How to back up and restore a Cayosoft Guardian server to a new server

This article describes how to move an existing Cayosoft Guardian installation to a new server and continue using the existing Cayosoft Guardian configuration and history data.

Use this procedure when you need to replace the current Cayosoft Guardian server, move Cayosoft Guardian to new infrastructure, or recover Cayosoft Guardian on a new server after a server failure.

NOTE: If you only need to create a backup before a product upgrade and restore the same server if the upgrade fails, use the upgrade rollback procedure instead. This article is intended for moving or restoring Cayosoft Guardian to a different server.

Before you begin

Before you start, make sure that:

• You have administrative access to the source Cayosoft Guardian server and the new target server.
• The target server meets the Cayosoft Guardian system requirements.
• You have access to the SQL Server instance that hosts the Cayosoft Guardian databases, if external SQL Server is used.
• You have a current backup of the source Guardian server.
• You have current backups of any Cayosoft Guardian databases that are hosted on an external SQL Server.
• You know whether the Cayosoft Guardian configuration and history databases are local or external.

Review the Cayosoft Guardian database locations

1. Open the Cayosoft Guardian web portal on the source server.
2. Go to Settings > System Databases.
3. Review the Server column for each database.
4. Note the database names and server names.

Use the following guidance:

• If the server value is (LocalDb)\CayoInstance or matches the Cayosoft Guardian server name, the database is located on the Cayosoft Guardian server.
• If the server value shows a different SQL Server name, the database is hosted externally and must be backed up separately from the Guardian server.
• If an external SQL Server is used, note the exact database names before restoring or switching databases.

NOTE: If a restored database is renamed during the SQL restore process, rename it back to the original database name or update the Guardian database configuration accordingly.

Back up the source Guardian server

Before migrating or restoring Cayosoft Guardian to a new server, create a full backup of the source Guardian server. The backup should include:

• Cayosoft Guardian installation files
• Guardian configuration files
• The keys folder
• Local Guardian databases, if LocalDB is used
• Any customized configuration files, such as appsettings.json

If Cayosoft Guardian runs on a virtual machine, create a VM checkpoint or snapshot according to your organization’s backup policy.

Back up external SQL databases

If any Guardian databases are hosted on an external SQL Server, back them up separately.

Back up all Guardian databases listed under Settings > System Databases, including the configuration database, history database, and any additional Guardian databases used in your environment.

IMPORTANT: The Cayosoft Guardian server backup alone does not include databases that are hosted on an external SQL Server.

Prepare the target server

1. Prepare a new Windows server that meets the Cayosoft Guardian system requirements.
2. Install Cayosoft Guardian on the target server.
3. Do not complete production configuration on the new installation.
4. If possible, make sure the source and target Cayosoft Guardian installations use the same Cayosoft Guardian version before switching to the existing databases.

Stop Guardian services

To prevent both servers from accessing the same databases at the same time:

1. Stop the Cayosoft Guardian service on the source server.
2. Stop the Cayosoft Guardian service on the target server.

IMPORTANT: Do not run the source and target Cayosoft Guardian servers against the same configuration database at the same time.

Copy the Guardian keys folder

On the source server, copy the following folder:

C:\Program Files\Cayo Software\Guardian\keys

Paste it to the same location on the target server:

C:\Program Files\Cayo Software\Guardian\keys

If Cayosoft Guardian was installed in a custom location, use the corresponding installation path in your environment.

IMPORTANT: The keys folder is required for the new Cayosoft Guardian server to use existing encrypted configuration data.

Copy the local configuration database, if applicable

1. If the Cayosoft Guardian configuration database is stored in LocalDB on the source server, copy the database files from the source server to the target server.

2. Default location: C:\ProgramData\Cayo Software\Guardian\database

3. Copy the folder to the same location on the target server.

4. Skip this step if both the configuration database and history database are hosted on an external SQL Server.

Copy custom configuration changes

1. If the appsettings.json file was manually customized on the source server, review and copy the required changes to the target server.

2. Default location: C:\Program Files\Cayo Software\Guardian\appsettings.json

3. Do not overwrite the file without reviewing it first. Compare the source and target files, and copy only the custom settings that need to be preserved.

Switch the target server to the existing Guardian database

Use this section if the Guardian configuration database is hosted on an external SQL Server.

1. Start the Cayosoft Guardian service on the target server.
2. Open the Cayosoft Guardian web portal on the target server.
3. Go to Settings > System Databases.
4. Select the configuration database.
5. Click Properties.
6. Click Switch to existing configuration.
7. In the dialog, enter the parameters of the existing Cayosoft Guardian database:
   • SQL Server name, for example, ServerName\InstanceName
   • Database name
   • Authentication method
8. If the database was copied or restored from another Cayosoft Guardian installation, select I confirm this database is not used by another Guardian Service.
9. In the Switch databases menu, select Configuration database and associated history database.
10. Click Yes to complete the operation.
11. Wait for the Cayosoft Guardian service to restart.

Update the public Guardian hostname

After the target server starts successfully:

1. Open the Cayosoft Guardian web portal on the target server.
2. Go to Settings > Service Settings > Network Settings.
3. In Public Cayosoft Guardian Hostname, enter the hostname or FQDN that users and components will use to access the new Cayosoft Guardian server.
4. Save the changes.
5. Allow the service to reload the settings.

Forest Recovery considerations

If Forest Recovery is used, perform the following steps before moving Cayosoft Guardian to the target server:

1. On the source Guardian server, open the web portal.
2. Go to Forest Recovery > Agent Management.
3. Select the Forest Recovery agents.
4. Click Uninstall.

After the target server is configured and validated, redeploy or reconnect Forest Recovery components as required for your environment.

Validate the restored Cayosoft Guardian server

After migration or restore is complete, verify that the new Cayosoft Guardian server works as expected.

Check the following:

• You can sign in to the Cayosoft Guardian web portal.
• Existing configuration is available.
• Existing managed domains, Entra tenants, jobs, alerts, and settings are visible.
• Change History is available.
• Scheduled jobs run successfully.
• Alerts and notification channels work.
• AD connectors, if used, can connect to the new Cayosoft Guardian server.
• Forest Recovery components are available, if used.
• The old Cayosoft Guardian server is powered off or decommissioned.

Decommission the old Cayosoft Guardian server

After the new Cayosoft Guardian server is validated:

1. Make sure the old Cayosoft Guardian server is stopped.
2. Confirm that no jobs, agents, connectors, or users are still pointing to the old server.
3. Keep the old server backup until the migration is confirmed successful.
4. Decommission the old server according to your organization’s policy.

Troubleshooting

Cayosoft Guardian cannot connect to the database

Verify the SQL Server name, database name, and authentication method. If the database was restored with a different name, rename it back to the original name or update the Guardian configuration.

Existing configuration is missing

Make sure the target Cayosoft Guardian server is connected to the correct configuration database. Also verify that the keys folder was copied from the source server.

Encrypted settings or credentials do not work

Verify that the keys folder from the source Guardian server was copied to the target server before switching to the existing configuration database.

AD connectors cannot connect to the new server

Verify the public Caysoft Guardian hostname under Settings > Service Settings > Network Settings. If needed, regenerate or update connector configuration so connectors point to the new Cayosoft Guardian server.

Forest Recovery agents are still associated with the old server

Uninstall Forest Recovery agents from the old Cayosoft Guardian server before migration, and then redeploy or reconnect them after the new server is configured.