[Update: 23rd Sep 2010. Microsoft recommend NOT backing up SharePoint with the Power Tool until the Power Tools are updated. More info]

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Last week Microsoft released an updated version of the Team Foundation Server 2010 Power Tools. This new (September) release includes a new Power Tool as well as updates to three of the existing Power Tools.

• NEW – Team Foundation Server Backups
• Updated – Microsoft Team Foundation Server 2010 Best Practices Analyzer
• Updated – Team Explorer Enhancements
• Updated – Team Foundation Power Tool (TFPT.EXE)

You can download and read more about the new Power Tools on the download page on Visual Studio Gallery. If you would like to know more about the new TFS Backup Plan Power tool, read-on…

I wanted to use this blog post to provide a quick pictorial run through of the new Team Foundation Server Backups power tool and to make available a Hands-On Lab I have written around the new TFS Backup Power Tool.

Hands On Lab

If you’d like to walk through a Hands-On Lab exercise to see how the TFS Backup and Restore works, you can download it here. (11 page PDF, ~623Kb)

This Hands-On Lab has been written and included in my TFS 2010: Configuration and Administration course. If you’d like to know more about the course, you can read more on the course webpage.

Pictorial walkthrough

If you’d just like to skim through some screenshots to get a feel for the TFS Backup Power tool, keep scrolling.

Creating a TFS Backup Plan in pictures.

After installing the Power Tools, Create a Backup Plan through the Team Foundation Server Console

The TFS Backup Plan is a Wizard based UI.

Provide a UNC path to where you want the database backup files to go

Choose how long you want to keep each backup set for.

Decide if you want to backup the SharePoint and SQL Reporting Services databases.

Provide details of the account to use

If you’ve setup SMTP details in TFS, provide an email address for TFS Backup failure notifications to be sent to.

Choose how frequently you want the backups to occur.

The schedule you choose can be quite specific.

Confirm the settings you have entered.

Keep your fingers crossed that the Readiness Checks all pass.

Finally your Backup Plan has been created.

All done.

You can view your TFS Backup plan from the Team Foundation Administration Console. You can also trigger a manual backup quickly and easily.

Here’s a manually trigger backup in progress.

The backup has completed successfully.

Here’s a sample of what will appear in the backup location.

Restoring from a backup in pictures.

Kick off the Restore wizard from the Start menu.

Provide the UNC path to where the backup sets are stored.

Provide the name of the SQL Server where you want to restore each database to.

Check your details are correct.

The Readiness Checks have all passed.

The restore in action.

Restore is all done.

So now you’ve got no excuse for not having up to date backups of your TFS Server databases.