Verba Backup Best Practices

Owned by Kiss, Mate
Jul 31, 2018
3 min read

Having an extensive backup procedure in place for a recording solution is of utmost importance. In case of a hardware failure or other serious disruptive events, this will allow for recovering all recorded conversations and configuration into a newly reinstalled Verba system.

Without extensive backup procedures, recordings are at risk. It is the responsibility of the user to employ proper backup tools and procedures.

What needs to be backed up for a proper restore?

The backup is complete and a new Verba System could be completely restored from it including all recordings and configuration, if it contains the following two components:

  • the media files - media path, archiving path, storage targets, all disk folders where recorded conversation media is stored
  • the SQL database backup file - a SQL database backup file created by the SQL server during a backup job

No other component needs to be backed up.

When should the backup be done?

Depending on the business requirements, daily, weekly or other regular backups need to be done. Most users choose daily backups.

We recommend to run the file backup:

  • during the lowest traffic period of the operation (in most cases between 1:00-3:00 AM during the night)
  • after the SQL database backup is completed, when the .bak file is available for file backup

If the recording system is recording during the backup, make sure that the backup is executed in a time period, when recorded traffic is lower and when other servers are not using the backup system. This approach significantly decreases the time demand of the backup process.

How to find the media files?

All the media files are stored in the following locations:

  • Media Folder - with administrative rights, under Administration menu / Verba Servers / (select your Media Repository) / Change Configuration Settings / Directories / Media Folder
  • Storage Targets - with administrative rights, under Administration / Storage Targets

All these folders and solutions must be included in the file backup for a complete coverage of all the recordings.

How to do a SQL backup?

The goal of the SQL backup is to create a .bak backup file that can be used with the standard file backup methods.

For more information refer to these topics:

Do not do a file backup of the SQL Server database and index files, since those are not suitable to restore operations. Run a backup in the SQL Server to create a .bak file and include that file in the backup.

How to restore the system?

The Verba system can be completely restored if a backup for the media files and a SQL database backup are available. No other information is required.

Follow the steps below to restore the SQL data, conversation media, and installation of the Verba Media Repository

Step 1 - Restore the database into a Microsoft SQL Server.

Step 2 - Copy the media files to a folder on the Media Repository server or NAS.

Step 3 - Install the Verba Media Repository (during the installation point to the restored SQL Server and the restored Media folder).

Step 4 - In the Verba menu, navigate to Administration / Verba Servers. Select Media Repository and click on Change Configuration. Follow the instructions that appear.

Follow the steps below to restore a Verba Component (Recording, Proxy, Announcement, Speech server, Lync/SfB Filter, Media Collector)

Step 1 - Install the Verba Component.

Step 2 - In the Verba menu, navigate to Administration / Verba Servers. Select the Verba component that needs to be restored and click on Change Configuration. Follow the instructions that appear.