How to store a Backup for later use

Melissa Duffy
Melissa Duffy
Third Anniversary Name Dropper Participant Facilitator 1
in Blackbaud Raiser's Edge NXT®: General Discussions

I have requested a backup of our system from Blackbaud for later use. We currently use Raiser's Edge. What is the best way to store the backup? I know the codes for the links expire in 7 days from the date sent. Will I need to extract the data, then store it, vs just storing the links? I am unsure of how to do this or the best way to do it. Thank you!

Comments

  • Bryna Gleich
    Bryna Gleich Blackbaud Employee
    Tenth Anniversary Kudos 3 Name Dropper Participant

    @Melissa Duffy Hi Melissa, just wanted to let you know, I've gone ahead and moved this discussion thread from the Blackbaud CRM to Blackbaud Raiser's Edge section of the user community, since you mentioned Raiser's Edge in your original question.

    My gut says that you'll need to save/extract the files to some sort of local or cloud storage, before the 7 days are up. I would not expect the links to work after those 7 days if they expire, but I will defer to someone else to confirm that. I could be mistaken on that though, so please get confirmation from someone who knows Raiser's Edge specifically.

  • Melissa Duffy
    Melissa Duffy
    Third Anniversary Name Dropper Participant Facilitator 1

    @Bryna Gleich
    Thank You!

  • Venky Immadisetty
    Venky Immadisetty
    Second Anniversary Kudos 1 Name Dropper Facilitator 1

    @Melissa Duffy

    I’m not sure about Raiser's Edge, but I am familiar with the process for handling Raiser's Edge NXT backup files.

    If you just want to keep it for backup purposes, you only need to download and securely store the backup file, the certificate, the private key, and the decryption key for future use.

    If you want to restore the backup into SQL Server, please follow the instructions below.
    Step 1. Download the Backup File:
    First, download your backup file from the link provided by Blackbaud. Since the link expires in 7 days.
    Step 2. Download the Certificate and Private Key:
    The database backup is encrypted, so you will also need to download the certificate and private key files provided by Blackbaud.
    Step 3. Restore the Database in Microsoft SQL Server (Version 2019 or later):
    Once you have the backup file, certificate, and private key, you can restore the database on your local Microsoft SQL Server by following these steps:
    Step 3.a Create a Master Key on your SQL Server
    CREATE MASTER KEY ENCRYPTION BY PASSWORD = '<a secure password>';
    Step 3.b Create the Certificate Locally
    CREATE CERTIFICATE [BlackbaudNightlyBackup]
    FROM FILE = '<path to the certificate file>'
    WITH PRIVATE KEY (
    FILE = '<path to the private key file>',
    DECRYPTION BY PASSWORD = '<password provided by Blackbaud>'
    );
    Step 3.c Create a Database in SQL Server
    Create a new database where you will restore the backup.
    Step 3.d Restore the Backup File
    RESTORE DATABASE <Database Name>
    FROM DISK = '<path to the backup file>'
    WITH REPLACE;
    GO

    Note:
    To understand the table structure (i.e., which table contains what information) in your backup file, you may need the schema file as a reference. You can find more information here:

    Thank you!
    Venky





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