Backing Up Site Permissions
Use the ControlPoint Backup Permissions action to back up permissions on one or more SharePoint sites, to maintain the integrity of site security throughout your farm.
For example, you may want to back up permissions:
·for the entire farm on a regular basis (such as weekly)
·to have a "snapshot" of the original permissions set up for a newly created site
·before performing an administrative action that may compromise site security settings.
Permissions are backed up site by site, with permissions for each individual site saved as a separate line item in the data table xcPermissionsbackupin the ControlPoint Service (xcAdmin) database along with the date and time of the operation. Definitions of permissions levels are not backed up.
NOTE: Depending on the scope of the operation and the number of objects (sites, lists, and/or list items) with unique permissions, the permissions backup process can be time-consuming and resource-intensive. Therefore, it is recommended that you perform the operationor schedule the operation to runwhen system usage is low.
To back up site permissions:
1Select the object(s) containing the sites whose permissions you want to back up.
2Choose Users and Security > Backup Permissions.
Now you can:
·run the operation immediately (by clicking the [Run Now] button)
OR
·complete the Enforce Policy section and schedule the operation to run at a later time.
OR
·save the operation as XML Instructions that can be run at a later time.
If you chose the Run Now, option, after the operation has been processed:
·a confirmation message displays at the top of the page, and
·a ControlPoint Task Audit is generated for the operation and displays in the Results section.
If you schedule the operation, a link to the Task Audit is included in the scheduled action notification email.
See also The ControlPoint Task Audit.
Restoring Site Permissions from a Backup
Use the Manage Permissions Backups action to restore user permissions for one or more sites whose permissions have been backed up. You can choose whether or not to restore from the backup:
·SharePoint groups that may have been deleted
·the membership of SharePoint groups, and/or
·the Site Collection Administrator.
REMINDER: Permissions That are Restored/Not Restored
·Definitions of permissions levels cannot be backed up, and therefore cannot be restored. If a permissions level was deleted from a site since the Backup Date, an error will be reported.
·Any sites that have been deleted since the Backup Date will not be restored, nor will permissions for users who are no longer valid in SharePoint Online (that is, user accounts that have been deleted or disabled in Active Directory).
·For any object that currently that has unique permissions but had inherited permissions as of the Backup Date, inheritance will be restored. Conversely, for any object with unique permissions that had inherited permissions as of the Backup date, the unique permissions will be restored.
·The permissions of any user who was given direct permissions since the Backup Date will be deleted. If you choose to restore group membership, however, any user added to a SharePoint group since the Backup Date will not be deleted, as that user may have permissions to other sites in the collection via membership in the group.
·Any lists and list items created after the Backup Date will remain intact.
To restore permissions backups:
1Select the object(s) whose permissions you want to restore.
2Choose Users and Security > Manage Permissions Backups.
The Show most recent backups for each site box is checked by default and only the most recent backup for each site within the scope of your selection will display. You can, however, check or uncheck this box as needed.
3If you want to narrow the list to backups to a specific date range:
a)Select a Show Backups from and Show Backups until date (
b)Click [Refresh Display].
4Check the appropriate restore option(s):
§Restore groups - Check this box if you want any SharePoint groups (and group membership) that have been deleted since the Backup Date to be restored. If you leave this box unchecked, groups will not be restored.
§Restore users to groups - Check this box if you want to restore membership in SharePoint groups that may have changed since the Backup Date. (That is, any deleted users will be restored. Users that have been added to group since the Backup Date will not be deleted, however.) If you leave this box unchecked, only members that have been added to the group since the backup date (if any) will be retained.
REMINDER: Users who are no longer valid on the server or in Active Directory will not be restored.
§Restore Site Administrator - Check this box if you want to restore the Site Administrator(s) that existed as of the backup date. If you leave this box unchecked, the current Site Administrator(s) will be retained.
5Highlight the row(s) containing the backups from which you want to restore permissions. To select multiple backups, use the [Shift] and [Ctrl] keys in the conventional manner.
Now you can:
·run the action immediately, (by clicking the [Restore from selected backup] button)
OR
·schedule the restore to run at a later time
OR
·generate an xml file with instructions that can be run at a later time (by clicking [Save Instructions for Restore]).
