Using the Windows Scheduler to run a SharePoint PowerShell Backup Script

By: MJ Ferdous   |   Updated: 2011-03-15   |   Comments   |   Related: > SharePoint Administration

Problem

SharePoint administrators need to run regular backups using PowerShell, the STSADM tool or in Central Administration. There is no "built in" way to automate these backups. Wouldn't it be great to devise a method to automated these jobs?

Solution

The solution is just to create a batch file that can execute a PowerShell script, and then launch it from the Windows Task Scheduler.

PowerShell Command to Backup SharePoint Site Collection

backup-spsite -identity http://SPFarm:20045/ -path C:\Backup\Backup.bak

OR

backup-spsite -identity http://SPFarm:20045/ -path C:\Backup\Backup.bak -force
//Note: use force to overwrite existing file

So, you can use the backup-spsite command to do site backup (the example shows http://SPFarm:20045/). The following script will start a full backup to C:\backup where you can send a site collection URL and backup file name as a parameter to the PowerShell Script.

$args[0] = http://SPFarm:20045/ [Source site location URL]
$args[1] = C:\backup\backup_site.bak [Destination path]

Step 1: Create Windows PowerShell script

Add-PSSnapin Microsoft.SharePoint.PowerShell
backup-spsite -identity $args[0] -path $args[1] -force

(You could) save it as C:\Scripts\BackupSPSite.ps1 - - (Windows PowerShell script files are .ps1 files.) Now you have to call this script from batch file.

Step 2: Create Batch Script to execute PowerShell script

@echo off
SET SOURCE_SITE=http://SPFarm:20045/
SET DEST=C:\backup\Backup_site.bak
echo "backup Started at" %DATE% >> C:\ backup\Log.txt
powershell -command C:\Scripts\BackupSPSite.ps1  %SOURCE_SITE% %DEST%
echo "Backup completed successfully at %DEST%" on %DATE% >> C:\ backup\Log.txt
@echo on

Save it as C:\Scripts\BackupSPSite.bat. Now you have to run this script.

Step 3: Run Batch Script to execute PowerShell script

• Run batch script to check successful backup and log creation at c:\backup.
• Now run it from the Windows Task Scheduler. In the Task Scheduler, the account needs to be set with admin permissions to run it properly.
• See http://www.geeksengine.com/article/how-to-use-windows-task-scheduler.html if you do not know how to use Task Scheduler.

So now you can automate your daily backup of a SharePoint Site. You can also run an entire Farm backup just by using the following command in a PowerShell Script (i.e. C:\Scripts\BackupSPSite.ps1)

Backup-SPFarm -Directory C:\Backup -BackupMethod full

Next Steps

• Download the complete script from here.
• Modify the script for your source site and backup location.

About the author

MJ Ferdous

This author pledges the content of this article is based on professional experience and not AI generated.

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