Recovering WSS Data Using SharePoint 3.0 Central Administration

If a previous WSS backup was performed using the SharePoint 3.0 Central Administration tool, recovery can be performed using this tool as well. To recover WSS using a SharePoint 3.0 Central Administration backup, perform the following steps:

1. Log on to the Windows Server 2008 R2 Windows SharePoint Services server system with an account with administrator privileges.

2. Click Start, click All Programs, click Administrative Tools, and select SharePoint 3.0 Central Administration.

3. When the browser opens, if prompted, enter a username and password for an account with administrative privileges on the WSS server.

4. When the SharePoint 3.0 Central Administration website opens, select the Operations tab.

5. In the window, scroll down; on the right side, in the Backup and Restore section, click on the Restore from backup option.

6. Near the top of the window, enter the UNC network path of the backup, and click OK. For example, enter \\server30\wssbackup\ and click OK.

7. On the next page, select the desired backup by selecting the appropriate option button, and click the Continue Restore Process link.

8. On the next page, select the appropriate databases or components of the WSS farm that will be restored by checking the appropriate check boxes, and then click the Continue Restore Process link. For this example, the entire farm will be restored by clicking the check box next to Farm.

9. On the next page, in the Type of Restore section, select the Same Configuration option button because you are trying to restore an existing system back to a functional state. When this option button is selected, a window opens stating that the selected objects will be overwritten with the data from the restore; click OK to continue.

10. Scroll to the bottom of the page, and click OK to submit the restore job to the SharePoint Services Timer Service.

11. You will be directed to the Backup and Restore Status page. Click the Refresh link to view and get updates on the status of the job.

12. After the job completes, open the restored SharePoint sites and check functionality. IIS might need to be restarted, and if the system can tolerate a system reboot, it might be helpful in case other dependent services are not running because of SharePoint issues.

13. If WSS is restored back to normal operation, run a full backup and log off.

Source of Information : Sams - Windows Server 2008 R2 Unleashed