If you chose the Run Now, option, after the operation has been processed:
·a confirmation message displays at the top of the page, and
·a ControlPoint Task Audit is generated for the operation and displays in the Results section.
If you schedule the operation, a link to the Task Audit is included in the scheduled action notification email.
See also The ControlPoint Task Audit.
Deleting Permissions Backups
From the Manage Permissions Backups interface you can delete one or more permissions backups. You can also purge all backups created before a specified date.
NOTE: If you want to narrow the list to backups to a specific date range, select a Show Backups from and Show Backups until date (
To delete selected backup(s):
1In the Select column, check the box beside each backup you want to delete.*
2Click [Delete selected backups].
You will be prompted to confirm the deletion before the operation is carried out.
To delete all backups:
1Click [Select All].*
2Click [Delete selected backups].
You will be prompted to confirm the deletion before the operation is carried out.
*NOTE: If you want to de-select currently selected backups, click [Reset].
To purge all backups created before a specific date:
1Scroll to the bottom of the Manage Permissions Backups page.
2For Purge all Backups in the Farm before this date, select the earliest date for which you want to retain permissions backups.
3Click [Purge].
Managing Permissions Inheritance
The ControlPoint Manage Permissions Inheritance action lets you break or restore permissions inheritance of sites, subsites, lists, folders, and items across your SharePoint farm.
SharePoint Objects Included in the Operation by Default
The following table identifies the SharePoint objects that are included in the Break/Restore Inheritance operation by default.
|
Operation |
Scope |
Objects Included by Default |
|---|---|---|
|
Restore Inheritance
|
Site Collection |
All sites, subsites, lists, folders and items within the selected scope. NOTE: You can use the Change Selection option if you want to exclude individual sites, lists, folders, and items. |
|
Site |
The site itself and all lists, folders and items within the site. NOTE: If you have checked the Include Children box in the Selection pane (that is, you want to include child sites of the selected site), you can also choose to exclude the selected site itself (so that child sites will inherit from it). | |
|
List |
The list itself. NOTE: By default folders and items are not acted upon. You can, however, use the Change Selection option to explicitly select any folders, and items you want to include. | |
|
Break Inheritance
|
Site Collection |
All sites and subsites within the selected scope. NOTE: By default, lists, folders, and items are not acted upon. You can, however, use the Change Selection option to explicitly select any lists, folders, and items you want to include. |
|
Site |
The site itself and all subsites. NOTES: · By default, lists, folders, and items are not acted upon. You can, however, use the Change Selection option to explicitly select any lists, folders, and items you want to include. · If you have checked the Include Children box in the Selection pane (that is, you want to include child sites of the selected site), you can also choose to exclude the selected site itself (so that child sites will no longer inherit from it). | |
|
List |
The list itself. NOTE: By default, folders and items are not acted upon. You can, however, use the Change Selection option to explicitly select any folders, and items you want to include. |
To manage permissions inheritance:
1Select the object(s) for which you want to break or restore inheritance.
2Choose Users and Security > Manage Permissions Inheritance.
3Use the information in the following table to determine the appropriate action to take.
|
If you want to ... |
Then ... |
|---|---|
|
restore permissions inheritance |
select the Restore Inheritance radio button. |
|
break permissions inheritance |
a.Select the Break Inheritance radio button. b.Select whether you want to: ·Copy Permissions from Parent OR ·Leave Permissions Empty. |
4If you initiated the action at the site level and want to act only on child site(s), check the Include Children only (exclude selected sites) box.
NOTE: This option is valid only if one or more sites (other than root sites) were explicitly selected.
Now you can:
·run the operation immediately (by clicking the [Run Now] button)
OR
·complete the Enforce Policy section and schedule the operation to run at a later time.
OR
·save the operation as XML Instructions that can be run at a later time.
If you chose the Run Now, option, after the operation has been processed:
·a confirmation message displays at the top of the page, and
·a ControlPoint Task Audit is generated for the operation and displays in the Results section.
If you schedule the operation, a link to the Task Audit is included in the scheduled action notification email.
See also The ControlPoint Task Audit.