large amount of subscriber data. You should also perform an attended backup whenever you make extensive changes to subscriber profiles or after additional subscriber names have been recorded.

There are three data types that can be backed up during an attended backup:

System data: This data type consists of enabled features, installed software, networking connectivity and communication information, mailing lists, subscriber profiles, voiced subscriber name recordings and so on. See About the unattended backup for a list of items included in system data type. This data type is backed up first during the unattended backup.

Names: The names data type contains voiced subscriber names. After additional subscriber names have been recorded, you should conduct an attended backup of this data type.

Greetings and messages: This data type includes each subscriber's primary voice greeting, multiple personal greetings, automated attendant menus and messages, bulletin board messages, and all of the call answer and voice mail messages that subscribers send and receive every day. During the unattended backup, this data type is backed up after the system data and names data type is backed up.

Before you begin

Before you proceed with an attended backup, make sure that you complete the following:

For backups to DVD-RAM, ensure that you insert the required backup media in the drive. Make sure that you change the existing backup media if you do not want to overwrite the information on the existing media. Also, make sure the media is right side up in the media drive. If the media is upside down, the backup will fail.

For backups to a location on the customer-supplied LAN, you must administer a remote storage location.

Performing an attended backup to DVD-RAM

To perform an attended backup to the DVD-RAM installed on the MSS:

Stop the messaging software.

Note: You can perform an attended backup with or without stopping the messaging software. However, the backup will complete in substantially less time if you stop the messaging software. For example, backing up 4.7 GB of data (the capacity of one DVD-RAM backup medium) will take approximately 1 hour if the messaging software is stopped and will take approximately 2 hours to complete if the messaging software is not stopped. If you choose to stop the messaging software, calls will cover and callers will be able to leave messages, but local subscribers will not be able to access their messages until the messaging system is restarted.

Go to the Backup page.

Note: If you did not stop the messaging software in Step 1, the system displays a warning message stating that continuing with the backup may impact the performance of the system. To exit the Backup page and stop the messaging software before you start backing up system data, click Stop Voice System. To continue with the backup without stopping the voice system, go to step 3.

The Media Type field displays the current backup method (DVD-RAM, LAN with FTP, or LAN with SFTP). This field must be DVD-RAM to perform the backup to the DVD-RAM media in the local MSS.

Select the data types that you want to include in the backup:

For each data type that you want to back up, select Yes from the drop-down list for that data type. Yes is the default setting for all data types. If you want to make a full-system backup, select Yes for all data types.
For each data type that you do not want to back up, select No from the drop-down list for that data type. The System data type is required for all backups. You cannot select No for that data type.

Click Start Backup.

The system displays an estimate of the amount of backup media needed to complete a full-system backup.

Verify that you have the appropriate number of backup media to complete the backup and then click Continue.

Insert a DVD-RAM backup medium into the DVD-RAM drive.

Click Continue.

Note: If the backup medium has been previously used to back up data, the system displays a warning message that states that there is existing data on the medium. Press Enter to continue with the backup.

The system checks the write protection of the medium. If the medium is write protected, eject the medium and remove the write protection. See the documentation that comes with the DVD-RAM medium for information about removing write protection.

The system then formats the DVD-RAM. After the formatting is complete, the system starts the backup and displays backup information and displays each file name that is backed up.

If additional media is needed, do the following:

Click Eject to remove the full medium from the drive and label it with the current date, data type, and medium number, for example, "Dec. 10, 2003—System data, Names, and Greetings and messages—DVD #1". Also, consider changing the write protection of the medium.
Insert the new medium in to the drive.
Click Continue.
Repeat Step a through Step d if additional media are needed.

Verify that the system displays the following message after it has finished backing up the data:

FULL/PARTIAL-MANUAL BACKUP completed successfully - day date time year

Click Eject to remove the medium from the drive and label it with the current date, data type, and medium number.

Note: If more than one media was used to complete the attended backup, make sure each medium is labeled with a number according to the order in which it was used. For example, if you used two media to perform a full attended backup, the first medium used should be labeled "DVD #1" and the second medium labeled "DVD #2." This is important because when restoring data from the backup media, the system will prompt you to "insert DVD number 1."

Insert a different medium in to the DVD-RAM drive for the next unattended backup.

Start the messaging software (optional).

Note: Only start the messaging software if you stopped the messaging software prior to performing the backup.

Performing an attended backup to a remote storage location

To perform an attended backup to a remote location on the customer-provided LAN:

Stop the messaging software.

Note: You can perform an attended backup with or without stopping the messaging software. However, the backup will complete in less time if you stop the messaging software. If you choose to stop the messaging software, calls will cover and callers will be able to leave messages, but local subscribers will not be able to access their messages until the messaging system is restarted.

Go to the Backup page.

Note: If you did not stop the messaging software in Step 1, the system displays a warning message stating that continuing with the backup can impact the performance of the system. Click Start Backup to continue without stopping the messaging software, or click Stop Voice System to exit the Backup page and stop the messaging software.

The Media Type field displays the current backup method (DVD-RAM, LAN with FTP, or LAN with SFTP). If you have not already administered a remote storage location, this field defaults to DVD-RAM. You must administer a remote storage location before proceeding.

Select the data types that you want to include in the backup:

For each data type that you want to back up, select Yes from the drop-down list for that data type. Yes is the default setting for all data types. If you want to make a full-system backup, select Yes for all data types.
For each data type that you do not want to back up, select No from the drop-down list for that data type.The System data type is required for all backups. You cannot select No for that data type.

Click Start Backup.

The system displays information about the backup to be performed, including the amount of space required.

Note: You can use this information to determine whether the remote storage location has enough storage space.

Click Continue.

The system displays the progress of the backup.

Verify that the system displays the following message after it has finished backing up the data:

FULL/PARTIAL-MANUAL BACKUP completed successfully - day date time year

Start the messaging software if you stopped it in Step 1.