Database Import/Export
,A tool familiar to many LCS and OCS administrators is the database import/export tool called dmbimpexp.exe. This tool enables administrators to import or export user contact lists using XML files. Typically a SQL server backup captures the rtc database that contains the user contact lists, but having the XML version available can be useful when restoring from a backup that is slow or unavailable.
Note
It’s a good idea to schedule a task to export the contact list from a pool from time to time. In a disaster scenario where users must be forcibly moved to another pool, the contact list information is lost. If organizations keep a current copy of the user contact lists from this tool, it can be used to restore the lists almost immediately. This enables users to be up and running on a new pool with their original contact list while the old pool is restored.
The dbimpexp tool is installed on servers in the <Lync Installation Drive>Program FilesCommon FilesMicrosoft Lync Server 2010Support folder. In cases where moving user contact lists between different Lync servers this works great, but for scenarios where users might be moved from OCS to Lync, the tool must be copied to the OCS server. The program can also be found on the Lync installation media within the Support folder.
Note
When moving user contact lists with dbimpexp, always use the version provided with the recent product release. For instance, when moving between OCS and Lync, use the dbimpexp version provided on the Lync media. When moving between LCS and OCS, use the OCS version.
There are many options when running dbimpexp, but the basic functionality is fairly straightforward. For a full list of the options available, see the dbimpexp-readme.html file included in the same folder as the executable.
To export all user contact lists to an XML file on a Standard Edition pool, use the following syntax:
dbimpexp.exe /hrxmlfile:"<Path and Filename>.xml"
To export all user contact lists to an XML file on an Enterprise Edition pool, one additional parameter is required. Use the following syntax:
dbimpexp.exe /hrxmlfile:"<Path and Filename>.xml" /sqlserver:"<SQL Server
FQDN and Instance Name if Named>"
After the contact lists are exported to XML and safe, they can be applied back to the users at any time. A scheduled task can easily perform this action on a nightly or weekly basis. Importing the contact lists is just as simple as the export procedure. By default, the contents of the XML file are merged with a user’s existing contacts, but the /delete option can be used to empty the contact list before performing an import.
To import all user contact lists from an XML file on a Standard Edition pool, use the following syntax:
dbimpexp.exe /import /hrxmlfile:"<Path and Filename>.xml" /restype:all
To import all user contact lists from an XML file on an Enterprise Edition pool, one additional parameter is required. Use the following syntax:
dbimpexp.exe /import /hrxmlfile:"<Path and Filename>.xml" /sqlserver:"<SQL
Server FQDN and Instance Name if Named>" /restype:all
This is a powerful tool and can have a visible impact on user accounts if used incorrectly, so run some test scenarios before doing these changes in bulk. The export and import procedures can be targeted to only a single user by using the /user:<SIP Address> parameter.