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How to back up GFI WebMonitor

Answer

DISCLAIMER: GFI Software recommends keeping a backup of the product configuration data.  In case of data loss, GFI Software will not be able to recover your configuration if a backup is not available. If using backup software to back up data, it is required to stop the services listed below before the backup starts and to start the services again once the backup is complete. Not stopping the services during a backup by third party backup software may cause GFI WebMonitor to malfunction.
 

  • GFI WebMonitor
  • GFI WebMonitor Core Service
  • GFI Proxy (GFI WebMonitor Standalone Proxy only)
  • Microsoft Forefront TMG Firewall (Microsoft TMG installations only)

Backing up the configuration

Option 1: Using the Settings Importer Tool 

NOTE: There is two version of this tool: 2013 and 2015 or newer - you cannot export in one version and import on the other. So, if you are about to make an upgrade use the manual option.

 
Note: This tool is available in GFI WebMonitor 2013/2012 R2 and newer builds. 
  1. On the machine where GFI WebMonitor is installed, open a command prompt and change the directory to the WebMonitor installation folder
  2. To list all the parameters that can be used to operate the Settings Importer Tool, run the command:
    • WebMon.SettingsImporterTool –help
  3. Make a backup of the .gz file created by the tool
-e,  Export settings (all)
-I Import settings (all, specific settings can be imported by specifying additional parameters)
/path=<value> The path to the settings file being imported
-R Import all report settings
-a Import authorization rules
-u Import auto update settings
-d Import database settings
-n Import notifications settings
-o Import general options
-w Import web categorization settings
-G Import all general settings
-f Import web filtering policies
-b Import web browsing policies
-m Import instant messaging and social control policies
-s Import streaming media policies
-g Import search engine policies
-v Import virus scanning policies
-y Import security engines settings
-l Import download control policies
-x Import always blocked settings
-j Import always allowed settings
-P Import all policy settings
-L Import all alert settings
-q Import proxy general settings
-h Import proxy HTTPs settings
-z Import proxy cache settings
-X Import all proxy settings
-S Import all settings except reports
-A Import all settings

Note: The parameters apply only when importing the configuration settings. When exporting configuration settings all settings are exported.
 
Example 1 – Exporting settings
 
WebMon.SettingsImporterTool –e
 
Settings are exported to a single file and when the process is complete, the following message is displayed: 
 
Exported WebMonitor settings to C:\Program Files\GFI\WebMonitor\<filename>.gz
 
Example 2 – Importing all settings
 
WebMon.SettingsImporterTool -i /path=<filename>.gz
 
When import is complete, the following message is displayed:
 
Successfully imported <All> WebMonitor settings from <filename>
 
Example 3 – Importing Virus Scanning and Download Control policies
 
WebMon.SettingsImporterTool -ivl /path=<filename>.gz
 
When import is complete, the following message is displayed:
 
Successfully imported <VirusScanningPolicies, DownloadControlPolicies> WebMonitor settings from <filename>
 
Note: Additional examples are included in 2 text files in the GFI WebMonitor installation folder; ExportSettingsExample.bat and ImportSettingsExamples.bat.
 

Option 2: Manual Configuration Backup

How to backup and restore the GFI WebMonitor (Standalone Proxy Version) Configuration

Backing up the database

Microsoft SQL Server database

 
If using a Microsoft SQL Server database for reporting, the database needs to be backed up separately. Refer to http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms187510.aspx for options how to back up a Microsoft SQL Server database.
 

Embedded database

  1. Stop the following services:
    • GFI WebMonitor
    • GFI WebMonitor Core Service
    • GFI Proxy (GFI WebMonitor Standalone Proxy only)
    • Microsoft Firewall (Microsoft ISA Server installations only)
    • Microsoft Forefront TMG Firewall (Microsoft TMG installations only)
  2. Back up the .FDB file specified in the WebMonitor settings
    • To find out the location of the file, open the WebMonitor console and go to Settings  > General > Database
    • By default the location of the embedded database is ..\GFI\WebMonitor\Data\WEBMON.FDB
  3. Start the services stopped in 1
Note: If using backup software to back up this file, it is required to stop the services specified above before the backup starts and to start the services again once the backup is complete. Not stopping the services during a backup may cause GFI WebMonitor to malfunction.
 

Migrating or repairing from a backup

  1. ​Install directories must be the same for Migrations. 
  2. Open Services.msc and stop both GFI WebMonitor Services (GFI Proxy and GFI WebMonitor Core Service)
  3. Take a copy made from the Data folder of previous backup steps and place in the new servers data directory (Overwrite all when prompted)
  4. Restart all stopped services from step 2

NOTE: Migration to new server the install paths must be the same and the version x86 or x64 must be the same on both servers.

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  1. Priyanka Bhotika

  2. Posted
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