To facilitate your back up and restoration process, apply the following best practices when you back up or restore your data:

• Perform regular backups at appropriate intervals. The simplest and most commonly used backup type and rotation schedule is a full, nightly backup of the entire SQL Server database. Then, if restoration is necessary, the restoration process requires only one backup and no more than a day’s data should be lost.
  
  
• If you use cmdlets or the Lync Server Control Panel to make configuration changes, use the Export-CsConfiguration cmdlet to take a snapshot backup of the topology configuration file (Xds.mdf) after you make the changes so that you won't lose the changes if you need to restore your databases.
  
  
• Ensure that the shared folder you plan to use for backing up Lync Server 2010 has sufficient disk space to hold all the backed up data.
  
  
• Schedule backups when Lync Server usage typically is low to improve server performance and the user experience.
  
  
• Ensure that the location where you back up data is secure.
  
  
• Keep the backup files where they are available in case you need to restore the data.
  
  
• Plan for and schedule periodic testing of the restoration processes supported by your organization.
  
  
• Validate your backup and restoration processes in advance to ensure that they work as expected.
  
  

The best strategy for dealing with disastrous service interruptions (caused by unmanageable events such as power outages or sudden hardware failures) is to assume they will happen and plan accordingly. The disaster management plans you develop as part of your backup and restoration strategy should include the following:

• Keeping your software media and your software and firmware updates readily available.
  
  
• Maintaining hardware and software records.
  
  
• Backing up your data regularly and ensuring the integrity of your backups.
  
  
• Training your staff in disaster recovery, documenting procedures, and implementing disaster recovery simulation drills.
  
  
• Keeping spare hardware available or, if you have a service level agreement (SLA), contracting with hardware vendors and suppliers for prompt replacements.
  
  
• Separating the location of your transaction log files (.ldf files) and database files (.mdf files).