Deploying Data Protection Manager 2007 (DPM) for SharePoint 2007 Protection and Recovery

In order to meet our Recovery Time Objective (RTO) and Recovery Point Objective (RPO) goals, we have decided to deploy and use Microsoft System Center Data Protection Manager 2007 (DPM) for our SharePoint farm, rather than using third party tools or manual content database restore approach which needs a longer restore time.  From that experiences, below is the summary of steps that we have performed in order to set it up for protecting our farm, which consists of web front-end, index, and database servers.

1. Service account preparation
- DPM administrator service account, which has local administrator privilege on the DPM Server
- DPM agent service account, which has local administrator privilege on the machines to be protected, which are the web front-end, index, and database servers
- SQL server service account

2. Machine preparation
- 1 server machine for DPM installation, including its database (DPM server)
- 1 server machine (or can be a virtual one and put in the same machine as DPM server) for SharePoint recovery farm

3. DPM server installation
a. Install Windows Server 2008 R2
b. Add the Application Server and Web Server (IIS) roles (on the Role Services screen, select all check boxes)
c. Install SQL Server 2005, choose the following components to install and select Default instance
- Database Services / Data Files
- Database Services / Shared Tools
- Reporting Services / * (All Items)
- Client Components / * (All Items)
d. Install SQL Server 2005 SP3
e. Grant sysadmin access for DPM administrator service account to SQL Server by executing below query in the SQL Server Management Studio query window
USE [master]
GO
CREATE LOGIN [CONTOSO\svcDPMAdmin] FROM WINDOWS WITH DEFAULT_DATABASE=[master]
GO
EXEC master..sp_addsrvrolemember @loginame = N'CONTOSO\svcDPMAdmin', @rolename = N'sysadmin'
GO
f. Install Single Instance Store (SIS) feature to reduce the amount of space that is used to store data on a volume by executing the following command in the command prompt (Run as administrator) and restart the machine after completed
    start /wait ocsetup.exe SIS-Limited /quiet /norestart
g. Add the static host entries for web front-end, index, and database servers in C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\etc\Hosts
h. Install DPM 2007 by selecting Use the dedicated MS$DPM2007$ instance of SQL Server
i. In the SQL Settings interface, use DPM administrator service account, which has been granted sysadmin role to the database server
j. Install SQL Server 2005 SP3
k. Install DPM 2007 SP1

4. DPM agent installation
a. On the DPM server, click Start -> Programs -> Microsoft System Center Data Protection Manager -> Microsoft System Center Data Protection Manager
b. Click Management tab
c. Click Install under Actions to start Protection Agent Installation Wizard
d. Enter the computer name of SharePoint web front-end server and click Add
e. Enter the computer name of SharePoint index server and click Add
f. Click Next
g. On the Credentials interface, enter the DPM agent service account, provide the password and click Next (This account should have local administrator privileges on both servers before attempting to click Next)
h. Select the No, I will restart the selected computers later option on the Choose Restart Method interface and click Next
i. Click Install
j. Ensure the agent install is successful on both servers and click Close
k. Restart the web front-end and index servers
l. Close the DPM Management GUI on the DPM server and wait for the servers to restart
m. Once each server has restarted, establish an RDP session to it using an account with local administrative privileges
n. Open a command prompt as an administrator
o. Change to the directory:
    c:\program files\Microsoft Data Protection Manager\DPM\bin\
p. Execute the following command:
    configuresharepoint.exe –EnableSharePointProtection
q. When prompted, provide the SharePoint farm account username and password
r. Ensure the operation succeeds (do not close the command prompt)
s. Execute the command:
   configuresharepoint.exe –setTempPath ‘D:\MOSS_Recovery’
   (Notes: D:\MOSS_Recovery folder needs to be created first)
t. Provide the password for the SharePoint farm account and ensure the operation succeeds
u. On the DPM Server, open the DPM Management GUI and navigate to the Management/Agents tab and ensure that the agent status for both machines are OK
v. Install the DPM agent on the recovery farm's server, following the steps a -> u
w. Install the DPM agent on the database server, following the steps a -> l

5. Post installation configuration on the DPM server
a. Configure storage pool for disk and tape
b. Create protection group
- SharePoint farm configuration database
- IIS web site folder for SharePoint web applications (e.g. c:\inetpub\wwwroot)
- C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Web Server Extensions\12 folder
- System State

6. DPMRecoveryWebApplication creation in recovery farm
Before DPM can be used to recover any data to a protected farm, the DPMRecoveryWebApplication must be created on the recovery farm’s server. Below are the steps necessary to create the DPMRecoveryWebApplication.
a. On the recovery farm's server, open the SharePoint 3.0 Central Administration console from the Start Menu and click on the Application Management tab
b. Under the SharePoint Web Application Management heading, click on the Create or Extend Web application
c. The Create or Extend Web application page appears and click Create a new Web application
d. Choose the Create a new IIS web site and in the description, name it “DPMRecoveryWebApplication”
e. In the Port field, can use port 80
f. The Host Header and Path fields can remain unchanged.
g. Scroll down to the radio button Create new application pool and in the Application pool name box, note that the entry name includes the port number and the SharePoint recovery server name.
h. Under the Select a security account for this application pool, select the Configurable radio button and type in a suitable account and password in the fields that follow
i. Lastly, in the Database Name box, type in DPMRecoveryWebApplication
j. Click OK