Transfer System Center Essentials 2007 to another server or disaster recovery

Microsoft does not have official documents, publications and recommendations for moving or restoring an SCE server on the day of publication. We have to fill in the gaps. Although the task is very relevant. The simplest example of this situation is the transfer of the SCE server from the test environment to actual operation.


Let's start. First you need to clear the domain from the previous installation, otherwise all attempts to start the installer are doomed to failure. Under the license agreement, there can be only one Management Server in the domain. If your SCE test server is not dead, then you can simply remove it in the usual way through the installation, uninstall programs. If the SCE machine is already lost, you will have to clean the Active Directory with pens.

For this you need:
')

• Delete SCE Managed Computers Group Policy (Your_Old_Server_MG) and System Center Essentials All Computers Policy
• Remove SCE Managed Computers from Active Directory (Your_Old_Server_MG)
• Through adsiedit.msc, you need to open the object of the computer that contained the SCE server and delete the SCESCP and SDKServiceSCP parameters — this will allow the System Center Essentials installer to be launched.
• 
• Next, detach the OperationsManager, OperationsManagerDW and SUSDB databases and put them in a “private place”

The preparatory steps are completed now directly restore the server on the necessary equipment.

1. Copy the WSUSContent folder to the new server.
2. Installing SCE 2007 on a new server from scratch, you can use my recommendations. It should be noted that the names of the machines should be the same, the names of the SQL servers for storing the database, too. Specify the same ActionAccount as last time.
3. During installation, we specify the location of the WSUSContent folder. If updates were stored in the D: \ WSUS \ WSUSContent folder, then during installation, D: \ WSUS \
4. After installation is complete, stop the OpsMgr Config Service, OpsMgr SDK Service and Update Services
5. Detach the newly created databases OperationsManager, OperationsManagerDW and SUSDB. Leave them just in case. And attach the saved databases from the old server.
6. Start the services. Launch the System Center Essentials console management console. If everything went well, then you can continue to work further and run the Feature Configuration wizard.
7. I did not succeed, but all because of the use of secure storage and need a key. Remember when installing SCE you were asked to save it. So, for successful recovery, this key must be. If you have the key, run the Secure Storage Backup Wizard and, following the wizard’s instructions, select Restore and enjoy life.
8. Do not forget to perform Repair on all installed agents.

Who does not have a key can only sympathize with and suggest the following:

Do not restore the OperationsManager, OperationsManagerDW databases at all, leave those that were with the new installation of SCE.
The susdb database can be restored; the key to it is not needed.
As a result, we will save information about updates and approvals, but we will lose information about groups of computers (they should be immediately removed from the WSUS console).
It will be required to restore all Software Deployments if any.
After going through the process of the entire recovery process, you can select the components that you need to have in reserve:

OperationsManager, OperationsManagerDW and SUSDB databases.
Information about the database is located in the registry:

OperationsManager, OperationsManagerDW - HKLM \ Software \ Microsoft \ Microsoft Operations Manager \ 3.0 \ Setup \ DatabaseName
SUSDB - HKLM \ Software \ Microsoft \ Update Services \ Server \ Setup \ SqlDatabaseName
Folder WSUSContent - HKLM \ Software \ Microsoft \ Update Services \ Server \ Setup \ ContentDir
Key for access through Secure Storage Backup Wizard.
All components must be on standby ON ANOTHER physical computer on the network. This will save you from further problems with recovery.

PS How to transfer to the new server? I can’t give an exact recommendation, but presumably, you need to backup all components, a normal way to install SCE on a new computer from scratch, and restore the databases.

Cross post of personal blog dimka.yz74.ru/2009/02/09/sce_disaster