Change Devices Data Protection Manager Server with ConfigMgr

This month we ended up moving one of our offices into a new building.  Of course, there are many elements that go into moving a building with local IT infrastructure.  In this case, one thing that had to be done was moving the devices to a new Microsoft System Center Data Protection Manager Server (DPM).

Microsoft thankfully made this very simple. When you install a DPM client, it comes with a utility called SetDpmServer.exe.  The SetDPMServer.exe allows you to define a server name that the device should use to backup data.

In this post, I am not going to show the DPM configuration changes.  However, from a really high-level you could do one of the following options:

  • Import from a TXT file all the devices from the old server into a new Protection Group on the new Server. (This is the option we went for)
  • Reassign all the clients and then when they show up in the DPM Server Console, assign them to the correct Protection Group

You can read more about SetDPMServer.exe here

ConfigMgr Package to move Data Protection Manager Server

We solved this in the easiest way possible by using a ConfigMgr package. Let’s have a quick review of how to do this:

  • Open your ConfigMgr Console
  • Navigate to Software Library > Application Management > Packages
  • Right Click the Packages  node and select Create Package
  • From the Package, option ensure you do the following
    • Give the package a sensible name
    • Do not tick This Package Contains Source FilesOnce you have filled in the information click Next

Change Data Protection Manager Server

  • From the Program Type page, choose a Standard program and then click Next

Configuration Manager Standard Program

  • On the Standard Program page fill in the following
    • Name: For Example Set DPM Server to DPM-Server01
    • Command Line:  You need to change the dpmServerName to the correct server in your environment

powershell.exe –Noprofile -ExecutionPolicy ByPass -Command “& ‘C:\Program Files\Microsoft Data Protection Manager\DPM\bin\SetDpmServer.exe’ -dpmServerName DPM-Server01.thedevopshub.local

    • Run: Hidden
    • Program can run: Whether or not a user is logged on
    • Run mode: Run with administrative rights
    • Allow users to view and interact with the program installation: leave unticked
    • Drive Mode: leave as Default.
    • Once you have finished filling in the Standard Program page click Next
  • On the Requirements page, click Next
  • On the Summary page, click Next
  • On the Requirements page, click Close

Your package creation is now complete. Great work!  All that is left is to target the deployment at a collection of choice.

Hope this helps you out. Of course you can get fancier with how you implement changing the DPM Server but hopefully, this gets you thinking.

As always if you have any questions, let us know.

Cheers,

Harry

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