How to create and send a vault metadata backup to M-Files Support

1. Overview

In some cases, M-Files Support may ask for a copy of the vault metadata backup for analysis and/or to resolve critical issues that might be related to metadata configuration or objects structure in the vault. 

This article describes the process to create the vault metadata backup and safely send it to M-Files Support.

2. Steps to create the metadata backup

First check which database engine is in use, the process of creating a metadata backup differs based on the vault's database engine. M-Files uses Firebird as the default vault database engine, and we recommend that Microsoft SQL Server is used if the vault contains several hundreds of thousands of objects. 

2.1 Firebird as database engine

If you are using firebird as database engine you need to bring the document vault offline before taking metadata backup.

1. Check the location of vault data on server from M-Files admin window. M-Files Admin > Expand Document Vaults > Properties (right click the vault) > Advanced > Define (under user firebird). Go to that location. By default, the location is as bellow: 
   C:\Program Files\M-Files\Server Vaults\<vault name>
2. Bring the vault offline.
3. Copy MetaData.fdb and FileData.id in another location (folder) from vault's file data location. By default, locations are as bellow:
   C:\Program Files\M-Files\Server Vaults\<vault name>\MetaData\MetaData.fdb
   C:\Program Files\M-Files\Server Vaults\<vault name>\FileData\FileData.id
4. After the copying process is finished, you can now bring the vault online.
5. Compress both files using 7-Zip and use AES encryption with a strong password. Send us the zipped encrypted file via Cryptshare portal.

2.2 MS SQL Server as database engine (File Data not stored in vault's database)

If you are using MS SQL server as vault's database and File Data is not stored in MS SQL server database, you can follow below steps to generate to metadata backup.

1. Connect to your MS SQL server instance with Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio.
2. Expand databases in left pane under your database server name.
3. Backup your vault's database by right clicking the database name (vault's database) > Tasks > Backup.
4. You can change the location of your backup by adding backup destination from backup window. 
5. As backup process is finished backup file (.bak) will be stored in backup destination. 
6. Compress the backup file (.bak) using 7-Zip and use AES encryption with a strong password. Send the zipped file to us via Cryptshare portal.

2.3 MS SQL Server as database engine (File Data stored in vault's database)

If you are using MS SQL Server as vault's database and storing File Data inside the MS SQL server database, please check below instructions.

1. Use copy vault from M-Files admin. To make a copy of the SQL vault, M-Files Admin > Document Vaults> Vault Name (right click)> Operations > Copy Document Vault. Set a new vault name in destination (new document vault) section.
2. Select "All" in data to copy section and then click on Advanced > select exclude File Data from the vault copy. 
3. Click Ok to start the process, it may take a while depending on your vault's metadata structure. This operation will create a new vault with an MS SQL Server database with metadata information.
4. After the copy document vault operation succeeds, follow the steps from section [2.2] to back up the new MS SQL Server database that is created by the copy document vault operation (New document vault name).
5. Compress the backup file (.bak) using 7-Zip and use password encryption. Send the zipped file to us via Cryptshare portal.
6. After backing up you can destroy the copy vault (** Please make sure you do not destroy the production vault).

*** Note: While backing up MS SQL Server document vault, it is not required to bring vault offline. <vault name> refers to the document vault name. For your information, metadata copy doesn't include any file documents.

Figure: Copy document vault (M-Files Admin)

3. Sending the metadata backup to Support

When sending the backup (or any other sensitive data), please make sure to use Cryptshare Web application that allows easy and secure exchange of sensitive information. See instruction here: https://m-files.my.site.com/s/article/How-to-Send-Files-via-CryptShare-Portal

4. Reference Documents

Using Firebird as the Database Engine: https://userguide.m-files.com/user-guide/latest/eng/use_firebird.html#using_firebird_as_the_database_engine

Using Microsoft SQL Server as the Database Engine: https://userguide.m-files.com/user-guide/latest/eng/use_ms_sql.html

Copying a Document Vault: https://userguide.m-files.com/user-guide/latest/eng/Operations_Copy_document_vault.html

Changing the Location of the Vault File Data for Microsoft SQL Server: https://userguide.m-files.com/user-guide/latest/eng/changing_the_location_of_the_vault_file_data.html

M-Files backup policy: https://kb.cloudvault.m-files.com/vnext/#/vault/{3ECA226F-7B54-428B-B539-DE443E6134EC}/objects/12DBD11C-9FF8-4839-9DE5-6F6277A48A1A/latest