Include SharePoint recataloging in a long-term MABS recovery plan

Source facts

Microsoft says SharePoint farm backups retained long-term in Azure do not leave their catalog metadata available on the MABS server. Recovering a content database to a particular point therefore requires cataloging the farm again. Catalog generation requires at least 2 GB of space on the MABS installation volume for each 10 million farm items. The catalog supplies the recoverable-item URL list. Microsoft Learn.

Applicability

Use this check for a SharePoint farm protected with Microsoft Azure Backup Server and long-term retention in Azure. Confirm the actual MABS and SharePoint versions against the current support requirements before scheduling a recovery rehearsal.

DSE recommendation

Budget recataloging as an explicit recovery activity. Ask the recovery owner to document how the selected content database will be identified and cataloged, who can perform that work and which local volume must have space. Estimate catalog capacity from the farm’s item population, not just its database size. Keep this preparation separate from selecting a retained backup point. Avoid committing to a restoration deadline before the catalog step has been exercised.

Verification

In an approved recovery rehearsal, record the requested recovery point, catalog-generation result, local free space and the time spent preparing the item list. Confirm that the intended database and recoverable URLs can be located. Investigate missing entries before continuing with an authorized restore; do not treat the existence of an Azure backup point as evidence that its item catalog is immediately ready.

Official references

Microsoft Learn: Back up a SharePoint farm to Azure with MABS.