SharePoint 2007 split a content database

I want to be able to split the content database in SharePoint (MOSS) for backup purposes much the same as you can do with Exchange data stores.

I was aware of file share/backup bloat that was caused by several of my clients dumping the contents of their digital cameras to their servers while preparing quotes etc.

Here is a link to a TechNet Article explaining how to split a content database.

Move site collections to a new database (split a content database) (Office SharePoint Server 2007)

It is part of the larger:

Add, split, and merge content databases

Everything You Need to Know About Exchange Backups

A nice useful three part article from The Exchange Team Blog.

Everything You Need to Know About Exchange Backups- - Part 1

Everything You Need to Know About Exchange Backups- - Part 2

Everything You Need to Know About Exchange Backups- - Part 3

Installing wbadmin command line tools on member server

By default only the Windows Server Backup GUI is installed on Windows 2008 member servers. If you try to use wbadmin at the command line the GUI version will start.

To install the command line tools
On the server

1. Start button open Server Manager
2. Right click on Server Manager(server name)
3. Select Add features
4. Expand Windows Server Backup features
5. The GUI should already be selected, Select Command line tools.
6. Once the installation has completed you should now be able to use wbadmin from the command line.
   No need to restart the server.

Hyper-v USB pass through drive

What is a pass through drive?
Add the USB HDD to a VM as a pass-through disk
Diskpart Command-Line Utility

The VM must be shutdown to attach pass through disk
wbadmin get disks - get disks currently online

References:
How to do a USB HDD pass through to a VM
A Description of the Diskpart Command-Line Utility
Configuring Pass-through Disks in Hyper-V

Usefull wbadmin commands

wbadmin [] [-backupTarget:{VolumeName NetworkSharePath}][-machine:BackupMachineName]

List the disks that are currently online for the local computer
WBADMIN GET DISKS

Backup c: drive
WBADMIN START BACKUP -backupTarget:e: -include:c: -quiet

Create a backup of the system state
WBADMIN START SYSTEMSTATEBACKUP -backupTarget:e: -quiet

e:\WindowsImageBackup\[machinename]
It is possible to backup multiple machines using the same external drive

In the case of Hyper-V Virtual Machines you have to shutdown the VM to switch external drives.
The limiting factor is that both the source and target drives have to be locally attached.
In the case of SBS 2008 Premium where you use 2 VMs you would want 2 external usb drives. If you have a larger number of VMs that require backup an alternative solution is desirable.

See blog about setting up pass through drives for use with VMs.

Used in conjunction with the Windows Server Backup GUI it is possible to restore backups for this or other machines. You can also backup the machine from the GUI.

See blog about setting up Windows Server Backup on Windows 2008.

Running from a batch file & scheduling
Create file c:\backserver.cmd with following contents
wbadmin start backup -backupTarget:e: -allCritical -quiet

open command prompt and enter the following to schedule the backup
at 21:00 /every:M,T,W,Th,F c:\backserver.cmd

These commands will backup the system drive, including system state, at 9pm every week day

Install Windows Backup on Windows Server 2008 Core

Installing Windows Backup on Windows Server 2008  Core
start /w ocsetup WindowsServerBackup

To check if  completed successfully
oclist find ”Installed”
WindowsServerBackup should be at bottom in the list marked as installed.

Hyper-V R2 - SBS 2008 USB Backup not avaliable

SBS 2008 USB backup to be avaliable with Hyper-V R2
Much to my frustration this has been mis-reported on the web. The impresssion given from some sources is that a Small Business Server 2008 VM on Hyper-V R2 will backup to USB drives as per normal .. this appears to be wrong.

Backing up SBS 2008 running on Hyper-V is accomplished using Pass Through Drives and Windows Server Backup (wbadmin)